Quote:
Originally Posted by YogiBerra
Raymond is a downgrade from Cammaleri and Engelland is probably equal with Butler. I am not counting on Gio repeating his performance from last year either. There is a group at the bottom that is probably just as bad as us though so you who knows where we will end up.
Buffalo
Edmonton
Calgary
Ottawa
Carolina
Florida
Islanders
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Engelland is replacing O'Brien/Smith. Wideman is replacing Butler. Wideman played 46 games last year 22 with a broken hand.
Gio also missed 18 games last year.
Raymond is replacing Stempniak and is an upgrade.
Right now the Cammalleri replacement line is headed by Gaudreau - Grandlund and Baertschi.... Baertschi was the sure fire lock on a top 6 spot this time last year ... ahead of Monahan. This year he is third in line and he probably is a better player than he was this time last year.
I don't think that there is as much difference between the so-called elite teams and the list of bottom dwellers.
The Islanders lost 23 games from Tavares , 18 games from Grabner and 58 games from Visnosky their #1 d-man and 13 games from their #2 D man Hamonic. and 33 games from 3/4 d-man De haan..
They could be in the race for a lottery spot or be back in the play offs as they were in 2012-13.
Ottawa-- they made the playoffs won a playoff round 2 years ago without Spezza and Karlsson playing only 17 out of 48 games.