Vancouver will definitely finish ahead of Vegas, they're by far the better team. Also, spots 6, 7, and 8 should go to Anaheim, Seattle, and San Jose in that order respectively

This is like basically saying you can't count on any past analytics cause anything can happen. The only thing that Calgary is slightly better at than Oilers is goaltending and d. I think most people will take Oilers forward group over Calgary's any day. The thing like you saw last year in the playoffs is the Oilers have McDavid and Draisaitl which will outplay any other team's star players.

Wow. You and I go at it, I get that and I'd like not to, but dude, you can't seriously think VAN is going to finish ahead of Vegas.

Oh yes they are, I'm taking that to the bank already. People overestimate Vegas entirely because of recency bias, but you foolishly overlook their atrocious asset management (Dealing guys like Fleury and Pacioretty away for free). Even if they're healthier, you're going to be pretty underwhelmed by what you see from them this coming season. All you do is come up with ludicrous takes here without proper justification to back them up

This team healthy, with a healthy Eichel? Their defense? Unless Thompson is a gong show and they get decimated by injuries again, there's no way I see them finishing lower than 3rd.

Now, I'll say VAN is a team on paper that SHOULD be better than they have been. Can they turn a corner this year? It's possible.

Vegas has good personnel on the back end, but the team wasn't good defensively last year. They should be better in that department under Cassidy, but it's gonna come at the expense of some offense. Not to mention the team's goaltending is very much in question. People are really going to be underwhelmed by the amount of offense or lack their of that they are able to generate. As for Vancouver sure, their improvements were only marginal, but that couple with a full season under Bruce Boudreau should be more than enough to get them into the playoffs

Their defense dealt with a lot of injuries and Lehner played injured the whole year.

And now they don't have Lehner at all, whoop de doo. In all honesty, their defensive issues weren't personnel/injury related, they were systemic. Media members are already voicing their concerns that Pete Deboer's volume shooting system isn't going to get the most out of Dallas's roster with the way it's constructed

DeBoer isn't a great coach and as far as goaltending those, I honestly believe Thompson is going to be a REALLY good. We can check back on all this come January.

Oilers, the pure disrespect to not even make them a option on this poll is baffling

calgary looks unstoppable at this point. oilers would need another mcjesus miracle imo.

it has happened before

calgary looks unstoppable at this point. oilers would need another mcjesus miracle imo.

I never understand these arguments. If we used this logic then basically a team that loses in the playoffs would never win again. It's a flawed logic. In this current layout, teams will frequently face the same teams in the first round.

CGY, like more than a few teams, fall on their faces in the playoffs. Upsets happen and teams overachieve. The majorly flawed thing, like you're doing, is using it to suit your side of the argument when it happens and will ignore it when it doesn't. Just because team A beats team B in the playoffs doesn't mean it will happen again. If this logic is applied, the Caps would have never knocked out the Pens the year they won the cup since the Pens beat them every single year in the playoffs before that. They should have just given up and let the Pens have it. The Pens lost to the wings in the cup, so I guess that should have meant they should have lost again the next year, but they didn't.

More than sometimes in sport, the better team doesn't win. Whether they weren't mentally prepared, overconfident, not hungry enough, etc...

CGY is better than EDM in every single way. EDM got on a streak and CGY shat the bed. It happens and that's what is so much fun about the NHL playoffs more than any other sport. Personally, I think CGY was overconfident and could never get themselves level.

You're gonna tell me that MTL team that went to the cup was better than the teams they played? Nope. They got on a streak, they believed and were hungry. It happens.

you're kinda just speaking nonsense at this point, I wouldn't say Calgary shat the bed, Markstrom sure did. Edmonton exposed Calgary in every way last playoff series. They have on of the best top sixes in the league, a good 3rd line, and their dcore is underrated. A full year of Woodcroft and kane will do wonders for them. Edmonton was the better team than Calgary last year, Calgary had little to no injuries last year.. their regular season was grossly overrated and they showed their true colors come playoff time.

How exactly is what I'm stating nonsense? Upsets happen is my point and have no bearing what will happen the following year. An upset is a better team losing to a worse team, which is what happened. EDM was not the better team by standards the regular season. CGY's defense is immensely better than EDM's by every single metric you could find and still is, but sometimes teams just get outplayed. I don't blame Markstrom. EDM brought every bit of heart they could muster and CGY walked into that series like they had it won before it started.

My whole point is that you can't say what will happen THIS year because of what happened LAST year. It just makes no logical sense and removes any real reason from bothering to play. And honestly, if you can't acknowledge that the better team doesn't always win, you should never make another comment on this or any board.

And remember, I have no skin in this game. I have no allegiance to either team. I'm being completely impartial.

I guess this season, a season after MTL made it the cup, they missed the playoffs, but could have still made it to the cup if they actually were allowed to play in the playoffs, right?

As I said, Calgary had the least amount of injuries during reg season, besides covid (in which their games were re-scheduled so it didn't have any effect on them) played a massive part in their success during the regular season.

Although Edmonton went on an 11-game skid midway through the season, then fired their coach they were still one win behind Calgary. A full season of woodcroft/kane makes me believe Edmonton was and still is the better team. Calgary also had 11 points from OT losses.. Their regular season was lucky injury wise and was overhyped

You didn't make one single valid point. Congrats.

All stats, metrics and standings prove CGY was the better team. Sometimes the better team loses. That's just sports.

How isn't that a valid point?? Calgary was one of the least injured teams last year.. I still don't understand how you think vegas and la are going to finish higher lmao

You're quoting some injury games and I'm pointing to actual metrics. Come on, man.

I'm not denying they had better metrics lmao, but having no injuries obviously helps a ton. Still waiting on an explanation as how they'll finish behind LA and vegas lol

Come back to this post in June and you will regret every word you have typed on this chat. Edmonton is a better team than Calgary hands down.

I don't know how you could possibly rationalize those rankings. Edmonton is arguably the best team in the Pacific, probably better than Calgary, DEFINITELY better than LA. Seattle is not better than Vancouver and Anaheim. Vegas is not better than Vancouver.

Edmonton is almost guaranteed to win the Pacific. Calgary is the favorite to take 2nd place. Vancouver and LA will duke it out for 3rd, I can see that going either way. I see Vegas coming in 5th, I don't feel confident in their ability to make the post-season at all with their goaltending situation in flux the way it is.

Anaheim will be competitive, but I don't see them challenging for a playoff spot. It doesn't sound like Seattle or San Jose are intent on tanking, but if either team thinks they can be competitive, than they're only kidding themselves. Seattle might be able to generate more offense than they did last year, but they're still gonna bleed a lot of goals against with that shell of a blueline. Even if Grubauer bounces back, I don't see him regaining elite form.