Down Goes Brown with his Cup prospects

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The Wild are totally reliant on a goaltender who half a good season on his resume (we all saw what happens to the team when they get bad 'tending), the Jets' prospect pool won't help them much this season, Detroit is another work-in-progress and both their defence and goaltending are huge question marks, and your Ottawa quote could apply to 4 of the 8 teams on the list.

I can't really argue with any of his groupings thus far.

Minny's style of play makes it much easier to play goal. They don't give up a ton of shots like the Oilers do. Winnipeg was a playoff team last year & should be better than they were last season. I think they need a stay at home defenseman, somebody who can clear the crease, but I like their team overall. Detroit finds a way to make the postseason every year. This year is no exception. Plus Illitch wants to win & soon. Don't be surprised if Detroit adds somebody.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Minny's style of play makes it much easier to play goal. They don't give up a ton of shots like the Oilers do. Winnipeg was a playoff team last year & should be better than they were last season. I think they need a stay at home defenseman, somebody who can clear the crease, but I like their team overall. Detroit finds a way to make the postseason every year. This year is no exception. Plus Illitch wants to win & soon. Don't be surprised if Detroit adds somebody.

I don't disagree necessarily with anything you're saying, but neither was DGB and when you combine those strengths with the weaknesses they wind up where they are on the preview. I can't really pick any out of that bunch that I'd rank any higher - maybe swap a team with Dallas if you want but that's about it.

And lest we forget, it's all a guessing game after all.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

I don't disagree necessarily with anything you're saying, but neither was DGB and when you combine those strengths with the weaknesses they wind up where they are on the preview. I can't really pick any out of that bunch that I'd rank any higher - maybe swap a team with Dallas if you want but that's about it.

And lest we forget, it's all a guessing game after all.

To be honest I'm concerned about the Isles. After Tavares & Strome, I'm not sure if the rest of the guys will have similar seasons as they did last year. Will Lee score 25 goals? Will Nelson score 20? I know Okposo will have a better season if he stays healthy all year, but will that be enough? Making the playoffs is tough in the NHL. Good teams miss out every year. I hope my team isn't one of them. We'll know in 82 games.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

To be honest I'm concerned about the Isles. After Tavares & Strome, I'm not sure if the rest of the guys will have similar seasons as they did last year. Will Lee score 25 goals? Will Nelson score 20? I know Okposo will have a better season if he stays healthy all year, but will that be enough? Making the playoffs is tough in the NHL. Good teams miss out every year. I hope my team isn't one of them. We'll know in 82 games.

My only real concern is Halak for the Isles. If guys don't perform, Snow has the resources to trade for virtually anybody in the league that he wants at this point to compensate. Getting a goalie is never that straightforward.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

My only real concern is Halak for the Isles. If guys don't perform, Snow has the resources to trade for virtually anybody in the league that he wants at this point to compensate. Getting a goalie is never that straightforward.

According to dash the Flames have three of them right now. I'm not worried about the Isles in goal. Griess is a capable backup & they like Stephon Williams who's about to begin his first pro season in Bridgeport. Halak is day to day, but they expect him to start the season opener. Injuries happen to every team. If Halak goes down the Isles will have to deal with it.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

According to dash the Flames have three of them right now. I'm not worried about the Isles in goal. Griess is a capable backup & they like Stephon Williams who's about to begin his first pro season in Bridgeport. Halak is day to day, but they expect him to start the season opener. Injuries happen to every team. If Halak goes down the Isles will have to deal with it.

It's not so much Halak going down as it is Halak letting in a lot of pucks he shouldn't be.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

It's not so much Halak going down as it is Halak letting in a lot of pucks he shouldn't be.

Halak wasn't the reason the Isles lost to the Caps. The powerplay failed to score a single goal. Plus they were playing without three of their top 6 defenseman. Getting the puck out of the defensive zone & creating offense was definitely a problem in Game 7. I think Halak will be fine. We'll see.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

I disagree with some of those teams. Minny should be good again this year. The Jets have a solid team & arguably the best prospect pool in all of hockey. I expect Detroit to have a very good season. Last I checked Datsyuk was still on the roster. I said in another thread the Blue Jackets are my dark horse team & I'm sticking with them. Ottawa is the one team I'm not sure about because of goaltending. I'm not sure who their #1 goalie is.

Minny should be good but you don't know about OTTAWA's goaltending?

Here's a hint. the Sens #1 goalie is the guy who has more than 400 games experience, hasn't had a year with less than a 0.911 sv% in the last 5 years and whose name rhymes with shmanderson.

