playoff locks eastern conference

JD1

Registered User
Sep 12, 2005
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9,547
lots of chatter about us being a bubble team.

So who are the locks in the east? I see Pittsburgh and Washington. And I'll say Columbus.

I see a downside to just about every other team. Including all Atlantic teams. in our case I see a little less downside possibility than most teams but our overall depth is pretty good
 

Fandlauer

Registered User
Apr 23, 2013
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Ottawa unless it becomes a disaster
I'm not even sold on Columbus to be honest.

Pittsburgh, Washington and God help me but I think the Leafs are damn well close to a lock, especially if they snag Marleau.

Montreal I would consider a lock if Radulov and Markov stay, if not they will be joining us in bubbleville.
 

operasen

Registered User
Apr 27, 2004
5,681
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The Atlantic is certainly up for grabs this year. Montreal, especially without Radulov and Markov, will have regressed to the middle conversation. Toronto is just getting better and time will give them familiarity. Tampa is neutral I think with losing Bishop and Drouin. Their adds are nice but Kunitz is not the same. Florida is the same. Boston and Detroit regress as they get older, not better. Buffalo should improve though.

I look at final standings as Toronto, with Ottawa and Montreal to figure out 2nd and 3rd. Buffalo, then Tampa, Boston, Florida, and Detroit to fill out the final four (in that order for me).

We will make the Playoffs, but the road through the Metropolitan will remain a tough assignment, unless they split again, which I doubt.
 

albator71

Registered User
Jan 12, 2010
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CANADA
We need to look at it more within the division then the conference
Maybe I'm to optimistic but I say we have a 75% chance finishing in the top 3 in the weak Atlantic

Tampa Bay
Ottawa
Toronto
 

operasen

Registered User
Apr 27, 2004
5,681
346
I'm seeing Tampa and Buffalo in a fight for fourth with Buffalo edging them out. Bishop and Drouin are a lot to lose. The Kunitz, et al signing do not make up for that. Buffalo's work this weekend pushes them higher I think.
 

HSF

Registered User
Sep 3, 2008
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We will make it we are a solid team and this time we are going in with depth
 

Burrowsaurus

Registered User
Mar 20, 2013
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We will make it we are a solid team and this time we are going in with depth

Just lost a top pairing d man. Don't discount that.

A few step ups and I think we will be exactly where we were this past year. Bubble team. Closer to the top of the bubble than the bottom
 

Samboni

Registered User
Jan 26, 2014
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IMO, we haven't improved from last year while other teams have. A playoff spot is not a sure thing.
 

Sun God Nika

Palestine <3.
Apr 22, 2013
19,860
8,246
ive always predicted the sens make the playoffs every, just not feeling it now. Still pissed of we signed a plug for 1.65 especially if stalgberg signs elsewhere for something similar.
 

Nac Mac Feegle

wee & free
Jun 10, 2011
34,828
9,251
I'll make one prediction....the Atlantic will only get 3 playoff spots this year.

So, we need to finish in the top 3 to get in. The only team I think is definitely out of the playoff mix would be Detroit. The rest of the Atlantic has a chance.
 

BondraTime

Registered User
Nov 20, 2005
28,467
23,038
East Coast
I think the locks are

Wash
Pitts
Columbus

Then

Toronto
Tampa

Then

Ottawa
NYR
Boston
Montreal
NYI
Florida
Sabres

Then

Detroit
Philly
New Jersey
Carolina

They should have the upperhand on a spot, but should EK miss anytime they'll have to play out of their minds in October.
 
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BonkTastic

ಠ_ಠ
Nov 9, 2010
30,901
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Parts Unknown
My only locks are Pittsburgh and Washington. The rest of the conference is wide open, though if I'm making way-too-early projections (there are still months of potential roster moves, we're only a day into UFA), I think the divisions play out something like this next year:

Atlantic
Montreal
Tampa
Ottawa
Toronto (I think they will take a small step back this season before taking 2 forward in the following one)
Boston
Florida
Detroit
Buffalo

Metropolitan
Washington
Pittsburgh
Columbus
Islanders (just a hunch here)
Rangers
Flyers
Carolina
New Jersey

As far as top-8 seeding, it's a crapshoot.
 

Burrowsaurus

Registered User
Mar 20, 2013
42,046
15,787
New York Rangers are coming off a really good season. I would say they are locks. And they've improved their blueline (I don't care how bad some people think shattenkirk is. He's an upgrade on girardi. A significant one).
 

Batrous

Registered User
May 4, 2016
842
280
I'm seeing Tampa and Buffalo in a fight for fourth with Buffalo edging them out. Bishop and Drouin are a lot to lose. The Kunitz, et al signing do not make up for that. Buffalo's work this weekend pushes them higher I think.

Bishop and Drouin being traded / moved will hurt Tampa but I also think that if Stampkos can stay healthy that it will help tampa quite a bit. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tampa as high as 2nd in the division.
 

