Florida has enough talent that has some more experience now that they SHOULD make it in. Especially over Ottawa and Boston teams that should miss.
Wings will be interesting. That is still a playoff roster but now Babs is gone. They might take a step back into a wildcard position but I would be shocked if they miss (and I don't see anyone else in the Atlantic booting them. Leafs are not sniffing the playoffs)
Metro side. I think Columbus is over hyped but they are still a good roster and should at worst challenge for s playoff spot of healthy. They could knock the Isles out of a spot potentially (or even the Penguins. I don't buy Pitt is safe even with Kessel)
Flyers will be chilling with us battling for draft position in the standings. Canes should be behind us both pretty steadily.
I think Pittsburgh is safe to make the playoffs, though they could be due for a collapse, even if it only lasts one season. I just don't see them going far yet again. Their offense is decent for a few years but their goaltending stinks. Then their goaltending is good for the last couple playoffs and their offense (and big guns) is pathetic. I think they'll disappoint yet again. The Blue Jacket's have gotta be the streakiest team I've EVER seen quite possibly. They always seem to either be on some crazy winning streak, or some really long losing streak. Even last year with all their injuries, they mustered up a pretty lengthy winning streak. I think we might have even ended one of their more lengthy losing streaks too.
Dallas was considered to get in last season. They still need to work on their defense. They have a lot of firepower up front..
If their goaltending gets back to where it has been for the last few years (with the exception of last season), they should be back in. I predicted them to miss last season, but I never thought it would be because Kari Lehtonen had the worst season of his career, yet they would also finish second in the league in scoring and still miss.
Bleed you forgot about Boston. Didnt they come ahead of Florida also? I meant it for last season and in relation to Florida.
I think Boston has to be out this year. Florida has a good chance. I think they'll fight it out with Ottawa for the 4th spot in that division. They might be able to get into the third spot in that division if they have a really good season. It could be Detroit battling for that 4th spot and right on the bubble. Florida would have made it in last year if they had that hot streak and Ottawa didn't have that wildly unsustainable run. They did get hot again after acquiring Jagr, but they seemed to flounder and lose steam from right before the all star break till the time they got Jagr from us. It was too late by then. If Ottawa wasn't so hot then, they probably still could have got in even with the lousy late January and February.
And let's hope for the love of god that Washington doesn't make it, or maybe the Rangers miss, which would be even better. I would rather electrocute myself than ever have to watch another Rangers/Capitals playoff series AGAIN!
The Capitals should be AUTOMATICALLY eliminated from the playoffs if they wind up drawing the Rangers. If they get them in round 1, they should have to forfeit their position and give it to the next highest seed. If they get to round 2 only to draw the Rangers that round, they should automatically have the decision in their round 1 matchup reversed.
They should automatically get some kind of participation cup in the almost impossible chance that they beat the Rangers in a playoff series. They should even get ribbon's if they manage to lose to the Rangers without ever having at least a 2 game or more lead in the series. If there's any team in the league that needs a 2002 Devils like shakeup, it's absolutely hands down the Capitals. Not a total rebuild but just some kind of a shakeup to get some of these guys out of there for equal talents somewhere else. They need it in the worst kind of way.