Predict the upcoming season

Where will we finish?

  • Top 3 in division

  • 1st wild card

  • 2nd wild card

  • Missed it by that much

  • Lottery, bottom three

  • Runner77's pick ( 5th to 12th)


Results are only viewable after voting.

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,518
11,177
Montreal
I picked the first wild card which will most likely be 7th in the conference.

My reasons:

It looks like Price has a decent backup. He can play fewer games and be fresher throughout the season and the backup will provide a more solid game than Niemi did last year. I know during this off-season I was down on the Kinkaid signing but I'll gladly eat crow on this point.

With Weber & Kulak in from the start and the additions of Chia-Rot and possibly Fleury, our defence corps will be slightly better.

On the offensive side, I don't see an upgrade or downgrade with our top two lines. Where I do see a huge upgrade is on the bottom two lines. The 4th line is head and shoulders better than last year's and the team's depth is immensely better than last year. So injuries shouldn't have a serious effect on the team. Unless disaster happens and we lose Price, Weber, Danault, Gallagher, and Domi for most of the year

The PK will probably be about the same as last year and the PP will improve slightly but not by much. We were what last year - 30th? I could see us climbing to 26th-27th. LOL. Enough to Earn Muller a 5-year contract.:sarcasm:
 

Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
38,375
33,245
Montreal
I picked the first wild card which will most likely be 7th in the conference.

My reasons:

It looks like Price has a decent backup. He can play fewer games and be fresher throughout the season and the backup will provide a more solid game than Niemi did last year. I know during this off-season I was down on the Kinkaid signing but I'll gladly eat crow on this point.

With Weber & Kulak in from the start and the additions of Chia-Rot and possibly Fleury, our defence corps will be slightly better.

On the offensive side, I don't see an upgrade or downgrade with our top two lines. Where I do see a huge upgrade is on the bottom two lines. The 4th line is head and shoulders better than last year's and the team's depth is immensely better than last year. So injuries shouldn't have a serious effect on the team. Unless disaster happens and we lose Price, Weber, Danault, Gallagher, and Domi for most of the year

The PK will probably be about the same as last year and the PP will improve slightly but not by much. We were what last year - 30th. I could see us climbing to 26th-27th. LOL. Enough to Earn Muller a 5-year contract.:sarcasm:

Very sensible prognostications. One factor that tends to get over looked however is what the opposition has accomplished as well. Tampa already heads and tails above us. Leafs are a better team this year. Boston may slip some but not enough to fall below us. Florida the biggest gains in our division. That leaves us 5th and in a worse position than last year having to deal with the Met for one wild card spot.
The odds are getting pretty steep at this point.
 

Richard09

Registered User
Sep 8, 2019
8
25
I think they will miss it by that much. They still don't have a solution for the PP, and that costed them last year. They need every player to have a career year again which is not likely. NJ is better, nashville is still good, although columbus lost players, the will be in the mix. Florida is better so when you look at all the teams the additions to Montreal are not greater than the additions to the other teams in the east.
 

Beendair Donedat

Punk in Drublic
Dec 29, 2010
5,650
6,183
Truth or Consequences, NM
Derniere pour Lafreniere.

Habs were all out to beat Ottawa. This is going to be another bottom to mid pack year of missing the playoffs while listening to Leaf blowers brag. It’s like living in opposite land and I hate it
 

Runner77

**********************************************
Sponsor
Jun 24, 2012
83,292
148,954
DPweI5nU8AAAVBS

I've downsided it to a more manageable format, in case you'd consider replacing the original image.

PLAJYlt.jpg
 
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CH25

Self-proclaimed Habs connoisseur
Apr 12, 2010
14,364
1,920
Montreal
Will be happy with a strong showing from our up and coming players and a new GM. Barring playoffs or a top pick, this would be the most ideal result of this season.
 

Shad

Registered User
Mar 5, 2011
1,128
1,065
I think we do worse than last year unfortunately. Also, bold prediction, Toronto will miss as well.
 

Lafleurs Guy

Guuuuuuuy!
Jul 20, 2007
73,920
42,975
In order for us to make it, all three of Weber, Petry and Price must remain healthy. I do not see this happening and as a result, I think we'll miss.
 
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Tyson

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
44,580
60,389
Texas
Sorry Hab fans but this is not a playoff team as is.

