NHL Power Rankings: It is make or break time for the Oil, rest of the league?
Desert Moon
Posts: 6,074 ✭✭✭✭✭
The best time of the sporting year is here. Preseason NHL with all of the speculation. Here is a link to the Preseason Power Rankings by ESPN:
My team, the Oil is #1. I do like what they did this offseason with the exception of not acquiring a better goalie. At this point, the success will depend on consistency in the goal. But with Skinner as #1, I remain skeptical. He has breakdowns where his head goes off and he let’s in a fleury (yup a Fleury) of goals in a single period. This is how Florida dee-stroyed them in the Cup this past season. McD is re-signed and have him for now 3 more years, so they have the likely last of his peak to try to get the Cup. Hopefully they do, and McD can then stay after that until he retires, then work for the Oil in whatever capacity after that. We will see. It is why they play. #1 Pre is only that, #1 Pre.
Florida came in at #4. I am thinking they should be the favorites again. What I saw this last playoff run with the Panthers was brilliant coaching and execution. They were brilliant in adapting between periods in the Cup final where Edmonton not as much. That is coaching. With their talent, and coaching, to me they have to be the faves.
Vilde came in at number 13. Sure they signed the Karp for long term and big coin, but they are still a couple players away from being elite. They are likely to have some good winning streaks. But talent short, hard to sustain. Can they make it out of the 1rst round this year? ESPN was not very complimentary to them.
So time to prognosticate. I see a good chance of a rematch between the Oil and Panthers in the Cup final. Just as likely, or slightly more likely, than other outcomes. But it is make or break time for the Oil. They have 3 years to make it happen.
Here is everyone’s chance to prognosticate and talk about their team……………...
Comments
So, no one here follows the NHL? ttt
Who do you think would fit on the Wild to get them to the next level?
Mcdavid needs to get a cup, if the Bruins are as bad as we think they will be I'd like to see someone else make it besides Florida
I expect Toronto to make the playoffs and be Toronto and lose quickly
How many times has Molson changed their logo since the last time the Leafs hoisted the cup? I think it was before movies had audio.
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The Wild have 2 rookie forwards and 2 rookie defensemen that are replacing bottom 6 players, along with a rookie back up goalie.
The defensive guys look to be the most ready to step in; Zeev Buium and David Jiricek. Buium is an offensive defenseman, something the Wild have lacked and Jiricek is a very big dude, who was a #5 overall pick a couple of years ago we acquired in a trade.
On offense we signed Vladimir Tarasenko who had a bad year last year and Nikko Sturm who has been a top 5 faceoff winning center. Nikko should help the power play and penalty kill. The Wild haven't had a great face off guy since Mikku Koivu.
2 rookie forwards that arrived are Liam Ohgren and Danila Yurov. Both former 1st round picks. They were hoping Yurov, a Russian, would be a center, but he may end up playing wing. If these guys can score a few goals, that would greatly help a team tha depends too much on 3 guys. Kaprizov, Boldy and Rossi.
The Wild, (like most teams) are looking for a big skilled center. Doesn't look like we have any coming soon. They will be looking to sign one later this year when teams not making the playoffs start "selling" their players. So will a lot of teams.
Lastly, Jesper Wallstedt is the new back up goalie. Rated the best goalie prospect in the NHL at one time. He did not play well for a bad Iowa team last year.
Signing Kaprizov was of course the big news. Now he has to avoid injury and the team needs to protect him from cheap shots.
Overall, the Wild should be improved, but weren't able to sign a big name free agent. Something we were hoping for with the Parise/Suter cap hit finally over.
GO WILD!
Wild seem like the same team from last year, just one year older.
They need to play the younger guys and forget about the slow, older guys.
Having a couple good players on IR doesn't help - but they are still mired in the same no-man's land of the NHL.
Erik
Buium looks like he's going to be a significant improvement as an offensive defenseman. Hopefully, he can be a decent defender as well.
Overall, they need some secondary scoring after Kaprizov and Boldy.
Veteran acquisition Tarasenko hasn't shown he has the deadly shot he once had. Hope he can have a comeback year from last years disappointing season.
I have noticed Ohgren is starting to exert himself a little. Not scoring, but I saw him make a couple of nice plays against the Stars.
Yurov is another potential scorer, but he hasn't played much.
Wallstedt looked good in his start. Gave up one questionable goal on a bad angle shot, but was great in the shootout.
Yes, team looks similar to last years club.
From 2018 to 2021 he had 4 left shoulder surgeries to essentially "fix" an "unstable" shoulder. In other words, his shoulder is jello at this point. It's Marty Havlat 2.0.
I heard he had injuries. Wasn't sure what they were.
He scored a nice goal last night and looked like a pretty good player.
If his shoulder is mush, he probably won't be a great one. Maybe he'll be an improvement over what we had.
Wild not looking great right now.
Not sure, someone who can partner with Kapri and keep him consistent. He seems to go in spurts. Think Drais and McD, Kapri needs his Drais…………
Defensively, they are ok, just need a more potent O.
He was horrendous for Detroit last year. He at least tried hard on defense most of the time but he contributed absolutely nothing on offense.
I will tune in to the games when playoffs start. Maybe a week before just to adapt to the news and buildup of the second season.