Eklund: EXACTLY What will Happen in the Atlantic Division. Disagree? Buzz@1

My prediction is...

Most people will pick the Leafs AGAIN to be this dominate unicorn team, finish 1st in their division and smack people around in the playoffs.

Wait...


Oh just realized I am using the same prediction from the past 2 years.

your Bruins friend is a loser

Eklund: EXACTLY What will Happen in the Atlantic Division. ClIckS? Garbage @1

your Bruins friend is a loser
- Fountain-San

lol

The last sentence is classic

They could move at the deadline:
Can’t see them as sellers, but if they were...besides Morgan Riley....

All seems pretty accurate to me.

If the Leafs are making a move to improve their backup goaltending situation then Kapanen is the trade bait. He is this year's Kadri....a 2nd line talent playing on the Leafs 3rd line...once Hyman returns.

Big wildcard is Sandin. If he is legit then the Leafs D will be the best it has been 1 through 6 since the Pat Burns Leafs of the early 90's. They are not one of the best D's in the league, but should be decent enough to advance in the playoffs for a change. If he proves to be an over-matched rookie who needs to go back to the AHL.....then shoot me now if I have to watch a season of Moroncin on the ice.

It is a real shame that the Leafs only have this year to win it all.

Next season, they will be forced to play only 1 defenseman, who will definitely get tired, playing alone. They'll still be over the cap by at least 10 million according to capfriendly when you count the 47 players listed.

Mathews, Marner, Nylander, Sandin, Lilegren, Rielly, Kapanen, Moore, Korshkov, Johnsson, Dermott, Tavares will all be over the hill after this year. The Leafs will be forced to trade them all for mid-round picks next summer.

It is a shame that they couldn't win a cup while almost the entire core was in their early 20's. We all know that no team has ever won the cup with a player over 23 on their roster.

Oh well, Leafs fans can look forward to the rebuild.

My prediction is...

Most people will pick the Leafs AGAIN to be this dominate unicorn team, finish 1st in their division and smack people around in the playoffs.

Wait...


Oh just realized I am using the same prediction from the past 2 years.
- Glak18

But they will !


In the season....

The last sentence is classic




- classic321

I'd happily do the equivalent of Ryder, Halak and a 2nd

Hockeybuzz Prediction 2019/20:
Eklund will start using word processing software with spell check after US Thanksgiving to create legitimacy around his articles.
"I before E where it doesn't need to be"

My predictions:
1. TB - Still a powerhouse. Three F with 90 points potential. Superstars in Hedman and Vasilevskiy. Solid depth at every position. Cup favourite.
Worst case: Repeat last year’s playoffs exit.
Best: SC
Trade: More depth players.
2. Toronto: Better than last year but lots of new players. Not as strong as TB.
Worst: Boston beats them again in 7.
Best: beat Boston (not likely ha) and maybe beat TB.
Trades: Depth playoff type players.
3. Boston: Slower start from short offseason. Struggle to find a RW Krejci.
Best: SC
Worst: Lose to Leafs ... Laughter ensues.
Trades: Top Six RW.
4. Montreal: Better back up. Team takes another step. Kotkaniemi emerges and produces points and helps the PP.
Worst: Team struggles offensively and finishes just outside playoffs.
Best: Stars align and Habs get into playoffs and upset a top team.
Trades: Scoring and depth players.
5. Florida: Upgrades in goal with Bob and D with Stralman put this team well above last years finish. No playoffs is a bust. Coach Q will improve this team huge. Might take a full year to see it they.
Best: See Habs.
Worst: Bust and miss playoffs.
Trades: Anything. Likely nothing.
6. Buffalo: Not much has changed. Should move Ristolainen for secondary scoring. Top line is fine. Need help on line two. D has improved so GA should be better. Buffalo is lower than Habs and Panthers because of scoring and G. Not sure on Hutton yet.
Best: Ristolainen gets moved for F and team gets balanced scoring. New D helps Hutton manage and perform. Teams squeeze into playoffs.
Worst: Best Case does not happen and team misses playoffs again.
Trades: If in playoff contention- Scoring F. If NOT in playoff contention- draft picks. Lots of decent players in contract years.
7. Detroit: Rebuilding. Rebuilding. Rebuilding. Yzerman has a few years to turn this team around. Need to stock the cupboards with picks and prospects.
Best: Playoff Push. Team overachieves and pushes other teams ahead of them.
Worst: Tied with Ottawa.
Trades: Picks and prospects. Could move Daley Green Howard. Maybe take on bad short term contracts to sweeten returns.
8. Ottawa: See Detroit but way more desolate and desperate. Crumbling franchise with pathetic ownership. Needs a rebirth. Top Five pick this year will go a long way
to rebuilding efforts. That and the 11-12 picks in this draft which is poised to be deeper than last year.
Best: They push Detroit for 7th in Division. Nope.
Worst: Besides dead last ... AGAIN. The owner gets forced to sell due to being an abysmal owner.
Trades: Picks and prospects. Add a few more 2nd round picks. Not sure they have anything that will net them another first. Maybe Pageau if he lights it up. Hainsey and Demelo might get them 2nd or 3rd round picks. Again take on expiring bad contracts to sweeten returns. Ownership won’t do that unless it doesn’t cost them money.

