Predictions for the 2015-2016 season

cobra427

Registered User
May 6, 2012
9,327
3,347
I predict that the Coyotes will not be the worst team in the NHL and will top 80 points. They are the consensus worst team in the west for sure according to all media I have seen. With Tip as the coach, the additions at C, a better PK, better D, and an injection of youth, I don't see us being last in the west. In the NHL, the right combination of players can go a long way versus just talent alone. In the end you need both, and we don't have the talent be a threat, but our coaching and continuity will be enough for us to avoid the basement.

If we make the playoffs, Tip might win coach of the year, DM might be GM of the year (if lands a RH PMD), and Smith will be a Vezina candidate. I would give us a 20% shot at the playoffs and a 20% shot at last in the west, 80% shot at some where in between.
 

Matias Maccete

Chopping up defenses
Sep 21, 2014
9,645
3,525
I predict that the Coyotes will not be the worst team in the NHL and will top 80 points. They are the consensus worst team in the west for sure according to all media I have seen. With Tip as the coach, the additions at C, a better PK, better D, and an injection of youth, I don't see us being last in the west. In the NHL, the right combination of players can go a long way versus just talent alone. In the end you need both, and we don't have the talent be a threat, but our coaching and continuity will be enough for us to avoid the basement.

If we make the playoffs, Tip might win coach of the year, DM might be GM of the year (if lands a RH PMD), and Smith will be a Vezina candidate. I would give us a 20% shot at the playoffs and a 20% shot at last in the west, 80% shot at some where in between.

Good to know the boys will be giving 120%:sarcasm:


I think we'll finish around the bottom 5, probably last in the west. I can see being above Toronto and maybe Carolina, but the west is so tough, I guess there's a chance we beat Vancouver but I don't think the sedins and miller allow them to finish below us. There will be a few teams with expectations of being decent being godawful due to injury or just poor play, so I can see us being something like 25th.
 

GiveAFlyingPuck

Boring hockey aficionado
Sponsor
Jun 19, 2011
10,234
7,304
NW Valley of the Sun
rocky-iii-33.png
 

XX

Waiting for Ishbia
Dec 10, 2002
54,886
14,502
PHX
The only thing the "continuity" will ensure is a bottom three finish. The D won't be better, Yandle is gone. The PK won't be better, as it has always been a coaching issue. Everyone that was here for the last few suckfests is now a year older, and slower.

There are many things that can ensure the team finish right at the bottom. There is only 1 perfect scenario where absolutely everything goes right, and even then, you're talking about maybe clawing away at the last playoff spot.

Every other team in the west improved, save perhaps Vancouver.

It'll be a long year. DT should be gone by Christmas on merit but we know that won't happen.
 

Redcoyote

Hungry
Mar 21, 2009
1,246
0
I don't care if we finish last as long as management actually recognizes that this is not a team capable of winning the stanley cup and takes that opportunity to invest in the future and play the young guys. This should be a season with the top two prospects getting a full season in and two-three other guys getting 15-20 games in.
 

Jakey53

Registered User
Aug 27, 2011
29,982
9,040
I predict that the Coyotes will not be the worst team in the NHL and will top 80 points. They are the consensus worst team in the west for sure according to all media I have seen. With Tip as the coach, the additions at C, a better PK, better D, and an injection of youth, I don't see us being last in the west. In the NHL, the right combination of players can go a long way versus just talent alone. In the end you need both, and we don't have the talent be a threat, but our coaching and continuity will be enough for us to avoid the basement.

If we make the playoffs, Tip might win coach of the year, DM might be GM of the year (if lands a RH PMD), and Smith will be a Vezina candidate. I would give us a 20% shot at the playoffs and a 20% shot at last in the west, 80% shot at some where in between.

I can not see the Coyotes even getting a sniff for a playoff spot. The only thing we improved, and only marginally, is our PK. Our C position may be a little stronger, but nothing to make a difference, and with Yandle gone every team will be watching OEL like a hawk giving him less room. It will be a long year.
 

DesertDawg

Registered User
Mar 6, 2002
6,271
22
Superstition Mts
ridefree.net
The kids will step it up in the 2nd half
The team will be one of the hardest teams to score upon
Hanzal will be resurrected and win the Masterton
Boedker will look like a 1st liner
GMDM will find an additional blueliner before the season begins
and make trades to open up spots for the rookies later in the season
Smith will do much better
Gormley will look like a top 4 d'man
Oliver will look Elite instead of an All-Star

The Arizona Coyotes will be the surprise of the season!

Age will catch up to the Sharks and Canucks
Oilers will still be the Oilers
Avs didn't improve themselves enough
LA implodes and sinks in the Pacific
 

cobra427

Registered User
May 6, 2012
9,327
3,347
The only thing the "continuity" will ensure is a bottom three finish. The D won't be better, Yandle is gone. The PK won't be better, as it has always been a coaching issue. Everyone that was here for the last few suckfests is now a year older, and slower.

There are many things that can ensure the team finish right at the bottom. There is only 1 perfect scenario where absolutely everything goes right, and even then, you're talking about maybe clawing away at the last playoff spot.

Every other team in the west improved, save perhaps Vancouver.

It'll be a long year. DT should be gone by Christmas on merit but we know that won't happen.

