Each Division's "Wild Card" or "Loose Cannon"

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

Thought it would be fun to start a thread where members can talk about which ONE team in each division they consider to be a complete 'wild card' in the sense that, based on their recent history (both on the ice and in the injury dept), current personnel, and off season maneuvers, it is REALLY hard to determine where exactly they will finish.

 

Sure, it's easy to pick a team one thinks will be a winning team or one that is clearly a bottom feeder....but what about those in-betweeners that we simply just don't know what to make of?

 

Will this team contend, won't they? Are they trending upwards or looking to take a big fall backwards?

Teams that fall into this category should be difficult to gauge because they seem to have so many variables, both good and bad, that can affect them positively and adversely in the coming season, and they can run the gamut from division winner or at least being in the playoff mix, to bottom of the barrel, disappointing, or somewhere in between.

 

Let's hear the forum's picks for "Loose Cannons in Each Division of the NHL"....and why you think that team for that division is so....

I will start:

 

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

Personally, I have to go with the loose cannon Ottawa Senators.

Here is a team, much like the Flyers, that I thought severely underperformed last season early on and in through mid season, but UNLIKE the Flyers, the Sens never really got their act together.

 

Not many have hope for the Sens in 2014-15, but is that a fair gauge? I know they have many issues on defense (they always have in recent seasons), however, they usually can count on a pretty good offense and some great goaltending by Craig Anderson or whomever his backup was (Robin Lehner this coming season) to keep the Sens in the mix.

 

Thing with their goaltending, Anderson has to be fully healthy to pull off his heroics. And his health has been spotty at best.

But then, you look at some of the players the Sens have, and you have to think "Why aren't these guys, as a team, producing better than they are?"

Milan Michalek, Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris, Bobby Ryan, Colin Greening, David Legwand, just to name a few....

 

To me, this makes this team TOTALLY unpredictable.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if they have some good health amongst them, they finally work as a complete unit, and make the post season.......and it would be just as unsurprising if this team continues to sleepwalk and continues to occupy the bottom rungs of the Eastern Conference.

 

METROPOLITAN DIVISION:

Going with the NJ Devils here.

Cory Schneider should be outstanding for them in goal......or will he? Questions will abound about his ability to shoulder a full season's workload as the undisputed number one....but all his play to this point, albeit NOT of the full season number one variety, has shown he CAN shoulder the workload...and do it well.....ala Tuuka Rask before he became a number one.

 

Difference being, Boston has had a very solid defense for a few seasons now, whereas NJ, once a defensive powerhouse, has slipped back to the medicore to average in that department.

Do the Devils get things together defensively enough so as not to waste away some good Cory Schneider performances? Do they need to add anyone else (and subtract others) for this to be the case?

Or perhaps NJ can rely on their always defensive minded system to continue to produce guys they can just plug right in and be effective at the NHL level?

 

Perhaps NJ goes for a more offensive approach and open things up for their forwards. After all, if the play is mostly on the other side, it has a similar effect as a stout defense: the puck just doesn't get near their own net.

 

Really very hard to gauge the Devils, IMO. Particularly since their division has teams with lots of question marks of their own....and NJ can easily surpass, play right with, or lag behind any of them.

 

CENTRAL DIVISION:

Nashville Predators.

Here is a team that SHOULD have been in contention last season, but due to many reasons (an unhealthy Pekka Rinne being chief among them), they not only didn't make the post season, but on most nights looked hapless out on the ice.

 

Enter Peter Laviolette, his more forward thinking offensive style, a HEALTHY Pekka Rinne (assuming that is the case), keeping the basic defensive responsibility Nashville players are known for, and adding some decent offensive guys (and some real nasty bulldog types as well), and we have a situation where Nashville can be a thorn in the side for the likes of St. Louis, Chicago, Minnesota, or Colorado.......or have a team that will have trouble keeping up with the Jets.

 

Health and team execution is so important for the Preds.

And how new coach Laviolette can get those guys to buy into his new approach also makes it hard to determine just how well these "Joker's Wild" Predators will do at this point in time.

 

PACIFIC DIVISION:

Phoenix...errr, excuse me, ARIZONA Coyotes.

Every time there is a discussion about the Pacific, its always about the same: LA, Ana, SJ are talked about as cream of the crop...with good reason.

Edm, Cgy, and Van (though the Canucks can possibly be viewed as a unpredictable entity themselves) are viewed as lower rung....and not many say much about the Yotes.

 

There is probably a good reason for that: No one really knows just what the heck Arizona will do!

Not too long ago, they were a sound defensive team with good goaltending, leadership, and with good coaching and looked like they could be the Pacific's version of a good NJ or Nashville type team.

Then last season, they looked awful defensively, their goaltending with Mike Smith was suspect, and they also had trouble scoring goals at times....yet along the way, they showed flashes of the team they  looked like they were becoming on a permanent basis.

 

I just find it very hard to guess where the Yotes will finish, thus they are my Pacific Divison "Loose Cannon".

Will Mike Smith get things together once again? Will he have support from his defensive corps?

Does Dave Tippett have some more tricks up his sleeves to get even more out of his players?

 

The division IS tough, with even the so-called bottom dwellers looking to move upwards, but the Yotes in the past have shown an ability to play with the 'big boys', and play well....even winning a division title not so long ago.

Just don't know what to make of these guys right now.

 

Well, there you have it....my four teams from each divison...call them "Loose Cannons", "Wild Cards", "Jokers"...whatever...just DON'T call them a "sure thing" to either win or lose this coming season! 

 

What does the rest of HF.net have ?

[J0e Th0rnton]

Atlantic division.

Toronto. They quietly improved and resigned a few guys. But it is Toronto

 

Metro Division

Honestly, Washington. It may take some time for Trotz to gain control of the team and get some of these guys bought into two way play. If he can do it quickly, they could well take their division. if not and they clash or take some time to adjust as he juggles lines and reduces icetime, they could finish near the bottom

 

Central Division

Colorado. Quite honestly, I suspect a bit of a softmore slump. Roy had an amazing first year coaching.

 

Pacific Division

The Sharks. Yeah, I know, they have a lot of talent on the team, but I suspect they will be reducing the icetime of 1st line caliber players to give it to youth. They also plan on playing at least 2 kids on defense and possibly even rushing a few young players to the NHL. It might work, but it might not. Wasting Thornton in a checkers role when he is still far and away the best offensive player on the team.....Forcing youth development instead of letting them work their way up. Could go either way

[jammer2]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  The Islanders will win the Metro outright. You heard it here first!!

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  The Islanders will win the Metro outright. You heard it here first!!

Hehehe...ok, @jammer2 .

But I am afraid that prediction doesn't belong in this thread...belongs in the "What are we smoking tonight?" thread...haha.

 

Then again, with you making that call, YOU may be the "loose cannon" in here.  

 

You heard'm everyone, Isles for top spot in the Metro.

Now, who you got for Wild Card?  

[jammer2]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  I'll fill in the wild cards for divisions after I watch Johnny Manziel tear up the Lions secondary in the 2nd half!

[yave1964]

Atlantic: Toronto. did a great job rebuilding bottom six, added depth on the blue line. still, they ARE the Leafs, so they could finish second to seventh

Metrosexual: Philadelphia. C'mon, these guys are capable of winning this division outright or finishing as an also ran.

Central: the Stars. If Spezza and Hemsky continue to play like they did together with the Senators last year they will be greatly improved. If they don't, they could finish tenth or eleventh in the West.

Pacific:Canucks I think they had arguably the best offseason in the game, but is it enough? Tough western conference, they could bounce back and still miss the postseason by double digit points.

[jammer2]

@yave1964  Who was your pick for the Pacific, didn't come across to clearly....lol.

[hf101]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

I think the Senators will sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. They have lost Spezza and replaced him with Legwand. Anderson had a lousy year last season, maybe he bounces back but then he is 33 and well who knows?  This team is in rebuild on a tight budget.  

 

The team I think that will cause the most havoc in the East will be Florida.  They are going to be a tough team to play against and they will win games as teams takes them for granted.  Next years Panthers will have Luongo in net along with youth and speed upfront with Barkov, Bjugstad, and Huberdeau.  Add some experience with Bolland, Jokenin, Thornton.  And the defense won't be too shabby either adding Ekblad to the mix.  

 

In the Metropolitan division I think this will be another season of grit it out till the end.  The Penguins won't be able to take the Division by storm next season and for the most part I think it is difficult to pick a winner.  The Flyers will be in the mix. The team that is generally always a wild card is the Devils.  They are just a tough team to play against. and adding Cammalleri will help them offensively.  

 

In the Central Division - yeah another war between Chi, St. Louis, and Minny.  Dallas is the Wild card team again although goaltending will probably be their achilles heal.  

 

In the Pacific behind the top 3 teams of the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks the Wild card team will be Edmonton.   The Oilers just have too much talent and speed to warrant another unsuccessful season.  Like the Stars goaltending could be their downfall, but it is much better than last season.

[jammer2]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  One of the things I'm looking forward to the most in the upcoming season is how different the Preds look on offense with a fresh new philosophy with Peter at the helm.  James Neal is better than anyone the Preds have ever had on offense. Really, the first ever legit game breaker I can ever remember in Nashville. The Preds are my pick for their division. I also have a feeling the Preds get a huge comeback year from Pekka Rinne, who I would be trying to acquire on the cheap in fantasy hockey, great time to buy low on this guy, if the opposing owner is dumb enough...lol.

[yave1964]

@yave1964  Who was your pick for the Pacific, didn't come across to clearly....lol.

I edited it, added the name of the team. I picked Vancouver out West. Cannot believe I forgot the name of the team, I feel like such a Caknucklehead!!

[J0e Th0rnton]

I edited it, added the name of the team. I picked Vancouver out West. Cannot believe I forgot the name of the team, I feel like such a Caknucklehead!!

It happens. I mean Detroit has been out of the West so long you can't be expected to remember team names over there from so long ago.

[jammer2]

It happens. I mean Detroit has been out of the West so long you can't be expected to remember team names over there from so long ago.

 

 Ha ha.....smartass!!

[ruxpin]

Okay, I suck at this.

 

Atlantic:  Toronto Maple Leafs.   They should be good, but they are such a Jekyl & Hyde team that too easily becomes disinterested that they become unpredictable.  Boston, Montreal, and Tampa should be in the top four (if not three) of the division again.   Toronto should be on the cusp of challenging them, but this team could go in the tank just as easily.   Just as a side comment:  I thought the Sens would miss the playoffs when others this time last year were predicting a Cup run.   I'm going to stick with my assessment of that team.  It has absolutely nothing but Karlsson going on for it.  I just really don't like the construction of that team.

 

Metrosexual:  Philadelphia Flyers.  Believe it or not.   But with an honorable mention to the Capitals.   I actually don't like anyone in the division.   Pittsburgh should be good, but it's hard to say how they adjust to the new coach and GM or if the newbies can even coach and GM.   The only team I'm fairly sure is a lock for the playoffs is Columbus (have we entered bizarro world?).  The Rangers honestly don't impress me, Cup run or not.  They may actually be a great answer to this question.  The Devils are another great answer since every time I write them off they go to the conference finals.  I just don't see them doing much.  The Islanders?  They've answered goaltending, I think, so they could be a sleeper for the actual wild card, but I doubt it.  Honorable mention to the Caps for reasons listed above.  They have decent pieces that couldn't function together.  If Trotz can get them to buy in early, then they could be a dangerous team.  If Ovechkin is still playing, that's not likely, however.   So, for me it's the Flyers much for the same reason as I stated with the Leafs.  They have question marks:  1) The defense, obviously.  With Kimmo out, it leaves their defense without a veteran leader and depending on career turn-arounds for several.  But the defense could be at least average.  2) Where is the secondary scoring going to come from?  VLC couldn't be worse this year, so you're assuming the same but hoping for better.   You lost Hartnell, replaced with Umberger, and you still don't have a first-line left winger.    All that said, they SHOULD be a playoff team.  But they, too, are so Jekyl & Hyde and prone to disinterest.  They are their own worst enemy and so are really difficult to predict.

 

Central:  Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars.  .  The Wild should still be on an upward trajectory.  The only reason I'm even considering them for this is that I still think their goaltending is suspect, mostly due to health rather than ability or heart.   The Stars goaltending is still suspect but, I think, good enough.  The problem is that tandem could either play really well or really Bryzgalov.  Plus, I really have absolutely no faith in Lindy Ruff.  So, the class of the division in the regular season will still be the Blues (I said "regular season") and the Hawks.  I'm going to go with the Wild, actually, because they seem to more fit what I interpreted as the initial parameters:  Could finish as high as challenging for the division or missing the playoffs altogether (whereas the Stars will either just get in or just miss).  Nashville and Colorado are very good choices, too.

 

Pacific:   Anaheim Ducks--I am going to go off the reservation (no reference to the Black Hawks) and go with the Anaheim--Sometimes Mighty--Ducks.  Granted, they have a good team, but they are going with really inexperienced goaltending.  They played well last year (the goalies), but it remains to be seen whether that can carry over.  Plus, I don't like their coach.  He's there long enough he should be starting to lose his players.  So, anywhere from challenging for the division to fighting to get in or even missing altogether.   The Pacific is hard because there are a bunch of teams that should/could be really good but could find themselves on the outside looking in.  And then you have LA that kind of hits the snooze alarm through the season and then goes straight from bed to the Parade.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Hahah...

For a guy who "sucks at this", you did a damned good job on that post, @ruxpin ! 

 

I read that thoroughly and a case can be made for just about every single point you made.

 

That Ducks assessment was a bit bold, considering many, myself included, consider them pre-season favorites, however, the goaltending....very good point.....are the two guys they have now as good as Hiller or Fasthe were for them before?

Could be.....perhaps not....and that very well could see this team either at the top or struggling to stay in the mix.

 

Also, and sadly, very good on the Wild as well.

For homer-iffic reasons I declined to mention them myself, but deep down, I know Darcy Kuemper BETTER show up to play......if he does, Minnesota may have its best season yet in recent years...if not......yikes......there goes another 'promising season'.

 

Great stuff.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@TropicalFruitGirl26  One of the things I'm looking forward to the most in the upcoming season is how different the Preds look on offense with a fresh new philosophy with Peter at the helm.  James Neal is better than anyone the Preds have ever had on offense. Really, the first ever legit game breaker I can ever remember in Nashville. The Preds are my pick for their division. I also have a feeling the Preds get a huge comeback year from Pekka Rinne, who I would be trying to acquire on the cheap in fantasy hockey, great time to buy low on this guy, if the opposing owner is dumb enough...lol.

 

If Laviolette and his players get on the same page, and the health and execution is there by the team, Nashville could very well catch many teams off guard who were expecting their daddy's Nashville Predators...that is for sure.

Which is why I think they are the perfect Wild Card for the Central.

 

James Neal will certainly get his chance to show that it wasn't all Crosby or Malkin when he played over there.

He will get his chance to be "the guy"....at least, until Laviolette can get further pure scorers on the team.

And with the nastiness that I expect the Preds to play with as a team, I wonder if Neal's style of play (I think most know what I am driving at), will be toned down, or will he look to continue doing what he does, and hide amongst the goons?

 

Either way, barring a complete bust of the team, Nashville should NOT be as boring to watch this season as years past.

And lucky me. I got a partial season ticket package for the Minnesota Wild this year, and Nashville is on the schedule for me twice! 

