Ho-Sang would gladly start in the AHL though. He'd be a good addition when Kase inevitably gets injured.

I mentioned that in my 2nd response

He probs will be in the ahl to start like chucky last season

Just seemed super backwards.

You're probably right. But, Duchene wasn't on LTIR. I'm not sure how GMKA can boost Eichel's trade value unless he returns to the lineup before he's traded. And I can't see Eichel playing another game in Buffalo at this point.

I'm the CBJ GM , you could learn on the fly

Leafs fans after a preseason win be like


STANLEY CUP BAYBEEEEEEE

And weirdly enough it’s usually the opposite for the habs.

Liljeren ready for top pair minutes in the NHL💯

Full, almost finalized divisional predictions for the 2021-22 NHL Season. Will post complete predictions in a separate thread later.
(Bold indicates playoff team)
Metropolitan:
1) New York Islanders (I love the way they look. Losing Eberle hurts, but they still have a stacked offense, terrific defense (the only question is LD #2), and a terrific tandem in Varlamov and Sorokin.)
2) Washington Capitals (They're still loaded on offense, have a solid defense, and I believe the Vanecek-Samsonov tandem will do enough for them to win their usual amount of regular season games. Come playoff time, that's a different story...)
3) Carolina Hurricanes (It's a mark of how good their offense is that they'll still make the playoffs despite trading their goalie of the future for practically nothing, losing Dougie Hamilton and Jake Bean, and signing a bunch of MAJOR question marks. I think Andersen will be merely average, but with the Canes dazzling offensive weaponry, he and Raanta should be capable enough to let them get back to the playoffs.)
4) Philadelphia Flyers (WC #2) (IMO, the key question is whether Hart regains his 2019-20 form. If he does, they should make the playoffs, and a D bolstered by Ryan Ellis and Keith Yandle (NOT Ristolainen) should help in that regard.)
5) New York Rangers (They’re not there yet. Adam Fox aside, the D still needs work, the bottom 6 is thin (although maybe they have a sporting chance against Tom Wilson now), and Shesterkin has to prove that he can take that step forward if they want to contend.)
6) New Jersey Devils (Another team that’s not there yet, but they’re getting awfully close. The acquisitions of Dougie Hamilton and Ryan Graves should significantly help on D, Jack Hughes is primed for a breakout year, and Blackwood-Bernier is a solid tandem. I don’t see them making it this year, but the fact that it’s not out of the realm of possibility is a testament to where they stand.)
7) Pittsburgh Penguins (This is the year things start falling apart. Malkin can’t stay healthy, Crosby’s small but consistently nagging injuries are catching up to him, the bottom 6 is very weak (even when fully healthy), and Jarry is not a long-term solution in net. I even saw a piece suggesting trading Sid if things don’t go well. That’s not going to happen, but it doesn’t look good regardless.)
8) Columbus Blue Jackets (Duh. On to the next division.)

Atlantic:
1) Tampa Bay Lightning (Not that I’m biased or anything, but this team is brilliant. Brilliant top 6, great bottom 6, phenomenal defense, and the best goaltender in the world. The quest for the three-peat begins October 12. #Let’sGoLightning)
2) Boston Bruins (I just don’t see this team struggling. Yes, there are questions, such as Coyle’s ability to slide into Krejci’s spot at #2C, and whether the Ullmark/Swayman tandem can take Rask’s place, but I think both situations resolve themselves, specifically for the latter in the form of Swayman emerging as the starter. The rest of the stacked offense and terrific defense are more than capable of doing their jobs.)
3) Florida Panthers (People don’t realize how good Alexsander Barkov is. Seriously, the man is a freak, and he and Huberdeau are an eye-popping duo. Them aside, the rest of the offense is terrific as well, and getting a healthy Aaron Ekblad back will definitely help the defense. In net, Sergei Bobrovsky stands a good chance of becoming the highest-paid backup in the league if Spencer Knight continues to play the way he did in his brief appearances last year, which IMO he will. A first-round matchup of Boston-Florida would be mouthwatering.)
4) Toronto Maple Leafs (WC #1) (The Petr Mrazek signing was excellent. He and Campbell should make a terrific tandem, bolstered by a very good defense in front, and although the bottom 6 is a bit thin IMO, as long as the top 6 in Toronto keep producing, the Leafs should have no problem making it back to the playoffs (even if they never win once there)).
5) Montreal Canadiens (Much like Philly, the big question is in net. If Carey Price plays like playoffs Carey Price, their chances of making the playoffs skyrocket. On offense, C depth is a bit thin, but they’re stacked on the wings, and the only concern for the D is the 3rd pairing (the David Savard signing was excellent). Montreal is very much in the hunt for that last spot.)
6) Ottawa Senators (They’re past the worst stages of the rebuild at this point. They have promising youth on offense, but still need major work on defense and in net, even with Thomas Chabot’s best efforts. The horrific goaltending (not helped in any way by the D) will continue to prevent them from getting anywhere until a long-term solution is found.
7) Detroit Red Wings (Very quietly, the Red Wings got better over the summer, mainly by robbing the Canes blind by getting Nedeljkovic for nothing but a 3rd. He has an abysmal defense in front of him and practically zero help offensively, but he still should be good enough to give fans some hope for what is to come when the rebuild is complete.)
8) Buffalo Sabres (Jack Eichel’s still a Sabre. This team is a joke. Horrendous from top to bottom, except for the injured Jack Eichel, who BTW is still a Sabre. This pathetic group will be even worse than the Yotes and if the lottery bounces their way, they’ll get Shane Wright. Oh, and Jack Eichel’s still a Sabre.)

