Eastern Conference Previews - 2015-16 Season
Sept 11, 2015 17:44:11 GMT -5
Hawks, AvsGM, and 5 more like this
Post by LeafsGM on Sept 11, 2015 17:44:11 GMT -5
Welcome to the 15-16 JGHL season team previews for the East! The order will be based on last season's regular season standings, ascending to the top:
Washington Capitals - Sometimes we all get fed up and say enough is enough. This is precisely what GM Greg said after last season. Following several deep runs from seasons 3-10, the Caps took a step back and decided to clean the slate. What this meant was two straight seasons of futility and getting to draft Aaron Ekblad and Jack Eichel in back to back years. Talk about some lights at the end of a tunnel! With the two drafted franchise changing players in the stable, and some other former prospects coming to fruition, the Caps decided to start loading up on talent. In one off season they added Henrik Sedin, Bryan Little, Patrick Marleau, Pekka Rinne, Mike Cammalleri, Jerome Iginla, Jake Muzzin, Alex Edler, and Brent Seabrook. This could just be the biggest one season turnaround in league history. As we stand, the Caps look like a definite playoff team in the East. With a top starter, above average top 6 D, and some veteran firepower up front, the Caps could surprise a team or two in the playoffs.
Prediction: 2nd in the Metro
Tampa Bay Lightning - The bolts are not far off from where the Caps were the last two seasons. Seasons 9-11 saw the team finish near the top of the conference each year, with disappointing finishes in the playoffs. After a round 1 loss to the Flyers in 13-14, GM Scott said it's time for some changes. Dealing franchise stars Logan Couture and Bobby Ryan was not an easy decision, but one that was needed in order to move the team forward. This season should be similar to the last one as the Bolts are continuing to unload ratings. That said, the future looks brighter than ever - Sam Bennett, Sean Couturier, Alex Wennberg, Charlie Coyle, TJ Brodie, Kerby Rychel, Emile Poirier, Derick Pouliot, Ryan Murray, Dylan Larkin, Mitch Marner, and Ivan Provorov. These are just a part of the growing stable of youth Tampa has brewing in the pipeline. Oh and they are also in good shape for the Austin Matthews sweepstakes. Look for Tampa to be a perennial threat a few years from now when all these kids are legal drinking age.
Prediction: 6th in the Atlantic and just the way Scott wants it
Pittsburgh Penguins - Pens are a storied franchise, with two division banners and a 08-09 conference title to boot. So what has gone wrong in the past 4 years? The team is seemingly still talented with the likes of MA Fleury, Victor Hedman, Jaden Schwartz, Kris Letang, and Jay Bouwmeester having been under contract for all these non-playoff seasons. Rumors have swirled about the time constraints of GM Rob, and its hindrance to running of the team. But hopefully that's in the past and a new day looms in steel town. Pens have added star forward Corey Perry, Mike Hoffman, and Justin Williams this off season in hopes that the offense starts winning them some games. One major team issue is the complete lack of depth at C, which the team is hoping to address before puck drop. The Pens definitely have the tools to make the playoffs, but in a conference with many emerging young teams, it will require some work.
Prediction: 4th in the Metro
Carolina Hurricanes - Another former powerhouse and cup winner in season 2, the Canes are going through some transitions. After only missing the post season twice in their first 10 years, the Canes have now missed them in back to back season. Expect this to be an exception and not a trend, since the Canes roster is filled with emergin talent. The Canes are stacked at each position, with notables like Elias Lindholm, Brandon Sutter, Artem Anisimov, Eric Staal, Patric Hornqvist, Dmitry Jaskin, and Torey Krug. There isn't enough depth on D to make a push for the playoffs but with some brilliant play from starter Ondrej Pavelec, anything is possible. Expect the Canes to make further moves to improve all around organizational depth and set themselves up for strong runs in the years to come.
Prediction: 6th in the Metro
Philadelphia Flyers - The resident wheeler and dealer team is back and hungry for more. Last season broke a streak of 10 straight years of making the playoffs for the Flyers, wow. Truly a remarkable feat for GM Ray. Last season also served as a bit of a wake up call and showed the Flyers that it might be time to turn over a new leaf. With that, the team decided to focus on youth and building a foundation for the future. Added to the team were Derrick Brassard, Peter Holland, Brayden Schenn, Michael Raffl, Calvin DeHaan, Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Spooner, Ivan Barbashev, and recent draftee Dylan Strome. A solid young group that is on the cusp of breaking out. As far as this season goes, a lot will lay on the shoulders of starter Corey Crawford. The team currently lacks ideal depth at forward, which could mean trouble scoring. Whether or not the Flyers get back to the playoffs this season, the future looks a hell of a lot brighter on the playground where I spent most of my days.
