Todd Cordell: Early Metro Division Predictions

Exactly

Todd Cordell: Early Metro Division Predictions
- Todd.Cordell

Hmmmm.....

Todd Cordell: Early Metro Division Predictions
- Todd.Cordell

No, the Flyers didn't do a whole lot to improve their team, but they didn't do anything to hurt it (i.e. awful contracts to Orpik/Downie/etc) either. Made playoffs last year and were a win away from taking down the Eastern champs.

Hartnell? Stinks...the guy is a complete liability and chewing up first line minutes. Umberger may prove no better, but would have to make an effort to be worst.

Devils
Aces
Wildcats
Hockey bags
Islanders
Caps
Canes
Flyers
Rangers
Penguins

And that folks is how the metro will play out. The stats don't lie

I find the Metro to be very hard to predict this year, because I really don't see a bad team in the Division. Even Carolina who is universally picked as the last place team in the division, has some good pieces.

I think the Pens, Rangers and Jackets, will be the top 3 seeds in the Division, and after that, its hard for me to distinguish between the Caps, Isles, Devils and Flyers, all of whom I think can either contend for the playoffs, or finish 7th in the Division. Hell, I don't see it beyond the realm of possibility that the any of the above mentioned teams can finish in the Top 3 of the Conference. Parity reigns in today's NHL.

I do think that both wildcards will come from the Metro this year.

I think you are under estimating the significants of Barry Trotz being in Washington now.He will get the best out of this group and I believe they will make the playoffs quite easily.i still don't think New Jersey is good enough and I love their coach as well.they are just a bad team depth wise.

No, the Flyers didn't do a whole lot to improve their team, but they didn't do anything to hurt it (i.e. awful contracts to Orpik/Downie/etc) either. Made playoffs last year and were a win away from taking down the Eastern champs.

Hartnell? Stinks...the guy is a complete liability and chewing up first line minutes. Umberger may prove no better, but would have to make an effort to be worst.
- mjaflyer

Adding Umberger and MacDonald made them worse.

I think you are under estimating the significants of Barry Trotz being in Washington now.He will get the best out of this group and I believe they will make the playoffs quite easily.i still don't think New Jersey is good enough and I love their coach as well.they are just a bad team depth wise.
- Allforhim12

I think Washington is a team that could really suprise some people. What ever people think of the Orpik signing, for this year's Caps team, I think it will help. I think they are very good on the backline, have a few top end forwards upfront, and have some strong developmental prospects that could take a step this year -- i.e., Wilson, Kuznetzov, etc.

And, as you mentioned, a very competent coach.

This should be fun.

I find the Metro to be very hard to predict this year, because I really don't see a bad team in the Division. Even Carolina who is universally picked as the last place team in the division, has some good pieces.

I think the Pens, Rangers and Jackets, will be the top 3 seeds in the Division, and after that, its hard for me to distinguish between the Caps, Isles, Devils and Flyers, all of whom I think can either contend for the playoffs, or finish 7th in the Division. Hell, I don't see it beyond the realm of possibility that the any of the above mentioned teams can finish in the Top 3 of the Conference. Parity reigns in today's NHL.

I do think that both wildcards will come from the Metro this year.
- Pete V

I don't see anything wrong with saying "those 3 are the top 3, then all hell breaks loose for 4th and 5th".

But Pens are still taking 1st

Adding Kulemin and Grabovski instantly makes the Islanders much better, as well as dumping off MacDonald and adding Halak.

The more I look at NYI, the more I like their team.

The lower half of the roster is questionable, but they'll certainly be competitive.

Philly and Washington seem committed to buying everybody else's junk, though.

Devils
Aces
Wildcats
Hockey bags
Islanders
Caps
Canes
Flyers
Rangers
Penguins

And that folks is how the metro will play out. The stats don't lie
- blizzzard

You forgot us

I don't see anything wrong with saying "those 3 are the top 3, then all hell breaks loose for 4th and 5th".

But Pens are still taking 1st
- Guile

Penguins finishing first and not really having any concrete reasoning, as to why they are better than the rest, is just lazy to me.

Penguins finishing first and not really having any concrete reasoning, as to why they are better than the rest, is just lazy to me.
- MidnightMarauder

A team that improved their lineup, against the Rags who have gone down a little bit in talent... and then being told Rags>Pens... is even more lazy, or stupid to me.

