Speculation: Would the Wings be a playoff team if they were in the West?

[Indrid Cold]

If so, where do you think they could finish at this year?

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[Detroit Knights]

absolutely.

there are so much more bad teams in the west the past few years or so and the east just keeps getting all the top end talent.

Would we win it all? no probably not. Edmonton/Colorado are both teams that would be difficult to get through. Even though our top players actually play mcdavid pretty well from what i've watched.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Yes.

Last season I think Detroit would have been somewhere between 8th and 10th in the west. If they were in the west in 23-24 I would guess 5th to 8th. It's a weak conference despite having the last 2 stanley cup winners.

 

[Detroit Knights]

Yes.

Last season I think Detroit would have been somewhere between 8th and 10th in the west. If they were in the west in 23-24 I would guess 5th to 8th. It's a weak conference despite having the last 2 stanley cup winners.

Well they have the last cup winners because they don't have much of a gauntlet to go through like TBL did for 2 years (not including the covid cup). Last year TBL had to go through all those teams, then play makar and mackinnon lol. That just seems rough.

The west has 4 teams that will be in the playoffs every year for quite some time (dal, vgk, edm, col). After that, it is arguably very jumbled up of mediocre teams. Seattle impressed but their first season was a dud, then they had unprecedented years from key players. Can they do that again? Even after not signing one of those key players (sprong). If one mediocre team makes a run in the west, then whichever 2 of the 4 teams I listed will have a much easier road.

With the east, you got NJD, TBL, NYR, BOS, CBJ (i actually think they'll be very good this year with less injuries), CAR, FLA (to an extent), and god willing DET. But then you got teams that can give you problems in the playoffs like BUF.

Crazy how the parity usually wins in the end, but seems overloaded right now.

 

[ricky0034]

it took more points to make it into the Playoffs in the West last year than it did in the East

 

[GMR]

No.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

it took more points to make it into the Playoffs in the West last year than it did in the East

Many more bottom feeders in the west.

San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago, Arizona, we’re 4 of the 6 worst teams.

 

[Gniwder]

Well they have the last cup winners because they don't have much of a gauntlet to go through like TBL did for 2 years (not including the covid cup). Last year TBL had to go through all those teams, then play makar and mackinnon lol. That just seems rough.

The west has 4 teams that will be in the playoffs every year for quite some time (dal, vgk, edm, col). After that, it is arguably very jumbled up of mediocre teams. Seattle impressed but their first season was a dud, then they had unprecedented years from key players. Can they do that again? Even after not signing one of those key players (sprong). If one mediocre team makes a run in the west, then whichever 2 of the 4 teams I listed will have a much easier road.

With the east, you got NJD, TBL, NYR, BOS, CBJ (i actually think they'll be very good this year with less injuries), CAR, FLA (to an extent), and god willing DET. But then you got teams that can give you problems in the playoffs like BUF.

Crazy how the parity usually wins in the end, but seems overloaded right now.

How Seattle does really depends on Grubauer. He played well in Feb and March to get Seattle into the playoffs. The system depends highly on the goalie, because Hakstol commits all the forwards to offense, leading to odd man situations on the defensive end.

I don't see how anyone could possibly think the Wings would be better off in the west considering how poorly this team travels. They've won one west coast road trip in the past decade and that happened last season. They usually get demolished on long road trips, even by crappy teams. Remember this team lost on the road to the Coyotes, Kings, Sharks, and Ducks.

Many more bottom feeders in the west.

San Jose, Anaheim, Chicago, Arizona, we’re 4 of the 6 worst teams.

Yeah, how the WIngs do against those teams last season?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

How Seattle does really depends on Grubauer. He played well in Feb and March to get Seattle into the playoffs. The system depends highly on the goalie, because Hakstol commits all the forwards to offense, leading to odd man situations on the defensive end.

I don't see how anyone could possibly think the Wings would be better off in the west considering how poorly this team travels. They've won one west coast road trip in the past decade and that happened last season. They usually get demolished on long road trips, even by crappy teams. Remember this team lost on the road to the Coyotes, Kings, Sharks, and Ducks.


Yeah, how the WIngs do against those teams last season?

More games against them, St. Louis, Vancouver and Calgary probably gives Detroit the extra points needed to get into the postseason

In the east, if Detroit doesn't sell Bertuzzi and Hronek (not even considering Vrana) they probably finish with 86-90 points. Still out of the postseason. In the east if they don't sell Bertuzzi and Hronek then I'd say they finish with 92 to 96 points.

Remember, Yzerman sold when it was clear Detroit didn't have what it takes to get into the postseason after those back to backs against Ottawa.

 

[Henkka]

it took more points to make it into the Playoffs in the West last year than it did in the East

Yeah, more easy points for the playoff teams, because the bottom teams are crap.