I get your doom and gloom prediction. But, not every team in the West got better. San Jose/L.A./Chicago/St Louis/Vancouver are not better, lost talent/got older. Dallas/Edmonton/Colrado have suspect Defenses that could ruin their playoff chances this year. Calgary is better but might regress after a break out year, Minni still relies on Duby, which could blow up in their face.
 

zerekstar

Registered User
Dec 5, 2010
2,468
425
Thunderbay, On (Kakabeka Falls)
The kids will step it up in the 2nd half
The team will be one of the hardest teams to score upon
Hanzal will be resurrected and win the Masterton
Boedker will look like a 1st liner
GMDM will find an additional blueliner before the season begins
and make trades to open up spots for the rookies later in the season
Smith will do much better
Gormley will look like a top 4 d'man
Oliver will look Elite instead of an All-Star

The Arizona Coyotes will be the surprise of the season!

Age will catch up to the Sharks and Canucks
Oilers will still be the Oilers
Avs didn't improve themselves enough
LA implodes and sinks in the Pacific
I actually agree with a lot of this I expect almost everyone will be better. Gordon really anchors that fourth line and that should make Chip play better. Hanzal I hope is tremendous. Gormley I think will become much better. Boedker, I don't know. might be a bit shy of the corners now. Smith might take half a season to get warmed up like usual. Oliver can't miss.

Vancouver and the Sharks are going to suck
 

ck26

Alcoholab User
Jan 31, 2007
11,892
2,035
Coyotes Bandwagon
I expect significant improvement.

Mikkel Boedker - Antoine Vermette - Dave Moss Anthony Duclair
Sam Gagner Max Domi - Martin Hanzal - Martin Erat Steve Downie
Rob Klinkhammer Tobias Rieder - Lauri Korpikoski Boyd Gordon - Shane Doan
Joe Vitale - Brandon McMillan Brad Richardson - Kyle Chipchura
BJ Crombeen John Scott

Oliver Ekman-Larsson - Zbynek Michalek
Keith Yandle Nicklas Grossmann - Mike Stone
Dave Schlemko Klas Dahlbeck - Connor Murphy
Chris Summers Brandon Gormley

Pizza Goalie
Devan Dubnyk Anders Lindback​

Lindback is probably a downgrade, but we thought Dubnyk would be a joke last year and wasn't, so in terms of pre-season expectations that's pretty even. I seenDoan and Michalek as regressing. Yandle-for-Grossman is a downgrade, but a totally different type of player. Gagner-to-Domi is a downgrade for this season.

Moss becomes Duclair
Crombeen becomes Scott
Klinkhammer becomes Rieder, Rieder improves year 2
Erat becomes Downie
Korpikoski becomes Gordon
McMillan becomes Richardson
These are all upgrades. Downie and Richardson will bring a lot more sandpaper than Erat and Klinkhammer.

I see the net result being better, and us being happier as we watch Domi and Duclair and Gormley and Dahlbeck and Murphy and Rieder all show flashes.
 

Sinurgy

Approaching infinity
Sponsor
Feb 8, 2004
12,425
3,877
AZ
This season rests pretty heavily on Mike Smith. If he does his usual suck until the games don't matter routine, then yeah, I can see them finishing bottom 5 easily. I won't even entertain a Vezina type of year because it's not happening but if he can play reasonably solid I think they'll be in playoff contention early on. They will start to fade in January though when the games start getting hard. They'll continue to slide down the charts and will be sellers at the deadline (they sure as hell better be sellers anyway!!!!) and will ultimately finish in the bottom 5-10 range.

While the above is my prediction, if they fall short I won't be disappointed. In fact I'd argue another bottom 3 finish is exactly what this team needs in the long run. All I'm hoping for are some flashes of brilliance from the youngsters and while I expect plenty of losses, I expect competitive losses, not a bunch of full on wood sheddings like last year.
 

Guest

Registered User
Feb 12, 2003
5,599
39
Like others, the general consensus is there will be more effort than there was last season. I fully expect a bottom 5 finish with maybe a spot where it looks like they'll do better than that before sliding right where they belong. None of the rookies will look like they belong on contenders just yet, that will take some time. Smith will play poorly the majority of the season except when it doesn't matter anymore or will play at his best and get injured. Boedker will return to form and likely gone at the deadline. Hanzal will be broken down and likely moved in the offseason next year for a marginal project player. Doan will be a third liner playing more minutes than justified. Tippet will be coaching the team longer than justified.

The bright spots for us will be the glimpses we see from players but they will not be consistent this early in development.
 

GiveAFlyingPuck

Boring hockey aficionado
Sponsor
Jun 19, 2011
10,234
7,304
NW Valley of the Sun
I'm going to go with the Coyotes getting 80-85 points. That's a little better than the pace through 41 games last season when Boedker and Hanzal were lost for the year. That puts us 22nd-23rd place. I'll take making the playoffs and winning the whole thing instead of being right.
 

Bonsai Tree

Turning a new leaf
Feb 2, 2014
9,180
4,462
The only thing the "continuity" will ensure is a bottom three finish. The D won't be better, Yandle is gone. The PK won't be better, as it has always been a coaching issue. Everyone that was here for the last few suckfests is now a year older, and slower.

There are many things that can ensure the team finish right at the bottom. There is only 1 perfect scenario where absolutely everything goes right, and even then, you're talking about maybe clawing away at the last playoff spot.

Every other team in the west improved, save perhaps Vancouver.

It'll be a long year. DT should be gone by Christmas on merit but we know that won't happen.

Again with the DT stuff. I haven't seen sack worthy coaching decisions, only awful roster decisions. Regardless of DT's input, that's on DM.
 

Muppet

7th Round Pick
Mar 13, 2011
13,319
7,436
We have the worst roster in the Western Conference and I fully expect to finish bottom 3 in the league. The bad luck streak finally ends and we win the draft lottery.
 

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