Speculation: Annual "Where will the Canes finish?" poll

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Similar poll that we always do:

1) A top 5 team in the NHL
2) Comfortably in the playoffs, not top 5 team
3) Bubble team in the playoffs
4) Bubble team out of the playoffs
5) Not even in playoff contention at all

Let's see what everyone thinks.

Click to read more...

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I really think "2.5", but if I have to pick, I'll pick 3.

I don't think they'll clinch a spot until the last 5 or so games of the season, but they'll be in and it won't come down to the final game or anything.

 

[Tryamw]

I really think "2.5", but if I have to pick, I'll pick 3.

I don't think they'll clinch a spot until the last 5 or so games of the season, but they'll be in and it won't come down to the final game or anything.

I choose 2 but my thought process is only slightly better then yours I think we'll have it practically wrapped up with 10 but not Mathematically until later.

 

[LostInaLostWorld]

2 or 3 but chose 3. A bit harder slog than last year's Central.

 

[AD Skinner]

I think bubble and in. The metro is no joke.

 

[Tryamw]

We should have this as if we were in the pacific in the Vegas slot as an Alt Poll!.

 

[Svechhammer]

I think a lot of people don't appreciate how good the Central was last year. Chicago and Detroit were trash, yes, but Dallas, Nashville, Florida, and Tampa were all legit, and we more than held our own.

I personally think we're not as good as last year, but I think we aren't going to fall off nearly as much as some expect. Our ceiling is probably lower, but the floor is higher, and I also think the Metro isn't going to be the bloodbath that people expect. I think it'll be between us and NYI for the division title this year, with a noticeable but not massive gap over the glut in the middle.

Went with option 2. More like a Top 7 or 8 team in the league rather than Top 5, but should be comfortably in the playoffs.

Of course with this said, we'll be a train wreck that finishes dead last.

 

[AD Skinner]

I dont know man. The only teams in the metro that I think aren't playoff contenders are NJ and Columbus, and NJ may surprise with added talent like dougie and development from Hughes. I think the canes are on the same tier as NYI, the caps and the penguins but I dont think any of those 4 teams are so far ahead of NYR or Philly that they couldn't sneak in. That doesn't even account for the Atlantic having 4 solid teams, one of which will probably snag one of the wild card spots

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

No VENGEANCE option. NUKE THE POLL.

 

[AhosDatsyukian]

Between 1 and 2. I think we're in the top tier of legit contenders but that could be 7-8 teams instead of 5. I'd honestly be shocked if we're a bubble team. But I have been shocked many a time.

 

[Derailed75]

No VENGEANCE option. NUKE THE POLL.

I was gonna complain about no "Skating around with the cup option"

 

[zman77]

Tim Campbell, staff writer

Atlantic Division
1: Tampa Bay Lightning | 2: Florida Panthers | 3: Boston Bruins
Metropolitan Division
1: Carolina Hurricanes | 2: New York Islanders | 3: Washington Capitals
Eastern Conference wild cards
1: Philadelphia Flyers | 2: Toronto Maple Leafs
Central Division
1: Colorado Avalanche | 2: Winnipeg Jets | 3: St. Louis Blues
Pacific Division
1: Vegas Golden Knights | 2: Edmonton Oilers | 3: Los Angeles Kings
Western Conference wild cards
1: Dallas Stars | 2: Minnesota Wild
Conference champions
East: Carolina Hurricanes
West: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup champion: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup predictions for 2021-22 NHL season

 

[Tryamw]

Tim Campbell, staff writer

Atlantic Division
1: Tampa Bay Lightning | 2: Florida Panthers | 3: Boston Bruins
Metropolitan Division
1: Carolina Hurricanes | 2: New York Islanders | 3: Washington Capitals
Eastern Conference wild cards
1: Philadelphia Flyers | 2: Toronto Maple Leafs
Central Division
1: Colorado Avalanche | 2: Winnipeg Jets | 3: St. Louis Blues
Pacific Division
1: Vegas Golden Knights | 2: Edmonton Oilers | 3: Los Angeles Kings
Western Conference wild cards
1: Dallas Stars | 2: Minnesota Wild
Conference champions
East: Carolina Hurricanes
West: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup champion: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup predictions for 2021-22 NHL season

So We are Domed!!!
So Domed!

yes I know how to spell this is funnier

 

[Svechhammer]

