People are dumping on this division and following up on last year it is easy to see why.
However....here are my picks..
#8 Detroit.
The Red Wings are going to be good....eventually....but they really are the one true and committed rebuilding team in this division.
Best Case: They finish last in the NHL and bring in hometown hero Jack Hughes to follow in the footsteps of Howe, Yzerman and Datsyuk...
#7 Ottawa.
The Senators are going to have a chip on their shoulder and Stone/Duchene are playing for contracts...Stone may get 40 goals this year. He is crazy talented and will be on a mission.
Best Case: They get off to a fast start and stay in the playoff race way longer than anyone else is thinking...
#6 Montreal.
The Canadiens won't be great but they are NOT going to be as bad as everyone is saying. And for once a VERY rare lack of high expectations could actually help. I can't remember a year the Habs got to play the underdog before...And Carey Price is still here.
Best Case: Montreal is fast and Domi will help. They could battle for a playoff spot as the year goes. They need to stay close until Weber returns.
#5 Boston.
The Bruins were successful last year because everything came together in the right way. It was the young players that made the Bruins so unexpectedly solid last year. They were 4 lines deep and no one expected that to be the case...Can they all do it again?
Best Case: They can do it again and this team gets 100 points.
#4 Buffalo.
Last year the Sabres struggled like crazy and yet at times you could see the beginnings of something. They have some special players and they kept those players, but they also added some HUGE keys. Dahlin is going to a top 5 D-man in the next three years. Skinner helps and I don't at all mind them shipping O'Reilly out. Eichel will be a beast and most of all: Carter Hutton brings consistency and a huge amount of great attitude...Changing a goalie changes EVERYTHING when it comes to the mood around a team.
Best case: Playoffs return to Western New York...Always better when the Sabres are in the playoffs.
#3 Toronto.
The Maple Leafs, Oilers and Penguins are all at another level when it comes to scoring, but they all also have the same problem: defence. They are defensively suspect in their own end and I fully believe would be better off trading Nylander for a top four D man than signing him. It is all well and good to want to bring back all your forwards, but by adding Tavares you should really try and turn one of those forwards into defensive help. And defensive help is expensive. I would move Nylander.
Best Case: A trip to the Conference Finals...and then who knows...sky is the limit.
#2 Florida.
The Panthers get zero respect, yet for the final two months of last season, when they got healthy, they were virtually unbeatable...They added Hoffman to an already balanced lineup. This team is so deep they could send young phenom Henrik Borgström to the AHL yesterday...But my guess is that demotion is only temporary to learn the ropes of pro life. Many Panthers fans are unhappy about this, but I have to trust Tallon on this one. Dale is not afraid to play young players, but he must see something here... The whole season depends on what the Panthers get in net, but Luongo has shown he can still bring it and I have faith that behind this solid lineup James Reimer is plenty solid.
Best case: Second in the division....
#1 Tampa.
In 2016-17 more pundits picked Tampa to win the Cup than anyone. In 2017-18 more pundits picked Tampa to win the Cup than anyone. In 2018-19 more pundits are picking Tampa to win the Cup than anyone. They are stacked and some of their better players are some of their more unknown youngsters...Obviously Stamkos and Kucherov are amazing...but they are made more amazing by Point and Palat following them up...Defensively they are stacked. In Goal they are stacked.
Best Case: For Tamp this is really it. They need to win NOW or they will become the team that more pundits pick to win the Cup than anyone in 2019-20.
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