ali-iggy Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 1st: L.A (i thought they would be first last year) 2nd St.Louis (2 times a row) 3rd Minnesota (with or without Suter and Parise) 4th Dallas(Jagr and Whitney) 5th Vancouver 6th Detroit 7th Calgary (they stay Healthy) 8th Nasville (L.A Situation last year) 1st PITTSBURGH (Crosby back for the year) 2nd Tampa (huge improvements) 3rd Boston 4th Philadelphia 5th New York R 6th: Carolina 7th: Buffalo 8th Toronto/Ottawa Update will be August when Free agents are all done EDIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DL44 Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 A little early still since the 2 biggest FA's haven't settled yet, nor have the dominoes there after.. i.e. Semin, Carle, Doan, Rosival, Jeff Finger (ok joking about the last one)... A lil early.. but glad you see Dallas as in... But how the HELL do you have Minny as the div winner without either Suter or Praise????? Mind boggling... Now if they land one or both of em... but you specifically stated 'with or without' hence the mind boggling part... Detroit as the the 4th is also a stretch considering they have no replacement for Lidstrom. Or Toronto IN with their goaltending as is... possible i guess. Still unlikely i think. Vancouver's "spirit" is an issue??? heh heh.. i'm expecting another challenge for the President's Trophy since they haven't sustained any hits to their roster like past PT winners... Spirit? really? heh heh... Goaltending - solid... D deeper... Forwards as is for now - the weakness since Kesler is out till Dec... thank you lockout.. PT contender again in my rose colored eyes. I do see the Flames as a playoff contender tho.. so there's that... but above Colorado?? not sure about that yet either... I don't follow the East as closely, but your admission of Washington is noteworthy... Still early.. but fun nonetheless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonous_Xodus Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Wait, Minny wins the divison without Suter/Parise. Are you kidding me? Theyre the weakest team in the divison on paper, their number one defenseman is TOM GILBERT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest happycat Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Oh this one is easy, The Calgary Flames finally go on a winning streak rampage, only until that magical date (ummm Dec.21, 2012, when The Chinese Red army using the Tesla chono sphere from Red Alert Game by Westwood game makers, beams Chinese tanks in Downtown Calgary and Edmonton, (all over Canamerica, (north America), while the we are watching hockey for Iggy's 49th goal in 50 games, would have been. And then the vibrations of rumbling tanks, rumbles the puck one nano inch off fate's intended trajectory and is blocked by the "nut pad" of opposite goalie). The Washington Capitals. They are too busy watching game (as it's a winning streak of a shutout, or something)... and the PLA blow up the statue that looks like a giant scholong, and then the Freemasons are trying to use their Dan Brown Freemason powers sheilding to block Chinse shells. before they attack the White house. Obama and his cabinet escape on a spaceship to Alpha Zeti, As Cyborg CIA grim faced agents (terminator robots), shed their skins and attack with the "mini Gun", at the hoomons. And the Chinese nuke Washington with nukes, like on Fallout 3 game..... Then Will Smith screams like a little girl (that will smith screechy scream he does), as REAL Bongolidites (that biker named "Boris"), is REALLY shooting bone needles at him, and his "Noisy Cricket" is just a cheap plastic painted with Chrome..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
returnofthejets Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 A little bit to early to make predictions as there's still not enough clarification on many teams situations. For the east, your early predictions in my mind are off track. -Tampa won't be 2nd, they won't even win the division. Huge improvements?, Lindback hasn't proved anything yet, so their goaltending is still a massive question mark. Salo will most likely get injured and miss large amounts of the season. If they can't get Purcell resigned then they probably trade him at some point during the year. -Ottawa started to dip down toward the end of the season after surprising everyone. I can't see them taking the division ahead of Boston...of which you don't even have making the playoffs. -The Leafs, well, they'll probably have a hot streak at some point in the season causing our nations sports media to devote even more time to them, but that shouldn't be enough to get them 8th. -As for the Jets, like the past year they should contend for the 8th but may just come up short. The caps will have new life with Oates behind the bench and should take back the division from the Panthers who I don't think make the playoffs this time around. The canes should be better than last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crzydrvr Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Lemme try! 1. Vancouver: Still the best team in the West but the gap has closed considerably; no more 2011 Canucks dominance. 