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habsfans98 · 7 years

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Habsfan98 NHL Season 2017-2018 Team Opinions

Man, the off-season was painfully slow this year. But! Thankfully the pre-season was fun, and now the regular season will start in just a couple of hours. So, to kick of the season, I decided to make some opinions for the NHL teams this years. Just some predictions, and expectations that I hope come true.

Remember these are just predictions and opinions. And I have no intention of offending anyone, or the cities that these teams represent. I would love to have counter-opinions and discussions about your teams.

Anaheim Duck

The Ducks are still considered a cup-contender. Even after the loses of young defenseman Clayton Stoner, and Shea Theodore. Ryan Getzlaf is still the driving force of this team’s offense, along with rising star Rickard Rackell, and their bruising still of play. The real question, is if the John Gibson can elevate his game, and push the Ducks to the Stanley cup final.

Arizona Coyotes

The Yotes have a chance this year to take a big step up, from being a rebuilding (Mediocre) team. To a potential playoff contender in the Pacific Divison. Max Domi looks to take another step into stardom, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Antti Raanta, was brought in from the Rangers to bring capable goaltending, and Derek Stepan joined him to give a veteran presence for the young squad. Who I’m watching for this season, is Anthony Duclair. He had awful season last year, after an incredible rookie season. Will he be able to get back to that form under new head coach Rick Tocchet?

Boston Bruins

For Bruins it’s going to be an interesting year. You’re going to have to hope the Brad Marchand’s “break-out” season wasn’t a total one-off, and that Tukka Rask can have a stable, or Vezina caliber season. I think the Bruins could be a playoff team, but that all depends on whether the younger talent we saw in the playoff last year, develop and mature.

Buffalo Sabres

Jack Eichel is now the future of the Buffalo Sabres franchise. He is the piece that this team will build around for the next eight years. Meanwhile the rest of the team still has holes. I still question the Sabres defense, which has been the biggest weakness for this team since they started rebuilding. Hopefully the goaltending can hold the fort, until the new GM in Buffalo can find a solution.

Calgary Flames

Aside from the off-ice drama. The Flames look like a playoff team once again. Only this time with a much deeper defense. Mike Smith will have to be leagues better the Brian Elliot was if the Flames look to challenge the Oilers, Ducks, and Sharks for top bills in the Pacific. Sam Bennet also needs to take the next step, otherwise; I predict that he’ll be trade bait by Christmas.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes might finally get people to go to their games again with the improvements they made this year. Bring in the younger players from the cup winning Blackhawks teams was a gutsy move by the Hurricanes. Scott Darling has the chance to be a number one goaltender, and the young defense has a chance to really shine this year. Oh! And people might finally notice Jeff Skinner for a change!

Chicago Blackhawks

Stan Bowman went full nuclear and purged the 2016-2017 team, and did his best to bring back the 2014-2015 Stanley cup winning team. Bring back the well-rounded Saad, and fan favorite Patrick Sharp. However, this team will have to bring up some younger players from the system if they want a chance to stay afloat with the rest of the Central Division.

Colorado Avalanche

I have nothing to say about this team. Last year was terrible. This year will also be terrible. Your only notable off-season acquisition, was Nail Yakupov. Av’s fan’s your only hope is that Nathan MacKinnon takes another step, and turns into a true super star, Semyon Varlamov doesn’t get hurt again long term (and plays like its 2011-2012), and Joe Sakic gets fired.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets live and breath with Bobrovsky. If he’s healthy and stays healthy expect the playoffs. If he’s injured and stays injured, you’re out of the playoffs. You traded of Brandon Saad to Chicago for Artemi Panarin, Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski will most lickely regress this season, and you better hope that Nick Foligno doesn’t vanish again.

Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars learned their lesson about trying the 1-A/1-B goaltending system. They went out a signed Ben Bishop to a six-year contract. He along with Marc Methot will finally get this team back into the post season. What I’m curious about is the offensive lines of this team. Sighing Radulov to a five-year deal, adds another piece of fire power to this team. There is one important question. Will anyone on this follow Ken Hitchcock rather stubborn defensive system.

