So, I have been reading all the major sites that talk hockey, so that means not ESPN, and I have noticed that a lot of experts are picking the Capitals to come out of the East and Anaheim out of the west. My question is what do you all think going into the season? Why are the Caps/ducks so highly touted this year. I saw one site say this is the strongest Caps team on paper maybe ever.
While I agree the Caps and Ducks should be real good is it the Holtby factor that put the Caps on top? Is it the Ducks depth that puts them on top?
Just curious. IMO the east will probably come down to the Caps/Lightening/Rangers and the west will come down to the Ducks/Blackhawks/ Dallas who is my sleeper team.
Thanks!
Expert picks for the year
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Skatingpen
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Jim
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Re: Expert picks for the year
With the Caps, everyone is praising the additions of Williams and Oshie... but they are doing so in a vacuum. The Caps lost Brouwer and Ward. When you replace Brouwer and Ward with Williams and Oshie you do gain some offense, but you lose a lot of the physical play that is the cornerstone of Caps hockey. I am not saying that the Caps can't change their style, but it is mot like the new guys took the roster spots of guys like Adams and Farnham.
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lemieuxReturns
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Re: Expert picks for the year
Wow. Has any team improved more this off-season than the buffalo Sabres?
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Malkintent
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Re: Expert picks for the year
They'll miss fehr and green too.Jim wrote:With the Caps, everyone is praising the additions of Williams and Oshie... but they are doing so in a vacuum. The Caps lost Brouwer and Ward. When you replace Brouwer and Ward with Williams and Oshie you do gain some offense, but you lose a lot of the physical play that is the cornerstone of Caps hockey. I am not saying that the Caps can't change their style, but it is mot like the new guys took the roster spots of guys like Adams and Farnham.
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Skatingpen
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Re: Expert picks for the year
lemieuxReturns wrote:Wow. Has any team improved more this off-season than the buffalo Sabres?
They should be much more competitive
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Jim
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Re: Expert picks for the year
Agree, I was just going to the 2 top 6 for 2 top six kind of thing.Malkintent wrote:They'll miss fehr and green too.Jim wrote:With the Caps, everyone is praising the additions of Williams and Oshie... but they are doing so in a vacuum. The Caps lost Brouwer and Ward. When you replace Brouwer and Ward with Williams and Oshie you do gain some offense, but you lose a lot of the physical play that is the cornerstone of Caps hockey. I am not saying that the Caps can't change their style, but it is mot like the new guys took the roster spots of guys like Adams and Farnham.
There is a huge difference between Kessel replacing Comeau/Spaling as a winger option and the situation in Washington.
It isn't like the Pens added Bonino... you have to look at it as Bonino minus Sutter. Columbus did not simply add Saad... it is Saad-(Anisinov+Dano). Not all assets that were moved, but actual impact on the ice.