We had a new team join the league in the Seattle Kraken, who will join the Pacific Division, with the Arizona Coyotes moving to the Central Division. As with being an expansion team, Seattle has Dave Hakstol as its first head coach. Other teams around the league such as the Rangers (Gerard Gellant), Montreal (Dominique Ducharme), Columbus (Brad Larsen), Buffalo (Don Granato), and Arizona (Andre Tourigny) all now have new bench bosses.
Lots of new faces in new places, including Seattle. So instead of trying to break it all down, team by team, we going to do it a little different this year. We going to give our predictions for each division, then give a brief reason why each team is going to finish where in the division. So let's get into it. Here's how things will play out for the 2021-22 NHL Season.
Western Conference:
Pacific Division:
1. Vegas Golden Knights (105 Points)*
2. Edmonton Oilers (100 Points)*
3. Calgary Flames (99 Points)*
4. Vancouver Canucks (95 Points)
5. Seattle Kracken (90 Points)
6. Los Angeles Kings (87 Points)
7. San Jose Sharks (85 Points)
8. Anaheim Ducks (80 Points)
There has been quite a bit done to bolster the lineup for Vegas, most notably in net. Marc-Andre Fleury is gone (he's in Chicago, more on that later), so this is now Robin Lehner's team. Vegas has a good mix on the offensive side of things with Max Pacioretty coming off a big year last year and adding Nolan Patrick into the mix as well. This team is still good and is still the top of the mountain in the Pacific. The only other team that has the ability to crack the 100 point mark here is Edmonton, given what they have gotten out of Leon and Conor the last number of years. You kind of have to figure adding Duncan Keith to the Oilers lineup is there for depth and to help bring on the young guys on the Edmonton Blueline. They have enough on paper to get a lot done, but the biggest thing that worries Edmonton fans is in net. That's killed them a few times in the past. Mike Smith is good but can he get it done in the spring? There's another team in Canada that's going to be making moves this year, that being the boys in Calgary. I have the same question here I do in Edmonton, how well can the guys between the pipes hold up? Jacob Markstrom is good, no denying that. I just don't know if he can be the guy to carry them deep into sprint. The rest of the Flames seem like they in good shape. Mark Stone can be a steady force on the blueline, with Mark Girdano now gone. And they have plenty to build around with Matthew Tkachuk, and Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary is going to be just fine. Now, Vancouver could be good, but might not have enough to be able to get over the hump and into the playoffs. Goaltending tandom is solid with Halak and Demko, and they've got a pretty good defensive core as well. It scoring that might hold the Canucks back. Sure it's great having Bo Horvat leading that club.
Next, we got the new guy on the block in Seattle. Philipp Grubauer will be asked to lead the way in net, but who will be helping him out behind him is going to be seen. They have a good mix on the blueline with Mark Girdano leading that group. Then Jordan Eberle is going to lead a nice offensive mix. It going to be a solid first season in the league, but I just cant see them catching the lightning in the bottle that the Golden Knights did in their first season. As for the California teams, we start with the Kings, who aren't getting much in the way of the youth department. Jonathan Quick may still have a little left in the thank, but he isn't close to the netminder he was. They have some young guns up front, but there's no way of knowing how good they are going to be. For the Sharks, this really is James Reimer's team and time to shine in a new role in net. They have a nice mix of youth and veteran experience among their skaters. The only thing that could stop the Sharks is how healthy they can stay? Then we have the Ducks, who have had a rough going the last number of seasons. Anaheim is getting up there in years and they don't really have the pieces to build around right now to really compete in a very top heavy division.
Central Division:
1. Colorado Avalanche (110 Points)*
2. Dallas Stars (107 Points)*
3. Winnipeg Jets (101 Points)*
4. St Louis Blues (97 Points)(WC)*
5. Chicago Blackhawks (96 Points)(WC)*
6. Minnesota Wild (93 Points)
7. Nashville Predators (80 Points)
8. Arizona Coyotes (71 Points)
This maybe the toughest division in the entire league, and the Avalanche are the class of it. They lost Grubauer and Donskoi to Seattle, which puts the Avs back a little bit in the goaltending department. Still they are a very deep and balanced team, with Landeskog and MacKinnon leasing the way up front. They were the best team in the league last year and look for the Avs to be right back near the top again this season. Right behind them, the Stars are going to be shining in Dallas. Feeling is that with Brayden Holtby being added to the mix with Anton Khudobin. Expect Klingberg and Lindell to be impacts from the back line, with Benn and Seguin leading the charge up front. The third Canadian team to make the playoffs is going to be the Jets, who are going to be back into the playoffs for the 2nd year in a row. And why not when you have a guy like Connor Hellebyuck in net, you look like your going to be in good shape for a run. Josh Morrissey is going to be counted on to take the big minutes in Winnipeg and is more than capable for the job. And you have Stastny back in the mix with Copp and Lowery to lead things up front. Joining them will be the two wild card teams in the playoffs, one being the Blues. This year they have a full season, and a healthy one at that, from Vladimar Tarasenko. Him Schenn and O'Reilly lead the offensive charge that has a good mix of veterans and youth. This is the right mix that the Blues have to be able to help get them over the edge and into the playoffs. Coming back into the playoff mix this year is going to be the Blackhawks, who finally get over the hump and get in. Adding Marc-Andre Fluery is big. He isn't the same as he once was, but if the last few years in Vegas have shown, he still got a little left in the tank. They've gotten younger on the back end by shedding Duncan Keith, now leaving Seth Jones and Calvin de Haan to lead the back end. Of course, Toews and Kane still leading the charge up front, they got help from DeBrincat and Kubilik. Its enough to get the job done and get into the playoffs.
