NHL 2019-20 Standing Predictions

[hmc1987]

Ya, while I have them in a playoff spot currently, I had the same thought about St. Louis. But, their roster is still excellent. Binnington's legitimacy moving forward is certainly still up in the air, though. If Jake Allen sees any extended time next season, it could be disastrous. It was almost disastrous for them last year.

Also, what about Binnington? Teams will surely adjust. Will he be as effective? Cause he was damn near Vezina-esque in his rookie season.

 

[hmc1987]

Not really understanding everyone's hate on the Capitals.. You do realize they won the Cup 13 months ago right?? I don't really see any team in the Metro that has great depth..
My money is on the Caps winning their 5th straight Metro title..

Flyers have pretty good depth to be honest. This past season they fired their GM and HC and basically the entire roster (aside from Giroux) had a down year. New GM, new HC/AC (all experienced), addition of a solid 2C (Hayes has a strong possession and play-driving ability), and - most importantly - 1 goalie (not 8 like last season). Flyers may have the single best defense in the entire league.

I would not be stunned if the Flyers won the Metro, but I think it's more likely they finish 2nd or 3rd.

Caps will likely earn a playoff position, but I think WC is more likely. To be honest I don't care if Caps ever make playoffs again so long as Ovi keeps scoring goals. It would be very, very, very special for a "trap era" forward to eclipse Gretzky. I'm hoping it happens and I want Ovi to play till he's 45 to make it happen.

I could see Pitts fall off this season. Their defense is worse if you ask me and they've thinned out their offense too. Murray hasn't exactly inspired confidence either. And Malkin and Crosby are not only 1 year older, but they're 3 time Cup winners. I don't care who you are...that zaps your drive/motivation a bit.

 

[eFFeRR]

Here are your official 2020 standings..

Pacific

1. SJ
2. VGK
3. CGY
-------------
4. ARI
5. EDM
6. VAN
7. ANA
8. LAK

Central

1. NSH
2. COL
3. STL
4. DAL
5. WPG
-------------
6. CHI
7. MIN

Atlantic

1. TB
2. TOR
3. BOS
----------------
4. FLA
5. MTL
6. BUF
7. DET
8. OTT

Metro

1. WSH
2. CAR
3. PIT
4. PHI
5. NYR
------------
6. NJD
7. NYI
8. CLB

The Metro is so hard to pick. NJD can easily make it in as well.

Standings dont change a whole lot from last season.. other possibilities are NJD get in instead of Rangers or Panthers get in besides Bruins.

In the west.. there is a clear 8 teams better then the rest. Only possibility I see is Arizona maybe getting in over Winnipeg.

 

[hmc1987]

Here are your official 2020 standings..

Pacific

1. SJ
2. VGK
3. CGY
-------------
4. ARI
5. EDM
6. VAN
7. ANA
8. LAK

Central

1. NSH
2. COL
3. STL
4. DAL
5. WPG
-------------
6. CHI
7. MIN

Atlantic

1. TB
2. TOR
3. BOS
----------------
4. FLA
5. MTL
6. BUF
7. DET
8. OTT

Metro

1. WSH
2. CAR
3. PIT
4. PHI
5. NYR
------------
6. NJD
7. NYI
8. CLB

For the most part I really like your standings with a few exceptions.

Florida gets in. Maybe swap NJD and NYR and possibly swap ARI with WPG/VGK.

Will Laine improve or status quo? Can WPG manage loss of Top 2D and depth?

At what point does Fleury's play dropoff?

 

[Sempiternal]

This spring proved it really doesn't matter as long as you get in. Unless you're the San Jose Chokers.

 

[RVACapsFan]

Metro:
CAR
WAS
NYR
PIT
—
NJD
PHI
NYI
CBJ

Atlantic:
TBL
BOS
FLA
TOR
—
MTL
BUF
DET
OTT

Central:
STL
COL
NSH
DAL
CHI
—
WPG
MIN

Pacific:
VGK
SJS
ARI
—
CGY
EDM
VAN
LAK
ANA

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Pacific

1. San Jose
2. Vegas
3. Calgary
-------------
4. Arizona
5. Edmonton
6. Vancouver
7. Anaheim
8. LA

Central

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

Atlantic

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

Metro

1. Washington
2. Philadelphia
3. New York R
4. Carolina
----------------
5. Pittsburgh
6. New York I
7. Columbus
8. New Jersey

I don't get people's infatuation with New Jersey.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I could see Pitts fall off this season. Their defense is worse if you ask me and they've thinned out their offense too. Murray hasn't exactly inspired confidence either. And Malkin and Crosby are not only 1 year older, but they're 3 time Cup winners. I don't care who you are...that zaps your drive/motivation a bit.

