Pre-Game Talk: 2024-25 Season Predictions Pole

[K1984]

I don’t have any concerns about the roster, or aspects of the roster (age, speed, toughness, whatever). We all know about 2RD, but I don’t think that’s the end of the world either. I’m dead certain that this team will perform to expectations.

The only question is when they choose/allow themselves to perform to expectations. Up to this point, this group cannot, will not play to their capabilities until they are behind the 8 ball. Will they start properly Wednesday? Will it be next week? Will they throw away another month again? Remains to be seen.

The concerns with this team are entirely psychological and when they decide to get out of their own way. I really, really hope this is the year where they have finally grown up and this stupidity is past us, but I’ve been fooled too many times to assume that they won’t do it again.

 

[syz]

Calling Ceci "mediocre" is charitable, imo. It'll be difficult for whoever replaces him to be worse, but hopefully the TDL results in an upgrade nonetheless.

My main fear until proven otherwise is that we end up with another season of McDavid (and potentially Draisaitl after the finals run) playing through "nagging injuries." McDavid (and probably at least Hyman) will be playing even more games this year as well thanks to the Four Nations gimmick tournament in the middle of the season, so I really hope everybody is healed up.

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1843289227074970072

Please forgive the Leafs blasphemy I didn’t know it would be there when I posted the Oilers link.

 

[oXo Cube]

Winning the division.

The defense will be fine. The depth scoring won't be. Skinner, who knows.

 

[Soundwave]

Team won't finish as high as a lot of people think I'm afraid. Defense is worse than last year, Kane being out will hurt, and I fully expect us to stumble right out of the gate as usual though not as bad as last year.

I doubt we're winning a conference let alone a division. The good news however is that there might be an opportunity to make a big splash at the deadline to fix our defense. Hopefully that would be enough to put us high enough in the standings to get a lot of home ice advantage for another long playoff run.

Yeah replacing (checks notes) Cody Ceci is some impossible task.

This guy was a total turd to start the season last year, now suddenly he's some magical unicorn piece?

Knoblaugh is the defense.

He's the reason we made a Cup Final, the defense wasn't doing shit until he came and put some structure in under them. That and Ekholm getting healthy. They drive the bus, not the Cody Cecis and Vinny Desharnais of the world, these guys' weren't doing shit last year when the team was in a tail spin.

 

[rboomercat90]

I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll have a good season but I’m not sure what that’s going to look like. This team changed styles last year to a more defensively minded team and while I think that’s necessary to go deep into the playoffs it was frustrating to watch at times.
As good as this team was last year after Knoblach got here they never looked dominant and never left you overly confident watching them. They just chugged along and got it done. Changes made where long time regulars have departed. They are older now and look slower. Some holes in the lineup that need to somehow be filled whether internally or with help later on. I think the coaching staff is too good here now for a repeat of the start of last year but that preseason didn’t look good and until this team wins some games the concern will be there.

 

[russ99]

Don’t really understand how that makes you more confident last year if it was about potential. I guess excitement regarding the top pair (now known to be good).

If that’s what we’re measuring it on, one could say they might be excited to see Nurse having a potentially better d man next to him than a known mediocre d man in Ceci.

I just don’t see how losing Ceci and Desharnais (Broberg was not notable until his hot run in the playoffs) for Emberson and Stecher / Dermott makes one down on the D corps

Pinning a lot of hopes on a guy with 30 NHL games...

I'm not concerned about Emberson, he will end up as 3RD, once we make the obvious need acquisition of a 2RD. But the real question I have is how much this new-look defense corps stumbles out of the gate, especially with a forward group who in the preseason forgot that being defensively responsible led them to all that success last season.

If we can get to the deadline and make the optimal deal, great. But with the pressure on this group, I'm expecting to not get to the deadline, Bowman will have to shore up the defense corps well before March.

 

[Niten Ichi Ryu]

In regards to the individual players:

Best new forward: J. Skinner
Best new defenseman: Emberson
Most improved: C. Brown
Biggest surprise: Nurse
Most regressed: Hyman
Most progressed via pts: Nugent Hopkins
Leading scorer (pts): Draisaitl
Leading goal scorer: J. Skinner
X Factor: S. Skinner

*Knoblauch for Adams finalist, Leon for Hart/Lindsay/Rocket finalist, and Bouchard for Norris finalist

1st Pacific Division finish
WCF opponent: Minnesota
SCF opponent: New Jersey
Conn Smythe: Draisaitl

 

[KCC]

The season is way too long and there will be ups and downs. But as long as they make the playoffs and play to their potential when it matters that’s all I personally care about. Though it will be funny to see how many overreact as the season goes on.