Speculation: Position in the Atlantic division

[get25]

Where are we going to be in the Atlantic division?

We will probably need another pool in October.
But with the actual team, what would be our position in the Atlantic division?

To start the discussion, I think that:

1. Tampa Bay (SC contender);
2. Toronto (Hainsey is the only top-4 above 26, Marleau will help, SC contender);
3. Ottawa (Cleasson and Chabot will replace Methot);
4. Buffalo (add Batiste, Bailey, Nylander, Pu, Asplund, Scandella, Beaulieu: they will find offense and defense, Johnson);
5. Montreal;
6. Boston (Carlo and McAvoy will replace Chara);
7. Florida (adding Dadonov will help but not much in AHL, maybe Borgstrom);
8. Detroit: two years to go in their rebuild - will be finished when Green is gone and Zetterberg/Kronwall retires.

could represent the order.

Click to read more...

 

[The Great Weal]

Depends if Markov stays.

 

[FireBurningBin]

We could possibly, but unlikely, be behind Toronto, Ottawa, Florida, Buffalo, Tampa. I'm not very confident about Buffalo though.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Toronto isn't a Stanley cup contender and we're not 5th in our division.

 

[get25]

I have 100% of the votes. lol!

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

My hope this yea is to get some young assets/picks at the deadline, sneak into the playoffs, have the kids progress, and make a lil run

 

[Habaneros]

I don't want to finish in first place in the regular season ...it's a curse....



We need to finish first in the playoffs !

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Habs are no worse than last season even if they haven't gotten better.

There's zero reason they'd drop to 5th in atlantic just because some teams tried to boost their team from bottom feeder to playoff contender.

Atlantic will be harder but we'll be in playoffs.

 

[Deebs]

3rd place

 

[David Suzuki]

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

We'll beat Toronto in 5 in the playoffs because Drouin is a playoff beast everywhere he plays

 

[le_sean]

I think Toronto takes a dip, sophomore slumps and all, their D is still dreadful. Ottawa hasn't done anything but lose a top pairing defenceman. Tampa gets Stamkos but lost Drouin. Their D is terrible too if they have a second pairing of Coburn-Girardi. I think Florida bounces back and Buffalo isn't quite there yet. Boston is Boston, just kind of there.

It'll be a dogfight.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Hard to say in July, with so much cap space left you have to think something will give between now and October..

I'll say 3rd? But I think it will be between 2nd & 5th depending how the rest of this offseason unfolds. If we finish top-3 it will be largely because Price went god-mode

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

1st fairly easily

 

[SquiddFX]

I voted second since it's the most likely outcome. I doubt we will be outside the top 3 in our division with CP31 in nets.

 

[get25]

Depends if Markov stays.

Seems to me, at this point, that without Markov we are out of PO.
I must admit that I am ready to suffer to get a real chance at Dahlin.

You have two or three d-men like him per decade.Took two years for Chabot to reach the same level.

We could possible, but unlikely, be behind Toronto, Ottawa, Florida, Buffalo, Tampa. I'm not very confident about Buffalo though.

Buffalo is ready to bring in many players like Toronto did last year.

Toronto isn't a Stanley cup contender and we're not 5th in our division.

They were 5th in offense last year. So in offense, they are a contender.

When you can ice Matthews, Marner, Nylander, JVR, Kadri, Bozak, Marleau you can compete with Crosby and Malkin. Add Hyman, Brown, Moore and Leivo.

Problem could be defense or in the goal.

They added Hainsey, drafted Liljegren and have Kapanen, Rychel, Johnsson, Griffith, Nielsen all under 24 years old with the Marlies.

They lost in OT against the Caps in game 7.

BTW, when the Sens lost in 2nd OT against the Pens, they were a true SC contender.

So at this point, I remain: Toronto might very well be in top-4 for the cup and we are going to have a tough time to be in PO.

 

[The Great Weal]

Seems to me, at this point, that without Markov we are out of PO.
I must admit that I am ready to suffer to get a real chance at Dahlin.

Dahlin and Bergevin fired, that would be a great year.

 

[googlymoogly]

Price if injured we finish last if not we get top 4.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Hainsey isn't even top-4. It's Rielly-Zaitsev, Gardiner-Carrick, Hainsey-Marchenko/Marincin/Rosen/Borgman. Easily changeable too if one of their forwards (JVR) is traded for a top-4 RHD.

I think Toronto will be top-2 in the division this year. I see no reason why all three of their kids would slump in the exact same season. Players of that caliber don't have sophomore slumps as bad as other rookies who aren't as talented.

As for standings, right now I'm thinking:

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

Although, if Markov doesn't return, it's not ridiculous to swap Buffalo and Montreal's spots, imo. I'm feeling Eichel having a huge year, too.

 

[Belial]

Too early to tell imo the team might change.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Tampa misses the playoffs and loses Drouin and signs Kunitz/Girardi and now they're SC contenders lol. Even with Stamkos healthy they're not that good.

Our division is awful, even without Markov I think the Habs can still lock up first in the division.

Habs
Tampa
Toronto
Buffalo
Boston
Ottawa
Florida
Detroit

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I'm going to say 3rd, possibly 4th though. Toronto is indisputably a better team than us now, so I'm not going to entertain the possibility of us finishing 1st. Ottawa is also probably better than us, however we could finish ahead of them. I don't think we will though.

I said 3rd behind Toronto and Ottawa, but I think we can still hold off Boston, Buffalo, Tampa, and Florida to finish 3rd, which keeps us in the playoffs. Detroit to me looks like a clear basement team in the division.

 

[Sterling Archer]

As much as poster here whine we still have the best goalie in the league one of the best D in Weber a top end goal scorer in Patches and young talent like Chucky and Drouin.

Not many teams have improved enough to be a legitimate contender to pass us. I'm more concerned with the playoffs than I am with the regular season.

 

[get25]

What I find funny is that last year, almost nobody would have put us ahead of TBL.

We had almost no injury.
If Stamkos keeps his pace (he had 9G-11A in 17G = 43G - 53A = 96 points).

That alone would being 34 more goals to TBL so they would have the second best offense in the league. Forget about the 42 more assists he would have brought...

But now some see us ahead of TBL.

TBL will not compete for the Atlantic division, they will compete for the Eastern conference. I see them ahead of Was, CBJ and NYR for sure.

If both Pens and TBL are healthy, it will be interesting.

Do not discount the young d-men in TBL prospect pool, they gave a lot to protect them in the ED.
They have a young d-men named Sergachev who might be NHL ready.
So Hedman, Stralman, Girardi, Coburn, Sustr and Sergachev could supply a top-4.
Add Hajek, Spencer and Cernak.

 

[Bieber fever]

Habs are easily worst than last year imo

Radulov >> Drouin for next year , specialy at 5vs5

Alzner >=Emelin . seriously Azlner is done lol dude is on serious decline.I'm not even sure he's a top at this time

A year older Weber and losing markov would be death sentence

 

[The Great Weal]

Habs are easily worst than last year imo

Radulov >> Drouin for next year , specialy at 5vs5

Alzner >=Emelin . seriously Azlner is done lol dude is on serious decline.I'm not even sure he's a top at this time

A year older Weber and losing markov would be death sentence

That is not true. Drouin played with awful players, it's why he has so many PP points.