Down Goes Brown with his Cup prospects

[dash_pinched]

over the next five years - He has the Flames slotted right in the mushy middle at 15.

No. 15 — Calgary Flames

The Flames were last year’s surprise team; they’d been expected to contend for Connor McDavid yet ended up making the second round of the playoffs. That makes them a prime candidate to regress, and some of the same stats that correctly predicted doom for last year’s Avs are sending up warning flares here. But after one of the best offseasons in the league, the Flames really do look like a team set up for long-term success.

The question is what kind of “success” that’s going to be. The Flames have made the jump from bottom-feeder to legitimate playoff contender, sure. But is there a path to a Stanley Cup here?

There could be. The team has one of the best blue lines in the league, and it’s one that’s locked up long-term. The forwards are young and could be very good. The farm system is reasonably strong. Goaltending is the one obvious issue, and it’s one that likely keeps them from any kind of serious Cup contention this season. But as we saw this summer, goaltenders can be found on the trade market, and they often come cheap.

So the future looks bright in Calgary. But again … how bright? It’s not hard to imagine the Flames making the playoffs in each season of our five-year window. But they’ll need to add more before they make that next step to Cup contender.

Odds of a Cup in five years: 17 percent

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/st...medium=twitter

/For what it's worth, he listed the Canucks at #28

[jaikorven]

Seems like a reasonable assessment to me. Hard to disagree with what he is saying about the Flames.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Well he has to have the Oilers in his top 10 because they haven't shown up yet. Which is just amazing that drafting McDavid has erased 9 years of horrific play and little to show for it, and now everyone is back to predicting an amazing team. You'd think people would learn to wait first...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Well he has to have the Oilers in his top 10 because they haven't shown up yet. Which is just amazing that drafting McDavid has erased 9 years of horrific play and little to show for it, and now everyone is back to predicting an amazing team. You'd think people would learn to wait first...

In the media you've got to be the first ones to jump on board otherwise you're branded as ignorant.

If you're wrong its no biggie, people forget everything over time. See? Most people have already forgotten that the Oilers suck a hard, crusty one and they sucked as recently as a few months ago!

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Kind of weird to assign arbitrary percentages for each team's chances in the next 5 years and then rank them. Literally based of nothing other than a a gut feeling/bias as it's basically impossible to project 3 years out, much less 5.

[sa226]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Well he has to have the Oilers in his top 10 because they haven't shown up yet. Which is just amazing that drafting McDavid has erased 9 years of horrific play and little to show for it, and now everyone is back to predicting an amazing team. You'd think people would learn to wait first...

If I can be annoying for a moment, not that I disagree with you in principle. The constant fellating of Edmonton grinds my gears...

But

Replacing Mctavish and Eakins with Mclellan and Chiarelli is a huge move. If the Chiarelli can work some magic and move assets in and out, they have potential to jump start their retool....

But make no mistake. As it stands now, the Oilers team, culture and city are no good.

[home_sweet_dome]

not that this list means anything, but we should be in the top 10.

Our Cup window could be open as early as this year (if the goaltending holds up and we add a top 6 winger at the deadline) and the window should stay open for the next 5 years and potentially longer if the team is managed right.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Can't really argue with what he said. Consider #15 a huge accomplishment, considering his rationale would have had us 28th or worse just 2 years ago.

[Ashasx]

I think making any predictions beyond this season is futile. The standings could be completely flipped in 3 seasons (sans Oilers).

[polak]

Depending on how Bennett plays out, we're two solid wingers away from contending. Right now our second line is still pretty weak. If we could fill it with two top flight top 6 wingers we'd be set.

I don't think goaltending was a problem at all last year and I personally love our 1a/1b situation.

[neo45]

The oilers are still going to be a lottery team. It's engrained in the culture to fall apart by December. The only teams they will finish ahead of are Phoenix and maybe Vancouver


As for us, I have no idea where we will finish. Goaltending is still a huge question mark

[T-Rich]

Unless I missed them, he has Buffalo in the top 10 and that is shocking to me.

[getbak]

By process of elimination, here's his top-10 (in alphabetical order):

• Anaheim
• Buffalo
• Chicago
• Edmonton
• Montréal
• NY Islanders
• NY Rangers
• Pittsburgh
• Tampa Bay
• Washington

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by T-Rich

Unless I missed them, he has Buffalo in the top 10 and that is shocking to me.

Top 10 is the following:

Chicago
Anaheim
Edmonton
Pittsburgh
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Washington
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Montreal

Edmonton, Washington, and Montreal have no place on this list IMO. Buffalo I could go either way on. They have an incredibly deep prospect pool (very much unlike Edmonton) but man were they bad. They have a long long way to go to be considered even a poor NHL team.

I also don't think Chicago wins another cup. Their vaunted depth is really starting to be stripped away.

[Benched]

Dallas/Calgary/Minni/Blues behind Edmonton? Not sure about that.

But then again every year they predict Edmonton will be good this year, then they have a week or two where they discuss 'what's wrong in Edmonton?' and act all confused.


So hopefully the trend continues.

[polak]

Edmonton has two good prospects. Both are expected to make the team this year. The rest of their team has been complete garbage for 9 years. Someone please explain to me how they're ready to contend?

Our goaltending is an issue? At least we have 2 top quality goaltending prospects in the wings. Our defense is already top 2 or 3 and we have one of the top 1st lines in the league.

I don't think we're any where close to a guarantee to be contending in the next year or two but neither is Edmonton. Jesus. Give me a break.

[EldrickOnIce]

Not sure how Montreal doesn't belong in the top 10?
They have some good young prospect talent coming and have the best goaltender in the league. Price, with a good amount of favourable luck, could single-handedly win a Cup.

[Erick Estrada]

I don't disagree with anything he has said but it appears he believes the Oilers are closer to being a cup winner which I totally disagree but I'm not going to get overly excited over the opinion of a guy that is known for being a funny guy over an expert.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Not sure how Montreal doesn't belong in the top 10?
They have some good young prospect talent coming and have the best goaltender in the league. Price, with a good amount of favourable luck, could single-handedly win a Cup.

Plus the Eastern conference is a lot easier to get out of than the West. In fact 7 of his top 10 teams are from the East, probably for that reason. Always easier to win the Cup if it's a lot easier to get there.

[dino7c]

How many eastern teams have won the cup lately though...this guy is way off


pfft Oilers