The Star: Maple Leafs face Canadiens, Bruins, Red Wings in new Atlantic Division

[Deebo]

You must really like Nonis' offseason body of work bringing in key additions to expect a battle for 1st in the division. Unless its the semantics of the word "chance" here, which of course applies equally to all 30 teams each season.

While I believe Nonis has improved the team, I'm with the Star on this one that it will be a battle for a wild card spot the more likelihood of occurring.

I do like Nonis' work this offseason, I believe I have said that. I just don't think he had much of an impact on the 2013 season results.

The roster that Burke assembled for last season competed with all those teams and with the improvements that Nonis made and the continued development of young players like Kadri, Gardiner and the possibly Reilly, I don't see why that wouldn't continue this coming season.

 

[SarcazemKadri]

IMO any one of those teams, save for Montreal/Florida/Buffalo, could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th. Parity has its upsides but it's slowly turning the regular season into more and more of a crapshoot, whether you're a fan of that or not. Personally I can see why some people might see that as being more fun, but for me it starts to feel less like a competitive sport and more like a game of Yahtzee.

Parity = more competitive. Thus, the unpredictability of divisions. It isn't luck-based at all. Stay healthy, win games, make the playoffs.

 

[Kyle Doobas*]

...It isn't luck-based at all. Stay healthy....

 

[WilliamNylander]

SarcazemKadri

 

[Budsfan]

My guess is

Boston
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Detroit
Tampa Bay
Buffalo
Florida

 

[WilliamNylander]

Toronto
Ottawa
Boston
Detroit
Montreal
Tampa
Buffalo
Florida

 

[LEAFSIN4]

You must really like Nonis' offseason body of work bringing in key additions to expect a battle for 1st in the division. Unless its the semantics of the word "chance" here, which of course applies equally to all 30 teams each season.

While I believe Nonis has improved the team, I'm with the Star on this one that it will be a battle for a wild card spot the more likelihood of occurring.

We were 9th in the league last year, and 4th in Regulation wins. I don't think we'll come first (Boston will) but 2nd or 3rd are my expectations.

 

[leafspring*]

SarcazemKadri

clever

 

[Asif16*]

I think Ottawa is grossly overrated. They are a good team, but damn the ottawa love fest going on in the main board and just around the league is mindboggling.

Posters are getting jumped for saying that ottawa isnt as good as sens fans think.

 

[Budsfan]

Not that I subscribe to the Musings of Eklund but he picks the Leafs as the next Canadian Team with the best shot to win the Cup, now that may be the Kiss of Death or ......?

The Canadian Team With The Best Shot to Next Bring the Cup Home is...

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklu...xt-Bring-the-Cup-Home-is/1/53349#.UguvPT9egjQ

 

[Kurisu]

never count detroit out.

 

[Mess]

I think Ottawa is grossly overrated. They are a good team, but damn the ottawa love fest going on in the main board and just around the league is mindboggling.

Posters are getting jumped for saying that ottawa isnt as good as sens fans think.

Spezza is a #1 center > than anything the Leafs have.
Karlsson has a Norris trophy and is > than anything the Leafs have.
Anderson league leading 1.69 GAA & .941 SV% > than anything the Leafs have.

3 key positions on a hockey team and Ottawa > Leafs in all 3 categories. Bobby Ryan is just as capable of scoring 30+ goals a season as Kessel is, as he has done in many times previously.

Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean has won the Jack Adams award as the NHL's coach of the year last season >> Carlyle.

Ottawa has 22 players under contract and >> $11 mil in free cap space at present.

So where are the Leafs better than Ottawa?

 

[Joey Hoser]

never count detroit out.

Things are different now. There's never been a reason to count them out before.

 

[Felstead]

Its funny, I was reading predictions today from multiple sites/fans and such. Almost all had the Bruins finishing first and then the Leafs and or Ottawa being 2nd and 3rd.

The star... what a slap in the face. I get it that the wings are the wings but they are older and its gonna be mentality and physically tough for them to make the playoffs this year.

Spezza is a #1 center > than anything the Leafs have.
Karlsson has a Norris trophy and is > than anything the Leafs have.
Anderson league leading 1.69 GAA & .941 SV% > than anything the Leafs have.

3 key positions on a hockey team and Ottawa > Leafs in all 3 categories. Bobby Ryan is just as capable of scoring 30+ goals a season as Kessel is, as he has done in many times previously.

Ottawa Senators head coach Paul MacLean has won the Jack Adams award as the NHL's coach of the year last season >> Carlyle.

Ottawa has 22 players under contract and >> $11 mil in free cap space at present.

So where are the Leafs better than Ottawa?

I don't know man. I wouldn't make those things an accurate argument.