SpezDispenser

Registered User
Aug 15, 2007
26,707
6,233
I think the locks are

Wash
Pitts
Columbus

Then

Toronto
Tampa

Then

Ottawa
NYR
Boston
Montreal
NYI
Flordia
Sabres

Then

Detroit
Philly
New Jersey
Carolina

They should have the upperhand on a spot, but should EK miss anytime they'll have to play out of their minds in October.

Pretty bang on.
 

Cosmix

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Jul 24, 2011
17,791
6,434
Ottawa
I think the locks are

Wash
Pitts
Columbus

Then

Toronto
Tampa

Then

Ottawa
NYR
Boston
Montreal
NYI
Florida
Sabres

Then

Detroit
Philly
New Jersey
Carolina

They should have the upperhand on a spot, but should EK miss anytime they'll have to play out of their minds in October.

Looks reasonable to me. I agree.
 

danielpalfredsson

youtube dot com /watch?v=CdqMZ_s7Y6k
Aug 14, 2013
16,575
9,269
There's almost no such thing as a playoff lock in today's NHL. I'd say Pittsburgh and maybe CBJ. I'm not even sure about WSH.

Don't get me wrong, WSH is obviously very likely to make the playoffs....but pretty much anybody can miss. TB and FLA were supposed to be locks last off season according to a lot of people.

It'll be tough for the Senators to make the playoffs next season. We're a bubble team. That doesn't mean the same thing it meant in the past though.
 

Deku

I'm off the planet
Nov 5, 2011
19,828
4,474
Ottawa
I think without getting anyone on defense we'll be in a wildcard dogfight. 50/50 in or out
 

Benjamin

Differently Financed
Jun 14, 2010
31,118
438
yes
The problem isn't that theres a bunch of locks pushing us out. Its that we're no better than the majority of teams in our division and conference. The teams that get in will be the consistent and healthy teams.
 

HSF

Registered User
Sep 3, 2008
26,058
7,601
Don't know why people here would have Toronto above Ottawa from what we have seen.
 

Benjamin

Differently Financed
Jun 14, 2010
31,118
438
yes
Don't know why people here would have Toronto above Ottawa from what we have seen.

An OK defense and OK goaltending backed up by a top 5 offense in the league has the ability to do very well in the regular season.
 

HSF

Registered User
Sep 3, 2008
26,058
7,601
An OK defense and OK goaltending backed up by a top 5 offense in the league has the ability to do very well in the regular season.
On the flip side will all their young guys perform to the same level. Or better while having another historically injury free season to key players?

But more importantly I think Sens fans tend to forget that the team we saw in the playoffs is not the team that played for the good part of the season for us. We added a ton of depth ie injury free ryan, Macarthur, stalberg, wingels, Burrows, dzingle, claesson

That's a big roster change especially when we consider it took the team almost half the season to get comfortable with the system.

Maybe the leafs rookies become even better and reach new Pt totals but Ottawa for sure is a better team now then a year ago Imo. Also potentially adding white and Chabot might be interesting
 

JD1

Registered User
Sep 12, 2005
15,984
9,547
New York Rangers are coming off a really good season. I would say they are locks. And they've improved their blueline (I don't care how bad some people think shattenkirk is. He's an upgrade on girardi. A significant one).

what I find pretty questionable about NYR is Hank. Not only did he suck in the series against us he looked pretty bad while sucking. Raanta was huge for them last year and he's gone.

I agree Shattenkirk is a huge upgrade but only on the O side of the puck. He's no hell defensively. Neither was Girardi
 

Benttheknee

Registered User
Jun 18, 2005
3,153
325
Ottawa
Don't know why people here would have Toronto above Ottawa from what we have seen.

In theory... they had a great season with 4 rookies having good season so one should expect normal year to year progression but there are two things that concern me. First is that 2nd year can be tougher for many rookies. The second is that they had almost no games lost to their top players. I think it was like 10 games from their top 6 or so players. For me, 10 games is normal for every player.

So I actually expect a slight fall back. The year after though? Watch out.
 

Sens of Anarchy

Registered User
Jul 9, 2013
64,989
49,506
Don't know why people here would have Toronto above Ottawa from what we have seen.

I am guessing most people see Toronto as a team on the rise. I know I do. I expect them to be better. They have improved their roster with Marleau and Hainsey. Plus the kids Matthews, Marner and Nylander will have more experience behind them to start this year. The 2 teams finished the year with a difference of 3 pts, Toronto had 1 more ROW. Toronto had the Caps in Round 1, lost, but .. they were a worthy opponent and gained experience.

Have the Sens improved... Assuming Mac plays , I would have to say its a wash overall...considering the loss of Methot and having Burrows and Thompson vs Lazar / Kelly / Neil. I expect Brassard to miss a month. If Mac is out ... we are not as good as what we were going into the playoffs last year. Sens gained some really valuable playoff experience as well.

If I had to bet I would bet the Leafs end up with more pts than the Sens ,,, I expect it to be close again .. within 5 pts. I am not very good at these predictions and a lot of factors such as injuries ... can come into play so... it really is anybody's guess.
 

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