I have a habit of ranting during the NHL Power Rankings, and I have only mentioned Las Vegas once. That was during a bonus feature over the summer after the city earned its first ever professional sports franchise (Black/Desert Knights?).
Well, Vegas is back, and it has some juicy over/under marks for all 30 teams (actually, only 29, because the Dallas Stars were left out) in the NHL. Time to reveal the appropriate and bizarre predictions from the casinos.
My order is based on MY Power Rankings, even though the predictions are not as in sync. Let’s just say I have different feelings from the money muggles in the Sin City.
1. Florida Panthers (96.5): OVER: 108 points
What are they doing? They put a division-winning franchise that won big in the offseason at a paltry 96.5 points, barely higher than Detroit and Boston from last season. Do they honestly believe they will bust that badly?
In fairness, this team has had a horrendous history, so a triple-digit point total is not normally expected in South Florida. It should be.
Aleksander Barkov becomes a part of the select few of the NHL famous faces and the Panthers make their mark as an Eastern Conference Hulk!
2. Tampa Bay Lightning (106.5) OVER: 107
They kept their core in tact, and Nikita Kucherov should follow suit. Not sure if they deserve a 10-point boost over their in-state rivals, but they also make miserable opponents. Obviously the over on this one is not nearly as dramatic, but 107 points is still an incredible mark to reach.
3. Washington Capitals (106.5) UNDER: 104
Obviously matching 120 points will be near impossible. They had very little competition in their division until Pittsburgh caught infinite fire. With the Pens expected to break loose again, Washington will have a pedestrian regular season compared to last year, but triple digits is still an appropriate feat for another Eastern Conference powerhouse.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (104.5) UNDER: 103
Phil Kessel is like Tom Brady. He is fuming after an unfortunate turn of events. Instead of Roger Goodell, the culprit is USA Hockey coach John Tortorella (Why, USA, why?). Kessel already has his Stanley Cup, and he will likely be rolling other teams over for another season, especially the Blue Jackets. As for the team, the under here is not really an insult because they are still considered an elite team after the monster run they went on during the back end of the season.
5. Chicago Blackhawks (102.5) OVER: 103
It is anyone’s guess on who the best team out west is going to be. To be safe, the team that has the runaway Hart Trophy winner will take the upper end. As long as Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin continue to ruin defenses, this team will be a force.
6. St. Louis Blues (101.5) UNDER: 100
Is Jake Allen overrated? That question will be answered this season now that Brian Elliott is gone. If the offense can improve and the defense remains a force, then the Blues could make another surprise playoff run.
7. Dallas Stars ??????? My prediction: 102 points
Somehow the Stars went without any odds. Why is that? Tyler Seguin may be injured, but he should miss a minimal amount of time. Defense is still a concern, but Dallas still has one of the best offenses in the NHL. Making the playoffs for a second straight season should not be an issue.
If anyone has any Vegas odds for the Stars, please inform me.
8. Los Angeles Kings (97.5) OVER: 99
Somebody in the Pacific Division has to break loose. This team’s roster is exceptional on all fronts, and Anze Kopitar takes over the reins for a team that is looking to find their playoff magic again.
9. San Jose Sharks (100.5) UNDER: 96
It is very easy to give them a boost after reaching the Stanley Cup Finals last season, but some of their key pieces are on the wrong end of 30. Joonas Donskoi broke out in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he will be crucial to lighten up the load from Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau and help the Sharks meet their lofty expectations.
10. Nashville Predators (99.5) UNDER: 99
Getting past fourth place in the Central Division should remain a tough challenge, but Nashville is not messing around. They traded Shea Weber for PK Subban, and Ryan Johansen still has the potential to be a superstar. This team could be closer to the Stanley Cup than their division rivals would like to admit.
11. New York Islanders (96.5) OVER: 97
On paper, this team is not stunning. John Tavares is NHL gold, but none of the other players are close to that level. That could change in a heartbeat if Brock Nelson continues to improve in the goals department (he is on pace to pass 30 goals in 2016-2017) and P.A. Parenteau and Andrew Ladd mesh quickly on their new team.
12. New York Rangers (95.5) OVER: 96
Henrik Lundqvist is no longer invincible, but he is still good enough to carry the defensive-minded Rangers to the playoffs…for now. Mika Zibanejad could be the difference for the Rangers’ fate depending on how he can build off of an excellent 2015-2016 in Ottawa.
13. Anaheim Ducks (96.5) UNDER: 91
Hiring the only coach to lead the Ducks to a Stanley Cup is decent thinking, but John Gibson is now the only hope for the Ducks in goal. He looked great last season, but a Braden Holtby season may be too much of a wish for the 23-year-old. The offense needs to be way better in October because opponents, especially Los Angeles, are not going to allow this team to make a monumental comeback twice in a row.
14. Philadelphia Flyers (92.5) UNDER: 92
This is a solid prediction. This is a team that has their share of strengths and weaknesses, and they may have the most distinct plan before the trade deadline in order to remain a playoff contender. Stick with Michal Neuvirth (but actually) or make a trade for a better goalie. Also, it does not hurt to find players that can play the Left Wing position well, especially so that Jakub Voracek can get some better scoring chances. He needs way more than 11 goals to remain a reliable scoring threat in Philly.
15. Buffalo Sabres (84.5) OVER: 90
The Dallas Stars have proven that an average goalie cannot stop a team from rolling to the playoffs. Buffalo has a similar situation. Robin Lehner has yet to prove that he is the answer, but the hot streak of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Kyle Okposo, and Ryan O’Reilly gives the Sabres the most undervalued offense in the NHL. Do not be surprised of this team reaches the postseason in 2017.