As for the teams that are going to miss the playoffs, it doesn't look too good for the Wild at this moment. Minnesota cut ties with both Parise and Sutter, both of whom got large contracts when they first signed with the team. They still have Dumba and Brodin leading the blue line in front of Cam Talbot. What worries me is what's happening behind Talbot in the Minnesota cage. Another thing that worries me is the scoring punch that the Wild have, or lack there of. It could be decent but won't be enough to get into the playoffs. Then there's the Predators, who now have to figure out life without Pekka Rinne in net. Now Nashville relies on Saroos and David Rittich to stop pucks. Josi and Ekholm will make their lives a little easier on the blueline. They have a good mix up front to be able to put the puck in the back of the net. Still its between the pipes that might be holding the Preds back from getting close to playoff contention. Finally, we have the Coyotes rounding out this division race. They made some big moves, trading away Oliver Eckman-Larson and Connor Garland. in his place Shayne Gostisbehere will now be the guy on the Yotes blue line. Carter Hutton in net is decent but that's a stretch. Keller can lead the way in scoring, but do they have as much depth to get out of the basement.
Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning (107 Points)*
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (104 Points)*
3. Florida Panthers (101 Points)*
4. Boston Bruins (99 Points)(WC)*
5. Montreal Canadiens (93 Points)
6. Detroit Red Wings (87 Points)
7. Ottawa Senators (82 Points)
8. Buffalo Sabres (70 Points)
There have been a few changes made in the sunshine sate, but lets face facts, the defending champion Lighting are still the team to beat in the Atlantic. Johnson got shipped out for Seabrook, and Goodrow was traded for draft picks. Other then that, core is still in tact of the back to back champions. Vasilevskiy will be just fine between the pipes, but it's what behind him, in Brian Elliott, that leaves a worry. Hedman still leads the charge on the back end, a good mix of youth and experience. Then there's the firepower up front. Kucherov and Stamkos are both back and healthy. This team is deep and very very good. The one team in this division, and in the conference for that matter, that I find to be a bit of a mystery is the Maple Leafs. They lost Freddy Andersen in net, which now makes room for Jack Campbell to come in and split duties with Petr Mrazek. Morgan Riley leads the defense gr4oup, which leaves some question marks. Up front they still have plenty of weapons surrounding Riley, Tavares and Mathews. I just have this feeling that they can do well enough to make the playoffs, but flounder there because of the blue line and goalies. Now we head back south to look at the Panthers, who have all the tools to be a good team. They didn't finish second in their division last year for nothing folks. Joe Thornton was brought in for another shot at something, and he's added to a good young lineup with a good mix of talent, lead bay Barkov, Huberdeau and Accari. Ekblad is a solid presence on the blue line and with Bobrovsky between the pipes, the pieces are more than in place for Florida to go on future deep post season runs. Then you have a wild card spot coming from the Atlantic, that going to the Bruins, who always somehow find a way to make it work. What hurts Boston the most is losing both Halak and Rask from between their pipes last season, now going with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swanson. Leaves a lot to be desired. Still, the skaters in front of them still look more than capable of holding their own. Carlo, McAvoy and Grzelcyk are going to hold down the defense just fine. Bergeron and Marchand are going to power this offense. They have a decent mix of youth and veterans to power this team, which can be good enough to make the playoffs. The goaltending is what could hold them back from finishing not only higher in the division but going deep in the playoffs as well.