2. Los Angeles: Sneakiest 8th seed to ever play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.... 3. St. Louis: Depending on what happens with the goaltending, but right now has a slim lead over DET, NSH, CHI. 4. Chicago: Gets a leg up on DET and NSH because it pulled even compared to both the other teams losing key players. 5. Nashville: Team will likely still play same style of play which means they'll stay competitive. 6. Detroit: Still a very good roster, except without the best modern day defender in the game. 7. Minnesota: Can Parise and Suter turn it around in Minny? Only one way to find out.... 8. Calgary: Homer pick . ---------------------- 9. San Jose: Don't know if they have the horses to get back into the elite....despite icing very talented roster. 10. Phoenix: Will stay within the mix; may rise on this list if Doan comes back. 11. Dallas: Will Jagr and Whitney be enough to make this team a playoff team? Probably not. 12. Anaheim: Lacks depth behind its star players; could rise on the list if they can get a little more lucky. 13. Colorado: Needs a bit of help to get back into the postseason mix; could surprise. 14. Edmonton: Homer pick #2 15. Columbus: Defense looks WAY better than Edmonton's, but goaltending accounts for a lot of the defensive statlines. The West looks even more convoluted than it did last year....every team looks like it can make the playoffs and the 3-14 spots look like it won't be separated by much. East: 1. Boston: Bruins are the most complete team in the East....and they'll have fresh legs this time round. 2. Pittsburgh: Loaded roster on paper; still one of the top teams in the league. 3. Washington: Even more depth than last year and a renewed emphasis on offense should have them back in the elite. 4. NY Rangers: Another year of improvement from their young guns should have them in the mix. 5. Philadelphia: Pronger's loss will hit them most; starting to see age catch up to some vets. 6. Winnipeg: Homer vote #3 7. Buffalo: Could sneak into the playoffs, and wouldn't be the only team that could surprise. 8. Florida: Had a lot of things go right for them last season. ------------------------------ 9. Ottawa: Same as Florida; one of them will have to miss the playoffs, right? 10. Montreal: Pacioretty and Price will keep this team competitive. 11. Carolina: Staal brothers and Skinner should keep this team competitive. 12. New Jersey: Parise's loss stings; NJ's ownership troubles sting even more. 13. Tampa Bay: Could probably outscore most teams, but their D.... 14. NY Islanders: D actually looks relatively solid comparably, but up front is still a question. 15. Toronto: Oh, what ail ye, Maple Leafs.... East looks pretty competitive too, but for a different reason....Unfortunately at least one below-average team will have to make the playoffs because there just aren't enough really competitive teams in this conference. Even Calgary could make a case for 6th in this side. Of course, this is pending the recent FAs and with more to come....still a lot of hockey to be played.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConnorFutureGM Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Who knows if the conferences stay the same but... East 1. Pittsburgh 2. Washington 3. Boston 4. NYR 5. Buffalo 6. Philadelphia 7. Carolina 8. Florida ----------------- 9. NYI 10. Montreal 11. Toronto 12. Winnipeg 13. Ottawa 14. New Jersey 15. Tampa Bay West 1. LA 2. Chicago 3. Vancouver 4. Minnesota 5. St.Louis 6. Detroit 7. Edmonton 8. San Jose ---------------- 9. Colorado 10. Calgary 11. Nashville 12. Phoenix 13. Dallas 14. Columbus 15. Anaheim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-iggy Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Who knows if the conferences stay the same but... East 1. Pittsburgh 2. Washington 3. Boston 4. NYR 5. Buffalo 6. Philadelphia 7. Carolina 8. Florida ----------------- 9. NYI 10. Montreal 11. Toronto 12. Winnipeg 13. Ottawa 14. New Jersey 15. Tampa Bay West 1. LA 2. Chicago 3. Vancouver 4. Minnesota 5. St.Louis 6. Detroit 7. Edmonton 8. San Jose ---------------- 9. Colorado 10. Calgary 11. Nashville 12. Phoenix 13. Dallas 14. Columbus 15. Anaheim I would Put Calgary in the 7th spot and Edmonton will fight for 