Post by Yzerman Is The Man on Sept 10, 2015 6:22:13 GMT -6
Thanks to Dangles for the 3rd of 4 blogs talking about each division and what it'll take to make the dance. If you would like to write a blog, just PM me and we'll get you started.
hat can make or break a team's season? A big injury, a struggling player, a bad locker room? There a few things that can really sink a team and some things that can make a season roll smoothly for another team. I am going to go over a few possible red flags and/or positives for the teams in the Metropolitan Division and predict how I see their seasons going.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are a team that is trying to go with a youth movement and not in the playoff hunt at this point in time. There is a slim chance that Cam Ward recaptures the skill that made him so successful in his early years and he could keep the Hurricanes from finishing in the bottom 3 teams but there is almost a zero percent chance that Carolina makes the playoffs until their defence matures.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are a team that many write off simply for the fact that they are "Columbus" and that is a misguided way of thinking. Columbus has build a good team with depth in all positions and they have one of the best goalies in the World in Sergei Bobrovsky and he alone makes them a playoff threat. If Columbus sustains injuries to either Bobrovsky or Johansen then they would be in a tough spot but I don't see any way this miss the playoffs this year even if it's in a wild card spot.
New Jersey Devils
Poor, poor Cory Schneider. This guy has had the worst luck in his career, he goes from being a backup behind an all-star in Luongo to backing up an legend in Brodeur to starting for a team that has zero star calibre players on it. He is the difference between finishing dead last and finishing 3rd last and possibly costing the team the first overall pick.
New York Islanders
The Islanders have gone from being an bottom dweller to a powerhouse franchise and they could very well finish as a top 3 team in the East this year. The biggest knock on them is their goaltending, Halak is a good goalie but he is also very streaky and can disappear for stretches and leave New York in a tough spot. The Islanders have the pieces to go add a legit goalie and could be a scary team come playoff time.
New York Rangers
The window is closing in New York, every year Hank gets a little older and the cap gets just a little tighter as they continue to add pieces to get over the hump. Eventually something has to give and either they win it all and are able to comfortable ship off some pieces or they falter and... have to ship off some pieces. They are stacked throughout the line-up and can weather most injuries on their way to a top berth in the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers went from a perennial playoff team to a team that is struggling to figure out where they are at. They have firepower up front and Steve Mason seems to have resurrected his career in Philly but the defense is a rag-tag collection of pylons and goons that are going to hold the Flyers out of the playoffs for the foreseeable future but they do have some youth coming that will help them soon.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Is this the year that Pittsburgh goes on a deep run and shakes off that choking label? The addition of Phil Kessel should help despite all the ridicule that followed him around in Toronto. The Penguins aren't as deep a team as they once were but the defence is stacked with youth and they have some of the best forwards in the league, Fleury had a OEL season last year and may have rediscovered his mojo. The question isn't whether or not the Penguins are a playoff team it's whether or not they are a Cup contender.
Washington Capitals
They are the Penguins except their goalie is one of the best in the NHL and their best player is a winger and not a centre. The biggest knock on the Capitals is they lack scoring depth, if you can shut down Ovechkin then they don't really have a lot going on, not that shutting him down is easy. The additions of Justin Williams and TJ Oshie should help bolster their depth and the defence is high calibre but can they finally make it to the Cup Finals?
hat can make or break a team's season? A big injury, a struggling player, a bad locker room? There a few things that can really sink a team and some things that can make a season roll smoothly for another team. I am going to go over a few possible red flags and/or positives for the teams in the Metropolitan Division and predict how I see their seasons going.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are a team that is trying to go with a youth movement and not in the playoff hunt at this point in time. There is a slim chance that Cam Ward recaptures the skill that made him so successful in his early years and he could keep the Hurricanes from finishing in the bottom 3 teams but there is almost a zero percent chance that Carolina makes the playoffs until their defence matures.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets are a team that many write off simply for the fact that they are "Columbus" and that is a misguided way of thinking. Columbus has build a good team with depth in all positions and they have one of the best goalies in the World in Sergei Bobrovsky and he alone makes them a playoff threat. If Columbus sustains injuries to either Bobrovsky or Johansen then they would be in a tough spot but I don't see any way this miss the playoffs this year even if it's in a wild card spot.
New Jersey Devils
Poor, poor Cory Schneider. This guy has had the worst luck in his career, he goes from being a backup behind an all-star in Luongo to backing up an legend in Brodeur to starting for a team that has zero star calibre players on it. He is the difference between finishing dead last and finishing 3rd last and possibly costing the team the first overall pick.
New York Islanders
The Islanders have gone from being an bottom dweller to a powerhouse franchise and they could very well finish as a top 3 team in the East this year. The biggest knock on them is their goaltending, Halak is a good goalie but he is also very streaky and can disappear for stretches and leave New York in a tough spot. The Islanders have the pieces to go add a legit goalie and could be a scary team come playoff time.
New York Rangers
The window is closing in New York, every year Hank gets a little older and the cap gets just a little tighter as they continue to add pieces to get over the hump. Eventually something has to give and either they win it all and are able to comfortable ship off some pieces or they falter and... have to ship off some pieces. They are stacked throughout the line-up and can weather most injuries on their way to a top berth in the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers went from a perennial playoff team to a team that is struggling to figure out where they are at. They have firepower up front and Steve Mason seems to have resurrected his career in Philly but the defense is a rag-tag collection of pylons and goons that are going to hold the Flyers out of the playoffs for the foreseeable future but they do have some youth coming that will help them soon.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Is this the year that Pittsburgh goes on a deep run and shakes off that choking label? The addition of Phil Kessel should help despite all the ridicule that followed him around in Toronto. The Penguins aren't as deep a team as they once were but the defence is stacked with youth and they have some of the best forwards in the league, Fleury had a OEL season last year and may have rediscovered his mojo. The question isn't whether or not the Penguins are a playoff team it's whether or not they are a Cup contender.
Washington Capitals
They are the Penguins except their goalie is one of the best in the NHL and their best player is a winger and not a centre. The biggest knock on the Capitals is they lack scoring depth, if you can shut down Ovechkin then they don't really have a lot going on, not that shutting him down is easy. The additions of Justin Williams and TJ Oshie should help bolster their depth and the defence is high calibre but can they finally make it to the Cup Finals?