You forgot us
- Alexzanki

You guys go right above the isles I can't believe I forgot you guys lol what's going on with Johanson I think that kid is going to be the real deal !

This should be fun.
- rmdevil313

You forgot us
- Alexzanki

Everybody does.

There's a reason for that.

Penguins finishing first and not really having any concrete reasoning, as to why they are better than the rest, is just lazy to me.
- MidnightMarauder

I'd say the reason is that both their bottom-6 and their defense are vastly improved, not to mention they lost the most man games due to injury in the NHL last year and still won the division...pretty good reasons.

A team that improved their lineup, against the Rags who have gone down a little bit in talent... and then being told Rags>Pens... is even more lazy, or stupid to me.
- Guile

How did the Pens improve talent-wise? Ehrhoff and Niskanen are a wash, at this point. Losing Neal for Hornqvist and Spaling is not an upgrade.

They improved their bottom six depth but a lot of their success is hinging on the young defensemen, in the system, stepping up and all being good right off the bat. Nobody is saying they are a bad team but that they are the automatic first place team, every year no matter what they do in the offseason, is lazy.

I'd say the reason is that both their bottom-6 and their defense are vastly improved, not to mention they lost the most man games due to injury in the NHL last year and still won the division...pretty good reasons.
- jmatchett383

Defense is vastly improved, how? Maybe in a year or two, when the kids get their legs under them, but right now it looks like a defense that has potential to be good but half of blueline is going to be under 24-years old on average and have little to no NHL experience.

Defense is vastly improved, how? Maybe in a year or two, when the kids get their legs under them, but right now it looks like a defense that has potential to be good but half of blueline is going to be under 24-years old on average and have little to no NHL experience.
- MidnightMarauder

Matta is going to play 60 a night and win the Norris more years in a row then lidstrom so I think they are probably going to have the best back end in hockey this year

How did the Pens improve talent-wise? Ehrhoff and Niskanen are a wash, at this point. Losing Neal for Hornqvist and Spaling is not an upgrade.

They improved their bottom six depth but a lot of their success is hinging on the young defensemen, in the system, stepping up and all being good right off the bat. Nobody is saying they are a bad team but that they are the automatic first place team, every year no matter what they do in the offseason, is lazy.
- MidnightMarauder

Ehrhoff is a wash with Nisk?

So... there is something you will find very few to agree with right there. I like Nisk, I won't deny that, but I'm not stupid. Him repeating his level of play when not in the 5-6 defensive pairing is HIGHLY unlikely.

Ehrhoff > Nisk. -1 to your argument


Horn vs Neal... regular season stats, I might even give it to Neal by a couple goals. Post season, Neal was crap, Horn plays the style of game that is needed. A game the Rags were better than the Penguins at, you should recognize that. Spaling... would have preferred a 2nd round pick instead of him, they had 2.

Horn > Neal. another -1.

Defense... They will be beyond questionable until Mattaa and Pouliot are back and in good health... but dead foot Orpik gone, and a plethora of young defensemen ready to come up to fill... ONE (frank)ING POSITION! Two if Scuds is dumped... so boo hoo, a rookie defensmen is going to play for a few months until Maatta comes back.
And again, Ehrhoff > Nisk.

-1 point to your argument again.

Bottom six is better, top 6 virtually the same.



ITS A BETTER TEAM NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT

You are beyond homering this, good day bud.

Defense is vastly improved, how? Maybe in a year or two, when the kids get their legs under them, but right now it looks like a defense that has potential to be good but half of blueline is going to be under 24-years old on average and have little to no NHL experience.
- MidnightMarauder

The Penguins were 13 points better in the regular season last year than the Rangers. What have the Rangers done to bridge that gap??

Pretty accurate except for your own team. The Devils did less to improve themselves than any team aside from the do-nothing Canes and the do-less-than-nothing Cop-a-feelers (or is it Feel-a-coppers?). I don't see why they will be better than the Isles (haven't thought that thought in about 25 years) or the Caps who actually did improve themselves regardless of how much they overpaid to do so.

1. Pens
2. Rangers
3. Caps
4. Isles (wild card)
5. Jackets (wild card)
6. Devils
7. Flyers
8. Canes