More likely to happen: Buffalo making the playoffs or Tampa missing the playoffs?

[Cloned]

Which one?

Click to read more...

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Cup hangovers can happen, and then sometimes the pressure mounts. Losing Gourde and Johnson aren't trivial losses either.

Buffalo making the playoffs would be one of the more improbable things I can think of.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Cup hangovers can happen, and then sometimes the pressure mounts. Losing Gourde and Johnson aren't trivial losses either.

Buffalo making the playoffs would be one of the more improbable things I can think of.

Johnson isn't good. Coleman though...

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Tampa lost their whole 3rd line. While I think whoever takes over will fit in seamlessly, it does take some of their depth away which means less insurance for potential injuries.

Also injuries can kill any team's playoff hopes. Remember when the Bolts missed in 2017? Half their team was on crutches.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Tampa lost their whole 3rd line. While I think whoever takes over will fit in seamlessly, it does take some of their depth away which means less insurance for potential injuries.

Also injuries can kill any team's playoff hopes. Remember when the Bolts missed in 2017? Half their team was on crutches.

Yeah pretty much this.

Let's say next year's forward lineup is as follows:

Palat Point Kucherov
Colton Cirelli Stamkos
Killorn Joseph/Barre-Boulet Perry
Maroon Stephens Bellemare

Very strong group, but not as deep as last year. Injuries could destroy that team in a way they couldn't in 2021.

 

[Romang67]

Tampa doesn't have the scoring depth of yesteryear, and so will likely have to depend more on Vasilevsky to win games. They can probably withstand an injury to Vasilevsky, but I'm not sure they can withstand two key injuries, and if they did it still wouldn't be shocking if they missed the playoffs. Boston, Florida and Toronto are capable enough that they could end up ahead of Tampa in the division, and there are at least 5 good teams in the Metro division, so 8 teams finishing ahead of Tampa sans Vasilevsky and another key player missing is possible.

Buffalo? If Eichel doesn't sign, they will quite possibly have the worst goaltending, worst defense, and worst offense in the league. For them to make the playoffs, Eichel would need to decide that his neck is fine and he's cool playing for Buffalo, a couple of other players would need to have astoundingly good seasons (let's say Skinner reverts back to his 40 goal form and Cozens has a great sophomore season) to have enough scoring to make up for that putrid defense. That's not even accounting for the fact that they would need to finish ahead of 8 other teams in the Eastern Conference.

I think more things would have to go perfectly right for Buffalo than would have to go perfectly wrong for Lightning, so I'm gonna go with Lightning missing the playoffs.

 

[Aurinko]

Yeah pretty much this.

Let's say next year's forward lineup is as follows:

Palat Point Kucherov
Colton Cirelli Stamkos
Killorn Joseph/Barre-Boulet Perry
Maroon Stephens Bellemare

Very strong group, but not as deep as last year. Injuries could destroy that team in a way they couldn't in 2021.

That group is fantastic, so is the d and goalie. 3rd in a row is not a stretch if they all can stay healthy.

The importance of goalie is also gigantic. The simple thing that lot of teams refuse to understand and fix.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Injuries can make Tampa miss the playoffs. I can’t see how Buffalo makes it.

 

[542365]

Tampa could get absolutely devastated by injuries and miss the playoffs. It almost certainly will not happen, but it's still far more likely than Buffalo making the playoffs.

 

[Aashir Mallik]

For Buffalo to make the playoffs they need a minimum of:
3 top 6 wingers; 6 top 9 wingers
2 top 9 centres; 1 top 6 Center
#1 D and #1 Goalie(very important)
Real solid coach and structure

Mittlestadt needs to be a 50-60 point player
Olofsson needs to be a 60-65 point player
Quinn and Cozens And Bjork need to be a 55-60 point player
Dahlin needs to stabilize the d and be a 50-65 point player
UPK or whoever needs to be very good as a 60+ game starter posting .915+ numbers

Either this or they become Islanders 2.0/Columbus 2.0 and just play intense and smothering defence with a insane coach which is even less likely.

So ya…. Tampa missing is more likely

 

[Regal]

Tampa missed in '17 after making the finals and Conference finals the two seasons prior, so it's not crazy to have an off year especially after losing decent depth. The division is also strong at the top and the Metro could have 5 playoff teams. Buffalo making it would require some massive leaps from their young players that's far more unlikely.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Johnson isn't good. Coleman though...

Forgot to mention Coleman!

I still think Johnson is a pretty good little hockey player. Injuries have slowed him up a bit but he's still an effective middle 6 player who plays hard and can still make plays.

His productivity is actually still pretty decent considering his usage.

 

[bobholly39]

Yeah nobody expected Tampa to miss playoffs in 2017, and they did. These things happened. Dallas made final a year ago, then missed. Nobody expects them to, but it's not exactly impossible. Atlantic is also difficult:

1. Montreal just went to finals. Maybe they struggle for reasons known, but maybe they ride that wave and are a top team in divsion
2. Toronto should be a top team in division. Playoffs may be difficult, but they'll do good in regular season
3. Boston won president's trophy 2 years ago, still very good last year, should be again
4. Florida was very competitive last year, could be so again. Imagine if Bob actually bounces back?
5. Metro is arguably even harder than Atlantic, and could land 5 playoff spots themselves.

I'm not saying Tampa is likely to miss - but if they go through a bad stretch for whatever reason (likely injury) - it's likely to be a very competitive year in the east to make the playoffs, so even just one bad stretch could tank a team.

Buffalo making the playoffs....no. I thought they'd be more competitive last year, and they got worst, by a lot. And as I just laid out, Atlantic + Metro will be very competitive this season. I can't imagine Buffalo makes it.

 

[loosemoose]

Tampa missing is very unlikely, but within the realm of possible. Buffalo making the playoffs would require an act of god.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Tampa missing, easily.

The conference is very, very competitive. There's like 10 teams besides Tampa who think they're going to make the playoffs, and they have the teams to make the playoffs.

If Tampa has the worst injury luck in the conference, they can miss without any further magic voodoo.

Buffalo's chances are as close to 0% as it can be.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

That group is fantastic, so is the d and goalie. 3rd in a row is not a stretch if they all can stay healthy.

The importance of goalie is also gigantic. The simple thing that lot of teams refuse to understand and fix.

It's fantastic when healthy, but health is never a guarantee.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Didn’t like the results in the other pool eh.