After months of waiting, it is finally October which means hockey starts tomorrow. I decided to make a little posting on my predictions of who I believe will make the playoffs and even the Stanley Cup. I will basically go through the every team and show what I think will be their weakness or strength. I'll start it with Anaheim and go in alphabetical order, then I will make a list of the teams who I think will make the playoffs and lastly I'll put who I think will win the Cup.
Anaheim Ducks: During the offseason, the Ducks aquired defenseman, Kevin Bieska from the Vancouver Canucks and forward, Carl Hagelin from the New York Rangers which can possibly make their team even stronger. I feel since Bieska and Ryan Kesler played together before they will add more to this team that they miss when they did not make it to the Cup last season. Along with that they need to stop with the dirty plays, mostly Corey Perry, I think everyone can agree with that one. I have read recent articles on NHL.com and other sports websites most of their predictions conclude with the Ducks making it all the way to the Cup, but failing in the end.
Arizona Coyotes: This team will probably do the same thing as they did last year and that will be nothing. After Antoine Vermette made his return back to Arizona after winning the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks they still will not do anything. Along with Vermette, the team also aquired forward, John Scott who will provide nothing for this team. If they bring up rookies Max Domi and Dylan Storme they might move up in the standing but not enough the make it to the playoffs.
Boston Bruins: After losing Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic, I feel like they could make the playoffs even without Hamilton, but I feel they might have to struggle to get there. They still have their strong players like Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, and Torey Krug which will make the team a Stanley Cup contender again, but not this year.
Buffalo Sabres: With the addition of Jack Eichel, from what I have read, everyone feels that he will score over 50 points and will bring what this team needs. Even in the preseason he was scoring amazing goals and being outstanding but look at who he was facing. He wasn't going up against guys like Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews, he went up against kids his age and that are still in the AHL. Yes, he is a good player, but I don't think he is going to be as great as everyone thinks he is. Maybe later in the season or he can start out doing amazing things and as games go on he could slip up which will put a lot of pressure on him. Again like the Coyotes they might make it up in the standings, but then again they probably won't do much as well.
Calgary Flames: This year will probably be their year that they will prove themselves and that they will make it farther than last year. With the additions of Hamilton and forward, Michael Frolik from the Winnipeg Jets, they will probably have more goals this season when they already have players with the highest shooting percentage like Juri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. The will make a strong start and continue it throughout the season and I believe they could make it to the playoffs. They will probably be the most underrated team this year along with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Carolina Hurricanes: This is another team I feel will still stay the same no matter what happens. They aquired goaltender Eddie Lack from the Vancouver Canucks and forward Kris Versteeg from the Blackhawks but that will not change much. Yes, they have the Staals and Jeff Skinner but nothing is really going to change with them and probably will not make the playoffs again.
Chicago Blackhawks: After losing top forwards Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp, even though he really did not do much this season, and defenseman Johnny Odyau I feel like they might struggle this year. A team can not depend on two people alone and Toews and P****** K*** can not do it all by themselves. They will probably make the playoffs but again like the Bruins, they are going to struggle. If they would of brought up Dano and put him on a line with Toews and Marian Hossa then maybe I would say they would be better but no. And for defense they are basically going to have the same three guys out there of Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Niklas Hjalmarsson which is going to be another thing gone wrong because if any of those top guys are out injured, they will be in a panic.
Colorado Avalanche: They really did not do much during the offseason besides getting rid of forward Ryan O'Reilly to the Sabres. They can produce numbers but not enough of where it can get them into the playoffs. I feel like this team can even go down in the standings as well if they honestly do not step up there game.
Columbus Blue Jackets: After getting Saad from the Blackhawks I feel as if they could also be another team that will be underrated as usual. They are a good team and they will become even better with Saad coming in and putting more numbers up for them. And then there is Sergei Bobrovsky who will also be another big component to this team that will get them higher in the standings and also into the playoffs.
Dallas Stars: This team could make it in the playoffs especially with Jamie Benn just coming off of his hip injury, Tyler Seguin being ready to go, and Sharp just joining the team could also help with their run to get into the playoffs. They are a good team they just always fall short of making it and struggle with it. Jason Dermers and Odyau together could make a good defense pair and help with that end even though they really did not do well in the preseason, but we will see as time goes on. They also aquired goaltender Antti Neimi from the San Jose Sharks, which can be another major factor for them. I am pretty undecided of how far they will make it. I feel like they can but also they will probably do something to mess that up.
