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Predictions - Western Conference Standings


Lui's Knob

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Im not so sure about that ..the Oilers have probably bungled their way into being a powerhouse in the next year or so...I think we will be lucky to get a split in the series with them this upcoming season..The days of getting freebie points against the Oilers are over for the foreseeable future ..IMO .

Yea that's true, they have done quite a bit that makes them look more serious. But year after year I would always think they would become a threat and they never have. Maybe this is the year they start winning some games. However, I'd still bet against them making the playoffs.

Bringing in Todd McLellan will be a huge for them. I think their previous coaches were all doomed before the season even began.

Also frankly, I would really enjoy watching them become a huge threat in the league since I wouldn't mind watching a bunch of highly skilled young talented prospects play together on 1 team. But the way they did it, by ripping off 1st overalls year after year makes me a little bitter.

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It will be a dog fight for 6, 7, 8 spots

Colorado, Dallas were coming on at the end of season.

Calgary, Winnipeg, Minny, Colorado, StLouis and Dallas will be in the hunt for 6, 7, 8

Anahiem, Chicago, Nashville and LA will be the top teams in the conferences

Without secondary scoring...Vancouver needs Miller and Markstrom to play their best hockey and steal games in order to make the playoffs...unless, JB has something up his sleeve with more roster moves, the Canucks will not make the playoffs.

Edmonton will be interesting...now that their 1st round picks have man strength and will be playing against the other teams younger players...Cherilli is coming in at the right time and will take credit for the maturation of Hall, Eberle, Yakapov, Schultz; however, he has improved their D and goaltending...they will be interesting team to watch.

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Everyone who's picking Vancouver to be near the bottom needs to give that some more thought. In reality who was lost? Lack/Bieksa and Kassian, as well as Richardson and Mathias, none of these players, nor the sum of their combined efforts were the reason the Canucks had a 101 point season last year. The reality is the Canucks under the Sedins/Edler/ and Miller, along with some youth and depth will still be competitively fighting out for a spot anywhere from 5-10 in the conference.

Sure they might wind up missing the playoffs, but they are not gonna be a total tank show as most here seem to think.

I predict they'll be in the hunt basically down to the last week or two, and it wouldn't at all surprise to me see them make the playoffs again. Like I said anything between 5/6-10 in the west is where I expect the Canucks, unless Miller goes down for a long time with an injury and Markstrom can't step up.

You're forgetting the 7 game road trip where the line of Kassian, Matthais and Richardson were the only ones scoring the big goals...this road trip was pivotal for the Canucks...all three player are now gone. The Canucks are now smaller and not faster...

cause and effect...to every action there is a reaction...the Canucks lost young strong players, who should be replaced by young, fast and strong players...not the old core.

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Well Calgary, you may be right, but my opinion is based on 2 factors, that are not on that list.........

#1. Our core is one year older, one year slow than last year........that is the reality of us.

#2. The teams that have younger cores in their 24 to 28 years of age, will be one year stronger.....that is the reality of them.

It is the understanding that nothing stands still and 2 objects going in opposite directions get further apart as time passes......not slamming anyone......that is just how I see it!

1. Anaheim........You have to ask?

2. Nashville.......If they avoid their injuries, they will compete with Anaheim

3. Chicago........Their core is just too strong

4. Minni.............very young and talented.....depends on their goalie

5. LA.................off year last year..........not as strong, but the players are at the peak of their careers

6. St. Louis........dropping but not that far

7. Winnipeg.......young and big, lots of high end prospects

8. Calgary..........didn't have Bennett or Hamilton last year

9. Colorado.....just need a dman to push for the playoff berth

10. Dallas..........just need a dman to push for the playoff berth

11. Edmonton * If Edmonton trade either their 2016 1st or Draisaitl for a Dman, they are gone! (OEL.....would Arizona do that?)

12. San Jose.........old, will battle Vancouver

13. Vancouver.......old, will battle San Jose

14. Arizona............their youth could surprise!

That is may take on it, anyways

I have to agree...LA however will finish second in the Pacific bumping Minny down a spot

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Basically the same team? Losing your heart and soul defenseman, losing your only power forward on the team, losing your best PKer......still the same team??

Heart and soul defenseman who played the worst hockey of his career. Only power forward who played like a power forward 10% of the time who can easily be replaced by rookies and a PKer who has already been replaced by the better Prust.

So..what's your point?

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I will save full predictions until closer to the beginning of the season.

For now I will just say Edm will be improved (mainly because of the coach) but they will still miss the playoffs.

And Vancouver will finish ahead of the Sharks.

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The Canucks are still too talented to finish in 13th as some of you predicted. They'll probably finish just under the playoff bar but I personally hope that circumstances have them finish a lot lower. There's no point to just missing the playoffs and there's no point in just making them, especially when you dont have a hope in hell of winning a cup.

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1 VAN

2 ARI

3 EDM

4 COL

5 DAL

6 MIN

7 CAL

8 LAK

9 SJS

10 STL

11 WIN

12 NSH

13 ANA

14 CHI

First round Vancouver sweep LA in four games, posting three shutouts. Drew Doughty cries and retires from the NHL the day after.

Second round we face Arizona and the Sedin's set a new record for points in a series in only four games. Daniel also wins his first career fight.

Third round we face Colorado and Prust scores back-to-back hatricks, assisted by Bo Horvat.

In the finals we face off against Buffalo and also win in four close games between the two most elite teams in the NHL. Each game is decided 1-0, but Vancouver still pulls out the sweep, setting a new league record for GAA, with 0.0 and a 100SV%.

Henrik, Daniel, Linden, and Benning have their faces carved on the side of the Stawamus Chief, much like Mt Rushmore.

We then go on a 3 year Stanley Cup winning streak after that.

You heard it from me first folks.

It's still going to be more accurate than all these bandwagoners predictions who started watching hockey 5 minutes ago

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What is with everyone predicting Calgary to do so well. Sure they picked up a few good players but they were the same as Colorado last year. Very poor puck possession team with a very high shooting percentage. They will not repeat this year and fall back to earth like Colorado did

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What is with everyone predicting Calgary to do so well. Sure they picked up a few good players but they were the same as Colorado last year. Very poor puck possession team with a very high shooting percentage. They will not repeat this year and fall back to earth like Colorado did

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If the Nucks are even as good as they were last season it is the improvement of the other teams that will dictate the Nucks overall draft position.

Miller had difficulty with the travel last year stating that it was a real grind, that's just the travel and he had long stretches off.

The number of one goal games that might not happen this year.

The number of points that the team will not get easily from Calgary, Edmonton and Colorado could easily be more than 14pts.

ANY injury to a Sedin, Miller, Vrbata.

WD's tenancy of not matching lines, while good for prospect development, could cost points.

Vey being the number three center and a fixture on the PP.

The teams in the east that may not be as good as the Canucks, but there will be more of them and they will be playing each other so they will garner more points than the Nucks, looks like Boston could compete with Arizona for Mathews, now thats' tanking or blowing it up.

The aging process, while the way the Sedins play together and with the way rules are now called (game management) they will still be fairly dominant, WD will likely over play them in order to be competitive game to game or when losing.

Just imagine the Nucks without the Sedins, Miller, Vrbata, Hamhuis, Burrows, Higgins, Hansen because that is the light at the end of the tunnel, a mere two seasons from now and who replaces them, guys that are not in the NHL today, except Horvat?

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What is with everyone predicting Calgary to do so well. Sure they picked up a few good players but they were the same as Colorado last year. Very poor puck possession team with a very high shooting percentage. They will not repeat this year and fall back to earth

THIS ^

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