8th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyerfan52 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 1st PITTSBURGH (Crosby back for the year) Or 1 game. 2. Pittsburgh: Loaded roster on paper; still one of the top teams in the league. Trading Jordan Staal & Michalek to gain cap space because they had dreams of landing Parise &/or Suter weakened the team. The only roster player they got in return is Brandon Sutter. I hope their plan B is to further decimate their team in a trade for Nash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyerfan52 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Who knows if the conferences stay the same but... 7. Edmonton It's too late to change the conferences for next season. Oilers jump from 15th in the west to 7th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crzydrvr Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 I hope their plan B is to further decimate their team in a trade for Nash. Your Philly side is showing.... Oilers jump from 15th in the west to 7th? Shh. ------- ^^There's just so many uses for that little .gif! Is it just me or am I overusing it a bit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDeeds Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 A couple of my favorites would be: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConnorFutureGM Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 It's too late to change the conferences for next season. Oilers jump from 15th in the west to 7th? Pittsburgh went from 58 points, 14th in the east and 29th in the league to 105 points, 5th in the east and tied for 5th in the league. Washinton went from 70 points, 14th in the east and 26th in the league to 94 points, 3rd in the east and tied for 11th in the league. LA went from 79 points, 14th in the west and tied for 25th in the league to 101 points, 6th in the west and tied for 8th in the league. Teams that have done similar rebuilds to the Oilers have taken massive jumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_worthy Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Pittsburgh went from 58 points, 14th in the east and 29th in the league to 105 points, 5th in the east and tied for 5th in the league. Washinton went from 70 points, 14th in the east and 26th in the league to 94 points, 3rd in the east and tied for 11th in the league. LA went from 79 points, 14th in the west and tied for 25th in the league to 101 points, 6th in the west and tied for 8th in the league. Teams that have done similar rebuilds to the Oilers have taken massive jumps. yeah but those teams became good the oilers have done very little to address their weaknesses so far - they are the same team with a college defenseamn added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonous_Xodus Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Pittsburgh went from 58 points, 14th in the east and 29th in the league to 105 points, 5th in the east and tied for 5th in the league. Washinton went from 70 points, 14th in the east and 26th in the league to 94 points, 3rd in the east and tied for 11th in the league. LA went from 79 points, 14th in the west and tied for 25th in the league to 101 points, 6th in the west and tied for 8th in the league. Teams that have done similar rebuilds to the Oilers have taken massive jumps. Oilers, like everyone has mentioned, have done nothing but add an unproven college FA who could become something good, or could flop. They`re last year`s 29th overall Oilers with a bit of extra experience. Flashy and fun to watch, but a weaker than most D (until we`re proven otherwise) and faulty goaltending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DL44 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Pittsburgh went from 58 points, 14th in the east and 29th in the league to 105 points, 5th in the east and tied for 5th in the league. Washinton went from 70 points, 14th in the east and 26th in the league to 94 points, 3rd in the east and tied for 11th in the league. LA went from 79 points, 14th in the west and tied for 25th in the league to 101 points, 6th in the west and tied for 8th in the league. Teams that have done similar rebuilds to the Oilers have taken massive jumps. heh, heh... "similar"? Here's the difference so far outside the development of their youth: Pit's roster changes from 58 to 105 pts: IN: Malkin, Staal, Moore, Ekman, Ruutu, Laraque. Washington's 70 to 94 pt seasons: In: Backstrom, Kozlov, Nylander, Bradley, Steckel, Cooke, Poti LA:'s 79 pts to 101: IN: Smyth, Williams, Parse, Scuderi, Greene, Modin The 2012-2013 Edmonton Oilers roster additions so far: IN: Yakapov, Schultz. Career games : Zero. All you have to do is eyeball the experience and