Atlantic Standings Predictions Thread

[johnnybbadd]

Skinner is terrible. He is addition by subtraction even with his goal totals (which fell off a cliff the second half of the season). There is a reason he's the all time leader for games played without making the playoffs.

I won’t blame Leaf fans for thinking that Skinner is a loss for Buffalo. He has torched them over the years. He usually plays motivated against his hometown team. You will get another 20-25 games like that but the other 50 are really hard to watch. Even on his good nights he’s a defensive black hole.

 

[Beezeral]

we get a full season of Lohrei. He's also an upgrade over both of them and likely a future #1 pp specialist.

Come on. The kid looks promising, but come on with these pie in the sky projections.

 

[Essenege]

I think Montreal will surprise a lot of people.

Dach & Dvorak (2 & 3 C) out basically all season. They didn’t have the depth to absorb that at all.

Pearson, Pezzetta, White, Ylonen and Stephens were all 35-42% xGF player which is ATROCIOUS and unacceptable for bottom 6 players, and they played a lot of minutes for us. We should get no minutes from them except maybe pezzetta.

In the bottom 6 RHP was injured early on and came back flat. Anderson has an outlier really bad year. Jake Evans played a lot of minutes in the middle 6 and he is overmatched there. 3 players who should improve easily on their 40% possession numbers playing on the 4th line.

Dvorak on a contract year and a long summer of getting back in shape. Should solidify the bottom 6.

PP underperformed a lot early on, but looked promising later in the year with the first line clicking.

Despite all this they had a close to flat goal differential 5v5 and 46 % xGF….

I think they are in the fight for one of the 2 WC spot.

1. Toronto
2. Florida
3. Boston
4. TB
5. Montreal
6. Buffalo
7. Detroit
8. Ottawa

A bit of a wish cast but I’ll stand by it!

 

[Rob Brown]

1. Florida
2. Toronto
3. Boston
4. Tampa Bay
5. Buffalo
6. Detroit
7. Montreal
8. Ottawa

 

[thegazelle]

Florida
Toronto
Boston
Tampa Bay
Ottawa
Detroit
Montreal
Buffalo

I think unfortunately Buffalo will be in the last spot for a couple more years. I actually was thinking of putting Ottawa higher, but Tampa Bay in my view is safe in #4 spot.

 

[Beezeral]

I think Montreal will surprise a lot of people.

Dach & Dvorak (2 & 3 C) out basically all season. They didn’t have the depth to absorb that at all.

Pearson, Pezzetta, White, Ylonen and Stephens were all 35-42% xGF player which is ATROCIOUS and unacceptable for bottom 6 players, and they played a lot of minutes for us. We should get no minutes from them except maybe pezzetta.

In the bottom 6 RHP was injured early on and came back flat. Anderson has an outlier really bad year. Jake Evans played a lot of minutes in the middle 6 and he is overmatched there. 3 players who should improve easily on their 40% possession numbers playing on the 4th line.

Dvorak on a contract year and a long summer of getting back in shape. Should solidify the bottom 6.

PP underperformed a lot early on, but looked promising later in the year with the first line clicking.

Despite all this they had a close to flat goal differential 5v5 and 46 % xGF….

I think they are in the fight for one of the 2 WC spot.

1. Toronto
2. Florida
3. Boston
4. TB
5. Montreal
6. Buffalo
7. Detroit
8. Ottawa

A bit of a wish cast but I’ll stand by it!

a LOT has to break right for Montreal to end up in 5th.

 

[Essenege]

a LOT has to break right for Montreal to end up in 5th.

Not having all our centreline ex-Suzuki injured at the same time would be a start! (Dach-Newhook-Dvorak)

After the top 6 teams in the eastern conference no one is clearly above the pack. I just don’t see which of Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philly, Caps, NYI, Buffalo, NJD or Ottawa is ahead…all in the same bowl IMO, pick 2

 

[Beezeral]

Not having all our centreline ex-Suzuki injured at the same time would be a start! (Dach-Newhook-Dvorak)

After the top 6 teams in the eastern conference no one is clearly above the pack. I just don’t see which of Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philly, Caps, NYI, Buffalo, NJD or Ottawa is ahead…all in the same bowl IMO, pick 2

nobody is above the pack (except the Devils), but its pretty easy to argue that Montreal is quite a bit behind teams like Detroit, Pitt, Philly, NYI, and maybe even the Caps.

 

[Essenege]

nobody is above the pack (except the Devils), but its pretty easy to argue that Montreal is quite a bit behind teams like Detroit, Pitt, Philly, NYI, and maybe even the Caps.

Very easy to argue, that’s why I think people will be surprised!

 

[TheOrangeDesk]

Florida
Massive gap
Boston
Massive Gap
Buffalo
Leafs
Ottawa
Tampa
lottery teams

 

[Chet Manley]

Ottawa has to eventually have a surprise year right? Right!? Would at least be nice to see what they can do with everyone healthy.

