00:00let's go to the Eastern Conference now. And the Atlantic Division, they've had a king on top for
00:05a while that got dethroned last year, but now they're back fighting for the crown. But we've
00:10talked about them before. I don't know if it's just as simple as, well, the Panthers are back,
00:14daddy's home, we get the big chair again. I don't think that's the case. This is top to bottom one
00:19of the more competitive divisions in the sport, and I think it's going to be really interesting
00:22all season long. So let's talk about it. Um, let's begin at the bottom of the Atlantic and work our
00:34way up. I have Detroit under 87 and a half points. This Larkin thing hanging over their head is just
00:40weird. They have been kind of poorly run for a lot of the offseason. And like, this is a team
00:45that has
00:46been close for a while with Dylan Larkin. But with Dylan Larkin, there are still holes that need to
00:52be filled. And holes that I don't think they've done a good job of filling. So in this good of
00:57a
00:57division, I just don't see them being able to keep up again, given everything that's going on out
01:02there. So I have them under 87 and a half. Uh, Boston, under 88 and a half. Talked about them
01:07in the make-miss one. Again, I think this is a good team. Passionate getting the C is pretty cool.
01:12But I just, when you look at, you know, um, Buffalo having a full year of playoff experience under
01:19their belt. And, um, the Leafs getting better, the Panthers getting better, all this stuff.
01:27I just, I think Boston gets pushed further and further back. So I have Boston under 88 and a
01:32half. Um, I have Buffalo over 95 and a half points. I think that playoff experience was huge for them.
01:38I think that they are going to be a very interesting team here. Um, this season, they're a hellebuck
01:44destination destination for a reason. And if they get that guy, depending on what all they have to
01:48give up, like it could really be go time with the Buffalo Sabres. Uh, up next, I do have the
01:53Florida
01:53Panthers at under 107 and a half points. I just, I think that the, I still think it's a playoff
02:00team
02:01fringe, but I feel like Barkov, um, in his first year back from injury, all these guys getting banged
02:07up last year. It's not a video game where everyone just goes back to a hundred percent health. This is
02:11an
02:11old roster that has been through a lot of hockey and they do not play a conserve your style, uh,
02:18conserve your fuel style. Right. So I think that this is going to be a, a team that is going
02:24to
02:24be content with just get into the playoffs and see what happens. But I have real concerns about
02:28the goaltending situation there with Jacob Markstrom. Um, I have Toronto over 95 and a half.
02:33Um, I think Bobrovsky while inconsistent and you know, maybe a, uh, benefactor of a very good defensive
02:39system in Florida. And that's not what Toronto has, but he's better than what they had. And I
02:44just, I don't see a world where Matthews is as bad as he was last year. I, I think Berube
02:48was
02:49maybe not the ideal guy in Toronto. Now I don't think Hiller is either, but, um, I think Gavin
02:55McKenna is going to be able to boost things. I just think that there's going to be enough going right
02:59for Toronto that the regular season goes well for them. Anyway, um, Ottawa is next over 94 and a half.
03:05I have them making the playoffs. It was plus money at one 15. I, I still like this group. Like
03:10I,
03:10I think they are pissed off at how the Brady Kachuk thing went. Um, last year they ended up
03:17being a wildcard team and that's with like the goaltending situation being worst case scenario
03:21for a lot of the year. When you look at the underlying numbers, this was a good hockey team
03:26for real long stretches there. And they were able to put it together and make a push. I think that
03:31will continue here. I, I still, I think they pivoted really well off the Kachuk thing and I
03:36think they'll be able to, to grow from this. So I think Tampa Bay gets in at over 94 and
03:40a half
03:40points. Tampa Bay, um, sorry, Ottawa gets in over 94 and a half. Tampa Bay, I have them over 102
03:45and a
03:46half as well. It's just, again, it's a very good roster. Vasilevsky is good. Offensively, they can
03:50put up a ton of points. They're solid defensively as well. Like it's just, it's a good, it's a good
03:55hockey team. It's a really good regular season team, but I have Montreal winning the division
03:59and it's probably too many overs when you're looking at it, but, um, over 98 and a half. I,
04:05I get they didn't address second line center. I think Kapanen can be good enough to be able to
04:10get them across the finish line there. That defense is scary, good, young and athletic. And they have
04:16three goalies that you can trust in different situations. And they have one of the best top
04:20lines in the league with Slefkoski, Suzuki and Caulfield. So I think that this is going to be the,
04:25oh, Montreal could do it this year season for them on to the Metro division. Now, uh, the New
04:31York Rangers, I have them as one of my locks at under 87 and a half points. I don't see
04:35it. I,
04:36I, I really don't see it. I get that they've made some moves to try to better things here
04:40in the off season, but, um, and like you like the goalie, I don't think there's enough at forward
04:47to, to score enough goals to win in this league. I don't think that there's enough on that blue line
04:51to help out one of the better goalies in the world. I just, I don't see it with this team.
04:57I think it's an incredibly flawed roster and I, I could see them being in sell-off mode again
05:02when trade deadline season comes around. Um, next I have the New Jersey Devils under 96 and a half.
