2021 NHL Season Prediction Thread

[Arrow 1983]

let me think about it

 

The things I know for sure 

 

1) injuries and sickness will play a huge roll

2) Ott will miss the playoffs that leaves a 4 out of  6 or 2 out of 3 chance that Van makes the playoffs 

3) MTL probably misses the playoffs that gives Van a 4 out of 5 chance 

4) 2 and 3 explain why 1 is so true

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by Arrow 1983

[BertaNuck]

Leafs 

oilers 

Canucks 

sens 

flames 

canadiens 

Jets

Edited December 30, 2020 by Filthy McNasty

[Lazurus]

Working on it. The playing field is changing daily, Ottawa has jumped forward.

One prediction that is a sure thing, Covid will have an effects on games. I wonder if games will be played with only 17 skaters like Calgary had to years ago?

Off the board so to speak

 

Winnipeg - Stud goalie, Veteran leadership, big and mean, play the heavy game

Toronto - Just out score the goalie inconsistency

Calgary - Stud goalie (2) - three balanced lines - defensive system

Montreal - Stud goal tending, Fan expectations spur bigger effort, bigger and more scoring

Edmonton - Suffer in Goal, they might make a trade, outstanding scoring almost enough to offset soft defence and goal.

Ottawa - Avg to + goal - bigger, meaner, younger and added experience, it is clear they are going to hit and keep hitting hard every game

Vancouver - goal is a question but not the reason, no depth, more questions defensively than Edmonton, 3rd and 4th lines so-so. Pretty much have to play run and gun to offset defence issues and try to out score.

 

Calgary, Montreal and Edmonton put them in a mixer and pour them out, by February 4th the die will be cast unless one team becomes really bad.

 

Edited January 9, 2021 by Lazurus

[hateleafs]

Toronto

calgary 

Montreal

Winnipeg Edmonton Vancouver 

Ottawa 

[Canucklehead53]

Canucks hold onto aging contracts and wait them out in order to have cap space for 2021/2022 which unfortunately results in the boys barely missing the  just making the playoffs this shortened season when injuries start to hit. 

 

Defense is improved but still hinders the boys when injuries strike hard

 

OJ is a pleasant surprise for those with mild expectations but a disappointed for those looking for more from a high pick.

 

Virtanen continues to improve offensively but is still a polarizing player.

 

canucks don’t have the snarl to keep up with dirty players from other Canadian teams so injuries are a driving factor in this condensed season.

 

Toronto, Calgary Edmonton Vancouver and Montreal make the playoffs in the North. Toronto gets past the first round but that’s it. Tanev plays less that 45 games for Flames and marky has at least one injury. Toffoli missing the Canucks and doesn’t do as well. Canucks lose in the second round

 

Goaltending isnt as as good as last year but not bad 

 

2021/2022 season is where the boys really take off after some big contracts are phased out! 

 

 

EDIT*****

With the addition of Hamonic and our strengthened D depth, I feel like we can weather more injuries that will inevitably occur. Perhaps its the hype of the season approaching but I am wanting to predict the canucks making the playoffs. I am reluctant to change my prediction due to how badly we have matched up to Canadian teams overall the last couple years and improvements other teams have made, but heck with it, I am in a good mood today - the boys make the playoffs! EDIT COMPLETED.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Canucklehead53
updating prediction

[TNucks1]

@-AJ- quinn hughes with 43 points eh?

[Squamfan]

Petey : Finishes the year top 3 in points

Boeser: Will be back into rookie mode scoring 30 goals

Miller:  Will have another strong season

Virtanen: Will struggle and the Canucks trade him to Florida.

