NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Post-Trade Deadline Predictions
Most teams around the league have 17 to 20 remaining games before the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the postseason only a month and a half away, it’s time for those final predictions in 2015-16.
We shouldn’t expect much movement based on the current standings. The Eastern Conference may easily wind up with the exact top eight occupying spots at the moment.
All three teams running away in the Central (Chicago, Dallas, St.Louis) are likely to finish with the top three records in the Western Conference, which means the next two best records will face-off against one another in the first round.
Eastern Conference
1. Washington Capitals 126pts
2. Florida Panthers 105pts
3. Tampa Bay Lightning 102pts
4. New York Rangers 101pts
5. New York Islanders 100pts
6. Detroit Red Wings 99pts
7. Boston Bruins 98pts
8. Pittsburgh Penguins 96pts
9. Philadelphia Flyers 94pts
10. Ottawa Senators 91pts
11. Montreal Canadiens 90pts
12. New Jersey Devils 88pts
13. Carolina Hurricanes 84pts
14. Buffalo Sabres 75pts
15. Columbus Blue Jackets 74pts
16. Toronto Maple Leafs 64pts
Western Conference
1. St.Louis Blues 107pts
2. Chicago Blackhawks 106pts
3. Dallas Stars 106pts
4. Anaheim Ducks 105pts
5. Los Angeles Kings 103pts
6. San Jose Sharks 98pts
7. Nashville Predators 95pts
8. Colorado Avalanche 93pts
9. Minnesota Wild 91pts
10. Vancouver Canucks 78pts
11. Arizona Coyotes 77pts
12. Calgary Flames 74pts
13. Edmonton Oilers 73pts
14. Winnipeg Jets 72pts
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Playoff Format via NHL.com,
16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The format is a set bracket that is largely division-based with wild cards. The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season record and regardless of division. It is possible for one division in each conference to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends just three.
In the First Round, the division winner with the best record in each conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lesser record; the wild card team with the better record will play the other division winner. The teams finishing second and third in each division will meet in the First Round within the bracket headed by their respective division winners. First-round winners within each bracket play one another in the Second Round to determine the four participants in the Conference Finals. Home-ice advantage through the first two rounds goes to the team that placed higher in the regular-season standings. In the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Final, home-ice advantage goes to the team that had the better regular-season record — regardless of the teams’ final standing in their respective divisions.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Prediction Tree
Pucks and Pitchforks
In previous seasons, the Washington Capitals have walked into the postseason with some very strong teams that were widely considered Stanley Cup contenders. None of those teams compare to the 2015-16 Capitals. The best team in the NHL this season will be hard to beat, and it doesn’t look as though any Eastern Conference counterpart can knock them off their pedestal.
What makes the Dallas Stars a true Stanley Cup contender? They’re the most potent scoring team in 2015-16. At the same time, they are allowing more goals/game than any other team – but, that will change in the playoffs. Newly acquired Kris Russell fills a hole on the second pairing, and will prove effective down the stretch. Antti Niemi will also elevate his game, and has a Stanley Cup ring to prove his worth. Once they’ve addressed those shortcomings, this team will be unstoppable.
There’s a good enough argument for Washington to win it all. But let’s not forget how many past Presidents’ Trophy winners have met an early demise. In a hypothetical head-to-head series between these two teams, Dallas comes out on top. One thing the Stars seldom get credit for is their immense offensive depth. The only reason prospect Brett Ritchie is in the AHL was because of an injury suffered in training camp. He had nine points in 31 games with Dallas in 2014-15, and looked poised to lock down a third line role. Between Mattias Janmark, Radek Faksa, and Devin Shore (injured), there’s been no room for Brett Ritchie this season.
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How many folks were left scratching their head about the price tag paid to acquire Kris Russell? They could afford to trade Jyrki Jokipakka because they’ve got Julius Honka and Stephen Johns near close to NHL ready. Dallas could also afford to trade Brett Pollock with Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz, Jason Dickinson, and Remi Elie along with the names from above lurking in the system.Â
If there’s one thing recent Stanley Cup winners have taught us, it’s that depth is a big factor. You need four lines that can score. The Dallas Stars have that. You also need top-notch goaltending. Antti Niemi will provide that. Two X-Factors will help Dallas win a championship. First, Valeri Nichushkin needs to find that consistency and chemistry he had going with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for a little while earlier in the season. The trio is more unstoppable than Chicago’s Kane-Panarin-Anisimov line. Second, John Klingberg needs to step up on the blueline and prove he can do more than produce offense. He has the potential to be one of the NHL’s best defenders.
Next: Edmonton Oilers Can Be a Playoff Team in 2016-17
When all those pieces come together in mid-April, not Chicago, nor Washington will be able to prevent Lord Stanley from making its way back to Texas after a 17-year absence (1999 Stanley Cup Champions).
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