Washington has less expected from them, that should really help them.
About Anaheim, lol, you know what i mean.

Krug is a 2nd pairing d-man, so is Carlo, both are overrated by Bruins fans, McAvoy is good but you still never know with prospects, and Characters is no longer a top pairing d-man. They have some good defensemen but no top pairing defensemen.

Neither do the Islanders and you still think they'll make the playoffs, even when Boston has the better goaltender and the better top six.

RAIF, I don't understand your reasoning for St. Louis, Chicago, or San Jose.

Regarding St. Louis, you say they've gotten a year older...hasn't every team? Shouldn't their core players get better as they age a year? Tarasenko, Schwartz, Pietrangelo, Parayko, Allen, etc. You say that Philly got worse because they lost Brayden Schenn. Okay, St. Louis got Schenn while losing the anchor that is Jori Lehtera. How does this not make them better...? They also got rid of Ryan Reaves and will have Vladimir Sobotka for a full year.

Regarding Chicago, how can a team finish first in their extremely competitive division and 4th overall in the league, and STILL not be considered a Cup contender? I understand that the playoffs are a different beast, but come on, seriously? Washington has been top-of-their-division good for a long time, but has yet to prove anything in the playoffs and you think they can win the Cup, but Chicago can't?

Regarding San Jose, how can an aging team get older and still be good, but St. Louis gets a year older and they all of a sudden fall out of the playoffs? The "hard work" argument has no basis whatsoever, just like the Anaheim "doesn't work together" argument has no basis. Please try harder.

Is Chara one of the top 30 d-men in the NHL? Aside from contracts/age and just looking at TOI/Skill is Chara one of the top 30?

Nope. Time on ice isn't a good representation of how good a player is. A bunch of people hate Rasmus Ristolainen, and he has one of the heaviest workloads in the league.

Also with St. Louis, they'll have Fabbri back.

While I do believe that when the Caps aren't expected to win in the playoffs, they do, but this is a high mark for them. If we somehow get past round 2, we'll be expected to win for sure, and we'll choke

So there are at least 30 d-men that you'd take instead of Chara, again not factoring age, contract, development...just looking at what they bring on the ice for a single season.

Because our goaltending isnt the issue; its the defense.

With Ghost on the rebound, Provorov only getting better, Morin and Hagg are coming up, if not Travis Sanheim and we got rid of the worst 5v5 guy we had in Schenn

Correct. It's my opinion, which obviously differs from yours. Don't get salty, there's no room for it here.

Boston has the better goaltending and forwards, but the Isles' defence is MUCH better ... and you're saying Leddy isn't a top pairing d-man.

Did you think Minnesota was going to be a cup contender this year at the time of the playoffs?
I mean guys like Bouwmeester, Steen, Stastny, etc.
The Sharks have been able to work together as we've seen, and are a very good team with less expected from them, that could give them a presidents' trophy. But, like Anaheim, i'm not sure that their game is gonna work in the playoffs.

Boston's defense is a lot better than the Islanders'. Krug+Chara+McAvoy+Carlo > Leddy+Pulock+Boychuk+Hickey without question. The only advantage the Islanders' have is JT

I'm done

All teams ******* work together thats a shitty point

You forgot De-Haan and Seidenberg.

I listed four for each team. Even if you throw in De Haan and Seidenberg, the Bruins have Millar and McQuaid. The Bruins are better and deeper at every position, period.

That's what i'd say. And are you saying that Miller and McQuaid are as good as De-Haan? The Isles have a better #5 with Boychuk as the Bruins do with Miller.

Boychuck is a helluva lot better than Hickey. There is no reasonable person that would take the Islanders' defense over Boston's. No reasonable person can find room in the playoffs for the Islanders. That is not a team built for success, period. Boston has a much better playoff shot than the Islanders do. Every single position on the ice, Boston is deeper and overall better in.

Then how did the Islanders come so close to the playoffs? How have they got worse this offseason? If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, but if you don't tell me then i'm not gonna change my opinion at all ... the Islanders might miss the playoffs, but you have to say they have a chance.

So Islanders are better than Montreal, Boston, Ottawa, Carolina and Buffalo? I dont think so.

Predictions (Revised)

1 Pittsburgh
2 Anaheim
3 Edmonton
4 Tampa Bay
5 Columbus
6 St. Louis
7 Chicago
8 New York Rangers
9 Washington
10 Toronto
11 Dallas
12 Calgary
13 Nashville
14 Ottawa
15 Carolina
16 Montreal
17 Minnesota
18 Winnipeg
19 Arizona
20 Boston
21 Buffalo
22 San Jose
23 Philadelphia
24 New York Islanders
25 Los Angeles
26 New Jersey
27 Florida
28 Colorado
29 Detroit
30 Vegas
31 Vancouver

but you haven't told me WHY! Those teams might be better, but you haven't told me why. That's my point. I've said why i think the Islanders will be in the playoffs.

Um ... ok?