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Are the 'Canes playoff ready and is Panthers' "D" strong enough? |
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Things I wonder as the NHL ramps up for the playoffs..
1. Whether we should consider the Vegas Golden Knights a serious contender even though they may squeak into the playoffs...
Of course we should. Goalie Robin Lehner and defenseman Alec Martinez are back. Mark Stone, Reilly Smith and Max Pacioretty will be back for the playoffs. At the start of the season, the Golden Knights were a prime contender. Now they have Jack Eichel who has nine goals and 17 points in 23 games. It’s not going to be a reward for a division winner to play them if they end up with one of the wild cards. They are built for the playoffs.
2. Whether New York Islanders coaches and players think they would be right where they were last season if not for their messy start...
For sure they do. The Islanders have won four in a row, and seven of their last 10. They are 32-27-9. Can’t see GM Lou Lamoriello entering a rebuild mode. He will probably add a proven defenseman in the offseason. Nick Leddy will be available. Josh Manson will be a free agent. So will Mark Giordano. Lamoriello has quality goaltending, but he might need to trade Semyon Varlamov (modified no trade clause) to bring in more scoring. The Islanders ranked 23rd in scoring this season.
3. Whether Detroit Red Wings Steve Yzerman’s top priority this off season will be trying to acquire a first- or second-line center..
Yzerman will be looking for a veteran defenseman, preferably in his 20s. He has to rebuild his defense. Rookie Simon Edvinsson will likely be on the team. Everything else about the defense is up in the air. The Red Wings appreciate Pius Suter’s ability, but they don’t seem to think he’s the answer at the No. center. Will they call the Vancouver Canucks about J.T. Miller? Will they talk to the Arizona Coyotes about Nick Schmaltz? If Mark Scheifele is available, the Red Wings might be interested. Michigan native Andrew Copp is a possibility. Nazem Kadri will be an unrestricted free agent, as will Ryan Strome. Believe Yzerman will bring in someone.
4. Whether the Florida Panthers’ defensive play is good enough to win it all...
That’s still unclear. The Panthers rank first in scoring and 12th in goals-against average. GM Bill Zito certainly strongly addressed that need by acquiring Ben Chiarot. He’s a shutdown guy who was just in the Stanley Cup Final last summer. But we won’t know if the Panthers are ready until we see them in the playoffs. What we know for sure: They have the offense to get it done.
5. Whether the Carolina Hurricanes are playoff-ready...
Think they are. They rank No. 1 defensively with a 2.35 goals-against average and ninth offensively at 3.32 goals per game. Their defense is effective at getting the puck out of their zone and Freddie Andersen does the rest.
6. Whether the Colorado Avalanche are the team to beat...
I’m not even sure they are favorites in the Western Conference. Calgary lost to the Avs recently, but they are a quality team. Watch out for the Minnesota Wild. Plus, the Eastern Conference has at least six teams that can win it all.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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