HockeyBuzz Hotstove: Hotstove: Predicting The Central Division Standings

I think Colorado is gonna surprise some of you. They've got an actual NHL coach now and he preaches a 200 foot game. If Varlamov can have another good year, as he did two years ago, they play better defensively, they'll contend for a wildcard spot.

A lot of "ifs" there I know, but they actually had one more win than Minny last year and they scored the same amount of goals, they just let in a ton more.

I'm not saying the Stars won't have some dropoff, I still think they make the playoffs, possibly even as a wildcard, but 7th, really Tanner? Just can't make a serious post can you?

Hey man, you shouldn't think I'm not serious because you don't agree with me. I'm a serious guy - a full on yuppie.

I'm not saying the Stars won't have some dropoff, I still think they make the playoffs, possibly even as a wildcard, but 7th, really Tanner? Just can't make a serious post can you?
- tootooisapunk

Tanner also predicted the Oilers to win the Pacific division so what you see is what you get....

Hey man, you shouldn't think I'm not serious because you don't agree with me. I'm a serious guy - a full on yuppie.
- James_Tanner

I highly doubt you believe the Stars finish 7th. I think you may just be mad at Odor and that's clouding your judgement. Rangers over Jays in the ALCS, if the BJs make it there, and the Stars make the playoffs. Book it.

I highly doubt you believe the Stars finish 7th. I think you may just be mad at Odor and that's clouding your judgement. Rangers over Jays in the ALCS, if the BJs make it there, and the Stars make the playoffs. Book it.
- tootooisapunk

Yeah the Blue Jays are scaring the sh1t out of us up here. What a meltdown...

Yeah the Blue Jays are scaring the sh1t out of us up here. What a meltdown...
- Flamin_Irishmin

The Rangers have been very bipolar. I'm hoping they can finish strong and get some consistency into the playoffs. At the very least they should keep us entertained till the puck drops.

I highly doubt you believe the Stars finish 7th. I think you may just be mad at Odor and that's clouding your judgement. Rangers over Jays in the ALCS, if the BJs make it there, and the Stars make the playoffs. Book it.
- tootooisapunk

(frank) the Jays and anything else sports related about Toronto

I highly doubt you believe the Stars finish 7th. I think you may just be mad at Odor and that's clouding your judgement. Rangers over Jays in the ALCS, if the BJs make it there, and the Stars make the playoffs. Book it.
- tootooisapunk

Buddy, I have no personal feelings regarding the Dallas Stars. They are the a team that inspires zero emotion and I promise you this is objective: their goalies are the worst in the league. The worst. And their defense is almost as bad.

Their D was bad last year, then they lost Demers and Goligoski.

Seguin is always injured. Benn is coming off the same hip surgery my grandma just had.

How is it controversial to think the Stars will have a bad year?

How is it controversial to think the Oilers - a team with Connor McDavid, will win their Division?

I think the problem is not that I'm crazy, it's that I'm the only one willing to look past last year's standings.

Hey man, you shouldn't think I'm not serious because you don't agree with me. I'm a serious guy - a full on yuppie.
- James_Tanner

Dude you are an IDIOT!!!!!!!

Buddy, I have no personal feelings regarding the Dallas Stars. They are the a team that inspires zero emotion and I promise you this is objective: their goalies are the worst in the league. The worst. And their defense is almost as bad.

Their D was bad last year, then they lost Demers and Goligoski.

Seguin is always injured. Benn is coming off the same hip surgery my grandma just had.

How is it controversial to think the Stars will have a bad year?

How is it controversial to think the Oilers - a team with Connor McDavid, will win their Division?

I think the problem is not that I'm crazy, it's that I'm the only one willing to look past last year's standings.
- James_Tanner

Once again you're sensationalizing what may happen with either Dallas or Edmonton, from reading your stuff over the past few years you're rarely, if ever, right.

Odds are Dallas falls slightly from where they finished last year and Edmonton climbs slightly…beyond that your comments are just nonsense.

(frank) the Jays and anything else sports related about Toronto
- LeftCoaster

Here's hoping you get drunk and fall off your boat while taking a leak off the edge, while your boat motors away. Say what you want about hockey in T.O., but the Jays are Canada's only baseball team, and we love them, so go soak your head ( and the rest of you for that matter). P.s. Don't wear a life jacket please. What an A hole comment...

Here's hoping you get drunk and fall off your boat while taking a leak off the edge, while your boat motors away. Say what you want about hockey in T.O., but the Jays are Canada's only baseball team, and we love them, so go soak your head ( and the rest of you for that matter). P.s. Don't wear a life jacket please. What an A hole comment...
- Flamin_Irishmin

Go Mariners!!

#(frank)theJays

http://www.tsn.ca/cano-ma...n-wild-card-race-1.577467

Buddy, I have no personal feelings regarding the Dallas Stars. They are the a team that inspires zero emotion and I promise you this is objective: their goalies are the worst in the league. The worst. And their defense is almost as bad.

Their D was bad last year, then they lost Demers and Goligoski.

Seguin is always injured. Benn is coming off the same hip surgery my grandma just had.

How is it controversial to think the Stars will have a bad year?

How is it controversial to think the Oilers - a team with Connor McDavid, will win their Division?

I think the problem is not that I'm crazy, it's that I'm the only one willing to look past last year's standings.
- James_Tanner

I'd agree Dallas' D and Goaltending were average last year, goalies were bad in the playoffs. But I think worst in the league is a stretch considering they were best in the west and got to the 2nd round and took STL to game 7.

