14-15 Standings After 82

[UglyStupidAds]

Looking at the Calgary Flames I don't think they'll actually be worse than last year.

Significant deletions:
Mike Cammalleri
Lee Stempniak
Chris Butler

Significant additions:
Deryk Engelland
Mason Raymond
Jonas Hiller

Losing Cammalleri is big but I think adding Jonas Hiller is bigger. Add to that the continued development of Mikael Backlund and Sean Monahan, an input of young talent in Sam Bennet and Johnny Gaudreau and I think the Flames could improve upon last year.

That may be however my heart talking. If Calgary gets Connor McDavid I'm not sure I could handle it.

 

[Worraps]

Looking at the Calgary Flames I don't think they'll actually be worse than last year.

Significant deletions:
Mike Cammalleri
Lee Stempniak
Chris Butler

Significant additions:
Deryk Engelland
Mason Raymond
Jonas Hiller

Losing Cammalleri is big but I think adding Jonas Hiller is bigger. Add to that the continued development of Mikael Backlund and Sean Monahan, an input of young talent in Sam Bennet and Johnny Gaudreau and I think the Flames could improve upon last year.

That may be however my heart talking. If Calgary gets Connor McDavid I'm not sure I could handle it.

I hope you're right. I've never wanted Calgary to do as well as I want them to do this season.

The Flames drafting Jack Eichel would be bad too.

 

[Mr Forever]

I bet the Flames go D this draft and grab Noah Hanifin.

 

[McDeathbyCheerios*]

Hiller lost his playoff spot to a rookie. Hiller only looked good cause Anaheim is a great team

 

[Worraps]

Hiller lost his playoff spot to a rookie. Hiller only looked good cause Anaheim is a great team

To be fair: the rookie in question is exceedingly good.

 

[MCDAVIDISH]

What will actually happen:



EAST:
ATLANTIC
y- Boston
x-Montreal
x-Tampa Bay
METROPOLITAN
z-Pittsburgh
x-Columbus
x-Washington
WILD CARD
x-NY Rangers
x-Philadelphia
NY Islanders
Detroit
Florida
New Jersey
Toronto
Buffalo
Carolina
Ottawa

WEST:
CENTRAL
p-St Louis
x-Chicago
x-Minnesota
PACIFIC
y-Anaheim
x-LA
x-San Jose
WILD CARD
x-Colorado
x-Dallas
Nashville
Edmonton
Vancouver
Phoenix
Winnipeg
Calgary

I honestly feel we could very well come out ahead of Nashville. Also Coming out ahead of Dallas seems possible to me as well although I know they have a definite edge. Anyways if we end up around here that will have been a great season considering just how strong the west is this year.

 

[McJadeddog]

Every year in these prediction threads people have the Oilers finishing higher than the Coyotes and every year they finish way ahead of us in the standings.

The only team in the West I'm confident we will have a better record than is Calgary, but I thought the same thing last year.

couldn't agree more with this post

the only team i'm reasonably confident we will finish ahead of in the west is calgary, and even that i don't think is a slam dunk .... even with the improvements over the summer, and some maturation from our younger players, we're still a very, very bad hockey team

 

[McJadeddog]

that's how i see it. After New Year's the team was... decent. With the additions, they should be... decent(er?)

but, I got soooooo fooled last year, I just can't bring myself to get even the slightest bit excited. I just can't bring myself to believe they will actually be good until I see them play like an NHL team and with a .550 record at Christmas.

I expect them to... be about .500.

hell, if they can be roughly .500 at xmas i'll be jumping for joy... i don't expect this, but i would be very happy if it occurred (which tells you just *how low* my expectations are)

 

[Oi'll say!]

I can't imagine anything more difficult than 3 good giving reasons why the Oilers will make the playoffs this year.

1 Taylor Hall
2 _______
3 _______


At #1 center we have a 170 lb'er coming off a .7 ppg, -12 season and at #2 center we have either a rookie or a 180 lb'er from the AHL who scored 4 goals in 41 games and was -7. Center is not a position of strength for the Oilers going into the 2014/15 season.

Eberle would have been a reason for me two years ago, or even heading into last season. Going into his 5th season he's an underdog reclamation project compared to the sophomore Eberle.

Yakupov is 5 games away from taking over the goat horns, I doubt that any kid could survive under the pressure he's facing from the fans and the amazing leadership he's going to receive from Rockhead and waterboy.

Our defense is full of potential and devoid of veteran talent/leadership.

Our goalies have a combined 120 gp or something like that.

Our coach's nhl career can be summed up as "making a 24th overall team much, much worse overnight".

The Oilers paid a shload of money for suitcase pouliot and now I'm supposed to expect a playoff series?

LMAO.

I'll pvr the games and only watch the ones they win. That way I'll free up 60 some-odd evenings and I'll have way less to piss and moan about between now and the Oilers real season, in the last couple days of June.

I'm predicting a terrible start, followed by a lackluster g's 20-60 and a late season coaching change to get the Oilers out of contention for 1st overall.

 

[McShogun99]

Im really hoping that Mcdavid goes to the East. He looks like he'll be almost Crosby level good.

 

[skorf]

I can't imagine anything more difficult than 3 good giving reasons why the Oilers will make the playoffs this year.

1 Taylor Hall
2 _______
3 _______


At #1 center we have a 170 lb'er coming off a .7 ppg, -12 season and at #2 center we have either a rookie or a 180 lb'er from the AHL who scored 4 goals in 41 games and was -7. Center is not a position of strength for the Oilers going into the 2014/15 season.

Eberle would have been a reason for me two years ago, or even heading into last season. Going into his 5th season he's an underdog reclamation project compared to the sophomore Eberle.

Yakupov is 5 games away from taking over the goat horns, I doubt that any kid could survive under the pressure he's facing from the fans and the amazing leadership he's going to receive from Rockhead and waterboy.

Our defense is full of potential and devoid of veteran talent/leadership.

Our goalies have a combined 120 gp or something like that.

Our coach's nhl career can be summed up as "making a 24th overall team much, much worse overnight".

The Oilers paid a shload of money for suitcase pouliot and now I'm supposed to expect a playoff series?

LMAO.

I'll pvr the games and only watch the ones they win. That way I'll free up 60 some-odd evenings and I'll have way less to piss and moan about between now and the Oilers real season, in the last couple days of June.

I'm predicting a terrible start, followed by a lackluster g's 20-60 and a late season coaching change to get the Oilers out of contention for 1st overall.

Well we do have some other positives.

1) Gordon is a very solid 4th line C (Nuge/Drai/Arco/Gordon) and Hendricks is a very solid 4th line winger.
2) Our #4/5/6 defense are likely above average, though 1-6 is basically interchangeable
3) We'll have a solid backup goalie whoever it ends up being.

 

[skorf]

Im really hoping that Mcdavid goes to the East. He looks like he'll be almost Crosby level good.

he does, and Eichel looks special too. this would be the year to be the worst but the oilers are going to improve... and we'll draft #6 this year. We get a solid player but not a game changer.

 

[Tyrolean]

I hope you're right. I've never wanted Calgary to do as well as I want them to do this season.

The Flames drafting Jack Eichel would be bad too.

Calgary will win the lotto.