Your realistic expectations and predictions (Time to check back in...)

[ColePens]

Whether it's x's and o's, individual stats, team stats, etc. Let's see how wrong we can be in 10 months.

1) Pens come in 2nd in the division trailing Washington.

2) Fleury has better regular season stats than Murray, but Murray is still the goalie starting Game 1 of SCP.

3) First player to be traded is Derrick Pouliot.

4) Sid is 1st in points in the league, with over 100. Geno is not in the top 10.

5) Our powerplay is ranked in the top 5.

6) Scott Wilson has more points than Sheary.

7) Justin Schultz has a career high 37 points.

8) Kris Letang stays healthy and wins the Norris.

9) Fleury/Murray are kept all year. Neither are traded.

10) January is our worst month in terms of win/loss.


Obviously I cannot account for injuries on some of the predictions. Let's see how many I'm wrong about. What do you got?

Click to read more...

 

[66-30-33]

Fleury slumps and has a 2.9 GAA with an awful .890 save%. Too much into his head about Murray and a new team.

 

[billybudd]

1. Scott Wilson has the most goals of any player who spent time in WB last year

2. Justin Schultz continues on his path to becoming a Canadian Matt Niskanen on the ice, then tries to rake us over the coals in arbitration next summer with some preposterous salary ask

3. Trevor Daley is terrible for the first half of the season before righting the ship with a monster second half

4. Malkin goes a point per game, but looks very ordinary by his standards

5. Eric Fehr ends up as a plus player with double digit goals, is top 5 in the NHL in shorties and everyone still says he sucks

6. a squat machine cracks in half and lands on Daniel Sprong, ending any possibility of playing in 2017-18

 

[Call me betty*]

Pens will repeat this year....

 

[ColePens]

Pens will repeat this year....

Would be so awesome. Hardest thing to do in sports. Pens put together their best chance, but it's just such a hard thing to do. I hope that prediction becomes right and all 10 of mine are wrong. Because that one is the only one that matter in my honest opinion.

1. Scott Wilson has the most goals of any player who spent time in WB last year

My man. That is a prediction right there. Interesting to watch that battle go through the entire season. Wilson, Rust, Sheary, Kuhn, etc. It will be very interesting to see what happens. My money is on Rust if he's healthy.

Fleury slumps and has a 2.9 GAA with an awful .890 save%. Too much into his head about Murray and a new team.

If Murray was healthy from day 1, I could see that happening. Fleury was handed back the team almost the same was it was handed to Murray to run with. #29 got the break of a lifetime by not having that pressure from day 1.

 

[billybudd]

My man. That is a prediction right there. Interesting to watch that battle go through the entire season. Wilson, Rust, Sheary, Kuhn, etc. It will be very interesting to see what happens. My money is on Rust if he's healthy.

That's probably where the smart money is, if for no other reason than that Wilson's sort of 1-2 with games played and games on IR in his NHL career to this point.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Letang becomes a point per game player. Some context is that he scored 1.15 points per game during the regular season, once Sullivan was hired.

 

[mpp9]

If the PP personnel do what they're supposed to, Hornqvist is probably due for a career year with how Sid's playing.

I'd say 30+ goals easy if he's healthy.

 

[Winger for Hire]

HBK combine for at least 150 points (153 points if you want to be exact)

 

[Night Shift]

We get off to another rocky start and then finish the season strong. We will make it to the ECF but lose to TB. Malkin with a career low in points.

 

[PensandCaps]

1. letang and geno both play over 75 games.
2. letang tops 70 points, but loses norris for "not being good defensivly".
3. sid wins art ross with 95 points, geno 2nd with 88 points.
4. kessel hits 35 goals, 70 points.
5. HBK wont be a thing in the reg season that much, but returns in the playoffs.
6. fleury is traded at the deadline.
7. maatta still will be awful, DP takes a huge step forward and takes his spot.
8. scott wilson, 20 goals.
9. finish 2nd in the conference, win cup.
10. kunitz will be there

 

[Cherpak]

Wilson doesn't make it to Christmas without another season ending injury.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

MVP caliber season for Malkin. 40 goals and 100+ points. Dominates the faceoff circle all year. Plays 82 games and shows no ill effects from wrecking his elbow and saying "**** it... we'll play this one by ear" and dominates despite having linemates that would make most NHL fourth liners complain to their GM.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

1. There's goalie drama all year long. Not necessarily between the two guys in the crease or the guys in the locker room, but fans/media not being able to shut up about how it should be Fleury's net, even if it shouldn't.