Detroit Red Wings

Yeah… I don’t expect this team to make the playoffs. There old, slow, inconsistent, and poorly coached. If the Red Wings have any chance of being a good this year (or any year), they will need to get rid of a few contracts, and aging players. Hopefully, the first season at the new arena won’t be too painful to watch. Side Note: Fix the goal horn in that new arena.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are going to be the second-best team in the Pacific Division. McDavid and Draisaitl are going this team back to the post season. Well, so long as Cam Talbot plays like he did last year. A lot of people have faith that this team will end Canada’s cup drought. What I’m looking forward to is seeing if Kailer Yamamoto stays with the team for the rest of the year.

Florida Panthers

This team will be better than last year’s hot-mess. Dale Tallon has done everything he could to return the team to his vision of what a cup-contender in Florida would look like. The important question is whether the key players on this team, stay healthy. The Panthers could be a playoff team, so long has those players aren’t hit with requiring long-term injuries.

Los Angeles Kings

A healthy Jonathan Quick means a chance at the playoffs. Jeff Carter hopefully won’t have to be anchor of the offense this season. Anze Kopitar had a dreaful season last year, and looks to rebound, meanwhile players from the farm system look to make an impact this year. I only have one question. What the fuck is going to happen to Dustin Brown?

Minnesota Wild

After a lack luster end to the playoff last year. It’s clear that Wild are trying to build from being a just a “get-in-the-playoffs” team. They want to play, to get deep into the playoffs. At this point I’m done doubting Devan Dubnyk, he’s proven himself to be an elite goaltender. The only worry I have for this team, is Zach Parise, he needs to be a better player than he was last year.

Montreal Canadiens

Oh boy. I hate to say this. But even with Carey Price on the team. I have the habs being a bubble team. The trade for Jonathan Drouin, was a much-needed addition for the habs, then they lose Radulov to Dallas in free agency. However, training camp has had some surprises Hudon, and De La Rose, made the opening night roasters, along with rookie defensemen Victor Mete. The habs can make the playoffs, if they can play a better offensive game. If not. It’s going to be an uphill climb.

Nashville Predators

The Preds shocked the hockey world making the Stanley cup final last year as a the technically 16 seed team. They lost to a much healthier and deeper Penguins team. The Predators added Nick Bonino to sure up the center position. However, the season is going to be a rough start. The mobile and offensively gifted defense will be without Ryan Ellis for 4-g months, while you’ve also lost James Neal to the expansion draft, and Mike Fisher retired. The Preds can be a playoff team, but that all depends on the young players that stepping up again from the playoffs, and Pekka Rinne standing on his head once more.

New Jersey Devils

The Devils aren’t going to have much of a season this year. At worst it’s a tank year, at best it’s a year that see’s the team take the steps with it younger players into being a team worth watching in the future. Nico Hischier was a pretty good in the pre-season, and will have to better in the regular season.

New York Islanders

The whole season is going to be about John Tavares not being signed. Other than that, new coach Doug Weight looks to keep up the momentum from last season’s ending. Josh Ho-sang looks like he’s ready to grow up, and maybe Jordan Eberle will elevate his game to a new level. It’s going to be interesting to see whether Halak can keep Thomas Greiss from the net this season.

New York Rangers

The Rangers made a few interesting changes this year. Getting rid of some aging players and giving some room for younger players to take a step up this season. However, I worry about trading away Antti Raanta, will Henrick Lundqvist stand on his head once again, or will he be up and down again? You also add Kevin Shattenkirk in free-agency to help with defense. Overall, expect another solid season for this squad.

