HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Predicting The Atlantic Division Standings

Poop on a stick

It's likely going to be:
1. Tampa Bay
2. Florida
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8. Buffalo

Then it is a total crapshoot after that.
Too many unknowns at this point. For MTL Price needs to be Price and they could finish high. for TOR, The kids will need to steal games and goaltending will have to pan out as planned. For OTT they'll need above average goaltending and some firepower up front, not just from EK. For DET... this is likely the year they miss the playoffs. For BOS I don't think replacing Eriksson with Backes is going to work out too well. BUF is going to be bad... really bad.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.
- hanleyaj

Buffalo will always be near the bottom, sorry guys.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.
- hanleyaj

I prefer Oates.

Very top-heavy and then a lot of question marks.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.
- hanleyaj

This is why.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.
- hanleyaj

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Poor Detroit. I don't know what to do if they miss the playoffs. I barely remember the last time they did.

The Panthers have a few good years and their "fans" say Buffalo will always be near the bottom. LMAO. Same as Patriots "fans" they hop on the bandwagon when their team is good and forget how god awful they were for years while the Sabres and bills were good. LMAO. Toronto finishing ahead of the Sabres? LMAO. Boston is going to be brutal, who knows with Detroit, MTL is gonna be really good or really bad, no middle ground. The only thing that is a lock in the Atlantic is that it will be Tampa and Florida at the top. And i guarantee the Sabres are not in last. They were on a 95 point pace the 2nd half of last year with Eichel being a PPG player after the break and they only got better. So why would we fall in the standings? LMAO.

Tampa
Montreal
Florida
Ottawa
Buffalo
Boston
Toronto
Detroit

This is why.
- jmatchett383

The team that was on 95 point pace the 2nd half? That only got better? Makes sense....

Tampa
Montreal
Florida
Ottawa
Buffalo
Boston
Toronto
Detroit
- Aetherial

A realistic fan. This i could see. I could also see TOR ahead of Boston as well though.And i really think MTL is hit or miss.

Tampa
Montreal
Florida
Ottawa
Buffalo
Boston
Toronto
Detroit
- Aetherial

that seems more realistic

Tampa
Montreal
Florida
Ottawa
Buffalo
Boston
Toronto
Detroit
- Aetherial

I would bump Buffalo and Boston up. Tor Det OTT battle for bottom 3 spots. I can't trust a team that doesn't have solid center depth and solI'd goaltending. For this reason Ottawa drops below the two mentioned teams. Buff bos

The team that was on 95 point pace the 2nd half? That only got better? Makes sense....
- CoHo_to_B-Lo

And what about the first half? Can we just use that as the measuring stick as well?

I'm not sold on them yet, especially with some of their dead weight and goaltending. I think they can be in the mix or could finish last just as easily. If I had to bet, I'd say they'd be in the 5-7 spot. I don't know if adding Okposo will magically make them a top-3 team...although, with this division, who knows.

How is Buffalo Last. We have the same team, healthy ennis Lehner and Bogo. We add Okposo and another for Eichel, reinhart and McCabe. No way we are last we will be fighting for wild card.

Also their is no way in hell leafs finsih better then sabres. This website gives way to much credit to leafs. They have done nothing to improve their team except have rookies move up. Yes they are amazing rookies but they are rookies. No one predicts Mathews to score more then Eichel rookie season. He is your best addition which is 50 point 20 goal scorer. Then Marner if he makes it and Nylander will all have less then him. So how does those addition give your team 30 more points in standings. It doesn't happen they are year behind the sabres except sabres have add key players like O'reilly and Okoposo which leafs have done nothing. Leafs will finish around 75-80 points which is good jump from 69.

Sabres will make a jump from 81 points because we are super young team with more experience, healthier team and no way we got worse with the additions we made. Sabres will end up with 90-95 points. Barley or just making playoffs.
- hanleyaj

I actually agree with pretty much everything you've said. One has to expect Eichel and Reinhart to progress from their rookie seasons and Okposo is an underrated (for some reason?) addition to the offense.

