The Hockey News 2013-14 predictions

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Why?

Grabovski is miles better offensively and as far as defensively a bit of a wash with Bolland being a bit better and certainly stronger physically.

Grabovski showed last year when thrust into a 3rd line center checking role that his offence output takes a big hit.

Defensively Bolland is way better than Grabovski. If you watched the leafs in the last couple of years, Grabovski was a defensive liablilty when playing in the top 6. The guy floated and let Kulemin and MacCarthur take care of business in their own end.

[bubbsy]

i think out west, the only canadian playoff teams are the canucks, with an outside chance that the oilers youth finally mature to a point that they can carry the team to the post season.

The east is tough to call, but you'd think the sens are a safe bet, and i think the leafs will be challenging for a playoff spot. Though i am expecting clarkson to struggle and be ripped to shreds by the local news here on a daily basis due to the size of his contract. He'll be considered one of the most expensive 3rd liners in the league by the trade deadline (my prediction). Also, wouldn't be shocked to see rielly get a calder nominatoin.

Habs suck, but then i've thought that for several years now, and they have overachieved, so who's to say that doesn't continue. I'd love to see a big year from galchenyuk. I still have a strong feeling that both he and morgan reilly will be the 2 best draftees of the 2012 draft.

i predict the jets will be the same as last year, not good but not bad.

[Parallex]

I think Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto all miss. Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa make it (Vancouver only just makes it though, I don't think those guys will mesh well with Torts).

[Stormchaser]

I think Winnipeg and Calgary will be the only Canadian teams not making the playoffs this year. Edmonton gets to 7th and ousted in the first round.......hopefully.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by stormchaser

I think Winnipeg and Calgary will be the only Canadian teams not making the playoffs this year. Edmonton gets to 7th and ousted in the first round.......hopefully.

It's not a conference playoff anymore.

Edmonton is not better than San Jose, Los Angeles or Vancouver. THN had the Ducks ahead of them as well. I'm not really sold on Anaheim, but I don't think Edmonton is any better, and they have to beat out Phoenix as well. Chances are, their best hope is as the crossover.

THN's prediction for the Oilers is rather optimistic, but still fair given how weak the Central is. Chicago is clearly the class, and St. Louis second. Minnesota is the easy pick for third. So the question is, can one of Dallas, Nashville, Colorado or Winnipeg finish ahead of the 5th place team in the Pacific? That's a huge pile of mediocrity fighting for two playoff spots. Edmonton needs to take a big step forward just to be called mediocre. Two steps to be the best of the average is not impossible, but even as cruddy as they are,the teams fighting for 4th in the Central will have an easier time of it than Edmonton will in the Pacific.

[ricardodw]

Winnipeg is one of the youngest teams in the league and missed the playoffs by 4 pts.

Their #1 and #2 D Men Bogosian and Enstrom missed 1/3 and half the season respectively.

They have added Frolik , Setegouchi and Halischuk plus a Schieffle who is a Baertschi calibre prospect .

And they have no chance to make the playoffs???

[Resolute 14]

Seventh is probably silly, but are they better than all of Dallas, Colorado, Nashville, Edmonton, Anaheim and Phoenix? I don't think so.

[Bezer]

I think the Oilers start strong with a new coach and then fall off and miss the playoffs (again).

Van is on the decline but I think they make it this year.

Ottawa should make it.

Winterpeg (that moniker never gets old at all) I just don't see it.

Toronto my bias says no, but in all honesty they might sneak in and out in the first round.

Montreal .. no clue, I say "probably"

Calgary? No way we just don't have it this year(obviously). I suspect goal and D is our downfall.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I could see that especially out west. I think Montreal is a 50/50 to make it in. Toronto and Ottawa will both make it.

I know posters don't like Toronto but i think they improved enough this year to stay in. Bolland as a #3 center is better than having Grabovski as #3. Clarkson was paid way to much but is a big upgrade on MacCarthur. I really like Bernier and think he will be a #1 goalie going forward. At worst he is an upgrade on Scrivens as a back-up.

