Welcome back to the final installment of “A Comprehensive Look at the NHL”, a five-part serial looking closely at teams in the NHL based on their likelihood of playing hockey well into April.
Lottery Ball
These are the teams that are either re-building, or have given up on the season. And they are also the teams getting those lucky lottery balls on draft day. They have the tough job of trying to remain competitive, when we all know that they really just want to finish last and get their hands on this years Nugent-Hopkins. Here’s to hoping they have honour in losing, and we don’t witness any sandbagging the way the Penguins did all those years ago to get Lemieux. Yes, it was a long time ago. And no, I will not forget. Also look for these teams to be sellers down the stretch.
New York Islanders
This team is a ticking time bomb. It might be next year, it might be two years from now, but this team is set to go off. You can only stockpile so much young talent before they start to click. And another top pick this year couldn’t hurt. The bad part though, well, they haven’t made the playoffs in 5 seasons, and haven’t had a successful playoff run in even longer. They’re no Toronto Maple Leafs, but it has been a while, and it is starting to wear on the fans. Good things are coming though, and my guess is it will be worth the wait. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 151 to 1.
Buffalo
Where to start… well, the Sabres might be the biggest disappointment of the 2011-12 season. They were projected to possibly win the division over the Bruins, and at worst easily qualify for the playoffs. Now they are sitting in 14th place in the East, and they don’t have a dollar to their name. They built what everyone thought in the off-season was a really talented team, but in the process spent right up to the cap with no room to wiggle. The good news is they haven’t mortgaged their future and do still have a solid line-up of young talent. There not mathematically out of the playoffs, but with Miller’s breakdown, and the team not gelling, I don’t see them making up the ground. And it could be a blessing in disguise if it’s a sellers market come trade deadline. They could liquidate some of their older assets, free up some cap space, and probably grab a decent draft pick or two in the meantime. Then they have all summer to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 76 to 1.
Carolina
I think Carolina was hoping to be competitive enough to fight for a playoff spot this year, and I had them as a bubble team at best. So I think this is really a win for the Canes. They are last in the East and probably looking at a top 3 pick in this years draft. They do have a few young stars already, and Staal is also young enough to still be an impact player after a few “rebuild years”. They have won a cup in the last decade so there is no real urgency, and the fans will be willing to wait while they try to build another contender. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 201 to 1.
Anaheim
If Buffalo isn’t the biggest disappointment this year, than Anaheim certainly is. The Ducks were expected to be a contender this year, as their young core hits their prime. Their top line of Getzlaf-Perry-Ryan, were all taken in the top 20 of most fantasy leagues. Everybody expected big things from the trio. Also, Hiller came back from injury, Selanne was staying for another season, and Fowler was another year older. The only player that has lived up to expectation so far, surprisingly enough, is Selanne. And the bad news is they might not have the 41-year old next season as rumour has it he is ready to retire. The good news is they do have a solid young talent pool to dip into to help the team. Including Hobey Baker front-runner Justin Schultz. The Ducks will return to greatness, so consider this a hurdle. But for now they should take their pick, instead of doing what they usually do, which is make a crazy late season run. Then again 11 points is doable, and they aren’t desperate for the pick… Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 151 to 1.
Edmonton
They gave it the old college try, and were doing well for a while, but nobody expected much for the first full season of the new trio in Edmonton. And I think the season was a success despite currently sitting 29th out of 30. Injuries aside, all three young stars have proved so far that they can and will be forces to reckon with in the NHL. Look out for this team next year, especially if they manage to bolster their defense in the off-season. Oh, and a lottery ball pick is nothing short of a victory for a team not heading for the playoffs. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 226 to 1.
Columbus
Poor Columbus. In 11 seasons prior to this one, they have not won a Stanley Cup, a Presidents Trophy, a Conference Championship, or a Division Title. And they now sit dead last in the league. But even worse than that they made a big move in the off-season to try and spark some life into the team that ended up being a huge backfire. They traded Voracek and their first round pick, for Jeff Carter. Carter has only played 30 games, and has little to show for his efforts. Meanwhile, Voracek is contributing well in Philly, and that first round pick ended up netting Sean Couturier. If you don’t know who that is now, you will very soon. This kid could be the next Claude Giroux for the Flyers. But back to Columbus and their current situation. They will be getting a lottery ball this year and most likely the first overall pick. And my advice would be to trade Nash for one or two more top picks. As well as anybody else that will net a top pick over the next three years. They have been in the building stage since they got Nash first overall and now he’s 27, so what’s a few more years? Anyway this is the salary cap NHL, and the best way to win a Stanley Cup is to get as many first round picks as you can before you start to climb up the standings. Look at the examples, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. That’s 3 out of 6. And my guess is Edmonton will be on that list sooner than later. Vegas odds of winning the Stanley Cup are 501-1.
There you have it, folks. Agree? Disagree? Please chime in below. Remember to follow me on twitter – @LastWordGrant
…and that is the last word.