Benn's hip surgeries were during the last offseason.

Seguin always being injured is a stretch, but it is a concern.

You also overrate the loss of Demers and Goligoski, Demers will be replaced by Stephen Johns. There will be some dropoff, but not as bad as most are predicting.

Little chance the win the west again, I can admit they probably over achieved last year, but predicting 7th is just sensational.

Once again you're sensationalizing what may happen with either Dallas or Edmonton, from reading your stuff over the past few years you're rarely, if ever, right.

Odds are Dallas falls slightly from where they finished last year and Edmonton climbs slightly…beyond that your comments are just nonsense.
- LeftCoaster

Damnit, good intelligent reply to Tanners musings there Lefty...

Buddy, I have no personal feelings regarding the Dallas Stars. They are the a team that inspires zero emotion and I promise you this is objective: their goalies are the worst in the league. The worst. And their defense is almost as bad.

Their D was bad last year, then they lost Demers and Goligoski.

Seguin is always injured. Benn is coming off the same hip surgery my grandma just had.

How is it controversial to think the Stars will have a bad year?

How is it controversial to think the Oilers - a team with Connor McDavid, will win their Division?

I think the problem is not that I'm crazy, it's that I'm the only one willing to look past last year's standings.
- James_Tanner

Benn is not coming off hip surgery. He tore a stomach muscle during off season training and will play in some preseason games. I will say he was pretty good last year after double hip surgery.

I agree that Gogiloski loss will hurt short term but Hamius might end up being a better fit for Klingberg. Demers is not that big a loss - he was 3rd pairing RHD and would be 4th RHD if Honka is ready mid-season.

Seguin will start skating Monday and should be ready around the start of the season.

The biggest loss for the Stars happened this week as Janmark had surgery and will be lost for the season.

put some more respek on the Avalanche name

Benn is not coming off hip surgery. He tore a stomach muscle during off season training and will play in some preseason games. I will say he was pretty good last year after double hip surgery.

I agree that Gogiloski loss will hurt short term but Hamius might end up being a better fit for Klingberg. Demers is not that big a loss - he was 3rd pairing RHD and would be 4th RHD if Honka is ready mid-season.

Seguin will start skating Monday and should be ready around the start of the season.

The biggest loss for the Stars happened this week as Janmark had surgery and will be lost for the season.
- jerryb

The Janmark loss paired with Nuke going back to the KHL does hurt but I think Hudler will help cushion those losses. We are going to take our lumps on D this year, but with Johns, Lindell, Honka, and Klingberg I think we'll have a really good D corps by next year. I'm really hopeful Oleksiak develops into a shutdown guy, but I have my concerns.

We do have some guys banged up to start the year, so we could also start slow, and it's a tough division so I won't say 4th or 5th is out of the question, but 7th is ridiculous IMO.

This is probably the toughest division to speculate because of all the changes to key teams.

NSH should take this division quite decisively.

I don't believe Dallas will suffer too much from their loss of Gogo and Demers. The addition of Hamuis will keep them stable.

CHI and STL are in my opinion totally capable of missing the playoffs, STL more-so in my opinion. STL will have great defense, but major issues in scoring; they were 15th last year in scoring and lost key guys.

CHI finds a way to pull it off IMO.

No way MIN finishes higher than last place. COL and WPG will challenge for the 4th spot. I expect a major logjam between STL, CHI, COL and WPG.

Aw poor baby!!!!it'll be ok left coaster lol

This is probably the toughest division to speculate because of all the changes to key teams.

NSH should take this division quite decisively.

I don't believe Dallas will suffer too much from their loss of Gogo and Demers. The addition of Hamuis will keep them stable.

CHI and STL are in my opinion totally capable of missing the playoffs, STL more-so in my opinion. STL will have great defense, but major issues in scoring; they were 15th last year in scoring and lost key guys.

CHI finds a way to pull it off IMO.

No way MIN finishes higher than last place. COL and WPG will challenge for the 4th spot. I expect a major logjam between STL, CHI, COL and WPG.
- Rinosaur

I believe Minny will do good in the reg season. Remember they brought in Bruce Boudreau. He is notorious for great regular seasons and choking in the playoffs.

I believe Minny will do good in the reg season. Remember they brought in Bruce Boudreau. He is notorious for great regular seasons and choking in the playoffs.
- mng815

I don't think MIN is a bad team by any stretch and Boudreau is an excellent coach, but he's working with less than he ever has, so this will be a true testament to how effective he is.

MIN is just a couple of moves from being a top team, but they've made moves to take a step backwards. They're far too old and slow down the middle which will catch up to them as the season wears on.

They owe it to themselves to get a proper center next to Parise before he really starts his decline.

What I think we see is something similar to STL; a low-scoring, strong defensive team that just doesn't score enough to go far.

EDIT:
I think MIN should look to Tampa since there is a chance that Tyler Johnson could get moved.

Blues - depth on D - going nowhere in playoffs though
Preds - overrated D (read last years posts about the Flamers) - Rinne is the best goalie in the Central (yeah but Crawford won some cups yada yada)
Hawks - expect a long playoff run
Stars - could easily win div but backend problems.
Wild - better than Jets and Avs (not by much)
Avs - better than Jets (this year)
Jets - no goalie no chance

Jets - no goalie no chance
- Leo_Union

Have you heard of Hellebuyck?