"They may trade for:
They SHOULD/MUST trade for Craig Anderson or Jimmy Howard..."

Dont see this happening for 2 reasons:
1. EK says it will happen
2. Doesnt follow recent trends

Leafs have acquired 6 of their last 9 starting goalies from the Western Conference (Cujo, Belfor, Toskala, Giguere, Bernier, & Andersen). The last 4 on that list are from California based teams.

The in-conference goalies acquired during this time frame were Raycroft and Irbe.

Reimer was the the only drafted goalie.

"They may trade for:
They SHOULD/MUST trade for Craig Anderson or Jimmy Howard..."

Dont see this happening for 2 reasons:
1. EK says it will happen
2. Doesnt follow recent trends

Leafs have acquired 6 of their last 9 starting goalies from the Western Conference (Cujo, Belfor, Toskala, Giguere, Bernier, & Andersen). The last 4 on that list are from California based teams.

The in-conference goalies acquired during this time frame were Raycroft and Irbe.

Reimer was the the only drafted goalie.
- Turnitaround

Toskala

They SHOULD/MUST Bethlehem. Absolute Bethlehem. NOW

Eklund: EXACTLY What will Happen in the Atlantic Division. Disagree? Buzz@1
- Eklund

Had Bergevin went out and got maybe another mobile defensman, not necessarily elite but maybe top 4 potential like Petry I can see them making the post season, I just have a hard time putting stock into 35 year old Weber and Jeff Petry to hold the fort.

Had Bergevin went out and got maybe another mobile defensman, not necessarily elite but maybe top 4 potential like Petry I can see them making the post season, I just have a hard time putting stock into 35 year old Weber and Jeff Petry to hold the fort.
- Alexzanki

Have you seen their forwards?

Have you seen their forwards?
- walshyleafsfan

You can load forward depth as much as you want, if there's no transition game on the back end then it could get frustrating to move that puck up ice.

1) TBL
2) FLA
3) BOS
4) TOR
--------------- Playoff Cutoff. 4th could fall out but if bottom 4 are as weak as we think, the top 4 are going to have easy points. It will be hard to miss for the top 4.
5) MTL
6) BUF
7) DET
8) OTT

You can load forward depth as much as you want, if there's no transition game on the back end then it could get frustrating to move that puck up ice.
- Alexzanki

I mean their forwards are feckin terrible

I mean their forwards are feckin terrible
- walshyleafsfan

I don't think so ....but lol

Wow Suzuki & Fleury both made the team and Poehling would've made the squad had he not been concussed..really flies in the face of the whole "Habs have no prospects" spiel









Let's get this (frank)ing season rolling!

MB could have gotten Brodie out of Cowtown. Likely cheap too. Placeholder until Romanov fits the bill.

MB could have gotten Brodie out of Cowtown. Likely cheap too. Placeholder until Romanov fits the bill.
- bruinzfan77

Let's not forget Mete is only 21, he will get better and the offense will come. I'll take Kulak and Fleury as a bottom pairing any day of the week