Central:
1) Colorado Avalanche (Even with losing Donskoi, Saad and Bellemare, they’ll finish in 1st. The top 6 is so phenomenally good, the defense is excellent, and Kuemper is an absolutely terrific replacement for Grubauer (if not even better). That being said, the bottom 6 is quite thin, so a lot will be riding on the shoulders of the elite top 6 to finally do something in the playoffs.)
2) Winnipeg Jets (Perhaps no team improved on defense as much as Winnipeg, snagging Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt to help a blue-line group that was decimated the past couple of years. With a capable defense finally in front of him, Hellebuyck should have no trouble being his usual stellar self, and together with the stacked offense, they should be in good shape come playoff time.)
3) St. Louis Blues (Robbing the Rangers blind for Pavel Buchnevich was an excellent way to take care of losing Jaden Schwartz. If Tarasenko can regain his old form (a that’s a big if), watch out. A big question is here is whether Jordan Binnington can go from being slightly above average to recovering his 2019 form, and losing Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn in back-to-back offseasons won’t help. Nonetheless, I think the Blues defense is still solid, Colton Parayko should rebound after a meidocre-at-best 2021, and the offense is terrific. Watch out for the Blues.)
4) Chicago Blackhawks (WC #1) (In a word: Fleury. It could be a steal for the ages if the 36-year-old plays like he did last year for Chicago. Even with Jonathan Toews returning, a lot will be riding on the youngsters in Chicago, especially on defense, but if they can put it together and have The Flower play like he did in Vegas, they’re in for a good year.)
5) Minnesota Wild (WC #2) (Kirill Kaprizov aside, the offense is not very strong (to put it mildly), but the lockdown defense is too good for them to miss the playoffs. It also remains to be seen whether Cam Talbot will continue to hold onto the starting gig in net, or whether he’ll be surpassed by Kappo Kahkonnen. Regardless, it’s a good enough tandem for the Wild to have an outsider’s chance come playoff time.)
6) Dallas Stars (This is a team that almost made the playoffs last year despite having two of their best players out for much of the season, and both are now back. Still, they don’t have the depth on offense and on the blue line (even with a terrific top 6 and All-Star worthy first pairing) that most playoff teams do, and it could get ugly if Oettinger is for whatever reason not in net for much of the year. Signing Holtby was whose idea again?)
7) Nashville Predators (Poor Juuse Saros. With a suddenly thin bottom 4 on D and bottom 6 offense (similar to the Stars), things are not looking pretty in Nashville, even with a goalie who only seems to get better each year and was nothing short of Vezina-worthy down the stretch last season. It’s not out of the realm of possibility for them to make some noise, but it will definitely be a lot harder than last year.)
8) Arizona Coyotes (The difference between them and the Sabres is that they have old players with bad contracts (Ladd, Eriksson, Beagle) making up most of the lineup-but at least they know how to play hockey-whereas the Sabres have literally nobody. They’ll still be horrendous, but with the number of first-and-second round picks they’ve acquired, they’re off to a much better start on their rebuild than most teams would be.)

Pacific:
1) Vegas Golden Knights (Duh. Terrific offense, terrific defense, and even with trading Fleury away for nothing, solid goaltending. Barring injuries, there is no team that would be more shocking not winning their division than Vegas. From here on in, this is the weakest division in the league.)
2) Calgary Flames (The incredible depth on offense and overall solid defense (save for the third pairing), helped by a huge bounceback year for Jacob Markstrom should allow the Flames to be the distant second-best group in this division, but a lot will be riding on said Markstrom to regain his Vancouver form if they are to contend.)
3) Edmonton Oilers (There is no team carried more by their stars than the Oilers. The McDavid-Draisaitl duo will carry this team to the playoffs despite the abysmal even-worse-than-the-Sabres hot mess of a defense, and lack of depth behind the top 9. Poor Mike Smith will have his work cut out for him, to put it mildly.)
4) Vancouver Canucks (Terrific offense, and an Oilers-esque defense. Thatcher Demko and Mike Smith should exchange notes over coffee. The return of Elias Pettersson (assuming his contract resolves itself) and the Conor Garland acquisition will make for an even more potent offense, but a D with OEL, Tyler Myers and Tucker Poolman will contend with the likes of Edmonton, Buffalo and Arizona for the worst in the league. They’ll miss the playoffs, and hopefully for Canucks fans, Benning finally gets fired.)
5) Seattle Kraken (The defense is quite good, and the Grubauer-Driedger tandem is stellar. But a weak top 6 and practically non-existent bottom 6 make for a lackluster showing in the Kraken’s debut year.)
6) Los Angeles Kings (A couple of bright spots include the Danault signing, Arvidsson trade, Petersen extension and Byfield debut, but other than that there’s not much to cheer about. It’s a mark of how weak this division is that they won’t finish in last.)
7) San Jose Sharks (This may be the team with the most lousy contracts in the league, especially on defense. Burns, Karlsson, Edouard-Vlasic—for a team with zero chance of making the playoffs, that’s a lot of money to shell out.)
8) Anaheim Ducks (If only a good team could snag John Gibson from the Ducks. It would be nice for him to not be stuck with stopping the team from being the worst in the league.)

