Twenty Wacky Predictions for the 2014-2015...
1. No team in the Central Division will reach 100 points.
2. Only three Central Teams will make the playoffs with The Avalanche, Jets, Preds, and Blues all out at the end of the season.
3. The Los Angeles Kings will battle the Pens and Habs for the President’s trophy.
4. Michel Therrien will win the Jack Adams Trophy as Coach of the Year.
5. The Flames will edge out the Panthers in the race for McDavid.
6. The Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs again after a close battle with Boston for the final spot.
7. Brad Richards will put up 90 points in Chicago as the Hawks second line Center. However the Hawks will be eliminated after round 1 of the playoffs.
8. Martin Brodeur will land back in NJ when their goalie goes down to injury. His first game will come against either Philly or NY.
9. The Blue Jackets will come flying out of the gates but miss the playoffs and be an absolute disaster. Only three teams will make the playoffs in the Metro Division as well, with the Penguins winning the division…but also be a playoff dud.
10. The Islanders, Penguins, Rangers and Flyers will end up within 5 points of each other and battle for 3 playoff spots.
11. Steven Stamkos will re-injure his leg with Jonathan Drouin leading all scorers in the AHL by 20+ points.
12. The Minnesota Wild will miss the playoffs. No doubt.
13. Edmonton and Calgary will be in tight battle until the end, but only one will have a shot at last overall.
14. The Capitals will take one huge step forward. This season could see them go all the way, but at great cost for years to come. A much less stable force.
15. Nashville is the longest odds to win the Stanley Cup. 75-1. If you are a betting person, remember they finished 3 points out of the playoffs last year WITHOUT Pekka Rinne and they have Shea Weber, Seth Jones, added more offense and Peter Laviolette has a great track record of making sudden and dramatic impacts. And we all know what the odds are when the odds are 75-1, right?
16. Kesler will have a mediocre season in Anaheim.
17. Nathan MacKinnon will be in 6th in NHL scoring this year and battle Evgeni Malkin next year.
18.The Panthers will move Jussi Jokinen for a second round pick at the deadline.
19. Claude Giroux will finish second in team scoring behind Jakob Voracek and will not be at the All-Star game in Columbus.
20. Kimmo Timonen will not play this year...Philly will miss the playoffs.