16. Montreal Canadiens (96.5) OVER: 93
This is the mystery team of the year. A healthy Carey Price makes this team a playoff threat, but the offense was shredded by the end of last season. Can Shea Weber match the impact that PK Subban made in Montreal? Tomas Plekanec needs to return to the 25-goal mark (he had just 14 last season) if this offense wants to be taken seriously.
17. Winnipeg Jets (87.5) OVER: 88
The Jets did not destroy their team after the deadline, with Andrew Ladd being the only significant player to go. Instead, a new identity came into Winnipeg as Mark Scheifele surged his way into the biggest offensive threat on the team. Then Winnipeg got lucky in the lottery and picked up Patrik Laine. With the exception of Jacob Trouba, who is looking to be traded, this is a team that is looking to prove its worth after a lowly 2015-2016.
18. Minnesota Wild (92.5) UNDER: 85
For a team that stumbled its way to an 87-point season and a second wild card spot, this prediction is somewhat puzzling. Zach Parise has not been able to make this team a serious contender, and while Devan Dubnyk has certainly benefitted from being away from Edmonton, he is also no Hall of Famer. Perhaps Bruce Boudreau is the solution. Probably not.
19. Calgary Flames (87.5) OVER: 89
This may seem a bit high for a team that finished 12th in the Western Conference, but Troy Brouwer did not sign with this team expecting a lost season. Plus, Brian Elliott, Brouwer’s teammate in St. Louis, is the new man in goal. Combine that with a killer offense and even more killer defensemen in Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie, and this is a team that should make a postseason push for the second time in three years.
20. Detroit Red Wings (87.5) UNDER: 86
Time to close the book on this one. After 25 straight seasons in the playoffs, the Red Wings will finally bow out early this season. Their leadership is getting too old (or gone, in Pavel Datsyuk’s case) and Dylan Larkin does not have enough help to ring in a new era in time.
21. Ottawa Senators (83.5) OVER: 84
They are competitive, but not built for sustained success. Craig Anderson is a bottom-half goalie, and Ottawa’s NHL development is getting lapped, especially when compared to other Canadian teams. Mark Stone will likely need to become Patrick Kane in order for the Senators to keep up in the Eastern Conference.
22. Edmonton Oilers (89.5) UNDER: 83
Still think the Connor McDavid hype is fake? Then how do you explain Milan Lucic and Kris Versteeg signing with the sorry franchise? They still will not have that coveted playoff spot, but at least they will be close.
23. New Jersey Devils (85.5) UNDER: 84
Taylor Hall is a huge pickup, but it likely will not move this team over the hump. I mean Hall could not make the Oilers good, but at least the Devils have a somewhat recent display of playoff potential. Reid Boucher’s sudden scoring jolt in the second half of the season (Eight goals and 11 assists after just three and five in his career) makes him a sleeper for this season.
24. Carolina Hurricanes (80.5) OVER: 87
While the front office tries to figure things out, there is still hockey to be played. Victor Rask leads a hungry core of young players that also include…ahem…Joakim Nordstrom, Patrick Brown, Elias Lindholm, Phil Di Giuseppe, Brock McGinn, Teuvo Teravainen, Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, and Jaccob Slavin. Did I mention there are plenty of other teens that are believed to be potential stars? The upside for this team is ridiculously high, but the execution remains to be seen.
25. Boston Bruins (90.5) UNDER: 77
The Bruins did right by signing Brad Marchand for eight years, but all it takes is an injury to change everything. This team is paper thin on defense, and there is no telling who will provide the offense. David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron have remained constants, but most of their younger players have waxed and waned. Inconsistency pays.
26. Arizona Coyotes (77.5) UNDER: 75
It is generally a bad sign when a team makes a lot of free agent signings, especially since most of them had very little news coverage. Chemistry will be checked all season long. Two players to keep an eye on are Jamie McGinn, who has had plenty of recent success with small markets (ie Colorado and Buffalo) and is now entering a very small hockey market, and Dylan Strome, the third overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft.
27. Colorado Avalanche (87.5) UNDER: 71
This is the huge difference between the Vegas odds and my odds. Where is this prediction coming from? Patrick Roy is no longer the coach, and now they Avalanche have moved on with the lesser known Jared Bednar. Joe Colborne is no slacker, but the Avalanche could have done a lot more to improve their team.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs (80.5) UNDER: 74
That is a fairly hefty praise for a team that had less of an upgrade compared to last year’s Edmonton Oilers. Frederik Andersen is a solid choice for goaltender, but that is not saying much considering Jonathan Bernier was getting consistent starts. Auston Matthews should end up being a star, but he cannot do all the work alone. Nazem Kadri is now one of the go-to forwards on the team, so he needs to do better than last season, when he scored just 17 times. His career high is 20 so far.
29. Vancouver Canucks (76.5) UNDER: 72
I am not completely surprised that Vegas chose to give the Canucks the lowest mark in the NHL. This team is basically waiting for an overhaul, yet the Sedin twins, Loui Eriksson, and Ryan Miller are in the way. Without them, it would almost be a certainty to be optimistic about Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi. Perhaps they will break out anyway.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets (86.5) UNDER: 66
Where did 86.5 come from? This is a team that is brutally short on reliable players. Cam Atkinson may have broken out, but so did Nick Foligno in 2014-2015. Did that work out? No. Having said that, Oliver Bjorkstrand is a solid option as a net attacker, and he may be next in line for a “Nationwide” notice.
SUMMARY:
Eastern Conference Playoffs:
Florida vs. Philadelphia
Tampa Bay vs. Montreal
Washington vs. New York Rangers
Pittsburgh vs. New York Islanders
Western Conference Playoffs:
Chicago vs. Calgary
Dallas vs. St. Louis
Los Angeles vs. Nashville
San Jose vs. Anaheim