2015-16 NHL Season Prediction Thread

[Raspewtin]

Last year's Caps are the most rugged team of the post-lockout era imo. They had at least one player on every line that had no qualms with boarding your player from behind. They injured a lot of players and absolutely pounded an Isles team that tried to match their physicality; but wound up riling them up instead. It's probably why they got as far as they did last year, because it certainly wasn't because of their scoring or defensive depth. Certainly a very unique team.

 

[RangerBoy]

Claude Julien will be the first coach fired. I read a comment he made in the Boston Globe about sticking with the way his team plays in the defensive zone. He doesn't want to play man on man when so many teams play man on man including the Rangers. 3 on 3 is all man to man defensive zone coverage. Management kept him on board instead of firing him in June. They get off to a slow start. Julien will be gone.

 

[East Coast Bias]

Claude Julien will be the first coach fired. I read a comment he made in the Boston Globe about sticking with the way his team plays in the defensive zone. He doesn't want to play man on man when so many teams play man on man including the Rangers. 3 on 3 is all man to man defensive zone coverage. Management kept him on board instead of firing him in June. They get off to a slow start. Julien will be gone.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this. Was starting to think I was going crazy. Every preview/prediction I read has Boston easily in the playoffs.

I think they're going to suck. They'll start slow, and then out of frustration, focus too much on punching people while Rask is under siege.

 

[RangerBoy]

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this. Was starting to think I was going crazy. Every preview/prediction I read has Boston easily in the playoffs.

I think they're going to suck. They'll start slow, and then out of frustration, focus too much on punching people while Rask is under siege.

Montreal is another team which will not be as good as they were in the last 2 seasons. Price makes them a playoff team. That is it.

 

[Raspewtin]

Boston are trash and I can't take any writer that puts them in the playoffs seriously.

 

[RangerBoy]

No Hamilton in Boston. Seidenberg is injured. Chara missed nearly the entire preseason and he is not getting any younger. They never replaced Boychuk. Pasternak will be a good player for them. They missed last season. It will be 2 years in a row.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Boston are trash and I can't take any writer that puts them in the playoffs seriously.

No Hamilton in Boston. Seidenberg is injured. Chara missed nearly the entire preseason and he is not getting any younger. They never replaced Boychuk. Pasternak will be a good player for them. They missed last season. It will be 2 years in a row.

We'll see. They played most of the season without Krejci. That's a bigger loss than Chara IMO. Rask is a world-class, top 5 goalie, and that's a good thing to have if you're struggling with keeping a healthy, decent d-corps on the ice. If Krejci and Bergeron stay healthy, they'll get their goals, and Rask can stop them. They play in the maybe the ********* division in hockey. Who's SO much better than them in the Atlantic? Tampa? Yes, but the Bruins have their number the last five years. MTL? Opposite story. Det? Not really. No powerhouses, plenty of garbage teams. Bruins will be in.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Five teams from the Metro will make the playoffs this year. The Atlantic stinks except for Tampa and Detroit. Whoever finishes 1st in the East will feast on Montreal, Ottawa, or Florida.

I agree that Boston will not be a good team this year. A healthy Krejci and Bergeron will help, yes, but Beleskey is not Milan Lucic. Who's playing defense for them? Krug is the #1 guy as it stands right now. Woof.

 

[Raspewtin]

We'll see. They played most of the season without Krejci. That's a bigger loss than Chara IMO. Rask is a world-class, top 5 goalie, and that's a good thing to have if you're struggling with keeping a healthy, decent d-corps on the ice. If Krejci and Bergeron stay healthy, they'll get their goals, and Rask can stop them. They play in the maybe the ********* division in hockey. Who's SO much better than them in the Atlantic? Tampa? Yes, but the Bruins have their number the last five years. MTL? Opposite story. Det? Not really. No powerhouses, plenty of garbage teams. Bruins will be in.

