How good will St. Louis be this year?

[dasaybz]

Realistically, how do we see them finishing? I really doubt they will be as good as last year, but they will still be a very good team. How sweet would it be if they finished around 15? This draft is going to be so much fun to watch unfold ...

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[Myllz]

Barring some catastrophe, they're pretty much a lock for the playoffs.

 

[Royal Thunder]

More than likely top 5, top 10 at worst. However they are in the toughest division in hockey so who knows

 

[dasaybz]

That's a pretty damn tough division.

 

[TehDoak]

ABSOLUTELY AWFUL.

WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.

NHL Final Standings:

30. St Louis
29. NY Islanders
.
.
.
.
1) Buffalo

THATS RIGHT.

 

[Paxon]

They're a playoff team.

 

[dasaybz]

ABSOLUTELY AWFUL.

WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.

NHL Final Standings:

30. St Louis
29. NY Islanders
.
.
.
.
1) Buffalo

THATS RIGHT.

That's what I'm talkin about. Win the cup, and still end up with Eichel and McDavid.

 

[Djp]

St Louis is playing in the toughest division.

St Louis and Colorado did exceedingly well in divisional play. ST Louis went something like 20-1 in divisional play till the Olympic break

Chicago is still good

Minnesota should be better with Vanek and their young kids having another year under them

Nashville should be better given they have Rhinne for a full season

Dallas should be good too

Winnipeg had a really good ecord for a last place teamwho lost one of their key guys just before the deadline.

injuries will be a big factor as well if a team slumps or not.


Given how ST Louis and Colorado did last year against the division and bring them back to a realistic outcome of something like a few games above .500 in division play will put the top team around 96-102 pts

With Nashville had they had Rhinne you could easily find 5 games they lost they they could have won---that would give them around 98 pts.

There is a very real chance ST Louis ends up in 5th or 6th and miss the playoffs. I see the top team around 100-102 pts, second 96-98 and then 3rd-6th being bunched up around 91-96.

 

[Husko]

They probably make the playoffs. That said, with a question mark at goalie (NOTE: NOT SAYING THEIR GOALIES ARE BAD IT'S JUST A QUESTION MARK DON'T JUMP DOWN MY THROAT) and playing in such a tough division, it's entirely plausible that they could finish 4th, behind Chicago, Minnesota, and Colorado. Now, I certainly expect them in the playoffs, but connect the right dots and they might just be an extra lotto ball.

 

[TehDoak]

They probably make the playoffs. That said, with a question mark at goalie (NOTE: NOT SAYING THEIR GOALIES ARE BAD IT'S JUST A QUESTION MARK DON'T JUMP DOWN MY THROAT) and playing in such a tough division, it's entirely plausible that they could finish 4th, behind Chicago, Minnesota, and Colorado. Now, I certainly expect them in the playoffs, but connect the right dots and they might just be an extra lotto ball.

What about Dallas? How does a team with Seguin/Spezza miss the playoffs?

 

[joshjull]

What about Dallas? How does a team with Seguin/Spezza miss the playoffs?

By not getting enough points to get in.

 

[joshjull]

St. Louis will make the playoffs with little trouble barring any major injuries.

 

[Jim Bob]

What about Dallas? How does a team with Seguin/Spezza miss the playoffs?

People must expect Lindy to ruin them.



Their firepower is scary with Seguin, Spezza, Benn, Hemsky, and Nichushkin.

The biggest issues are Lehtonen's health and the fact that their highest paid D is older than me.

 

[Sabretooth]

Thread title should be: "How bad will St. Louis be this year?" c'mon OP step up your tank thread game!

 

[Djp]

How injuries can matter.....just see Buffalo's 11/12 season

eliminating the 20-25 game stretch from mid November-mid January when they had a ton of injuries to Miller, Myers, Ehrhoff, Regehr, Ennis, and others----there point per game pace was at the same rate as the top team in the east. Those 20-25 games knocked them out of the playoffs.

