Rank the Canadian teams 2021-22

[A1LeafNation]

Former North Division Rankings.

Tier 1: Edmonton Toronto Montreal Winnipeg
Tier 2: Calgary Vancouver Ottawa

This is pretty much how last season ended, but what's your take?

Click to read more...

 

[zzoo]

For coming season, I see they'll rank quite close to last season:
1. Edmonton
2. Toronto
3. Winnipeg
4. Montreal
5. Vancouver
6. Calgary
7. Ottawa

 

[Necrobutcher]

1. Toronto
2. Edmonton
3. Winnipeg
4. Montreal
5. Ottawa
6. Vancouver
7. Calgary

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I have Winnipeg and Vancouver as most improved. Montreal taking a step back. I’m fairly confident that Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton are the top 3 but after that it’s very close between all of them. Calgary was the hardest for me to rank as on paper I think they look better than their results. Ottawa is poised to take a big step but I don’t think it’s this year. None of them are top contenders imo.
Toronto
Winnipeg
Edmonton
Vancouver
Montreal
Calgary
Ottawa

 

[Bouboumaster]

1- Toronto

2- I'd put Montréal in 2nd if it wasn't for the fact that the Atlantic will be a f***ing bloodbath, so I'll actually go with Winnipeg

3- Edmonton

4- Montréal

5- I'll go with Ottawa even tho I think they'll miss. They will be a casuality of a strong Atlantic division

6- Vancouver

7- Calgary

 

[libertarian]

Jets
Oilers

Habs
Leafs
Canucks

Flames, Sens

Top 5 will make the PO's

Jets 2nd in the central top 3 in league.
Oilers and Canucks 2nd and 3rd in the Pacific
Habs and Leafs 3rd and 4th in the Atlantic.
Sens and Flames will battle for last of the Canadian teams. If the Sens were not in the Atlantic and the Pacific instead I think they could be a bubble PO team that could make it.

Flames are a tire fire.

 

[North Cole]

WPG/TOR
EDM/MTL
VAN/CGY
OTT

I think we are between the 1st tier and 3rd tier. We may place higher than Toronto in our respective divisions because their division will be harder, but I think they are still a better team. I think WPG is the strongest northern team going into this year, best goalie and added some good D pieces. I expect us to be second in the Pacific. Could see MTL trading spots with VAN, they were skidding hard at the end of last season, prior to getting hot in the playoffs.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

1. Toronto
2. Winnipeg
3. Vancouver
4. Edmonton
5. Montreal
6. Calgary
7. Ottawa

 

[NyQuil]

I'm actually having a harder time compared with last year given the variety of strength of division IMO.

Have to think on it.

I guess my follow-up question is whether we are comparing overall competitiveness or how many points they will finish with.

 

[DJJones]

I don't think any of the teams are really a threat for the playoffs, defenses are going to get lit up by the strong American teams. But there's no outright bad teams either. Pacific teams have an advantage for making playoffs.

1. Toronto, still a scary offense with a solid defense, might be their last peak year before the cap starts chipping away. Probably lose Reilly next year for nothing. Playoffs.

2. Winnipeg, I thought they'd suck last year but somehow the defense didn't implode. Seems like they've improved so who the hell knows. Wild card

3. Montreal, I don't think they'll make the playoffs but gotta respect the run last year.

4. Calgary, think last year was abnormal, any reversion to the mean will be a giant improvement. If Monahan comes back healthy, good depth everywhere. Playoffs

5. Edmonton, scary top 6 but little else. I don't think McDavid and Smith can repeat what they did last year. Even if they have simply good years that's a drastic fall off. Playoffs because Pacific.

6. Vancouver, good offense but their defense is horrendous. Imo, it's worse than Edmonton's. Possibly wildcard.

7. Ottawa, could be good, could be shit. I don't know.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I'm actually having a harder time compared with last year given the variety of strength of division IMO.

Have to think on it.

I guess my follow-up question is whether we are comparing overall competitiveness or how many points they will finish with.

I ranked on overall competitiveness. Otherwise I think the Pacific teams get an advantage in terms of points because they play in a weak division.

 

[Brobust]

Edmonton
Ottawa
Calgary
Montreal
Winnipeg
Vancouver
Toronto (spirits crushed, begging to be put out of their misery)

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

1. Edmonton
2. Toronto
3. Winnipeg
4. Montreal
5. Vancouver
6. Ottawa
7. Calgary

I had Toronto over Edmonton last year, but I think the gains the Oilers have made at forward have pushed them slightly ahead to get the top spot.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Toronto/Edmonton are obviously the top 2. Edmonton might finish higher in the standings due to their division being weaker. Look at the standings over the past 2 years. Considering both of their cores are just now coming into their primes, I don’t see how they’d dramatically fall.

All the Jets fans are super stoked on their off-season and their dcore but honestly I don’t see it. They get the 3rd spot from me, but Dillon/Schmidt aren’t really that good and the rest of their dcore is among the weakest in the league. They have top tier forwards and goaltending though so that’ll get them to the playoffs most likely.

Vancouver 4th. They definitely improved this off-season even if the Coyotes trade won’t look pretty down the line. They also have an extremely weak dcore with no one who can eat hard matchups, but similar to the Jets, their strong forwards/goaltending could get them into the playoffs, especially since the pacific is weak.

Calgary/Montreal are about equal for me. I don’t think either makes the playoffs. Calgary could surprise given the weakness of the pacific but that roster on paper doesn’t look like a playoff team and last year they preformed even worse than they looked on paper.
Montreal I’m just not a believer despite their deep run. Price has been mediocre in the regular season for half a decade now, they’re missing their captain, and I question if Suzuki can actually be a true 1C that can drive an offense. They’re at the disadvantage of being in the meat grinder that’s the Atlantic this season.

