It didn't bc everyone talked about how he is an unphased living in the moment guy, playing in the playoffs was business as usually for him, he said so himself and so did all of the other avs players who commented on how he was a pro pro coming into that situation.

So yeah its a pretty silly comment, you want to try to use some non quantifying statement and treat it like its a fact.

It shows that he isn't at that top pair level just yet (although he can/probably will be, since his potential is so great), so there is some cause for concern if he's already expected to play top 2 minutes for the whole year.

then Vlasic, Karlsson, Burns aren't top pairing level bc they were swimming multiple times that series bc of the Avs top line. Cant believe you have so many low level Dman bc they don't play perfect defence every shift and were getting beat sometimes

This goes back to the whole "10 games" thing compared to how long those 3 have been at top level

Soderberg drove offense and defense last year while also scoring like a low-end first liner. Kadri is certainly an upgrade, but I think losing Soderberg and Kerfoot will hurt more than you think. I’m okay with your defense and Makar should be excellent, but I think they’re a little too high-event for my liking. The point is, the Avs have the potential to be great, but have questions at pretty much every position which is why they’ll likely still be behind the Blues and Preds in the standings.

Didn't look top level at times despite playing 100s of games more.....were making the same if not more mistakes (Karlsson and Burns) than Makar. Oh thats why you don't rate players ability in a vacuum shift by shift thats why

Soderberg did nothing like that, sorry but he isn't great defensively, asked to do it and scraped by.

Kerfoots fancy stats and what he does on the ice do not align, he isn't some defensive wizard, I have no idea how his stats show that but he's the rarest thing away from selke level defensive despite what evolving wilds models show. He's a mystery....and leaf fans are already seeing thaw not, good twitter search him, him as a 3C, there is already the why does Kerfoot over pass and force plays giving up chances talk

Don't get me wrong they are both decent players but Kadri Donskoi are clear defensive upgrades over them while not really sacrificing offence to do so

We’ll see, I’m expecting you guys to be good, but I’m not expecting them to go from 17th in the standings to a top-5 team like everyone else is.

I don't think anyone actually things that, I haven't come across MSM guys saying they were be a top 5 team int he league. I think the over rated thing is just an echo chamber on this site....guys are over exaggerating the over ratedness and its snowballing.

They should be a top 3 team in the central based on goaltending. I can see them win the division or be a wild card team....all comes to Grubi bc there roster is good enough to be a pain in the ass to play against if they have at a minimum league average goaltending

I honestly think the more overrated team is the Stars. They needed .930 goaltending to make the playoffs in a weak west by 3 points. Everyone talks about how the Stars made it to Game 7 ot against the Blues, but they beat a Nashville team that played .500 hockey since thanksgiving and then couldn’t even touch the puck when it mattered against the Blues. Pavelski in for Zuccarello and then adding Corey Perry who was below replacement level last year doesn’t really move the needle either. I wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Stars miss.

yeah I don't like the stars much either. I don't think their D core is really that deep and like you said relieved heavy on Bishop. Perry and Pavelski doesn't really solve their issues so its a big confusing of their offseason.

I think Blues, Avs, Preds should be the top of the division, with Jets (don't like how their D core has been depleted) and Hawks (their roster is interesting now) sniffing around for that 4th spot. Preds getting Duchene, they are going to be a buzz saw

I also think the Preds will get a big wake up call with just how embarrassing they were for the back half of the season. I mean, the Blues smoked them 3 times and then it’s like they weren’t even there in the playoffs. My tentative rankings are
1. Preds
2. Blues
3. Avs
4. Stars
5. Hawks
6. Jets
7. Wild

Oh yeah, I kind of think the Wild will be better than everyone thinks as well, but they’re still kind of weak looking.

I am sad they canned Fenton, seeing what he would have done to the wild for another season would have been so fun.

He'll be really good, I just wasn't surprised that he wasn't ready

Same here.

To answer you original question, it's because this team walked through Calgary and lost to San Jose in 7 games in round 2, some say because of a questionable call... this team lost players like Barrie, kerfoot, and soderberg. Soderberg has been upgraded by kadri, kerfoot by donskoi and burakovsky, Barrie has been swapped out with makar... Barrie will be missed, but with girard getting better and makar playing upto what he did in the playoffs hes in conversation for the Calder, gabriel bourque has been upgraded with bellemare.... so everyone that made the run last year is still there, plus they upgraded their top lines, logic dictates that they will at least be where they were last year with a better team.... true that francouz isnt as proven as varly was but varly kinda sucked last year and francouz has been good everywhere upto now, so hopefully that applies to the nhl level... grubauer played so well last year they expect him to continue at that level, however the same can be said about any team, leafs Andersen goes down and they will suck, binnington in st Louis, holtby in Washington, fluery in vegas