Sure Spezza is a #1 C and a better C than anything we have but he is also 30 years old now and health was a big concern for him last year. (especially back problems)
Karlsson is also a stud of a Dman even with his injury last year. Id argue the leafs have better D depth regardless (there I said it)
Anderson is a great goalie and a re-lived one every since the trade that sent him to ottawa.

Now, those 3 are great and all for Ottawa but its not all about scoring goals. Can they handle the big boys that are the maple leafs? A team in the leafs that are great on the PK and play a more-so shutdown game nowadays than before yet can make you pay if you make one mistake. The leafs are a physical stature in which the wear and tear they would produce on quick teams like the sens just might be too much for them to handle. Who knows?

Point being, id put both teams fairly equal in different areas of the game, both can score, both play adequate D, both have coaches who know how to coach a full 60 mins.

 

[Bowie]

So where are the Leafs better than Ottawa?

The Leafs finished 5th in the East division last season. Ottawa finished 7th.

As long as the on ice results continue this way who cares what Ottawa may or may not have.

 

[Mess]

The Leafs finished 5th in the East division last season. Ottawa finished 7th.

As long as the on ice results continue this way who cares what Ottawa may or may not have.

Ottawa finished 1 point behind the Leafs 57 points to 56 and Ottawa played without Spezza (played only 5 games) and Karlsson (played in 17 games) most of the year and missing their #1 goalie Anderson (played 24 games) for a large portion as well.

This year all 3 are going to be back and ready to go.. Doing nothing in Ottawa would allow for massive improvement simply by their star players returning from injury.

 

[bansheebeat]

Its funny, I was reading predictions today from multiple sites/fans and such. Almost all had the Bruins finishing first and then the Leafs and or Ottawa being 2nd and 3rd.

The star... what a slap in the face. I get it that the wings are the wings but they are older and its gonna be mentality and physically tough for them to make the playoffs this year.

I think a lot of people feel that their increased age will be offset by the additions of Alfie and Weiss (old, but not exactly slouches) as well as one of the best emerging prospect pools in the whole league.

 

[7even]

I think we could go anywhere this year -- top 5 to bottom5. I don't even care, I just want my hockey back!

 

[Mess]

I think a lot of people feel that their increased age will be offset by the additions of Alfie and Weiss (old, but not exactly slouches) as well as one of the best emerging prospect pools in the whole league.

Correct ..

Detroit's farm team Grand Rapids Griffins won the Calder Cup championship lead by their prospects. Internal help is on the way shortly.

 

[Porn*]

we're just lucky that Detroit is getting older and we're young... give it a year or two and the wings will be in rebuild.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

We lose more often to Florida than the Wings

 

[Pyrophorus]

IMO any one of those teams, save for Montreal/Florida/Buffalo, could finish anywhere from 1st to 4th. Parity has its upsides but it's slowly turning the regular season into more and more of a crapshoot, whether you're a fan of that or not. Personally I can see why some people might see that as being more fun, but for me it starts to feel less like a competitive sport and more like a game of Yahtzee.

Its the way I see it too. Any of the 5 teams can finish anywhere.
Boston may have an edge to win the division, and Montreal has an edge to finish 5th or lower, but
parity is very key, and is being shown in this division.

The Atlantic WILL have 5 PO teams this year.

 

[Pyrophorus]

Ottawa has 22 players under contract and >> $11 mil in free cap space at present.

So where are the Leafs better than Ottawa?

The Sens are capped out. They have an internal salary cap which they're up against.

As long as Melnyk owns that team, he will have to draft well, always be a young team, and be diligent in hiring for their positions.

I don't see them ever winning a Cup, with their current financial makeup and restrictions.

Yes they're better, they had to be, its just that the Leafs have been very successful against them,
and I had no doubt if we faced them in the playoffs, we would win.

I do expect the Sens to improve, but not to the extent, that everyone is salivating about them.
I'll stick with my assertion, that the 5 tops spots of the Atlantic is a crapshoot.

 

[Milan90]

We took Boston to game 7 OT, we beat Montreal 3 times of 5 last year, and have played well vs the Wings the last few times. Plus, we did not have Lupul and Gardiner (plus our new additions) for most of the season last year. There is no reason as to why we cannot contend for number 1 in our division.

Because winning a division takes more into account than just the record within your division.

 

[Budsfan]

Correct ..

Detroit's farm team Grand Rapids Griffins won the Calder Cup championship lead by their prospects. Internal help is on the way shortly.

I agree with what you're saying Mess, young players are the way to go and having a strong system, is paramount in a cap world but on the other hand, I believe the reason Boston beat us, in the our final play-off game last year, was Their experience and veteran players stepping up and our young team and lack of experience, that contributed to our being eliminated.

We are becoming more experienced but we are sill a young club and the additions of Bolland, Clarkson and possibly Bernier will add more experience and one wonders, what might have been the outcome last year, had they been part of the team.

This year I see a much tougher and more experienced team and one that should compete, night in and night out and over all a very solid team.