Eklund: Ranking the Teams Who Will Bounce Back: Edm, NJ. Buff, Ott, Pitt orthe Wild

Ottawa has a lot of change + instablity in the past few months.

They've had a new owner take over the organization, new president in Cyril Leeder, Shane Pinto 41 game suspension for gambling (a solid #2/3 center), Dorion costing the team a 1st round pick and his own job - new GM, then injuries to Zub, Chabot, Norris*. Then coaching hasn't been the best with defensive structure being the main issue.

But there are a lot of positives with the return of Daniel Alfredsson and now Jacques Martin. This should improve the coaching - the team needs more from players behind Sanderson, Stutzle, and Tkachuk

Sabres

Unless they make a coaching change the Penguins are TOASTED AND ROASTED
They are done just like dinner on the table. Too many chiefs and not enough good Indians They need to get dirty and quickly Unless they do they will not compete

Fans don't understand how bad the Penguins power play is. It's on pace to be the worst ever in the cap era. They give up a lot and never score. Heads should have rolled long ago.

Sabres get back Jack Quinn and they're going to go on a tear. They may never lose a game again until he retires.

I would rank Buffalo 7th in that list of 6

Oilers have dug themselves a pretty deep hole, but they're playing well right now. The game last night was a bit of a unicorn in that they have a history of coming back slowly from breaks (that's how we got here in the first place, isn't it?). If that's an indication that the never urgent Oilers have found some urgency, then yeah, the league better watch out. Too early to say it isn't a 'coach bump' or whatever we call a bit of success for a bad team, but if it's as real as it's threatening to be this might just turn out to be the team we thought they were in the summer.

The Wild have won 4 straight under Hynes. The goalies are making some big saves on their horrible PK. Still no 1C. They need much more from Kaprizov, Boldy, Spurgeon and their goalies. They don’t have enough depth to offset injuries. They need some youth development now.

Fans don't understand how bad the Penguins power play is. It's on pace to be the worst ever in the cap era. They give up a lot and never score. Heads should have rolled long ago.
- jfkst1

Is it the addition of Karlsson diverting focus from Crosby? Is it that they haven't really integrated Karlsson properly? Is it just that Reirden's an idiot and it's a badly designed PP? Are the forwards just too used to the way Letang QB's it? Combination of all of the above? I'm guessing some over-passing is involved since that seems to be the case when anyone has a bad PP.

Fans don't understand how bad the Penguins power play is. It's on pace to be the worst ever in the cap era. They give up a lot and never score. Heads should have rolled long ago.
- jfkst1

Feel like for the last few years the Penguins core has really lacked a sense of urgency which has lead to early exits and a mediocre team. Then you add Erik Karlsson who is a big time, "rest on ones laurels" type and that is a massive recipe for disaster IMO.

I don't watch the Penguins every night because (pukes) but i watched the sharks a lot and it felt like a power struggle between Burns and EK. Is it the same with Letang and EK? This was Letangs team forever.

I watched the power play against Tampa and it is much of the same. Not much movement, all 5 of them just waiting for someone else to make a play.

Is it the addition of Karlsson diverting focus from Crosby? Is it that they haven't really integrated Karlsson properly? Is it just that Reirden's an idiot and it's a badly designed PP? Are the forwards just too used to the way Letang QB's it? Combination of all of the above? I'm guessing some over-passing is involved since that seems to be the case when anyone has a bad PP.
- FoppaForever

All four have careers of strong PP production and all four are producing fine at ES. Blame has to fall on coaching. They aren't just league worst- they are HISTORICALLY BAD.

Feel like for the last few years the Penguins core has really lacked a sense of urgency which has lead to early exits and a mediocre team. Then you add Erik Karlsson who is a big time, "rest on ones laurels" type and that is a massive recipe for disaster IMO.

I don't watch the Penguins every night because (pukes) but i watched the sharks a lot and it felt like a power struggle between Burns and EK. Is it the same with Letang and EK? This was Letangs team forever.

I watched the power play against Tampa and it is much of the same. Not much movement, all 5 of them just waiting for someone else to make a play.
- Mahewman

Letang has had two games on the top PP so it has nothing to do with Letang and Karlsson. Sullivan and staff took the first ~15 games before they even made any personnel changes and have stuck with the same set up all season.

I'll go with Edmonton as they have already started. 5 wins straight.

Funny how the Athletic had a very similar article drop a couple of days ago....

Funny how the Athletic had a very similar article drop a couple of days ago....
- GrimmdaGoalie

Obviously they stole it from Ek, and then used their time machine and published it before Ek released it.

Obviously they stole it from Ek, and then used their time machine and published it before Ek released it.
- HenryHockey

Sounds like plagiarism by the Athletic.

Now rank the teams that could bounce back the other way. Who might collapse from early season over achieving.

Now rank the teams that could bounce back the other way. Who might collapse from early season over achieving.
- wreckage

DET, ARI, WPG, WSH.

Jack Quinn is in a regular jersey and coming back soon.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter KeyBank Center from here on out.

Jack Quinn is in a regular jersey and coming back soon.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter KeyBank Center from here on out.
- QuinnFan

Isn't that the Sabres organizational mission statement?

Isn't that the Sabres organizational mission statement?
- eichiefs9

Touché.

No Ohtanei updates?

No Ohtanei updates?
- OilyJay

If you ask Twitter, you should know in about an hour and 45 minutes

https://www.flightradar24.com/N616RH/33251c37

Im going to do something thats going to make me really sick.
I agree with EK on NJ......
Ok that was really Painful!
Also EK predictions may be really bad for my Devils....