Next years cinderella teams

[crookedvulture]

haha no meantion of the leafs?!?

[horrorfan]

With the addition of Wideman and Hudler, my Flames are going all the way...






...to the golf course again.

[bondon]

Interesting thread but for every team that moves up (say to a playoff position), that means one has to move down.

I don't see many of last year's top 16 teams dropping out of a playoff position to make room for another, do you? Florida perhaps. NJ? Ottawa?

If Minn rises up, which team out of the West falls? San Jose? Phoenix?

I think Florida is a potential for being out of the playoffs, the Southeast division was a really tight race until the end...I think it's very possible that the Coyotes could slip out, the Pacific division was also really close.

Honestly, I'm curious as to how the Red Wings do this year.

[Shoeless]

Interesting thread but for every team that moves up (say to a playoff position), that means one has to move down.

I don't see many of last year's top 16 teams dropping out of a playoff position to make room for another, do you? Florida perhaps. NJ? Ottawa?

If Minn rises up, which team out of the West falls? San Jose? Phoenix?

Bang on - and I think with the moves teams are making that things are likely to get tighter. Parity to rule the day, perhaps.

But regardless of who is in or out, finding a Cinderella team or two where their goal production takes a huge jump, isn't going to be that easy.

[sakic19]

Really tough to say but I could see Tampa Bay making a jump back in the playoffs if their goalie situation is steady.

Lindback is a good prospect who well as a backup in a team that oozed defence. Can he do the same over a bigger amount of games as a #1A in a soso team?

[The Messier Scowl]

I think a reinvigorated Buffalo makes it in on the back of Grigorenko's Calder-winning rookie season (how's that for a bold prediction!). They can't be as bad of a mess as last year's team!

As for the Sens, I can see a team-wide rebuild "sophomore slump", with a lost race for a playoff spot giving them a valuable learning experience.

I'm not doubting their talent or their upward trajectory - they're a team on the rise and it's good to be a Sens fan these days.

[smoothfun]

Maybe these teams don't qualify but , they will be much better.
Carolina , Washington for sure.
I'm fantasising that Ottawa will do even better but am not very optimistic about that .

[Big Ev]

Ottawa will be another cinderella team as they will win the Northeast (that's an Apache guarantee ...ok Boston still the favourite here but I'm less confident in them without Thomas. That guy is a Sen killer).

Montreal will make the playoffs.

Dallas has the potential as well.

[thatbirdguy]

Montreal.

Price and Subban are core pieces already in place. 2nd, 3rd and 4th line talent are in place. Gally will make an immediate impact (I am execting about 50 points this year). Not a STanley Cup team, but I believe that playoffs are in sight.

The problem is Gomez. Once that albatross is released, things will look much better.

Galchenyuk won't play for Montreal this year. Nor should he.

[Big Ev]

Galchenyuk won't play for Montreal this year. Nor should he.

Exactly. Not to mention the part where he's scoring 50 points.

[Seeds of Grapes]

Galchenyuk won't play for Montreal this year. Nor should he.

I wouldn't put money on that.

[Big Ev]

I wouldn't put money on that.

Guy played 8 games last year. No sense in rushing him.

[LeTrefle]

Montreal.

Price and Subban are core pieces already in place. 2nd, 3rd and 4th line talent are in place. Gally will make an immediate impact (I am execting about 50 points this year). Not a STanley Cup team, but I believe that playoffs are in sight.

The problem is Gomez. Once that albatross is released, things will look much better.

The major X-factor for Montreal will be Markov. A healthy Markov (I'm a believer!) could change a lot of things.
I think the Habs adding grit is a good thing too.
I also think that Therrien's approach of work ethic and nightly effort will help Habs having a better season than 11-12.
Having said that, I still think that they need to find another winger to play with Plekanec and Gionta and the UFA pool is getting thiner with each day passing.
I would love to see Doan signing in Montreal... like the 29 other teams.