Prediction: 5th in the Metro
Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres have seemingly been in a permanent rebuild. Well luckily there is no such thing and eventually the chickens come home to roost. This is where the Sabres found themselves last season, when they made the playoffs for the first time in 5 years, and only the 3rd time in franchise history. Now the secret is out - the Sabres are a very, scary talented team. What was once an easy game on the sched, the Sabres now look to play spoiler more often than not. Let the talent speak for itself: Matt Duchene, Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund, Marcus Johansson, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Jacob Silferberg, the Hayes bros, Nail Yakupov, Mike Green, Dougie Hamilton, Cam Fowler, and even an aging King Lundqvist in net for the next 2 seasons. Yes, the Sabres have arrived. This season should see them make the playoffs based on talent alone. Can Lundqvist take them even further remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - the Sabres will win a cup in the next 5 years.
Predicton: 3rd in the Atlantic
Toronto Maple Leafs - Six straight playoff seasons with a cup win may sound like a win to most people, but for an ultra competitive team like the Leafs this ain't good enough. Specifically being bounced out in the 1st round for the past 2 seasons. Admittedly the team went through a transitional few seasons where a lot of the cup winning pieces were turned over into younger talent. Coming into this season, the Leafs have a renewed roster with solid depth at forward and D. The team also traded for a franchise goalie in Tuukka Rask, who has a lot to prove after two mediocre runs with the Oilers and then the Habs this past season. Still, with the likes of Joe Pavelski, Alex Steen, Ryan Kesler, Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny, Mark Streit, Travis Hamonic, Marco Scandella, and Justin Braun, the team is poised to make the playoffs and win a few rounds.
Prediction: 1st in the Atlantic because I wrote this
New York Islanders - Newest GM Jeremy is taking over a team that has seen some turmoil over the last few seasons. The ownership situation took its toll on the players and even drove superstar Sidney Crosby to demand a trade. The past is behind us and a new day is here for Jeremy, who hopes to turn the team in the right direction this season. This will not be easy, but it helps to have some talent to work with: RNH, Kyle Turris, Jacob Trouba, ME Vlasic, Teuvo Terravainen, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, and Josh Hennessy. It also helps to know the team still has its 2016 1st, and is in line for the Matthews sweepstakes. It could be a rough few seasons for the Isles, but with some expertise and savvy from our newest GM, the Isles could see better days sooner than later.
Prediction: 7th in the Metro
New York Rangers - One of the surprise teams of the past season, the Rangers look to build on a strong campaign that saw them fall in a hard fought 6 game 2nd round series against the Devils. The Rangers have improved since last season too, trading for star winger Nick Foligno, Francois Beauchemin, and landing top free agent Marian Hossa. The top 6 D is also strong with returning Jason Garrison, Trevor Daley, Zach Bogosian, Kevan Miller, and Tom Gilbert. The X factor for the Rangers will be the play of vezina finalist Braden Holtby, who could be a finalist for this season as well. The top line is one of the better in the entire league with Ryan Johansen centering Hossa and Foligno. Rangers should be able to score goals, and stop them with Holtby and company. Look for the team to once again make the playoffs and possibly pull some upsets.
Prediction: 3rd in the Metro
New Jersey Devils - The Devils could be the most interesting team in the league this year. Losing decisively in the cup finals to the power house Canucks last season was not easy, but no one predicted them to go that far to begin with. All in all, last season was an overwhelming success for the franchise, finally reaching the cup finals after several close calls. But that is not where the road ends for savvy GM Ron. This season the team looks stronger than ever, at every position. The Devils are coming into this season as arguably the best defensive minded team in the league. The lowest defensively rated forward on the team is recent acquisition Jiri Hudler, who is also the top offensive threat. The rest of the forwards might as well be Dmen. On actual defense the team is strong, especially after acquiring young star D David Savard. Jonas Brodin also looks ready to assume more minutes. Corry Schneider looks to build on a spectacular campaign from last season, and has help in Eddie Lack should he need a breather. The one question for the Devils this season will be whether or not they can score enough to be dominant.
