NHL Season Predictions - who will win the Stanley Cup in 2011?

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 7, 2010 12:30 PM EDT in Discussions

It's an obligatory rite all of us hockey writers go through at the start of an NHL season, the dreaded predictions post.

Follow after the jump for my stab at the conference standings and your 2011 Stanley Cup Champions...

For the record, these aren't hardcore statistically-driven projections, these represent my "gut" feel for the upcoming campaign:

Western Conference			Eastern Conference
Rk	Team	Comment	Rk	Team	Comment
1	Vancouver Canucks	Solid team, crappy division.	1	Washington Capitals	The Southeast may be getting tougher, but they'll still fly.
2	Los Angeles Kings	Willie Mitchell could be the best pickup in the West this year.	2	Pittsburgh Penguins	Replacing Gonchar with Martin & Michalek was smooth.
3	Detroit Red Wings	Health, Hudler & Howard enough to win a tough Central.	3	Buffalo Sabres	Ryan Miller's the difference maker in an up-for-grabs division.
4	Chicago Blackhawks	Shed mostly replaceable parts, but will miss Versteeg & Byfuglien.	4	Philadelphia Flyers	If they could ever get a top-notch goalie, look out.
5	San Jose Sharks	Losing Nabokov won't hurt much.	5	New Jersey Devils	Kovalchuk cost them a lot, and it'll show in a lack of depth.
6	Nashville Predators	Will Pekka live up to the hype?	6	Ottawa Senators	Their top power play unit will be fun to watch.
7	Colorado Avalanche	How will Matt Duchene do in Year 2?	7	Atlanta Thrashers	There are some decent pieces coming together here in front of Chris Mason.
8	Phoenix Coyotes	Tippett's crew can't count on those shootout wins but will still be tough.	8	Tampa Bay Lightning	Stevie Y's off to a good start, but Stamkos won't hit 50 again.
9	Calgary Flames	Can Jay Bouwmeester deliver the goods?	9	Boston Bruins	Savard's injury a huge blow to a team looking for goals.
10	St. Louis Blues	Halak-a-mania is running wild… too wild.	10	New York Rangers	I still laugh every time I think of Boogaard making $1.6 million.
11	Edmonton Oilers	Expect lots of excitement in Edmonton as the kids learn the ropes.	11	Montreal Canadiens	The media will chew up Carey Price and undermine the team.
12	Minnesota Wild	Todd Richards has a lot of work to do here.	12	Carolina Hurricanes	They're up, then they're down… and now they'll stay down.
13	Anaheim Ducks	2007 seems like an age ago when you look at their blueline.	13	Toronto Maple Leafs	Modest improvement, but still a ways to go.
14	Dallas Stars	It's tough to rebuild amid ownership turmoil.	14	Florida Panthers	The rebuild is only just getting started.
15	Columbus Blue Jackets	Rookie coach wants to run a new system with the same old cast. Yikes.	15	New York Islanders	A mess already, then key injuries hit.

Stanley Cup Champion

I like the Detroit Red Wings to win it once again, as they still seem to have the most talented set of skaters in total, and a decent enough goalie to get the job done. And Mike Babcock's no slouch behind the bench.

So what do you think? Have I been hitting the crack pipe too hard? Not as hard as this guy, though!

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Comments

Well

According to these pics with Detroit winning the Stanley Cup that would mean that they play us in the first round which means another 1st round exit. Can the fire Trotz/Poile talk start now? Can I go ahead and cancel my season tix? LOL.

by ablairnash on Oct 7, 2010 12:43 PM EDT reply actions

Umm..

I’d like to think us, and if the stars are right, it could happen.
But realistically the Caps or maybe Buffalo as a dark horse to break their playoff curse.

by DonBorvio on Oct 7, 2010 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

Under current rosters, give me Detroit. I have a feeling Pittsburgh is going to win it, though. I also think Lombardi will make the moves to put LAK into the Finals.

My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the winger that has now terrorized over 70 NHL goalies.

by red army line on Oct 7, 2010 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

Not sold on the Kings

I want to like them because they’re kind of a trendy pick, but if you look at the Kings roster against the Blackhawks roster, you’re looking at almost the same thing, except it seems the Hawks have more scoring talent on their top two lines.

Still, I think the combination of Nabokov and Blake leaving the Sharks will hurt them more than people let on. The Kings could very well catch up in the Pacific.

