OK lads. Enough's enough. Lets drop the puck on this season and put this off season to rest. It's been long, and tragic, and horrible, but it's over.
My predictions for the east:
1.
Washington
2.
Buffalo
3.
Philadelphia
4.
Boston
5.
Pittsburgh
6.
Tampa Bay
7.
Carolina
8.
New Jersey
9.
Montreal
10.
NY Rangers
11.
Toronto
12.
NY Islanders
13.
Winnipeg
14.
Florida
15.
Ottawa
I feel really bad putting my team (
Ottawa) dead last in the east, but I truly feel we will be last overall, will draft Yakupov 1st overall, and will become beasts starting in 2013/2014. At least
Toronto won't make the playoffs either, and
Montreal may make the playoffs, but I see a first round exit again if they do end up sneaking in past
New Jersey.
Washington is going to be too good with Vokoun and (finally!) some top notch goaltending.
Buffalo made too many good moves, and their new owner wants it too much to not win the Northeast. I have them ahead of Philadelphia only because...
Philadelphia may be the team they look like on paper, or they may not mesh at all, but if they do, they'll be awesome.
Pittsburgh will be tough, but I don't believe in Fleury, never have.
Tampa Bay is due for a drop off, St. Louis is like 80 years old, Roloson is old enough to be his dad, and Stamkos will be figured out after half the season and his ppg will drop somewhere around January, because he is too predictable with the puck.
Carolina has Staal and Ward. Those two alone, if they both have decent years, could get them into the show. Throw in Skinner (barring a sophomore slump) and the playoffs seem like a good bet.
New Jersey all depends on Brodeur being Brodeur, and not just another old guy trying to recapture the glory years. Parise and Kovalchuk can carry the team to the playoffs though, but if they falter,
Montreal can squeak into the playoffs in their stead.
Winnipeg, despite all the good feelings being back in the NHL, blah blah blah, they are still not good enough, especially with a rookie coach, rookie GM, and it's ok, because the city won't care. They got the Jets back, baby!
NY Rangers, don't see it. Brad Richards will not walk on water. Only one Richards will make the playoffs this year, and it's not Brad. Gaborik will still get hurt, and Lundqvist can only do so much.
Florida, well, they're Florida. They won't make the playoffs again, and all 184 fans will be upset. Then, it will be spring, and 181 of 184 fans will fly home to Canada, and nobody will mourn the missing of the playoffs for what, the 92nd time in a row?
EDIT: Oops, forgot my
Boston reasoning. I never like to pick a Stanley Cup champ to do well the next year. Seems to me teams get too complacent, or they expect to win, or maybe even get impatient in the regular season. And Thomas can't be that good again, he just can't. Rask will be the guy by the end of the season. Thomas did his thing last year, now it's Tuukka time.
There you have it. These predictions are set in stone. There is no way they will not come true, so if you are a betting person, put some cash on what I have said.....I'll take that bet.