Eklund: Two Bubble Teams + One Terrible Team Last Year That Will Make the Playoffs.

So every year a team or two make the playoffs that didn’t the year before…

The average turnover of new playoff teams from one postseason to the next in the cap era is 6. So when making predictions of only 1-3 new playoff teams, you're pretty much guaranteed to be very wrong.

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If they can fix half those issues…Enter Fantilli…I love this kid. He is the best draft pick this team has EVER had. Sorry Rick Nash…but he is.

Just an absurdly ridiculous statement. The kid looks very promising. That's it, that's all.

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If they can fix half those issues…Enter Fantilli…I love this kid. He is the best draft pick this team has EVER had. Sorry Rick Nash…but he is.

Just an absurdly ridiculous statement. The kid looks very promising. That's it, that's all.
- The Judge

Even if Fantilli is a great rookie center, CBJ is fielding a weak center position compared to the other playoff teams in the conference. Not to mention, the EC is very deep in both divisions so that is a lot of teams they have to jump over. CBJ could be 30+ points improved and still miss the postseason.

My bubble teams that will make it in are the Ottawa Senators and the Vancover Canucks and the suprise team is the Anahiem Ducks.
In the east The Panthers are going to fall out and see themselves on the outside.
Out west the Jets are going to be lackluster.

I'm not going to argue that Vancouver isn't improved, I just don't know what team in the west is going to give up a spot for them. NHL has reached a point with it's playoff structure that good, legitimate threat teams will not make the playoffs this year.

Eklund: Two Bubble Teams + One Terrible Team Last Year That Will Make the Playoffs.
- Eklund

the only thing out of nowhere for the cbj is a coach looking at phones .

I'm not going to argue that Vancouver isn't improved, I just don't know what team in the west is going to give up a spot for them. NHL has reached a point with it's playoff structure that good, legitimate threat teams will not make the playoffs this year.
- OilyJay

All but the most elite contenders are susceptible to missing the postseason with bad enough injuries or goaltending issues in the regular season. In the west, I predict SEA and WPG miss in the postseason with CGY and VAN replacing them. In the east, BOS, NYI, FLA all miss with PIT, OTT, and BUF making it. And that would be a low volatility year for postseason turnover.

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade
- glove_was_stuck

you sound pretty comfortable with that opinion

CBJ is IMO the only basement team last year that could rebound significantly. Bubble teams are the Sabres and Sens... though something has to give in the Atlantic. Pens should make the playoffs as well.

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade
- glove_was_stuck

The Scouts?

St Louis and Nashville....

Anaheim

Assign Augello to the prospects tourney in Buffalo, we need some boots on the ground reporting the best prospect pool in the NHL.

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade
- glove_was_stuck

Chiefs?

Did you mean Scouts?

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade
- glove_was_stuck

I’m hearing the Thrashers are trading Kovalchuk, Kozlov, Hossa, Byflugen, and Ferraro. The Russians want Siberian climate, Ferraro wants to do color in the broadcast booth and Byflugen wants to go home.

The North Stars are sending Ciccarelli, Bellows, Broten, Bobby Smith and anyone else that wants out of their loser franchise.

Buffalo and Ottawa are on the cusp in the East. Florida and the Islanders are at risk to miss this year. Out West, Vancouver will come up short and Winnipeg will miss. Nashville will make a push to be the second wildcard in the West.

Pittsburgh has a long open window? Crosby is 36 years old and signed for this year and next. At that stage, Malkin will be 39,Letang 38, Karlsson 35. This is an old roster built to win right now. Long..open...window??

I got the Whalers and Seals getting into the postseason with the Nordiques, Chiefs and Baron's slipping out. The North Stars and Thrashers will make a mid season blockbuster trade
- glove_was_stuck

Metropolitans will likely be on the outside looking in though.

The Scouts?
- Marwood

Yes. Thank you.

I'm not going to argue that Vancouver isn't improved, I just don't know what team in the west is going to give up a spot for them. NHL has reached a point with it's playoff structure that good, legitimate threat teams will not make the playoffs this year.
- OilyJay

Got to play the games. Any team is a few injuries away from being (frank)ed.

Ottawa, Buffalo and Calgary have a better shot at making the playoffs that Vancouver…IMO

My bubble teams that will make it in are the Ottawa Senators and the Vancover Canucks and the suprise team is the Anahiem Ducks.
In the east The Panthers are going to fall out and see themselves on the outside.
Out west the Jets are going to be lackluster.
- Tom Dusome

Florida has made the playoffs two years in a row. They had an amazing regular season in 2021-22 and underachieved in the playoffs. They flipped that script entirely in 2022-23. Not enough evidence to suggest that they don’t make the playoffs in 2023-24

In fact Boston has likely regressed and Tampa continues to bleed out slowly. Florida has a great shot at finishing 1st or 2nd in the division.

4 of these 5 teams from the Atlantic division most likely make the playoffs.
Florida
Toronto
Buffalo
Ottawa
Tampa

Tampa has been a middling team during the regular season the last 2 seasons and continue to face significant attrition to their depth. They are still too good of a team to miss the playoffs

4 of 5 teams from the Metro division that most likely make the playoffs
Rangers
Canes
Devils
Isles
Pens

Pens are super intriguing because of the EK trade but won’t been even slightly surprised if that experiment is a massive flop and they miss. IMO they have the 7th best goaltending of the 10 teams listed above.

The blue jackets stink. They are in the toughest division in hockey going to get [Richard] slapped all season long again. Laine and Johnny Hockey will be demanding trades by January