Which of These Teams Can Make the Playoffs

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Which of these perennial bottom feeders can actually make the playoffs this year? I think Tampa has the best chance out of all these teams, because they have 3 legitimate superstars, one of whom (Stamkos) has a chance to become one of the very elite players in the league.

I can't visually any of these other teams making the playoffs, but you never know. Look what happened with Colorado and Phoenix last year, with their unimpressive rosters.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Toronto Maple Leafs

Atlanta Thrashers

New York Islanders

Florida Panthers

Edmonton Oilers

Tampa Bay Lightning

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Which of these perennial bottom feeders can actually make the playoffs this year? I think Tampa has the best chance out of all these teams, because they have 3 legitimate superstars, one of whom (Stamkos) has a chance to become one of the very elite players in the league.

I can't visually any of these other teams making the playoffs, but you never know. Look what happened with Colorado and Phoenix last year, with their unimpressive rosters.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Toronto Maple Leafs

Atlanta Thrashers

New York Islanders

Florida Panthers

Edmonton Oilers

Tampa Bay Lightning

tampa and toronto. edmonton in a year or 2 depending on next years UFA acquisitions. but they atleast have some good players now.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

tampa and toronto. edmonton in a year or 2 depending on next years UFA acquisitions. but they atleast have some good players now.

Really? You think the Leafs have a chance in hell to make the playoffs?

[Wings_Toledo 233]

You never really know what's going to happen in the East. I think Florida has a shot if they can stay healthy and actually score some goals. I'm not really sold on Tampa yet and the Leafs are going to be just as bad as last year, in my opinion. Edmonton has some good young players, but it all depends on their D.

[acidroach420 25]

Tampa for the reasons already stated and i really think the blue jackets have a chance if and only if Steve Mason gets out of the slump that was last season.

[SDavis35 140]

Really? You think the Leafs have a chance in hell to make the playoffs?

They have giguerre, 2nd tier defence core, and some scorers. With the right coaching (arguable) they could slide into 8th spot. Just depends on the goaltending imo and Giggy is hit or miss.

[WorkingOvertime 536]

Really? You think the Leafs have a chance in hell to make the playoffs?

Their D and goal positions are especially strong. Hopefully their offense can produce enough to win games this year.

I would say that Tampa and Toronto have the best chances of the teams listed. I'd like to see CBJ sneak in because I'm in Columbus, but their chances probably <.25 IMO.

[hooon 1,089]

You never really know what's going to happen in the East. I think Florida has a shot if they can stay healthy and actually score some goals. I'm not really sold on Tampa yet and the Leafs are going to be just as bad as last year, in my opinion. Edmonton has some good young players, but it all depends on their D.

This. The East is so bad in the standings that literally any team can make it into the bottom few spots if they put on a good showing at some point in the season.

I definitely think Tampa has all the makings to do well. They had (brief) stints last season where they were really pouring it on, and now under new management, coaching, goaltending, and other new faces, I think they have one of the stronger teams in their notoriously weak division. Stamkos is one of the best in the league, and will likely only improve this year.

While I think plenty of those teams CAN make the playoffs, other than the Lightning, I don't think any of them will. Both the Leafs and Oilers have a ton of talent on their teams, but I don't think they can pull it all together.

I'll also be curious to see if Phoenix and Colorado can get things going again. I'm skeptical.

[McAwesome 754]

I think Tampa has the best shot at the playoffs, Stamkos is the real deal and will be the biggest reason the team is successful, but he has a much better supporting cast this year. I predicted Toronto would sneak into the playoffs this year, and I stand by that prediction, they do play in the East after all.

Oilers and Blue Jackets, no way they make the playoffs out of the West

Atlanta has a better all-around team but no star players who can take over a game or even a period, so they will not be able to win enough games in their own division to stay competitive

Florida hasn't had Dale Tallon in their organization long enough to be one year wonders

The Islanders will finish last again this year, with Streit our for 6 months their D is very questionable

[zombi 43]

Tampa is the only team from that list I can see making the post season this year.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

Tampa.

St. Louis, LeCavalier, Stamkos, Gagne...yeah Tampa.

[RedOrDead 5]

Tampa is the only one with a real shot at the playoffs imo. Toronto maybe slowly crawling out of the NHL basement but they still need to come a looong way.

[T-Ruff 47]

I would put them in this order of likelihood of making it in:

1. Lighting, one of the most improved teams

--------- Realistically I think only the Lightning will make it in

2. Leafs, better than last year, still a major challenge. The sooner they trade Kaberle for a foward the better chance they will have

3. Oilers, could have all their rookies perform and Khabibulin stay solid in net all season

4. Panthers, Vokoun is perhaps the most underrated player in the league, if he gets some help from newcomers who exceed expectations (Wideman, Higgins, Grabner) and a healthy Booth, with an improved Weiss and Kulikov, etc and they could surprise some people

5. Thrashers: A lot of young guys and a new starter and young backup who is the future (and perhaps Byfuglien isn't a complete bust), but they are still more likely 14th/15th IMO.