When is this narrative on HF going to end? The *only* concern with Murray is being able to stay healthy all season to play more than 50 games. His actual performance shouldn't be a question mark at this point to anyone who actually follows the Pens -- or can even read a stat page.

 

[generalshepherd141]

ATLANTIC
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Boston Bruins
WC1. Florida Panthers
5. Buffalo Sabres
6. Montreal Canadiens
7. Detroit Red Wings
8. Ottawa Senators

METROPOLITAN
1. Washington Capitals
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. New York Rangers
WC2. New Jersey Devils
5. New York Islanders
6. Pittsburgh Penguins
7. Columbus Blue Jackets
8. Carolina Hurricanes

CENTRAL
1. St Louis Blues
2. Dallas Stars
3. Nashville Predators
WC2. Minnesota Wild
5. Winnipeg Jets
6. Colorado Avalanche
7. Chicago Blackhawks

PACIFIC
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Vegas Golden Knights
3. Anaheim Ducks
WC1. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Los Angeles Kings
7. Edmonton Oilers
8. Vancouver Canucks

 

[hmc1987]

When is this narrative on HF going to end? The *only* concern with Murray is being able to stay healthy all season to play more than 50 games. His actual performance shouldn't be a question mark at this point to anyone who actually follows the Pens -- or can even read a stat page.

Why would you be offended by someone critiquing Matt Murray? My earlier post never attacked the player or suggested he was bad, just that he still has to prove himself which isn't unreasonable considering his inconsistent regular season and postseason performance. And you don't have to listen to me -- just read the stat page

Matt Murray Stats and News

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Why would you be offended by someone critiquing Matt Murray? My earlier post never attacked the player or suggested he was bad, just that he still has to prove himself which isn't unreasonable considering his inconsistent regular season and postseason performance. And you don't have to listen to me -- just read the stat page

Matt Murray Stats and News

Matt Murray:
2018-19 Regular - 2.69 GAA, .919 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.16 GAA, .921 Save Pct. (2 Cups)

Braden Holtby:
2018-19 Regular - 2.82 GAA, .911 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.09 GAA, .928 Save Pct. (1 Cup)

Carter Hart:
2018-19 Regular - 2.83 GAA, .917 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - N/A

Sergei Bobrovsky:
2018-19 Regular - 2.58 GAA, .913 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 3.14 GAA, .902 Save Pct. (0 Cups)

Yet, Matt Murray is the one who has to prove himself. Why is Hart going to lead the Flyers to success but Murray's still gotta show he can do something at this level?

 

[BWJM]

PACIFIC
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Vegas Golden Knights
3. Anaheim Ducks
WC1. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Los Angeles Kings
7. Edmonton Oilers
8. Vancouver Canucks

I hope you didn’t bet money on this.

 

[hmc1987]

Matt Murray:
2018-19 Regular - 2.69 GAA, .919 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.16 GAA, .921 Save Pct. (2 Cups)

Braden Holtby:
2018-19 Regular - 2.82 GAA, .911 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.09 GAA, .928 Save Pct. (1 Cup)

Carter Hart:
2018-19 Regular - 2.83 GAA, .917 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - N/A

Sergei Bobrovsky:
2018-19 Regular - 2.58 GAA, .913 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 3.14 GAA, .902 Save Pct. (0 Cups)

Yet, Matt Murray is the one who has to prove himself. Why is Hart going to lead the Flyers to success but Murray's still gotta show he can do something at this level?

It's odd that you would cherrypick stats to attempt to prove a point. The two Cup runs were strong no doubt, but the past two postseasons have not been - hence the inconsistency. And Pitt lost to NYI because of scoring woes, not goaltending. Nonetheless the entire team effort wasn't pretty.

Season	Team	GP	GS	W	L	T	OT	SA	GA	GAA	S	Sv%	SO	MIN
2015-2016	PIT	21	21	15	6	--	--	575	44	2.08	531	.923	1	1,267
2016-2017	PIT	11	10	7	3	--	--	303	19	1.70	284	.937	3	669
2017-2018	PIT	12	12	6	6	--	--	314	29	2.43	285	.908	2	716
2018-2019	PIT	4	4	0	4	--	--	127	12	3.01	115	.906	0	239
Career	-	48	47	28	19	--	--	1,319	104	2.16	1,215	.921	6	2,891

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Holtby career numbers

Goalie Stats	Scoring
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GA%-	GSAA	GAA	GPS	G	A	PTS	PIM	Awards
Career		9 yrs	NHL	420	411	257	108	40	991	12101	11110	.918	2.47	35	24085	244	.594	54	93		2.82	78.4	0	10	10	21

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Bob career numbers

Career		9 yrs	NHL	457	446	255	153	37	1082	13363	12281	.919	2.46	33	26371	260	.583	59	95		2.81	88.0	0	10	10	20

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Murray career numbers

Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GA%-	GSAA	GAA	GPS	G	A	PTS	PIM	Awards
Career		4 yrs	NHL	161	155	97	42	14	398	4822	4424	.917	2.62	10	9128	84	.542	20	92		2.89	30.5	0	3	3	6

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

If you understand advanced statistics you will know that QS% is pretty significant for a goalie. Average goaltenders are close to ~0.530 with elite goaltenders being closer to ~0.600

Some comparisons...

Price = 0.578
Rinne = 0.579
Rask = 0.601
Lundqvist = 0.598

I don't know why you bring up Carter Hart. He has 31 career NHL games played and even if he went 31-0 with 31 shutouts it would still be too small of a sample size.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Central:
NSH
STL
WPG
DAL/COL
-----
MIN
CHI

Pacific:
VGK
CGY
SJ
-----
AZ
EDM
VAN/LA/ANA

Atlantic:
TB
TOR
BOS
FLA
-----
MON
BUF/DET
OTT

Metro:
WSH
NYI
PHI
CAR
----
NYR
PIT
NJ
CBJ

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

It's odd that you would cherrypick stats to attempt to prove a point. The two Cup runs were strong no doubt, but the past two postseasons have not been - hence the inconsistency. And Pitt lost to NYI because of scoring woes, not goaltending. Nonetheless the entire team effort wasn't pretty.

Season	Team	GP	GS	W	L	T	OT	SA	GA	GAA	S	Sv%	SO	MIN
2015-2016	PIT	21	21	15	6	--	--	575	44	2.08	531	.923	1	1,267
2016-2017	PIT	11	10	7	3	--	--	303	19	1.70	284	.937	3	669
2017-2018	PIT	12	12	6	6	--	--	314	29	2.43	285	.908	2	716
2018-2019	PIT	4	4	0	4	--	--	127	12	3.01	115	.906	0	239
Career	-	48	47	28	19	--	--	1,319	104	2.16	1,215	.921	6	2,891

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Holtby career numbers

Goalie Stats	Scoring
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GA%-	GSAA	GAA	GPS	G	A	PTS	PIM	Awards
Career		9 yrs	NHL	420	411	257	108	40	991	12101	11110	.918	2.47	35	24085	244	.594	54	93		2.82	78.4	0	10	10	21

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Bob career numbers

Career		9 yrs	NHL	457	446	255	153	37	1082	13363	12281	.919	2.46	33	26371	260	.583	59	95		2.81	88.0	0	10	10	20

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

Murray career numbers

Season	Age	Tm	Lg	GP	GS	W	L	T/O	GA	SA	SV	SV%	GAA	SO	MIN	QS	QS%	RBS	GA%-	GSAA	GAA	GPS	G	A	PTS	PIM	Awards
Career		4 yrs	NHL	161	155	97	42	14	398	4822	4424	.917	2.62	10	9128	84	.542	20	92		2.89	30.5	0	3	3	6

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

If you understand advanced statistics you will know that QS% is pretty significant for a goalie. Average goaltenders are close to ~0.530 with elite goaltenders being closer to ~0.600

Some comparisons...

Price = 0.578
Rinne = 0.579
Rask = 0.601
Lundqvist = 0.598

I don't know why you bring up Carter Hart. He has 31 career NHL games played and even if he went 31-0 with 31 shutouts it would still be too small of a sample size.

You say I cherrypick stats, then you focus on one stat (QS%) to compare him to others.

Also, Murray had one bad year that overall hurts his numbers. He was poor in 2017-18. If you remove that season, his numbers are stellar.

As for why I brought up Carter Hart, because Philly is brought up as a team that's potentially going to finish first. Yet there's no mention of "unproven" Hart holding them back. Which I find ironic given the fact that apparently Murray has a lot to prove despite being good in 3 out of 4 regular seasons, and winning 2 Cups, yet the rookie with 31 games under his belt isn't seen as unproven.

 

[CraigsList]

METRO
1. Washington (y) --> Lots of parity in this group, but Washington comes out on top. Added some grit to their lineup, they'll be a pain in the *** for any NHL team they face.
2. NYI (x) --> Varlamov won't miss a beat here in NYI. Just look at how well Lehner did in that system.
3. Pittsburgh (x) --> Lose Kessel but gain Galchenyuk. Some growing pains but ultimately make the playoffs again. They've got Crosby and Malkin still. I also think Murray has a pretty good season.
4. Philadelphia (WC 2/(e)) --> Tough to single out Philly. I think they potentially make it depending on Hart. Can't rely on Elliott and his inconsistencies and proneness to injury. Their defense looks a lot better though, and the offense remains moderately strong. Their season ultimately depends on Hart.
5. NYR (e) --> Made some big offseason moves but the young core barely misses the playoffs for the last time.
6. Carolina (e) --> That goaltending is just too bad and I think they significantly regress for that reason.
7. NJD (e) --> Hughes and crew will be fun to watch, but their year depends on their goaltending and how well it does.
8. Columbus (e) --> Losing Bobrovsky and Panarin has them pencilled in at the bottom. It's hard to come back from those two losses.

ATLANTIC
1. Tampa Bay (p) --> Won't be a 60+ win season again, but they are still going to be a force to be reckoned with.
2. Toronto (x) --> Getting Barrie is going to help out Toronto immensely, putting them on top of Boston.
3. Boston (x) --> Slight regression but not enough to bump Boston out of the playoffs. There will be yet another Toronto vs. Boston playoff match.
4. Florida (WC 1) --> Bobrovsky should definitely help Florida get back into the playoffs.
5. Montreal (WC 2/(e)) --> Should make the playoffs with a healthy Weber.
6. Buffalo (e) --> Just don't see them as good as the other 5 teams. Maybe bumps Montreal for the 5th spot/WC 2, but Montreal has the better goaltender.
7. Detroit (e) --> Still rebuilding as well. They should be good in a few years with Yzerman at the helm.
8. Ottawa (e) --> Rebuilding. As they should be. And, don't trade any future 1st round picks.

CENTRAL
Dallas (y) --> Great goaltending, great defense already, and now the addition of Pavs/Perry is only going to put them on top in the deep Central.
St. Louis (x) --> Should have more of a consistent year. Will contend Dallas for the top spot but fall short.
Nashville (x) --> Matt Duchene is a great addition, Dallas and St. Louis are just better in my eyes.
Colorado (WC1) --> Inconsistent goaltending can get the best of them, but Kadri can take some of the best matches away from MacKinnon, causing MacKinnon to most likely go on a tear. Makar and Byram should have great years despite growing pains.
Chicago (WC 2/eliminated) --> Chicago is in or out depending on goaltending and/or D. Lehner is great, but will he do good with a team that does not have Trotz?
Winnipeg (e) --> One injured top 6 forward or defender has Winnipeg down at the bottom. They can prove anyone wrong though as it's been proven over the years that it doesn't require a top notch D core to make the playoffs. Just stellar goaltending (Hellebuyck needs to show that).
Minnesota (e) --> The Central is too deep, putting Minnesota down to the bottom. That doesn't mean they don't have a chance, it just simply means they have a less likelihood of making the playoffs. Let's not discount the team that went on a 12 game winning streak in the 2017 season. With some assistance by the O and D, Dubnyk is more than capable of carrying this team to the playoffs.

PACIFIC
Vegas (y) --> I think Fleury has an amazing year and that 2nd line of Patches - Stastny - Stone are going to cause havoc.
Calgary (x) --> Regress offensively, but still have a strong year because of stable goaltending and good defense.
San Jose (x) --> Same as Calgary. Offensive regression but great D and goaltending prevail. Think Jones has a better year.
Arizona (WC 2/(e)) --> Getting Kessel is only going to help AZ offensively. Already have a good goalie tandem and good D.
Anaheim (e) --> Just need one more year of retooling with the youngsters and then they'll be back in the top 3. Can't be down for long with a goalie like Gibson.
Vancouver (e) --> Same with Anaheim, except they have a better offensive group in the making that'll push them for playoff hope in 20-21
Edmonton (e) --> McDavid and Draisaitl NEED help... They just have to ride out another year of Lucic + other bad contracts before they can get good. Though, I would not be shocked at all if Smith stole the starting job from Koskinen and somehow got them in the playoffs. He plays better when a lot of shots come his way. Edmonton could very well bump up to the WC2 spot depending on how they fair in March.
LA (e) --> Rebuilding. Simple as that. Don't think they have the necessary pieces to move them back up to a playoff spot.