Horvat: Another strong season with him getting some selke votes

Hughes: Amazing season will be a Noris candidate

Demko: Will pick up wear he left of

Sutter: Will get a groin injury and miss 40 games

Erikkson: 

 

Canucks get swept by Montreal in playoffs

 

Canucks lose Green in FA has he becomes the head coach of the Leafs 

[Master Mind]

Standings Predictions

 

East

1. Capitals

2. Flyers

3. Penguins

4. Rangers

5. Bruins

6. Islanders

7. Sabres

8. Devils

 

Central

1. Hurricanes

2. Lightning

3. Blue Jackets

4. Predators

5. Stars

6. Panthers

7. Blackhawks

8. Red Wings

 

West

1. Avalanche

2. Golden Knights

3. Blues

4. Kings

5. Wild

6. Sharks

7. Coyotes

8. Ducks

 

North

1. Flames

2. Maple Leafs

3. Jets

4. Oilers

5. Canucks

6. Canadiens

7. Senators

[10pavelbure96]

3 hours ago, Squamfan said:

Petey : Finishes the year top 3 in points

Boeser: Will be back into rookie mode scoring 30 goals

Miller:  Will have another strong season

Virtanen: Will struggle and the Canucks trade him to Florida.

Horvat: Another strong season with him getting some selke votes

Hughes: Amazing season will be a Noris candidate

Demko: Will pick up wear he left of

Sutter: Will get a groin injury and miss 40 games

Erikkson: 

 

Canucks get swept by Montreal in playoffs

 

Canucks lose Green in FA has he becomes the head coach of the Leafs 

30 goals in 56 games

I freaking hope so!

[-AJ-]

5 hours ago, TNucks1 said:

@-AJ- quinn hughes with 43 points eh?

It's destiny.

[Goal:thecup]

19 hours ago, hateleafs said:

Toronto

calgary 

Montreal

Winnipeg Edmonton Vancouver 

Ottawa 

Hates Leafs; picks them as Number 1..

[73 Percent]

1. We make the playoffs (bounced in the first round)

2. Despite having a better save %, demko starts less games than holtby

3. Green is extended

4. OJ solidifies himself in the top 6

5. Boeser finished second in points on the team

6. ZERO trades are made by the canucks until next offseason

7. Loui little things finishes the season with over 29 pts

8. Ferland doesnt play this season

9. Virtanen finishes with more than 19 goals.

10. Neither podkolzin or tryamkin come to play for vancouver this year.

[dpn1]

44 minutes ago, 73 Percent said:

1. We make the playoffs (bounced in the first round)

2. Despite having a better save %, demko starts less games than holtby

3. Green is extended

4. OJ solidifies himself in the top 6

5. Boeser finished second in points on the team

6. ZERO trades are made by the canucks until next offseason

7. Loui little things finishes the season with over 29 pts

8. Ferland doesnt play this season

9. Virtanen finishes with more than 19 goals.

10. Neither podkolzin or tryamkin come to play for vancouver this year.

I couldn't think of any thing better than this. 

[hateleafs]

1 hour ago, Goal:thecup said:

Hates Leafs; picks them as Number 1..

Well if i used my bias towards the Canucks I’d pick them at 1. I’d love if they prove me wrong. Hopefully Schmidt can replace Tanev as a defensive corner stone. If not we’ll be leaky back there. Toronto Calgary Montreal are strong defensively now. Winnipeg Edmonton and the Canucks are closer back there maybe the Canucks have the edge 

[Googlie]

Season opener sees 2 rookies in the line up - Hoglander & Juolevi

Baertschi back to Utica, but this time as Captain

Jake thrives on Petey's line, with strong continued mentoring from Miller

Rafferty impresses, vying for a Calder with 8 goals and 33 assists

Hoglander scores a lacrosse-style goal and a between the legs goal within first 10 games

Hughes is a Norris Troohy candidate

Petey clocks 110 mph on a powerplay slapshot

and

Eriksson retires with untreatable travel sickness due to too much time on the taxi squad 

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Googlie

[Goal:thecup]

8 minutes ago, hateleafs said:

Well if i used my bias towards the Canucks I’d pick them at 1. I’d love if they prove me wrong. Hopefully Schmidt can replace Tanev as a defensive corner stone. If not we’ll be leaky back there. Toronto Calgary Montreal are strong defensively now. Winnipeg Edmonton and the Canucks are closer back there maybe the Canucks have the edge 

Yeah, just rattling your cage.

I am nuts about the Nux.

I think they're gonna win every faceoff, score every goal, never let one in, win all the fights, all the games, all the trophies, etc.

I can't quit; I've got a real problem; and there is only one remedy: Drop the puck!

(So we can win The Cup!)

