NHL Team Rankings #2

[pb1300]

#1 was pretty obvious.

Im going with the other Florida team at #2.

Verhaeghe - Barkov - Reinhart
Huberdeau - Bennett - Duclair
Vatrano - Lundell - Tippett
Marchment - Acciari - Hornqvist

Lomberg
Mamin
Denisenko
Thornton

Arguably the deepest forward group in the league. Great depth when you can have a top 5 center on one line, and a top 5 LWer on a seperate line. That top line has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Plenty of options to go with on the bench as well. Mamin is a wildcard for them. He is a physical player who seems to have found his scoring touch in the KHL.

Forsling - Ekblad
Montour - Weegar
Nutivaara - Gudas

Gildon
Ludvig

The defense is improved just with the riddance of Yandle. Ekblad is already skating and ready to go for TC, and he was on his way to a possible Norris nomination last season, before the injury. I do expect another Dman to be acquired at some point this season, given the amount of forwards the team has. I think one more top 4/5 Dman is the missing piece to this team.

Knight/Bob
Bob/Knight

The Panthers were a .610+ team in games that Bon started last season. I suspect more of the same with a more sound blueline, the additions up front, and just an improvement from Bob as well. Knight is the unicorn here. He is a rookie, but Ive never heard a rookie approach the game the way he does. You can say the Hart effect might happen here, but you just dont see that from Knight.

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[bobholly39]

#1 was pretty obvious.

Im going with the other Florida team at #2.

Verhaeghe - Barkov - Reinhart
Huberdeau - Bennett - Duclair
Vatrano - Lundell - Tippett
Marchment - Acciari - Hornqvist

Lomberg
Mamin
Denisenko
Thornton

Arguably the deepest forward group in the league. Great depth when you can have a top 5 center on one line, and a top 5 LWer on a seperate line. That top line has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Plenty of options to go with on the bench as well. Mamin is a wildcard for them. He is a physical player who seems to have found his scoring touch in the KHL.

Forsling - Ekblad
Montour - Weegar
Nutivaara - Gudas

Gildon
Ludvig

The defense is improved just with the riddance of Yandle. Ekblad is already skating and ready to go for TC, and he was on his way to a possible Norris nomination last season, before the injury. I do expect another Dman to be acquired at some point this season, given the amount of forwards the team has. I think one more top 4/5 Dman is the missing piece to this team.

Knight/Bob
Bob/Knight

The Panthers were a .610+ team in games that Bon started last season. I suspect more of the same with a more sound blueline, the additions up front, and just an improvement from Bob as well. Knight is the unicorn here. He is a rookie, but Ive never heard a rookie approach the game the way he does. You can say the Hart effect might happen here, but you just dont see that from Knight.

In my opinion the other Florida teams should be nowhere near #2 - barely even top 10. The biggest issue with them isn't so much their talent or roster, it's simply their track record. They have a history of underachieving, or being inconsistent year to year. It's fine if as a fan you want to predict they finish on top, it's possible - but if it comes to saying who should be favorites (ie, biggest odds to finish on top) - I think you have to look at teams with a better track record of consistency at the top.

Vegas. Colorado. Maybe even Washington/Pittsburgh. I even put Toronto over Florida quite easily in the Atlantic, and probably Boston too (though I personally expect Boston might stumble).

I'll vote Colorado here.

Not sure if this is meant to be playoffs too, or just teams most likely to be a top team in the regular season. If anything, if it's playoffs too, it doesn't exactly help the Panthers.

 

[VijayPatel11]

In my opinion the other Florida teams should be nowhere near #2 - barely even top 10. The biggest issue with them isn't so much their talent or roster, it's simply their track record. They have a history of underachieving, or being inconsistent year to year. It's fine if as a fan you want to predict they finish on top, it's possible - but if it comes to saying who should be favorites (ie, biggest odds to finish on top) - I think you have to look at teams with a better track record of consistency at the top.

