ucanthanzalthetruth
#CatsAreChamps
- Jul 13, 2013
- 28,312
- 33,507
There was a thread for this a while back but it was made way too early before Boston made their signings and got way off track. I made this thread exactly 1 year ago: Predict the Atlantic Standings and got all 4 playoff teams right. Way off on the non-playoff teams. Here’s my order:
4. Boston-99 points (wildcard): I may have had Boston out of the playoffs if the didn’t bring back Bergeron and Krecji. An older team, significant injuries to Marchand and McAvoy will have the Bruins in a tough spot the 1st half. But bringing back 2 good players should give them enough leeway. I like Jim Montgomery but have no idea why Cassidy was fired and not Sweeney. I'd have done it the other way around.
5. Ottawa-89 points: For these non-playoff teams it gets tricky. I don’t really buy the Sens hype. Giroux is still very good, nice signing. Debrincat trade, what a fleece job. But this was a 70 point team last year. Sure they had a tough covid run but I just don’t see the 30 point improvement needed to make the playoffs. Please get Chabot some help back there.
6. Detroit- 88 points: Copp and Perron are nice players. They have some great young players. I like Husso. In the same vein as Ottawa though, I don’t think they’ve closed the gap enough on the top teams. Also I don’t know what Ben Chariot does to a MFer, Zito gave up so much and Yzerman gave an awful contract, both of these guys are good GMs but no idea why he’s being paid as a borderline top pairing guy/#3.
7. Buffalo-85 points: Buffalo was good in the second half. A lot of fun to watch. Tage Thompson and Tuch were great, Dahlin improved, Power looks like the real deal. I’m just not a fan of their goaltending. 6k doesn’t look ready to carry the load, Comrie was good but 15 starts last year isn’t enough and he hasn’t shown much in his career till then, and Craig Anderson is 800 years old.
8. Montreal-62 points: Kent Hughes has done a nice job (Monahan and a 1st, BEN CHARIOT FOR A 1ST, excuse the caps) and they have some nice young players but this is going to be a very bad year (or good, Bedard sweepstakes?). It’s a great year to tank but they’ll have some tough competition in Chicago, Arizona and Philly.
- Toronto-116 points: This isn’t the playoffs, time and time again the Leafs have shown they are a great regular season team. While the Matt Murray move looks real bad to me, Campbell was one of the worst goalies in the league (if not the worst) in the 2nd half and Mrazek was garbage, and they were still very good, so I see no concerns. They lost some minor pieces but of the big 4 in the Atlantic, they definitely lost the least.
- Florida- 109 points: If I read 1 more time how much worse Florida will be due to losing Giroux and Chariot I will lose my mind. Florida was on a 120 point pace before trading for them in March. They finished with 116 points in 2021. The loss of Weegar, Duclair and Marchment will hurt, but this is still a very good regular season team that Vegas still has 4th in President’s Trophy odds (not that I see a repeat). I have no idea why the loss of Weegar, Duclair and Marchment are so backbreaking to cause Florida to lose 30 points and miss the playoffs like part of HF seems to think but neither myself or Vegas buys it. As is I have them down 13 points which is significant.
- Tampa- 106 points: A team that’s never cared about positioning, with the loss of McDonagh and Palat along with major injuries to Cirelli and Bogosian, I have them firmly in 3rd. One of the more interesting moves of the summer was keeping Philippe Myers, who has looked bad for several years and who had a unique buyout that actually would have increased Tampa’s cap room this year. They chose to keep him and he looks slotted in a top 4 role. Diamond in the rough of rare slipup?
4. Boston-99 points (wildcard): I may have had Boston out of the playoffs if the didn’t bring back Bergeron and Krecji. An older team, significant injuries to Marchand and McAvoy will have the Bruins in a tough spot the 1st half. But bringing back 2 good players should give them enough leeway. I like Jim Montgomery but have no idea why Cassidy was fired and not Sweeney. I'd have done it the other way around.
5. Ottawa-89 points: For these non-playoff teams it gets tricky. I don’t really buy the Sens hype. Giroux is still very good, nice signing. Debrincat trade, what a fleece job. But this was a 70 point team last year. Sure they had a tough covid run but I just don’t see the 30 point improvement needed to make the playoffs. Please get Chabot some help back there.
6. Detroit- 88 points: Copp and Perron are nice players. They have some great young players. I like Husso. In the same vein as Ottawa though, I don’t think they’ve closed the gap enough on the top teams. Also I don’t know what Ben Chariot does to a MFer, Zito gave up so much and Yzerman gave an awful contract, both of these guys are good GMs but no idea why he’s being paid as a borderline top pairing guy/#3.
7. Buffalo-85 points: Buffalo was good in the second half. A lot of fun to watch. Tage Thompson and Tuch were great, Dahlin improved, Power looks like the real deal. I’m just not a fan of their goaltending. 6k doesn’t look ready to carry the load, Comrie was good but 15 starts last year isn’t enough and he hasn’t shown much in his career till then, and Craig Anderson is 800 years old.
8. Montreal-62 points: Kent Hughes has done a nice job (Monahan and a 1st, BEN CHARIOT FOR A 1ST, excuse the caps) and they have some nice young players but this is going to be a very bad year (or good, Bedard sweepstakes?). It’s a great year to tank but they’ll have some tough competition in Chicago, Arizona and Philly.
Last edited:
