Which Team Will Fit The Pieces Next Season?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 

It's probably a bit too early, but figured what the heck, THIS site isn't afraid to prognosticate a bit (or alot).

We are having a clearer and clearer view as to who is going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and who won't as we approach the end of the 2014-15 season.

We are also seeing teams that may do well for years and others who will toil away as cellar dwellars for years to come for various reasons.

 

Soooo....the question here is:

 

Of the teams you think WON'T be making the playoffs this year, which do you think will be an absolute LOCK to make that big turnaround next season and not only make the post season, but make some noise in it and put the rest of the NHL on notice?

 

Let's gooooo............

[JagerMeister]

 

It's probably a bit too early, but figured what the heck, THIS site isn't afraid to prognosticate a bit (or alot).

We are having a clearer and clearer view as to who is going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs and who won't as we approach the end of the 2014-15 season.

We are also seeing teams that may do well for years and others who will toil away as cellar dwellars for years to come for various reasons.

 

Soooo....the question here is:

 

Of the teams you think WON'T be making the playoffs this year, which do you think will be an absolute LOCK to make that big turnaround next season and not only make the post season, but make some noise in it and put the rest of the NHL on notice?

 

Let's gooooo............

Uh.... im not too sure...Florida? Colorado? And whichever team wins McDavid, but the team that wins mcdavid isnt a lock for the playoffs, just in consideration imo.

 

Colorado has lots of offensive talent, same with Dallas

And if winnipeg doesnt make the playoffs then definitely them

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

I'm not sure what would be available as an upgrade to Kari Lehtonen, but if the Dallas Stars can get a guy who can stand on his head a bit or steal a game his team has no business winning here and there, I don't see why the Stars couldn't be a lock for the playoffs next season.

 

They certainly have a nice dynamic going with the offense led by Tyler Seguin.

The defense, while not exactly airtight, is serviceable and the team seems to be able to roll out 4 good lines on a regular basis.

 

In fact, I look at the Dallas Stars and I see much of where the Tampa Bay Lightning were right before Ben Bishop came over.

Bolts STILL are not an airtight defensive team...but their defense is good enough, have a dynamic offense, and of course, have Ben Bishop playing large (literally and figuratively) in goal for them....and now have Andrej Vasilevskiy as a nice fallback backup should Big Ben need a night off.

 

And that, to me is the main difference right now between Dallas and Tampa Bay...that goaltending.

Lehtonen has been ok....just not elite. Reminds me of Minnesota's Nik Backstrom in his prime...solid steady goalie, but just a step or two down from the truly elite goalies in the league.

 

Kari Lehtonen has three more years left on his contract (he is 30 yrs old currently), so the likelihood of Dallas swapping him out for next season isn't very high, but I would have to think, if somehow, someway, the Stars can get a bit better goalie, they'd at least have to look hard at it (even if it means parting ways with Lehtonen), and then at that point, I can see Dallas being  a major pain to the rest of the Central Division and grabbing themselves a playoff position for 2015-16.