Ottawa will probably take up the rear. They’re gearing up to make a push towards competitiveness soon, but it probably won’t be this season.

 

[antiqueslivers]

sooo regular season;
Toronto
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Montreal
Vancouver
ottawa/calgary

Playoff potential

Winnipeg
Montreal
Vancouver
Edmonton
Toronoto
ottawa

 

[Khelandros]

Winnipeg doesn't make the Playoffs; Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, St. Louis, and maybe Minnesota are better than them.
Pacific is sending only 3 to the Playoffs; Vegas, Edmonton, and one of Vancouver, San Jose, L.A., and maybe Seattle. Probably Seattle even though they passed on top end talent, they are still pretty solid from the net out.
Metro is sending 5 to the Playoffs, take your pick; Carolina, NYI, NYR, Philly, Pittsburgh, Washington.
Atlantic will only have 3 Playoff teams; Boston, Tampa, and Florida. Toronto nor Montreal are better than those 3.

 

[dukeofjive]

1)Toronto
2)Edmonton
3)Winnipeg
4Montreal
5)Vancouver
6)Calgary
7)Ottawa

 

[mac nylander]

we all ******* suck

 

[Byron Bitz]

sooo regular season;
Toronto
Edmonton
Winnipeg
Montreal
Vancouver
ottawa/calgary

Playoff potential

Winnipeg
Montreal
Vancouver
Edmonton
Toronoto
ottawa

Lol if Tavares fell a second later in game one Toronto sweeps Montreal and your singing a completely different tune but wtv

 

[Knies iT]

I don't think any of the teams are really a threat for the playoffs, defenses are going to get lit up by the strong American teams. But there's no outright bad teams either. Pacific teams have an advantage for making playoffs.

1. Toronto, still a scary offense with a solid defense, might be their last peak year before the cap starts chipping away. Probably lose Reilly next year for nothing. Playoffs.

HF's predicted the "cap to start chipping away" and the Leafs to miss the playoffs for three straight years now.

The reality is that this is probably the last year where the Leafs have to survive without quality ELC depth due to the disastrous Hunter drafts leading up to 2017. Next season they could have Amirov (1 yr deal with Ufa), Robertson, Anderson, Abruzzese, Abramov, Hirvonen, Sandin, Liljegren, Kokkonen, etc. competing for depth spots. Only a fraction of those names will make the team but it's 3x as long as the ELC competition over the past couple years. Kessel's retention also comes off the books to cover part of Rielly's raise.

 

[bossram]

1. Toronto
2. Winnipeg

3. Calgary

Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal in some order

7. Ottawa

Toronto is still clearly the best team on paper. They're in a tougher division, but you don't really play division rivals all that much anymore. This is like when people said Toronto was clearly missing the playoffs last year. Uh, nope.

Winnipeg is the most improved team for me. They've turned their weakness (blueline) into a legitimate strength. Calgary is meh as usual, but Markstrom rebounding should be enough to put them in a playoff position.

The next three I lump together because I don't actually think they're all that good. Edmonton is clearly the best on paper, but they have massive implosion potential considering their blueline and goaltending. Vancouver also has an absolutely disastrous blueline. Montreal is losing good players off their roster and regular-season Price doesn't inspire confidence. If I actually had to predict, I would slot Edmonton higher. But if I were betting (and I will be), I'll put Edmonton in the "miss" category.

Ottawa, I dunno, where else do I slot them?

 

[DJJones]

HF's predicted the "cap to start chipping away" and the Leafs to miss the playoffs for three straight years now.

The reality is that this is probably the last year where the Leafs have to survive without quality ELC depth due to the disastrous Hunter drafts leading up to 2017. Next season they could have Amirov (1 yr deal with Ufa), Robertson, Anderson, Abruzzese, Abramov, Hirvonen, Sandin, Liljegren, Kokkonen, etc. competing for depth spots. Only a fraction of those names will make the team but it's 3x as long as the ELC competition over the past couple years. Kessel's retention also comes off the books to cover part of Rielly's raise.

It already has started to chip away. Look at all the assets you've given up just to maintain the status quo the last couple years.

And ya, if Mrazek and a bunch of league minimum guys all outperform you could be fine. Honestly I don't see it, someone's gone next year, Rielly is gonna want to get paid. Similar to Hyman.

Borderline inevitable.

 

[golgoXIII]

-Montreal
-Toronto
-Winnipeg
-Vancouver
-Edmonton
-Ottawa
-Calgary

 

[Knies iT]

It already has started to chip away. Look at all the assets you've given up just to maintain the status quo the last couple years.

And ya, if Mrazek and a bunch of league minimum guys all outperform you could be fine. Honestly I don't see it, someone's gone next year, Rielly is gonna want to get paid. Similar to Hyman.

Borderline inevitable.

Broken record. Been hearing this for years.

They've proven with league minimum underperforming guys that they can still win a division (Thornton, Simmonds, Vesey, etc.). "All those assets" they've lost have been flipped into Amirov's, Anderson's, etc. while guys like Johnsson are being exposed for free in the ED.

Playoffs are a different story but keep dreaming if you think with the top end talent that they're going to regress in the reg. season. Keep hoping, I should say.

 

[DJJones]

Broken record. Been hearing this for years.

They've proven with league minimum underperforming guys that they can still win a division (Thornton, Simmonds, Vesey, etc.). "All those assets" they've lost have been flipped into Amirov's, Anderson's, etc. while guys like Johnsson are being exposed for free in the ED.

Playoffs are a different story but keep dreaming if you think with the top end talent that they're bombing the reg. season. Keep hoping, I should say.

??

I literally just said they're the best Canadian team. And ya, they aren't going to bomb. I said I think they peaked last year.