Why sign Price to that contract if you can’t build a decent team around him?
 

Beige Van

Registered User
Oct 4, 2009
2,263
579
Canada
I'm putting them 10th or 11th in the Eastern Conference. I also think the injury bug will bite them much harder than last season; aside from Weber missing the first couple of months, they were remarkably injury free for the most part.
 

RandR

Registered User
May 15, 2011
1,901
411
I'm picking them to grab the 1st wild card.

In their favour compared to last year:
- healthy Shea Weber from the start of season (and his impact on Carey Price's game)
- better backup goaltending. Kinkaid over Niemi is likely worth at least the 4 points that would have put them int o the wc#1 spot last year

They will miss Andrew Shaw though.

It is hard to imagine that all the players who had career years will match or succeed them, but they have a lot of really young players whom are not yet anywhere near their potential.

Injuries of course can put a wrench into everything, but that also counts for the teams they will be battling with for a player spot.
 

LeHab

Registered User
Aug 31, 2005
15,956
6,259
I've downsided it to a more manageable format, in case you'd consider replacing the original image.

PLAJYlt.jpg

I appreciate your initiative however Mr. Alzner has advised he would prefer to maintain full size to ensure maximum visibility for consideration as a new D.

Mr. Alzner does recognize potential for increased risks of seizure, general anxiety and permanent cornea damage however benefits far outweigh those risks.
 
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Runner77

**********************************************
Sponsor
Jun 24, 2012
83,292
148,954
I appreciate your initiative however Mr. Alzner has advised he would prefer to maintain full size to ensure maximum visibility for consideration as a new D.

Mr. Alzner does recognize potential for increased risks of seizure, general anxiety and permanent cornea damage however benefits far outweigh those risks.

2hbbkl.gif


Mr. Alzner is too busy prepping his intermission shows at Baby Bell to care about this thread.

cZsLR4h.gif
 

JianYang

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
17,753
16,107
Very sensible prognostications. One factor that tends to get over looked however is what the opposition has accomplished as well. Tampa already heads and tails above us. Leafs are a better team this year. Boston may slip some but not enough to fall below us. Florida the biggest gains in our division. That leaves us 5th and in a worse position than last year having to deal with the Met for one wild card spot.
The odds are getting pretty steep at this point.

It's going to be a tough mission. I look to the playoff teams last year which are in most danger of losing their spots, and that would be NYI, and Columbus IMO.

The sabres at some point will take a step. There was a point last year where they won 10 in a row. I think they are close to taking another step as soon as this year.

As you mentioned, Florida has made big gains on paper, and this was already a team that underachieved last year.

In the Metro, the Devils had a great offseason, ans should make big gains. The flyers are also more than capable if Hart continues progressing for them. I'm not sure if the rangers have enough, but they got the panarin prize to go with their youth movement, which is considered one of the best pipelines in the league. Maybe it's early for them to make a big push, but they should be better.

While I suspect the isles and jackets to to be at the highest risk of losing spots, I also feel like they will still be a part of those bubble teams to contend for those questionable spots.

So you have basically 2 spots up for grabs and 5-7 teams that will challenge for those spots with Montréal in the middle of that group.

There just not alot of room for error or injury bugs here.
 
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hvac412

Registered User
Apr 15, 2013
1,765
1,626
Will be happy with a strong showing from our up and coming players and a new GM. Barring playoffs or a top pick, this would be the most ideal result of this season.
A perfect world would be magoo giving up the president of hockey operations position.:thumbu:
 
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Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
38,375
33,245
Montreal
2hbbkl.gif


Imagine if she ends up being the most discerning Habs fan of all time. :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
Wake UP KK the season is nigh.
 

habamillions

Registered User
Jul 9, 2009
4,602
1,411
Ottawa
2nd wildcard if things go right. I have bruins,bolts leafs,caps,pens ahead for sure. So that leaves 3 spots open. Florida is improved. I think they get in
So final 2 spots. Rags got lucky with the lottery and improved a bit but lundqvist is not the same goalie he once was. Who knows how they do. Devils and canes are overrated. Huge goaltending issues with those 2 teams. Cbus took a step back. Isles same as canes had a goalie tandem, now 1 has to do the job that 2 did. So realistically habs have to battle with the isles,canes devils and rags for 2 spots.
 

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