One team that's going to be an interesting case from this division is the Canadiens, who shocked a lot of people by making it all the way to the finals last year. This year, they might not be so lucky. Carey Price, it was just announced, won't be playing at the start of the season for personal reasons. So now its going to rely a lot on Jake Allen for the time being. It's not helping the fact that the defensive core isn't getting any younger. Gallagher and Hoffman can provide some solid offensive punch, but it won't be enough to get the Habs back into post season play. Next we go to the Motor City, as the Red Wings have done some major retooling. Alex Nedeljkovic was brought on board to split the workload with Thomas Greiss. Adding Nick Leddy to the Wings blueline is a big help for a young group. Scoring is going to come from the likes of Dylan Larkin, but he doesn't have much in the way of a supporting cast. Playing hockey in Canada's capital is going to be a rough year this year. Sure, there are some positives for the Senators, but not a whole lot honestly. Matt Murray still has a lot to live up to from when he first got to Ottawa. Thomas Chabot and Michael Del Zotto anchor a very mixed bag blieline. Brady Tkachuk is the Sens big weapon up front, but with no supporting cast, there aren't a lot of wins in Ottawa. Same thing can be said for the Sabres up in Buffalo. Craig Andersen is the starting netminder, and unless he reverts to his old form from when he played in Ottawa, this isn't a good sign. There's decent talent on the blueline in Dahlin and Butcher. Jack Eichel isn't Captain anymore, but he's still the best player on the team. How much longer that's the case remains to be seen. Doesn't look too good in Western NY this season.
Metropolitan Division:
1. New York Islanders (103 Points)*
2. Carolina Hurricanes (99 Points)*
3. Pittsburgh Penguins (98 Points)*
4. Washington Capitals (96 Points)(WC)*
5. New York Rangers (94 Points)
6. Philadelphia Flyers (92 Points)
7. New Jersey Devils (88 Points)
8. Columbus Blue Jackets (77 Points)
This one comes as a bit of a surprise but the Islanders, a team that has had questions in the scoring department, take this division. Goaltending with Varlamov and Sarokin will be just fine. Leddy's gone, traded away for Panik, and Chara is back where his career started. Him and Greene are the old men on the team but with Pelech and Pullock leading the youth, the D will be fine. Andres Lee returns from his injury and him and Barzal will power a pretty good offense. All that worries me with this Islanders club is how well can the scoring depth hold up as the season wears along? Then you have the Hurricanes, who may be the biggest threat in this division to push New York. Antti Ranta and Freddy Andersen are going to carry the load in net for the Canes this year. They have a solid blue line with Skjei and Pesce leading the charge. Carolina has a good mix up front, lead by Svechnikov, Aho and Trocheck. They have balance and depth that going to keep them at pace at the top. No matter how things look in the Steel city, its hard to count the Penguins out of the mix. There's been questions in the Pittsburgh net for a while now, a lot of it falling on Jarry's shoulders come spring time. Kris Letang is still relied on for a lot of minutes, which shows a bit of a problem with the Penguins depth on the back end. They still have Crosby (who's going to miss the start of the year due to injury) and Malkin up front, both of whom are very dangerous still. They got some young guns behind them like Rust and Guentzel. It will be good enough to keep them in the mix, but after that, who knows. Rounding out the playoff teams in this division are the Capitals, who is another club you just can't count out yet for being in the thick of the mix. Vanecek and Samsonov make a decent one-two punch in the Washington nets. Carlson and Orlov lead a decent blue line, which is slightly older than some in the division. No matter what's going on elsewhere, when you have Alexander Ovechkin in your lineup, you always have a chance to be a contender. Him, Kuznetzov, Oshie are all counted on to do big things. The core is getting up there in years, so there really isn't much of a window left in Washington.
One team that's going to be on the outside looking in, and will make a lot of noise at the push, is the Rangers. Georgiev and Shestyorkin make a pretty darn good one-two punch in the nets on Broadway. Adam Fox is coming off his Norris winning season, and is going to be expected to lead this crop of blue Its a good mix of youth there too, which is going to be around for a long time. Same thing with having and offense centered around Zibanejad and Panarin. They have two young stars on the rise in Lafreniere and Kakko. They have the pieces in place that the Rangers are going to be competing for a long time. They just need to fall into the right places at the right time. Then we move on to the Flyers, who are a very interesting case. This team did quite a bit of retooling, sending away Gostisbehere, Patrick and Voracek in deals. All while getting Ellis, Ristolainen (different move) and Atkinson back. Hart and Jones have things held down in the nets, while Provorov and Yandle hold down the blue line. Yes, Voraceck is gone but JVR and Claude Giroux are still here and making moves to put the puck in the nets. Philly can still stick around for a while with what they have here. Bringing up the rear is going to start with the Devils, who are still trying to get the rebuild going. We start in net with Blackwood and a guy who's trying to get his game going again in Bernier. Subban and Severson lead a young core on the blueline. Up front its Hughes and Hicher that lead the pack of very young guns. Given time, the Devils could be good, just too much youth this year to really do much of anything. Finally, we have the Blue Jackets, who are rounding out the pack. Seth Jones is gone as is Cam Atkinson. Boone Jenner still here, so is Patrik Laine. Too many question marks in net and on the blue line for them to really contend for anything but a high draft pick.
Stanley Cup Finals: Avalanche vs Islanders
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