05:08I, I didn't like the goalie situation last year. I don't think it gets a whole lot better.
05:12Just addition by subtraction with Markstrom. And it's basically the same group that has
05:19underperformed for years now. And you obviously like you have like Jack Hughes is a star and all
05:25of that, but everything else has just been not quite as good as they would want it to be out
05:30in New Jersey. And you can blame a number of different situations and all of that, but I don't
05:34think they did anything to mitigate those situations here. They're kind of just waiting
05:37for Quinn Hughes to call his shot to go to the Devils. And even then, I don't know how,
05:42if that's going to be enough. Um, next I have Columbus. I have them under 91 and a half.
05:48Um, bonus called everyone out at the end of last season, but I just, you look at the roster they
05:52have and you look at the complaints he had and I don't, I, it feels oil and water to me.
05:58I don't,
05:59I don't think they have the roster to make the push. I don't think they have the roster to play
06:02the style of hockey that he wants them to do. And with the Wierenski stuff and, oh, well, no,
06:07I do want to stick around. Don't worry. It'll be fine. And I don't think Nachushkin is enough
06:11to, to get this team there. So it's, it's just going to be another year. I think for Columbus,
06:17I do have Pittsburgh under 90 and a half. They just, that playoff experience scared me for them.
06:24They looked old and slow against Philadelphia and I, they didn't get younger and faster this
06:31off season. So I think it's going to be another tough year, um, back to being a tough year for
06:35the Pittsburgh Penguins after a really, really fun bounce back last season. Um, up next, I have
06:40the Philadelphia Flyers over 93 and a half getting Martone. Um, a lot of people's pick to win the
06:44Calder this year and that, that youth kind of boosting everything and getting things going.
06:49We'll see what happens with the Mitch Cobb situation after he didn't come into training
06:52camp in shape last year. Um, and everything there, it's a, it's a good hockey team. Is it going to
06:57be
06:57enough to get into the playoffs given the quality of teams in the East? I don't know, but I think
07:02there are going to be, it's, it's a tough situation there because they make it to the second round of
07:07the playoffs last year. But you could totally see a world where this is a better hockey team,
07:13even if the results don't back that up necessarily. New York Islanders, I have them over 88 and a half.
07:19Um, I like this team a lot. I thought they made some moves at the deadline to get better last
07:23year.
07:23And now they're going to be able to carry that forward with Shen. Another year of growth and
07:27development for Schaefer. I like the goalie. Um, they made the coaching change late last year.
07:32It's not what I would have done, but now you, you have a strong coach that you believe in going
07:37into this season. And there's still like, I really like a couple of parts in that blue line. I really
07:41like, um, some of the parts at this forward group and they can just, they can play a few different
07:46styles and beat you in those ways. So I think the Islanders do get in this year in that top
07:51three
07:51spot in the Metro. I have them over 88 and a half. I have Carolina over 107 and a half
07:55defending cup
07:56champions. I think they're going to be ready to like hit the ground running. Rod Brindamore is not a guy
08:01who's going to have his team having a Stanley cup hangover. So they return a lot of the pieces
08:05from last year and they just, they showed how they can beat you right with so much depth
08:10and speed and skill, but also a tenacity that they play with. So I like this Carolina team,
08:15but I have Washington winning the division. I think the moves that they made to add speed to this
08:20roster and give themselves one of the best top nine forward groups in the NHL to go along with a
08:27really like the depth of the blue line. I don't love, but I do like the, the top guys there.
08:32And
08:33I think they have in Thompson, one of the best goalies in the league. So all of it stacks up
08:37to,
08:37I think a really, really good season out in Washington. Then, um, over 99 and a half is one
08:43of my locks. Um, I like that one for them. So those are my predictions for how these divisions are
08:50going
08:50to play out. I, again, as we've gone through all 32 teams can't imagine that I went 32 for 32
08:56in how
08:57you guys are thinking. So let me know where you disagree in the chat or in the comments, and we
09:01can keep talking about it there. Uh, we got Connor in the YouTube chat. Do you believe bonus actually
09:06feels like two players showed up out of shape or was that a planned part of him saying he's changing
09:11the culture? There are some times, especially that thing last year, like he's a, he's a hockey
09:16lifer. Everyone loves him. All of that. That did feel a little performative, right? Like that,
09:23that felt a little bit like, Oh, I got a bunch of these headlines, um, last time around. So I'm
09:28going to do that again and see if we can spark something here. Um, like I, I don't doubt that
09:32of the, however many humans showed up to camp, a couple of them maybe weren't in peak physical
09:37condition, but I, I feel like he, he can be a little performative at times. And I do think there's
09:43a ceiling to, to what he can do. And I don't think this Columbus team can push them past
09:47that by any stretch of the imagination. So, um, yeah, I, I don't think it's going to be
09:52that amazing of a season here for the, um, for the water or for the, the Columbus Blue
09:59Jackets. But if you disagree, let me know in the chat or in the comments after, and we
10:03can keep talking about it there.
