Atlantic Division
1.) Tampa Bay Lightning
They decided to basically bring the band back together this season, and why not? This team was one Ben Bishop injury away from maybe winning the Stanley Cup last year. Recent times haven't always been kind to Cup losers, but the Lightning are good enough, and still young enough to buck that trend. They will go into every series almost assuredly having the best forward in Stamkos and best defenseman in Hedman in that game. They have a dynamite 2nd line that can hopefully carry forward the impeccable chemistry they showed last year. And they are deep, with guys that can barely crack their Top-9 that would be Top-6 in other teams. No team is better set than the Lightning for a dominant season, especially if guys like Drouin and Paquette get even better and reach the Johnson, Palat, Killorn level.
2.) Ottawa Senators
This says more about the sorry state of teh Atlantic Division than anything about the Senators, but the team that Hamburglered their way to the playoffs are in good position to keep that going. The developments of players like Stone, Ceci, Wiedeman, and Hoffman add to the core of Ryan, Karlsson and Zibanijad. Their offense should be great, and if Andersen can stay healthy they'll have the goaltending to keep them in most games. In many ways, they're the anti-Canadiens.
3.) Montreal Canadiens
How far can a Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie, a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman and a young inspiring forward take you? The Canadiens will hope still playoffs. They have to score more goals. That much is obvious. Carey Price can't be expected to be that good again. PK Subban is still squarely in his prime, and Alex Galchenyuk may join him in super-star status, but the rest of that roster needs work. They have some nice pieces, but there's a lot of older players on that roster, which to me keeps them from matching the younger Senators, or the just better Lightning.
4.) Florida Panthers
I actually think the two Eastern Conference Wild Cards come from the Metro, but it wouldn't shock me if the Panthers make a playoff push. They're the Oilers of the East, in that they've been bad for a long time (save for that random playoff appearance in 2012), but that has allowed them to get stud after stud. Their young talent is incredible. Aaron Ekblad is a superstar in the making, and in Huberdeau, Gudbransson and Barkov they have three young, talented forwards that are really close to hitting it big. The rest of the roster needs work, and Luongo is incredibly shaky, but it could all come together.
5.) Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings aren't really Cup Contenders, but they still have that incredible streak of playoff appearances to keep going. It's now at 24 years and I'm sure they would love to make it 25. There is questions about their talent level after losing so much of their old core to age, and now there's questions about their coach after losing Babcock to the Leafs. The good thing for the Wings is that their new coach is coming from the Red Wings farm team where he coached a lot of the new players. This was the same strategy the Lightning used when hiring John Cooper, and while the Red Wings talent isn't as good, there are still advantages to it.
6.) Boston Bruins
Last season was a colapse, but it was also a sign of greater problems in Boston. Their top two defenseman are 35+ and injured, and they traded away a 22-year old star in the making. The offense is also old, as they only have one stable player under 28 in Matt Beleskey - where they are really hoping his great playoffs wasn't a function of sharing a line with Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. The Bruins were good for a long time, but the cliff is fast approaching in a division with a long of teams stocked with young talent.
7.) Buffalo Sabres
The fighting Eichels! The Sabres finally have some sort of future with their hero-in-the-making Jack Eichel. They've done a reasonably good job of surrounding him with young talent too, with the offseason pickup of Ryan O'Rielly, last year's trade for Evander Kane, and prospects including one of my favorite hockey names, Zemgus Girgensons. The issue is their defense is still a little barren, and their hoping that career back-up Robin Lehner can do well in goal in a full-time role. I'm skeptical of that, but not skeptical at all in what they are building in Buffalo.
8.) Toronto Maple Leafs
It seems like just yesterday they had the Maple Leafs on the ropes in Game 7. Two years later and they might be the team with the bleakest outlook in the NHL. Of course, the real reason for any optimism is the suits, whether it be Mike Babcock, Brendan Shanahan, Loe Lamoriello or their scouting coordinators who are also highly respected. They better be good, because the team overall is not.
Metropolitan Division
1.) New York Islanders
It's annoying to pick the Rangers every year, though I wouldn't be shocked at all if they do indeed win the division, but let's go non-chalk with this pick. There are a few reasons to not like the Islanders, like having to trust Jaroslav Halak, or the relative lack of proven secondary scoring, but there are great reasons to like them. First, Tavares and Okposo are a good start. Their defense has proven veterans. Their offense has a great third line that can shut down opposition. They're just a really good team, and I think the move to Brooklyn will help them at least in the first year. Things are just coming together nicely for the Islanders right now.
2.) Washington Capitals
I really like everything about this team. Braden Holtby is a good goalie. The defense has a lot of proven talent and still young guys like Alzner and Carlson. The offense still has Backstrom and Ovie, but I love the pickup of Justin Williams and they have a few young guys who are ready to break out like Kuznetsov, Burakovsky and Johansson. The team is really good, maybe the most talented Washington team since the 2010 club that probably should have won the Cup.
