If you aren't firmly in a playoff spot right now, you aren't remotely close to contending. This should be a buyer's market. Few teams are legit contenders and even fewer have space.
LW are contenders
Centre are locks for the playoffs
RW are teams who could make the playoffs but will get destroyed in the first round
And then defence are teams that should sell regardless of what they look like, which really should be everyone in the RW column as well.
Habs and Islanders are built for the playoffs, Bruins have no depth and are weak on the back end with too many injuries to count. Pitsburgh is no longer a top contender they don't have the goaltending or depth, and with Ekblad gone for the season Florida is going to have a rough time.
Only real top end contenders IMO are Washington, Vegas, Colorado, and Tampa.
That being said any team can get hot and go on a run.
The thing is that some of those teams don't have players on expiring deals to sell. I don't see players with term getting traded based on the high price.
Top 6 forwards: Palmieri, Hall, Foligno, Granland
Top 4 D: Murray, Savard
Starting goalies: Bernier, Ulmark
I think the isles and canes should both be contenders.
True? I wouldn't say that. They're pretty good, but they're just a step below I think like mentionned earlier the true contender are WSH, VGK, COL and TB. They would come right after them in front of TOR, PIT and BOS
True? I wouldn't say that. They're pretty good, but they're just a step below I think like mentionned earlier the true contender are WSH, VGK, COL and TB. They would come right after them in front of TOR, PIT and BOS
That work too. I felt those teams were better than some listed as contenders. Either move some teams down or those 2 up.
Habs and Islanders are built for the playoffs, Bruins have no depth and are weak on the back end with too many injuries to count. Pitsburgh is no longer a top contender they don't have the goaltending or depth, and with Ekblad gone for the season Florida is going to have a rough time.
Only real top end contenders IMO are Washington, Vegas, Colorado, and Tampa.
That being said any team can get hot and go on a run.
Montreal and the Islanders don't have the game breakers to last. Both will go cold (Montreal more so) and it'll end them. Injuries are the only thing keeping TO out of the semi final. Too deep, good defensively and with the revelation that Campbell has been this season great in net as well.
It's hard to predict how teams will play against each other. Florida, Tampa and Carolina are beating up on bad teams so are they as good as they look? Colorado and Vegas are beating up on bad teams too. The east is deeper so good teams in that division look solid and I think the North is stronger than the other two as well.
It's going to be interesting when teams that haven't played each other all year meet in the 3rd round. How will their styles translate?