 

[Sasso09]

I....I don't think you really follow hockey very much.

Some of these are crazy, FLA over TB, Yotes 2nd in the pacific, flyers second in the metro. What is the rationale here?

a lot of people picking Philly 1st or 2nd, it wouldn't be shocking. on paper they have the most talent in the division.

 

[Sasso09]

Matt Murray:
2018-19 Regular - 2.69 GAA, .919 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.16 GAA, .921 Save Pct. (2 Cups)

Braden Holtby:
2018-19 Regular - 2.82 GAA, .911 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 2.09 GAA, .928 Save Pct. (1 Cup)

Carter Hart:
2018-19 Regular - 2.83 GAA, .917 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - N/A

Sergei Bobrovsky:
2018-19 Regular - 2.58 GAA, .913 Save Pct.
Career Playoffs - 3.14 GAA, .902 Save Pct. (0 Cups)

Yet, Matt Murray is the one who has to prove himself. Why is Hart going to lead the Flyers to success but Murray's still gotta show he can do something at this level?

Because he's a better goalie and the stats don't tell the entire story?

 

[7even]

The Atlantic is going to be an absolute dogfight. Tampa should lead the way again, the Leafs finally have a playable top 4 defense, Boston is the reigning SCF, and Florida and Buffalo are big movers and shakers. Ottawa and Detroit have a lot of speedy youthful players. It's going to be chaos.

 

[Avs]

1. Colorado

Am I doing this right?

 

[Joey Moss]

31. Edmonton

 

[goldenbladz1]

Lol @ Blackhawks fans flexing...

I don't think the Hawks finish 1st but do think the Central takes the two WC's and they should be in the top 5 in the Central.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Pacific

1. San Jose
2. Vegas
3. Calgary
-------------
4. Arizona
5. Edmonton
6. Vancouver
7. Anaheim
8. LA

Central

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

Atlantic

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

Metro

1. Washington
2. Philadelphia
3. New York R
4. Carolina
----------------
5. Pittsburgh
6. New York I
7. Columbus
8. New Jersey

I don't get people's infatuation with New Jersey.

Just in defense of the Devils, not saying where to rank them especially since the off-season is still young, buuut. Last year was the tale of two stories, both awful which led to their terrible season. The first half goaltending couldn't stop anything if their lives depended on it and the second half there were so many injuries there were stretches where it was literally an AHL team out there. But in the second half goaltending was much better, it wasn't that good but it was probably average which is fine.

Hopefully Schneider and Blackwood (I'm more intrigued by Blackwood and if he can continue to progress personally) can keep up how they left off last year then they should be in decent shape, so long as that crazy injury bug doesn't happen again. Obviously adding talents like Subban and Hughes is massive too, as well as the likely promotion of Ty Smith and maybe Boqvist which will help their overall skill/depth. I think they may be a bubble team with the current roster.

 

[tmlfan98]

Atlantic:
1. Toronto
2. Tampa Bay
3. Boston
4. Florida (WC)
5. Montreal
6. Buffalo
7. Detroit
8. Ottawa

Metro:
1. Washington
2. Pittsburgh
3. New Jersey
4. NY Rangers (WC)
5. Philadelphia
6. Carolina
7. NY Islanders
8. Columbus

Central:
1. Nashville
2. St. Louis
3. Colorado
4. Dallas (WC)
5. Winnipeg
6. Chicago
7. Minnesota

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

 

[um]

Atlantic
Tampa Bay - 113
Boston - 105
Florida - 100
Toronto - 97
----------------------
Montreal - 92
Buffalo - 85
Detroit - 78
Ottawa - 70

Metro
Washington - 108
Pittsburgh - 99
Carolina - 97
Philadelphia - 94
----------------------
New Jersey - 90
Islanders - 87
Rangers - 84
Columbus - 76

Central
Dallas - 110
St. Louis - 105
Colorado - 98
Nashville - 95
----------------------
Winnipeg - 90
Chicago - 88
Minnesota - 72

Pacific
Vegas - 104
Calgary - 98
Arizona - 97
San Jose - 93
----------------------
Edmonton - 89
Vancouver - 87
Los Angeles - 74
Anaheim - 63