Detroit Red Wings: This year I feel like this could be their year (and I am not just saying that because they are my favorite team either). With Mike Babcock leaving we got players like forwards, Brad Richards from the Chicago Blackhawks, Dylan Larkin from the University of Michigan, and defenseman Mike Green from the Washington Capitals which is huge for this team. Again, it is the Wings and that means more injuries like forwards Darren Helm (what else is new), Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Danny DeKeyser and if they get those out of the way, they can be a dangerous team once again. Of course I am going to say they will make the playoffs I see no reason why they would not make it, but again like the past few years they will probably struggle which I hope will not happen this year.
Edmonton Oilers: Like I said with the Blackhawks and the Sabres, one person really does not make a difference. It is a team effort. Yes, Connor McDavid is also great but the Oilers are still struggling with their team and it will probably take another few years to help rebuild. With goaltender, Cam Tabolt he might make the team better but again not by much.
Florida Panthers: The only amazing thing that is going to come out of this team this season is Jagr's mullet and Roberto Luongo's tweets. Other then that they always do the same thing every year, they start off slow, then make a huge lead, and then slip when it comes time to playoffs.
Los Angeles Kings: With the addition of Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins and getting rid of forward Mike Richards, they will be the same but I feel like they will struggle. Goaltender Jonathan Quick has not been the same since the last time they won the Cup and that can be a factor of making the playoffs or not.
Minnesota Wild: Maybe this year they might actually make it far but knowing them they probably won't either. They were another team that did not really do anything during the offseason and they should have.
Montreal Canadiens: Losing Brandon Prust and the team not doing as well as they thought they did I feel like they will probably stuggle. They also were all counting on one player, goaltender Carey Price, and that can not do much when they were not scoring that many goals. They are going to have a hard time I feel making it into the playoffs. They could probably be like the Wings where if they do make the playoffs, it will be last minute.
Nashville Predators: Once again another team that did not do big in the offseason but I feel like they will not make the playoffs. They have some good players but for some reason I just have a feeling that they will not be able to push their way into it this year.
New Jersey Devils: They also probably will not make it because again did not do much last season or during the offseason. They do not have strong enough goal scorers.
New York Islanders: It woud be interesting if they make it to the playoffs again this year where as with the Predators I feel the same exact way with them. Again, I do not know why I feel this way but I just do.
New York Rangers: After losing a forward like Hagelin, I feel like it will not affect them at all. They will continue to play like they did last season and probably go as far as they did. They have players like Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and etc. that will do just fine and strong goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist.
Ottawa Senators: Even though they made the playoffs last year, I also feel with them that they probably will fail making it into the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers: Another team that probably make it either because they also did nothing during the offseason and they have not done well in the past few years.
Pittsburgh Penguins: With the addition of forward Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he can probably make them go farther with forwards Sidney Crosby and Malkin. They have strong forwards and somewhat decent defense, but like the Wings they suffer a lot with injuries. And with having Dupis being out last season and now 3 more weeks this season it make affect them a little bit but they can become a strong team again after this offseason.
San Jose Sharks: Again another team that really did not do much during the off season and last season, but they could possibly make a bigger push this year after missing last season's playoffs. If they play hard enough I feel like they could make it.
St. Louis Blues: After getting rid of TJ Oshie, they will probably stay the same, but like the Sharks they will probably want to prove that even though they do not have Oshie they can still make a big push into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Another favorite team to win the Cup this year after losing it to the Blackhawks in June. They have a strong team and the players are great, they just did not give it their all in the last game. I feel like they could redeem themselves this year and prove that they can win the Cup with the team they have.
Toronto Maple Leafs: I feel like with this year after getting Mike Babcock as the new headcoach some people were so overjoyed thinking he could help fix the Leafs. Even he said it himself, the veteran players need to step up and do something. They can not keep blaming it on bad coaching when the players can not produce anything as well. For them it will probably take another season for them to try and make the playoffs again.
Vancouver Canucks: After getting rid of goaltender Eddie Lack and defenseman Bieska, I feel like they probably will not do as well as they did last year. They have goaltender Ryan Miller healthy but Lack was mostly the goalie that helped them get to the playoffs. Again they can not put all their hopes into the Sedin Brothers to help get the job done.
Washington Capitals: They will forsure make the playoffs again after getting Oshie because he is a key person. They will make it to where they did last year I feel but who knows what will happen with them.
Winnipeg Jets: I feel like they will probably make it again but it will end up exactly how it did last season.
