What Pick do you think they get in next year's draft?
Top 10?

I hope we make the playoffs, likely, I don’t think so since the east is gonna be a blood bath. We need a 3C, and Lou seems happy enough with this roster, for some reason. Puck wise I say we fal right out of the top 10, like around 11-15.

As with any team there are a lot of question marks going into next season for the Isles, and I think they may be the hardest team to predict this year.

Coaching again will be critical to the teams success, and with a full year under Trotz do the young guys like Barzal, Pulock, Toews, Beau take a step forward this year producing more offense while continuing to play a good team structure. Does the older veterans that we rely on like Boychuk, Clutterbuck, Cizikas break down this year? Can Nelson show he really turned a corner last year to become a legit top-6 center? There are just a lot of questions and unknowns right now with the team.

At forward unless there is a signing or trade I would like to see them try a lineup somewhat close to this:

Lee-Barzal-Eberle (I like Lee with Barzal to open up room on the O-Zone and get in front of the net)
Beau-Nelson-Bailey
Dal Colle- Czizkas- Clutterbuck (I know breaking up the "4th" line is not ideal, but I think Cizikas and Clutter have some more offensive ability to show this year)
Martin-Fritz-Leo

Kuhnackhal- Rotate with Martin and Leo
Johnston- Not sure what to do with him anymore

Ladd- Is he even playing this year

The D pairing are more clear right now, and as much as I'd like to see Dobson in the lineup right now there is no room:

Pelech-Pulock
Leddy-Boychuk
Toews-Mayfield
Hickey

Goalie is a huge question mark, does the new system and Greco turn Varlamov into an All Star. Does he have injuries and we have to rely full time on Griess.

Varlamov
Greiss

What anyone says right now does not really matter, last year the Isles were supposed to be historically bad and one of the best years in a long time. So who knows right now, but I believe that they can make the playoffs, and with guys like Dobson, Wilde, Aho, Sorokin, Wahlstrom, Bellows, Koivula I am really excited about what the team could look like next year.

The defence isn't very good on paper but team defence has helped us out a lot.

Somehow Lehner and the team had a great year. Can the GAA remain so low this year?
Isles have to figure out if Ladd is short term LTIR or a long term LTIR before they fire money at a big UFA next season. We are seeing that RFAs are getting big money. What about Barzel and Pulock contracts next season. How does everyone fit into the cap?

Coaching made a significant difference, and Trotz holding people accountable. Capuano for years played guys he liked that should not be NHL Regulars (MacDonald, Strait, etc.). Trotz coming in and putting structure in place made a huge difference, and then Greco turning around the career of Lenher and Greiss. I think people miss that Greiss had just as good a year as Lenher and is still on the roster. I would have loved to have Lenher back but with Varlamnov and Greiss you still have to feel good about the goaltending even if there is a slight decline in performance.

Cap should not be an issue, Isles are known to be trying to move Leddy, Hickey and Martin and Greiss come off the books next year.

Leddy: 5.5
Hickey 2.5
Martin 2.5
Greiss 3.3

Thats 13.8 with another 6 that they should have after signing Beau for close to 20m next year. I do not think they will take a run at a big UFA next year but rather look to have Dobson, Bellows, Wahlstrom, Aho, Sorokin come in and produce.

I am sure that LL probaly knows what he is doing with Ladd next year, but reports have been conflicting. I have seen some say he is out for the year as this is his second major knee surgery in 2 years, and some reports that say he will be back half way through the season. The only known right now is it is a horrible contract that is buyout proof basically, so hopefully it is LTIR this year then figure out how to move him.

I am going to have to disagree, I think the D looks solid on paper. Pulock looks like a legit top pairing D Man and everyone else is a solid middle pairing player. If Dobson can come in and be another top pairing level D man we could have a D that looks like this next year:

Pelech-Pulock
Toews- Dobson
Aho- Boychuck
Mayfield

Still in the system:
Wilde
Vande Sompel
Wotherspon