TSN: Standings projection: Leafs ranked 4th in Atlantic

[Trainspotter]

Kharlsson has quickly become the best Defender in the league, miles above even the likes of Letang, Doughty and Sutter.

Except when it comes to, you know, defending.

 

[Pi]

Except when it comes to, you know, defending.

No he's not wrong. Kharlsson is a great defenseman, probably better than Lidstrom but we aren't talking about Kharlsson, we're talking about Karlsson.

 

[CellarDweller0]

I think this season, aside from a few obvious teams that are/will be rebuilding (Buffalo), is going to be very close and many will be surprised how the season ends.

 

[Vexed]

We have as much a chance to run away with the division as we do to just miss out on a WC spot. I doubt more than 8pts will separate 1-5 this season

 

[Pi]

I think this season, aside from a few obvious teams that are/will be rebuilding (Buffalo), is going to be very close and many will be surprised how the season ends.

Top 3 teams from each division + 2 highest get into the playoffs right?

So we have 3/5 chance in our division to make the playoffs (I don't consider Tampa, Florida and Buffalo to be even close).

I'll take that chance. I don't think any team in our division is going to run away with the division. It's going to be a close one till the very end.

 

[Mowerman]

Fair list for our division outside of Detroit. Some of the other ones are pretty brutal though.

 

[Mess]

My feelings are the same as TSN

Toronto will battle Montreal for 4th and 5th in the Atlantic and Philly verses NYI for that same spot in the Eastern conference.

I think the 3 teams in each division that they have as playoff teams are also mine.

 

[Gobias Industries]

Love reading the Detroit hate..

Two years ago they had 102 points, last year they effectively had the exact same season as the Leafs, except they won a round before losing the the Cup champs in 7.

Why would the Leafs be ahead of the Wings at this point?

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

Detroit is a strong defensive team and they added Alfredsson and Weiss to Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen. I think they will finish 1st/2nd alongside Boston. The next 3 are interchangeable IMO (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal).

 

[o Oblivious]

I honestly say its a toss up in the 1-5 spots. Obviosly the two Florida teams and Buffalo will be at the bottom, Miller being at a down slide in his career and Tampa and Florida stuck in constant rebuild. I think all five of them make the playoffs as they are much stronger than the metro teams. Washington and Carolina were only in contention because of the divisional title. I expect NYR, PIT, and Philly to make it with the Islanders and Devils giving the atlantic 5 seed a run for its money.

Each team has a few question marks to answer.

Boston: I don't see Iginla and Ericson as a question mark, good players always find a way to make things work, however the loss of Ferance and Peverly are the two glaring differences. The question now is can Hamilton and other Boston young guns step into the shut down rolls effectively enough. Also Rask just got big money, granted he was deserving of it but that doesn't mean he won't sit back now. If he stays focused and they get suitible shutdown replacements then the Big Bad Bruins will finish at the top regardless of the rest of the divisions sucess.
Projected Finish: 1

Detroit: new time zone, new division, new game. Everyone knows that the East is more physically punishing than the West which tends to build better teams. Detroit is on the end of an era. When Datsyuk and Zetterberg go the last dynasty goes with them. Alfy comes in to bring some more talent to the top 6 making Brenan (Brunner?) expendable. However the same question marks from last season stand. This teams defense is in shambles, and the Offense is aging,fast. The Red Wings superstars are once again going to have to carry the team if they want to make the playoffs, this time however it won't be sitting on a plane that tires them out.
Expected Finish: 5

Tbc

uhhh. I'm a leafs fan, and I have to say no to that. The West is more physically punishing.

 

[Trainspotter]

No he's not wrong. Kharlsson is a great defenseman, probably better than Lidstrom but we aren't talking about Kharlsson, we're talking about Karlsson.

Yeah, but anyone who has Andersin backing him up is going to look good.

 

[Mowerman]

Detroit is a strong defensive team and they added Alfredsson and Weiss to Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen. I think they will finish 1st/2nd alongside Boston. The next 3 are interchangeable IMO (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal).

Detroit isn't a strong defensive team by any stretch. Their goaltending is not great and they don't have a very good blueline. Weiss will miss at least half of the season and Alfredsson is old even by Detroit standards. Both Toronto and Montreal will get better goaltending and finish above them. Feel free to bump this thread at the end of the season quoting this post.

 

[Penalty Kill Icing*]

Andersin, Kharlsson ?

 

[theIceWookie]

I'm sorta curious as to why Tampa sent down Drouin .

He, with Stamkos and MSL would've been an unreal line for them.