[hateleafs]

4 hours ago, Goal:thecup said:

Yeah, just rattling your cage.

I am nuts about the Nux.

I think they're gonna win every faceoff, score every goal, never let one in, win all the fights, all the games, all the trophies, etc.

I can't quit; I've got a real problem; and there is only one remedy: Drop the puck!

(So we can win The Cup!)

Right on.  I am still proud of what they accomplished last summer. Only Canadian team still playing for so long. Taking Vegas to game 7. 

[-AJ-]

6 hours ago, 73 Percent said:

1. We make the playoffs (bounced in the first round)

2. Despite having a better save %, demko starts less games than holtby

3. Green is extended

4. OJ solidifies himself in the top 6

5. Boeser finished second in points on the team

6. ZERO trades are made by the canucks until next offseason

7. Loui little things finishes the season with over 29 pts

8. Ferland doesnt play this season

9. Virtanen finishes with more than 19 goals.

10. Neither podkolzin or tryamkin come to play for vancouver this year.

If Loui gets 29 or more points in a shortened season, I will eat my hat.

[Goal:thecup]

1 minute ago, hateleafs said:

Right on.  I am still proud of what they accomplished last summer. Only Canadian team still playing for so long. Taking Vegas to game 7. 

It was incredible.

 

Again, that one chance we couldn't bury cost the series; Vegas was mind-##%-ed by our defensive strategy and Demko.

I think it was Boeser late in the second, but I could be wrong (and often am).

 

But, like for 2 1/2 games they couldn't score, and they were getting very tired too.

Reminded me a bit of Ali's Rope-A-Dope fight where he just ate so many body punches you couldn't believe he was still standing.

Then, dance around, pick your spots and dispose of another contender.

 

If that had gone in, I don't think Lost Wages could have beat us.

 

We let Minny get a taste, then disposed of them handily.

St Lou was ready for a cake walk and not for The New Canucks!

 

Vegas was the odds-on favorite before the playoffs, I think.

Then, everything they had a bit of success with, Greener counter-punched it.

 

It was so good; so very, very good; almost great.

Now we get a chance to see Bo and Petey, Q and Schmidtty, Mills and The Flow pick up where they left off.

 

Go Bo Go!!

And I think Hogs is going to make the team, on Bo's line, and fill out the top 6 with talent, tenacity, and a bit of a mean streak if you mess with him.

And just before the playoffs, there is still a chance we could add Podz and The Tree.

 

My prediction:

1. The Team of the 2020's, none other than our own Vancouver Canucks.

2. The Tarrana Trots and Mr. Underpants (but out in the first round, AGAIN!)

3. Les Habitants; damn every god ever known if they ever win another Cup.

4. The Cowgirls; our x-pats will keep them in it.

 

Out of the playoffs:

5. The Jets; always had a soft spot for the Jets except when playing us; the old Jets had super goaltending, often 3 and sometimes 4 starters deep; and then new Jets have a lot a talent but will not overcome the loss of top players, the underperformance of top stars like Laine, and the aging out of critical components.

6. The Senate; always a bunch of misfits and castoffs along with the overpaid and underperforming; the hope of the new and recently drafted is not ready yet.

7. The Oil should pack up their dilbit-soaked unies and bury them in the polluted mess left behind by the oil greed hogs who should be made to pay the estimated $260 Billion to clean it up.*  They were spoiled by Gretz & Co and should also be barred from ever winning another Cup.

 

 *plenty of sources for this cleanup estimate, including their own internal documents, according to Global News:

https://globalnews.ca/news/4617664/cleaning-up-albertas-oilpatch-could-cost-260-billion-regulatory-documents-warn/#:~:text=Cleaning up Alberta's oilpatch could cost %24260 billion%2C internal documents warn,-By Mike De&text=Cleaning up the Alberta oilpatch,billion%2C internal regulatory documents warn. 

https://thenarwhal.ca/ottawa-paying-clean-up-albertas-inactive-wells-oilsands-next/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/alberta-canadas-tar-sands-is-growing-but-indigenous-people-fight-back/

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/06/03/investigations/exclusive-alberta-warned-it-could-take-2800-years-clean-oilpatch

 

******************************************************

 

WARNING:  HEREIN begins a rant against ruining our environment and exasperating attempts to slow global warming/climate change:

 

Oh good, Alfie Newberta has a shiny new Dodge pickup getting muddy in Fort Mac, but the rest of the world is paying the true costs.

