2014-2015 Season Predictions

[Pears]

1) Cinderella run to the WCF

2) Miller/Lack duo puts up Luongo/Schneider-like numbers

3) The Sedins and Vrbata all reach at least 50 points

4) Vey finishes as a Calder finalist

5) Lack is traded either at the trade deadline or the draft in a package for a top six forward

[Mr X]

1. Canucks have a top 10 power play this season

2. Lack plays better than Miller but Miller retains starting goalie position, playing 50+ games

3. Canucks make a weird run to the finals from the 6-8 seed, on the back of a ton of depth

4. They trade one of the vets to clear room for Jensen to play at some point in the season, assuming Horvat isn't sent down to junior

[JustABandwagoner]

That's rather optimistic. That being said, I'll take optimism ANY day over pessimism.

What do you mean?

Getting Connor Mcdavid or Eichel is the best thing for a team. I value that more than the cup

[C.S.Strowbridge]

Have done this for the past couple of years, having a thread for folks to make their predictions on things that will happen during the season. It is fun to go back as time goes by to see what came true or not.

(the first year I was almost perfect, last year... not so much).

Here are my predictions... what are yours?

1. We will start fairly slow while adjusting to the new system, but pick up speed and end up in the playoffs.

5. At the trade deadline we will still be on the playoff bubble, but Benning is still going to trade away a couple of veterans to other teams who are adding for playoff runs. A rookie or two who only had injury call up time to that point are going to become fixtures on our roster.

6. We will win a playoff round, but lose in the 2nd round. Folks will be surprisingly (and oddly for this town) OK with it as a fanbase since they will see a possibility of better days ahead with the young players and assets we will continue to get.

I disagree with these three. The first three games the Canucks play are against Edmonton and Calgary, so I think we will win all three of them. That will give the team confidence and they will finish the month on pace to reach 100 points, barely. They will continue to do well all season and not fall apart like last year.

This means by trade deadline the Canucks will be in a race for one of the top three spots in the division and Benning won't make a major move, because they don't want to trade away the future for a run at the Stanley Cup this year.

Canucks win the first two rounds of the playoffs, but have to face the best team in the league for the semi-finals and lose.

The CDC will freakout, because Benning didn't make a move on the trade deadline and will demand his head.

[CANUCK-EXPRESS]

For me we either barely make the playoffs or not make the playoffs by a couple of points

Horvat gets 9 games then gets sent down.

Vrbata and Sedin experiment doesn't work split up except powerplay.

Vey gets 30-40 points

Kassian has career year

Top 10 powerplay

Miller chokes some games and Lack takes over AGAIN

[Honky Cat]

We'll be the 20th worst team missing the playoffs. Benning will move some youth to try to shore up the weak faceoffs and defense in hopes we'll get a few wins and then sell off some vets at the deadline.

be happy to be wrong but I don't see much chance to win here, defense is weak and we can't offset that with a skilled offense. If we can't score, defend or start with the puck after draws it's going to be a long season.

Wow..Timberwolf.....Did not think that you would have such low expectations..?

[Pears]

What do you mean?

Getting Connor Mcdavid or Eichel is the best thing for a team. I value that more than the cup

If you value lottery picks over a Cup then save us the trouble and go cheer for Edmonton.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Predictions:

October: 5-5

November: 5-9 (Toughest part of our schedule)

December: 4-7

January: 5-7

February: 5-9

March: 2-14

April: 0-5

McDavid or Eichel, here we come.

[zombieksa]

1. Canucks take 3rd in Pacific; one of Anaheim/SJ start the season slow and fall to 4th
2. Vrbata, Daniel, and Burrows all manage 30+ goal seasons; both Sedins manage 75 points.
3. Sbisa only plays 30 games before trade deadline; is moved for a late pick.

4. Jensen and Kassian both surpass 35 points.
5. Canucks powerplay is top 10, penalty kill is top 5.
6. Canucks sign Derek Morris early in season.

7. Canucks make it to at least 2nd round in playoffs.
8. Both Sedins make all-star game.
9. Lack has slightly better stats than Miller; Miller still wins 30+.

10. Bieksa signs extension next summer.

October: 7-2-1
November: 7-4-3
December: 7-4
January: 6-5-1
February: 7-5-2
March: 8-6-2
April: 3-1-1

45 wins, 100 points

[JustABandwagoner]

If you value lottery picks over a Cup then save us the trouble and go cheer for Edmonton.

I cheer for who i want. You cant stop me

[Herberts Vasiljevs]

We finish dead 8th in the west.

We will upset Chicago Blackhawks in the 1st round in 7 games.