6. Blue Jackets, if Mason bounces back and Nash and company have a solid season, but a hell of a lot of stars would have to align IMO.

7. Islanders, Tavares could have a near Stamkos like sophomore year, but the loss of Streit basically for the season hurts them immensely

Edited September 29, 2010 by T-Ruff

[Motown4013 350]

I actually think Tampa will make the playoffs this year. They have gobs of talent...and now that they have tightened up on the D, I think the X factor is Dan Ellis. I think they have a definate shot!

Edmonton, who finished last in the NHL will make big strides but I think it will be a year or so. I also think the Maple Laughs are going in the right direction, but not enough to grab 8th spot.

[Buppy 1,720]

I'm a firm believer that anything can happen so I'll go out on a limb and say they'll all make it. Or possibly none.

Seriously, the NE and SE divisions are both awful. Washington should run away with the SE again, but I think two more teams will get in from there. Tampa probably one of them. Any of Carolina, Florida, or Atlanta could sneak in. Similar situation for Edmonton. Outside of Vancouver, none of the NW teams are any good. They'd probably need some luck with other teams struggling, but stranger things have happened.

Boston has good players, but they had that last year and still sucked most of the year. Buffalo might be good again, but they've also had problems with performing up to expectations. Neither Ottawa nor Montreal are very impressive. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Toronto were to capitalize on their division's weakness to sneak into a spot. I wouldn't expect it, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Islanders have next to no chance I think. That division is too strong. I think the same goes for Columbus. In the West, the Wings, Hawks, Sharks, and Canucks seem to be the only real good teams though. The bottom 4 could be almost anyone, but it's hard to imagine more than 3 teams from the Central getting in, and I expect Nashville to be the third.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Does the strength of the division really matter nowadays?

Teams don't play 8 games against divisonal opponents anymore, like they were doing several years ago.

Edited September 29, 2010 by GMRwings1983

[MulesWillFly93 199]

Tampa is the only one out of those that legitimately has a chance. I agree that the Oilers will pick up in a year or two, but since the rest of the list looks so dismal, I'm going to pick them as a what-the-hell-you-never-know second choice. Columbus could fall into that category as well. Toronto...nahhhh. Not this year.

[Guest Heaten]

Isles and Tampa

[Buppy 1,720]

Does the strength of the division really matter nowadays?

Teams don't play 8 games against divisonal opponents anymore, like they were doing several years ago.

Still 6 games, so yeah, I think it does matter. Moreso a division like the Northeast where 95 points might get you first place. But mostly because of how tight the races for the last few spots usually are, a team like Tampa having just a few extra games against the likes of Washington, Altanta, Florida, and Carolina looks a hell of a lot better than a few extra games against Detroit, Chicago, St.Louis, and Nashville like Columbus, or the Ilses against Pittsburgh, Philly, New Jersey, and the Rangers.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

St.Louis-Stamkos-Malone

Gagne-Lecavalier-Downie

Durno-Moore-Bergenheim

Hall-Thompson-Pouliot(?)

Ohlund-Hedman

Kubina-Jones

Smaby-Clark

M.Roy

Looks like a playoff team to me

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

St.Louis-Stamkos-Malone

Gagne-Lecavalier-Downie

Durno-Moore-Bergenheim

Hall-Thompson-Pouliot(?)

Ohlund-Hedman

Kubina-Jones

Smaby-Clark

M.Roy

Looks like a playoff team to me

They looked good on paper last year, too.

Doesn't quite work that way. Remember the Rangers early in the last decade. Best team in the league on paper, and hardly ever made the playoffs.

[redwings1914 18]

I can easily see Tampa, Florida and Toronto fighting it out for the 8th spot.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Really? You think the Leafs have a chance in hell to make the playoffs?

i have always despised the leafs. this being said, i must be objective and present an argument for why i said they will make the playoffs. like someone else said, they have giggy, a pretty good goalie. they have a pretty decent D corps now and some legit forwards such as versteeg, kessel, kadri (maybe), armstrong, bozak... they still need to dump kaberle for a top 6 fwd, but they're a hell of alot better than last year.

final argument for why they will make the playoffs...the east is s***!

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

I can't imagine Florida seriously competing for a playoff spot. Who knows how David Booth will play this year, with his concussion issues. The offense is mediocre at best, and the defense isn't stellar enough to back a low-scoring team.

[F2B&G 15]

Tampa, if Dan Ellis turns out to be the answer in goal.

Toronto, if they are truculent enough.

Florida, once Dale Tallon has tanked the team enough over the next 3-4 years to get a bunch more high draft picks.

What little hopes the Isles may have had are gone now that Streit is done for the year and Okposo is out 2-3 months for his shoulder.