Tim Campbell, staff writer

Atlantic Division
1: Tampa Bay Lightning | 2: Florida Panthers | 3: Boston Bruins
Metropolitan Division
1: Carolina Hurricanes | 2: New York Islanders | 3: Washington Capitals
Eastern Conference wild cards
1: Philadelphia Flyers | 2: Toronto Maple Leafs
Central Division
1: Colorado Avalanche | 2: Winnipeg Jets | 3: St. Louis Blues
Pacific Division
1: Vegas Golden Knights | 2: Edmonton Oilers | 3: Los Angeles Kings
Western Conference wild cards
1: Dallas Stars | 2: Minnesota Wild
Conference champions
East: Carolina Hurricanes
West: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup champion: Colorado Avalanche
Stanley Cup predictions for 2021-22 NHL season

Its worth pointing out that all predictions have us in the playoffs. Only 2 or 3 have us as a wild card team, and the vast majority have either us or NYI winning the Metro

 

[Tryamw]

Its worth pointing out that all predictions have us in the playoffs. Only 2 or 3 have us as a wild card team, and the vast majority have either us or NYI winning the Metro

Hell I'd pick NYI over us in the standings..

 

[hockeynjune]

I still have high hopes for this team becoming something special by the end of the season. Potential is there.

 

[DaveG]

Top 10 in the league, thing is the Metro has like 3-4 other top 10 calibre teams depending on which Philadelphia shows up, and bigger problem is the Atlantic now has 4 quality teams of their own and a hell of a lot weaker bottom tier making even getting to the playoffs as a high caliber team not an automatic in the East.

 

[Svechhammer]

Hell I'd pick NYI over us in the standings..

As would I. But I would put us closer to NYI than the rest.

 

[WreckingCrew]

I was also teetering between 2 & 3, but I think (pending a disaster) we're probably at the top edge of the bubble where we "could" theoretically fall out (because...Metro), but stay in pretty consistently. We just need to, for once in our ****ing franchise lifetime, STOP pissing away points against "meh" teams...more comfortable wins and fewer of these "take the point and move on" games.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

No VENGEANCE option. NUKE THE POLL.

I considered it, but then thought it would be a landslide winner and not worth doing a poll.

 

[VibesAlive]

I went with option 2, but only by a slim margin. The Metro is a tough Division.

I also second the don't piss away points against the "meh" teams!!!

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Admittedly, the difference between options 2, 3 and 4 can be razor thin.

Take 2018-19. Canes squeaked in after a torrid 2nd half of the season with 99 points. TOR, PIT, WSH and NYI were "comfortably in" at 100, 100, 103 and 104 points. MTL missed out at 96 points.

All it takes is a couple more wins or a couple more losses.

 

[urho]

I think there's a strong chance of Hurricanes being a top 5 team in the league. Most of it comes from a very deep offensive core. I think Aho, Necas, Svechnicov and Teräväinen are all due to play better than ever. With Trocheck they all have the potential to be PPG-players this year and that's more than most teams have. Offensively Hurricanes will be better than ever.

Of course there are some questions marks in defense and in goal but even if some of them get unanswered I still think there's a lot to hope for this year.

 

[hblueridgegal]

I really think "2.5", but if I have to pick, I'll pick 3.

I don't think they'll clinch a spot until the last 5 or so games of the season, but they'll be in and it won't come down to the final game or anything.

At the end of the season, I didn't anticipate for the spot to be quite so unknown. We are having a family meet up when the Canes play NYI at their new barn in late April. It could be a finish line battle for first or a nail biting bubble watch. Really just hoping it's not an out of the playoff picture situation. Some Ranger fans coming along for the show.

Boomer and Jake both have the Canes in their top 5. Jake's still pretty ride or die but he didn't like the Ned trade & has goalie anxiety.

 

[Chrispy]

Top 10 in the league, thing is the Metro has like 3-4 other top 10 calibre teams depending on which Philadelphia shows up, and bigger problem is the Atlantic now has 4 quality teams of their own and a hell of a lot weaker bottom tier making even getting to the playoffs as a high caliber team not an automatic in the East.

The difference between the Atlantic and the Metropolitan in terms of opponents played is 5 out of 82. The Atlantic gets all Metro teams 3x, 2 of 7 Atlantic teams 3x, and 5 Atlantic teams 4x. Metro gets 5 Metro teams 4x.

https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2021/07/22/2021-22-nhl-schedule-kraken-debut-return-to-82-games-and-more/

So the Atlantic teams aren't even guaranteed to get the bad Atlantic teams 4x, at which point their schedule is more like the Metro anyway.

In Carolina's case, the two Metro teams they only get three times this season are the Islanders and Pittsburgh.