2. Malkin misses 20 games again because he can't stay healthy, and plays pretty lousy in another 10 games because he should have sat those out as well instead of trying to be Superman.

3. Letang plays at a Norris-caliber level, but misses his usual 10-15 games to take himself out of the running.

4. Kunitz finds himself back on Sid's left wing just because.

5. Pens don't repeat. In fact, they bow out in either the first or second round.

-----

And now for the positive predictions.

6. Crosby challenges for the Art Ross. He might end up falling short, partially because #4 above, but he finishes top three again.

7. Kessel has a rebound year. He tops 30 goals again and flirts with 70 points.

8. Maatta plays more like the Maatta from the second half of the playoffs rather than the first half.

9. One of Sheary, Rust, Wilson, Simon, or whoever establishes themselves as a legitimate scoring option in the top six.

10. The team, as a whole, looks again like the team after Sullivan was hired, not the team under Johnston.

 

[DegenX]

1. Fehr, Fleury and one of Cole or Pooh are moved before the Christmas trade freeze.
2. Crosby, Malkin and Kessel finish the season in the top 10 for points.
3. Letang is a Norris finalist.
4. Sprong will be returned to his junior team once he's rehabbed his injury.
5. Kunitz will play out the final year of his contract with the Pens.

 

[Asuna]

1. There's goalie drama all year long. Not necessarily between the two guys in the crease or the guys in the locker room, but fans/media not being able to shut up about how it should be Fleury's net, even if it shouldn't.

2. Malkin misses 20 games again because he can't stay healthy, and plays pretty lousy in another 10 games because he should have sat those out as well instead of trying to be Superman.

3. Letang plays at a Norris-caliber level, but misses his usual 10-15 games to take himself out of the running.

4. Kunitz finds himself back on Sid's left wing just because.

5. Pens don't repeat. In fact, they bow out in either the first or second round.

-----

And now for the positive predictions.

6. Crosby challenges for the Art Ross. He might end up falling short, partially because #4 above, but he finishes top three again.

7. Kessel has a rebound year. He tops 30 goals again and flirts with 70 points.

8. Maatta plays more like the Maatta from the second half of the playoffs rather than the first half.

9. One of Sheary, Rust, Wilson, Simon, or whoever establishes themselves as a legitimate scoring option in the top six.

10. The team, as a whole, looks again like the team after Sullivan was hired, not the team under Johnston.

Can pretty much agree with all of this

 

[SEALBound]

Team:

2nd in Metro behind Washington

Coaching / Staff:

No changes

Players:

Sid - Comes out swinging early in the season and just out in front of the point race by December. Others gain on him through March but he pulls it out in April. Art Ross, Hart, Lindsey.

Horny - Rides the Crosby wave and rides it well.

Malkin - Takes him a bit to get back into things but finds chemistry with Kunitz and a kid. Ends the season with about 70 GP and 85 pts.

Kessel - Hits 35 goals and looks good doing it

Bonino - Has a fantastic 3C season that makes us scramble to sign him ASAP for as little as possible.

Hagelin - Struggles in the production area but impacts the play. His contributions though noticeable don't show up on the score sheet.

Cullen - Standard 4C year.

Kuhn, Wilson, Sheary, Rust - They all see time in the NHL. Wilson, Rust, and Sheary all rotate around. Kuhnhackl solidifies himself with Cullen and hits 15 goals, 20 assists.

Letang - Norris caliber year

Dumoulin - Solidifies himself as a solid #2

Maatta - Struggles, makes us question tradeability

Daley - Solid 2nd pairing guy, hit close to career yer in points

Cole - #5

Pouliot - Off and on the ice, plays well but fails to solidify his spot.