Vegas. Colorado. Maybe even Washington/Pittsburgh. I even put Toronto over Florida quite easily in the Atlantic, and probably Boston too (though I personally expect Boston might stumble).

I'll vote Colorado here.

Not sure if this is meant to be playoffs too, or just teams most likely to be a top team in the regular season. If anything, if it's playoffs too, it doesn't exactly help the Panthers.

So what they have a bad track record? Looking at our roster we have a very good team, top 5 probably
I can't believe that we are still getting slept on

 

[JoVel]

Colorado, Vegas and Islanders for the next 3.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I think after Tampa there’s a pretty even tier of the next group. Colorado, Florida, NYI and Vegas

 

[pb1300]

In my opinion the other Florida teams should be nowhere near #2 - barely even top 10. The biggest issue with them isn't so much their talent or roster, it's simply their track record. They have a history of underachieving, or being inconsistent year to year. It's fine if as a fan you want to predict they finish on top, it's possible - but if it comes to saying who should be favorites (ie, biggest odds to finish on top) - I think you have to look at teams with a better track record of consistency at the top.

Vegas. Colorado. Maybe even Washington/Pittsburgh. I even put Toronto over Florida quite easily in the Atlantic, and probably Boston too (though I personally expect Boston might stumble).

I'll vote Colorado here.

Not sure if this is meant to be playoffs too, or just teams most likely to be a top team in the regular season. If anything, if it's playoffs too, it doesn't exactly help the Panthers.

Track record? You talk about track record, and want to put Toronto “easily” ahead of them? Garbage reply.

Track record has zero to do with the top teams going into THIS season. Toronto is not a better team than Florida THIS season. Florida up front is as deep as any team in the league THIS season. Certainly deeper than Toronto.

As @Cousin Eddie said, you can group Florida, NYI, Colorado, and Vegas together in a tier, and I’d agree with that. But to say barely top 10 because of “track record” is laughable at best.

 

[amnesiac]

Not sure why COL is clearly leading over VGK. I'll take Vegas.

 

[bobholly39]

Track record? You talk about track record, and want to put Toronto “easily” ahead of them? Garbage reply.

Track record has zero to do with the top teams going into THIS season. Toronto is not a better team than Florida THIS season. Florida up front is as deep as any team in the league THIS season. Certainly deeper than Toronto.

As @Cousin Eddie said, you can group Florida, NYI, Colorado, and Vegas together in a tier, and I’d agree with that. But to say barely top 10 because of “track record” is laughable at best.

So how do you have NYI above Washington/Pittsburgh? Washington won the division every year for i don't know how many years, and when they didn't Pittsburgh did. Both teams finish above NYI every year. Is this for regular season, or playoffs?

Of course track record matters. Last year going into the season Philly fans were being ridiculously cocky saying "look how well we just did, we're going to win division again". No, they sucked. Philly and Florida are quite similar in that their cores have been very inconsistent year to year. I suspect this happens with Florida again this year.

Florida hasn't won a playoff round in like 25 years right? How exactly are they the second best team in hockey today lol.

And yes - I think Toronto has better odds than Florida to finish ahead in regular season standings. Your goalie situation is very troubling. Spencer Knight may look promising, but he's only 20, that's super young for a goalie.

 

[pb1300]

So how do you have NYI above Washington/Pittsburgh? Washington won the division every year for i don't know how many years, and when they didn't Pittsburgh did. Both teams finish above NYI every year. Is this for regular season, or playoffs?

What do I care what Washington did for how many years. The Islanders are a better team than them going into THIS season. Why is that so hard to wrap you head around. Im going by who are the top teams going into THIS season, not who are the top teams because of what they did in the past. The Islanders are well coached, are a tough team to play against, have a great roster, and are building off of a season that just ended a couple of months ago. Do I care that Washington or Pittsburgh did 3-4-25 years ago? No, its about now, and right now, Id choose the Islanders over either one of those teams. Lets see what your argument will be when people vote the Islanders over those teams. See how long you can go with the same crap response.