As for the list, I'd say it's pretty goddam boring for a column that tries to be "different". It seems like all the safe picks are being made. I'd like to see the guy go out on a limb and pick one of the young teams (eg, Columbus, Ottawa or Calgary) to be a contender. Instead in the next column we'll likely just hear about how the Blues suck in the playoffs but MAYBE this is the year that they don't and about just how bloody gritty the Kings are dagnabit.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Minny should be good but you don't know about OTTAWA's goaltending?

Here's a hint. the Sens #1 goalie is the guy who has more than 400 games experience, hasn't had a year with less than a 0.911 sv% in the last 5 years and whose name rhymes with shmanderson.

As for the list, I'd say it's pretty goddam boring for a column that tries to be "different". It seems like all the safe picks are being made. I'd like to see the guy go out on a limb and pick one of the young teams (eg, Columbus, Ottawa or Calgary) to be a contender. Instead in the next column we'll likely just hear about how the Blues suck in the playoffs but MAYBE this is the year that they don't and about just how bloody gritty the Kings are dagnabit.

The thing is, how many "young" teams in the past decade have made the final? Its definitely more exception than rule.

You're right, it is safe picks, but I'm not holding that against him given how strong the teams in the top ten are.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Halak wasn't the reason the Isles lost to the Caps. The powerplay failed to score a single goal. Plus they were playing without three of their top 6 defenseman. Getting the puck out of the defensive zone & creating offense was definitely a problem in Game 7. I think Halak will be fine. We'll see.

Not saying he was, but his regular season play wasn't all that great (his .914 regular season sv% was lower than any other Eastern Conference playoff goalie) and that could cost the Isles spots in the standings, which in what might be now the toughest division in hockey would make things very difficult for the Isles.

 

[dash]

Okay, I went through part 1 and part 2 again of DGB's preview for the upcoming season and I don't see the Oilers listed in either part 1 or part 2. That's bold!

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Okay, I went through part 1 and part 2 again of DGB's preview for the upcoming season and I don't see the Oilers listed in either part 1 or part 2. That's bold!

Oh Jesus.

Well, Kenny wanted young teams as contenders...

 

[DragonfromTO]

The Wild are totally reliant on a goaltender who half a good season on his resume (we all saw what happens to the team when they get bad 'tending), the Jets' prospect pool won't help them much this season, Detroit is another work-in-progress and both their defence and goaltending are huge question marks, and your Ottawa quote could apply to 4 of the 8 teams on the list.

I can't really argue with any of his groupings thus far.

Dubnyk's got more than half a good season. Hell, I think there's a better argument that he only has half a bad season on his resume.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Dubnyk's got more than half a good season. Hell, I think there's a better argument that he only has half a bad season on his resume.

Really? His career sv% is .914 and he was 22 pts over that last season.

Even if you call him an average goalie prior to last season, he played far and beyond his career average.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Really? His career sv% is .914 and he was 22 pts over that last season.

Even if you call him an average goalie prior to last season, he played far and beyond his career average.

When I look for "bad" seasons on his resume I only see 2013-14. So yeah, I stand by my statement.

Dubnyk's SV% has been better than the league average in 4 of the last 5 seasons. I think that's "good". Where you're selling him short is in simply calling his performance last year "good", as it was a lot better than that. I'm sure you weren't obsessing over which adjective to use so it's not really a big deal, but that's where our difference here largely comes from. He doesn't have to be as good as he was last year to have a good season.

I mean, the guy had a .929 SV% last season. That's not just above his career average, that's above the career average of every goalie who's ever played in the NHL. So yeah, expecting him to do that again is too much. Expecting him to be good isn't though.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Okay, I went through part 1 and part 2 again of DGB's preview for the upcoming season and I don't see the Oilers listed in either part 1 or part 2. That's bold!

Oh Jesus.

Well, Kenny wanted young teams as contenders...

I'm pretty sure it's a four part series. So it's not just the contenders left. I would expect Edmonton (and Buffalo for that matter) both go into the who-the-hell-knows bucket.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I'm pretty sure it's a four part series. So it's not just the contenders left. I would expect Edmonton (and Buffalo for that matter) both go into the who-the-hell-knows bucket.

Boy I missed a lot here. Didn't realize Buffalo wasn't in the list yet, either.

I think it's kind of crazy for two teams with sloshy defences and unproven goaltending to be anywhere near contender status, especially ahead of some of the teams listed thus far that have those two areas taken care of to go along with potent offences, but who the heck am I to judge.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

2015-16 NHL Preview, Part 3: The No-Clue Division

 

[dash]

89 points is a bold prediction for the Oilers (13 points more than my prediction).

 

[KennyBanyeah]

89 points is a bold prediction for the Oilers (13 points more than my prediction).

That's almost 5 goals per point!!!