Trying To Turn It Around

By: Mike Rifkin

On Sunday night the Miami Dolphins will host the Pittsburgh Steelers trying to snap a three game losing streak. Last week the Dolphins lost at home against the Vikings 24-16. This game will feature the return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who has missed the last two games with a concussion. Tagovailoa has a 69.6 completion percentage averaging 258.8 yards per game with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. The Dolphins have scored less than 20 points in each of their last three games. 

The Steelers are coming off a huge 20-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Mitch Trubisky replaced Kenny Pickett, who suffered a concussion. Trubisky went 9-12 for 144 yards and a touchdown.  That win snapped a four game losing streak for the Steelers. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has said if Pickett is able to practice, he will start. The Steelers offense averages 16.2 points per game. Both teams have 12 sacks on the season so this game could be decided on who is able to win in the trenches.

One major storyline is that this game will mark the return of Brian Flores to Miami. Flores was fired after last season.  As the Dolphins head coach the past three seasons he posted a 24-25 record. Flores, now an assistant coach for the Steelers, is suing the NFL, and we have found some interesting findings during the suit. 

Two teams in the AFC trying to right the ship and make some noise in the AFC playoff race. 

Same Year, Same Story

By : Mike Rifkin

On Saturday, the Houston Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners in game three of the ALDS resulting in a sweep. With the win the Astros have advanced to their MLB record sixth consecutive ALCS. 

For Baseball fans the Astros have been public enemy number one since their cheating scandal in 2017. The Astros have been the model of consistency despite what has occurred since 2017 as well as their roster changes. Guys like Carlos Correa and George Springer have left but this team doesn’t miss a beat. The Astros decided to not re-sign Carlos Correa, their All Star Shortstop, but instead opted to go with rookie Jeremy Pena to replace him. Pena in his rookie season had 22 home runs, 63 RBI and a slash line of .253/.289/.426. But in Game Three of the ALDS Pena hit the go ahead home run in the eighteenth inning to give the Astros the win. They were able to let Springer go because of the emergence of Kyle Tucker. Tucker, who this year played in a career high 150 games this year tied his career high with 30 home runs which he hit last year and set a career with 107 RBI. Tucker had a slash line of .257/.330/.478. There also has been the emergence of Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez hit .267 in the LDS against the Mariners with two home runs including a walk off three run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in game one. Alvarez on the season had 37 home runs and 97 RBI with a slash line of .306/.406/.613. Had Alvarez not went on the injured list with a Hand injury, he would have been the biggest threat to Aaron Judge in the AL MVP race. 

People don’t have to like the Astros, but you have to respect what they have accomplished. They are the model of consistency in Major League Baseball and could be very much on their way to winning another World Series.

A Giant Comeback

By : Jeff Knapp

After defeating the Packers in London, the Giants, who have outscored their opponents 78-32 in the second half this season, came back home to face the 3-2 Baltimore Ravens, who just squeaked by the Bengals the week before for a 19-17 win.

Behind by 10 in the 4th quarter, the Giants did what they’ve been doing all season and that is coming from behind for the victory despite the Ravens running back Kenyan Drake carving up the Giants at times with untouched runs and who ended the day with 119 rushing yards and one touchdown on 10 carries and his all pro teammate TE Mark Andrews who seemed to be open at will, also had a big game with 7 catches for 106 yards and one touchdown.

Honestly, the Giants kept it close and didn’t beat themselves by not turning the ball over on fumbles (which they had one but recovered it) or interceptions but looked a bit flat until they turned it up in the 4th quarter by scoring 14 unanswered points.

Saquon Barkley once again had a good day with 95 all purpose yards and 1 TD. Rookie Daniel Bellinger continues to impress with 5 receptions and 1 TD. Speaking of rookies, Wan’Dale Robinson caught his TD pass of the season on a 5-yard pass in the 1st quarter to tie things up at 7.

The biggest plays of the game that sealed the deal were the 2 turnovers the Giants created in the 4th quarter. The first one was an interception in Ravens territory by Julian Love which led to a Barkley TD and the second turnover was a strip fumble by rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux on the Baltimore 25 with 1:40 left in the game to seal the deal. 

When you look at the stats, it’s amazing that the Giants won since Baltimore had more 1st downs, total yards, including leading in both passing yards and rushing yards, but due to having more penalties allowed the Giants to hang in there and pull off another amazing comeback.

Dexter Lawrence continued to have another great game with 5 QB pressures and rookie Evan Neal only allowed 1 QB hurry over 32 snaps

Daniel Jones had another good managerial game, passing for 173 yards on 19 completions. The O-line still is a work in progress, but much better than the previous years that Jones has been there, and they need to cut down on the sacks, allowing 19 sacks over 6 games which is about 3.2 sacks per game, but on the other hand Jones needs to feel the pressure a bit better and needs to work on getting rid of the ball much faster.

Next week the Giants roll into Jacksonville to take on the 2-4 Jaguars who are on a 3-game losing streak which includes loses to Texans, Colts and the Eagles.

With a shrinking WR group, let’s see if they Giants will get back Kadarius Toney or Kenny Golladay and will Azeez Ojulari return to the defense for week 7.

Heavyweight Battle(s) 

By : Mike Rifkin

Sunday’s NFL schedule there are two games that stand out from the rest. The Bills go to Kansas City to play the Chiefs in a rematch from their epic AFC Divisional playoff game. The other one is the Dallas Cowboys traveling to Philadelphia to play the Eagles in an NFC East showdown. I feel these are must win games for the Bills and Eagles.

I feel this is a must win for the Bills for a few reasons. The first is Home Field advantage, the last two times these teams played in the playoffs those games took place in Arrowhead, if those games are played in Buffalo who knows what happens? Josh Allen is 1-3 in his career against Mahomes. That is not on Allen at all, in his career against the Chiefs, he has a 60.9 completion percentage with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions, with a 105.1 passer rating. For as good as the Bills are, and they are really good a win like this cements them as a team to beat. They made a statement in Week 1 when they stomped the Rams, they made a statement when they came back to beat the Ravens, this could be their next statement. Defensively they will have to slow down Travis Kelce who scored the game winning touchdown in that Divisional game has scored a touchdown in every game against the Bills. A lot of people anointed the Bills as the team to beat in the NFL, if they win this game on the road that is a big step forward and will give them a ton of confidence. 

The Eagles are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. They have been very impressive on both sides of the ball. Jalen Hurts has been great to start as has the receiving duo of AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. The Eagles defense has also been sensational to start the season. Now here comes a big test, the Dallas Cowboys come to town. Last year in the two meetings the Cowboys outscored the Eagles 92 – 47. Jalen Hurts against the Cowboys had a 59.5 completion percentage, three touchdowns, four interceptions with a passer rating of 78.9. This is a big game for Philly because it is a divisional game against probably your biggest threat in the NFC East and after last year’s beatdowns show you are not a pushover. They also need to take advantage of the possibility of playing Cooper Rush who is undefeated as the Cowboys starter. 

This could be a signature win for both the Bills and Eagles. Both are looking at the bigger picture, but they can’t look past this weekend’s game.

Trying To Turn The Tide

By: Mike Rifkin

The Miami Dolphins are looking to avoid a third straight loss when they host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Last week the Dolphins were down by two points to the Jets entering the fourth quarter, in the fourth quarter they were outscored 21-0 on their way to a 40-17 loss at Metlife Stadium. 

Rookie Skylar Thompson came in after Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion. Thompson was 19-33 for 166 yards and an interception. If Bridgewater is not cleared in time Thompson will make his first career start on Sunday. One massive positive that came out of Sunday’s loss was the play of Raheem Mostert, who ran for 113 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry and a touchdown. The Dolphins defense is hoping to get Xavien Howard back, after missing the Jet game with a groin injury.

The Vikings are coming off a 29-22 win over division rival Chicago Bears. The Vikings are now 4-1 and sit atop the NFC North.  Kirk Cousins went 32-41 for 296 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Dalvin Cook had 121 total yards and two rushing touchdowns. Receiver Justin Jefferson is second in the NFL in receptions, and leads with 547 yards. Jefferson, had 12 catches for 154 yards last week against Chicago. 

Minnesota is trying to establish themselves as a power in the NFC, while Miami is trying to rebound. It could be a very interesting battle. 

Week 6: New York Jets at Green Bay Packers

By Ross Mazin

The Jets and Packers meet at Lambeau Field. The Jets are  playing extremely good football right now. The same cannot be said for the Packers. 

