1.zegras 80 points
2.terry 40 goals
3.drysdsle is an above average too 4 d man
4.Gibson is a vezina finalist

These four things happen and there’s a shot

That left side of defense won't cut it.

I don't think so. Their best trait seems to be offensive talent, but the problem is the average offense in the league right now is pretty damn good. They don't have anyone guaranteed to hit PPG, so while Terry and Zegras are exciting players, ultimately their difference makers don't stand out. Klingberg might give them a 50 point defenseman they didn't have last year, but these short money making deals haven't exactly worked out (Hall, Barrie). It can be difficult to play your best if you play for yourself and not for the team, kinda having 1 foot out the door already knowing you want to sign somewhere else when teams have cap space. I guess could go either way, but yeah.

I suspect they're going to have some problems with team defense as well. Quite a few guys weak in their own end. Last year they still had Lindholm and Manson as shutdown people and Getzlaf for veteran leadership. This years team is more like a team that can make some nice plays but probably give up more than they score. I still think Gibson is a great goalie but he hasn't been able to carry this team for a full season in a while.

I see a .500 pts pct team that could dip further in their record at the end if they mail it in. So basically around similar finish as last year.

Can it? Sure. You have two young high end forwards and a similar d who can explode into super stars. You have a goalie who used to be top few in the league who is young enough to bounce back.

But most likely? Nah. Likely a fun year with enough future in the line up to get excited, but also a significant number of painful nights.

Also that left d is weak ...

No. I'm a realist, and as much as I like the future of this team, I don't see us making the playoffs even in our division. Edmonton and Los Angeles are clearly better, Calgary looks like it will survive losing both Gaudreau and Tkachuk, and San Jose and Seattle are no longer the patsies that would enable us to fatten up our W-L ratio to sneak into a wild card slot. This will be a learning year for both the kids on the ice and the front office as it evaluates our developing talent. I'll be happy if Strome and Vatrano settle in to their new surroundings, Comtois recovers his form and Zegras, Terry, Drysdale and McTavish continue their upward path.

I don't see why not. Talented enough to keep games interesting few injuries within division sure. Gibson would have to stand on his head to have further success.

The left D is better than the right D. But the whole D core is the reason they won’t make it.

I'm not sure, Vaak is a 7D on a lot of teams. Both him and Benoit aren't experienced enough. At least Klingberg is good for 40+ points, even though he's a huge liability.

Fowler is a legit top 4 guy on any team. Klingberg is an offense first top 4 guy. Everyone else is replacement level or worse. Obviously there’s room to grow for them all (minus shattenkirk of course). Fowler being the best D means the left side is better.

Anyways I just wanted to point out that Fowler is actually pretty good and doesn’t get enough credit for it. Overall this D core will probably be the biggest reason this team isn’t a playoff team yet and that’s okay for where they’re at in the rebuild.