Schultz - Off and on the ice, plays well but fails to solidify his spot.

MAF - Struggles. Doesn't do well knowing Murray is there to take his spot.

Murray - Continues excellent play. Let's in some high gloves goals.

Come playoff time I think we blow through 1st and 2nd round teams...but I think we fall to Tampa Bay (assuming they sign Kucherov).

 

[Ugene Magic]

1. Pens finish #1/#2 in the east.
2. Crosby annihilates the league and has his best season with 122 points. Takes everything save the Richard trophy.
3. Malkin has a great season and gets above 100 points.
4. In Kessel's second year with the Pens he scores 37 goals and 90 points.
5. Letang forces the league to hand him the Norris. PPG.
6. I expect an 8th D-man to be acquired at the deadline or before. (depth)
7. HBK stays together.
8. Wilson steals someones job.
9. Dumoulin has a breakout type year.
10. Fleury is the starter of most of the games, including the playoffs.
11. Kunitz has a bounce back year setting up his next job elsewhere.
12. Pouliot is moved before they lose him to LV.

 

[#66]

Guentzel and Simon make the team this year and play well on Malkin wings. When I say make the team I mean eventually sometime this season.

Hagelin set a new personal point high.

Matt Cullen puts in another good year and does slip at all.

Mixing Sheary and Kunitz on Sids wing helps all involved.

Prow does well in WB and sees some spot duty in the NHL.

Crosby has one of his top 3 seasons.

Letang becomes a Norris nom.

Rust plays well. Kind of like a mix between Dupuis and TK.

The league catches up to Sullivan but he adjusts back proving hes more than just a flash in the pan.

Kessel becomes the PP quarter back.

The Pens feed Lunqvist his luch to him and he flips out again.

 

[WayneSid9987]

See them starting hot if MAF can hold the fort down just like WBS under Sully last year.
All i really want is the culture/identity to continue. Fast and fearless. Just play/disciplined.
Hopefully everyone stays relatively pretty healthy.

 

[Vega]

Sid and Geno play a full 79-82 game season.

Letang sets a career high in points and minutes played.

The wheels fall off Cullen mid season, Sundquist takes over 4c

Fluery is moved for a surprising return. The main board melts down because of it .

 

[Darth Vitale]

Predictions following Cup years scare me (one of the few superstitious type things I don't mess with) but I'll go with the relatively harmless:

Burgertime scores 45G including a hat trick against Toronto.
Fleury is the full-time starter this year and starts in the playoffs until he doesn't. Murray remains stoic.
Geno-beast returns, potting 40G 40A and impregnating his wife again.
The Cult of Sullivan begins in earnest...

...beyond that I predict nothing.

 

[Shaftception]

Can pretty much agree with all of this

Yup, most realistically plausible list thus far, even largely reasonable on expected point totals and injuries based on recent trends. Kudos certainly deserved, hoping the 5th point proves false of course.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

- Pens hit a rough patch. Half the board turns on Sullivan with KIRK carrying the lead pitchfork.

- Kunitz does just enough to stay in the top six the entire season, driving the rest of the board that didn't go off the deep end with KIRK to insanity.

- Sheary loses his spot with Crosby.

- He's replaced by Kunitz.

- Pens spin the story all season of how Murray and MAF have a bromance and are happy to split games 50/50.

- I roll my eyes and laugh.

- A young kid like Archie or Blue has a good season in the A

 

[Hockeygod66]

1. letang and geno both play over 75 games.
2. letang tops 70 points, but loses norris for "not being good defensivly".
3. sid wins art ross with 95 points, geno 2nd with 88 points.
4. kessel hits 35 goals, 70 points.
5. HBK wont be a thing in the reg season that much, but returns in the playoffs.
6. fleury is traded at the deadline.
7. maatta still will be awful, DP takes a huge step forward and takes his spot.
8. scott wilson, 20 goals.
9. finish 2nd in the conference, win cup.
10. kunitz will be there

Combined?