Properly, effectively, effectively, what do we’ve right here?
We requested. You voted. The outcomes are in.
Fan picks for Stanley Cup winner, awards and extra
On @TheAthleticNHL ⤵️https://t.co/kCqdjI93FW
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 8, 2025
GO DEEPER
NHL fan predictions: Your picks for Stanley Cup winner, awards and more
Sure, it’s one more batch of predictions. However this time it’s not me or the opposite writers making the picks, it’s you. Sure, you, personally, as a result of I’m going to imagine you took half in The Athletic’s current survey. Greater than 2,500 readers did. Together with you.
And which means this week, I get to inform you why your predictions are unhealthy.
Oh, how the turns have tabled. Give me a second whereas I get into full “remark part” mode. (Hits self within the head with a brick a number of instances.) Heh, heh … clicks. OK, let’s do that.
Bonus 5: Fan survey predictions you’re flawed about, you dummies, you morons
1. You don’t consider within the Capitals — This was shocking, as a result of it’s been defined to me that anybody who watched the video games would know this Washington season is for actual. I haven’t had them in my one-spot all season, regardless of them beginning to draw back on the high of the standings. However I’ve had them as excessive as No. 2, they usually’ve been someplace within the high 5 for 10 straight weeks. In the meantime, you all had them as simply your seventh-most talked about Cup choose. Any ideas on that you simply’d prefer to share, Caps followers?
2. You’re flawed on the Hart Trophy — You suppose it’s going to be Leon Draisaitl in a slender win over Nathan MacKinnon, and each of these picks are affordable. However solely 14.2 p.c of you’ve got the fitting reply: That is the 12 months the Hart goes again to the goalies, with Connor Hellebuyck uniting the “this isn’t simply alleged to be an offense award” voting block whereas Draisaitl, MacKinnon and Connor McDavid cut up the ahead vote.
3. You’re tremendous flawed on the Calder — Lane Hutson is the perfect participant ever and the 79.4 p.c of you who don’t suppose he’s the perfect rookie on the planet have by no means watched a single hockey recreation in your depressing lives! Am I doing this proper, Habs followers? Too calm and affordable? I assumed so, I’ll attempt to get just a little extra amped up for subsequent time.
4. You’re most likely flawed on final place — The Sharks have opened up a fairly vital lead on the Hawks within the battle for useless final, however 53.7 p.c of you continue to suppose Chicago goes to take the highest lottery odds. I assumed so, too, up till a couple of weeks in the past, however the Sharks usually are not solely worse proper now, they’re most likely in higher place to subtract on the deadline. Additionally, that individuals had been choosing groups just like the Sabres, Geese and (particularly) Rangers means that a few of you don’t understand how standings work.
5. You’re nonetheless someway sleeping on the Panthers — I get that choosing the defending champs feels boring, particularly when that very same crew additionally went to the Ultimate the 12 months earlier than. Voter fatigue is actual. However nonetheless … solely 2.7 p.c of you’ve got the Panthers as your Cup choose? That’s lower than what you’d count on if we simply distributed the votes randomly amongst all 32 groups. All this for a crew in a really winnable Atlantic, whose solely competitors for high spot within the division is an inconsistent Leafs crew, and whose essential competitors within the convention finals would both be that Capitals crew you don’t consider in, or a Hurricanes crew you largely do consider in however that hasn’t actually clicked for the reason that Mikko Rantanen deal.
Typically, the boring choose is the fitting one, and whereas the Panthers have been out and in of my high 5 all 12 months lengthy, you’d higher consider I wouldn’t have them lumped into “different.”
On to this week’s rankings, that are higher than yours, you imbecile.
Highway to the Cup
The 5 groups with the perfect probabilities of successful the Stanley Cup.
The trade board has been updated, and … actually, possibly don’t trouble taking deadline time without work this 12 months.
5. Florida Panthers (34-20-3, +23 true targets differential*) — Hey, after that rant up above, I’ve acquired to place my cash the place my mouth is. However 5 wins in six to regain high spot within the Atlantic helps make my case.
4. Dallas Stars (35-18-2, +42) — Funniest non-celebration of the week honors go to Jamie Benn, who apparently didn’t really feel like placing an eight-spot on the lowly Sharks was even value acknowledging.
Jamie Benn joins the Stars scoring celebration! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/amvjTpBCpg
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 9, 2025
3. Washington Capitals (36-11-8, +59) — The Caps’ shootout loss to Utah was a reminder of how bizarre it’s that Alex Ovechkin, the best purpose scorer within the historical past of the game, typically doesn’t get chosen to participate within the goal-scoring contest. I imply, we get it — he’s by no means been a breakaway man, and it’s arduous to arrange the top-of-the-circle one-timer in a shootout — however strive explaining that to a non-fan.
2. Edmonton Oilers (34-17-4, +31) — Prediction contest replace: The dreaded all-or-nothing bonus query could possibly be a massacre, with Draisaitl sitting as the one participant within the league comfortably on tempo for 50 targets. About 64 p.c of you selected to roll the cube on that query (“Title one and just one participant who will end this season with at the least 50 targets, however who will not be Auston Matthews”) and less than 20 percent of those took Draisaitl.
1. Winnipeg Jets (39-14-3, +68) — Yep, I’m on board. Depend me in with the other rankings, who additionally picked this weekend to maneuver the Jets into high spot. They head into the break having gained eight straight, together with wins over the Avalanche, Hurricanes and Capitals. They usually come off the break with a stretch of seven video games by which Ottawa is the one playoff crew they’ll face. The race for high spot within the West could be over by March.
In different Jets information, Mark Scheifele is reportedly subsequent up if Sidney Crosby can’t go for Staff Canada, though that call may not come down till proper at tonight’s closing roster deadline.
*Objectives differential with out counting shootout choices just like the NHL does for some purpose.
Not ranked: Detroit Crimson Wings — OK, now that they’ve lastly misplaced a recreation, let’s regroup and see the place this crew is admittedly at.
Saturday’s loss to the Lightning snapped a seven-game win streak and left the Wings with a mark of 15-5-1 below Todd McLellan. That’s nonetheless a wonderful report, clearly, and it’s been sufficient to get them into the last wild-card spot. It’s been a powerful climb — when the win streak began on Jan. 23, they had been 14th within the convention, 5 factors out of a playoff spot. When McLellan took over, they had been fifteenth, and eight factors again. To cowl all that floor and cross all these groups in simply six weeks is a powerful feat.
But it surely nonetheless leaves them in a precarious spot, setting up a second half by which each level shall be essential. And for our functions, it makes them a troublesome crew to guage. The pessimist’s view is that they’re a mediocre crew that acquired sizzling for simply lengthy sufficient to barely climb right into a wild-card spot. Each crew has a win streak in some unspecified time in the future, and whereas these wins rely as a lot as some other, regression arrives finally. When it does, these Wings will revert again to being what they’ve been for a couple of years now — a wild-card bubble crew that finally ends up falling quick.
The optimist’s case is McLellan, and the actual fact his arrival coincides with the perfect six weeks this crew has performed in years, isn’t some random quirk. That is his crew now, and he’s unlocked one thing right here. Derek Lalonde had sucked the life out of this group, and McLellan introduced it again. Possibly they gained’t play at a 120-point tempo for the remainder of the 12 months, however we shouldn’t fear about something that occurred within the pre-McLellan period. And in the event you purchase that, the Wings are going to roll to a playoff spot.
In fact, you is also boring and say the reality is someplace within the center. That could be adequate for Wings followers, who haven’t seen a playoff recreation since 2016 and would possibly determine an underdog run as a wild card could be adequate for this season particularly given the way it began. However at the least they’ll spend the break hoping for one thing extra, as unlikely because it appears.
The underside 5
The 5 groups headed towards useless final and the perfect lottery odds for a high choose that could possibly be James Hagens, Matthew Schaefer or another person.
The 4 Nations Face-Off is right here, that means the NHL is on break till Feb. 22. Now we have a ton of insightful preview content material coming over the subsequent few days. We additionally had this post, by which we made a bunch of trades for an occasion that has no trades, which was possibly not as insightful however it is best to positively nonetheless learn it.
5. Montreal Canadiens (25-26-5, -31) — Properly, it was fun while it lasted.
4. Philadelphia Flyers (24-26-7, -30) — It’s potential I’m simply slipping them in right here as a result of no person in Philadelphia is considering hockey this morning. However whereas they’re right here: Am I studying an excessive amount of into it, or is it just a little bizarre to have traded two guys away who then instantly begin speaking about how they feel respected?
3. Nashville Predators (19-28-7, -36) — Saturday’s matchup featured the Predators on a six-game dropping streak and the Sabres having gained 4 straight, so it goes with out saying Nashville gained. They gave Juuse Saros the night time off, which was most likely a great transfer given how a lot motion he could be seeing over the subsequent week with that mess of a Staff Finland blue line.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (17-31-7, -41) — We’ve apparently made a collective resolution that February shall be worldwide pick-on-Connor Bedard month. Is that truthful? Not essentially, and Scott went again and broke down Bedard’s recent shifts to see which criticisms have been legitimate and which can have been misdirected.
1. San Jose Sharks (15-35-7, -64) — Saturday’s blowout loss to the Stars was the final likelihood to see them on house ice for a full month. After 4 Nations ends, the Sharks head out on a seven-game highway journey and don’t get again for a recreation till March 8.
Not ranked: Buffalo Sabres — No Sabres within the backside 5 this week, for the primary time since mid-December, due to these 4 straight wins heading into the weekend. That stretch hasn’t pushed them again into the playoff hunt, thoughts you; it will most likely have wanted to hit double digits to even come near that.
So right this moment, I simply need to ask Sabres followers one query: Was that win streak a great factor?
Sure or no. And this isn’t meant to be rhetorical, I’m actually undecided. Do you need to see this crew win proper now?
I can see either side. On one hand, you root for a crew since you need to see them win. And even when that’s extra of a protracted view, it’s a must to begin someplace. The journey of a thousand miles begins with 4 consecutive steps, that form of factor. If there’s any hope of the Sabres successful something with this core, they’ve to start out exhibiting us some proof of idea in some unspecified time in the future. If it’s taking place proper now, that’s excellent news.
Until it isn’t, as a result of come on, everyone knows this story. A damaged crew drops out of the operating, then heats up towards backup goalies and opponents who’re trying previous them, successful simply sufficient video games to perform two issues: tanking their lottery odds and convincing their entrance workplace to take the trail of least resistance and keep the course.
The Buffalo Sabres as quickly as they’re 47 factors out of the playoffs race pic.twitter.com/bNW5GH6QKD
— sba (@essbeeay) February 2, 2025
I’m torn. So Sabres followers, good and easy: Is that this streak a great factor or a nasty factor? Let me know within the feedback. I’m genuinely curious how that is taking part in out within the fan base.
(Picture of Panthers followers: Carmen Mandato / Getty Photos)
