2016-17 Standing predicitons

[Cantrader]

For standings, I think flames will move up and Canucks or phx last

[getbak]

Playoff teams in bold...

Metro

1. PIT
2. WAS
3. NYI
4. PHI
5. NYR
6. CBJ
7. NJD
8. CAR

Atlantic

1. TBL
2. FLA
3. MTL
4. BOS
5. DET
6. OTT
7. BUF
8. TOR

Central

1. NAS
2. STL
3. DAL
4. CHI
5. MIN
6. WPG
7. COL

Pacific

1. LAK
2. CGY
3. SJS
4. ANA
5. EDM
6. ARI
7. Vegas -- That's how bad Vancouver will be. They'll finish behind a team that doesn't start playing for another year.
8. VAN

[locsofblu]

Interesting reading some of these predictions. I honestly don't have a clue where we end up. I;m hoping the top half of our division but i was sure off last year. I feel that this is the first year of our rebuild having with an identity.

[Da_Chief]

Why are some still high on the Kings?
-They're a year older (not the good kind)
-Lost Lucic, replaced with Purcell who's not good
-Lost their backup, replaced with Zatkoff who's not good
-They don't have the depth they used to
-Their bottom 6 is big but slow

I guess the Darryl factor is there but I think they'll be in tough this year.

[Jason14h]

Wow people are high on the Flames !

Sure we have improved our goaltending, but a first or 2nd finish !

The flames were 26 points behind 1st last season . People see us being 26 points better?

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Wow people are high on the Flames !

Sure we have improved our goaltending, but a first or 2nd finish !

The flames were 26 points behind 1st last season . People see us being 26 points better?

Better goaltending, healthy start with Gio and Brodie, Monahan Gaudreau Bennett and Shinkaruk a year wiser, addition of Brouwer Chiasson on RW and pinch of homerism.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Taking some projected lineups from HF.

Kings - One good O line + Kopi, 2 good D pairs, Proven starter.
Gaborik-Kopitar-Purcell
Pearson-Carter-Toffoli
King-Lewis-Brown
Clifford-Latta-Nolan
*Andreoff, Dowd, Shore, Mersch

McNabb-Doughty
Muzzin-Martinez
Scuderi-Gilbert
*Greene, Trotman, Gravel, Forbort

Quick
Zatkoff

Ducks - Offense is weaker then ever before, D is good, goaltending has a lot to prove.
Ritchie-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Noesen-Rakell-Kerdiles
Garbutt-Thompson-Wagner

Fowler-Despres
Lindholm-Manson
Bieksa-Vatanen

Gibson
Tokarski

Oilers - Lots of offensive potential, top D is respectable then it falls off, goalies are better then average.
Lucic - McDavid - Yakupov
Pouliot - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Maroon - Draisaitl - Puljujarvi
Hendricks - Letestu - Kassian
Extras: Lander & Pakarinen

Klefbom - Larsson
Sekera - Fayne
Davidson - Nurse
Extra: Oesterle

Talbot
Gustavsson

Canucks - Old first line, 2nd line has potential, average top 4, average goaltending.
Sedin Sedin Eriksson
Baertschi Horvat Sutter
Etem Granlund Hansen
Burrows Guance Dorsett

Edler Tanev
Hutton Gudbranson
Tryamkin Larsen

Miller
Markstrom

Sharks - Great offence, very good top 4, good starter.
Hertl - Thornton - Pavelski
Boedker - Couture - Donskoi
Goldobin - Marleau - Ward
Nieto - Tierney - Karlsson
Wingels


Vlasic - Braun
Martin - Burns
Dillon - Schlemko
DeMelo

Jones
Dell

Coyotes - Good mix of youth and vets on O, top 4 looks one of the better ones, goaltending struggeles
Domi-Hanzal-Duclair
Rieder-Strome-Doan
McGinn-Vermette-???
Martinook-Richardson-???

