NHL Predictions and Preseason Notes

[CanadianChris]

Since the first training camps are opening, it seemed appropriate to start a new thread. Someone can lock the other one, I guess.

 

I'll start off with my (probably completely off-base) predictions for this year (playoff seedings in brackets):

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC:

1. (1) Philadelphia

2. (5) Pittsburgh

3. (6) New Jersey

4. NY Islanders

5. NY Rangers

NORTHEAST:

1. (2) Ottawa

2. (4) Boston

3. (7) Toronto

4. Montreal

5. Buffalo

SOUTHEAST:

1. (3) Tampa Bay

2. (8) Florida

3. Atlanta

4. Washington

5. Carolina

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL:

1. (3) Nashville

2. (7) Detroit

3. Chicago

4. St. Louis

5. Columbus

NORTHWEST:

1. (1) Vancouver

2. (4) Calgary

3. (6) Edmonton

4. (8) Colorado

5. Minnesota

PACIFIC:

1. (2) Dallas

2. (5) San Jose

3. Anaheim

4. Los Angeles

5. Phoenix

 

CONFERENCE FINALS: Vancouver over Calgary, Boston over Ottawa

STANLEY CUP: Vancouver over Boston

HART TROPHY: Markus Naslund, Vancouver

[CanadianGuitarist]

I'll suck your dick if the Habs don't make the playoffs.

 

I still owe my buddy one for Tampa making it two seasons ago.

He owes me a teabagging for the Cup win last year. I digress.

 

Atlantic:

 

Pittsburgh(3) (Lots of ?'s, but tough to argue with)

Philly(7)(It's easy to forget how much they've lost)

New Jersey(8)(Even with depleted d, they're just to good a team not to be around)

Isle

Rangers

 

NorthEast:

 

Ottawa(1) Best on paper of any in the league, maybe any in the league the last 10 years.

Boston(4) (Everyone key is back.)

Montreal(5) (Red hot in March last year, and solid throughout the year. Plus Bonk)

Toronto(6) (See Pittsburgh, with a little higher quotient for arguing)

Buffalo

 

Southeast:

 

Tampa(2) This is the same team that won it all 18 months ago.

Panthers(getting there..next year, a lock)

Caps

Thrashers

Canes

------------------------------------------

 

Central:

 

Detroit(2) Like a rock....

Chicago(6) Was Wirtz right this whole time?

Nashville(8) Kariya will greatly help an underrated team, with hockey's most overlooked goalie.

 

St. Louis

Columbus

 

Pacific:

 

Dallas(3) Just a solid, solid team.

San Jose(7) See above.

Phoenix

L.A

Anaheim

 

Northwest:

 

-Vancouver(1) They'll miss Burke most of all. Until then, this is the team in the west.

-Calgary(4) Better than the team last spring, and now they have leaders.

-Edmonton(5) Holy grails in Oiltown? For now, it's new CBA > Stanley's mug.

-Colorado. Not by much, but no Forsberg or Hartley? No thanks. I still am unsure about Aebischer.

-Minnesota

 

The NW might be a bit wishful thinking on my behalf, as Calgary/Edmonton playoff hockey would be bliss. But I sincerely don't see Colorado making the spring the way Alberta beefed up this season.

[starvenger]

I figure it'll be the same as always - the Leafs beat Ottawa and then are too banged up to make it any further.

 

Mind you, the Leafs could die from old age too, but hey, they got Tie Domi back, so fellow Leaf fans, rejoice!! [/sarcasm]

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski]

EASTERN CONFERENCE

ATLANTIC:

1. (1) Philadelphia

2. (5) Pittsburgh

3. New Jersey

4. NY Islanders

5. NY Rangers

NORTHEAST:

1. (2) Ottawa

2. (4) Boston

3. (7) Toronto

4. Montreal

5. Buffalo

SOUTHEAST:

1. (3) Tampa Bay

2. (6) Atlanta

3. (8) Florida

4. Washington

5. Carolina

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL:

1. (3) St. Louis

2. (8) Detroit

3. Chicago

4. Nashville

5. Columbus

NORTHWEST:

1. (1) Vancouver

2. (4) Calgary

3. (7) Colorado

4. Edmonton

5. Minnesota

PACIFIC:

1. (2) Dallas

2. (5) San Jose

3. (6) Anaheim

4. Los Angeles

5. Phoenix

[mike546]

From the last time hockey was played, I remember the Rangers going for a youth movement, and basically having all young guys playing. How bad are they gonna suck?

