Predict the Atlantic Standings

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1. Toronto - good regular season team & should be fired up after last season's embarrassment..
2. Florida - can end up 1st, same idea as Toronto.. putting them here due to the ol' homer vote
3. Tampa - cup hangover + not going all out for the regular season.. cruise into playoffs, and try to go on another run from there..
4. Boston - core's getting older and lost a couple key players, won't keep up with #1-3
5. Ottawa - will be stealing points from teams expecting easy wins
6. Montreal - not good regular season team, lost captain and #1 C.. kids won't keep up for a full season
7. Detroit - rebuild
8. Buffalo - rebuild

I agree with this 100%
 
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I'm clueless, but I think Toronto is better coming from a Toronto fan. LOL. Cant wait. Your team has a top 4 and then a wide array of mediocre.

Then we must have been Mediocre as well last year. The biggest loss was Bogosian IMO, and if that's your biggest loss
the team seems to be OK. I don't believe Hyman was that huge of a factor, and Andersen certainly wasn't. I also don't see
how getting younger is worse.
 
Then we must have been Mediocre as well last year. The biggest loss was Bogosian IMO, and if that's your biggest loss
the team seems to be OK. I don't believe Hyman was that huge of a factor, and Andersen certainly wasn't. I also don't see
how getting younger is worse.

I've never seen such a complete 180 on a player like we're seeing from Leafs fans on Hyman after he left.
 
My full predictions:

1- Tampa Bay - 109
2- Toronto - 102
3- Florida - 100
4- Boston - 98
5- Montreal - 90
6- Ottawa - 78
7- Detroit - 72
8- Buffalo - 67
 
Out of all the teams in this division, is it unreasonable to think that Montreal will regress the hardest?
 
I've never seen such a complete 180 on a player like we're seeing from Leafs fans on Hyman after he left.
I'm not really sure that's fair. Leafs fans have typically been very low on Hyman, and I think you know that. Hyman was not a factor at all in the playoffs, and his best contributions came when he was on the 3rd line. Especially with Mikheyev and Engvall. Credit to him for making tremendous strides in his game with the puck, but his play away from the puck typically gets overrated.
 
Out of all the teams in this division, is it unreasonable to think that Montreal will regress the hardest?

Regress from what though? Stanley Cup Finalists or 18th in the league regular season?

The former, yeah it's likely the latter I doubt it.
 
Out of all the teams in this division, is it unreasonable to think that Montreal will regress the hardest?
Theres talent enough there that they’re not a bottom feeder, and IMO not a contender or playoff team. I don’t think you’ll see a ‘regression’ per se as much as they’ll just be similar to last regular season.
 
I'm not really sure that's fair. Leafs fans have typically been very low on Hyman, and I think you know that. Hyman was not a factor at all in the playoffs, and his best contributions came when he was on the 3rd line. Especially with Mikheyev and Engvall. Credit to him for making tremendous strides in his game with the puck, but his play away from the puck typically gets overrated.

The guy produced at roughly a 30 goal, 60 point pace, all while still being a very effective forechecker and board worker, along with being useful on the PK. Yet all I read is how he isn't really that big of a loss.

Come on. You don't have to think he's a superstar or that the Leafs will plummet to last place with his absence, but lets not write him off as though he's no bigger a loss than spare parts like Thornton, Nash or Galchenyuk, which is how some Leaf fans are making it sound like.
 
I've never seen such a complete 180 on a player like we're seeing from Leafs fans on Hyman after he left.

I'm a Leafs fan... Hyman was an important part of our forecheck, and was an incredibly hard worker. The Leafs will definitely miss those qualities. He helped make lines better. He wasn't very good with puck most of the time, but was good when he kept things simple.

As far as my predictions, 1-4 will be a crap shoot, between Boston, Florida, Tampa and Toronto... injuries, goalie voodoo play, whether Tampa plays hard full season, and some luck will determine the exact order.

Montreal should be 5th.
Ottawa should be 6th, though Murray could end up playing horrible, and Detroit could somehow beat them.. but that would take luck.

and then there is Buffalo.
 
On the minus side the Bolts lost their 3rd line
On the plus side: Bolts have a match fit Kucherov for the season, and a healthy Hedman (he was playing with with one good hip from mid season through the playoff).

Those 2 things, at worst case, balance out.

My tiers:

Tampa

Florida
Toronto

Boston
Montreal
Ottawa

Detroit
Buffalo
 
Out of all the teams in this division, is it unreasonable to think that Montreal will regress the hardest?
Depends, regress from their regular season total? Unlikely.

Regress from a team that beat Toronto and Vegas in the playoffs? Absolutely.
 
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I'm a Leafs fan... Hyman was an important part of our forecheck, and was an incredibly hard worker. The Leafs will definitely miss those qualities. He helped make lines better. He wasn't very good with puck most of the time, but was good when he kept things simple.

As far as my predictions, 1-4 will be a crap shoot, between Boston, Florida, Tampa and Toronto... injuries, goalie voodoo play, whether Tampa plays hard full season, and some luck will determine the exact order.

Montreal should be 5th.
Ottawa should be 6th, though Murray could end up playing horrible, and Detroit could somehow beat them.. but that would take luck.

and then there is Buffalo.

And that's fair. When I say "Leaf fans" I'm referring to the ones I'm quoting (the guy I quoted isn't the only time I've seen that kind of downplaying mentioned). Plus you've got CantwinwithoutMatthews defending those takes for some reason.
 
I've never seen such a complete 180 on a player like we're seeing from Leafs fans on Hyman after he left.
You mean some Leafs fans. (Edit. I see your post above and you addressed it). His presence and compete will be missed. I have Leafs competing for the wildcard position. Hope some players step up but we are missing a lot of what Hymen brought and what we need is the higher paid players to bring what Hymen did. Leafs could surprise and play better but let’s be honest no matter where they place in the regular season it’s all about not choking post season and I’m not even sure they make the playoffs with such a top heavy Atlantic.
 
Out of morbid curiosity...do you think you guys are a president's caliber team?

Did you think they were in 2019-20 when they went on to win it by one of the largest paces in this era?

Clearly the consensus was way, way off.
 
And that's fair. When I say "Leaf fans" I'm referring to the ones I'm quoting (the guy I quoted isn't the only time I've seen that kind of downplaying mentioned). Plus you've got CantwinwithoutMatthews defending those takes for some reason.

What can be said about Hyman. He's a hard worker, and a really likable guy. He's spent a career along side Matthews, Tavares, Marner, Nylander, and now likely McDavid and Drai.... He's not a player who on his own belongs in a conversation with any of these guys, but he's smart enough, and works hard enough, to be a decent complimentary guy for these players. A bit of luck for him, and a bit of taking an opportunity and making the best of it. From a Leafs perspective, he's a complimentary player, not a core player. I understand, and value what he brought to the team, but that's not worth what he got.
 

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