“Too Early” Divisional Winners Predictions
Scotia NHL North Division
Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs have been on the verge of breaking through to becoming a legitimate cup contender for the last 2-3 years now. They just can’t get past the first round, or even a play-in round. When all the chips are down and it comes time to play for keeps, this team completely disappears. I believe that comes from all the pressure of playing in a Canadian market. This season, all the Canadian markets have been lumped into the North division (quarantined, if you will…) and I think this benefits the Maple Leafs more than any other Canadian team. Yes, there were no fans in the stands when they choked in a game 5 situation against the underdog Blue Jackets, but that was a playoff scenario. I think the Maple Leafs will thrive during the regular season like they always do, and they’re loaded with the talent necessary to consistently defeat the other Canadian clubs. With the possible exception of Winnipeg, every Canadian team has improved in the offseason, and they still don’t have the firepower that the Leafs have. Playing against Marner, Matthews, and the rest of the Toronto team 8-10 times this year is going to be too much for the other teams to handle.
Honda NHL West Division
Vegas Golden Knights: How does this team keep getting the best free agents every year? With the addition of a proven #1 D-man in Pietrangelo, Vegas’s blue line got even better this offseason. Losing Nate Schmidt was a tough pill to swallow, but the addition of the former Blues’ Captain makes it worth it. The West Division has all 3 California teams in it this year which will be easy W’s for this team. The Kings, Ducks, and Sharks are all bottom-tier teams right now and they are not improving any time soon. Playing each of those teams consistently will add up to a lot of W’s. The only real competition for the Knights will be the Avalanche and the Blues, but I still think that Vegas has the edge in goaltending over both of those teams for a regular season title.
A look at the unusual NHL divisions for the upcoming 56-game season
Discover NHL Central Division
Tampa Bay Lightning: The 2020 Stanley Cup Champs have had a busy offseason. GM Julien BriseBois had his work cut out for him. He made plenty of moves with buyouts, trades, and RFA signings, and the team still looks great on paper. Also, they still have the core group that has kept them a Cup contender for the past 5-6 years. Hedman looks like an unstoppable force, especially during his Conn Smythe performance in the playoff bubble. Killorn, Point, Palat, and Stamkos (if he can play) are all still elite offensive players. Vasilevsky is the best goalie in the Central Division and arguably the entire NHL. The rest of the teams in the division have plenty of flaws and playing against the Lightning multiple times in a row will be extremely difficult. The Bolts are for sure a lock for this division.
MassMutual NHL East Division
Philadelphia Flyers: A lot of my divisional winner predictions come down to goaltending, and that’s another huge reason here. The Bruins and Capitals are still solid teams, but I think the Flyers have the edge in goaltending. Carter Hart is becoming a superstar goalie in one of the toughest NHL markets possible. Looking at every other team in the East Division, Hart is the only solidified #1 goalie, with the exception of Tuuka Rask. The Capitals may have that with Samasonov, but we won’t know for sure until he gets a little more experience. I think over the course of a shortened season elite goaltending will make the biggest difference among every NHL teams, especially in the East.
Written by Andrew Silvers
Check out the What the Puck Podcast
On Instagram @wtp_podcast
And on Twitter @whatthepuckpc