Anaheim Ducks: During the offseason, the Ducks aquired defenseman, Kevin Bieska from the Vancouver Canucks and forward, Carl Hagelin from the New York Rangers which can possibly make their team even stronger. I feel since Bieska and Ryan Kesler played together before they will add more to this team that they miss when they did not make it to the Cup last season. Along with that they need to stop with the dirty plays, mostly Corey Perry, I think everyone can agree with that one. I have read recent articles on NHL.com and other sports websites most of their predictions conclude with the Ducks making it all the way to the Cup, but failing in the end.
Arizona Coyotes: This team will probably do the same thing as they did last year and that will be nothing. After Antoine Vermette made his return back to Arizona after winning the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks they still will not do anything. Along with Vermette, the team also aquired forward, John Scott who will provide nothing for this team. If they bring up rookies Max Domi and Dylan Storme they might move up in the standing but not enough the make it to the playoffs.
Boston Bruins: After losing Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic, I feel like they could make the playoffs even without Hamilton, but I feel they might have to struggle to get there. They still have their strong players like Tuukka Rask, Patrice Bergeron, and Torey Krug which will make the team a Stanley Cup contender again, but not this year.
Buffalo Sabres: With the addition of Jack Eichel, from what I have read, everyone feels that he will score over 50 points and will bring what this team needs. Even in the preseason he was scoring amazing goals and being outstanding but look at who he was facing. He wasn't going up against guys like Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews, he went up against kids his age and that are still in the AHL. Yes, he is a good player, but I don't think he is going to be as great as everyone thinks he is. Maybe later in the season or he can start out doing amazing things and as games go on he could slip up which will put a lot of pressure on him. Again like the Coyotes they might make it up in the standings, but then again they probably won't do much as well.
Calgary Flames: This year will probably be their year that they will prove themselves and that they will make it farther than last year. With the additions of Hamilton and forward, Michael Frolik from the Winnipeg Jets, they will probably have more goals this season when they already have players with the highest shooting percentage like Juri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau. The will make a strong start and continue it throughout the season and I believe they could make it to the playoffs. They will probably be the most underrated team this year along with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Carolina Hurricanes: This is another team I feel will still stay the same no matter what happens. They aquired goaltender Eddie Lack from the Vancouver Canucks and forward Kris Versteeg from the Blackhawks but that will not change much. Yes, they have the Staals and Jeff Skinner but nothing is really going to change with them and probably will not make the playoffs again.
Chicago Blackhawks: After losing top forwards Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp, even though he really did not do much this season, and defenseman Johnny Odyau I feel like they might struggle this year. A team can not depend on two people alone and Toews and P****** K*** can not do it all by themselves. They will probably make the playoffs but again like the Bruins, they are going to struggle. If they would of brought up Dano and put him on a line with Toews and Marian Hossa then maybe I would say they would be better but no. And for defense they are basically going to have the same three guys out there of Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Niklas Hjalmarsson which is going to be another thing gone wrong because if any of those top guys are out injured, they will be in a panic.
Colorado Avalanche: They really did not do much during the offseason besides getting rid of forward Ryan O'Reilly to the Sabres. They can produce numbers but not enough of where it can get them into the playoffs. I feel like this team can even go down in the standings as well if they honestly do not step up there game.
Columbus Blue Jackets: After getting Saad from the Blackhawks I feel as if they could also be another team that will be underrated as usual. They are a good team and they will become even better with Saad coming in and putting more numbers up for them. And then there is Sergei Bobrovsky who will also be another big component to this team that will get them higher in the standings and also into the playoffs.
Dallas Stars: This team could make it in the playoffs especially with Jamie Benn just coming off of his hip injury, Tyler Seguin being ready to go, and Sharp just joining the team could also help with their run to get into the playoffs. They are a good team they just always fall short of making it and struggle with it. Jason Dermers and Odyau together could make a good defense pair and help with that end even though they really did not do well in the preseason, but we will see as time goes on. They also aquired goaltender Antti Neimi from the San Jose Sharks, which can be another major factor for them. I am pretty undecided of how far they will make it. I feel like they can but also they will probably do something to mess that up.
Detroit Red Wings: This year I feel like this could be their year (and I am not just saying that because they are my favorite team either). With Mike Babcock leaving we got players like forwards, Brad Richards from the Chicago Blackhawks, Dylan Larkin from the University of Michigan, and defenseman Mike Green from the Washington Capitals which is huge for this team. Again, it is the Wings and that means more injuries like forwards Darren Helm (what else is new), Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Danny DeKeyser and if they get those out of the way, they can be a dangerous team once again. Of course I am going to say they will make the playoffs I see no reason why they would not make it, but again like the past few years they will probably struggle which I hope will not happen this year.