OEL-Murphy
Goligoski-Stone
Connauton-Michalek
Dahlbeck

Smith/Domingue

Flames - Offence can score but has to be more then one line, D is decent, G has been upgraded.
Gaudreau-Monahan-Brouwer
Shinkaruk-Bennett-Frolik
Stajan-Backlund-Chiasson
Ferland-Bouma-Hathaway
Hamilton

Giordano-Brodie
Kevin-Hamilton
Wideman-Engelland
Wotherspoon

Elliott
Johnson

I prediction:
1. Sharks
2. Flames
3. Ducks
4. Oilers
5. Kings
6. Coyotes
7. Canucks

Nice post.


The Flames will not be as high in the standing with "Kevin" in their top 4 d-men... I think the Kevin love is because we were so impressed by having a young cheap d-man be that much better than Wotherspoon and Kulak.

But that should not be a problem Wideman will likely have a much better year than expected. Engelland also will do better than expected.... The last 16 games or so when Jokipakka was so impressive... Engelland was getting more ice time.

Oilers scare me a significant amount on paper.... to me they never looked as good before....

With Maroon and Lucic in the line-up playing 16-17 Minute/game gives them freak of nature presence every second shift.

The Flames are rightfully excited about having Brouwer.... Brouwer is good and big and tough but not at all in the freak of nature category.


They also added a legit top pairing defense that they didn't have last year and their team finished 3-4 wins behind Calgary.

[Da_Chief]

Maroon and Lucic likely lineup against our right side which in a worst case scenario is at least big; Brouwer/Chiasson/Hathaway. All 6'2" plus. Not too worried about Oilers all the sudden size.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Nice post.





The Flames will not be as high in the standing with "Kevin" in their top 4 d-men... I think the Kevin love is because we were so impressed by having a young cheap d-man be that much better than Wotherspoon and Kulak.



But that should not be a problem Wideman will likely have a much better year than expected. Engelland also will do better than expected.... The last 16 games or so when Jokipakka was so impressive... Engelland was getting more ice time.



Oilers scare me a significant amount on paper.... to me they never looked as good before....



With Maroon and Lucic in the line-up playing 16-17 Minute/game gives them freak of nature presence every second shift.



The Flames are rightfully excited about having Brouwer.... Brouwer is good and big and tough but not at all in the freak of nature category.





They also added a legit top pairing defense that they didn't have last year and their team finished 3-4 wins behind Calgary.

Kevin looked pretty good but it was a small sample size - you're right to be skeptical or at least reserve judgement. I'm also concerned about the Oilers. Their defence is this but they're looking pretty solid up front, and a full second of McDavid....

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

...They also added a legit top pairing defense that they didn't have last year and their team finished 3-4 wins behind Calgary.

On the back of other-worldly goaltending, and Edmonton was still worse that the Flames who played in front of historically bad goaltending. The change in goal on its own should produce a MASSIVE improvement for Calgary in the standings. While I expect the Oilers to be better in their own end, this is still basically the same lineup that was a bottom-five scoring team last year.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Maroon and Lucic likely lineup against our right side which in a worst case scenario is at least big; Brouwer/Chiasson/Hathaway. All 6'2" plus. Not too worried about Oilers all the sudden size.

Not worried about how they specifically match up with the Flames... even though that was the key to the Flames making the playoffs 2014-15...

It should also help Eberle , RHN and McDavid. Really hard to punk them when you are pretty sure you will be a punk victim yourself..... There will be a lot more of lets just play hockey attitude against the Oilers.

Brouwer is great because he is not a liability on the ice and is not going out primarily as protection.... but he just happens to be there when somebody chops Johnny. Lucic and Maroon are just a bigger version of Brouwer.

You would have to think really seriously on how much you chop McDavid when Lucic is lurking.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Not worried about how they specifically match up with the Flames... even though that was the key to the Flames making the playoffs 2014-15...

It should also help Eberle , RHN and McDavid. Really hard to punk them when you are pretty sure you will be a punk victim yourself..... There will be a lot more of lets just play hockey attitude against the Oilers.

Brouwer is great because he is not a liability on the ice and is not going out primarily as protection.... but he just happens to be there when somebody chops Johnny. Lucic and Maroon are just a bigger version of Brouwer.

You would have to think really seriously on how much you chop McDavid when Lucic is lurking.

See Derek Engelland. If they chop Johnny, one of Ferland/Hathaway/Bouma/Chiasson will chop McDavid. Make no mistake about that and if Lucic wants to fight he can fight Engelland.

There will be rough stuff, that would be the battle of Alberta. Looking forward to it. Flames don't have a goon anymore but few guys that can handle themselves.

[getoverit]

Wow lots of high expectations on the flames this year, if we get the late surge like we did a couple years ago we will get in the playoffs but we need much of our youth to have big development this year, we have lots of young guys. Be interesting to see how GG and nuture and grow them and push them. huge expectations a little scary

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Par

Please provide an explanation, why you think this?

The longer answer is that an explanation is not necessary. No one else has justified why they're putting SJ in the top 3, or even 1st in the division(!?)

My take? SJ caught lightening in a bottle this year. They probably should have made the finals previously, when younger. I think the team that missed the play-offs the previous year is closer to where SJ is tending than a finalist. They're another year older, and most teams are improving.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by the2bears

The longer answer is that an explanation is not necessary. No one else has justified why they're putting SJ in the top 3, or even 1st in the division(!?)

My take? SJ caught lightening in a bottle this year. They probably should have made the finals previously, when younger. I think the team that missed the play-offs the previous year is closer to where SJ is tending than a finalist. They're another year older, and most teams are improving.

I did above. Best O, really good top 4 and a netminder who's only getting better.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

I did above. Best O, really good top 4 and a netminder who's only getting better.

Yeah, unfortunately I read that after I responded. I do think your point regarding goal tending is solid, but I just don't see that group of forwards keeping up with the long haul of a season. That will put more pressure on their D as well.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

See Derek Engelland. If they chop Johnny, one of Ferland/Hathaway/Bouma/Chiasson will chop McDavid. Make no mistake about that and if Lucic wants to fight he can fight Engelland.

There will be rough stuff, that would be the battle of Alberta. Looking forward to it. Flames don't have a goon anymore but few guys that can handle themselves.

I am not advocating or expecting all out war... Just over the past 5 years or so the Oilers have had nobody taking a regular shift that offered any protection. Other teams, including the Flames, could bully RHN, Eberle and the response was to have Gadzic (or some other goon) stage a fight with the designated fighter on the other team.

It went on even longer..... Regehr-Hemsky.... Regehr could do what he did because there would be no one on the ice with Hemsky that could call Regehr out.

[ricardodw]

How does St.L stay in the playoff mix. The Flames just took two franchise turn-around players from them and Backes is gone.

Do people think they are the new Chicago that can just keep on patching the cap defections?

[RobbieT]

Metro:
1. Washington
2. Pittsburgh
3. NJD (A lot better this year with additions and trades)
4. Philly
5. CBJ
6. Islanders (Both NYC teams simply did not improve, and are worse off than last year)
7. Rangers
8. Carolina


Atlantic:
1. Tampa Bay
2. Florida
3. Montreal (will be much lower without Price- this is only if he is healthy, hope no injuries!)
4. Buffalo (Looking like they are moving in right direction, could be the playoff princess this year)
5. Toronto (also trending more towards a competitive team, specifically with goaltending)
6. Boston
7. Ottawa
8. Detroit

Central: (likely most difficult to predict...)
1. Dallas
2. Chicago
3. Nashville
4. St. Louis
5. Winnipeg
6. Colorado
7. Minnesota


Pacific:
1. Sharks
2. Calgary (ready to break out, now that goaltending & secondary scoring improved- hopefully?)
3. Anaheim
4. LA (Getting old, don't expect a big year)
5. Edmonton (much improved D, but may be still too weak to be much higher in standings)
6. Arizona
7. Vancouver

[tfi racing]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Wow people are high on the Flames !

Sure we have improved our goaltending, but a first or 2nd finish !

The flames were 26 points behind 1st last season . People see us being 26 points better?

Not so much 26 points better. Most of the teams that finished ahead of them last season will be leaving easy points for the Flames (and sadly the coilers as well) to pick up,there will be a much smaller spread in points from 6th to 1st this time around.