With time running out with St Louis, and Stamkos hitting FA in 3 years, they REALLY need to do something. This whole stuck in less then mediocrity level is a bit worrisome.

Buffalo, who need to deal Vanek and Miller sooner rather then later could be set up nicely for the future, however it all depends on the deals they get for their players.

Flordia... Who knows. Barkov, Gudbranson, Huberdeau, Markstrom, Kulikov etc they have good pieces, they need to start to come together.

Last year was his first full year in the Q. He could stilll learn a ton of stuff playing another year in the Q. And now he's going to be the guy on the Mooseheads, not always playing tug of war with MacKinnon. It could really help him develop a lot.

 

[CmonLeafs]

TSN predictions are notoriously awful. For the most part they take the teams that made the playoffs last season and tweak it slightly.

This is because it's a consensus pick. Even if each of them individually have some crazy picks, they balance out to essentially what happened last year. Same thing would happen if this whole board tried to make some predictions.

 

[Fogelhund]

I can't seem to find their full rankings from last year but did find this.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=413838

The Penguins were also predicted to finish first in the NHL's Eastern Conference during the regular season while the St. Louis Blues were picked to finish first overall in the Western Conference.

The Ottawa Senators were picked as the only Canadian team to make the playoffs in the East, while the Vancouver Canucks were the lone Canadian representative in the West. The panel projected Ottawa finishing in seventh and Vancouver placing second in their respective conferences.

The Montreal Canadiens were predicted to finish the season in 12th place, with the Toronto Maple Leafs projected to place 13th and the Winnipeg Jets finishing in 14th place.

In the West, the Oilers were projected to finish 13th, while the Flames were expected to finish in 14th place.

The Tampa Bay Lightning were tabbed as the team that could surprise hockey fans in the East while the Philadelphia Flyers, on the other side of the spectrum, may not meet expectations this year.

 

[Gobias Industries]

TSN predictions are notoriously awful. For the most part they take the teams that made the playoffs last season and tweak it slightly.

Are there any predictions that are famously awesome?

 

[The CyNick]

Just like when Yzerman and Fedorov left eh I'd never write off Detroit

I will. they don't have elite talent coming behind those guys. Tatar is good, but I don't think he will bee elite.

they are due for a fall in the next few years unless they get some hidden gem again.

 

[The CyNick]

Are there any predictions that are famously awesome?

to me, that's why this whole process is useless. nobody knows what will happen

 

[JackJ]

Seems about right. The Bruins, Wings and Sens are a cut above us. Leafs, Habs, Caps, Flyers, and Islanders for those last two playoff spots.

 

[theIceWookie]

Love reading the Detroit hate..

Two years ago they had 102 points, last year they effectively had the exact same season as the Leafs, except they won a round before losing the the Cup champs in 7.

Why would the Leafs be ahead of the Wings at this point?

I've long learned to not underestimate the Wings. They find a way of making it every year.

 

[Poignant Discussion*]

I don't see the Detroit-Ottawa love at all

Our forwards and defense are better than Ottawa and their goal tending is better but not by a ton.

Detroit matches up well on the top 2 lines, but have little or no depth after that and our defense is better and goal tending is equal

I have no clue why Detroit and Ottawa are pretty much tagged as 2-3

I see the Leafs as high as 1 and as low as 5. I'm feeling 2nd with 101 points and Detroit in 3rd with around 96'ish points The rest of the division not qualifying

In the Metro I see The Pens, Capitals, Rangers, Islanders and Blue Jackets all qualifying

 

[The CyNick]

Love reading the Detroit hate..

Two years ago they had 102 points, last year they effectively had the exact same season as the Leafs, except they won a round before losing the the Cup champs in 7.

Why would the Leafs be ahead of the Wings at this point?

Detroit's core is older and getting older. our core is still getting better

we also added more in the off season.

wings by the luck of the draw played an easier team in the first round than the leafs did

I don't know who will finish where, but I just don't see detroit in a different position than teams like the leafs, habs, and sens. they all could be comfortable playoff teams, but could also be on the outside looking in.

 

[zeke]

MacArthur went from a "crappy" 3rd liner on the Leafs, to suddenly being a crucial secondary scorer for the Sens.

I think that says it all about the Sens' scoring depth.

 

[zeke]

Detroit is a strong defensive team and they added Alfredsson and Weiss to Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen. I think they will finish 1st/2nd alongside Boston. The next 3 are interchangeable IMO (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal).

Alfredsson and Weiss in, Fillpulla and Brunner out.