[the max]

Atlantic:

 

Pittsburgh (3): It's hard to argue with their acquisitions of talent. As much of Crosby actually contributing this year matters, I think they'll be fine.

Philadelphia (5): I can't trust Forsberg to stay healthy and productive for the entire season. That's the key. They'll be fine defensively until it actually matters. Then they'll fold.

New Jersey (7): Sorry, but losing their two best defensemen and replacing them with Colin White and Brian Rafalski while giving serious minutes to Sean Brown wouldn't exactly fill me with confidence if I were a Devils fan. This is the year that we find out what Marty is really made of.

New York Islanders: Miro Satan is a nice addition, but Adrian Aucoin and Roman Hamrlik leaving are going to hurt them a great deal.

New York Rangers: Just, no. No. No.

 

Northeast:

 

Ottawa (1): Even losing a player like Hossa, they replaced him. They've always been deep in wing talent and young defensemen, now it's time for them to shine.

Boston (4): As much as I ride them, they still are returning good players and debuting some decent enough veterans. Zhamnov may be inconsistant, but hey Bruins fans are used to that! I think the loss of Sergei Gonchar will hurt, and Brian Leetch is merely a bandaid on a severed limb. Their biggest weakness is defense, but offense should make up for it. Is this the year that Joe Thornton actually steps up?

Montreal (8): They'll find a way to sneak in. Theodore is that good when he wants to be. I don't like how few changes they've made though.

Toronto: Let's see, they lost Roberts who was responsible for a good deal of their offense in the last few years and replaced him with...Jason Allison, who hasn't played in almost two years. They lost Niewendyk who was consistant and replaced him with Eric Lindros. They have holes on defense and Ed Belfour is almost 70 years old with back problems. But hey, it's not like back problems are a chronic thing.

Buffalo: A few bright spots, but really. They lost their best player and their current best player (Afinogenov) probably won't stick around for long.

 

Southeast:

 

Tampa Bay (2): Even with "Free Goals" Grahame in net, they have offense and a good defense. Richards is in a contract year and will be looking to up his value for when he "bolts".

Florida (6): Roberto Luongo is in a contract year, Nathan Horton is healthy, Anthony Stewart will get playing time and Roberts and Niewendyk will help the maturation of Olli Jokinen.

Atlanta: If they can sign Kovalchuk, they might have a fighting chance. But I don't see it happening.

Washington: It'll be fun watching Ovechkin score to cut the opposition's lead to five goals.

Carolina: They'll be in Florida's skates in a few years.

 

 

Western Conference tomorrow night...

[treble]

I consider Nieuwendyk for Lindros a lateral move, for the most part. Lindros has more upside than Nieuwendyk, but is more of an injury risk probably, even though Nieuwendyk missed about 20 games last season, so he's not likely to be 100% healthy, either. Losing Roberts sucks, though, and they haven't really replaced him.

 

I agree with people saying they'll probably end up being a lower seed in the East, but I wouldn't be totally surprised if they missed the playoffs. They'll be fine in a couple of years, though.

[TheOriginalOrangeGoblin]

East:

 

Atlantic

1. Philadelphia(2)

2. Pittsburgh(5)

3. New Jersey

4. New York Rangers

5. New York Islanders

 

North East

1. Ottawa(1)

2. Boston(4)

3. Montreal(6)

4. Toronto(8*)

5. Buffalo

 

South East

1. Tampa Bay(3)

2. Florida(7)

3. Atlanta(8*)

4. Carolina

5. Washington

 

* = If Kovalchuk signs, Atlanta is #8. If not, Toronto is.

 

West

 

Central

1. Detroit(3)

2. Nashville(6)

3. St. Louis

4. Chicago

5. Columbus

 

North West

1. Calgary(1)

2. Vancouver(4)

3. Edmonton(8)

4. Colorado

5. Minnesota

 

Pacific

1. San Jose(2)

2. Dallas(5)

3. Anaheim(7)

4. Los Angeles

5. Phoenix

 

East Finals: Ottawa over Philly

West Finals: Vancouver over Calgary

Cup: Sens over Canucks

[CanadianChris]

Montreal(5) (Red hot in March last year, and solid throughout the year. Plus Bonk)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you're hanging your hopes on Radek Bonk, prepare to be very disappointed.

 

Like I said, though, I really have no idea who'll finish where. Makes for some good discussion, though.

 

I'm surprised no one has said I'm on crack for my Nashville winning the Central prediction.

[The Czech Republic]

Oh I didn't catch that. You're on crack.

