NHL 2019-20 Standing Predictions

[super6646]

Doing this for the 2nd in a row should be fun. I did pretty well last year correctly predicting 14/16 playoff teams (missed on the Islanders and Avalanche), so lets see how I do this time. Also, predictions can be changed until the start of the regular season, (and I'll probably be doing that through free agency), and snarky comments are appreciated too. Bolded teams are playoff teams:

Pacific:
1. Sharks (I could see injuries crippling this team though)
2. Flames (they're missing the playoffs because I actually believe they are doing well inside of pretending to have faith on HF)
3. Yotes (please f***ing prove me right for once)
4. Knights (love their forward group, but that blueline scares me, and the goaltending is iffy)
5. Canucks (I think they make it after this year... f*** I love Pettersson)
6. Ducks (finally died this year, don't see them competing before Getzlaf is done)
7. Oilers (yeah... depth does not exist in Northern Alberta)
8. Kings (give me all the crap in the world if they make it)

Central:
1. Avs (bold af prediction, but holy shit this team has a bright future)
2. Blues (congrats on breaking the legacy of failure)
3. Preds (this team is on some thin f***ing ice right now... add Duchene and I feel more confident with them at #3)
4. Hawks (I'm betting hard on that offense to get shit done. This could be like when Toronto made it in 2017)
5. Jets (medicore advanced stats and their blueline could be f***ed with their losses... unless hele goes god mod, I think they miss)
6. Stars (Ben Bishop is the team... they better add some serious pieces to the offense or I think they fall out)
7. Wild (feel pretty confident putting them down here... their old af and I don't think free agency is fixing it)

Metro:
1. Caps (still the class of their division imo)
2. Hurricanes (called it that they would get better if they got goaltending... but if they don't fix it again, I'm moving them down a lot very quickly)
3. Rangers (they added a lot to their blueline... I'll see what they add to their offense before I'm more confident in this one)
4. Pens (they subracted from an already crappy blueline and traded Kessel... I think their offense can bail them out one last time, but I think they're finished after this season... or perhaps the sweep foreshadows a steeper decline than I expect)
5. Flyers (I think they're either 4th or 5th... very hard to read this team, but if Hart is the real deal, I think I give the edge to them over Pittsburgh)
6. Devils (Hughes and Subban will help a lot, but the metro is still stacked imo... don't think its the year for them)
7. Jackets (on the verge of losing their starter and the best forward... barely made the playoffs after splurging at the deadline... oh boy)
8. Islanders (yes, I'm getting shit for this one, I understand... I had no faith in them last year and they proved me wrong, but potentially losing Lee and Lehner is gonna hurt... free agency makes or breaks this prediction)

Atlantic:
1. Lightning (lol at getting swept, but I'm pretty confident in this one)
2. Panthers (missed entirely because they had no goaltending... they add Bob and Panarin, I think they rise a lot)
3. Leafs (I want to give this team more credit, but how tf do you only have 100 pts with all that forward talent? They REALLY need to add something to that blueline)
4. Habs (this is entirely on adding Duchene and or Lee... otherwise, all bets are off)
5. Bruins (strike this under another give me shit prediction, but their star players are getting old... I'm probably wrong once Price gets injured and Montreal collapses, but whatever, I don't have a Delorean)
6. Sabres (meh?)
7. Red wings (Steve Y is home... unfortunately there is no blueline and the depth is still crap)
8. Senators (still got that team guys ;-))

Click to read more...

 

[kuzy92]

There is no way Boston finishes outside the top 3 in the Atlantic, there is too much experience and talent in that locker room to allow them to fold..
I don't see anyone talented enough in the Metro to unseat Washington at the moment especially after a much longer rest in the offseason..
Lightning will be there again but that lump in the throat will get ever more present as April approaches..

 

[euhchepas]

You probably should have done these after tomorow

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Capitals haven’t added anything and are also losing key contributors. They are also getting older just like the Penguins.

They also lost in the first round. Weird argument to say one is going downhill while the other one is “the class of the division”.

If anything, I’d put the Isles or Carolina up in the first two spots.

 

[JT Kreider]

Rangers aren't a playoff team just yet and I'm completely fine with that. If we can get Byfield in next years draft, that would put the finishing touches on our rebuild and we will be ready to rock

 

[StLHokie]

I don't get your Stars prediction. They came closer than any other team in the playoffs to knocking out the Blues and their entire core is still being kept together. If the replace Zuc with Pavelski in free agency, that's an upgrade too. I don't see how they aren't a playoff team.

 

[super6646]

You probably should have done these after tomorow

Fair enough, but I already put that disclaimer in the op

 

[themelkman]

No way Yotes make playoffs

 

[super6646]

I don't get your Stars prediction. They came closer than any other team in the playoffs to knocking out the Blues and their entire core is still being kept together. If the replace Zuc with Pavelski in free agency, that's an upgrade too. I don't see how they aren't a playoff team.

Their offense doesn’t impress me, and I’m not sure they are going to get 930 goaltending again. Adding pavelski will help, but I feel there are better teams in the central right now, though I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they made it.

 

[super6646]

No way Yotes make playoffs

2018: No way the islanders make the playoffs
2017: No way the devils make the playoffs
2016: No way the leafs make the playoffs

With a healthy roster, I think they are more than capable.

