Ty Anderson: Are the Bruins still a playoff team?

No.

Ty Anderson: Are the Bruins still a playoff team?
- tyanderson

Best case scenario they finish 3rd in the Atlantic. BEST case scenario.

Best case scenario they finish 3rd in the Atlantic. BEST case scenario.
- BINGO!

Agreed. Worst case is probably 7th so they will likely be somewhere in the middle fighting for a wildcard spot until the last day of the season,miss and once again get the worst possible 1st round pick position of all non playoff teams.

Not sure how they end up in front of Ottawa or Montreal. They lost Hamilton and Lucic, they will now play without Chara....

Lol no.

Nope, they are going to need a decent sized rebuild to be honest
1. Their division and the East in general is getting stronger, while they have declined.
2. They have a decent forward group, with plenty of room to grow with kid potential, but that blue line needs some serious work.

Not sure how they end up in front of Ottawa or Montreal. They lost Hamilton and Lucic, they will now play without Chara....
- deadpoulet

But, Rinaldo.

bubble team

Agreed. Worst case is probably 7th so they will likely be somewhere in the middle fighting for a wildcard spot until the last day of the season,miss and once again get the worst possible 1st round pick position of all non playoff teams.
- Cape Breton Bruins

Worst case scenario they finish 10th or so. They could easily miss.

didn't they miss the playoffs last year? Still a playoff team.....hell no! They are right in nowhere land.....too bad to make the playoffs....too good to get a good draft pick.....good stuff lol

I think they can compete for a wild card spot.

Tampa - Class of the division, should win this no problem.

Detroit - I think they will be hot and cold all year. But overall a playoff team.

Montreal - They are one Carey Price injury away from being out of playoff contention. They go as Carey goes and honestly, can he repeat the out of this world season he had last year? It will be a tall feat. A healthy Price all year long, they finish 2nd in the division. Price misses any long stretch of time, they slide to 4th or 5th.

Buffalo - Will compete but not quite a playoff team just yet.

Ottawa - Did nothing in the offseason and I can't see Hammond repeating what he did last season. I see the Patrick Lalime effect taking place with him.

Florida - I see them as another hot and cold team. If Huberdeau has a bounce back year, I can see them push for a playoff spot.

Toronto - Well... it's Toronto. Need I say more?

Boston - Aside from Hamilton, I think all the players that were shipped out of town or not resigned were good moves by the B's. I think their is more depth up front then last year and Rask should see a lighter workload that can keep him fresh. The biggest question mark is the blue line, and i'm cautiously optimistic that the infusion of young blood will be a good thing. No doubt it will be a rough start to the season, but they will figure it out.

With a fresh and rested Rask and a more balanced attack upfront, I think its realistic they finish 3rd or 4th in the division. Most likely 4th.

Love to see all these non-Bruin fans chiming in with their excellently insightful opinions.

"No" said one...

"Lol no" said another...

I mean really... what did we lose besides Hamilton? Lucic was headed downhill the past couple seasons... just flat out underperforming. Soderberg was okay, but he's nothing that we're going to miss, and Kemppainen is already looking better in my opinion. Everyone (besides me) hated Reilly Smith, and Campbell and Paille are easily replaceable 4th line players.

I don't know if I would really say that the Bruins got noticeably better or worse, I think the better way to look at it is they just "changed." The Rangers and Tampa Bay are at the top of the division... how everyone else shakes out is completely in the air. It seems most fans (from other teams, at least in this forum) forget that the Bruins just BARELY missed the playoffs. And now they think that the B's just flat out suck? It's laughable! I don't really see how anyone could put Ottawa so far in front of the Bruins that they can't possibly see how the Bruins could finish in front of them (Deadpoulet I'm talking to you). And Montreal could easily switch spots with Boston if Price doesn't repeat his MVP/Vezina performance...

This is the first year in a long time that the Bruins don't have the pressure of being "a sure thing" for the playoffs and I think that pressure being off of them is going to help... a lot. I think they'll thrive in the underdog role.

didn't they miss the playoffs last year? Still a playoff team.....hell no! They are right in nowhere land.....too bad to make the playoffs....too good to get a good draft pick.....good stuff lol
- Greene19

This is the type of crap that I'm talking about... Did the Bruins miss the playoffs? Yes... by what? 2 (frank)ing games! We'll see how it turns out this year, and I'll be LAUGHING when Montreal is sitting under Boston in the standings with our "nowhere land" team

Boston blows... No one cares..

No.
- thevelvetfog1

Boston blows... No one cares..
- nyrsucks

Oh really?! How are the Devils doing these days?

Boston blows... No one cares..
- nyrsucks

good point

bubble team
- Popcorn Kid

this is really what it boils down to. they're going to need every point.

Love to see all these non-Bruin fans chiming in with their excellently insightful opinions.

"No" said one...

"Lol no" said another...

I mean really... what did we lose besides Hamilton? Lucic was headed downhill the past couple seasons... just flat out underperforming. Soderberg was okay, but he's nothing that we're going to miss, and Kemppainen is already looking better in my opinion. Everyone (besides me) hated Reilly Smith, and Campbell and Paille are easily replaceable 4th line players.

I don't know if I would really say that the Bruins got noticeably better or worse, I think the better way to look at it is they just "changed." The Rangers and Tampa Bay are at the top of the division... how everyone else shakes out is completely in the air. It seems most fans (from other teams, at least in this forum) forget that the Bruins just BARELY missed the playoffs. And now they think that the B's just flat out suck? It's laughable! I don't really see how anyone could put Ottawa so far in front of the Bruins that they can't possibly see how the Bruins could finish in front of them (Deadpoulet I'm talking to you). And Montreal could easily switch spots with Boston if Price doesn't repeat his MVP/Vezina performance...

This is the first year in a long time that the Bruins don't have the pressure of being "a sure thing" for the playoffs and I think that pressure being off of them is going to help... a lot. I think they'll thrive in the underdog role.
- mixturebill

No body thinks they flat out suck but if they missed last season though. and by your own admission its hard to say how they changed, than is it really that outrageous that people think they will miss again?

Columbus and florida got better.
The Sens (yes I'm biased), got better. Montreal even if price doesn't repeat, will get solid goal tending from price. Most teams are improving, while the Bruins as you said, it's hard to say what's going on.

No body thinks they flat out suck but if they missed last season though. and by your own admission its hard to say how they changed, than is it really that outrageous that people think they will miss again?

Columbus and florida got better.
The Sens (yes I'm biased), got better. Montreal even if price doesn't repeat, will get solid goal tending from price. Most teams are improving, while the Bruins as you said, it's hard to say what's going on.
- david22

yep

They'll squeeze in to 3rd in the Atlantic and play the Habs. Bolts in 1st and Wings/Panthers battle it out for wildcard.

Everyone has us out of the playoffs, which is something that hasn't been the case for almost a decade. Time to play the underdog role!

Worst case scenario they finish 10th or so. They could easily miss.
- david22

I meant in the Atlantic division not the conference.

ummm... "Still"?????

Aren't Canadian hockey fans the most insufferable bunch of idiots? No surprise to see scabs fans in here stinking up the place but when did Flames fans become such a bunch of cocky ignorant (frank)s? You guys were AWFUL til what, a year ago? Lol no was the response you guys got last year. Remember that. I hope they regress into the western conference basement so every band wagoner in this city can just shut up about it already.
- PoketheBear

Bruins fan in Cowtown? Man you sound really butt hurt, they must be giving it hard to you guys for the Hamilton trade!!