[nl5xsk1]

I'm too lazy to do a full write up of each team, but the teams I see making it to the postseason are:

 

1 Philly

2 Ottawa

3 Tampa Bay

4 Boston (might be 5, behind Pitt)

5 Pittsburgh (might be 4, ahead of Boston)

6 Montreal

7 Florida

8 Atlanta

 

1 Calgary

2 San Jose

3 Nashville

4 Vancouver

5 Detroit

6 Edmonton

7 Dallas

8 Colorado (will win a dogfight for the last spot, finishing just ahead of Anaheim & LA)

[CanadianChris]

Another potential Hall of Famer retires:

 

Ron Francis

[stahl]

Potential? He's pretty much a lock with his stats. Damphousse being potential I can see, but Francis will get in.

[CanadianChris]

Everyone's a potential until they actually get in, but I agree with you.

[nl5xsk1]

Ronnie Franchise isn't a lock to the level that Messier is ... but he's got to be considered an automatic 1st ballot HOFer.

[Dogbert]

EASTERN CONFERENCE

 

1) Philadelphia Flyers (Forsberg could put them over the top)

2) Ottawa Senators (Playoff performance their only concern)

3) Tampa Bay Lightning (Have gotten worse, but should win a weak division)

4) Boston Bruins (Added a whole lot of talent, gelling-time should keep them from the division title)

5) Atlanta Thrashers (Hossa and Kovalchuk could do this by themselves)

6) Montreal Canadiens (Pretty much the same, but without Brisebois... a major plus)

7) Pittsburgh Penguins (Could finish anywhere between 7th and 10th, really... benefit of the doubt)

8 ) New York Islanders (Haven't really improved, but should take advantage of a weak conference)

 

9) New Jersey Devils (Loss of Nieds, opening up of the game will hurt NJ)

10) Toronto Maple Leafs (Too old to win in new NHL, could sneak into playoffs if injuries stay low)

11) Carolina Hurricanes (So mediocre that I can't think of anything to say here)

12) Florida Panthers (Luongo will feel like he's in a shooting gallery again)

13) Buffalo Sabres (Full of holes everywhere, except in the crease)

14) New York Rangers (Half of the 2004-05 Hartford Wolfpack will be in the bigs... bad news)

15) Washington Capitals (Could challenge the expansion-year Caps as the worst team of all time)

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

 

1) Vancouver Canucks (A regular-season powerhouse for sure, but can they get over the playoff hump?)

2) San Jose Sharks (Young and fast: prime candidates for a breakout year)

3) Nashville Predators (See San Jose Sharks: surprise of the year)

4) Calgary Flames (Full season with Kiprusoff, second line taking pressure off Iggy will help out a lot)

5) Detroit Red Wings (Have lost a step for sure, but are chock-full of talent)

6) Edmonton Oilers (The most-improved team over the off-season will head back to the dance)

7) Los Angeles Mighty Ducks or Possibly Seals of Anaheim (All joking aside, a much-improved team)

8 ) Los Angeles Kings (Improved, but goaltending and injuries still question marks)

 

9) Columbus Blue Jackets (Ready to make a run, if Denis holds up in the nets and Nash isn't too hurt)

10) Phoenix Coyotes (Is more age really the answer? Still, could sneak in)

11) Colorado Avalanche (Losing Forsberg and Foote will hurt a lot, but more division play will be the real killer)

12) Dallas Stars (Too old, too slow; rebuilding necessary in Dallas)

13) St. Louis Blues (Sacrificed depth for Tkachuk and Weight, and will pay for it dearly: Lalime isn't the answer)

14) Minnesota Wild (Game opening up + more divisional play = Wild netting a lottery pick)

15) Chicago Blackhawks (Bust of the year: they have Khabibulin, and... er... well...)

 

Leave 'em.

 

Edit: For the hell of it, let's do playoffs too.

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

 

(1) Philadelphia def. ( 8 ) NY Islanders in 5

(2) Ottawa def. (7) Pittsburgh in 7

(3) Tampa Bay def. (6) Montreal in 6

(5) Atlanta def. (4) Boston in 6

 

(1) Philadelphia def. (5) Atlanta in 6

(2) Ottawa def. (3) Tampa Bay in 7

 

(1) Philadelphia def. (2) Ottawa in 7

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

 

(1) Vancouver def. ( 8 ) Los Angeles in 6

(2) San Jose def. (7) Anaheim in 6

(6) Edmonton def. (3) Nashville in 7

(4) Calgary def. (5) Detroit in 6

 

(6) Edmonton def. (1) Vancouver in 7

(4) Calgary def. (2) San Jose in 7

 

(4) Calgary def. (6) Edmonton in 7 (Game 7: 4-3 in double-OT )

 

STANLEY CUP FINALS

 

(1) Philadelphia def. (4) Calgary in 6

[the max]

The only thing that might hurt Francis is his lack of MVP hardware. He had three 100+ point seasons, but only had 30 goals in three seasons as well. He's probably in.

