These 2 teams have flipped early expectations:
- LA lost Doughty to a serious ankle injury, Kopitar was turning 37, the team lost on failed bet Dubois, got trounced by EDM in the playoffs, and Blake + Robitaille were getting cooked publicly for their offseason. Fast forward to now and they're 7th in P%, 6th in the west, with a +21 goal differential. Set to get Doughty back as well.
Contrast with:
- VAN adds efficiency (via metrics) and kept their top4 D intact. Had re-signed Pettersson long-term, and stabilized the crease with Lankinen. Tocchet wins the Jack Adams and Hughes the Norris. Took EDM to the limit (nominally), lionizing Allvin/JR along the way. Fast forward to now and they're 15th in P%, have a -11 goal differential, a media circus with Pettersson/Miller, and are presently out of a playoff spot.
What a difference half a season makes.