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators once again had lost more than they gained in the offseason. After a surprising run to the conference final. The Sens lost Marc Methot to the expansion draft, and then Eric Karlsson will miss the first few games of the season. Meanwhile highly regarded prospect Tomas Chabot was sent back down to the minors. Craig Anderson is the reason this team is even remotely a playoff team.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers has an underachieving season last year. That’s a fact, yet that landed this team the second pick in this summer draft. They picked Nolan Patrick, who made the opening night roaster for the Flyers. The real question is if captain Claude Giroux can have a bounce back season, after just scoring 14 goals last year. The goal-tending will also be a big question, Michal Neuvirth was good last year; but not good enough to get the team to the playoffs. The addition of Brian Elliot, could be what the Flyers need.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens are the repeat Stanley cup champions. So, the obvious question is if the Pens and make it a third in a row? What really stops them? Crosby and Malkin are still in their primes, the defense is still solid with a hopefully health Letang, and the younger players like Guentzel, and Rust growing into star players of their own. Even with the loss of Bonino, Chris Kunitz, and Trevor Daley. These are still Stanley cup Champions. So. Expect the playoffs, and expect another deep playoff run. Simple as that.

St. Louis Blues

Jake Allen can be a number 1 goalie. Now it’s the rest of this team that I worry about. Other than Vladimir Tarasenko looks to once again be the scoring machine of this team, while the rest take to Mike Yeo system. This is a strange team, they lost Kevin Shattenkirk; yet, they don’t look to weak on defense. This is a playoff team, but only just.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks can be a playoff team. Even with the lose Patrick Marleau, won’t hurt the team this year. The Sharks will absolutely need the younger players to keep developing with the aging veterans. Meanwhile Martin Jones will have to be rock for the team again. If this team makes the playoffs, he’ll have to play better than he did against the Oilers.

Tampa Bay Lighting

Everyone needs to be healthy. They also need to STAY healthy. Last year, Tampa lost a lot of key players to various injuries. If this team, wants to get back to being cup-contenders health is the most important thing. The other important factor is Andrei Vasilevskiy. Can he continue is growth into being a number 1 goaltender, or will he regress and for the Lightning to work harder to cover for him.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Matthews, Marner, Nylader. Those are the names that everyone is going to watch this year. If those three can develop to another level of stardom. Then this team will go far if Babcock and keep making this teams young guns growing. Meanwhile, Fredrick Anderson will have to be even better than last season. This team is going to be special, very special.

Vegas Golden Knights

The newest team in the NHL might be the best assemble expansion team, the NHL has ever seen. Ok, they only get that title because, unlike the last time the NHL expanded. They managed to get a quality NHL goalie. Marc-Andre Fleury is going to be the star of this team. I don’t expect much from the G-knights for this year. They’ll be competitive, but they won’t win much. They need to build from the draft. Still it’s going to be a fun seeing if the residents stick with this team.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are doing a sort of rebuild. There not going to be that goo this year, but they’re going to try and be a competitive squad. It would be a shame for Canucks fans, but this could be the last year of the Sedin’s being in Vancouver together. It’s a shame that they couldn’t win a cup in Vancouver, but getting rid of them in a trade package could help the future. Other than that, I want to see what Bo Horvat and Jacob Markstrom can grow into elite or star players.

Washington Capitals

I don’t see the Capitals missing the playoffs. But, I done with calling them cup-contenders. They proved that this year against the penguins. The Capitals are a team, built for the regular season and the regular season only. It’s hard to say what the Capitals need to do to get to the third round or the cup final. In my opinion, they need numb luck, and not to run into the Pittsburg Penguins to get to the Stanley cup finally.

Winnipeg Jets

Steve Mason is not the solution to you goaltending problems Winnipeg. You have some solid goal scoring threats in: Laine, Scheiflele, and Wheeler. A great defensive core in: Byfuglien, Trouba, and Myers. However, none these players can fix bad goaltending. You better hope that Mason plays like he did for the Flyers back in 2013-2014. Otherwise… It’s going to be one cold season in Winnipeg.

Side Note: I wanted to finish this yesturady before the season started tonight. But, I fucked up and forgot about it. I hope that my opinions are even remotely accurate. If you feel differently about your team’s odds this season. Please don’t hesitate to tell me!

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