Edmonton Oilers: Like I said with the Blackhawks and the Sabres, one person really does not make a difference. It is a team effort. Yes, Connor McDavid is also great but the Oilers are still struggling with their team and it will probably take another few years to help rebuild. With goaltender, Cam Tabolt he might make the team better but again not by much.
Florida Panthers: The only amazing thing that is going to come out of this team this season is Jagr's mullet and Roberto Luongo's tweets. Other then that they always do the same thing every year, they start off slow, then make a huge lead, and then slip when it comes time to playoffs.
Los Angeles Kings: With the addition of Milan Lucic from the Boston Bruins and getting rid of forward Mike Richards, they will be the same but I feel like they will struggle. Goaltender Jonathan Quick has not been the same since the last time they won the Cup and that can be a factor of making the playoffs or not.
Minnesota Wild: Maybe this year they might actually make it far but knowing them they probably won't either. They were another team that did not really do anything during the offseason and they should have.
Montreal Canadiens: Losing Brandon Prust and the team not doing as well as they thought they did I feel like they will probably stuggle. They also were all counting on one player, goaltender Carey Price, and that can not do much when they were not scoring that many goals. They are going to have a hard time I feel making it into the playoffs. They could probably be like the Wings where if they do make the playoffs, it will be last minute.
Nashville Predators: Once again another team that did not do big in the offseason but I feel like they will not make the playoffs. They have some good players but for some reason I just have a feeling that they will not be able to push their way into it this year.
New Jersey Devils: They also probably will not make it because again did not do much last season or during the offseason. They do not have strong enough goal scorers.
New York Islanders: It woud be interesting if they make it to the playoffs again this year where as with the Predators I feel the same exact way with them. Again, I do not know why I feel this way but I just do.
New York Rangers: After losing a forward like Hagelin, I feel like it will not affect them at all. They will continue to play like they did last season and probably go as far as they did. They have players like Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and etc. that will do just fine and strong goaltending with Henrik Lundqvist.
Ottawa Senators: Even though they made the playoffs last year, I also feel with them that they probably will fail making it into the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers: Another team that probably make it either because they also did nothing during the offseason and they have not done well in the past few years.
Pittsburgh Penguins: With the addition of forward Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs, he can probably make them go farther with forwards Sidney Crosby and Malkin. They have strong forwards and somewhat decent defense, but like the Wings they suffer a lot with injuries. And with having Dupis being out last season and now 3 more weeks this season it make affect them a little bit but they can become a strong team again after this offseason.
San Jose Sharks: Again another team that really did not do much during the off season and last season, but they could possibly make a bigger push this year after missing last season's playoffs. If they play hard enough I feel like they could make it.
St. Louis Blues: After getting rid of TJ Oshie, they will probably stay the same, but like the Sharks they will probably want to prove that even though they do not have Oshie they can still make a big push into the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Another favorite team to win the Cup this year after losing it to the Blackhawks in June. They have a strong team and the players are great, they just did not give it their all in the last game. I feel like they could redeem themselves this year and prove that they can win the Cup with the team they have.
Toronto Maple Leafs: I feel like with this year after getting Mike Babcock as the new headcoach some people were so overjoyed thinking he could help fix the Leafs. Even he said it himself, the veteran players need to step up and do something. They can not keep blaming it on bad coaching when the players can not produce anything as well. For them it will probably take another season for them to try and make the playoffs again.
Vancouver Canucks: After getting rid of goaltender Eddie Lack and defenseman Bieska, I feel like they probably will not do as well as they did last year. They have goaltender Ryan Miller healthy but Lack was mostly the goalie that helped them get to the playoffs. Again they can not put all their hopes into the Sedin Brothers to help get the job done.
Washington Capitals: They will forsure make the playoffs again after getting Oshie because he is a key person. They will make it to where they did last year I feel but who knows what will happen with them.
Winnipeg Jets: I feel like they will probably make it again but it will end up exactly how it did last season.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
(In alphabetical order)
Boston Bruins
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
Western Conference Playoffs
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Dallas Stars
Minnesota Wild
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets
Stanley Cup: I would love to say the Detroit Red Wings but instead I will go with Anaheim because I do actually feel like they could win this.
After making this post I finally learned why the NHL Network takes two days to cover all 30 teams. I wanted to make this after I watched Steve Dangles' video on "How your team will disappoint you this year" even though this was a little more serious. Sorry, I got a little lazy and tired as time went ont and the sad part is I started it in the middle of the afternoon, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed it and my next posting will still be on Sunday for the Wings' game and Catfish and the Bottlemen concert.
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