I think we are a prime candidate for a top 10 pick next season. Last year our OT record, our record in 1 goal games, and our goaltending were all tops in the league. We also had very few injuries. Our old guys are a year older, and our young guys (Dean/Neighbors/Bolduc/Dvo/Kessel) shouldn't be expected to take a Thomas-esque leap forward at this point in their development.
I also believe that many teams in our division got better, or at least didn't get worse. Winnipeg, Colorado, and Dallas all still look very strong. Nashville spent a ton of money, I'm not really sure if it was wisely, but for at least the next year they look very improved and they were already ahead of us. Utah and Seattle should be much improved next year as well (Although with Seattle I think they get 1, maybe two years before those UFA deals look terrible).
The only real changes we've made (so far) this off-season is unloading Hayes and hiring Julien. I think Julien is a good coach, but I don't know if it's fair to expect a Monty-esque result where all of a sudden our entire roster puts up career years. If we trade Buch (Which we 100% should) without making any other move, we should clearly expect a top 10 pick barring a miracle.