Ok. So tomorrow is the big night. LVK will pick all their players and the world gets to see and judge their selections.
That said, LVK will have a very very good back end in goal and on D. There are trades that are going to go down, but that doesn't stop them from picking 9 or more top 4 D men. At least one or two of those D men will break out and become 1 and 2 top pair. And when you add that to the entry draft, they will have some serious competition during their first camp.
They will be thin up front with a limited selection of forwards and absolutely no top centres to choose from. But they will have the guns to make a trade for one during the summer.
Before, expansion teams making the playoffs in their first season was inconceivable. But there is the exception to the rule. The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs by a single point in their 93/94 season on the back of John Vanbiesbrouck and Scot Mellanby scored 30 goals. Their record for that year was an impressive 33-34-17 for 83 points.
The other side of the coin saw the Washington Capitals go 8-67-5. Milt Schmidt was the first GM of that crazy train. That year they went 38 straight road losses before finally beating the California Golden Seals 5-3 in a thriller. The players all signed a green trash can and hoisted it above their heads, Stanley Cup style and had a very ruckus evening in the bars that night. They finished on the road with a 1-39 abysmal road record. I was at that game as a 10 year old and my dad bought me my first Caps jersey. I still have it, although he was the Caps fan, and I followed in my grandfathers footsteps as a die hard Leaf fan.
Thats the best and the worst of expansion drafts. Now its safe to say, that with the talent exposed in this expansion draft, the Golden Knights won't repeat what Washington did.
Which brings me to my question. Sorry for taking so long, but I love to talk hockey.
Do you feel the Knights have a chance to make the playoffs in their inaugural season? This is a question that you are allowed to change your mind on after their draft. They are in the west where Nashville easily made it in with 94 points and the team behind them were the Jets with 87 points. They would have to de-throne one of:
Chicago -109
Minnesota -106
St louis - 99
Anaheim - 105
Edmonton - 103
St Jose - 99
Calgary - 94
Nashville - 94
Under that top 8, there is really nothing chasing that would get close again with the exception of the Jets.
I think that those 8 teams that made it are locks again for this upcoming year with the exception of Calgary. If the Jets have a chance, its by knocking out Calgary and will likely come down to season series.
I predict, before the draft that LVK finishes with a respectable 9th place finish with 89 points based on solid D and goaltending. I will reserve my post prediction until after all the dust has settled to see if they pick up a top centre or two, because thats all that team will be missing.
So tell me your pre and post predictions before the draft. Please be respectful of other posters opinions.
That said, LVK will have a very very good back end in goal and on D. There are trades that are going to go down, but that doesn't stop them from picking 9 or more top 4 D men. At least one or two of those D men will break out and become 1 and 2 top pair. And when you add that to the entry draft, they will have some serious competition during their first camp.
They will be thin up front with a limited selection of forwards and absolutely no top centres to choose from. But they will have the guns to make a trade for one during the summer.
Before, expansion teams making the playoffs in their first season was inconceivable. But there is the exception to the rule. The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs by a single point in their 93/94 season on the back of John Vanbiesbrouck and Scot Mellanby scored 30 goals. Their record for that year was an impressive 33-34-17 for 83 points.
The other side of the coin saw the Washington Capitals go 8-67-5. Milt Schmidt was the first GM of that crazy train. That year they went 38 straight road losses before finally beating the California Golden Seals 5-3 in a thriller. The players all signed a green trash can and hoisted it above their heads, Stanley Cup style and had a very ruckus evening in the bars that night. They finished on the road with a 1-39 abysmal road record. I was at that game as a 10 year old and my dad bought me my first Caps jersey. I still have it, although he was the Caps fan, and I followed in my grandfathers footsteps as a die hard Leaf fan.
Thats the best and the worst of expansion drafts. Now its safe to say, that with the talent exposed in this expansion draft, the Golden Knights won't repeat what Washington did.
Which brings me to my question. Sorry for taking so long, but I love to talk hockey.
Do you feel the Knights have a chance to make the playoffs in their inaugural season? This is a question that you are allowed to change your mind on after their draft. They are in the west where Nashville easily made it in with 94 points and the team behind them were the Jets with 87 points. They would have to de-throne one of:
Chicago -109
Minnesota -106
St louis - 99
Anaheim - 105
Edmonton - 103
St Jose - 99
Calgary - 94
Nashville - 94
Under that top 8, there is really nothing chasing that would get close again with the exception of the Jets.
I think that those 8 teams that made it are locks again for this upcoming year with the exception of Calgary. If the Jets have a chance, its by knocking out Calgary and will likely come down to season series.
I predict, before the draft that LVK finishes with a respectable 9th place finish with 89 points based on solid D and goaltending. I will reserve my post prediction until after all the dust has settled to see if they pick up a top centre or two, because thats all that team will be missing.
So tell me your pre and post predictions before the draft. Please be respectful of other posters opinions.
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