Speculation: 2014-15 Central Standings

[Dr Pepper]

if we finish 6th I'm gonna be sending some finnish man about 6 feet under.

I dunno, man, I'd be wary of those Finns......they're pretty tough!

 

[yanko6]

Nashville has not even come close to improving that much. Winnipeg in the same boat.

If we finish 6th (out of a playoff spot obviously) that will be ridiculously disappointing.

They have a new coach which could give them a boost. Neal and Rinne is a big upgrade. How would the Stars fared last year if Lehtonen missed 58 games? Just saying.

 

[yanko6]

That said, the Preds probably overachieved and shouldn't have been that close to Dallas last year.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

They have a new coach which could give them a boost. Neal and Rinne is a big upgrade. How would the Stars fared last year if Lehtonen missed 58 games? Just saying.

Neal won't have anyone to feed him the puck. It will be like when he was here.

 

[oconnor9sean]

Neal won't have anyone to feed him the puck. It will be like when he was here.

Nashville doesn't even have a Richards or Ribiero quality center like he had here. I honestly think he might struggle to get to 20 goals this year.

 

[Hull Fan]

Nashville doesn't even have a Richards or Ribiero quality center like he had here. I honestly think he might struggle to get to 20 goals this year.

Nashville is going the route we would have been forced to if we didn't have Seguin and Spezza. They're relying on Wilson and Jarnkrok to show up and be the players they have the talent to be. They've got a few nice prospect forwards but they just don't have game breakers. Their defense is among the best in the league but until Poile trades a defender for a blockbuster forward or hits on a franchise changing trade they're going to struggle in this stacked Central division and the West as a whole.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

Nashville doesn't even have a Richards or Ribiero quality center like he had here. I honestly think he might struggle to get to 20 goals this year.

He has enough talent to get to 20 on his own, but beyond that it gets rough. There is definitely no way he pots 30+.

 

[Klockis]

Neal is a great complimentary player but he needs someone who feeds him the puck. He'll get 20 because of his shot but I think he will be pretty useless in Nashville. No idea what they were thinking in that trade.

 

[glovesave_35]

I went with 4th.

My guess is Chicago, St. Louis, Colorado or Minnesota, Dallas, Colorado or Minnesota...the rest.

 

[Klockis]

I'm the only one who is not sold on Minny? They remind me somewhat of NYR in that they seem to have many great player that I'm not sure meshes with the team. I could see Vanek be a bust for them, Parise is good but has a ridiculous contract, and I'm not really a fan of Granlund (I can't put my finger on it why). Their Goalies are very questionable and they have Suter (who is their best player) and but not much else. Just not sold on them.

 

[Hull Fan]

Neal is a great complimentary player but he needs someone who feeds him the puck. He'll get 20 because of his shot but I think he will be pretty useless in Nashville. No idea what they were thinking in that trade.

They wanted a player to entice a 1C to come play for them. They were also supposedly far apart on a contract for Spalling and while Hornqvist is a good player, Neal has the ability to be a great player.

We'll see how it works out but it does make some sense.

 

[M88K]

They wanted a player to entice a 1C to come play for them. They were also supposedly far apart on a contract for Spalling and while Hornqvist is a good player, Neal has the ability to be a great player.

We'll see how it works out but it does make some sense.

When he's with Malkin.

He's not going to have that in Nashville, With Jokinen.
He'll be lucky to break 30 goals.
He's not going to be the afterthought defensively anymore.
In Pittsburgh it was Crosby and/or Malkin that the best defensive players would key on. Neal wasn't let alone by any means but now he's going to be getting the best defensive players matched directly on him now, as Nashville's only "real" offensive threat. He's not going to have the freedom he had with Pitts in that regard.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

They were also supposedly far apart on a contract for Spalling and while Hornqvist is a good player, Neal has the ability to be a great player.

Hornqvist is basically Neal. I'd be willing to bet he roughly performs as well as Neal did, while Neal reverts to pre-Pens production. Add to that Pittsburgh got a bottom six player back, they came out on top.

Also, the trade is roughly similar to the one that sent Neal to the Pens in the first place:

Neal = Goligoski
Hornqvist = Neal
Spaling = Niskanen

 

[Nharris31]

I'm the only one who is not sold on Minny? They remind me somewhat of NYR in that they seem to have many great player that I'm not sure meshes with the team. I could see Vanek be a bust for them, Parise is good but has a ridiculous contract, and I'm not really a fan of Granlund (I can't put my finger on it why). Their Goalies are very questionable and they have Suter (who is their best player) and but not much else. Just not sold on them.

That's the problem you don't know enough about them.

 

[glovesave_35]

That's the problem you don't know enough about them.

What is so awesome about them? I have the same questions about their goaltending. They have a better defense and a comparable forward corps, but there are serious questions with Minnesota.

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

I love when fans of other teams come in to try and defend themselves an another team's board.

 

[Spotty 2 Hotty]

I love when fans of other teams come in to try and defend themselves an another team's board.

I don't mind it if they actually want to discuss it, but just jumping in with a short response like that really makes me care less about their thoughts.

 

[Nharris31]

What is so awesome about them? I have the same questions about their goaltending. They have a better defense and a comparable forward corps, but there are serious questions with Minnesota.

Me to about the goaltending. They still made the it to the playoffs and 2nd round with that goaltending. There is more to there team then Parise,Suter and Vanek. People have the biggest misconceptions about the wild Aka (trying to buy a cup). If anything they will be successful because the young players they traded for are drafted.

 

[glovesave_35]

Me to about the goaltending. They still made the it to the playoffs and 2nd round with that goaltending. There is more to there team then Parise,Suter and Vanek. People have the biggest misconceptions about the wild Aka (trying to buy a cup). If anything they will be successful because the young players they traded for are drafted.

The Central got better during the offseason and Minnesota responded by adding a great winger. I realize there are a lot of really good young players in Minny, but there are legitimate serious questions about that goaltending and whether it can hold up over a whole season with lots of games against the best division in hockey.

 

[Nharris31]

The Central got better during the offseason and Minnesota responded by adding a great winger. I realize there are a lot of really good young players in Minny, but there are legitimate serious questions about that goaltending and whether it can hold up over a whole season with lots of games against the best division in hockey.

Well you are one of the few who realize it. There is not much they could do about the goaltending unless they can convince Toronto to trade Reimer for Backstrom. If they could have done something about it they would have. I don't think they responded by adding winger I think winger was always in the picture and a major need. I hate the misconceptions people have of the wild.

 

[Klockis]

I think I might have angered a local wild fan.

 

[Satan]

Minnesota sucks

 

[Nharris31]

I think I might have angered a local wild fan.

Not really the the more people that doubt them. The better their chances are.

 

[Stars99Lobo37]

I think I might have angered a local wild fan.

We have a tendency to do that around these parts. You should've learned after watching the Modano night game thread blow up over there.

 

[Klockis]

We have a tendency to do that around these parts. You should've learned after watching the Modano night game thread blow up over there.

I don't want to learn. Neither should you, I have high hopes for the next Minny GDT.