quality the teams above added. So far i don't see the Oilers sniffing the playoffs this yr. Depending primarily on the development of the youth is usually a babystep process... not a leaps n bound situation. Again.. the biggest challenge for the Oilers is attracting decent players. We'll see what Tambellini does the rest of the summer... so far he hasn't done anything to supplement the youth for the upcoming season. Not a recipe for the 20+ pt increase required to even challenge for a playoff spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carty Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 So far i don't see the Oilers sniffing the playoffs this yr. Depending primarily on the development of the youth is usually a babystep process... not a leaps n bound situation. C'mon DL44... Give some credit where it is due here... Last year, the addition of the #1 draft pick took them from 30th all the way to 29th... Nail should take them all the way to 28th, maybe 27th as he looks pretty good and Schultz just might help balance things out a little bit due to the fact they still don't have a goaltender... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crzydrvr Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 Nail should take them all the way to 28th, maybe 27th as he looks pretty good and Schultz just might help balance things out a little bit due to the fact they still don't have a goaltender... So what you're saying is that my prediction here: 14. Edmonton: Homer pick #2 15. Columbus: Defense looks WAY better than Edmonton's, but goaltending accounts for a lot of the defensive statlines. ----- 13. Tampa Bay: Could probably outscore most teams, but their D.... 14. NY Islanders: D actually looks relatively solid comparably, but up front is still a question. 15. Toronto: Oh, what ail ye, Maple Leafs.... May not actually be out of the question? Cheers mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carty Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 So what you're saying is that my prediction here may not actually be out of the question? Cheers mate That would be what I was saying... Cheers man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGGYFORPM Posted July 14, 2012 Report Share Posted July 14, 2012 I'm probably gonna regret doing this before the Luongo, Nash, and Bobby Ryan sagas finish playing out. But I usually regret it every other year anyway.... So here I go again (on my own!) Just gonna do the West thoroughly for now. WEST 1. Los Angeles- a full year under Dutter oughta be the difference here for the Champs. If they're half as dominant in the season as they were in the playoffs, it's gonna be lights out for the rest of the conference. 2. St. Louis- If the team can duplicate the success from a year ago under Hitchcock, the Central should be theirs for the taking. Perron starting the year healthy also helps matters. 3. Vancouver - it's a bit back down to Earth for Sedins and Co. as the NW is easily improved from last year. With or without Lu in net, the Canucks are still the cream of the crop in their division. 4. San Jose - seemed a bit frayed from the dogfight that the was the Pacific last year. But things should open up a bit more. That could translate into a few crucial wins to get a home playoff start. 5. Chicago - Success will hinge on Hossa's recovery from that devastating concussion last spring. He is arguably a more vital cog in the machine than Toews or Kane. Also Crawford will have to mature more into the starting role (if he is indeed the starter come October). 6. Calgary - might seem like a homer pick to have the Flames above the Wild after the big "signings" in Minnie. But its high time the Flames' cast of underachievers and criticized new additions started paying dividends under a fresh Sutter-free coaching system that should bring vitality to some of the dormant veteran talent. 7. Minnesota - I'm not hating here, but I do find it a tad presumptuous to think that Minnesota can instantly be a contender with the defense core they have (after Suter). They've had snipers the likes of Gaborik and far superior defense cores in the past and still struggled to make the playoffs. Besides, they weren't the only NW team that got better in the offseason. On the other hand, they do have one of the best top six forward groups in the league. 8. Detroit - Gravity is starting to take its toll on the once-mighty Wings. Barring a move in the trade sweepstakes for Nash or Ryan, or an RFA steal of Shae Weber, I have to think the Wings are officially out of the list of bonafide contenders in the West, and into the list of bubble teams. 