So the injuries dont necessarily need to be season enders just the 20 game or so variety to a few guys at tthe same time could do the trick.

If te injuries happen over an 10 game stretch where they play 8 of the 10 games against divisional oppnents and go 2-7-1 instead of 6-31---those 8 points will matter in the standings between being in the playofs as a 2nd/3rd place in the division and being 5th or 5th and sitting outside of the playoff in what they division likely will be this season.

 

[sabres4ever]

ABSOLUTELY AWFUL.

WORST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE.

NHL Final Standings:

30. St Louis
29. NY Islanders
.
.
.
.
1) Buffalo

THATS RIGHT.

1 is the bottom, right?

 

[kenfury]

More than likely top 5, top 10 at worst. However they are in the toughest division in hockey so who knows

I still think the Avs are going to regress this season. Having said that STL probably slots in around in the 4-6 range, they might get knocked out in the 1st round or they might make it to the 3rd. That all depends on playoff matchups.

Pick will be in the 20-26 range

 

[Ron C.]

Sabres will pick top 3
Islanders should pick 7-9 range
Blues in the 20-23 range
IMO

 

[old kummelweck]

What about Dallas? How does a team with Seguin/Spezza miss the playoffs?

They wont.

 

[Husko]

Yeah, forgot about Dallas.

That's the crazy thing, there's at least 5 good teams in that division. Someone has to finish fifth. And don't forget Nashville could push in. And even finishing fifth is no guarantee (though my money would be on both wildcards coming from that division)

 

[Djp]

Yeah, forgot about Dallas.

That's the crazy thing, there's at least 5 good teams in that division. Someone has to finish fifth. And don't forget Nashville could push in. And even finishing fifth is no guarantee (though my money would be on both wildcards coming from that division)

You have at least one team not having a chair when the music stops playing...possibly two.

Why two.....in the pacific if you think Calgary, Edmonton, and maybe Vancouver are not really in the race and Phoenix could feed off of the that could get them into a wildcard spot...thus 4 team coming from the pacific.


I'm rooting for St. Louis to not get a chair.

 

[Husko]

You have at least one team not having a chair when the music stops playing...possibly two.

Why two.....in the pacific if you think Calgary, Edmonton, and maybe Vancouver are not really in the race and Phoenix could feed off of the that could get them into a wildcard spot...thus 4 team coming from the pacific.


I'm rooting for St. Louis to not get a chair.

IT would be such a beautiful thing

 

[yahhockey]

It's hard to envision them not making the playoffs. After that it's a crap shoot in the buzzsaw that is the central division. If a couple things go their way it's off to the western final however with a bad break or two they're suddenly out in the first round once again. 17-30 seems like a reasonable window for their first round selection.

 

[GerbeSonOfGloin]

I don't see them missing the playoffs, but they could easily finish in the 15-20 draft pick range, which isn't bad. One thing to hope for is that there's a tendency for heavily systems-driven success to abate with successive years as players start tuning out the coach. The Blues made their big jump the year they hired Hitchcock. They still have a lot of talented players, but they could go from a team that did better than the sum of its parts to one that does worse.

 

[Djp]

Look at the standings last year.

St. Louis was 21-6-2 against their division foes. They fall to 15-12-2 they end up with 99 pts which is in the middle of the pack.

The difference between St. Louis and Nashville was mostly in divisional play. Outside the division only 7 pts separate their records. Having Rhine for the season easily sees them gain those 7 pts.

With a slight improvement on their divisional play of a few games for a 12-13-4 record to a 14-11-4 record Nashville is neck and neck with St. Louis if they go back to reality in divisional play of a 15-12-2 record for last yrs 21/6-2 record.

Smilar arguments can apply to Dallas and a similar reality check to Colorado and their 20+ wins in divisional play you have

Chicago probably winning the division and Colorado, Minnesota, Dallas, Nashville, and St. Louis all bunched up come march fighting for certain 2nd and 3rd place playoff spots.