Prediction: 1st in the Metro
Florida Panthers - GM Kevin and the Panthers are no stranger to making a splash. This is exactly what happened this off season when Florida traded Matt Duchene, Cam Fowler and picks for Devan Dubnyk, Tomas Tatar, and Alexey Emelin. A trade that brought on much discussion, brought in significant upgrades for the Panthers. They now have a true starter in Dubnyk, a respectable top 6 D, and what could be the best 1st line in league history - Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin. Wow, can you imagine the box scores? All of the splashes of course came at the expense of the future, so the team has basically emptied the cupboard for this impressive roster. Lack of forward depth is still a bit of an issue, and can the Panthers win with Keith Yandle and Robyn Regehr as the top pairing? This will be a highly entertaining team to watch this season, so get your popcorn ready.
Prediction: 2nd in the Atlantic
Boston Bruins - Another surprise team from the past season, the Bruins hope to prove that their incredible regular season and 2 playoff series wins were no fluke. In what is now a 7 year playoff making streak, the Bruins look to build off the successes and finally get over the cup hump. This will unfortunately be more difficult as the team took some significant steps back with some key players. Starter Kari Lehtonen is coming in with some career low numbers and could be a major liability this season. Other down years have diminished some of the value of key players like Milan Lucic. Still, this is a team with top talent like Nick Backstrom, Patrick Kane, Mikael Backlund, JVR, Brad Marchand, Marian Gaborik, Johnny Boychuck, Hampus Lindholm, and Cody Ceci. GM Jim is notorious for staying the course with his players and riding them out for better or worse. There's enough talent to make the playoffs, but beyond that the Bruins may need to make some moves to improve their chances.
Prediction: 4th in the Atlantic
Montreal Canadiens - The storied Habs and cup winners of just two seasons ago, put together one of the most impressive rosters in league history this past season. Unfortunately it was not enough for a cup repeat as the Habs fell in a major upset to the Bruins in the 2nd round. Some say it was due to over stacking, some say the Bruins got under the Habs skin and threw them off their game. In any case, the loss is in the rear view and the Habs now look to set the franchise up for the next series of runs. GM Shawn has already begun the fire sale, and looks to continue as the season goes. Expect the Habs to move Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Vanek, Daniel Sedin, Duncan Keith, and Dennis Seidenberg before the deadline. Going forward, the Habs look to build around young talent like Ondrej Palat, Ryan McDonagh, Alex Barkov, Morgan Rielly, Xavier Ouellet, Cam Talbot, and Kyle Connor. Could they sell enough in time to be in the Matthews sweepstakes? Stay tuned.
Predicton: 5th in the Atlantic
Thanks all for reading, hope you enjoyed. The opinions and predictions are my own, so I hope no one is offended lol. Prove me wrong guys! Cheers.
Washington Capitals - Sometimes we all get fed up and say enough is enough. This is precisely what GM Greg said after last season. Following several deep runs from seasons 3-10, the Caps took a step back and decided to clean the slate. What this meant was two straight seasons of futility and getting to draft Aaron Ekblad and Jack Eichel in back to back years. Talk about some lights at the end of a tunnel! With the two drafted franchise changing players in the stable, and some other former prospects coming to fruition, the Caps decided to start loading up on talent. In one off season they added Henrik Sedin, Bryan Little, Patrick Marleau, Pekka Rinne, Mike Cammalleri, Jerome Iginla, Jake Muzzin, Alex Edler, and Brent Seabrook. This could just be the biggest one season turnaround in league history. As we stand, the Caps look like a definite playoff team in the East. With a top starter, above average top 6 D, and some veteran firepower up front, the Caps could surprise a team or two in the playoffs.
Prediction: 2nd in the Metro
Tampa Bay Lightning - The bolts are not far off from where the Caps were the last two seasons. Seasons 9-11 saw the team finish near the top of the conference each year, with disappointing finishes in the playoffs. After a round 1 loss to the Flyers in 13-14, GM Scott said it's time for some changes. Dealing franchise stars Logan Couture and Bobby Ryan was not an easy decision, but one that was needed in order to move the team forward. This season should be similar to the last one as the Bolts are continuing to unload ratings. That said, the future looks brighter than ever - Sam Bennett, Sean Couturier, Alex Wennberg, Charlie Coyle, TJ Brodie, Kerby Rychel, Emile Poirier, Derick Pouliot, Ryan Murray, Dylan Larkin, Mitch Marner, and Ivan Provorov. These are just a part of the growing stable of youth Tampa has brewing in the pipeline. Oh and they are also in good shape for the Austin Matthews sweepstakes. Look for Tampa to be a perennial threat a few years from now when all these kids are legal drinking age.
