Admit it, swallow your pride and say what players/teams you were wrong or even right about

[Finlandia WOAT]

Jeff Skinner's 60 goal pace to start the year was a hot streak. But only 1 or 2 people actually disagreed with that, it was so obvious.

 

[Regal]

I thought if Calgary caught the right breaks they could be a playoff team, but didn't think they had this type of season in them.

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Detroit having two 30 goal scorers

Grabbing someone like Hirose and looking lights out fantastic after jumping to the NHL straight from college

Bertuzzi rounding out so well

AA shutting up the haters after repeatedly being called lazy and streaky

 

[Flipwon]

I thought Ottawa would have a better year than Montreal. My God was Ottawa ugly this year.. It was a start to finish fiesta.

 

[islesfan186]

Tavares did leave a tire fire of an organization. However, they are no longer a tire fire. Hiring competent hockey people has done wonders, especially because the Islanders roster still doesn't look on paper as it has performed on the ice. If he were to have played this year and leave at the end of this season, then it wouldn't be fair to call the organization a tire fire. They are clearly on the upswing.

This is very true. If Snow and Weight were still at the helm, I would think that they would have finished where everyone thought. Bringing in Lou and Trotz transformed the organization

 

[Djp]

Really did not expect LV to make the playoffs again, I thought last year was a 2006 Oilers type of Cinderella run but I am currently typing this with my foot in my mouth.

They were tops in the west. I thought they’d be in competition this year. Thry had the goalie and a de rant defense and they had some veterans.

I think the franchise will drop in a few years. They won’t have much to show from their first few drafts in about 5 years from now. They didn’t have the high picks like a tradition expansion team does which build a few corse in the team to build around.

The Kings and Ducks surprise me in their collapse this year. I though Phoenix was going to make the strides the did. I thought teams would be close around the 3rd automatic bid in the division.

 

[Strait2thecup]

Wrong: Laine, by a lot, the blues, the jets (in a bad way), granlund post trade, and I thought Florida would make the playoffs. Thought AZ won the domi trace

From my own team Brock Nelson has me eating shit

Correct: chytil.. didn’t get all the hype this year. Said he wouldn’t hit 30 points.

*insert flyer overrated young player here*

Didn’t think nyi would be bottom of the league, liked kotkaniemi, thought strome was a very good pickup for the hawks

 

[McWeber]

I remember arguing that Brandon Davidson was as good as or better than Jonas Brodin, definitely look dumb on that one. Thought Yakupov would be a star and just needed opportunity. Definitely thought Vegas would decline this year too.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Right: Kapanen and Johnsson would replace the scoring of JVR + Bozak.

Many HF Boards pundits claimed that Tavares couldn't replace the scoring of JVR + Bozak + Komarov + Martin. I pointed out that Kapanen and Johnsson would and even if they fell a bit short, their defensive game would make up the difference. I predicted both players would hit 20 goals within 2 years.

Wrong: They both did it in one year.

JVR + Bozak = 40 goals
Komarov + Martin = 12 goals
Kapanen + Johnsson = 40 goals + better D game

All told, 12 less goals in 136 less GP and close to $17 M less salary.

Let alone Tavares' 47. Heck add Tavares in and that's 35 more goals in 54 less games and still about $6 M saved.

Looking at it piecemeal like you did in your post is misleading. Kapanen (in particular) got some of his goals at the expense of Nylander, when Nylander held out and then struggled. Tavares's goals came at the expense of Kadri. Some of Johnsson's came at the expense of Marleau, etc... It's misleading to just look at a subset of the team and say "35 more goals in 54 less games". In the end, the Leafs forwards scored 3 more goals (241 vs. 238) in total than they did last year at a time when league scoring was up year over year.

Still, You are 100% correct that the loss of Bozak and JVR didn't impact their scoring like many thought they would. They didn't really do better when you look at the whole picture. I have no idea who Toronto's cap hit last year vs. this year compares though.

 

[Jetabre]

Thought it was go time for Laine to win the Rocket, his amazing november thinking oh hell yeah here we go, then.....nothing.