[AJgoal]

Stealing Rux's formatting:

 

Atlantic: Toronto Maple Leafs. As Rux says, Jeckyll and Hyde. They didn't make any waves this offseason, so the question becomes is this team closer to the team that started out hot or ended ice cold. I think they're somewhere in the middle, but that might be enough to make the playoffs given the state of Buffalo and Florida, and the general mess the Metro is. I think trading away Gunnarsson for Polak was a poor decision, but they should still be in it.

 

Metrosexual: Philadelphia Flyers. Defense is down from last year. Offense down from last year, unless one of the younger guys or a newbie steps up. The Flyers were a bad possession team last year (only 7 plus possession players), and they lost their second and third best in Timonen and Hartnell, replacing them with a minus player in Umberger, and MDZ, who had his first plus year last year, by a whole half a percent. There's no clear 1st line LW, and the questions are still there as to how to get the best production out of a group of forwards who all play center. However, the Metro is full of so many toss ups, that the Flyers could put it all together, or flame out spectacularly.

 

I haven't paid too much attention to the west this offseason, but I'll get a look and get back to you.

[ruxpin]

C'mon @jammer2 & @yave1964  I need one of you to come back and tell me my Ducks thing is nuts!

 

 

(Thanks for the kind words @TropicalFruitGirl26 )

[yave1964]

C'mon @jammer2 & @yave1964  I need one of you to come back and tell me my Ducks thing is nuts!

 

 

(Thanks for the kind words @TropicalFruitGirl26 )

Your Duck thing is nuts!!

Okay, any team can go up or down in a season, I think the Ducks are 80 percent likely to finish in the top 2 or three in the west which is as good as you could hope for. I really do not see them falling below 2nd place in the division. That said: the case for it happening:

Hiller, in my opinion was the wronged man last year, he is a fine goalie and everyone wanted him gone. Gibson and Anderson are both kids and this is a lot of pressure on the two kids.

Kesler, when healthy is a solid player but the key is WHEN healthy. His achy back could give out.

Depth wise, losing Bonino and Sbisa for Kesler, and Koivu, Selanne, Robidas, Winnick, and the very underrated Matthieu Perreault is a lot of depth players. Newcomers include Heatley who is done, Nate Thompson who is not a pimple on Matthieu Perreault's rear and Clayton Stoner who is meh. None of the players the Ducks lost is a stud, but taken in their entirety that is a lot of talent to replace, and Keslers achy back and Heatley's eroding skill level is really rolling the dice against high odds.

The defense is good, but they need either Fowler or Lindholm to take a step up to the next level. And they are painfully thin on the blue line.

No team in the game is as top heavy as the Ducks are, the top line led by Getzlaf and Perry is an elite line,one of the tip top lines in the game. An injury to either one, or God forbid both would decimate this team.

So that is the devils advocate. I can see your point, personally, I love Gibson, he is my favorite for the Calder, and I think Kesler's has a good chance of being the number two center the Ducks have needed. While I do not think Thompson is in the class of Perreault, but he is a solid Penalty Killer. And the Ducks have a ton of young forwards that made the creaky veterans expendable, kids like Etem, Palmieri, Silferberg, Belesky, Smith-Pelly all come to mind. So While they lost a bunch of old veterans I love their kids.

So I stick to it, I love the Ducks chances.

[Yorick]

Ottawa

Columbus

Dallas

Phoenix

[Hatrik98]

ATLANTIC- I can see the Habs winning this division. Leafs are to Jekyll and Hyde and I am not buying into the Wings quite yet.

METRO- If the Blue Jackets can get some consistency in the net, I would pick them as my surprise. Penguins will still be on their heels.

CENTRAL- I think the Stars are gonna give the Hawks a run for their money. Dallas had some huge off season moves. I think the addition of Spezza and Hemsky will give them some big PP Points. The Stars also have some serious young talent too.

PACIFIC- I think this is gonna be a back yard brawl between the Ducks, Sharks and Kings. I think the Ducks will come out on top and the Kings playing under the radar again until the CUP playoffs.