I have updated the crazy prediction blog this afternoon to include more detail...more CRAZY details that is!
Can you feel it???
Maybe it was the terrible and tragic summer, but I have never been more excited for an NHL season to get under way. Even this preseason was perhaps the most intense one in recent memory. Part of the thanks for that goes to Sheriff Shanny giving us plenty to debate, but I just get a sense from watching the players on the ice, and being around them in the room after the games and practices, that they are more focused and prepared to play than they have ever been. I wonder if all the tragedy if this summer has maybe on some deeper level made everyone appreciate this whole thing a bit more?
Anyway, it is time for one of my favorite blogs of the year. My Annual Crazy Prediction Blog. Now the point of this blog is that none of these can be obvious...in fact these should be more or less counter intuitive. In the past I have seen some of these come to fruition however and last year a few were ...
The ones I was closest with last year...
Boston: Tim Thomas will take back the #1 spot despite Tuukka Rask's dominating season in 2009-10.
Chicago: Corey Crawford will be the #1 goalie by Thanksgiving, and it will come out that this was really the plan all along.
Montreal: Cary Price will rebound, but the Habs scoring will let them down for stretches until PK Subban calls the team out.
Nashville: The Predators will lead the division as of Thanksgiving. Many young players will have a huge impact, but Joel Ward will have the most surprising impact on the team.
Philadelphia: The Flyers will have a different goalie at the deadline as well, despite a great start from Bobrovsky. Claude Giroux will lead the team in scoring and become an All-Star.
Tampa: The Lightning will come very close to knocking off the Capitals for the division lead and win a round in the playoffs.
Vancouver: There will be a goalie controversy come the playoffs. Luongo will start the playoffs for Vancouver, but may not finish them regardless of what he does in the regular season.
Now some of those predictions may feel "not too crazy" looking back, but at the time they definitely weren't givens. (Seems like I am more in tune when it comes to predictions of goaltending scenarios, eh?)
Of course there were some I was WAAAAAY off on as well..
Phoenix: The Coyotes will find out they are moving to Winnipeg mid season, but the NHL will announce they are putting an expansion team into Phoenix.
New Jersey: The Devils will make a trade VERY soon which will again look to be "not a Lamoriello type move." Despite the Devils success this season, Lou will leave the team and take the GM job with the NY Rangers next season as Sather moves up.
and...pretty much everything else I said.
Well let's get to the season at hand.
Anaheim: Bobby Ryan will emerge as the NHL's leading scorer for the first month of the season.
Boston: The Bruins' Rask will challenge Thomas to the point where one of them will be moved at the deadline...and the shocker of it all could be that Tim Thomas ends up in Washington despite the presence of Tomas Vokoun.
Buffalo: The Sabres have already made a ton of moves, but will continue to tinker as the season progresses. A major move could see one of their July 1 signings elsewhere come January. Jhonas Enroth will emerge as more than a #2 goalie, and either challenge Ryan Miller for more playing time or create an outcry as to why he's not playing more.
Calgary: The Flames will find a way to make the playoffs and it will behind new superstar Mikael Backlund, who will have a major breakout season.
Carolina: Cam Ward will be this season's Tim Thomas and just dominate the stats pages keeping the Canes much more competitive than most expect. Watch out for Brandon Sutter.
Chicago: Joel Quenneville will take the fall early for a poor start, and it won't be fair to him. The Hawks will end strong however. Ray Emery?
Colorado: Duchene will be an undeniable All-Star, but another major sell off at the trade deadline will see Colorado completely change directions.
Columbus: Nash/Carter will be a Legion of Doom Part 2, but the Jackets will trade for a goalie as they approach the deadline grabbing Bernier from the Kings who will vault them into the playoffs.
Dallas: Rumors of the team relocating to Kansas City will emerge, but the team will rally behind Jamie Benn, who will score regular ESPN highlight goals. They will stay in contention much longer than anyone expects, but will fall short.
Detroit: This will be the year of the Mule. Johan Franzen will emerge as the team's leading scorer and change the enter dynamic.
Edmonton: Last year I predicted they would finish ahead of Calgary. This year I am not as confident. I want to be, but I am not. I will say this: Nugent-Hopkins will be on an NHL commercial by year's end and become the biggest star the town has seen since.
Florida: Despite all the positive moves, Panthers point total will fall of a bit but they may actually make the playoffs... However, next season they will challenge for the division crown.