Goaltending and defense is where things look to be a bit shakier -- but surely they're at least comparable to what the Leafs have.

Having said that, I'm a huge Leafs fan and I have no love for Buffalo -- but I don't seem to have the same Sabre hate a lot of people have here. They're definitely ahead of the rebuild than Toronto - maybe not by a lot - but they are further along. This year they should compete for a playoff spot unless something horrific happens.

I think Tampa and Florida run away with the division while the rest of the pack are pretty close in totals. The Leafs? Anywhere from 6th or 8th but with an increase in points from last year. Then again, there's just too many question marks for the Leafs to know if they'll somehow surprise or will falter again...

A realistic fan. This i could see. I could also see TOR ahead of Boston as well though.And i really think MTL is hit or miss.
- CoHo_to_B-Lo

Montreal has made some improvements, another year experience for Beaulieu, and I think Sergachev may play with the big team. Radulov will make a good contribution. If Price is healthy they challenge for the division title. He is the league's MVP no question.

Montreal has made some improvements, another year experience for Beaulieu, and I think Sergachev may play with the big team. Radulov will make a good contribution. If Price is healthy they challenge for the division title. He is the league's MVP no question.
- Aetherial

Crosby is easily in the conversation.

I would bump Buffalo and Boston up. Tor Det OTT battle for bottom 3 spots. I can't trust a team that doesn't have solid center depth and solI'd goaltending. For this reason Ottawa drops below the two mentioned teams. Buff bos
- systemtool

I have a real tough time figuring out Ottawa. Phaneuf is better than what they had, and if Turris and Stone stay healthy they have 3 legit top 6 forwards, maybe 4 if Bobby Ryan has a decent season. I think Boston may be better than expected. Some good forwards but man that defense looks suspect and Rask doesn't seem to be the guy he was a few years ago.

Crosby is easily in the conversation.
- mjones242

The way the award is given, you are right.

In terms of what player is the most valuable to his team, Price wins this going away. He takes a non-playoff team and turns them into contenders.

And what about the first half? Can we just use that as the measuring stick as well?

I'm not sold on them yet, especially with some of their dead weight and goaltending. I think they can be in the mix or could finish last just as easily. If I had to bet, I'd say they'd be in the 5-7 spot. I don't know if adding Okposo will magically make them a top-3 team...although, with this division, who knows.
- jmatchett383

You can use the first half as well, but it was a turnover rate of 40% and hockey is a sport based on chemistry. So in the 2nd half when the young guys started to click and lines werent being shuffled every night they looked pretty good. I dont think they will be Top 3 but i think they will be on the bubble and probably finish 9-11 in the East. Kane-ROR-Okposo is going to be one of the toughest lines to play against. They are all good two way players. I dont think Okposo scores 30 but i think that line is going to be hell to play against.

I actually agree with pretty much everything you've said. One has to expect Eichel and Reinhart to progress from their rookie seasons and Okposo is an underrated (for some reason?) addition to the offense.

Goaltending and defense is where things look to be a bit shakier -- but surely they're at least comparable to what the Leafs have.

Having said that, I'm a huge Leafs fan and I have no love for Buffalo -- but I don't seem to have the same Sabre hate a lot of people have here. They're definitely ahead of the rebuild than Toronto - maybe not by a lot - but they are further along. This year they should compete for a playoff spot unless something horrific happens.

I think Tampa and Florida run away with the division while the rest of the pack are pretty close in totals. The Leafs? Anywhere from 6th or 8th but with an increase in points from last year. Then again, there's just too many question marks for the Leafs to know if they'll somehow surprise or will falter again...
- mjones242

I dont think most Leaf fans hate Buffalo. Just Garth. Which for some reason makes alot of Sabres fans angry.

I dont think most Leaf fans hate Buffalo. Just Garth.
- systemtool

We hate each other because of the "Rivalry" (which im glad will finally be back) but both teams are similar. On game day i hate you, but Toronto has figured out the right way to build just like the sabres finally figured it out. Both teams are def on the rise, but will still be another 2 years or so before either makes any real noise. But both have potential to go on runs.