Rank the Canadian teams 22/23

[Vinny01]

With training camp opening this week we enter another season where one of the 7 Canadian teams will try and end a drought that is turning 30 years old this year as it was 1993 the last time a Canadian team won the cup. Since then the Canucks made the final in 94, the Flames in 04, Oilers in 06, Sens in 07, Canucks in 11, Habs in 21 but none were successful in winning it all. The 7 teams in various stages of their respective builds can be broken into 3 tiers in my opinion.

Tier 1- Cup contenders. (Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto)

1) Flames - I will admit I am biased but I am a huge fan of what this team looks like on paper this year. They won the Pacific division for the second time in 3 seasons last year and are the only Canadian team to win their division multiple times since the league went from 6 divisions to 4. On paper they have the best blueline in Canada, arguably the best goaltending, and are deep at center with a superstar winger and elite coach

2) Oilers - They have 2 of the best players in the league in their prime. They have added some solid forward depth around these players in recent years and this group is now trending to be a regular playoff team going forward. They got a new goalie but not sure he is a true starter so it remains to be seen if he is an upgrade. Their blueline is still suspect and requires young players to take a step and their overpaid top guy to earn his cap hit.

3) Leafs - in a close third behind the oilers is the Leafs. They have among the most questionable goaltending in the league which is why they are third on this list. I like their overall forward group and blueline better than Edmonton’s so wouldn’t have a problem flipping them but I feel like they have a tougher division. Matthews and Nylander have 2 years left on their deals so now is the time to do something. No playoff series wins in the cap era for this franchise. They need to do something this year or big changes could come

Tier 2 - Bubble teams (Sens, Canucks, Jets)

4) Senators- I went with Ottawa here because they had the best summer of any team in the league. I think the Flames had an epic summer but lost 2 cornerstone players and were able to make arguably the best pivot of any NHL team in the cap era. Ottawa simply went out and added some key pieces and locked up others. They may have overpaid for Norris or Stutzle but those deals could turn into bargains as well. Getting Debrincat in trade for picks and Giroux in free agency are big name adds to a team that is full of young players who may breakout. This could be a year too early for Ottawa but I think this team is ready to take a step

5) Canucks- Vancouver was horrendous last year until they finally pulled the pin on the Dim Jim era and gutted their coaching and management staff and then it was all Bruce there it is. Boudreau has a proven track record of getting a lot out of teams early in his time there. Canucks are a team that can argue with the Flames who has the best goalie. Vancouver has a solid set of forwards with guys who can still take a step. The most optimistic Canucks fans see them competing with the Alberts teams for tops in the Pacific but I don’t see it with that blueline

6) Jets- this team is barely hanging on the bubble in my opinion and teetering on the verge of needing to blow it all up. They bring in Bowness who may be able to implement a boring style that will possibly get results. The Jets are the other Canadian team who will argue they have the best goalie and maybe in the low event style Bowness coaches Hellybuck does have the best year in the net for Canadian teams? They stripped their captain of the C and trade rumors have followed key pieces like Wheeler, Schiefele, and Dubois. Connor is an absolute stud so if this Jets team bounces back they may finish 4th in these rankings but from an outsider perspective it feels like we could be watching the last seasons in Winnipeg for the 3 forwards mentioned in trade rumors. I think Winnipeg blows it up and enters a rebuild starting next summer

Tier 3- Rebuild - Habs
7) Habs are in year 2 of a rebuild that started last year when their 2 best players that carried them to the finals broke down. Montreal has some decent young pieces and several picks upcoming so a tank season is exactly what they want. They have some interesting forwards as trade options but have a brutal back end and average goalie. I think this team has some players who could bounce back and push this team out of the absolute basement but unless guys have career years they are destined to pick in the top 10 this year.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Eh, the Senators are better up front, but they still have arguably the worst blue line of the entire bunch and the goaltending isn't particularly good, I'd have them at the bottom of tier 2. I'd probably put the Flames just ahead of the Leafs just due to goaltending, so they're 1-2. Other than that I think it's probably fine.

... Oh, except you mistakenly placed the Oilers in 2nd instead of last, might want to edit it and fix that.

