Playoffs

[Toadie]

Just curious with so many players shifting in the West, and with the Yotes new identity do you think the Yotes will make the playoff this year? Andy Barroway says he built the team to make the playoff this year.

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[moosemeister]

No way

 

[Englishcoyote]

not far away now, possible wild card challengers

 

[Tad Mikowski]

I voted top 10 pick this year. I think the year after though, they will break through

 

[Plub]

No. I think we'll finish 5th or 6th in our division.

 

[Ebb]

I went with close since I think we will finish above the bottom 10, but not enough to make the playoffs. Of course this may change if we add a RW or 2 and possibly a 2nd pairing RHD.

I'm guessing we'll finish around #19 in the league. Again, we'll need luck, but if we fall short (or are hit by serious injuries), We will probably end up around where we usually did (ignoring the last 2 seasons), which means ending up with the #7 or #8 pick in 2018's draft.

 

[SniperHF]

I still think we'll be bottom 10 but there's quite a difference between 28/29 and say 23.

We weren't good in 15/16 either but they were much better than last year and more enjoyable to watch. Hopping for that.

 

[Grimes]

We may be able to get 4th in the division, but the conference is too stacked. When you look at last year's standings it's hard to see us making it out of the bottom 10 barring teams having significant injuries. I'd be happy with being 21st out of 31 however as that would be a huge improvement, and adding one more top ten pick to our pool would be beneficial.

I do think we have a chance to have a Cinderella run, ala Colorado/Lumbus 2014 and Flames 2015, but it will be a longshot.

 

[Lilhoody]

I do think we have a chance to have a Cinderella run, ala Colorado/Lumbus 2014 and Flames 2015, but it will be a longshot.

I voted yes, because..."why not"?

 

[Toadie]

TO WIN NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE 2017-2018

Edmonton Oilers: +450
Chicago Blackhawks: +450
Nashville Predators: +750
Anaheim Ducks: +750
Dallas Stars: +950
Minnesota Wild: +950
Los Angeles Kings: +950
San Jose Sharks: +950
Calgary Flames: +1250
St. Louis Blues: +1250
Winnipeg Jets: +2500
Arizona Coyotes: +2500
Vancouver Canucks: +3500
Colorado Avalanche: +5000
Vegas Golden Knights: +7500

from http://www.sportsbettingexperts.com/2017-2018-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-futures-and-proposition-odds/

I think LA and San Jose will miss the playoff and there will be a 4 way battle for last 2 spots with the Flames, Jets, Blues and our Yotes. Hoping our Yotes will pull it off. Sorry if I bumbled the link

 

[_Del_]

I still think we'll be bottom 10 but there's quite a difference between 28/29 and say 23.

We weren't good in 15/16 either but they were much better than last year and more enjoyable to watch. Hopping for that.

Same. I'm just hoping we get a real development year and finish stronger than we started. More uptempo and enthusiasm behind and on the bench should be a great change.

 

[YotesFan47]

For sure we improved our roster but the question will be coaching. Will our new system be worthy? Will the young Yotes be able to quickly understand and execute the system? Will our new coach be able to motivate, teach, and discipline all at the same time without hurting key players growth?

If we hit on coaching/systems then I feel confident that we can squeak in, even if some of the young players we think will make the roster don't. You can make a sub par team decent with a great strategy that works to their strengths, I'm hoping Troch has that strat.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

For sure we improved our roster but the question will be coaching. Will our new system be worthy? Will the young Yotes be able to quickly understand and execute the system? Will our new coach be able to motivate, teach, and discipline all at the same time without hurting key players growth?

If we hit on coaching/systems then I feel confident that we can squeak in, even if some of the young players we think will make the roster don't. You can make a sub par team decent with a great strategy that works to their strengths, I'm hoping Troch has that strat.

That's the big question mark. Will the new system help the kids improve? I know these are big "ifs", but if Keller plays even better than he did at Worlds and Duclair gets a renaissance and Strome is able to handle 3rd line and get some PP time, I think we'll be a borderline playoff team.

The kids are just too inexperienced yet I believe to challenge for a playoff spot, but I don't want to put limits on the kids potential. We've got some exciting prospects, all I'm expecting to see is a change in philosophy which allows the fast skilled players to play that way, which means we should see some exciting hockey, which at this point after the last 5 years of Tippett dump and chase, it's all I can ask for.

 

[cobra427]

TO WIN NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE 2017-2018

Edmonton Oilers: +450
Chicago Blackhawks: +450
Nashville Predators: +750
Anaheim Ducks: +750
Dallas Stars: +950
Minnesota Wild: +950
Los Angeles Kings: +950
San Jose Sharks: +950
Calgary Flames: +1250
St. Louis Blues: +1250
Winnipeg Jets: +2500
Arizona Coyotes: +2500
Vancouver Canucks: +3500
Colorado Avalanche: +5000
Vegas Golden Knights: +7500

from http://www.sportsbettingexperts.com/2017-2018-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-futures-and-proposition-odds/

I think LA and San Jose will miss the playoff and there will be a 4 way battle for last 2 spots with the Flames, Jets, Blues and our Yotes. Hoping our Yotes will pull it off. Sorry if I bumbled the link

I think we will be better than Vancouver/Colorado/Vegas, the betting line reflect that, past that it is hard to say. To me it depends on:

1. Raanta, we don't know if he will be great, average or poor, same with LD. We need him to be good to have a shot at the playoffs. Smith was good last year, not bad, so this could be tough for Raanta.
2. If we pick up a 2RHD, our chances will be better, we don't have one now.
3. How much do the young guys contribute/improve? Looks like it could be a lot but hard to say.
4. Toch and staff, will they help guys play at a higher level? Again, hard to say.

