I think some of y'all forget the record number of 1 goal games they had last year. The team wasn't as bad as their record showed. With a healthy Dach and second half Slaf for the whole year, I expect and hope to see improvement.
I'm done with tanking, I want to see meaningful hockey again.
A lot will depend on injuries. I don't expect a playoff spot but expect them to be in the 17 to 22 range overall. Drafting just outside the top 10.
Yes we are relying on organic growth, but with close to half the roster 25 and under you will get more organic growth than most teams. The only net growth in the league is organic. For every Nashville adding a couple high end UFAs there is another team who lost the same high end UFA.
Sharks and Hawks were 29 and 24 pts behind us - they have improved but not that much
Ducks were 17 pts behind us and relying on organic growth too
Columbus 10 pts back lost a few players to ufa and at last deadline. added Monahan. doubt they pass us
What about the teams in front of us they didn't all improve
Flames dumped 1/2 their roster since last trade deadline and will tank hard
Sens, lot wrong with that roster, more than Ullmark can fix.
Flyers - no goalie, stayed in race with smoke and mirrors last year- expect them to take a step back- probably dump Konecny at deadline
Wild no sig adds a lot o guys on wrong side of 30, could see them slide back
Pens Guentzel gone, no sig adds, most of the key guys on the wrong side of 35. we may be looking for organic growth- they top guys are in decline mode
Det relying on organic growth too. Added Tarasenko lost Perron seem to be trying to corner market on washed up goalies and d-men
Islanders - kinda old too, Can Patrick work a miracle
Capitals added a lot but who knows seem to be more focused on getting Ovi 895 than anything
Blues another team moving sideways
Tampa Is Guentzel+ Mcdonnough> stamkos+sergachev, if not they are due to regress further too
Jersey/Buffalo/Seattle who knows
Habs will not be better than all those teams but they will be better than some of them, no way they are bottom 5 next yr