We will upset the Anaheim Ducks in the 2nd round in 7 games.

We beat the 6th place Dallas Stars in 5 games.

We face the 6th place in the East Columbus Blue Jackets in the Stanley Cup finals and WIN THE SERIES AT HOME IN 6 TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP!!!

[Provost]

Have done this for the past couple of years, having a thread for folks to make their predictions on things that will happen during the season. It is fun to go back as time goes by to see what came true or not.

(the first year I was almost perfect, last year... not so much).

Here are my predictions... what are yours?

1. We will start fairly slow while adjusting to the new system, but pick up speed and end up in the playoffs.

2. We will trade for another NHL calibre defenceman during the season. The organizational depth just isn't there at the moment. Even with an improved Edler, Sbisa is still a work in progress all year long.

3. Vey will be the bright spot among our pick ups, playing his way up the roster as the season goes. Good thing because unfortunately Kassian isn't going to find his way into the top six regularly. we may end up seeing Vey converted to wing again and playing on the 2nd line with Bonino.

4. Vrbata will continue to be good on the first line and have a career year in terms of points. Barring injury, the twins will be on pace for a 70-90 point season.

5. At the trade deadline we will still be on the playoff bubble, but Benning is still going to trade away a couple of veterans to other teams who are adding for playoff runs. A rookie or two who only had injury call up time to that point are going to become fixtures on our roster.

6. We will win a playoff round, but lose in the 2nd round. Folks will be surprisingly (and oddly for this town) OK with it as a fanbase since they will see a possibility of better days ahead with the young players and assets we will continue to get.

How do I score halfway through the season?

1. Started better than hoped. Still in position to make the playoffs

2. Edler has improved and Sbisa is still a project. Won't know until the trade deadline if we get another D

3. Vey has not been very good so far, certainly not spending much time on the 2nd line. Kassian has been worse as expected though.

4. Vrbata and the twins are right on pace as expected.

5 & 6 are still in the future

Not doing so badly on predictions this year... Vey is the biggest miss I made so far. I really thought he was going to bring more offence.

[Baer.]

3. Vey has not been very good so far, certainly not spending much time on the 2nd line. Kassian has been worse as expected though.

Vey is the biggest miss I made so far. I really thought he was going to bring more offence.

We have 2 very different opinions on Vey. Not sure what your expectations were, but in 42 games he as 16 points, good enough for 30 points in an 82 game season. Were you really expecting more from him? A rookie who before coming here hadn't had an NHL goal, is now on pace for double digit goals.

If you were expecting him to perform any better than he is now, you set yourself up for disappointment. True his defensive game needs work and he isn't the fastest skater by any means, but his passing, shooting and poise are average for bottom 6 guys.

I'd have to say biggest disappointment is Sbisa. I really thought he had some untapped potential, maybe needed a change of scenery, but he's flat out flopped. Watching him trying to play top 4 minutes was like watching a fish out of water. Not until Hammer returned and he regressed to our #6 defensemen did he look a little more at home with his game. At this point I'd rather finally see Corrado step in to that spot full time next to Stanton than have Sbisa out there.

Love the guy, anybody in a nucks uni really, but hate his game. :/

[Provost]

We have 2 very different opinions on Vey. Not sure what your expectations were, but in 42 games he as 16 points, good enough for 30 points in an 82 game season. Were you really expecting more from him? A rookie who before coming here hadn't had an NHL goal, is now on pace for double digit goals.

It was a predictions game. I made the prediction that Vey would be good enough to be a fixture on the 2nd line. I was wrong... whether he is an OK bottom 6 guy is entirely irrelevant to the point of the thread.

[Baer.]

It was a predictions game. I made the prediction that Vey would be good enough to be a fixture on the 2nd line. I was wrong... whether he is an OK bottom 6 guy is entirely irrelevant to the point of the thread.

You also missed my point. You predicted him to make his way up to the second line. I'm saying that prediction was rather optimistic. You go on to say that because he is not on the second line that he has been a disappointment this season. I couldn't disagree more.

[Provost]

Have done this for the past couple of years, having a thread for folks to make their predictions on things that will happen during the season. It is fun to go back as time goes by to see what came true or not.

(the first year I was almost perfect, last year... not so much).

Here are my predictions... what are yours?

1. We will start fairly slow while adjusting to the new system, but pick up speed and end up in the playoffs.

2. We will trade for another NHL calibre defenceman during the season. The organizational depth just isn't there at the moment. Even with an improved Edler, Sbisa is still a work in progress all year long.