I don't disagree that Edmonton's defence essentially hinges on the awful gambles on Ceci/Keith, Nurse repeating last year's performance, and Bouchard stepping into this season as a legit top-4 option AND that the goaltending is suspect, but Edmonton's bottom six is far from pathetic, ESPECIALLY if Archibald is permanently assigned to Bakersfield and Tippett limits how much Shore and Turris play.

If Edmonton goes the top-AHL-unit for its 4th line, it's bottom six is average at worst. The Oilers are poised to be one of the highest scoring teams in the league next year. What they have up front isn't the issue. The weakness of Vancouver down in the standings should vault Edmonton comfortably into second. Calgary's offense isn't deep and it's painfully streaky. The Flames will win a lot more 2-1 and 3-2 games (and may even match up better against Vegas in the playoffs) but Edmonton wins any pacific division track meet any day of the week.

If Edmonton acquires a legitimate starter at TDL they have a strong chance at making it deep into the WCF playoffs.

Hopefully they don’t sink from their defensive unit.

Thank god Wallstedt was available at their pick because that’s a great pick for them in the future….🥲🤥

Mea Culpa-I completely forgot about Derek Ryan and Foegele; a 3rd line of them and Kassian isn't great, but isn't pathetic at all either. The current FOURTH line of Shore-McLeod-Turris is indeed pathetic, but it is possible that they'll be supplanted by the AHL'ers as you said. My overall take on Edmonton remains the same though-the issues on defense are going to prevent them from doing anything until they're fixed (additionally, I can't shake the feeling that Calgary takes a step forward this year, hence the 2nd place prediction).

See post below

I actually disagree with the Flames offense not being deep, I think they’ve improved since last year (Monahan bounce back and Coleman/Pitlick replacing Nordstrom/Ritchie could add 40 goals right there), and there are 7 guys that could put up 20+ goals fairly easily (Lindholm, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, Gaudreau, and Coleman all woulda hit that last year, Backlund is typically almost exactly at 20 goals and 45 points per year, and Monahan should bounce back to the 25-30 goal range now that he’s healthy and will not have an AHLer on his wing). If Dube takes a slight step forward he could make it 8 20-goal guys, I think he was on pace for 16 last year. That combined with greater attention to defense that comes with the Sutter system should make the Flames a better team than last year both offensively and defensively.

Realistic Best case scenario is Bouchard breaks out and Koekkek returns to form as a solid two way D. Bouchard was really good in limited minutes last season so I wouldn’t be surprised if has a great season. Then Tippett can shelter a Keith-Ceci 3rd pair.

Nurse-Bouchard
Koekkek-Barrie
Keith-Ceci


Both Ryan and Foegle are great adds (even though trading Bear was incredibly stupid) . Both are high end 3rd line guys and they both drive play which Edmonton has needed out of their bottom 6 forwards.

well okay then

No offense dude

Where does Toffoli play on the PP?
@sevenleg
@A_Habs_Fan
@Kotkaniemi15

Last year it was bumper. Although there’s a decent chance he plays right side one-timer this year because of changes to the roster. (Specifically swapping KK & Dvorak)

You mean he played net front?

Per recent reports

Zibanejad’s camp wants an Eichel deal for his next contract while Rangers want to give him a deal between 7-9mill for max term.

If I'm Zibanejad and I see they are offering me 8.5mill x 8 years, I hit open market as there will be teams lining up to give him what he wants

The middle of the ice (offensive zone). On Washington’s PP T.J. Oshie plays bumper.

For the playoffs:
Gallagher
Caufield - Toffoli - Suzuki
Petry

Petry’s at the point. Suzuki and Caufield on either side, with Toffoli in the middle as the “bumper”. Gallagher plays net-front.

Looks like Zibanejad plays bumper on the Rangers PP, with Kreider as the net-front.

Not really net front but close - it’s a very strong PP when executed correctly.

Think of it like a “Flex” pick - he’s gonna do a lot of things but really wants to be in the middle of the defence (not the ice, but based on your surroundings)