No mention of Detroit? They were in contention until they sold off assets at the deadline. DeBrincat is a big upgrade. Compher, Kostin, Sprong, Petry, Ghost...are decent depth pieces that are better than the AHL-calibre depth last year. They may surprise a few teams this year.
I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade - glove_was_stuck
No mention of Detroit? They were in contention until they sold off assets at the deadline. DeBrincat is a big upgrade. Compher, Kostin, Sprong, Petry, Ghost...are decent depth pieces that are better than the AHL-calibre depth last year. They may surprise a few teams this year. - Cooleus
4 of these 5 teams from the Atlantic division most likely make the playoffs.
Florida
Toronto
Buffalo
Ottawa
Tampa
Tampa has been a middling team during the regular season the last 2 seasons and continue to face significant attrition to their depth. They are still too good of a team to miss the playoffs
4 of 5 teams from the Metro division that most likely make the playoffs
Rangers
Canes
Devils
Isles
Pens
Pens are super intriguing because of the EK trade but won’t been even slightly surprised if that experiment is a massive flop and they miss. IMO they have the 7th best goaltending of the 10 teams listed above. - Turnitaround
For Pittsburgh, the goaltending is the issue. Losing Guentzel for a few weeks doesnt help either. I could see Boston falling off a cliff this year and the Isles taking a step back as well. ( Pens will soon do that). Ottawa isnt quite ready yet.
I could see Toronto, Buffalo, Tampa, Carolina, NJ, NYR with Pens, Florida, OTT battling it out for WC spots.
I'm telling you right now...take Laine and Goudreau in your hockey pools!
Babs might have a relatively short shelf life and loses their attention after 3or4 years, but in that first year? When he first gets hold of your motivation? These guys are going to FLY this year!
I have CLB making the playoffs and surprising everyone, yes mostly based on the hiring of Babcock.
Also, the utter nonsense about pictures??? about him trying to create a "family" atmosphere by rolling players' best moments and favourite family pics on a screen in his office...is only going to bring the team together. The room is going to be extremely tight and any player that had second thoughts about Babcock's supposed "past" will know immediately that Babcock was never the problem.
Aaron Ward was a soft, mediocre player that never got the message. He's still overweight, got charged with domestic violence, and lives his life "loose". 20yrs later he's still working on himself. lol
Mike Commodore was 10x worse than Ward. No self-respecting person that's serious about his career would carry himself the way Commodore did, and still does. He's a loser and nobody liked playing with him.
The prima-donnas on the Leafs (that are still losing there) were the problem, not Babs.
You'll see. He makes his players become better players and more importantly better people. The question is whether the young kids these days can handle the truth (hehe). The Leafs couldn't, that's for sure. I think there are character guys on the Blue Jackets that will respond well.
Good luck this year CLB, but you're not going to need luck.
The West surprise will be the Canucks as there will be no other bubble in teams this season from last. One of Kraken, Jets or Wild will be out.
The surprise in the East will be the Sens in and Bruins out. The Pens and Caps last hurrah will bubble in over the Isles and Panthers.
E. Conference final Pens and Leafs
W. Conference final Canucks and Avs
Someone’s got to be the Cinderella story and for a team full of UFA’s and RFAs lots of motivation for Contracts. You never know about Canucks lol always counted on to disappoint but hey once a decade stun.