 

[Beezeral]

Would at least be nice to see what they can do with everyone healthy.

Availability is a skill though. The Senators put a lot of money into players with serious health concerns. It would be a miracle in itself just to get 75+ games out of that group. Then you need to actually have success.

 

[NikolaTesla]

Its funny how some peoples think that adding 1 or 2 free agents to an aging team will improve the team better than a very young team gaining 1 more year of experience.

 

[Menzinger]

Its funny how some peoples think that adding 1 or 2 free agents to an aging team will improve the team better than a very young team gaining 1 more year of experience.

Folks also tend to assume young teams will consistently progress and improve, which sometimes isn't the case

 

[dukeofjive]

Florida
Boston/Toronto
Tampa
Detroit
Ottawa
Buffalo
Montreal

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

It is time for the most entertaining thread of the offseason.

Is this the year the Sabres/Senators/Habs make a leap?

Is progression linnear for the Red Wings?

Will the Bruins/Lightning finally fall off?

What kind of cup hangover will the Panthers have?

Will the Core 4 stay in tact through the season?

Get your hot takes in now. Let's see if we can make it the entire offseason without getting this thread locked/deleted.

My predictions.

1. Leafs
2. Bruins
3. Panthers
4. Tampa (WC)

5. Red Wings
6. Sabres
7. Senators
8. Habs

That's a bold move cotton............Leafs 1st? Even if that happened, they're also the first out in the playoffs.


No wait, that would be too easy, they'll get it to game 7 and then stick the dagger in.

1. Bruins (how? no idea, i just know it's going to happen)
2. Panthers
3.
4. Leafs probably

After that who cares?

 

[GOALOFSSON]

Florida
Toronto
Boston
Tampa Bay
Ottawa
Detroit
Montreal
Buffalo

I think unfortunately Buffalo will be in the last spot for a couple more years. I actually was thinking of putting Ottawa higher, but Tampa Bay in my view is safe in #4 spot.

We're not only last but for a couple of years? How?

 

[NikolaTesla]

Folks also tend to assume young teams will consistently progress and improve, which sometimes isn't the case

Players in the 20 to 24 years old range generally gets better every years. Individually they progress, weather the teamplay as a whole progress is a different story indeed.

 

[Beezeral]

Folks also tend to assume young teams will consistently progress and improve, which sometimes isn't the case

It doesn't matter how many examples the league gives us that progression isn't linnear, fans fall for it EVERY year.

 

[Imgoingtowork]

How can some predict Toronto first and Ottawa last in the Atlantic series.

Buffalo who have worst team and Tampa Bay too.

Ottawa has two Swedish top goalies Ullmark and A.Forsberg with these top goalies Ottawa can go far.

 

[NyQuil]

How can some predict Toronto first and Ottawa last in the Atlantic series, it is Buffalo who is the worst team and that Ottawa has two Swedish top goalies Ullmark and A.Forsberg with these top goalies Ottawa can go far.

No one will believe that Ottawa has good defence/goaltending until it actually happens.

Frankly, I don't blame them.

 

[Community]

No way Toronto finishes top two in the Atlantic. Still way too soft, weak, fragile and heartless. No NHL #1 goalie. Mediocre defense. Too steeped in failure at their core.

"Still way too soft, weak, fragile, and heartless" implies that they haven't been able to be top two in their division in the past. 3 of the last 4 years they were top 2 in their division.

2nd in their division is the most likely. The question for the regular season is if they can improve their consistency and make a push for the division title to give themselves the best chance to finally have some playoff success.

 

[Community]

Leafs once again assembled a bargin bin special defensive group, they literally don't have a single top pairing defensemen yet again lol. Goaltending is questionable with two unproven backup goalies. Their Bottom Six forward group is likely among the worse of all playoff bound teams. Yes Tanev and OEL were great..... 6 years ago but at this stage in their career they're #4/5 at best on a contending team. If OEL was only 1 year removed from his 40pts+ pace I could understand the excitement but he hasn't hit 40pts+ in 6 seasons

Morgan Rielly is unquestionably a top pairing defenseman. Most people have him as a top 20 dman in the league.

He has had a 50+ pts pace in 6 of the last 7 years which is good for 12th most points among defenders over the last 5 years. It'd be 9th most if you count the last 6 years (falling between Letang and Karlsson).

 

[rickthegoon]

Toronto ( vomit in my mouth)
Boston
Hungover Panthers
Tampa

Buffalo ( finally living up to expectations)
Montreal (odds say you cannot beat 4 consecutive seasons the all time injury record)
Detroit
Ottawa

 

[Imgoingtowork]

I think Tampa Bay saw the squad the other day and four world class players Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, Point and Hedman left that Tampa Bay has released world class player Stamkos.