Of course track record matters. Last year going into the season Philly fans were being ridiculously cocky saying "look how well we just did, we're going to win division again". No, they sucked. Philly and Florida are quite similar in that their cores have been very inconsistent year to year. I suspect this happens with Florida again this year.

Track record does not matter. It has zero effect in to what happens the following season.

And where has Florida's core been inconsistent? Barkov has been on an incline over the past few seasons. As has Huberdeau. As has Ekblad. As has Weegar. Last season, they added nearly half a new roster, and despite losing their #1 Dman in the middle of the season, they still finished with one of the best records in the league. Have a clue about a team, instead of just throwing shit against the wall, and hoping it sticks.

Florida hasn't won a playoff round in like 25 years right? How exactly are they the second best team in hockey today lol.

So because they havent won a round in "like 25 years," that means they cant be good? Your laughing at the wrong posts buddy "lol"

And yes - I think Toronto has better odds than Florida to finish ahead in regular season standings. Your goalie situation is very troubling. Spencer Knight may look promising, but he's only 20, that's super young for a goalie.

Please, Toronto has questions in net as well. Florida is the deeper team on both sides of the ice.


Your reasoning is sad. Instead of looking at acquisitions, and team rosters, you want to go with a teams credibility, or lack there of, as the main reason certain teams cant be successful this season.

 

[LongWayDown37]

I’m just so proud that Buffalo even shows up as an option still…..

 

[Isaac Nootin]

Colorado, then Vegas.

After that wide open, IMO. Probably Islanders.

 

[Boreal01]

Vegas by a hair over the Islanders

 

[bobholly39]

Your reasoning is sad. Instead of looking at acquisitions, and team rosters, you want to go with a teams credibility, or lack there of, as the main reason certain teams cant be successful this season.

I think we're just disagreeing on the question. "Can't" be successful? No. But "most likely" to be successful - to me recent track record is very important.

All of Vegas/Washington/Pitt/NYI/Boston above Florida

 

[895]

What exactly has Florida done to get such high praise? Win 0 playoff rounds?

 

[I am not exposed]

Colorado.

Florida fan here, but too many question marks in goaltending for them to be number 2.

 

[Buck Naked]

What exactly has Florida done to get such high praise? Win 0 playoff rounds?

Built a great team?

 

[Gurglesons]

Florida.

 

[ted2019]

Colorado.

 

[BB06]

Islanders are the only team that has proven they can consistently beat good teams come playoff time. Colorado has been can crushing and fold to any decent playoff team come the 2nd round. Vegas is more of the same, with Colorado being the only good team they've beaten over the past 3 seasons.

 

[avsfan09]

Islanders are the only team that has proven they can consistently beat good teams come playoff time. Colorado has been can crushing and fold to any decent playoff team come the 2nd round. Vegas is more of the same, with Colorado being the only good team they've beaten over the past 3 seasons.

I think Colorado has had bad luck injury wise rather than folding under pressure. Also they probably have been weak at C with no 3C behind Kadri to take over if he gets suspended haha.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Vegas

Don't think Colorado should be crushing the vote. After their awesome 1st unit all their forward lines are mediocre. Health concerns in goal and defense as well.

 

[Puck Dogg]

Vegas. Once in Stanley Cup final, twice in conference finals in last four years.

 

[txpd]

I can only speak to the Capitals. I wouldnt be sleeping on them. Their star players continue to perform at career norms. There is no trend signaling a change to that. They had a top 5 pp and a top 5 pk. They basically had 2 rookie goalies and come playoffs they had to start with a guy that played 1 game all season.

They finished tied for the division or better for the 6th year in a row. What they do depends on entirely on specifics. Who has an off year, who has a career year, how much better is one of the goalies in his 2nd season as a starter? Who is injured and for how long?

I expect they will challenge for the division as usual