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Buffalo WAY underrated

Everybody mocks the Yzerplan, but I see the vision. Yzerman isn't getting top 3 draft picks, so he is building a team with his 2nd tier draft picks and supplementing them with solid veterans. If you cant be overly talented, at least be overly deep, be hard to play against, tough, play the right way, and outwork the other team. This is turning out to be a true blue collar team fitting for Detroit.

I think the Wings are going to be under-represented in these types of lists because they're primarily made by looking at statistical models that lack context. For example, their model is predicated on Dylan Larkin being the exact same player he's always been in the NHL. But is there any reason to think Dylan Larkin will outperform that expectation? I think so. He's got a legit top winger for the first time in his career AND for the first time in his career there's enough depth that he can't be keyed on all season. In addition, the powerplay is going to be better. For those three reasons I'd expect Larkin to have a career year this year. Likewise, the model is predicated on losing Bertuzzi, Vrana, and Hronek. All of those players' values (in the model) are determined by their careers up to this point, but with the exception of Hronek neither of the other two contributed to the team last year in any meaningful way. Likewise, guys like Ras, Raymond, Berggren, Seider, and (maybe) Edvinsson are all poised for a breakout and the model won't capture that because they don't have a track record to build on. Then there's the obvious improvements in goal and on the defense (Gostisbehere and Petry combined for 40 pts last season). The other thing these models don't account for (and can't) is inevitable injuries. What if Marchand gets hurt? Or Crosby? Those teams ahead of us aren't deep enough to sustain those types of injuries and they happen all the time. Obviously we need to win the games we play, especially against the Eastern Conference teams, but I think we're in a good position to do that.

And Ottawa way overrated. It sucked from the beginning.

I’m just sure Theo can be described a leftist

Yzerman signing Chiarot really sucks right now