Atlantic Division Preseason Power Rankings

[jreiser18]

The Atlantic Division was wild down to the very end, and teams have made their moves in hopes it gets them in that top three or four spots into the playoffs. How does your team rank coming into the new season? Read and comment with where you think your team falls!

http://alongtheboards.com/2015/08/atlantic-division-preseason-power-rankings/

Click to read more...

 

[I Believe]

Leafs ranking seems about right.

I think Ottawa finishes ahead of Buffalo and Boston, but overall good rankings.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Buffalo is way too high. They added some great forwards but their defense is a mess and goaltending is a question mark. I wouldn't bet on them being much better than Toronto.

 

[TLeafsFan]

Boston traded away Lucic and botched the draft. I love how low everyone's expectations of the Leafs are. Makes for some good surprises. When was the last time you saw a Babcock coached team at the bottom of a power ranking list?

My prediction is that the Leafs being placed so low in power rankings won't last very long.

 

[LeafsNation149]

Boston traded away Lucic and botched the draft. I love how low everyone's expectations of the Leafs are. Makes for some good surprises. When was the last time you saw a Babcock coached team at the bottom of a power ranking list?

My prediction is that the Leafs being placed so low in power rankings won't last very long.

You do realize that Babcock is on the bench and not the ice right? The players on the ice suck and that won't be fixed over a few games of coaching

 

[TheCLAM]

Boston traded away Lucic and botched the draft. I love how low everyone's expectations of the Leafs are. Makes for some good surprises. When was the last time you saw a Babcock coached team at the bottom of a power ranking list?

My prediction is that the Leafs being placed so low in power rankings won't last very long.

Boston has some good young guys making the jump. Hayes, Spooner, Russian K

Losing Hamilton is bad, but they can still get a good dman in Franson to patch it up

 

[Menzinger]

Boston didn't have a great offseason but their roster is still quite a lot better than the Leafs.

The Leafs on ice roster is pretty bad - likely the worst its had over the past few years.

Buffalo may surprise some people - their defence is still a mess, but they've added ROR (legal issues aside), Kane and likely Eichel - three great possession players.

 

[crump]

Article says Spaling was a free agent signing. He was actually part of the Kessel trade. Minor detail, but yes it will be a season of pain. Parenteau will be more than locker room leadership, he should start with lots of ice time.

 

[Ovate]

Red Wings key players are getting older, and Blashill is no Babcock.

I think Toronto does better than Buffalo for the first half of the season but ultimately finishes lower.

 

[Drew311]

Boston traded away Lucic and botched the draft. I love how low everyone's expectations of the Leafs are. Makes for some good surprises. When was the last time you saw a Babcock coached team at the bottom of a power ranking list?

My prediction is that the Leafs being placed so low in power rankings won't last very long.

When was the last time a team with a top line comparable to JVR - Kadri - Parenteau finished any higher than the bottom?

 

[senor martinez]

Buffalo is way too high. They added some great forwards but their defense is a mess and goaltending is a question mark. I wouldn't bet on them being much better than Toronto.

I think so too. They also have a new coach like we do, but ours is more dedicated and passionate and better. Babcock is the key and makes us better than so many else loser jealous ones.

Buffalo didn't have enough money to be with Babcock. We are richer and better. Buffalo also has some quite shady character playing for them. Kicked out of their teams and all. They have a long road like Rambo ahead.

Blashill will fit detroit well I think, but their team is not that great in other ways. Datsyuk is still one of the best players in the world but he can't stay healthy at all. Zetterberg same thing, but not as good as Datsk. We can be better than those. Incredibly enough I've seen games of hockey where Tyler Bozak was better than these two. He can do it a couple of times in the future again. We're solid like the Rock.

 

[senor martinez]

When was the last time a team with a top line comparable to JVR - Kadri - Parenteau finished any higher than the bottom?

They alright. If they have a guy like Jacques Lemaire behind them plus Babcock.

 

[LeafsNation149]

When was the last time a team with a top line comparable to JVR - Kadri - Parenteau finished any higher than the bottom?

How about Pacioretty-DD-Paranteau?

But yea leafs still suck lmao gonna be a sad few years

 

[Mess]

When was the last time a team with a top line comparable to JVR - Kadri - Parenteau finished any higher than the bottom?

JVR was #2 overall pick and Kadri #7 = 2 X top 10 picks

If Lupul (#7 overall) joined them on the RW side & PP that = 3 X top 10 picks.

Shanny, Babcock have all been setting expectations low, however inside I think their ego's believe the results can be better than most expect.

 

[Suntouchable13]

You do realize that Babcock is on the bench and not the ice right? The players on the ice suck and that won't be fixed over a few games of coaching

Yea, he is not going to suddenly turn these guys into great players. Too many of them are disinterested, and lazy.

 

[darrylsittler27]

Where you are drafted....

JVR was #2 overall pick and Kadri #7 = 2 X top 10 picks

If Lupul (#7 overall) joined them on the RW side & PP that = 3 X top 10 picks.

Shanny, Babcock have all been setting expectations low, however inside I think their ego's believe the results can be better than most expect.

You think Babcock believes where you are drafted(Zetterberg,Datsyuk) is how you will play ? Lupul was 7th but he is 32 now. Do you think teams would take JVR number 2 overall now? Kadri still hasn't put it all together and is on his last dance. No, when Babcock said "Pain" he acknowledged expectations shouldn't be very high and by the end of the year many will be gone. This was a team whose only real success was at offense who traded Kessel but added Babcock, marginal improvement at best.

 

[MastuhNinks]

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Montreal Canadiens
3. Florida Panthers
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Ottawa Senators
7. Boston Bruins
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Would be my list. Panthers are my pick to surprise people this year.

 

[Mess]

You think Babcock believes where you are drafted(Zetterberg,Datsyuk) is how you will play ? Lupul was 7th but he is 32 now. Do you think teams would take JVR number 2 overall now? Kadri still hasn't put it all together and is on his last dance. No, when Babcock said "Pain" he acknowledged expectations shouldn't be very high and by the end of the year many will be gone. This was a team whose only real success was at offense who traded Kessel but added Babcock, marginal improvement at best.

A line of JVR -- Kadri -- Lupul (when all are healthy) are capable of 25+ goals and ~60 points each as former top 10 picks.

There are teams inside the Div that can't boast that.

If the remainder of the team can play a more structured defensive game then the Leaf will not finish last in the Division.

 

[Menzinger]

A line of JVR -- Kadri -- Lupul (when all are healthy) are capable of 25+ goals and ~60 points each as former top 10 picks.

There are teams inside the Div that can't boast that.

If the remainder of the team can play a more structured defensive game then the Leaf will not finish last in the Division.

That means the Leafs are a one line team - with all their offensive eggs in one basket.

I don't think these players are enough to give the Leafs a significant advantage over other teams. Lots of poor teams could put together competitive first lines - ie the Sabres with Moulson, Kane and ROR.

 

[Suntouchable13]

LOL at mentioning their draft positions. Who cares where they were drafted 6+ years ago? They are not first line players right now.

 

[Purity*]

Looks like pretty good rankings to me.

I dunno about having the Panthers so low though. They got some great young talent there that's only going to get better.

 

[Anthrax442]

Panthers should be in the playoffs.