It's March 1st which of course means not only have we passed the deadline, but we can finally say NHL playoffs start NEXT month. In the rumor world this is the fun time of year. The distance between UFA Day on July 1 and Trade deadline is 8 long months, but the distance between the deadline and UFA day is a fast 4 months and the Draft (which is becoming more and more where the big trades get done) is under 4 month from now.. And to pass the time we get to witness the playoff races and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Life is good!

Well, one of the first blogs I like to write following the deadline and as March approaches is this one. It's the "Now that all the moves are done, who do you predict will make playoffs" blog.

Since I am not ashamed of the past, first here is where I predicted these teams to finish prior to the season, along with where they really sit as we speak...

Eklund's Preseason Picks

The Eastern Conference Predicted Results
1. Washington (8)
2. Buffalo (12)
3. Pittsburgh (4)
4. New Jersey (7)
5. Tampa (11)
6. Philadelphia (6)
7. Boston (2)
8. Montreal (15)
9. Winnipeg (9)
10. Toronto (10)
11. NY Rangers (1)
12. NY Islanders (14)
13. Florida (3)
14. Carolina (13)
15. Ottawa (5)

The Western Conference Predicted Results
1. Los Angeles (10)
2. Vancouver (1)
3. St. Louis (2)
4. Detroit (4)
5. Anaheim (13)
6. San Jose (7)
7. Columbus (15)
8. Nashville (5)
9. Chicago (6)
10. Colorado (9)
11. Phoenix (3)
12. Edmonton (14)
13. Minnesota (12)
14. Calgary (11)
15. Dallas (8)
So currently I am a whopping 10/16 in predicting who will make the playoffs

What SportsClubStats.com has to say:

The current predicted final standings on the prediction site SportsClubStats.com is as follows:
EAST
1. Rangers
2. Bruins
3. Florida
4. Penguins
5. Flyers
6. Senators
7. Devils
8. Capitals
9. Jets
10. Leafs
11. Lightning
12. Sabres
13. Hurricanes
14. Islanders
15. Canadiens

WEST
1. Canucks
2. Blues
3. Coyotes
4. Red Wings
5. Predators
6. Sharks
7. Blackhawks
8. Stars
9. Kings
10. Avalanche
11. Flames
12. Wild
13. Ducks
14. Oilers
15. Blue Jackets

What's the buzz?
So here is you chance to show the hockey world how much better you are than every one else by predicting the top 8 teams in each Conference...

Here are mine:

East
1. Rangers
2. Bruins
3. Capitals
4. Penguins
5. Senators
6. Devils
7. Flyers
8. Jets

West
1. Blues
2. Canucks
3. Coyotes
4. Red Wings
5. Predators
6. Sharks
7. Stars
8. Kings

So bring it on...

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