Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
Tampa Bay Lightning: Yes, they lost their entire third line and the center on their fourth. But this team is loaded with talent; their defense is intact; and they still have the best goaltender in the world, not to mention the second best coach in the league in Jon Cooper.
Boston Bruins: David Krejci's unexpected retirement hurts, as does the loss of Tuuka Rask. Still, the Marchand line is the best line in the league and that should carry them to a solid second place.
Florida Panthers: They went all out to acquire the depth they believe will get them over the hump. The only problem is their best goaltender is the guy not making $10 million a year. Hard to see them making a deep run with this group.
Metropolitan Division:
New York Islanders: They lost Jordan Eberle in the expansion draft, but Lou Lamoriello was able to keep the rest of this core intact, including their "identity" line which has given every team in the league fits the last three years. The defense is lights out, the goaltending is solid and, oh yes, they have Barry Trotz.
Carolina Hurricanes: Hard to figure what they were thinking letting Dougie Hamilton go in free agency. Tony DeAngelo can score, but as Rangers fans know all too well, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. The forwards are deep enough to keep them in the hunt.
New York Rangers: Chris Drury overhauled the lineup just enough and hired the right coach for this still very young team.
Wild Cards:
Toronto Maple Leafs: Replacing Zach Hyman with Nick Ritchie won't help a team that relies too much on finesse. Yes, they'll qualify for the playoffs again, but then that's not the problem, is it?
Washington Capitals: This team is starting to show its age but they'll be good enough to squeak in.
Western Conference:
Central Division:
Colorado Avalanche: They were forced to let Brandon Saad go because of the salary cap, but they have the best one-two punch in the league with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, plus Darcy Kuemper is an upgrade in goal.
Winnipeg Jets: They have arguably the second best goalie in the league in Connor Hellebuyck and one of the best centers in Mark Scheifele. Defense is good if unspectacular.
St. Louis Blues: They have the goaltending to contend and they added a couple of solid forwards to an already deep lineup.
Pacific Divison:
Vegas Golden Knights: What's there not to like? They play an uptempo, physical-style of play, and assuming the guys in white coats don't come for Robin Lehner, they should run away with the division.
Edmonton Oilers: Zach Hyman was a good pickup, albeit at a high price. But the operative question remains can this top heavy team advance in the postseason?
Vancouver Canucks: They have a future super star in Elias Pettersson and former Ranger J.T. Miller. Questions remain, though, in goal and on D.
Wild Cards:
Chicago Blackhawks: Hoping to squeeze the last ounce of life out of the careers of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, they went shopping during the offseason and bagged a couple of nice additions; the biggest one being Marc-Andre Fleury.
Seattle Kraken: Ron Francis was smart to stock up on quality defensemen in the expansion draft. They still don't have a number one center and will likely lead the league in one-goal games, but at least they won't embarrass themselves.
Playoffs:
Eastern Conference Finals: New York Islanders over Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2
Western Conference Finals: Vegas Golden Knights over Colorado Avalanche 4-3
Stanley Cup Finals: New York Islanders over Vegas Golden Knights 4-3
Year End Awards:
Art Ross Trophy: Connor McDavid, Oilers
Hart Trophy: Artemi Panarin, Rangers
Norris Trophy: Cale Maker, Avalanche
Vezina Trophy: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning
Conn Smythe Trophy: Mathew Barzel, Islanders
No comments:
Post a Comment