LA Kings: Penner will be a star again: a big star. The big story here will be the goaltending and defense as the Kings will allow the fewest goals this season in the NHL. the Kings will shock the world and knock off at least two teams in the playoffs and could find a way to raise their first Stanley Cup.
Minnesota: Dany Heatley will score 53 Goals. Mark it down. The Wild will be very active after this season in the UFA market.
Montreal: Carey Price will finally get the recognition and win the Hart Trophy and the Habs offense will be "better" bolstered by a breakout season from by Max Pacioretty. PK Subban will also start to draw attention for the Norris and the NHL will finally get behind the guy as one of the most intriguing and interesting stars the league has ever seen. PK is hands down the best interview in the game today, and he will start to draw more favorable coverage for his exuberance than for a perceived lack of respect for veterans.
Nashville: The Preds will play in the Western Conference Final. This is the year in Nashville. So many players playing for contracts it is almost as if Poile set up 2011-2012 to be the make or break year. There will be a major, and I mean MAJOR player to get traded to Nashville mid-season or at the deadline, who will answer any and all questions as to where the playoff scoring will come from.
New Jersey: Last year I said the Devils would win the division and they started off terribly only to become the best team in hockey when it was too late.... My actual standings predictions will come tomorrow for the Eastern Conference, but i will say this...Peter DeBoer will return to Ottawa to coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars..Despite New Jersey being a playoff force, Parise will play his final season in a Devils uniform.
Ny Islanders: Garth Snow will finally feel the heat for not having enough experience to go along with young talent. On draft day no one has been better than Garth Snow. He is a master. He can assemble talent like no one’s business but he is yet to show he can be a chemist. This team is where the Penguins were pre Bill-Guerin. Some youth must go to make way for wily veterans who can teach all these kids how to be NHLers. My Crazy prediction: Leadership will come from the one player who didn’t want anything to do with being an Islander. That would be one Evgeny Nabokov.
NY Rangers: Look out for Stu Bickel. NHL players I talk to are saying he is better than anyone knows and is a mix between Scott Stevens and Chara. He may end up helping the Rangers more than any free agent they signed. The Rangers strength is becoming their D. Lundqvist will emerge and win the Vezina going away.
Ottawa: Many will predict the Sens will be this year's Eastern Conference fire-sale club, but I believe they will shock the hockey world and come very close to making the playoffs..They could trade Alfredsson at the deadline when it appears they are out of the playoffs, but the young kids will still make a push for the playoffs when they get more ice-time.
Philadelphia: JVR/Giroux/Jagr will be the single best line in hockey. (To that certain BIG time Canadian media guy whon I bet at the last Olympics that Claude Giroux will be on the next Canadian Olympic team...I will be accepting your donation in a few years).
Phoenix: Keith Yandle will win the Norris Trophy bit the Yotes real story will come from a surprising place...in goal...where cast away Mike Smith will dominate.
Pittsburgh:
Breaking News...Crosby is on the IR. so he will not start the season. This will be the year Evgeny Malkin wins the Hart and the Scoring title.. The Penguins will play in the Conference Finals...at least...despite the Crosby uncertainty.
San Jose: The Sharks will reverse their usual fortunes and struggle in the regular season but make a strong impact in the playoffs (maybe with a different coach or GM) Brent Burns will be an All-Star. (and I am not in general a fan)
St. Louis: The return of Halak and the combination of dynamic youth and grizzled vets means the Blues will win the Central Division.
Tampa: The Lightning will be very inconsistent but will eventually return to form. However, I'm not certain the ageless Dwayne Roloson will take them there. I could see another, younger goalie leading them.
Toronto: The Leafs will find more scoring than they have in years, but will also make the first MAJOR trade of the NHL season.
Vancouver: The Canucks will struggle out of the gate, but regain focus. However it will take a MAJOR trade where they acquire a top-paring defenseman -- a trade that could see them moving one of their goalies in the process.
Washington: The Caps will decide to abandon the defensive system they went to last year and turn the burners on again. Alex Semin will emerge as one of the most talented NHLer in years. The Caps will learn how to play offense again once they learn to trust in Vokoun, but the veteran Czech (talented as he is) may not be the go-to goalie come playoff time.
Winnipeg: The Thrashers always “just” missed the playoffs. The Jets will make them driven by the energy of the city which will account for the 3 or 4 more wins the team will need to squeak in. And in the playoffs...they will be feared.
What’s the buzz? Let’s hear your crazy predictions!
Looking for info between blogs or when the next blog is coming?>
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW ME ON GOOGLE+.
Join the Discussion:
»