 

[dellzor]

I thought the Canadiens got fleeced when they dealt away Galchenyuk for Domi lmao

 

[Mitts]

Ill comment on only Finnish players since I really didn't Make much predictions about Any others

Wrong:

Kotkaniemi: I thought he wouldnt stay up for whole season. Lets alone play as good as he did.

Laine. Well I expected him to Pot around 50 and improve his game. Next summer he better sleep with his skates on and work with a figure skating coach 24/7.

Heiskanen kinda. I knew he was ridiculously good. Didn't think hed be this good in NHL straight off the gate.


Right:


Rantanen establishing himself as a elite player.

Aho: See above

Puljujärvi finally confirming himself as a bust. Even our trash news papers, that Lauded his Every point, have give up on him.

Tell my, what's your opinion on Valimaki ?

 

[TheGroceryStick]

I expected the devils to be bad when they were decent and made the PO. Now I expected them to build off of it and they fell flat.

I thought Buffalo would be fighting with Toronto for home ice and Boston would have a mini-Lull/bubble wildcard team.

I figured Winipeg would walk all over the west. Thought Laine would establish himself as one of the league's best scorers.

I actually didn't buy the TB hype. Didn't expect this kind of play, at all

 

[Hatfield]

I was right about the Islanders. When most people had them at the bottom of the standings, I thought they'd be in playoff contention because Trotz is such a solid coach. They surpassed even my expectations by winning the Jennings and contending for the division, however.

Was wrong about Vegas. Thought they'd take a big step back, but they're definitely contenders again.

 

[bert]

Dylan Strome I was way way way off. Had a bet with a friend he wouldnt play 500 games, he gave me an early out to pay him today for a quarter of the value of the bet and I took it.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Looking at it piecemeal like you did in your post is misleading. Kapanen (in particular) got some of his goals at the expense of Nylander, when Nylander held out and then struggled. Tavares's goals came at the expense of Kadri. Some of Johnsson's came at the expense of Marleau, etc... It's misleading to just look at a subset of the team and say "35 more goals in 54 less games". In the end, the Leafs forwards scored 3 more goals (241 vs. 238) in total than they did last year at a time when league scoring was up year over year.

Still, You are 100% correct that the loss of Bozak and JVR didn't impact their scoring like many thought they would. They didn't really do better when you look at the whole picture. I have no idea who Toronto's cap hit last year vs. this year compares though.

Oh I don't disagree that it is "misleading" but it is simply following the idiotic logic that was presented by the HF Boards hate crowd. They chose the metrics, I followed them.

 

[Curufinwe]

I didn't think Carter Hart should play more than a couple of NHL games this season.

 

[Olliemets]

Tampa- Knew they were good but didn't expect a late 70s Habs type dominant regular season.

Isles- I really believed they'd make playoffs due to change in management as there was still some talent there. Defense Corps really established which I didn't think would happen in 1 year. Lots of work to be done up front though.

Calgary- Unexpected. They look very dangerous and are entertaining to watch

 

[InfinityIggy]

Calgary - Felt we were a bubble team heading into the season.

Edmonton - Felt they were a bubble team heading into the season.

Elias Lindholm - thought he we would only put up marginally more points than Ferland.

 

[Los merengues]

Tell my, what's your opinion on Valimaki ?

I have to dissapoint you with this one. His lack of Liiga carreer Makes it so that Ive barely seen him play before NHL and his stint was short. Judging by junior national team showings and his stats he should be progressing just fine to Be a good 2 way Guy with good offensive ceiling. I didn't want to include guys I hadnt seen enough off.

 

[John Price]

I was wrong abut Buffalo I thought they were going back to the playoffs in 2018-19 with Eichel and Skinner

 

[Jtown]

I thought Nolan Patrick was going to put up 50 points this year.
I was wrong

 

[Coffey]

Calgary - Felt we were a bubble team heading into the season.

Edmonton - Felt they were a bubble team heading into the season.

This and this.

 

[Drake1588]

I really thought that after years of ineptitude, Buffalo was ready to improve significantly this year. I figured they would slot in the 17th-21st range, when all was said and done. Not so much.

 

[SpezDispenser]

Really wrong about Buffalo, Montreal (I thought they'd be horrific), Islanders and Edmonton (I called them to win the Cup lol)