I want to be very pessimistic because I want a top 5 pick so bad, but knowing the leafs they will probably have...
44-31-7, 95 points
Enough to make it to the playoffs.
Yes let's hope we miss the playoffs for another unknown draft pick. You would think some people think the point of the NHL is to draft a hot name and not make the playoffs and try to win the cup.
between 95 and 102 points
Yes let's hope we miss the playoffs for another unknown draft pick. You would think some people think the point of the NHL is to draft a hot name and not make the playoffs and try to win the cup.
And you think we can win with the current roster we have? Laughable. Getting a top 5 pick in this years draft would do wonders for this team.
I've heard the same thing every year. A top 5 pick would help every team every year. Sadly, at some point you need to stop focusing on getting a top pick for next year and decide this is the year we make the playoffs.
We can easily make the playoffs with our roster if we stay healthy. The east is wide open, and after Boston, every team can finish from last to 2nd.
How else are we going to win if don't build a solid foundation? I mean it's pretty tempting passing over McDavid, Eichel, Hannifin, Barzal, etc. Anyone of those players can improve our chance of winning the cup. You look at pass champion and you see they have 1C, 1D and 1G. We potentially have two of the three (1D, 1G). Kadri/Bozak leading this team to the final is debatable.
Look as much as I hate lossing, getting McDavid type of player or even Barzal type of players would benefit our team in the long run.
Okay so what happens when we tank the year and one of those guys bust. We forget that every year a couple of top 10, and sometimes a top 5 guy busts. We just don't know it yet because it takes a while to see and by then everyone is focused on the last three years of top picks.
Guys don't hit their hyped ceilings all the time. They also don't make it in the NHL. I would rather put together the best team possible every year and try to win than lose on purpose. Honestly, what I would do is lose all the floaters (which the leafs did do this year by replacing a lot of the bottom 6 who seemed to be there just for the ride), get some hard working guys in, and get a bit of depth to help our star players.
I don't want to say your wrong, because recent history says otherwise, but teams like the Rangers, Devils, and Oilers made the finals with no #1C. Hell, they just had good depth and good goaltending. They all lost, but things could have gone either way.
In fact, I hate to say it, but Montreal might have made the finals without a #1 C as well if Price didn't go down.
The leafs have a bunch of young, elite potential peices, who along with our already elite peices, will make a great team in the very near future. Only missing peice is a center.
In Goal, Bernier seems to have shown he has the potential to be a great starter, who can show up when needed.
On D, after Phaneuf who is already a #1, we have Gardner looking to become an elite #3 smooth skating D, Reilly who looks like a lock for a top pairing D with potential for a #1, Finn, who is on track to be a great #4 dman. We will have the top end talent. That top 4 will be lethal.
The leafs also did a great job with depth. We will have some of the best bottom pairings and bottom 6 lines in the NHL once our two way banging tough leaders come up.
Our top 6 is only missing a #1 C, but even that might get filled. Our top line we have a 60 point power forward, and a top 10 winger.
Our 2nd line in the future we will have a great center who may become a low end #1, and Nylander who if he doesn't become our #1 C, might be a kane like winger on our 2nd line.
All in all this team is built, and we need experience.
I also want to throw out one idea. If we suck for a few more years, players might want out, or not to come here. If we make the playoffs and show we are on the right track, one of Stamkos or Tavares might decide to come home if they see the team is on the right path. That means we fill our #1 C position just by being competitive.
Same old, same old. We've sucked for awhile now, enough with hoping a free agent comes in and saves us. I'm more worried about building a solid base, Solid guys down the middle, Great goaltending and great defensemen.
I'm picking us to finish either just in, or just out. No man's land.
Atlantic:
Boston
Tampa Bay
Montreal
Metro:
Pittsburgh
Washington
Rangers
Wildcard:
Philadelphia
Detroit
------------------------------------
Toronto
Well, I like your optimism but we are not close to washington and Jersey and Ottawa are better than us.
Carolina is loaded up.
Sorry, I know its that time of the year, and it rains optimism and excitement with a new season, but this is a sinking ship and it will be show to us from the start this year.
We won't have a year end collapse, because we will already be bad from the beginning.
Well, I like your optimism but we are not close to washington and Jersey and Ottawa are better than us.
Carolina is loaded up.
Sorry, I know its that time of the year, and it rains optimism and excitement with a new season, but this is a sinking ship and it will be show to us from the start this year.
We won't have a year end collapse, because we will already be bad from the beginning.
1. Boston
2. Pittsburg
3. Tampa Bay
4. Montreal
5. NY Rangers
6. Philly
7. Columbus
8. Detroit
Washington
Ottawa
New Jersey
Carolina
Florida
Toronto.....this is where I predict we will finish but could be worse if we get shoddy or just average goaltending. For the first time in years, Buffalo scares me.
I believe we are better than the Islanders and Sabres....but not by much. Everyone of those teams I have listed in front of us got better. Some more substantial than the others. We changed our Bottom 6, Brought in a D man that had, not one, but 2 broken legs last year and a guy that is not as good as Gunnarson. And don't say New Jersey because they signed an old guy. That old guy is better than almost everyone of our players except Kessel and also brings leadership to their group.
How about Montreal? They are the ones in our division right? Naw, the habs are much better and have better depth and the Price factor. Even if we are better than the Habs, we still have to be better than other teams in our division that have also improved.
So go ahead....pick one. Or better yet, pick one for sure we are better than that will get us into the playoff picture. Ga head, Ga head.