I agree that the Leafs are a better team this year than they were last year, but I think last year they got all the bounces. Based on how badly they were outchanced, they finished way higher than they should have. As a better team this year, they could still easily miss out.

[Resolute 14]

The big question in the Atlantic is Detroit. Are they on a downward trend, or do they rebound? That, more than anything Toronto does, might determine the Leafs' fate.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Winnipeg is one of the youngest teams in the league and missed the playoffs by 4 pts.

Their #1 and #2 D Men Bogosian and Enstrom missed 1/3 and half the season respectively.

They have added Frolik , Setegouchi and Halischuk plus a Schieffle who is a Baertschi calibre prospect .

And they have no chance to make the playoffs???

Actually pretty good analysis.

[Falclore]

Originally Posted by timbit

Actually pretty good analysis.

I think Winnipeg had an easy ride last year playing in the SE division. Playing in the central with a full 82 game schedule, I think they will be lucky to finish 6th in their division.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Yep, on one hand the Jets improved, travel will be more fair with their new opponents, hopefully they remain healthy and they have a bit better odds of making the playoffs in a 7 team division, 14 team conference but they are coming from the worst division in the NHL. Chicago's pretty much a lock for 1 of the spots, and I would give St. Louis and Minnesota better odds in claiming the other divisional spots over the Jets. Putting them into that wildcard hunt with 3 last place teams in Nashville, Dallas, and Colorado and whatever Pacific teams but I don't know about giving them the inside track without Pavelec having a big year.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Yep, on one hand the Jets improved, travel will be more fair with their new opponents, hopefully they remain healthy and they have a bit better odds of making the playoffs in a 7 team division, 14 team conference but they are coming from the worst division in the NHL. Chicago's pretty much a lock for 1 of the spots, and I would give St. Louis and Minnesota better odds in claiming the other divisional spots over the Jets. Putting them into that wildcard hunt with 3 last place teams in Nashville, Dallas, and Colorado and whatever Pacific teams but I don't know about giving them the inside track without Pavelec having a big year.

Minnesota had 55 pts playing in a division with Calgary, Edmonton and Colorado...

Winnipeg 51 pts playing against Carolina, Tampa and Florida....

The top teams Washington and Vancouver were about even.


Work in the travel and Winnipeg likely had a better season than Minnesota last year.


Minnesota lose Clutterbuck and Setegouchi and Bouchard, Cullen and add Cooke , nino N. Ballard and Blum

Minny had very few injuries last season ...


There is significant parity among the teams that spend to the cap.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Minnesota had 55 pts playing in a division with Calgary, Edmonton and Colorado...

It's a fair argument but I feel that Minnesota underachieved last year. They made quite a few major changes and didn't quite seem to have huge chemistry early on. Then came Mid-March where they had that surge and looked like a legitimate threat. A full year of the Parise-Koivu-Pominville and now with a year of experience for Granlund, Brodin, Coyle and Zucker and I think they'll improve from last year.

On the other hand I feel like the Jets overachieved, at least their top line of Ladd-Little-Wheeler. Are Ladd and Wheeler players you expecting to put up a point-per-game pace playing in the Central Division? Last year they were a very top heavy team and not with legitimate superstars. Outside of Kane, who may take some pressure off them this year, that line was pretty much their forward offense and I don't know if Setoguchi changes that enough. They've got a nice defense core with Byfuglien, Bogosian, and Enstrom but until the team can keep the puck out of their net it doesn't really matter.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

It's a fair argument but I feel that Minnesota underachieved last year. They made quite a few major changes and didn't quite seem to have huge chemistry early on. Then came Mid-March where they had that surge and looked like a legitimate threat. A full year of the Parise-Koivu-Pominville and now with a year of experience for Granlund, Brodin, Coyle and Zucker and I think they'll improve from last year.