3.) New York Rangers
They're still just really good top to bottom. While writing this, I'm already regretting picking the Islanders to win the division. The backup goalie is a little more unproven now if Lundqvist were to get hurt, but they have the top-to-bottom talent to make up for it. Apart from Nash and McDonagh, there are few stars here, but just so many solid players. One concern is a lot of the players are mostly in their prime now, between 26-32, but that is a bigger potential issue 3-4 years from now. This is still a special group that at worst still makes the playoffs.
4.) Pittsburgh Penguins (WC)
The Penguins will go as far as Crosby, Malkin, and now Kessel will take them. There's really just not much else there. The defense is still just so thin. The secondary scoring is only decent because they have Crosby and Malkin feeding them the puck. It really just comes down to those two guys, and Kessel playing with one of them and pumping in 40. Sidney Crosby is too good for them to miss the playoffs unless he's hurt again, but Kessel only covers up so many holes currently on the team.
5.) Columbus Blue Jackets (WC)
I think the Blue Jackets slip into the playoffs as the final wild card, as I like the two moves they've made in getting Saad and Justin Falk on the blue-line, and I think Bobrovsky will return to being closer to the guy he was a few years back. The team also has so many great young players like Johansen and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets have slowly built up the reserves, and while the cupboard isn't as stocked as a few teams, adding Saad, a 22-year old two-time Cup Winner, helps even more bring up that under-25 talent, the thing that drives the NHL at this point.
6.) Philadelphia Flyers
They supposedly have this treasure chest of blue-line prospects still in the minors, and a few may come up later this season, but for now it is still pretty barren. Up front, Giroux, Couturier and Voracek is still a really nice young core to build around. Sam Gagner and the brothers Schenn help also. The team may be really good in a few years, though at that point they probably need to find a goalie - which I guess Philadelphia has been doing for generations now,
7.) Carolina Hurricanes
I have no real reason apart from my hatred of the Devils to say that Carolina will be better than those Devils. I guess they still have some nice pieces in Staal, Skinner, Murray and Lindholm to build around but they're also playing young guys that don't have nearly that good of an outlook. Cam Ward never stays healthy, and the defense is just bad across the board. I hear they have some good players in the minors too, but it will be a few years before they are a true contender again.
8.) New Jersey Devils
I don't want to talk about it.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning def (EW2) Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1
(A2) Ottawa Senators def (A3) Montreal Canadiens 4-3
(M1) New York Islanders def (EW1) Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2
(M2) Washington Capitals def (M3) New York Rangers 4-3
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning def (A2) Ottawa Senators 4-2
(M2) Washington Capitals def (M1) New York Islanders 4-3
(M2) Washington Capitals def (A1) Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2
1.) Tampa Bay Lightning
They decided to basically bring the band back together this season, and why not? This team was one Ben Bishop injury away from maybe winning the Stanley Cup last year. Recent times haven't always been kind to Cup losers, but the Lightning are good enough, and still young enough to buck that trend. They will go into every series almost assuredly having the best forward in Stamkos and best defenseman in Hedman in that game. They have a dynamite 2nd line that can hopefully carry forward the impeccable chemistry they showed last year. And they are deep, with guys that can barely crack their Top-9 that would be Top-6 in other teams. No team is better set than the Lightning for a dominant season, especially if guys like Drouin and Paquette get even better and reach the Johnson, Palat, Killorn level.
2.) Ottawa Senators
This says more about the sorry state of teh Atlantic Division than anything about the Senators, but the team that Hamburglered their way to the playoffs are in good position to keep that going. The developments of players like Stone, Ceci, Wiedeman, and Hoffman add to the core of Ryan, Karlsson and Zibanijad. Their offense should be great, and if Andersen can stay healthy they'll have the goaltending to keep them in most games. In many ways, they're the anti-Canadiens.
3.) Montreal Canadiens
How far can a Vezina Trophy-caliber goalie, a Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman and a young inspiring forward take you? The Canadiens will hope still playoffs. They have to score more goals. That much is obvious. Carey Price can't be expected to be that good again. PK Subban is still squarely in his prime, and Alex Galchenyuk may join him in super-star status, but the rest of that roster needs work. They have some nice pieces, but there's a lot of older players on that roster, which to me keeps them from matching the younger Senators, or the just better Lightning.
4.) Florida Panthers
I actually think the two Eastern Conference Wild Cards come from the Metro, but it wouldn't shock me if the Panthers make a playoff push. They're the Oilers of the East, in that they've been bad for a long time (save for that random playoff appearance in 2012), but that has allowed them to get stud after stud. Their young talent is incredible. Aaron Ekblad is a superstar in the making, and in Huberdeau, Gudbransson and Barkov they have three young, talented forwards that are really close to hitting it big. The rest of the roster needs work, and Luongo is incredibly shaky, but it could all come together.
5.) Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings aren't really Cup Contenders, but they still have that incredible streak of playoff appearances to keep going. It's now at 24 years and I'm sure they would love to make it 25. There is questions about their talent level after losing so much of their old core to age, and now there's questions about their coach after losing Babcock to the Leafs. The good thing for the Wings is that their new coach is coming from the Red Wings farm team where he coached a lot of the new players. This was the same strategy the Lightning used when hiring John Cooper, and while the Red Wings talent isn't as good, there are still advantages to it.