 

[SotasicA]

Doing this for the 2nd in a row should be fun. I did pretty well last year correctly predicting 14/16 playoff teams (missed on the Islanders and Avalanche),

Link to last year's thread, please.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Capitals haven’t added anything and are also losing key contributors. They are also getting older just like the Penguins.

They also lost in the first round. Weird argument to say one is going downhill while the other one is “the class of the division”.

If anything, I’d put the Isles or Carolina up in the first two spots.

The Capitals essentially swapped out Hagelin and Panik for Burakovsky and Connolly on the third line, and I imagine they'll add some 4th line depth as well. That third line may (likely will) be less dynamic offensively but should be stronger defensively and the PK should improve as well. They also subtracted a slow and aging Niskanen (who was their worst defenseman last year) for Gudas who is coming off his best season. It's simple to say they lost in the first round and yes this is true but they were missing their 1LD for the entire series and their 2RW for half of it. Their 3RD was also coming back from Compartment Syndrome and was a shell of his former self.

No reason to think the Capitals shouldn't compete for the division title again. It doesn't mean they will and things could go wrong but they have a strong top nine, a mobile and balanced blue line, and Holtby in net (in his contract year).

 

[super6646]

Link to last year's thread, please.

2018-19 Standing Predictions

If it doesn’t link properly, go to the bottom of page 7. I updated it through the off-season, but I got 14/16 right for my final (which was in July). Assumed top 4 in each division would make it.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Preds will be a wildcard/bubble team if the coaches don't get their heads out of their buttocks

 

[MrHeiskanen]

Ben Bishop is the entire team. Seguin, Benn, Radulov, Pavelski, Hintz, Klingberg, Heiskanen, Lindell are all chumps.

 

[super6646]

Ben Bishop is the entire team. Seguin, Benn, Radulov, Pavelski, Hintz, Klingberg, Heiskanen, Lindell are all chumps.

They were 3rd last in goals for, not a playoff team without their stellar goaltending.

 

[Sysreq]

Sharks are gonna be a wild-card, bubble team. So far they’ve lost: Braun, Donskoi, Pavelski, Nyquist and gained.. Patrick Marleau. I just don’t see a top-3 division finish.

 

[Nashology]

Sharks are gonna be a wild-card, bubble team. So far they’ve lost: Braun, Donskoi, Pavelski, Nyquist and gained.. Patrick Marleau. I just don’t see a top-3 division finish.

Donskoi was a 4th liner who was frequently scratched and provided minimal anything.
Nyqvist came at the deadline and provided nothing to the team.
Braun is a significant loss.
Pavelski is a signiciant loss.

With those being said, EK missed most of the second half and the playoffs. They are basically adding healthy EK to the mix.

 

[super6646]

Sharks are gonna be a wild-card, bubble team. So far they’ve lost: Braun, Donskoi, Pavelski, Nyquist and gained.. Patrick Marleau. I just don’t see a top-3 division finish.

I’m on the fence for dropping them to second, but I can’t see them outside the top 3 this year. If they get decent goaltending, I think they are still better than Calgary.

 

[Sysreq]

I’m on the fence for dropping them to second, but I can’t see them outside the top 3 this year. If they get decent goaltending, I think they are still better than Calgary.

We had one of the worst goaltending duos in the league last year. And we’ve made no changes except getting worse at every other position. So... that’s a pretty big if.

 

[super6646]

We had one of the worst goaltending duos in the league last year. And we’ve made no changes except getting worse at every other position. So... that’s a pretty big if.

Fair enough, but they shouldn’t have been 31st in SV% in the first place. Outside their netminding, I still think San Jose is better.

 

[JustaFinnishGuy]

Donskoi was a 4th liner who was frequently scratched and provided minimal anything.
Nyqvist came at the deadline and provided nothing to the team.
Braun is a significant loss.
Pavelski is a signiciant loss.

With those being said, EK missed most of the second half and the playoffs. They are basically adding healthy EK to the mix.

Sorry but a 4th liner that posts up around 35 points a year sounds like an amazing 4th liner, just saying

 

[triggrman]

Preds will suck without their star defenseman
T̶i̶m̶o̶n̶e̶n̶ ̶H̶a̶m̶h̶u̶i̶s̶ ̶S̶u̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶ ̶J̶o̶n̶e̶s̶ ̶ ̶W̶e̶b̶e̶r̶
Subban

 

[Bandito]

Think next year is Nashville's year. Love the Duchene signing for them in the short term and battling Johanssen for the 1C spot will push them both to be better. Feel like San Jose takes a dip as well but still finishes 3rd in the division and keeps EK rested for the playoff run.

Think the Caps take the Metro crown fairly easily while NYI and Columbus take steps back and Philly takes one of those spots. Don't see NYR making the playoffs either.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Metro
1. New Jersey
2. New York Islanders
3. New York Rangers
4. Washington
—
5. Carolina
6. Philadelphia
7. Pittsburgh
8. Columbus

Atlantic
1. Tampa Bay
2. Florida
3. Montreal
4. Boston
—
5. Buffalo
6. Detroit
7. Toronto
8. Ottawa



Central
1. Chicago
2. St. Louis
3. Dallas
4. Winnipeg
5. Colorado
—
6. Nashville
7. Minnesota

Pacific
1. Vegas
2. Calgary
3. Arizona
—
4. Edmonton
5. Vancouver
6. San Jose
7. Los Angeles
8. Anaheim