Prediction: 6th in the Atlantic and just the way Scott wants it
Pittsburgh Penguins - Pens are a storied franchise, with two division banners and a 08-09 conference title to boot. So what has gone wrong in the past 4 years? The team is seemingly still talented with the likes of MA Fleury, Victor Hedman, Jaden Schwartz, Kris Letang, and Jay Bouwmeester having been under contract for all these non-playoff seasons. Rumors have swirled about the time constraints of GM Rob, and its hindrance to running of the team. But hopefully that's in the past and a new day looms in steel town. Pens have added star forward Corey Perry, Mike Hoffman, and Justin Williams this off season in hopes that the offense starts winning them some games. One major team issue is the complete lack of depth at C, which the team is hoping to address before puck drop. The Pens definitely have the tools to make the playoffs, but in a conference with many emerging young teams, it will require some work.
Prediction: 4th in the Metro
Carolina Hurricanes - Another former powerhouse and cup winner in season 2, the Canes are going through some transitions. After only missing the post season twice in their first 10 years, the Canes have now missed them in back to back season. Expect this to be an exception and not a trend, since the Canes roster is filled with emergin talent. The Canes are stacked at each position, with notables like Elias Lindholm, Brandon Sutter, Artem Anisimov, Eric Staal, Patric Hornqvist, Dmitry Jaskin, and Torey Krug. There isn't enough depth on D to make a push for the playoffs but with some brilliant play from starter Ondrej Pavelec, anything is possible. Expect the Canes to make further moves to improve all around organizational depth and set themselves up for strong runs in the years to come.
Prediction: 6th in the Metro
Philadelphia Flyers - The resident wheeler and dealer team is back and hungry for more. Last season broke a streak of 10 straight years of making the playoffs for the Flyers, wow. Truly a remarkable feat for GM Ray. Last season also served as a bit of a wake up call and showed the Flyers that it might be time to turn over a new leaf. With that, the team decided to focus on youth and building a foundation for the future. Added to the team were Derrick Brassard, Peter Holland, Brayden Schenn, Michael Raffl, Calvin DeHaan, Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Spooner, Ivan Barbashev, and recent draftee Dylan Strome. A solid young group that is on the cusp of breaking out. As far as this season goes, a lot will lay on the shoulders of starter Corey Crawford. The team currently lacks ideal depth at forward, which could mean trouble scoring. Whether or not the Flyers get back to the playoffs this season, the future looks a hell of a lot brighter on the playground where I spent most of my days.
Prediction: 5th in the Metro
Buffalo Sabres - The Sabres have seemingly been in a permanent rebuild. Well luckily there is no such thing and eventually the chickens come home to roost. This is where the Sabres found themselves last season, when they made the playoffs for the first time in 5 years, and only the 3rd time in franchise history. Now the secret is out - the Sabres are a very, scary talented team. What was once an easy game on the sched, the Sabres now look to play spoiler more often than not. Let the talent speak for itself: Matt Duchene, Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund, Marcus Johansson, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Jacob Silferberg, the Hayes bros, Nail Yakupov, Mike Green, Dougie Hamilton, Cam Fowler, and even an aging King Lundqvist in net for the next 2 seasons. Yes, the Sabres have arrived. This season should see them make the playoffs based on talent alone. Can Lundqvist take them even further remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - the Sabres will win a cup in the next 5 years.
Predicton: 3rd in the Atlantic
Toronto Maple Leafs - Six straight playoff seasons with a cup win may sound like a win to most people, but for an ultra competitive team like the Leafs this ain't good enough. Specifically being bounced out in the 1st round for the past 2 seasons. Admittedly the team went through a transitional few seasons where a lot of the cup winning pieces were turned over into younger talent. Coming into this season, the Leafs have a renewed roster with solid depth at forward and D. The team also traded for a franchise goalie in Tuukka Rask, who has a lot to prove after two mediocre runs with the Oilers and then the Habs this past season. Still, with the likes of Joe Pavelski, Alex Steen, Ryan Kesler, Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny, Mark Streit, Travis Hamonic, Marco Scandella, and Justin Braun, the team is poised to make the playoffs and win a few rounds.
Prediction: 1st in the Atlantic because I wrote this
New York Islanders - Newest GM Jeremy is taking over a team that has seen some turmoil over the last few seasons. The ownership situation took its toll on the players and even drove superstar Sidney Crosby to demand a trade. The past is behind us and a new day is here for Jeremy, who hopes to turn the team in the right direction this season. This will not be easy, but it helps to have some talent to work with: RNH, Kyle Turris, Jacob Trouba, ME Vlasic, Teuvo Terravainen, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, and Josh Hennessy. It also helps to know the team still has its 2016 1st, and is in line for the Matthews sweepstakes. It could be a rough few seasons for the Isles, but with some expertise and savvy from our newest GM, the Isles could see better days sooner than later.