[N-E-B]

1. Flames
2. Oilers
3. Leafs
4. Canucks
5. Sens
6. Jets
7. Canadiens

[TheIronMaiden]

1.
Flames

tied for 7.
Sens
Canadiens
Jets
Canucks
Leafs
Oilers

[dino7c]

I still haven't heard a good argument why the Oilers are better

Keith was their #3, Smith had a good season and playing the puck helped their terrible D big time

Cambell is a massive risk IMO. Leafs went with Murray over giving him term

And they are still over the cap

[CroFlames]

1. Flames
2. Leafs
3. Sens
4. Oilers
5. Canucks
6. Jets
7. Habs

Sens made some good moves. They might be young, but they could also be the 2015 Flames playing with house money. Oilers haven't been a complete team in 15+ years, but they have McD who can change a game on his own. Plus he has favorable reffing.

[Elkyiv]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I still haven't heard a good argument why the Oilers are better

They won the last series and by that metric alone, it could be argued they are better.

We have no idea how our new core matches up against them.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I still haven't heard a good argument why the Oilers are better

I am told because a full year of Kane and more consistent goaltending from Toronto's goalie, who was ironically described as having "high highs and low lows". But no mention of the downgrade on their D. Strange..

[FlamesFanFromBC]

1. Leafs
2. Oilers
3. Flames
4. Canucks
5. Senators
6. Jets
7. Canadiens

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Elkyiv

They won the last series and by that metric alone, it could be argued they are better.

We have no idea how our new core matches up against them.

How are they better than last season is the question

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I still haven't heard a good argument why the Oilers are better

Keith was their #3, Smith had a good season and playing the puck helped their terrible D big time

Cambell is a massive risk IMO. Leafs went with Murray over giving him term

And they are still over the cap

Was Woodcroft a new coach bump or is he one of the best young coaches in the game?

I agree on Campbell I don’t think he is a proven upgrade.

Will Kane pick up where he left off or will he be who he has been on every other team he has played for? What happens if he is moved off the top 2 lines?

I still think their top 2 players are just too good and they have decent enough depth that they are pretty much a lock for playoffs barring injury to one of the 2 big boys

[VilleN]

The Oilers are definitely worse than the Leafs… I’d put Calgary and Leafs at the top, Edmonton in 3rd and who cares about the rest.

[dino7c]

People read too much into the short samples size of playoffs too.

Montreal beat the Leafs, Jets swept the Oilers....how did that work out the next season. Columbus/Tampa?

If the Oilers lost that 3rd period in game six vs. the Kings how would we rate them? They were a shot away from disaster.

[VilleN]

Not to mention we won game 5 - not saying we would have come back and won game 6 and 7, but if that goal counted as everyone knows it should have, the series would have been very different.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by VilleN

Not to mention we won game 5 - not saying we would have come back and won game 6 and 7, but if that goal counted as everyone knows it should have, the series would have been very different.

I dunno, based on everything I saw that series the chances the flames hold onto a lead for 6 minutes was slim.

[dissentowner]

1. Flames
2. Leafs
3. Senators
4. Canucks
5. Jets
6. Edmonton
7. Montreal.

The Oilers will absolutely miss the playoffs.

[topfiverecords]

1. Flames
2. Leafs
3. Canucks
4. Senators
5. Canadiens
6. Jets

[Enoch Root]

1) Leafs (I think it's a toss up with the Flames)
1) Flames

3) Oilers
4) Canucks
5) Jets
5) Senators

7) Canadiens

[Paulie Walnuts]

1. Flames
2. Leafs
3. Jets
4. Canucks
5. Oilers
6. Senators
7. Canadiens

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Was Woodcroft a new coach bump or is he one of the best young coaches in the game?

I agree on Campbell I don’t think he is a proven upgrade.

Will Kane pick up where he left off or will he be who he has been on every other team he has played for? What happens if he is moved off the top 2 lines?

I still think their top 2 players are just too good and they have decent enough depth that they are pretty much a lock for playoffs barring injury to one of the 2 big boys

Sending out Draisaitl and McDavis for 30 minutes a game makes any coach look competent. I don't think he did anything special. He talks a lot and says nothing so the media absolutely loves him like Kelly Hrudey.