The Central is weakest division, think Wings would have success there. It¨s only Dallas and Colorado there. Wild is at cap hell, Jets are re-tooling, Preds are re-tooling, Blues just sucks and Yzerman is sucking the life out of them. Arizona is still bad and Hawks are terrible.

Imo, that Division should not have 3 playoff teams, but they will.

 

[Gniwder]

More games against them, St. Louis, Vancouver and Calgary probably gives Detroit the extra points needed to get into the postseason

In the east, if Detroit doesn't sell Bertuzzi and Hronek (not even considering Vrana) they probably finish with 86-90 points. Still out of the postseason. In the east if they don't sell Bertuzzi and Hronek then I'd say they finish with 92 to 96 points.

Remember, Yzerman sold when it was clear Detroit didn't have what it takes to get into the postseason after those back to backs against Ottawa.

The Wings lost to all 3 teams on the road, along with the crap teams I already mentioned. This team has sucked on the road for the past decade, if they were in the western conference, they'd be guaranteed to lose the majority of their road games. We're talking about a team that lost to the Coyotes.

The fact that the west has shittier teams doesn't mean much when the team has issues winning road games, especially on long trips that involve multiple road games in a row. Aside from the game start time, reduced traveling was one of the reasons why the Wings wanted to switch conferences.

Having more talent certain helps the situation, but keep in mind Larkin and Seider looked like crap in most of those games, so unless they changed their travel routine, I expect the team to continue struggling on the west coast.

 

[Detroit Knights]

How Seattle does really depends on Grubauer. He played well in Feb and March to get Seattle into the playoffs. The system depends highly on the goalie, because Hakstol commits all the forwards to offense, leading to odd man situations on the defensive end.

I don't see how anyone could possibly think the Wings would be better off in the west considering how poorly this team travels. They've won one west coast road trip in the past decade and that happened last season. They usually get demolished on long road trips, even by crappy teams. Remember this team lost on the road to the Coyotes, Kings, Sharks, and Ducks.


Yeah, how the WIngs do against those teams last season?

I see what you are saying but do you agree that our roster is better than last years roster? The way I interpreted the OP's question was for this coming season.

With our roster and how it is shaping up, I do not see how we would be worse than last year in regards to playing those teams.

Also, Vegas did win every series of those 4 teams by 2 games to 1, so 66% winning percentage against them. If you take our team against how those rosters are shaping up for this upcoming season, it would look like we could get that 66%.

In regards to how we did against those teams:

SJS - 2-0 record
CHI - 1-0-1
ARI - 1-0-1
ANA - 1-0-1

So out of a possible 16 points, we got 13, grabbing 82% of the possible points. Again, with the lineup changes, I don't see how we do not replicate this or beat it.

 

[Gniwder]

I see what you are saying but do you agree that our roster is better than last years roster? The way I interpreted the OP's question was for this coming season.

With our roster and how it is shaping up, I do not see how we would be worse than last year in regards to playing those teams.

Also, Vegas did win every series of those 4 teams by 2 games to 1, so 66% winning percentage against them. If you take our team against how those rosters are shaping up for this upcoming season, it would look like we could get that 66%.

In regards to how we did against those teams:

SJS - 2-0 record
CHI - 1-0-1
ARI - 1-0-1
ANA - 1-0-1

So out of a possible 16 points, we got 13, grabbing 82% of the possible points. Again, with the lineup changes, I don't see how we do not replicate this or beat it.

Team lost in SJ in OT. The wild card teams in the west actually had more points than the east, loser points don't mean much when the other west conf teams are beating up on those crap teams.

I already said the team may have more talent but Larkin and Seider were amongst the sleep walkers on the west coast last season. That doesn't bode well.

Considering how poorly this team travels, it's surprising how many people want them to travel more, lol. Either people have short memories or just like to argue I guess.

 

[The Real Pastafarian]

The framing of the original question seems to imply that the Wings won't be a playoff team this year in the East.

While most things would have to break well for the Wings (few key injuries, good or even great goalie play, bounce-back seasons for a few guys, continued advancement from a few others, pleasant surprises from a couple of the new acquisitions), that's not impossible.

I'd give us...one chance in 3. And about the same odds, were we in the West.

 

[dalem177]

The framing of the original question seems to imply that the Wings won't be a playoff team this year in the East.

While most things would have to break well for the Wings (few key injuries, good or even great goalie play, bounce-back seasons for a few guys, continued advancement from a few others, pleasant surprises from a couple of the new acquisitions), that's not impossible.

I'd give us...one chance in 3. And about the same odds, were we in the West.

You remind me of the heady days of Sputnik.

 

[better Red than Dead]

Doesn’t matter I love we are in the East. I cannot wait until we improve, imagine the built in rivalries with teams like Montreal and Ottawa going forward, not to mention the rivalry with Toronto.

 

[ColdToiletSeats]

who cares you have to beat everyone to win the cup