Detroit are a much better team than Boston.

Hamilton was their only bright spot out of their top 4 D last year and he's gone. Nobody is replacing him. Chara sucks now and they don't have any other top 4 D by trade. They traded a 50-60 point winger and replaced him with two 30 point wingers. They got a lot worse. Rask will be very busy this season.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Detroit are a much better team than Boston.

Hamilton was their only bright spot out of their top 4 D last year and he's gone. Nobody is replacing him. Chara sucks now and they don't have any other top 4 D by trade. They traded a 50-60 point winger and replaced him with two 30 point wingers. They got a lot worse. Rask will be very busy this season.

I also think they are worse overall than last season. Clearly I expect a lot more from Rask than most. Krejci might not have Lucic, but I find it hard to believe Beleskey won't put up 40 points on his wing all season, and Pastrnak might be the most talented linemate Krejci's ever had. Bergeron is a horse, his line could play keep away for a whole game if they wanted. I'm not blown away by them, but they've got plenty of quality amidst the rubble. They won't be making a run, and it all comes down to staying healthy, but they can finish higher than any team in their division not named Tampa and Detroit without surprising me in the least.

 

[slashtrey]

First Head Coach to get fired: Tippett
Under the radar breakout player: Ryan Strome
Presidents Trophy: NYR
Regular Season Eastern Conference Winner: NYR
Regular Season Western Conference Winner: CHI
Art Ross Trophy (top scorer): Tavares
Hart Trophy (MVP): Tavares
Calder Trophy (ROY): Eichel
Selke Trophy (DPOY): Toews
Vezina Trophy (best goalie): Lundqvist
Norrs Trophy (best defenseman): Karlsson
Jack Adams Trophy (best coach): Todd McLellan
ECF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): NYR over NYI in 7
WCF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): CHI over ANA in 4
SCF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): NYR in 6
Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP): Lundqvist

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

So many people believe the Caps are making the finals. I have been watching the Caps for longer than I want to admit. They are the biggest choke artists in the NHL. Barry Trotz is loved by everyone. His teams haven't got out of the 2nd round. TJ Oshie disappears in the playoffs. Justin Williams is bringing his game 7 magic with him from LA?

That's just marketing hype. I'd give a good wager that they don't make the finals.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Last year's Caps are the most rugged team of the post-lockout era imo. They had at least one player on every line that had no qualms with boarding your player from behind. They injured a lot of players and absolutely pounded an Isles team that tried to match their physicality; but wound up riling them up instead. It's probably why they got as far as they did last year, because it certainly wasn't because of their scoring or defensive depth. Certainly a very unique team.

The Caps will have trouble with their previous method for success because the new, progressive NHL thinks the brain is a necessary body organ now, so they are going monitor headshots nearly as much as pucks flipping out of the defensive zone.

 

[Raspewtin]

The Caps will have trouble with their previous method for success because the new, progressive NHL thinks the brain is a necessary body organ now, so they are going monitor headshots nearly as much as pucks flipping out of the defensive zone.

rofl also this.

 

[Desdichado93]

First Head Coach to get fired: San Jose
Under the radar breakout player: Jacob de la Rose
Presidents Trophy: Anaheim
Regular Season Eastern Conference Winner: Tampa
Regular Season Western Conference Winner: Anaheim
Art Ross Trophy (top scorer): John Tavares
Hart Trophy (MVP): The King
Calder Trophy (ROY): pass
Selke Trophy (DPOY): pass
Vezina Trophy (best goalie): The King
Norrs Trophy (best defenseman): Oliver Ekman Larsson
Jack Adams Trophy (best coach): Peter Laviolette
ECF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): Rangers-Tampa 4-3
WCF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): Anaheim-Nashville 4-2
SCF (name the two teams and who wins in however many games): Rangers-Anaheim 4-3
Conn Smythe (Playoff MVP): The King.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

.............

Did anyone make good predictions?