[stahl]

As fourth on the all time point list and second in assists, he's definately in.

[CanadianChris]

The only thing that might hurt Francis is his lack of MVP hardware. He had three 100+ point seasons, but only had 30 goals in three seasons as well. He's probably in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think the lack of MVPs hurts him that much. He was never on a good team, except for his days in Pittsburgh, when he played with (and was overshadowed by) one of the five best players of all time.

 

I said a few days ago about Damphousse that if you're one of those very-good-but-not-great players, you need to have had a very long and very productive career to make the Hall. Francis has both of those, so he's in.

[Red Baron]

Eastern Conference

 

1. Ottawa

2. Philidelphia

3. Tampa Bay

4. Pittsburgh

5. Boston

6. New Jersey

7. Montreal

8. Toronto

 

Western Conference

 

1. Detroit

2. Calgary

3. San Jose

4. Vancouver

5. St. Louis

6. Dallas

7. Edmonton

8. Nashville.

 

Predictions for the Stanley Cup, Vancouver vs Ottawa.

[Red Baron]

Ron Francis is a guaranteed lock, but does not get the recongnition he does deserve. I mean he's fourth in points third in assists, and had three 100 point seasons. He's a solid leader and an excellent passer. There's no reason why he shouldn't be in on his first try.

[CanadianChris]

Just a reminder that the roto draft is tonight at 8:30 EDT.

 

I have no idea who to select, so I should be easy pickings.

[bob_barron]

I already did a live draft and came out okay, so hopefully I can do well in this one.

 

Yahoo!'s rankings are always off though, so it's hard.

[nl5xsk1]

Just a reminder that the roto draft is tonight at 8:30 EDT.

 

I have no idea who to select, so I should be easy pickings.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I feel like a broken record saying this, but I won't be able to attend the live draft ... I've done well with my other auto-drafts, though, so I'm not terribly concerend.

[starvenger]

Ron Francis is a guaranteed lock, but does not get the recongnition he does deserve. I mean he's fourth in points third in assists, and had three 100 point seasons. He's a solid leader and an excellent passer. There's no reason why he shouldn't be in on his first try.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's gonna be a helluva inductee class - and Francis might not even make the cut (I think there's a max of 4 per year). Messier, Stevens, MacInnis, Francis, possibly Larionov... insane.

[LaParkaMarka]

Everyone seems to be shitting on Phoenix. It seems to me that they could be solid. Their coaching is a bit of a crapshoot, but Wayne generally surrounds himself with excellent people (as a player he had guys who complemented his skills, as a GM he had a ton of knowledge and experience around him). They could do really well, potentially winning their division.

[the max]

http://tsn.ca/news_story.asp?ID=136535&hubName=main

 

B's reup with Razor on a one-year contract. It's not what's needed (a long term contract), but it's a start. Now sign Boynton.

[CanadianChris]

Everyone seems to be shitting on Phoenix. It seems to me that they could be solid. Their coaching is a bit of a crapshoot, but Wayne generally surrounds himself with excellent people (as a player he had guys who complemented his skills, as a GM he had a ton of knowledge and experience around him). They could do really well, potentially winning their division.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't question their coaching as much as their talent. I just don't think they have a roster that can compete night in and night out. Joseph will probably keep them in a lot of games, but they have only two goal scorers that are even semi-proven, and and one of them is 41 years old.

[treble]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?i...TC-DT9705204233

 

Big acquisition. Could put the Habs over the top.

[CanadianChris]

Now that the draft is over, rate your roto team.

 

C - Vincent Lecavalier, Jason Spezza, Saku Koivu

LW - Markus Naslund, Fredrik Modin, Chris Simon

RW - Michael Ryder, Matthew Barnaby, Petr Sykora

D - Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Dan Boyle, Kim Johnsson, Igor Ulanov

G - Curtis Joseph, Rick DiPietro

 

I couldn't be happier with mine. I'm a little weak in goal, but I think I'm as strong as anyone on defense, and my forwards are pretty good as well. I was hoping I'd draft near the front so I could get my hands on Naslund, and it worked out.