You're welcome, hockey fans.
Finally, some talk about the game ON THE ICE!
And unlike Manti Te'o's girlfriend, this season DOES EXIST.
Enjoy!
Atlantic Division
1. New York Rangers (#1 seed in East)
The addition of Rick Nash makes them the Cup favorites. The young core of Lundqvist, Callahan, Staal, McDonagh, et al, are in their primes. Also, coach John Tortorella's shot-blocking, grind-it-out style will benefit the Blueshirts in a short season. But of course, as Henrik Lundqvist goes, so do the Rangers. The key to a Cup win will be whether or not they can score goals in the playoffs.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins (#4 seed in East)
Probably the Rangers' biggest threat to a Cup win. Sidney Crosby will enter the season healthy, and him, Evgeni Malkin, and James Neal will put up big numbers again. But they need to stay healthy. And they will survive the loss of Jordan Staal. Marc-Andre Fleury will have to step up in the playoffs, however.
3. Philadelphia Flyers (#5 seed in East)
Typical Flyers team. High scoring, ultra-physical, bad goaltending. Giroux, Briere, Hartnell, and Simmonds will put up their numbers. In fact, I expect Giroux to be the Hart Trophy winner this season. But if Ilya Bryzgalov does not step up, the Flyers won't go far.
4. New Jersey Devils (#7 seed in East)
Losing Zach Parise really hurts. They nearly lost Ilya Kovalchuk, but everyone now knows where his heart is. Marty Brodeur is 40 years old. He can't keep up his brilliance forever. We all know the Devils will compete. But do not expect another miracle playoff run.
5. New York Islanders
When will all this young talent blossom? We all know how good John Tavares is, but what about everyone else? The problem is, they play in the best division in the NHL. Don't be surprised if they squeak in as an 8-seed, but that's it. But hey, maybe they can use their one buyout before the season to rid themselves of Rick DiPietro's contract!
Northeast Division
1. Boston Bruins (#2 seed in East)
Tim Thomas took his anti-Obama sabbatical, but Tuukka Rask is more than capable of filling his skates. He just needs to prove it on the ice. This is still one of the most physically intimidating teams in the league, and young Tyler Seguin is poised for a huge season. They'll be right in the thick of the Cup race in the end.
2. Ottawa Senators (#6 seed in East)
A young team that overachieved last season. They can be even better this season. They have the reigning Norris trophy winner in Erik Karlsson, a dynamic forward in Jason Spezza, and one of hockey's best leaders in Daniel Alfredsson. They added size in the offseason, and should be a pest in the playoffs again. Just ask the Rangers.
3. Buffalo Sabres
As Ryan Miller goes, so do the Sabres. And frankly, they rely on him a little too much. Christian Ehrhoff was a major bust last year, and he must step up this season. They added some toughness up front to ease the burden off Miller, but will it be enough?
4. Montreal Canadiens
Very sad that his great franchise is in turmoil right now. Of course, trading Ryan McDonagh for Scott Gomez helps. Other than that, they simply do not have a very good team right now. And Carey Price must prove he can handle the scrutiny of playing for hockey's most storied franchise.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
Maybe the real reason Brian Burke was fired was because his team's roster does not have NHL-caliber goaltending. Does ownership want Roberto Luongo that badly? They are more of a mess than Montreal. The bizarre thing is, they have the talent on offense (Kessel, Lupul), and defense (Phaneuf, JVR) to compete!
Southeast Division
1. Washington Capitals (#3 seed in East)
Which Caps team will we see under new coach Adam Oates? The run-n-gun Bruce Boudreau style, or the defense-first Dale Hunter style? Either way, Alex Ovechkin MUST become the dynamic goal machine he was a couple of years ago for this team to go far. Is Braden Holtby finally the long-term answer in goal? If so, the Caps will be very, very dangerous.
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (#8 seed in East)
They have the best player in the NHL. Yes, Steven Stamkos. Not Crosby, not Malkin, not Ovechkin. And this gives Tampa Bay a chance to win every night. The question is whether or not their defense takes it to the next level and if they can get consistent goaltending. We know Stamkos, St. Louis, and Vinny will do their thing, but will the additions of Matt Carle and Sami Salo on the blue line help?
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Jordan Staal joins big brother Eric with a huge contract. They still have the most underrated goaltender in the league in Cam Ward. But is it enough? Justin Faulk is the best young player in the NHL you've never heard of. Expect a breakout season from him.
4. Florida Panthers
Last year's division title, frankly, was a fluke. They lost a million games in overtime/shootouts, essentially riding the loser point to first place. Yes, they have some nice talent in Brian Campbell and Peter Mueller. Otherwise, this team just doesn't excite me.
5. Winnipeg Jets
The honeymoon is over. Not only is the team mediocre, but the PR staff has to be working a lot of overtime right now. Major character issues smother this team. Evander Kane's money stacks, Ondrej Pavelec's DUI, and Dustin Byfuglien's overall bad attitude. Oh yeah, they brought in Olli Jokinen, which will make the fans more angry AT the games. But don't worry, they aren't going back to Atlanta.
Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks (#3 seed in West)
People tend to overlook just how much talent this team has. The only problem is they lack consistent goaltending. Can Corey Crawford be a true #1? If so, watch out. And they'd better, otherwise this excellent young core will be dismantled.
2. Detroit Red Wings (#4 seed in West)
They lost mainstays Nicky Lidstrom and Tomas Holmstrom to retirement. My guess is this does not affect this team too much. Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk are more than capable of filling the leadership void. And Jimmy Howard will have another outstanding season. The faces change, but the stability remains the same.
3. St. Louis Blues (#6 seed in West)
As much as this young team impressed last year, I think they overachieved a bit. They take a step back this season. After David Backes, whom can you count on to score goals? Who is the true number #1 goalie, Brian Elliott of Jaroslav Halak? Their time will come, but this year will be a humbling one.
4. Nashville Predators
Yes, losing Ryan Suter hurts, but Shea Weber is still there. But they still have no offense, and will continue to rely heavily on Weber and goalie Pekka Rinne. Both are capable, but it's too much to ask.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Without Rick Nash, they simply are not an NHL-caliber team. Don't be surprised if this team only wins 5-10 games this short season. Poor Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov.
Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks (#2 seed in West)
If Cory Schneider, not Roberto Luongo, gets the majority of starts between the pipes, Vancouver should contend for the Cup again. The core of the Sedins, Bieksa, Kesler, Burrows remain as strong and dangerous as ever. They were ambushed in the first round of the playoffs by LA last year. Don't expect the same this time around.
2. Edmonton Oilers (#7 seed in West)
My sleeper pick for 2013. Three consecutive #1 overall picks: Hall, RNH, and Yapukov. Add Jordan Eberle, and the signing of the offseason, Justin Schultz, and you have an exciting young team primed for something special. Don't be surprised if a surprise deep playoff run happens.
3. Minnesota Wild (#8 seed in West)
Zach Parise and Ryan Suter make Minnesota a playoff team, nothing more. Aside from their presence, there are still too many issues on offense and defense. But hey, more fannies will be in the seats!
4. Colorado Avalanche
The time has come for Matt Duchene to fill the void Joe Sakic left with his retirement. with Calder Trophy winner Gabriel Landeskog as the new captain, perhaps the burden of expectation will ease on the former top pick. They brought in P.A. Parenteau to shore up the offense, but can he duplicate what he did in Long Island? Other than that, the defense stinks.
5. Calgary Flames
The championship window on Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff unfortunately has closed. If Calgary is out of contention at the deadline, expect Iginla to be the hottest name on the trading block. Dennis Wideman was a major bust on the blue line last season, and I don't expect him to improve.
Pacific Division
1. Los Angeles Kings (#1 seed in West)
The champs enter the new campaign with the championship team pretty much intact. The key will be if goaltender Jonathan Quick can stay healthy after offseason back surgery. Other than that, they just need to avoid a Cup hangover.
2. Phoenix Coyotes (#5 seed in West)
This team has done a fine job of handling the constant ownership distractions. They were able to bring back long time captain Shane Doan, and Mike Smith proved last season he is a #1 goalie. Their run to the conference final last year was not much of a surprise.
3. Anaheim Ducks
This team underachieved massively last season. Their top three forwards of Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan are as good as anyone in the league. Jonas Hiller is a solid NHL goalie. So what was the problem? Expect big offensive numbers in Bruce Boudreau's system.
4. San Jose Sharks
You never know what you will get from this team. You'll either get a legit Cup contender or a massive underachiever. The talent is there, but it seems the intangibles aren't. If Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau won't take them to the next level, perhaps Logan Couture and Ryan Clowe should.
5. Dallas Stars
This team got older in the offseason, adding Ray Whitney, 40, and Jaromir Jagr, 41. Methinks this is simply a ploy to mentor young stars Jamie Benn, Mike Ribiero, and Loui Eriksson. This season has transition year written all over it.
Playoff predictions
Eastern
1 NYR 4, 8 TB 2
2 BOS 4, 7 NJ 3
6 OTT 4, 3 WSH 3
5 PHI 4, 4 PIT 3
NYR 4, OTT 2
BOS 4, PHI 3
NYR 4, BOS 2
Western
1 LA 4, 8 MIN 2
7 EDM 4, 2 VAN 3
3 CHI 4, 6 STL 2
5 PHX 4, 5 DET 3
LA 4, EDM 3
CHI 4, PHX 1
LA 4, CHI 3
Stanley Cup
New York Rangers 4, Los Angeles Kings 3
And in the spirit of predictions, here are my NFL conference championship picks:
San Francisco 27, Atlanta 20
New England 28, Baltimore 24
Til next week!
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