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2018 Cup predictions

Hostile Offer

Hostile Offer

Artist formerly known as Eagle Peninsula
Jun 17, 2017
7,720
5,800
Finland
needless to say, this is way too early but with what we got now i'd go with tampa (yes, they're still ridiculously strong). oilers for western champions
 
SpookyTsuki

SpookyTsuki

Registered User
Dec 3, 2014
15,916
671
Montreal if they get a center
Edmonton or Nashville
Tampa
Pitt


I don't see anyone else really contending. But that could change with free agency/trades and trade deadline
 
PensandCaps

PensandCaps

Beddy Tlueger
May 22, 2015
27,648
18,022
Dallas if Bishop provides solid goaltending is my wild card pick. They have the two superstars, add one more top 4 dman they will be top contenders.
 
The Shovel Penguin

The Shovel Penguin

Do work.
Jun 16, 2008
2,016
931
Blighty
Edmonton in the finals. Hoping that the Pens can defend the Cup one more time. Grudge match between McDavid and Sid to determine who still has the throne.

My posting this means that this probably won't happen.
 
hansomreiste

hansomreiste

Registered User
Sep 23, 2015
1,625
237
Ankara
It's too early for me to predict who will come out on top but I simply don't understand why people speak so highly of Oilers. Keep in mind that they have three guys still on ELC and McJesus is surely not gonna have a 3M contract come renewal time. They are a solid team with good pieces but coming second after the Pens in outright odds? Weird as hell. They are not the team to be the favorites yet and in a few years they won't have the cap space they now have. They are as strong favorites as Nashville were this year: a good team with potential to win it all but not the one you'd expect to make it. Don't see this changing in near future.

My dark horse would be Dallas as well if Bishop can stay healthy and they upgrade the D.
 
SpookyTsuki

SpookyTsuki

Registered User
Dec 3, 2014
15,916
671
hansomreiste said:
It's too early for me to predict who will come out on top but I simply don't understand why people speak so highly of Oilers. Keep in mind that they have three guys still on ELC and McJesus is surely not gonna have a 3M contract come renewal time. They are a solid team with good pieces but coming second after the Pens in outright odds? Weird as hell. They are not the team to be the favorites yet and in a few years they won't have the cap space they now have. They are as strong favorites as Nashville were this year: a good team with potential to win it all but not the one you'd expect to make it. Don't see this changing in near future.

My dark horse would be Dallas as well if Bishop can stay healthy and they upgrade the D.
Click to expand...

maybe because they should have reached the wcf and they're only getting better? And the contenders are getting worse
 
hansomreiste

hansomreiste

Registered User
Sep 23, 2015
1,625
237
Ankara
Bruce Joker said:
maybe because they should have reached the wcf and they're only getting better? And the contenders are getting worse
Click to expand...

The reality is they did not reach the WCF. If we are going with what should have happened... Then Pittsburgh probably doesn't even win the cup. However, the reality is... Well, they did.

Getting better alone doesn't mean much. Washington arguably got better. We all saw what happened to them. Again, I'm not saying Edmonton is weak or anything like that; they have the potential to do it, but I simply don't understand how they can be favored so heavily. There is no reason for that. "Contenders are getting worse whereas Edmonton have been getting better" is a weak argument, at least to consider them second main candidate for Stanley Cup. It's not like NHL is a league dominated by a couple of teams. You can easily count five or six teams as possible contenders. Edmonton is surely among them but I see no reason why they're considered to be better than, say, Tampa Bay, at this stage.

Also it should be kept in mind that Oilers have done a fantastic job, which means regressing is just as possible as moving forward with some players. Similar to Toronto. As things stand now, I'd be really surprised if Oilers made it to the SCF, let alone winning it. However, with a couple of trades, they can turn into an extremely scary team - this is when they should be considered one of the main candidates to win it all.
 

LeafFever

Registered User
Feb 12, 2016
18,890
6,178
IMO, the Canadian drought ends. Edmonton wins the cup next season. I would vote heavily against the Pens. No team has won 3 in a row since the Islanders dynasty. Even Edmonton never did it.
 

LeafFever

Registered User
Feb 12, 2016
18,890
6,178
hansomreiste said:
It's too early for me to predict who will come out on top but I simply don't understand why people speak so highly of Oilers. Keep in mind that they have three guys still on ELC and McJesus is surely not gonna have a 3M contract come renewal time. They are a solid team with good pieces but coming second after the Pens in outright odds? Weird as hell. They are not the team to be the favorites yet and in a few years they won't have the cap space they now have. They are as strong favorites as Nashville were this year: a good team with potential to win it all but not the one you'd expect to make it. Don't see this changing in near future.

My dark horse would be Dallas as well if Bishop can stay healthy and they upgrade the D.
Click to expand...

It's about 2018 though. Edmonton;s cap situation is fine. And they can get better just by stating status quo as many of their players will likely be better.

I know the Pens just won a cup with the weakest D ever, but I view that Dallas D as literally the worst in the entire NHL. They need more than just 1 or 2 additions.
 
Steve Durbano

Steve Durbano

Registered User
Mar 27, 2011
1,227
30
Burbs of Bmore
The Pens have played so many games over the last two years, some WC games in their as well. They'll also be losing their third and fourth line centers in Bonino and Cullen.

However, they will also bring up Daniel Sprong and Peanut Reese. I don't know who in the east can hang with them with the Caps retooling, but I think the Cup goes west.

And I think Nashville gets it in a rematch.
 
Empoleon8771

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
81,459
79,572
Redmond, WA
Honestly, I don't see another team in the East being the favorites over Pittsburgh next year. I think Pittsburgh is clearly in a class of its own, followed by a tier with Washington, Tampa Bay (probably, depends on Vasilevskiy) and Columbus. Maybe the Leafs can squeek their way into that category too if they get Vatanen and build on what they did last year. I just don't really see a top end team outside of Pittsburgh in the East. Fatigue is definitely a factor and that's why I'm expecting the Penguins to not win the cup again, but I just don't see a team from the East that beats a healthy and rested Penguins team in 7 games.

I think the West is a lot more open. I could see Nashville making the cup finals again, just like I could see Anaheim, St. Louis or even Chicago making the cup finals.
 
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