It's time. Rosters are mostly set, pre season is done, Tampa and Florida have finished wailing on each other ... one assumes. Let's get some predictions happening.
Eastern Conference
Metro Division
1. Carolina
2. New Jersey
3. Washington
4. NY Rangers
5. Columbus
6. NY Islanders
7. Philly
8. Pittsburgh
I figure the Devils get better injury luck, but not enough to nip Carolina at the wire for the Division. FWIW, the Canes are also due for some better injury luck after a low key rough season last year. There's just no chance Washington's finishing can sustain their 24-25 levels and they take a bit of a step back. I figure the Rangers get enough of a new coach bounce to obscure that bottom 6 enough to make the dance. Columbus is still in close but no cigar land while everybody else is some degree of just not good enough.
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay
2. Toronto
3. Florida
4. Montreal
5. Ottawa
6. Boston
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo
Better bottom end depth in the Atlantic, but the top is kind of a mess. I like Tampa to run away with the Division because they're by far the most stable of the contenders. Toronto takes a step back on offense but remains quite good. Florida will get it together when they figure out how to defend without Barkov and they get Tkachuk back. I like Montreal to hold off Ottawa for the last playoff spot, and Detroit to keep sputtering. No idea what to do with Boston but they're VERY think up front. Buffalo? They aren't as bad as the bottom of the Metro, but ... yuck.
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado
2. Dallas
3. Winnipeg
4. Minnesota
5. Utah
6. St Louis
7. Nashville
8. Chicago
Look, take those top three and shake them out however you want. They're the three best teams in the division, but they all have flaws of various kinds. I figure Colorado didn't get any worse in the off season and the other two did ... a little bit. Utah continues to improve but I continue not to trust them, so I like the Wild for that last playoff spot. St Louis is due for a Binnington down cycle and otherwise just seem stuck. Nashville didn't get any younger or any faster so I've got them slugging it out with Chicago for the bottom.
Pacific Division
1. Vegas
2. Edmonton
3. LA
4. Vancouver
5. Calgary
6. Anaheim
7. San Jose
8. Seattle
Look, 4 through 8 are a mystery to me. Honestly, it's really 3 through 8 because I don't like a single thing LA did in the off season. Could Anaheim benefit from competent coaching and take a step up? Sure. Could Calgary boring their way into the playoff picture? Sure. Is Vancouver any good if Quinn Hughes gets hurt again? Not really. Is LA's defense old and bad? Looks like it to me. I like Seattle and San Jose to bring up the rear. Everything in the mushy middle is too mushy for me to figure out. I feel good about Vegas taking advantage of Edmonton's terrible goaltending again. The rest? I could reasonably be talked into almost anything.
Eastern Conference
Metro Division
1. Carolina
2. New Jersey
3. Washington
4. NY Rangers
5. Columbus
6. NY Islanders
7. Philly
8. Pittsburgh
I figure the Devils get better injury luck, but not enough to nip Carolina at the wire for the Division. FWIW, the Canes are also due for some better injury luck after a low key rough season last year. There's just no chance Washington's finishing can sustain their 24-25 levels and they take a bit of a step back. I figure the Rangers get enough of a new coach bounce to obscure that bottom 6 enough to make the dance. Columbus is still in close but no cigar land while everybody else is some degree of just not good enough.
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay
2. Toronto
3. Florida
4. Montreal
5. Ottawa
6. Boston
7. Detroit
8. Buffalo
Better bottom end depth in the Atlantic, but the top is kind of a mess. I like Tampa to run away with the Division because they're by far the most stable of the contenders. Toronto takes a step back on offense but remains quite good. Florida will get it together when they figure out how to defend without Barkov and they get Tkachuk back. I like Montreal to hold off Ottawa for the last playoff spot, and Detroit to keep sputtering. No idea what to do with Boston but they're VERY think up front. Buffalo? They aren't as bad as the bottom of the Metro, but ... yuck.
Western Conference
Central Division
1. Colorado
2. Dallas
3. Winnipeg
4. Minnesota
5. Utah
6. St Louis
7. Nashville
8. Chicago
Look, take those top three and shake them out however you want. They're the three best teams in the division, but they all have flaws of various kinds. I figure Colorado didn't get any worse in the off season and the other two did ... a little bit. Utah continues to improve but I continue not to trust them, so I like the Wild for that last playoff spot. St Louis is due for a Binnington down cycle and otherwise just seem stuck. Nashville didn't get any younger or any faster so I've got them slugging it out with Chicago for the bottom.
Pacific Division
1. Vegas
2. Edmonton
3. LA
4. Vancouver
5. Calgary
6. Anaheim
7. San Jose
8. Seattle
Look, 4 through 8 are a mystery to me. Honestly, it's really 3 through 8 because I don't like a single thing LA did in the off season. Could Anaheim benefit from competent coaching and take a step up? Sure. Could Calgary boring their way into the playoff picture? Sure. Is Vancouver any good if Quinn Hughes gets hurt again? Not really. Is LA's defense old and bad? Looks like it to me. I like Seattle and San Jose to bring up the rear. Everything in the mushy middle is too mushy for me to figure out. I feel good about Vegas taking advantage of Edmonton's terrible goaltending again. The rest? I could reasonably be talked into almost anything.