The Jets are coming off a huge win against the Dolphins last weekend. They were really good on both sides of the ball. They lead throughout the game and put it away in the fourth quarter. Zach Wilson was 14 for 21 for 210 yards. He did not have a touchdown or any interceptions. Rookies Breece Hall and Sauce Gardener had major impacts. Hall had 197 total yards and a rushing touchdown. Gardener had five tackles, his first career interception and a safety. 

The Packers are coming off an ugly loss against the Giants last weekend. The Packers offense did not score in the second half. The defense surrendered 17 unanswered points in the second half. Aaron Rodgers was 25 for 39 for  222 yards two touchdowns and no interceptions.

I expect a relatively low scoring game. My prediction is Jets 19 – Packers 7

THE LIONS KEEPING GAMES EXCITING

By Mark Halpern

When training camps broke this season, Certain teams were named to be Super Bowl contenders, playoff hopefuls, and teams on the outside looking in. One of those teams on the outside looking in is the Detroit Lions.

     The Detroit Lions are 1-4 to begin the 2022 season. Their record reflects what they have been doing this season as a whole. Throughout the first five games, the Lions have kept themselves in games on the back of Jared Goff. The Lions always seem to start each game slowly (also while looking like a peewee team), kick it into high gear by the second quarter, and start making things interesting. However, in the end, the Lions usually take the loss because they are always fighting from behind. Except in the case of the  New England Patriots game. The Lions have kept themselves in games by losing by less than 5 points a game, except for the Patriots, in which the Patriots scored 29 points and blew the Lions out.

    The Lions have a team that can play in the NFL and put points on the board. What they need is a new Defense coordinator for starts. The Lions have been good at making games exciting and keeping it close enough (except for the Pats game) that they are covering the spread in most weeks, much to the disagreement of people trying to complete their parlays.

   The Lions have had a much better start this season offensively than how they have come out to begin this season in past years. The offense has been firing on all cylinders, with Jared Goff leading the way with 1355 yards passing with 11 TDs and just four interceptions. Goff has finally shown why they traded for him. He has been keeping them in games by having a great start to the season. Having good relationships with all team members, Goff is showing off what he looked like with the Rams, and we hope this play continues throughout the season. Deandre Swift started the season pretty hot, but yet again, the injury bug has gotten him; Jamal Williams has filled in nicely, averaging 77 yards per game to go along with a score in each game. The Wide receiver’s position was the most talked about position on the Lion’s offense. The Wide receivers have had little experience starting in the NFL. Amon-Ra St. Brown was the big talk at the end of last season, and right from the beginning of this season, he came out hot, averaging 65 yards and a score through the first few games, but since then has been slowed by injury over the last two weeks. The rest of the Lion’s Wide Receiver core is a Hodge Podge of players, but they all have contributed to keeping the Lions in games. The Lion’s defense has some bright spots, but when it stops giving up 30-plus points a game and helps the Lions win some more. Then I will give some recognition where it is earned. It looks like games will be pure shootouts this season, as the Lion’s defense can’t stop any team from scoring.

     This week the Lions are on a bye week, and I genuinely hope much of the focus will be working on their defense, so the offense doesn’t have to keep putting up 35 points a game to lose by four. The Lions need to use this bye week to focus on Goff, not only to give him time to recover. Goff also needs to take time individually with the Lion’s receivers and try and work out some kinks to help move the ball more and put the Lions in better contention each week.

      The Lions return from the bye week to face the Cowboys, Dolphins, and Packers. These three games will be a very tough test for this Lions team as two of these opponents have playoffs on their minds, and the other is the Packers. The Lions face some formidable defenses after the bye week, but with the right game plan, they should be able to move the ball. It depends on whether the defense steps up and plays to its highest level. Stay tuned for next week’s preview of the Lion’s vs. Cowboys game.

THE 4-1 COWBOYS VS THE 5-0 EAGLES

By Mark Halpern

This Sunday night primetime NFL game will be the most talked about game this Sunday. The Cowboys and the Eagles have had a bitter rivalry since the mid-1960s. It doesn’t matter if they are both undefeated or winless; when these two teams take the field against each other, you can guarantee to see a primetime duel. Over the last 50 years, the Dallas Cowboys own this rivalry with a record of 71-54 (3-1 in playoffs). This Sunday’s game will have the whole world watching as the undefeated Eagles welcome the 4-1 Cowboys.

     Lincoln Financial stadium is a massive home-field advantage for the Eagles, as their fans mainly belong in insane asylums. If you dare to show up in another team’s jersey, you might as well just put on a Boston Redsox Jersey and walk into Yankee Stadium. Fans get violent in and out of the stadium. It will be deafening no matter what’s going on. If the Cowboys are blowing out the Eagles, you will hear Eagles fans booing their home team and vice versa.

   When Dak Prescott broke, his thumb fans began to throw in the towel. I was bummed and was planning a change of season scenarios. However, Cooper Rush has come out and has played like a tier-one Quarterback. Rush has played errorless football, and each week he gives the Cowboys a chance to win by spreading the ball around and being a top-notch field general. Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard have come out and given what the Cowboys needed, and that is a “Thunder and Lightning backfield.” Either of the two can run it, block, and catch a pass out of the back field, which has tired defenses as the Cowboys have been controlling the clock and keeping defenses on the field longer. The Receiving core for the Cowboys has not disappointed. Every receiver that has come into the game through these first five games has played an important role, and as long as the Offense is clicking, then points will be put on the board.

     The Dallas offense has done well, but the Dallas Defense has been the talk of the NFL. Through its first five games, the Defense has not let any team score more than 19 points in a game. Micha Parsons is just rolling. He can be seen making contributions to at least 80% of all defense plays. He has been doing it all; whether it’s getting through the defensive line for a sack (he has six on the year), stopping the run for a loss, or dropping back into coverage, he is proven that a new Lawrence Taylor has emerged. The Dallas secondary has picked up from where it was last year. Trayvon Diggs has control of the “No Fly Zone” secondary, and they have shut down some of the top wide receivers in the league (Kupp, Chase, Evans, to name a few.)

    The Eagles are 5-0 and have played very impressively. Jalen Hurts has thrown for over 1300 yards but only has four touchdowns to just two interceptions. Miles Sanders has started the season hot with over 400 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and then probably one of the best wide receiver cores in A.J Brown and Davonte Smith combined for 56 receptions and 789, and Dallas Godert also has 353 yards. The Eagle’s Offense is dangerous, but it hasn’t had a top-tier defensive challenge, and we will see what they can do against this scary Dallas defense.

You couldn’t have a better two teams face off this week. It will not only be a game of strategy but, a game of hard hits and exciting plays. I look again to the Dallas defense here. They have to stop the most dangerous wide receiver duo they have faced this year and have to stop one of the leagues hottest quarterbacks. The Cowboys offense needs to keep using the same game plan which has helped put points on the board. This wont be a blow out by far. The Dallas Cowboys will move on to 5-1 by the score of 31-24.

Western Conference Predictions

By : Mike Rifkin

The NHL season is upon us and here are my picks for the Western Conference.

Central

  1. Avalanche – Alexandar Georgiev replaces Darcy Kuemper in goal. But the reigning champs are loaded. Minus Nazem Kadri this is the same team. Cale Makar, Nathan Mackinnon, Mikko Rantanen and company will still score a ton of goals. 
  2. Blues – Love the core of of Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Colton Parayko,etc… Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou both signed extensions this offseason. If Jordan Binnington can go back to form from when the Blues won the Stanley Cup the Blues will be in good shape.
  3. Predators – I loved what the Preds did this offseason. Bringing back their all time leading goal scorer Filip Forsberg, to adding some size with Nino Niederreiter, and adding two time Stanley Cup Champion Ryan Mcdongah to their Blue Line. Jusse Saros is coming off a Vezina nomination. If Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen can do what they did last year the Preds could not only win the Central, could be a Cup contender.
  4. Stars – A lot of this hinges on Joe Pavelski doing what he did last season, as well as Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. Is there someone to replace John Klingberg on the Blue Line. If you watched their first round series against the Flames last season, Jake Oettinger has big time upside. 
  5. Wild – Kirill Kaprizov is sensational and a potential Hart nominee this season. Can they get the same production from Ryan Hartman, Marcus Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek. Marc – Andre Fleury will be 38 in November, the last few years he has split time with Robin Lehner and Cam Talbot, how many games will he play this year and can he stay fresh?
  6. Jets – I love everything about the Jets roster. Kyle Connor is still criminally underrated, Mark Schieffle, Nikolaj Ehlers, Pierre – Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler and Connor Hellebuyck in goal always gives you a chance to win. But I have them this low because I don’t trust them and need to see it before I elevate them
  7. Blackhawks – Total rebuild time. Just waiting to see how long Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews will remain there.
  8. Coyotes – Clayton Keller should have a good season. Waiting on the trade of Jacob Chychrun to occur.

Pacific

  1. Kings – Love the Kevin Fiala addition. They have a lot of offensive firepower if Johnathon Quick and Cal Peterson play well the Kings could be the kings of the Pacific
  2. Oilers – Jack Campbell comes over from the Leafs to be the goalie of the Western Conference version of the Leafs. Evander Kane who was really good for them once he came over from the Sharks re-signed there. Oh yeah Connor McDavid is the best player in the world and Leon Draisaitl isn’t too shabby either. 
  3. Flames –  They turned Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk into Johnathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri. Jacob Markstrom in goal will always give the Flames a chance.
  4. Canucks – This team took off when Bruce Boudreau took over last season. Thatcher Demko is a stud in goal. If Elias Pettersson, Nils Hoglander and Vasily Podkolzin play like they did in the second half Vancouver could be a playoff team.
  5. Golden Knights – This is a weird spot seeing is they have been a contender since they came into existence. I don’t think they will have the same amount of injuries they had last season. I still would like for them to trade for a goalie to pair with Logan Thompson after Robin Lehner’s season ending injury.  If Mark Stone is healthy he needs to produce.
  6. Ducks – They had a very interesting offseason. I liked adding Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. But was Strome’s production based on playing with Artemi Panarin? John Klingberg could help the production from the defense. What can Trevor Zegras do for an encore.
  7. Kraken –  I love what they are building in Seattle. They added Oliver Bjorkstrand from Columbus. Matthew Beniers and Shane Wright will give Kraken fans a glimpse into the future. They need Phillip Grubaruer to bounce back.
  8. Sharks – Their contract situation really stink, but Mike Grier is willing to move some of those guys and build around Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier. Big question is what do they get in goal? What does David Quinn do in his second go around in the NHL.

Eastern Conference Predictions

By : Mike Rifkin

With the NHL season upon us here is how I view the Eastern Conference 

  1. Hurricanes – Yes I think Carolina repeats as division champions. Rod Brind’Amour is one of the best coaches in the league. They added Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty, Pacioretty will eventually come back from an injury, but Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov are superstars and Frederik Andersen should have been a Vezina nominee after posting a 35-14-3 record with a 2.17 Goals Against Average, .922 save percentage and four shutouts. 
  2. Rangers – Igor Shesterkin did win the Vezina with 36-13-4 record, a 2.07 GAA, .935 save percentage and six shutouts. I don’t think Chris Kreider scores 52 goals again. I think Vincent Trocheck is an upgrade over Ryan Strome, but how quickly will chemistry with Panarin come? With Strome, Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp departing more will be asked of the young players. Can the kids take another step forward? If so the Rangers can challenge the Canes for the division. 
  3. Penguins –  They kept their core intact, bringing back Malkin, Letang and Rust. That being said this is an aging roster but as long as they stay healthy they are in a position to be a solid team. Jake Guentzel is becoming a premier goal scorer after posting 40 goals for the second time in his career. Tristan Jarry had the best season of his career going 34-18-6 with a 2.42 GAA and .919 save percentage with four shutouts. 
  4. Islanders –  Last year there were a lot of circumstances around the Islanders. They started the season with a 13 game road trip so their new arena could be finished. They had Covid go through their team. I don’t love firing Barry Trotz, but if it means guys like Mat Barzal, who just got a new contract, Anthony Beauvillier, and Oliver Whalstrom are going to produce more offensively it might be worth it. Ilya Sorokin was 26-18-8 with 2.40 GAA, .925 save percentage and seven shutouts. 
  5. Capitals – Yes Darcy Kuemper is an upgrade over what the Caps have had in goal recently.  Alex Ovechkin is still going to do his thing on his quest to conquer Wayne Gretzky’s goals record. But they will be without Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson for a bit. Wilson is the bigger blow because of what he means to the team. They will need TJ Oshie and Anthony Mantha to have good years. 
  6. Devils – I really like their upside and loved what they did in the offseason. Ondrej Palat was a great player in Tampa and can fit anywhere up and down a lineup, John Marino gives them size on the blue line. If Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier can stay relatively healthy they will put up numbers.  Can Dawson Mercer replicate his rookie season? The biggest question is in goal. What will they get out of Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood? 
  7. Blue Jackets –  Yeah they won the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes, and kept Patrik Laine. They traded Oliver Bjorkstrand because of those signings. The biggest question is the same as the Devils, what will Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins give them in goal. 
  8. Flyers – There are a lot of questions here that will be answered early on. John Tortorella is in the fold as the team’s new coach. They didn’t sign Johnny Gaudreau. According to GM Chuck Fletcher, defenseman Ryan Ellis is going to miss the season, while Sean Couturier will miss some time. This is a make or break year for Carter Hart. If he doesn’t have a good season he will need a change of scenery. Kevin Hayes should have a bounce back season, there were terrible circumstances for him last year and I expect him to bounce back. 

Atlantic Division

  1. Lightning –  This is weird to say, but I feel losing the Cup Final may have put a chip on their shoulder again. Also weird was last year was the first time Steven Stamkos hit 100 points in a season. Andrei Vasilevskiy is still the best goalie in the NHL. Most of their core is still intact. I expect good years from Nick Paul and Brandon Hagel especially after the departure of Palat.
  2. Panthers – I love the addition of Matthew Tkachuk, even though they paid a big price. But I feel the loss of Mason Marchment and Mackenzie Weegar are huge for this team. The team will also be without Anthony Duclair, who had Achillies surgery and should be back by midseason. But ultimately this comes down to Sergei Bobrovsky, if he plays well the Panthers will be solid, if he doesn’t there will be questions.’
  3. Maple Leafs – Let’s be honest it doesn’t matter what the Leafs do in the regular season, it’s all about winning a playoff series for the first time since 2004. The biggest question mark is always the same for the Leafs goaltending. What will Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov give them and more importantly can they stay healthy? But if the Leafs lose in the first round how will that affect the roster going forward, including the future of Auston Matthews who scored 60 goals last year.
  4. Senators – Yes, I am high on the Senators and who wouldn’t be after the offseason they had. Alex Debrincat comes from the Blackhawks after another 40 goal season, Claude Giroux will provide big time leadership for the team and Cam Talbot is a massive upgrade in goal. Add this to the nucleus of Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot, etc… I love this roster.
  5. Bruins – Every year people ask when will the Bruins drop off? Yes, I think this is the year they may slip a bit. My major reason is injuries, a lot of key players will miss the start the season including Brad Marchand and Charlie Mcavoy. Captain Patrice Bergeron is back as is David Krejci who played in the Czech Republic last year. Jeremy Swayman had a solid rookie season in goal. The biggest question in Boston is can they get David Pastrnak signed long term?
  6. Red Wings – Another team who had a tremendous offseason. Bringing in Andrew Copp, David Perron and Ville Husso will help the team. Young players like Lucas Raymond and reigning Calder winner Moritz Seider taking a step forward. But most importantly having Jakub Vrana healthy for a whole season will be huge for the Wings.Vrana had 13 goals in 26 games after shoulder surgery. Can Husso and Alex Nedeljokvic have similar success to what Husso and Jordan Binnington had in St.Louis. 
  7. Sabres  – Don Granato has done a tremendous job since taking over as Head Coach. But this is all about the young players in Buffalo taking steps forward. Can Tage Thompson replicate his season from last season? Alex Tuch should have a massive impact if healthy all season. What will they get in goal? Eric Comrie has never been considered a starter, but will have a chance in Buffalo.
  8. Canadiens – Cole Caufield was an absolute show after Marty St.Louis took over as the head coach. They  will probably be without Carey Price this season, but Jake Allen has the ability to steal a game. Loved their offseason additions of Kirby Dach, Evgenii Dadonov ( who I think gets moved at deadline), and Mike Matheson but this is a team in the midst of a rebuild.