2018-19 FNHL Predictions?

[jackdaniels]

I can take a shot at predicting the future for the Atlantic.

:DET-NHL: RedWings #1
Good owner.
Actively managed team.
Mainly adds. Very little subtraction here.
Seems to be perennial contender in the Atlantic.
Has plenty of 1st round draft picks to use to build his team now and in the future.

:BOS-NHL: Bruins #2
Good owner.
Winning history with 2 championships.
Core of roster still in place.

:MON-NHL: Canadiens #3
Active and relatively new motivated owner.
Has all the right pieces to compete and win this year.

:TOR-NHL: Maple Leafs #4
Good active owner.
Hellebuyck might carry team.
Blueline might lack depth.
Plenty of scoring up front to challenge for Top 3 finish, easily in mix for Wildcard.

:TBL: Lightning #5
Active owner.
Evolving roster.
Blueline might lack experience.
MiLR being rebuilt.
If Cory Schneider plays approx 50 games TB bumps up to Top 3.
Huge trade for Tavares to compliment Stamkos.

:BUF-NHL: Sabres #6
Active owner.
Continuing rebuilding project started in 2017-18.
Some good prospects on the MiLR.
If Tristan Jarry and Thatcher Demko get semi-regular NHL PT, watch out!

:OTT: Senators #7
Well managed team.
Thin on the W.
D lacks depth.
Lots of good prospects in the MiLR.
Recently landed a 1B goalie in Kinkaid.
Darkhorse to climb into a Wildcard spot by mid-season.

I think TheBeef was pretty closest to predicting the Atlantic division results. He pegged my Bs for 2nd and that's exactly where we ended up.

[PsychoticPondGoons]

Western
Pacific
1. Vegas - has depth at all positions and some goaltending that could really surprise with Grubauer

2. San Jose - built and has Condon who might steal starts super active new owner continuously making improvenents

3. LA - Quick, Doughty, Hedman, O'Reilly, McDavid say the Kings are playoff bound again this year.

Sorry Godzilla, this prediction is way way off. But you did a good job predicting the Lottery teams. LOL

[PsychoticPondGoons]

METRO DIVISION PREDICTIONS

TOP 3 TO MAKE POSTSEASON
:CAR-NHL: Carolina - Halo is still building up his forces of evil and clearly last yr's almost perfect unbeaten record (only 4 loses in 84 game schedule) was strategic and his roster only seems to have gotten better.

:PHI-NHL: Flyers - Didn't lose much to FA and added some much needed support to challenge the Canes.

:PIT-NHL: Pens - If SDP draftee goalie Mikko Koskinen wins the backup role in Oil counrty, Pittsburgh might have a shot at locking up a playoff spot this year. Malkin and Crosby told me so.

Wildcards & IN-THE-MIX
:NYI: Isls - If Robin Lehner wins the starting gig with the NHL Islanders, Johnny's team will be a serious contender. If not, NYI will be fighting for a shot at the post-season right down to the final wk of the season.
:NYR: Rangers - Some additions and subtractions helped and seemed to have also hurt the team.
:WAS-NHL3: Caps - Ovie, K.Connor, Nichushkin, Landeskog, Granlund, Toffoli, Butcher, Schultz, and Suter all say they're good for a playoff berth. Adam Werner & Kari Lehtonen say, "NOT SO FAR JONATHAN!"
:CLS: Jackets - Plenty of talent on the roster that Blkhwkfn has rebuilt over the past season and a half. If McElhinney, Neuvirth & Korpisalo pull their weight, Columbus is in like Flinn! If not, they'll be like a rock - at the bottom of the Metro Division.

Longshot to be relevant
:NJD: Devils - The team is currently for sale. Alex Lyon is penciled in as the starter after NJ dealt Cory Schneider (traded to FNHL :TBL:) who they got for Chad Johnson & Jake Allen (traded to fav trade partner FNHL :CAR-NHL:) over the Summer. Zetterberg isn't playing due to back issues. Pacioretty is on the NHL Habs' trade block. Gostisbehere & Van Riemsdyk were just sent off to FNHL :DET-NHL:. Not much left to talk about aside from the team's future potential. They do have RNH, meh; Skinner who's now in Buffalo :doh: ; Zuccar-Jello! Woohooo! Free Agency will bring in some new blood but the silent fire sale might be too much to recover from.

This prediction of mine was OK. Not totally accurate. :PIT-NHL: and my :PHI-NHL: are WildCard teams instead of Top 3 finishers. :NYI: clearly had a big helping hand from Robin Lehner and a well coached NHL Isles team.

[PsychoticPondGoons]

Habs looking at that #1 spot and really liking the look of it. Apparently the view from #1 is amazing.

Mordecai calling his shot. :toast:

[halo99]

Toronto missed with 104 points in the East and St. Louis got in with 62 points in the west...

Hopefully the west teams make some big moves in the offseason to balance out the league

[PsychoticPondGoons]

Toronto missed with 104 points in the East and St. Louis got in with 62 points in the west...

Hopefully the west teams make some big moves in the offseason to balance out the league

That's right gents in the West, Carolina is calling you out! Damn!  :winner:

[dazfoster]

The Western Conference is much alike the real NHL alot more teams in the West in past few years have been in rebuild mode, than Eastern Conference teams and haven't  had minor roster strength to do high prospects for ready players like how Halo transformed Carolina 2 years ago.

For Vancouver to improve to near Toronto standards means i have to find another G starter to interchange with Markstrom and about another 4 regular skaters, excluding Petey and Kunin

[izaman3]

I will speak for myself and state that Chicago Blackhawks fully expect to be in the Final Four in 2019. Anything less would be a failure on our part.

EAST
Carolina, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Montreal.

WEST
Colorado, Edmonton, Chicago, Nashville.

These are my picks at this time for Conference Semi-Finals.

- DD

DD was pretty spot on with his Round 2 playoff predictions. 6/8 and 75% is nothing to sneeze at.

[EndGame]

DD was pretty spot on with his Round 2 playoff predictions. 6/8 and 75% is nothing to sneeze at.

DickieDunn was very good with that prediction.