On the other hand I feel like the Jets overachieved, at least their top line of Ladd-Little-Wheeler. Are Ladd and Wheeler players you expecting to put up a point-per-game pace playing in the Central Division? Last year they were a very top heavy team and not with legitimate superstars. Outside of Kane, who may take some pressure off them this year, that line was pretty much their forward offense and I don't know if Setoguchi changes that enough. They've got a nice defense core with Byfuglien, Bogosian, and Enstrom but until the team can keep the puck out of their net it doesn't really matter.

In Winnipeg's 30 games outside the SE they were 14-13-3
In Minny's 30 games outside of the NW they were 14-14-2

The NW division was incredible small - Flames, Oilers and Canucks are all non-physical.... not grinding to play against..

Chicago and St.L and Nashville will leave a lot more bruises than any team out of the NW last year.

The Jets are being built big....
Byfuglien, Bogosian, Stuart, Clitsome, (plus Pardy as 6/7) might be the biggest D in the league.

[Vinny01]

Yeah lots of under-rating the Jets in this thread. They are a bit questionable up the middle but really strong on the wings and very solid on the backend with decent goaltending.

Lots of wildcards in the Central as the only locks are the Hawks and Blues.
Colorado - Tons of young talent, new coach, some decent vets. Horrible defense and questionable goaltending

Minnesota- solid core of vets + some good young talent. They were worse than I thought they would be last year but have what it takes to be a better team

Dallas - Lost Erikson but added Seguin, Peverley, Gonchar and I guess Horcoff. That and Lindy Ruff as head coach this could be a better team than people give credit for

Nashville - Horrible last year but had some injuries. Adding Jones, Stalberg, Nystrom, Cullen might not be enough to keep them out of the bottom unless Rinne bounces back to vezina form

Winnipeg - add Frolik, Setoguchi, Trouba, Schiefele with a core that is entering their prime years. Built to play in the west.

[dustygoon]

Sharks never get any love because the "window" is closed every year, but they keep doing well. Niemi's ability and record in the playoffs alone should be consideration for potential.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

In Winnipeg's 30 games outside the SE they were 14-13-3
In Minny's 30 games outside of the NW they were 14-14-2.
...

Like I said, I feel Minnesota underachieved so those records don't mean much too me. I like the Wild's makeup a lot better than the Jets'.

Goalies: Backstrom and Pavelec are both question marks, both on their game are great but both have seemed inconsistent the last couple years. Backstrom's proved to be a better goalie for much longer though so I don't mind saying Backstrom>Pavelec.

Defesnemen: No doubt the Jets have some nice defensemen with Bogosian, Enstrom and Byfuglien but the Wild have the best defenseman out of the teams in Sutter and Brodin is not looking like a slouch. Still they seem to be missing a legitimate second pairing defenseman or two, so give the Jets this one.

Forwards: Ladd-Little-Wheeler vs Parise-Koivu-Pominville? Despite the Jets' top line hot season I don't think this is close, Parise-Koivu-Pominville can be a terrific scoring line and even shutdown line (assuming they play together). Again, Ladd-Little-Wheeler just don't seem first line point-per-game players like they ended up being in the shortened season. Give the edge to the Jets for the rest of the forwards as Kane, Setoguchi, Scheifele, Jokinen and Frolik are a bit more proven bunch and less risky bunch than Heatley, Granlund, Coyle, Niederreiter, and Zucker. Kane is definitely a wild card but still don't think it makes up for the discrepancy with those top line players. Giving this to the Wild.

System: Maybe most important. The run and gun style of the East and especially the Southeast I doubt works in the Central. I think Noel will end up trying to implement a more defense system which will take some getting used to and ultimately cost Noel his job despite his extension. They have an easier season start and if they aren't in a playoff position a 1/3 of the way through the season they cut ties with him. That's my prediction at least.