9. Edmonton - I'm spit-balling here but I think this "could" be the year that the turnaround begins. A return to the post-season is possible for the young Oilers but they still have to clear a hurdle of teams to leap into the playoffs. If Hall, Eberle stay healthy, I predict good returns for the Oilers this year. That light defense has me concerned, but its still better than Minnie's. 10. Nashville - Enough is enough here too. Suter is gone and that really hurts the Preds more than it helps the Wild because of NSH's reliance on a solid blueline. Their biggest forward signing to date is Paul Gaustad to an already mediocre group of scorers. Barry Trotz is an amazing coach. But I predict his team hits a wall this season. 11. Dallas - I like what Joe Nieuwndyk is doing in the offseason. The Derek Roy trade was a steal, and with Ribeiro and Ott leaving, the Stars are a bit less hateable. But they are in tough to crack the top 8 and will be a bubble team again this year. 12. Colorado - The rebuild continues in Colorado, probably getting overshot by Edmonton's own youth movement this year. Landeskog and O'Reilly will be hard pressed to duplicate impressve seasons in 2011/12. But the team appears poised to do some damage in the coming years if they can solidify the thin defense and the goaltending situation. Unless Giguere has some magic left in him, I'd say the Avs are the odd team out in the tight Northwest. 13. Phoenix - Ownership is still an issue, and if it is bad enough to prompt their captain and lifelong Coyote Shane Doan to potentially leave town, then I can't imagine what it does for the rest of the core of the team. They replaced leading scoring Ray Whitney with Steve Sullivan. Mike Smith is a bright spot, but he's gonna have to be Rinne or Kiprusoff-like for 70+ games to keep the Coyotes out of the basement. 15. Anaheim- lost an all-star defenseman in Visnovsky, and star left winger Bobby Ryan is heading for the door at some point. Ryan Getzlaf had a brutal season and its hard to tell if he'll trend that way or bounce back. Selanne's return gives some hope. But the Ducks are on Mighty thin ice at the Pond. 15. Columbus Yawn. The franchise player is on the way out of town. The franchise itself could very-well be doing the same. I highly doubt that a Nash trade will yield anything of immediate value to this pathetic organization. I've been saying this for the passed 3 years: Fold 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertaHockey Posted July 20, 2012 Report Share Posted July 20, 2012 Who knows if the conferences stay the same but... East 1. Pittsburgh 2. Washington 3. Boston 4. NYR 5. Buffalo 6. Philadelphia 7. Carolina 8. Florida ----------------- 9. NYI 10. Montreal 11. Toronto 12. Winnipeg 13. Ottawa 14. New Jersey 15. Tampa Bay West 1. LA 2. Chicago 3. Vancouver 4. Minnesota 5. St.Louis 6. Detroit 7. Edmonton 8. San Jose ---------------- 9. Colorado 10. Calgary 11. Nashville 12. Phoenix 13. Dallas 14. Columbus 15. Anaheim Although im not a fan at all of ConnerGM, not even close,, however I agree with his list more, im not wearing the rose colored glasses for Calgary, I believe Calgary will remain still another bubble team fighting for 9th or 10th, and the Oilers I would push to fight for 7th or 8th, depending on staying healthy this year. Go Flames... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally31 Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 West: 1. Vancouver 2. Los Angeles 3. St. Louis 4. Chicago 5. Detroit 6. San Jose 7. Minnesota 8. Calgary 9. Dallas 10. Colorado 11. Anaheim 12. Nashville 13. Edmonton 14. Columbus 15. Phoenix 7th - 13th is anyones game. I think all these teams are interchangeable. East: 1. Pittsburgh 2. Washington 3. Boston 4. NYR 5. Philly 6. Tampa Bay 7. Carolina 8. Montreal 9. Ottawa 10. Buffalo 11. Toronto 12. Florida 13. Winnipeg 14. New Jersey 15. NYI I expect huge bounce back for Montreal... Price, Pac, Subban, Georges, Plek, Cole, Markov is a solid core. Just think last year was a fluke. I also expect to see Carolina back in the fold. Good goaltending, and deep at C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demonous_Xodus Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 As of right now for me: West: 1. Vancouver 2. Los Angeles 3. St. Louis 4. Chicago 5. San Jose 6. Detroit 7. Calgary 8. Minnesota 9. Dallas 10. Anaheim 11. Colorado 12. Edmonton 13. Nashville 14. Phoenix 15. Columubs 7th - 13th is anyones game. I think all these teams are interchangeable. East: 1. Philadelphia 2. Carolina 3. Boston 4. New York Rangers 5. Pittsburgh 6. Washington 7. Tampa Bay 8. Ottawa 9. Florida 10. Buffalo 11. Montreal 12. Winnipeg 13. Toronto 14. New Jersey 15. New York Islanders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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