NHL Predictions

[Wes ManTooth]

Early NHL predictions this year...

Who will go to the Stanley Cup finals? who will win it all?

I will make one early but safe prediction the worst team in the league will be...

The Capitals [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[trotski]

I won't hold my breath, but I'll say the Canucks. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Philly, and Chicago got some good FA's, they look tough.

[mblax10]

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and Chicago got some good FA's, they look tough.

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Wow I thought I was being optimistic thinking the Hawks would be top 5 in the west. They have a good gritty team. but who's going to put the puck in the net?

Ottawa, Philly, Calgary, Vancouver & Detroit seem like easy choices for good seasons.

Anybody else like LA or Boston this year?

[Zurvan]

It's tough to say at this point, especially since rosters aren't set. The Flames are going to be tough this year - if Kiprusoff was not a 1-year wonder, then they could go deep. The West seems pretty wide open. Nobody stands out.

The Canucks will be lucky to make the second round - Cloutier can't do it.

The East is the better conference by far. On paper, the Sens and Philly seem to be the favourites, both with huge problems in net. Pittsburgh isn't there yet. Boston could contend, and if the Leafs stay healthy (ha ha) they'll be tough to stop. Tampa & Florida both seem good for the playoffs too.

Upon reviewing my post, I seem to have typed a lot and not said much... [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

It's still too early to say, especially since teams are not done filling out their rosters.

I guess based on the current situation, I'll say Ottawa & Philadelphia fight it out for the cup in the Eastern final, and roll over whoever wins the West. As a Toronto fan, I have to say that sucks.

[trotski]

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The Canucks will be lucky to make the second round - Cloutier can't do it.

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I completely agree. They won't go very deep until they ship Cloutier, he's proven time and time again he can't carry them.
Calgary will be good this year.

Hey, on the bright side: at least the Leaf's signed a 32-year old concussion-prone has-been [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Zurvan]

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Hey, on the bright side: at least the Leaf's signed a 32-year old concussion-prone has-been [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

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That's right. The parade is going from the ACC, up Bay Street to Nathan Phillips square. The mayor will be waiting outside city hall.

The cups coming to TO, the teams gonna be carried by Big E & Domi!!!

Or, so the psycho fans will tell you... *sigh*

I put the Leafs in the second round (again)

Maybe next year

[Tuco]

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The Canucks will be lucky to make the second round - Cloutier can't do it.

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Spoken like a true laffs fan. This is essentially the same team (minus two average D men) that won the division last season and took the Flames to overtime in game 7.

They are going to come in a few million under the cap, so they have flexibility to add a couple of expensive players (including a proven goalie) at the deadline.

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Leafs stay healthy (ha ha) they'll be tough to stop.

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Well, let see. The leafs lost (on home ice) in the second round last season. They were old and injury prone then and from that team they have lost Leetch, Nieuwendyk, Roberts, Mogilny and Francis.

They've added:

Jason Allison. The man has played 20 games in his last two full seasons and is generally known to be the softest player in the league. "Allison will miss tonites game with a hangnail."

Eric Lindros: I don't think anything needs to be said here. Nice pickup JFJ.

Jeff O'Neill. Actually a good move, but still only a second liner at best.

Alexander Khavanov. Average and quite slow. Not suited well for the new game.

Laffs at the cap already with 20 players signed. No flexibility to add a player when the current ones drop like flies.

What the hell was JFJ thinking? Not buying out Belfour at 4.5M? Owen Nolan at (cough) 5.6M? Ya I know its in dispute, but there is a real chance the laffs could lose it, why take the chance when you have the dough to throw around? Ken Klee (LOL) at 1.9M?

Well done JFJ.

Tuco.

[Triumph36]

Ken Klee at 1.9 is a bargain. Malakhov signed for 3.6, Tverdovsky for 2.5, and Malik for 2.5. Klee is better than all three of them. The Leafs lost those players but they were all on the downsides of their careers. Since Nolan is unlikely to play, buying him out would make no sense, since his salary will not count against their cap. The Leafs have actually done quite well considering their cap problems, although they are once again adding injury-prone players. They should be in contention once again, but if Lindros, Allison, and O'Neill are healthy in the playoffs I'd be shocked. Also, O'Neill is not 'only a second liner at best'. He's had several thirty goal seasons in Carolina and at his best is clearly a first line player.

As for the redline, it will make it even worse. Teams will not pinch in with defenders knowing they'd be giving up a potential long pass, meaning that teams will not be keeping the puck down low as much. Where will the puck go? Further out towards the neutral zone. Play will end up here because both teams will be trying to prevent one another from making any long passes. The only thing that will prevent this from happening is that dumping the puck in will be easier with the new restrictions on interference.

So the NHL will eliminate long completed passes in favor of more dump ins. God bless the Law of Unintended Consequences.

[Tuco]

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Ken Klee at 1.9 is a bargain. Malakhov signed for 3.6, Tverdovsky for 2.5, and Malik for 2.5

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So because you can find two players that are not as good as KK that are being paid more (he cant hold Tverdovsky's jock) hes not way overpaid? Nice logic. Klee is hardly your biggest problem anyway.

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As for the redline, it will make it even worse.

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I always love it when someone thinks they are smarter than everyone in hockey. The players and owners formed a commitee to figure out ways to open up the game. They both quickly agreed that getting rid of the red line will open up the nuetral zone. So I guess they are all wrong and your right. Just cause some bonehead told you that it would make it worse doesnt mean it will. All of the evidence I have seen tells me its going to work. I'm not saying its the only answer, but it certainly will be a step in the right direction.

Tuco.

[Triumph36]

He can't hold Tverdovsky's jock? What year are you from, 2000? Tverdovsky was terrible in Anaheim in 2002 and even worse in New Jersey in 2003, and hasn't done much in Russia either.

It's nice to be able to have opinions, isn't it? But when you bring in "I think someone thinks they're smarter than everyone in hockey", you are guilty of this when you claim that Ken Klee is overpaid at 1.9. McGillis is making 2.2, Sean O'Donnell who is far worse is making 1.7, Jaroslav Modry who is far worse is making 1.8. Roman Hamrlik is making 3.1 (worse than Klee defensively, better offensively - slightly). Rhett Warrener is making 2.3 (slightly better than Klee). Do I have to go on? Most people in hockey will tell you that Klee at 1.9 is a fair price, if not a bargain. He made Gonchar look good for years in Washington, he's great at playing alongside an offensive defenseman and will give 20-25 solid, unspectacular minutes a night.

As for me thinking I'm smarter than everyone in hockey, I don't. If they so quickly agreed this would be better, why haven't they done it before? Why have lots of the general managers' changes in the past few years have had at best no effect and at worst been detrimental? I don't think they thought this through very well is all - the neutral zone trap is NOT gone, and MORE play will be going in the neutral zone if teams think it is. I can assure you that there is no coach in the NHL right now who is not trying to figure out a way to stop other teams from making what would have been 2 line passes before this rule change. Defense wins in the NHL, no amount of rule changes is going to stop that from being a fact. Coaches want to win, and they're going to want to prevent those passes, and those with well-disciplined squads will do it. Transitional offense could suffer. I see more teams being able to dump and chase as a result of the rule change - the trap may not be able to prevent offenses from working the puck up the sides anymore - but I think more dump and chase is the opposite of what the NHL intended.

I think the NHL should have made all the changes they did, but put the red line removal on hold and try it out in the AHL first.