 

Pipeline construction workers have jobs, but they're building a direct path to the demise of the Southern Resident 'Killer Whales' (sic)(can't believe that the NEB still calls Orcas, KWs). 

 

The NEB, tasked with performing the environmental review of the increased dilbit tanker traffic from the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion was putting the fox right in our henhouse.

 

When the courts threw out their initial rag of a report, the courts insisted on new consultations with the First Nations; FN leaders said they showed up at meetings, read their statement, and left; they didn't offer any explanations or allow any comments or questions from the people; in case you are in doubt, this is not consultation.  The only follow up was with the leaders who sold out.

 

The courts also insisted the NEB do another complete environmental assessment, and they did yet another scam review that included this unbelievably disgusting item: the TM pipeline and increased tanker traffic through the Salish Sea is most likely going to kill off the SRKWs, but 'it will be worth it because there is just so much oil' (read money).

 

Their arguments; then the truth:

-We have to open new markets besides the states; the world doesn't want dilbit; if you think the price of oil is low, check out the price of toxic dilbit; nobody wants it.

-We have to make money to pay taxes and royalties and keep Canada financially fit; they lose money on every drop because nobody wants it and it costs so much to produce and so much to dilute so it will flow through the pipeline; at this point the cost of the diluting solution is more than the total received upon sale of the 'oil'.  Plus the total royalties collected from all oil and gas companies since the fifties is not enough to cover the cleanup bill, which so far, the perpetrators have left behind for others to do and pay for.

-We need the jobs; there are no jobs after it is built; ever see anyone working on pipelines that are already built?

 

I was born here and have lived in BC all my life; I love our wildlife and our beautiful environment, and stand up to protect it, as I have been taught by our elders.

I do not understand people who are willing to ruin it all so that others can rake irresponsible profits while we all foot the bill; there is nothing in it for us.

I hate that oil companies still receive subsidies from our governments; this is beyond shameful and is bordering on criminal.

 

As wee Greta Thunberg demanded, "How dare they?!"

How dare 'we' ruin the Earth and leave it in such a state for future generations?

 

Wake up Alberta; BC isn't your enemy, we are trying to show you the light.

-The oil companies are fleeing because oil is so cheap they can't make money on expensive Alberta 'oil'.

-You have squandered your Heritage Fund; that was such a good idea, but, what happened to forethought?

-You are going to need almost 300 Billion Dollars to clean up the mess; not to mention the huge amounts of time that cleanup will take (estimated in thousands of years).

-Your aquafers are threatened, some ruined, compromised, etc.

-You all seem to like to visit BC, enjoy the forests and lakes and ocean, even buying property, recreational, retirement, etc.

-Why would you like to ruin it all?

-That dilbit sinks in the ocean, and all Trudeau's BS skimming booms and multimillion dollar tugs can't do anything about it.  (Brand new very expensive tugs which sit idle at dock.)

-It sinks to the bottom, killing everything around it and it goes on killing for a very long time.

-You won't be able to go whale watching, cuz they'll be dead.

-Salmon die if a single drop in thousands of gallons of water passes through their gills.

-All the bottom feeders like delicious halibut, cod, prawns, scallops and other shellfish, everything, everything dies.

-That toxic gunk just sits there, leaching toxic waste into the currents, which carry death with them.

-It is not like oil, it does not float, you cannot boom it up, pump it out, or even stick a paper towel in it.

-Talk of cleanup as it related to a dilbit spill is outright hogwash.

-The damage is permanent.

-Leave BC alone.

-Your western separation movement starts in Manitoba.

-Ours starts in the Rockies.

 

(Oye vey, I'm gonna get it now...)_

 

 

 

[KKnight]

On 12/29/2020 at 3:29 PM, -AJ- said:

If Loui gets 29 or more points in a shortened season, I will eat my hat.

It's not gonna happen. Your hat will be safe.