I'll be happy if the team challenges for a playoff spot most of the year. If we still have a shot in the last 10 games of the season, making them matter, I would be pretty happy with that. Our talent level is better now than it has been since Ribs/Yandle was here, so if the stars align, we could have an upside surprise.

 

[Toadie]

I think we will be better than
2. If we pick up a 2RHD, our chances will be better, we don't have one now.

Biggest risk we have in my eyes. Kyle Wood is at least 1 to 2 years away. If we have a hole now it's RHD. I believe with the new more aggressive and faster system our kids will draw a lot of penalties. We will live or die on how our power play. I hope we won't see a forward playing defense on the PP ever again.

 

[PhoPhan]

4F/1D tends to be a more successful arrangement for powerplays, the Boedker experiment notwithstanding. With the dearth of offensive creativity among our defensemen, I think having a forward on the point will be the way to go. Stepan could be a good option back there based on playing style, though I'm not sure whether he's played that role before.

Depending on who makes the team, I'd like see Perlini and Duclair as the trigger men, Keller and Domi as half-wall playmakers, Strome and Dvorak as quarterbacks from the middle of the ice, OEL at one D slot until he's out of gas (with Goligoski and Chychrun platooning in relief), and then Stepan (or Goligoski or Chychrun) at the other D slot.

At any rate, there's a lot of room for another offensive talent on this team, regardless of position.

 

[Jakey53]

Just curious with so many players shifting in the West, and with the Yotes new identity do you think the Yotes will make the playoff this year? Andy Barroway says he built the team to make the playoff this year.

I think we should wait until training camp is over and see what the roster looks like.

 

[WrinkledPossum]

I think we'll be included in the playoff hunt graphics late in the season. Although the requirement for us to make it will be that we need to win 7 of our last 10 games and teamx needs to lose 7 of their last 10 for us to make it. The season should be fun, we'll continue to get better as the season carries on, and in the 18/19 season we'll all expect to make the playoffs.

 

[BUX7PHX]

Same. I'm just hoping we get a real development year and finish stronger than we started. More uptempo and enthusiasm behind and on the bench should be a great change.

What part of playing 6 rookies wasn't a development year? There's not really a fake development year, unless you want to count Strome being returned to Erie as such. Plus, we already finished stronger last year than when we started, so I don't understand a request for something different when what you are asking for actually did happen...

We still have some further development with Keller and Strome. Plus, now teams know more about players like Dvorak and Perlini with at least half a season of video on the two of them. They have to be prepared to know that there is now more of a target on their backs as the result of how they played last year. Still probably not a playoff team quite yet, but very hard to say. If the veterans that were added help to keep the flow going, we will start out ahead of the curve and may be the team that fades a little but still winds up in the hunt or in the final wild card spots.

 

[Matias Maccete]

I think we'll have a tough 1st quarter, better 2nd, and then after the all star break we'll pick it up. We won't make the playoffs but we won't be eliminated until around game 70. We'll finish barely outside of the bottom 10.

 

[_Del_]

What part of playing 6 rookies wasn't a development year? There's not really a fake development year, unless you want to count Strome being returned to Erie as such. Plus, we already finished stronger last year than when we started, so I don't understand a request for something different when what you are asking for actually did happen...

I'm sure you can find a plethora of posts detailing our failed development plan over the past three seasons which led to the firing of our previous coach.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

What part of playing 6 rookies wasn't a development year? There's not really a fake development year, unless you want to count Strome being returned to Erie as such. Plus, we already finished stronger last year than when we started, so I don't understand a request for something different when what you are asking for actually did happen...

We still have some further development with Keller and Strome. Plus, now teams know more about players like Dvorak and Perlini with at least half a season of video on the two of them. They have to be prepared to know that there is now more of a target on their backs as the result of how they played last year. Still probably not a playoff team quite yet, but very hard to say. If the veterans that were added help to keep the flow going, we will start out ahead of the curve and may be the team that fades a little but still winds up in the hunt or in the final wild card spots.

Agreed. The development continues. It does appear it's going to be to be on more (much more) of a fast track however.

 

[GiveAFlyingPuck]

I'm wondering where the goals are going to come from. We had a horrible showing of 191 goals for last season. (You also add 6 to the total for shootout wins.)

The players we still have from last year scored 118 goals. The ones we got rid of scored 73. The players we picked up scored 30. Right now we're sitting on 148 goals. I figure we'd need at least 225 to make the playoffs. Where are the 77 goals going to come from?

I guess you'll get more out of under-performing players (Duclair, McGinn, OEL) and those that were injured for significant stretches (Domi, Richardson). I figure those will get us up to the 190 goal mark. So that leaves Strome and Keller to get those last 35. I'm not seeing it.

Or we keep the opposition from scoring more than 2 per game.

Could be another long season.

 

[Toadie]

I think we will do well for the goals for.. the goals against might hurt. My gut is telling me we will be GF 230 GA 240. The increase of goals will because of better puck management and improved power play. Really hoping that with new coaching and player confidence our power play can be 19 to 20% We were soooo bad last year lol we can only get better. Really waiting to see who the assistant coaches will be.

PhoPhan 4-1 can work really well (Buffalo is a great example) I still have Boedker cough up nightmares lol. I almost wanted the Yotes to decline their power plays last year

 

[SniperHF]

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