6.) Boston Bruins
Last season was a colapse, but it was also a sign of greater problems in Boston. Their top two defenseman are 35+ and injured, and they traded away a 22-year old star in the making. The offense is also old, as they only have one stable player under 28 in Matt Beleskey - where they are really hoping his great playoffs wasn't a function of sharing a line with Silfverberg and Ryan Kesler. The Bruins were good for a long time, but the cliff is fast approaching in a division with a long of teams stocked with young talent.
7.) Buffalo Sabres
The fighting Eichels! The Sabres finally have some sort of future with their hero-in-the-making Jack Eichel. They've done a reasonably good job of surrounding him with young talent too, with the offseason pickup of Ryan O'Rielly, last year's trade for Evander Kane, and prospects including one of my favorite hockey names, Zemgus Girgensons. The issue is their defense is still a little barren, and their hoping that career back-up Robin Lehner can do well in goal in a full-time role. I'm skeptical of that, but not skeptical at all in what they are building in Buffalo.
8.) Toronto Maple Leafs
It seems like just yesterday they had the Maple Leafs on the ropes in Game 7. Two years later and they might be the team with the bleakest outlook in the NHL. Of course, the real reason for any optimism is the suits, whether it be Mike Babcock, Brendan Shanahan, Loe Lamoriello or their scouting coordinators who are also highly respected. They better be good, because the team overall is not.
Metropolitan Division
1.) New York Islanders
It's annoying to pick the Rangers every year, though I wouldn't be shocked at all if they do indeed win the division, but let's go non-chalk with this pick. There are a few reasons to not like the Islanders, like having to trust Jaroslav Halak, or the relative lack of proven secondary scoring, but there are great reasons to like them. First, Tavares and Okposo are a good start. Their defense has proven veterans. Their offense has a great third line that can shut down opposition. They're just a really good team, and I think the move to Brooklyn will help them at least in the first year. Things are just coming together nicely for the Islanders right now.
2.) Washington Capitals
I really like everything about this team. Braden Holtby is a good goalie. The defense has a lot of proven talent and still young guys like Alzner and Carlson. The offense still has Backstrom and Ovie, but I love the pickup of Justin Williams and they have a few young guys who are ready to break out like Kuznetsov, Burakovsky and Johansson. The team is really good, maybe the most talented Washington team since the 2010 club that probably should have won the Cup.
3.) New York Rangers
They're still just really good top to bottom. While writing this, I'm already regretting picking the Islanders to win the division. The backup goalie is a little more unproven now if Lundqvist were to get hurt, but they have the top-to-bottom talent to make up for it. Apart from Nash and McDonagh, there are few stars here, but just so many solid players. One concern is a lot of the players are mostly in their prime now, between 26-32, but that is a bigger potential issue 3-4 years from now. This is still a special group that at worst still makes the playoffs.
4.) Pittsburgh Penguins (WC)
The Penguins will go as far as Crosby, Malkin, and now Kessel will take them. There's really just not much else there. The defense is still just so thin. The secondary scoring is only decent because they have Crosby and Malkin feeding them the puck. It really just comes down to those two guys, and Kessel playing with one of them and pumping in 40. Sidney Crosby is too good for them to miss the playoffs unless he's hurt again, but Kessel only covers up so many holes currently on the team.
5.) Columbus Blue Jackets (WC)
I think the Blue Jackets slip into the playoffs as the final wild card, as I like the two moves they've made in getting Saad and Justin Falk on the blue-line, and I think Bobrovsky will return to being closer to the guy he was a few years back. The team also has so many great young players like Johansen and Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets have slowly built up the reserves, and while the cupboard isn't as stocked as a few teams, adding Saad, a 22-year old two-time Cup Winner, helps even more bring up that under-25 talent, the thing that drives the NHL at this point.
6.) Philadelphia Flyers
They supposedly have this treasure chest of blue-line prospects still in the minors, and a few may come up later this season, but for now it is still pretty barren. Up front, Giroux, Couturier and Voracek is still a really nice young core to build around. Sam Gagner and the brothers Schenn help also. The team may be really good in a few years, though at that point they probably need to find a goalie - which I guess Philadelphia has been doing for generations now,
7.) Carolina Hurricanes
I have no real reason apart from my hatred of the Devils to say that Carolina will be better than those Devils. I guess they still have some nice pieces in Staal, Skinner, Murray and Lindholm to build around but they're also playing young guys that don't have nearly that good of an outlook. Cam Ward never stays healthy, and the defense is just bad across the board. I hear they have some good players in the minors too, but it will be a few years before they are a true contender again.
8.) New Jersey Devils
I don't want to talk about it.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning def (EW2) Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1
(A2) Ottawa Senators def (A3) Montreal Canadiens 4-3
(M1) New York Islanders def (EW1) Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2
(M2) Washington Capitals def (M3) New York Rangers 4-3
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning def (A2) Ottawa Senators 4-2
(M2) Washington Capitals def (M1) New York Islanders 4-3
(M2) Washington Capitals def (A1) Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2
