Quoting: BuFfaLOFaN
... the most dominant team in the last 3 years, Tampa, had 3 LD that are better than there best RD .... Power was great and I think him and Dahlin should be playing 20-25 each next year ...wait a year and Power has a Calder level rookie year... 95...
100% agreement on all that is in bold.
As I said, I could see them having 14 players with 10 or more goals.
That sounds crazy but is certainly an achievable goal.
Over the final 28 games Buffalo played at a seasonal pace of 95 pts.
How to predict? Skinners first year I was at a party and every one thought the Sabres were a playoff team.
I thought they would certainly pass 80 points with an excellent chance of reaching 90.
They got 76 and everyone only remembers I thought they could reach 90, forgetting that I said they were not good enough to be in the playoffs.
I tell this story only to emphasize how hard it is to predict.
I think it is safe to say they are better than the Canadians and Flyers.
With all of the injuries Boston will have at the start of season, they may be in last play in the NHL at the start of the New Year especially if Bergeron decides to retire.
Islanders could regress as they have one of the oldest teams in the NHL.
So who will they pass?
None of Tampa, Toronto, Florida, Carolina, Pittsburgh, New York Rangers, Washington all are too good.
That leaves only one spot available.
Ottawa was only two points behind Buffalo and added Talbot, and DeBrincat.
New Jersey was far behind Buffalo but added Vanecek and Palat
Columbus finished 6 pts ahead of the Sabres last year added Gaudreau and Gudbranson.
This past year the best two teams who missed the playoffs were Islanders and Jackets with 84 and 81 pts respectively.
IMO Buffalo will finish 11th or 12th with close to 95 pts in a very competitive East Conference ahead of the Flyers, Canadians, Devils, Islanders and maybe the Wings.
Comrie will be a huge upgrade (a really great signing along with Lyubushkin, Pilut, and Hinostroza), GK will keep them out of the playoffs but good enough to be in contention until the end of March.
I guess I just cannot give short answers.