3. Vey will be the bright spot among our pick ups, playing his way up the roster as the season goes. Good thing because unfortunately Kassian isn't going to find his way into the top six regularly. we may end up seeing Vey converted to wing again and playing on the 2nd line with Bonino.

4. Vrbata will continue to be good on the first line and have a career year in terms of points. Barring injury, the twins will be on pace for a 70-90 point season.

5. At the trade deadline we will still be on the playoff bubble, but Benning is still going to trade away a couple of veterans to other teams who are adding for playoff runs. A rookie or two who only had injury call up time to that point are going to become fixtures on our roster.

6. We will win a playoff round, but lose in the 2nd round. Folks will be surprisingly (and oddly for this town) OK with it as a fanbase since they will see a possibility of better days ahead with the young players and assets we will continue to get.

Well lets see,,, this year my predictions were pretty terrible.

1. We were not slow getting used to the new system and started off pretty well, that is what propelled us into the playoffs (at least I was right about the playoffs part).

2. We did not get another NHL defenceman. Edler was improved, and Sbisa was not the saviour that folks thought he was. Half right on this one.

3. Vey was not the bright spot in our additions, he was barely acceptable. Kassian didn't find a way into the top 6 regularly as expected.

4. Got this one right at least Vrbata has a career year and the twins exceeded 70 points.

5. We were on the playoff bubble but did not trade away a couple of veterans like I thought we would. A shame because the going rate at the time was a good 2nd rounder or a solid prospect.

6. No 1st round win for us.

Big misses on a lot of predictions, and the only thing I can say in my defence is that we probably SHOULD have made the moves I thought we would. We sorely needed another solid NHL defenceman; trading away Higgins, Hansen, and possibly even Matthias (if he was unwilling to sign an extension) would have netted us better returns at the deadline than they will now. The prices for mediocre veterans was astronomical at the deadline. Those veterans did not help us win a round in the playoffs and we likely wouldn't have been dramatically worse with a couple of young guys in their spots for the last part of the season.

Better luck next year in my predictions... not many folks in the thread got much right this time around.

[iinatcc]

I have 3 predictions.

1. Barring any serious injuries, Linden Vey will contend for the calder trophy. Call me crazy, but I am a big believer in this kid. I think he is going to be what Cody Hodgson was for us if not better. I don't think he will win the Calder Trophy, but he will get some serious talk, and maybe get a finalist nomination. I believe in Linden Vey, and this preseason has made me only believe in him more.

[Nuxfanabroad]

Ha Provost, I like that you're brave enough to dredge up old prediction-threads. Seems with these topic pages, the rear view mirror is often more interesting, as opposed to seeing what's coming ahead.

I tried an optimistic angle-thread LAST season(Torturella)..once bitten, twice shy.

Amusingly, post #31(HVasiliev's) predicted an unbelievable run for the roses, punctuated by Hot Choc's, 'I Believe In Miracles-You Sexy Thing' tune..Not only did we crash & burn, but Errol Brown(their lead singer) just up & died(RIP). Prophetic.

[Provost]

Ha Provost, I like that you're brave enough to dredge up old prediction-threads. Seems with these topic pages, the rear view mirror is often more interesting, as opposed to seeing what's coming ahead.

I tried an optimistic angle-thread LAST season(Torturella)..once bitten, twice shy.

Amusingly, post #31(HVasiliev's) predicted an unbelievable run for the roses, punctuated by Hot Choc's, 'I Believe In Miracles-You Sexy Thing' tune..Not only did we crash & burn, but Errol Brown(their lead singer) just up & died(RIP). Prophetic.

I actually started doing a thread on every season a few years ago. Too many folks were making ridiculous statements and throwing stones at other people... then eerily silent when they turned out to be wrong.

I think it is fun to see what folks think/hope will happen and then what actually turns out to be true. One year I was eerily spot on (even a broken clock is right twice a day) including correctly predicting that Hodgson would be traded and was met by a resounding chorus of ridicule from virtually everyone. That thread was more fun to bring up at the end of the season

[Nuxfanabroad]

^ Yeah, yeah, I can imagine the ridicule.."How DARE you have the temerity to make any boldly negative prediction!?"

& then the further BAD TASTE to remind us you were correct!

It reminds me of Taleb's economic bestseller, 'Black Swan' where he spoke of holding economist's feet to the fire, as they are so quick to forget worthless economic national & international predictions/projections(possibly affecting millions) to a degree which calls their very existence into question.

The ULTIMATE hazardous prediction two people can make, must surely be marriage..from which evolved pre-nups.(anything this scary truly deserves a safety net).