2015-16 NHL regular season predictions

Here are my predictions for the upcoming NHL season. Teams with asterisks next to their name indicates a wild card playoff prediction.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division
1. Montrèal Canadiens
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Ottawa Senators
4. Florida Panthers
5. Detroit Red Wings
6. Boston Bruins
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

Metropolitan Division
1. New York Rangers
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
3. Washington Capitals
4. New York Islanders*
5. Columbus Blue Jackets*
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. Carolina Hurricanes
8. New Jersey Devils

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division
1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Nashville Predators
4. Minnesota Wild*
5. Dallas Stars*
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche

Pacific Division
1. Anaheim Ducks
2. Calgary Flames
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Vancouver Canucks
5. San Jose Sharks
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Arizona Coyotes

I predict that the Penguins will have an excellent regular season then fall flat on their faces come playoff time (and I really don't think I'm going out on a limb here).

My beloved Causeway Street Bruins - traded Lucic - and Dougie Hamilton -

and have a goalie - in the wings - if Rask has ANY sort of bad streak -

but I still ( and will ) forever love em !
Black and Gold baby !

Just out of curiousity Required Fields -
How did you do with last years predictions ?

Now that the rosters are set, I'll come up with my predictions tonight before the games start

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division
1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Florida Panthers
3. Montreal Canadiens
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Boston Bruins
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Toronto Maple Leafs

A couple of pretty bad teams here. Looks like the Wings' playoff streak will continue. Florida is my surprise pick here as they have a decent young core. Montreal isn't great beyond Carey Price. Tampa should have this division easily.

Metropolitan Division
1. New York Rangers
2. New York Islanders
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Washington Capitals
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Carolina Hurricanes

Rangers' D and goaltending is just too good. But after that, it's going to be tight all the way down to 6th place. The Jackets can be a good challenger if things click. I always thought Bobrovsky is a great goalie. And now they also have Brandon Saad to help Ryan Johansen. Penguins defense is terrible, but they'll make the playoffs and will again be a threat. You just can't count out a team with the best player in the world. Hurricanes are awful. Kris Versteeg is a 1st liner now?

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division
1. St.Louis Blues
2. Nashville Predators
3. Dallas Stars
4. Chicago Blackhawks
5. Minnesota Wild
6. Colorado Avalanche
7. Winnipeg Jets

This is going to be a dogfight. The Blues will take it, but don't bet money on them in the playoffs. Predators are tough defensively and Rinne will have a monster season. Stars have incredible offensive fire power. I think the defending champs might even miss the playoffs. Chicago has certainly taken a step back, but I predict they will somehow find a way and edge out the Wild. Though if Dubnyk plays like he did last regular season, then Minnesota might even take the whole division! That's how tight this division is. Several cup contenders here, for sure. The Jets and Avs aren't bad teams either, but they seem like the two lightweights here.

Pacific Division

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Anaheim Ducks
3. Edmonton Oilers
4. Los Angeles Kings
5. Calgary Flames
6. Arizona Coyotes
7. Vancouver Canucks

I'm calling it right now. A big comeback season for the Sharks. And I think any of the three California teams could take this division. The Ducks are a legitimate cup contender now. Kings are royally pissed off after missing the playoffs. Oilers not only have the golden boy Connor McDavid, but proper management and coaching. They will make it, finally. And this time I think four Pacific teams will reach the post season (buoyed by scoring points against the 3 weaker teams in this division), making that Central division battle that much more uncomfortable for the Blackhawks.

Oh Lari - Do you ever learn?

Kings look awful right now. Quick is terrible, and the top line of Lucic - Kopitar - Gaborik get outplayed every time. Rumour is Kopitar still wants Toews/Kane money ($10.5m per for 8 years)!

The team is tuning out coach Sutter. Mike Richards will count against the cap until 2031, Voynov is deported back to Russia, team gets beat clean by bottom feeders like the Coyotes etc etc

I for one am happy how the Red Wings play, especially considering how negative i thought when Babcock left and Cleary got another f*cking undeserved contract.
Then the season starts and they play great. Considering Datsyuk, DeKeyser, Helm and Franzen are out, that wasn't what i expected. But everybody plays good so far. Zetterberg looks like himself again, Abdelkader somehow learned to score and Larkin is extremely impressive

Jackets the first team to change their head coach, after going 0-7 to start the season. Torts returns. This is going to get interesting.

I can't predict Edmonton will make it until they finally do.

However, I do predict this year, they will come closer to a playoff spot, and be fewer points out of one than they were last year. McDavid's career is off to a great start.

All 30 teams in action tonight. Only one playoff spot open anymore. The Flyers get it if they beat the Pens right now. They also have a backdoor tomorrow against the Isles. If Philly fails to get 2pts in these two games, the Boston Bruins are in.

The Flyers clinched the last playoff spot over the weekend.

Strange NHL season for sure, with not a single Canadian team making it to the postseason.