Prediction: 7th in the Metro
New York Rangers - One of the surprise teams of the past season, the Rangers look to build on a strong campaign that saw them fall in a hard fought 6 game 2nd round series against the Devils. The Rangers have improved since last season too, trading for star winger Nick Foligno, Francois Beauchemin, and landing top free agent Marian Hossa. The top 6 D is also strong with returning Jason Garrison, Trevor Daley, Zach Bogosian, Kevan Miller, and Tom Gilbert. The X factor for the Rangers will be the play of vezina finalist Braden Holtby, who could be a finalist for this season as well. The top line is one of the better in the entire league with Ryan Johansen centering Hossa and Foligno. Rangers should be able to score goals, and stop them with Holtby and company. Look for the team to once again make the playoffs and possibly pull some upsets.
Prediction: 3rd in the Metro
New Jersey Devils - The Devils could be the most interesting team in the league this year. Losing decisively in the cup finals to the power house Canucks last season was not easy, but no one predicted them to go that far to begin with. All in all, last season was an overwhelming success for the franchise, finally reaching the cup finals after several close calls. But that is not where the road ends for savvy GM Ron. This season the team looks stronger than ever, at every position. The Devils are coming into this season as arguably the best defensive minded team in the league. The lowest defensively rated forward on the team is recent acquisition Jiri Hudler, who is also the top offensive threat. The rest of the forwards might as well be Dmen. On actual defense the team is strong, especially after acquiring young star D David Savard. Jonas Brodin also looks ready to assume more minutes. Corry Schneider looks to build on a spectacular campaign from last season, and has help in Eddie Lack should he need a breather. The one question for the Devils this season will be whether or not they can score enough to be dominant.
Prediction: 1st in the Metro
Florida Panthers - GM Kevin and the Panthers are no stranger to making a splash. This is exactly what happened this off season when Florida traded Matt Duchene, Cam Fowler and picks for Devan Dubnyk, Tomas Tatar, and Alexey Emelin. A trade that brought on much discussion, brought in significant upgrades for the Panthers. They now have a true starter in Dubnyk, a respectable top 6 D, and what could be the best 1st line in league history - Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk, Alex Ovechkin. Wow, can you imagine the box scores? All of the splashes of course came at the expense of the future, so the team has basically emptied the cupboard for this impressive roster. Lack of forward depth is still a bit of an issue, and can the Panthers win with Keith Yandle and Robyn Regehr as the top pairing? This will be a highly entertaining team to watch this season, so get your popcorn ready.
Prediction: 2nd in the Atlantic
Boston Bruins - Another surprise team from the past season, the Bruins hope to prove that their incredible regular season and 2 playoff series wins were no fluke. In what is now a 7 year playoff making streak, the Bruins look to build off the successes and finally get over the cup hump. This will unfortunately be more difficult as the team took some significant steps back with some key players. Starter Kari Lehtonen is coming in with some career low numbers and could be a major liability this season. Other down years have diminished some of the value of key players like Milan Lucic. Still, this is a team with top talent like Nick Backstrom, Patrick Kane, Mikael Backlund, JVR, Brad Marchand, Marian Gaborik, Johnny Boychuck, Hampus Lindholm, and Cody Ceci. GM Jim is notorious for staying the course with his players and riding them out for better or worse. There's enough talent to make the playoffs, but beyond that the Bruins may need to make some moves to improve their chances.
Prediction: 4th in the Atlantic
Montreal Canadiens - The storied Habs and cup winners of just two seasons ago, put together one of the most impressive rosters in league history this past season. Unfortunately it was not enough for a cup repeat as the Habs fell in a major upset to the Bruins in the 2nd round. Some say it was due to over stacking, some say the Bruins got under the Habs skin and threw them off their game. In any case, the loss is in the rear view and the Habs now look to set the franchise up for the next series of runs. GM Shawn has already begun the fire sale, and looks to continue as the season goes. Expect the Habs to move Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Vanek, Daniel Sedin, Duncan Keith, and Dennis Seidenberg before the deadline. Going forward, the Habs look to build around young talent like Ondrej Palat, Ryan McDonagh, Alex Barkov, Morgan Rielly, Xavier Ouellet, Cam Talbot, and Kyle Connor. Could they sell enough in time to be in the Matthews sweepstakes? Stay tuned.
Predicton: 5th in the Atlantic
Thanks all for reading, hope you enjoyed. The opinions and predictions are my own, so I hope no one is offended lol. Prove me wrong guys! Cheers.