I predict the Penguins could beat anybody from the west except the Red Wings, who will win it in a fantastic rubber-match series.

by J.J. from Kansas on Oct 7, 2010 2:10 PM EDT reply actions

Up for grabs

I’ve never seen a year when so many questions have to be answered for a solid pick for the Stanley Cup winner. You pick now and the trade deadline will make a big difference along with injuries. I think Det will win the overall regular season but not to win the Cup. I think Philly will win it all in the end when they trade to get a number one goalie. My Final 4 in the East …Philly and NJ and Pitt and Bos . … Philly and Pitt….West ……Det and SJ and Van and LA …SJ and Van

SJ vs Philly in the finals

by roseyc on Oct 7, 2010 2:31 PM EDT reply actions

Caps

I certainly do not see another early exit for the Caps. Some say that last season shows that they’re not “built for the playoffs,” but that’s a load of bull. Don’t forget they made the conference finals the season before.

Of course, if it turns out to be a Preds/Caps Stanley Cup then I change my vote.

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Oct 7, 2010 4:22 PM EDT reply actions

Don’t forget they made the conference finals the season before.

Psst..second round. Your point still stands though (if Steckel hadn’t rang it off the pipe in OT of game three with the Caps up 2-0…)

My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the winger that has now terrorized over 70 NHL goalies.

by red army line on Oct 8, 2010 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

I guess you would know,

but I could have sworn it was the conference finals. Maybe it just seemed that way because I completely lost interest after that series ended. Who the heck did the Pens play in the finals then?

"Get to the Choppa!"

by PredHead on Oct 8, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

They swept Carolina. Ward got off his hot streak.

My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the winger that has now terrorized over 70 NHL goalies.

by red army line on Oct 8, 2010 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I Hate

to say it but the nucks. they have it all. i see pitt or nj from the east. the caps arent good enough defensively to win it all and im glad someone else see the thrashers getting in. i think they have a chance to be decent.

by predswilrule on Oct 7, 2010 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

Agree about the Nucks

However, I think the east will be NJ or Washington. You are right, Caps are not great defensively, but I think they can play with anyone in the East. Nucks and Caps are my picks, Nucks in 6.

by tnranger on Oct 8, 2010 2:23 AM EDT up reply actions

There’s a bit of a logical break in any prediction that assumes that Atlanta and Tampa Bay’s coaching changes are pure playoff-worthy gold but Columbus’s change simply has no chance of working. It’s the same sort of “logic” that leads to pundits placing Nashville 10th or 11th in the conference every year.

by Viqsi on Oct 8, 2010 12:11 PM EDT reply actions

The huge difference between Atlanta/Tampa and Columbus is the difference in on-ice personnel. Atlanta has turned over substantially since dealing Kovalchuk, Tampa has brought in some quality talent in Simon Gagne and Pavel Kubina, while Columbus has brought in… Ethan Moreau?

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 8, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Because as we all know, changing players is the only possible way to substantially improve a team. ;)

(Also, you forgot Nikita Filatov.)

by Viqsi on Oct 8, 2010 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions

My point is that if a new coach wants to establish a new system, that’s awfully hard to do effectively with the same cast of characters who finished in the dumps last season.

See last year’s Minnesota Wild.

On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators. Catch me on Twitter at @Forechecker.

by Dirk Hoag on Oct 8, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Two points:
1) That same cast of characters also made the playoffs the year prior.
2) How long was Jacques Lemaire coach of the Wild? How long was Ken Hitchcock coach of the Jackets? Which team had more personnel geared towards a pure defense system? (And which team has historically had better prospect depth?)

The Wild comparison is, frankly, not a very good one – one could just as easily mention the from-last-in-NHL-to-Cup-contenders Flyers from 2006-2007, for example (had a passable playoff year, then had a truly ugly year in which they fired a defensive-minded coach named Ken Hitchcock, then had a stellar year the next year in which several kids who had to step up did).

I don’t think we’re about to challenge any of Detroit or Chicago or Nashville for the Central, but I do find it amusing that so many pundits seem to think that of the four teams that have relatively new coaches, Columbus seems to be the only one that has Zero Hope Whatsoever, Too Bad So Sad, with no real sensible justification other than Well, They’re Columbus, Columbus Always Sucks, Right? The only difference between that recycled mishegaas and your performance is that folks here actually know better about St. Louis than most (that they’re as much a wildcard as any of the four).

by Viqsi on Oct 8, 2010 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions