TEN (Very) BOLD PREDICTIONS

By William Espy

Disclaimer: Many of these predictions are very much a stretch and are unlikely to occur. Some will seem absurd, however this is all for fun.

1.       SEMIN SCORES 25

After his recent failures in Carolina, many people have written Alexander Semin off. However he is now playing for his career and he is playing with a much better team in Montreal. While it is nearly impossible for him to return to the stats from his hey-day, Semin still has the skill to score at least 25 goals this season.

2.       EKBLAD IS A NORRIS FINALIST

One year after winning the Calder, it is an astronomical jump to consider a 19 year old as a Norris Trophy finalist. But if anyone could do it, it would be Ekblad. After posting 39 points in 81 games, Ekblad is primed to only become better which could establish him as a league wide threat sooner rather than later. I also would not be surprised if Ekblad pushes the Panthers to a playoff berth.

3.       DETROIT MISSES THE PLAYOFFS

Detroit narrowly avoided the ending of the playoff streak last season when they made it in by a mere four points, however the loss of Mike Babcock and the transition to a new head coach in Jeff Blashill may be difficult to overcome. Datsyuk and Zetterberg will also need to remain healthy as the east gets exponentially more difficult.

4.       BYFUGLIEN IS TRADED

Dustin Byfuglien is a pending UFA following this season and Winnipeg needs to go for a youth movement on the back end with players like Josh Morrissey in the minors who are almost NHL ready. With players like Andrew Ladd, Mark Schiefele and Jacob Trouba who need contracts next offseason as well, the Jets will likely look for Tyler Myers to take over the role that Byfuglien currently fills.

5.       EDMONTON MAKES THE PLAYOFFS

While it has been repeatedly stated that “this pick will push the Oilers forward” it has yet to happen. However the acquisition of Connor McDavid may be the match that lights the fuse under the team. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for example knows that he will need to be massively productive in order to prevent being buried in McDavid’s shadow for the foreseeable future, which will likely happen anyway. Nail Yakupov seemed to be finding his game at the end of last season for the first time in his NHL career which could greatly help the Oilers take that step. While Cam Talbot still has to prove he can be a starter, last season he played phenomenally while filling in for Henrik Lundqvist.

6.       OVECHKIN FINALLY GETS HIS CUP

Ever since Alexander Ovechkin joined the NHL, Washington Capitals fans have been waiting eagerly for their moment to finally come, however it never has. The only question mark that stands out to me is whether or not Braden Holtby can replicate his play from last season and if he can the Capitals will likely be an unstoppable force. The additions of TJ Oshie and Justin Williams may not seem to be the greatest on paper, however it provides Barry Trotz with a few great depth options.

7.       THE BLUE JACKETS REACH 100

The Blue Jackets have a top roster in the league on paper, while it may not be the very best which is currently the Chicago Blackhawks, if the team can stay healthy they may very well make a case for a top three team in the east. It will be hard to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning who are the current kings of the east, the Blue Jackets do not necessarily need to do so. The Blue Jackets have substantial forward depth with an abundance of NHL ready rookies in the minors and an elite goaltender backstopping them, the only question mark for many is the defensive corps. If Ryan Murray can stay healthy, he will exponentially increase the appeal of the blue line. As ESPN’s John Buccigross stated, it is easy to make a strong case for the Blue Jackets this season.

8.       PHIL KESSEL UNDERPERFORMS

Phil Kessel’s trade to Pittsburgh was the major headline of this offseason, however he may not necessarily settle in as quickly as many analysts are predicting. Many are predicting Kessel to possibly reach 50 goals, however in his first season with a new team that seems very unlikely. Underperforming for Kessel is an interesting topic as it is different than it would be for most players considering the hype around him. I’d expect him to reach about 30 goals this season, and the next season he would likely go up from there. One thing for sure however, is Kessel will need to step up his defensive work ethic if he hopes to succeed.

9.       TYLER SEGUIN HITS 50

The Dallas Stars as a whole did not live up to expectations last season, however with the addition of Patrick Sharp the offense gained another scoring piece. Seguin is still only 23 years of age, and has quickly grown into a super star. If the team can fire on all cylinders, not only will Seguin contend for the Richard; the team will likely make the playoffs. Expect both Seguin and Jamie Benn to be near the top 10, if not top 5 in points this season.

10.   MARLEAU CHASES A CUP

Even though Patrick Marleau has been a Shark for his entire career, in the modern era there seemingly becomes a time where cup-less heroes leave to chase down the greatest trophy in sports; Lord Stanley’s Cup. It happened with Daniel Alfredsson, although that was through free agency rather than through trade, as well as countless others. Marleau currently has two years remaining on his deal at a steep salary of $6.7M which would be difficult for a cup contender to pay, however if the Sharks who are seemingly headed toward a retooling are willing to take a bad contract for a few years it could maximize their return and send him to a better contender for the Cup.