Habs out of the playoffs? riiiiiiiight
All I know and all I really care about to be honnest is habs will finish top 5 in the East.

LOL the Oilers wont even make the playoffs this year, guaranteed. Heres a healthy bet HOTLANTA, if they do, the Sabres owners have agreed to sport the avatar of your choice for one month. If they dont make the playoffs, you have to do the same. Obviously this has to be within good taste mind you.

Do you take our offer?

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1 - Buffalo Sabres
2 - Tampa Bay Lightning
3 - Phildelphia Flyers
4 - Ottawa Senators
5 - Carolina Hurricanes
6 - New Jersey Devils
7 - Atlanta Thrashers
8 - New York Rangers
9 - Boston Bruins
10 - Florida Panthers
11 - Pittsburgh Penguins
12 - Montreal Canadiens
13 - Toronto Maple Leafs
14 - New York Islanders
15 - Washington Capitals



WESTERN CONFERENCE
1 - Anaheim Ducks
2 - Nashville Predators
3 - Calgary Flames
4 - San Jose Sharks
5 - Vancouver Canucks
6 - Detroit Red Wings
7 - Edmonton Oilers
8 - Minnesota Wild
9 - Dallas Stars
10 - Los Angeles Kings
11 - Phoenix Coyotes
12 - Colorado Avalanche
13 - Columbus Blue Jackets
14 - Chicago Blackhawks
15 - St. Louis Blues

Yes, the Blues and Isles make the playoffs. That's no typo.

And Devils and Oilers do miss the playoffs.

Seems obvious to me.

I'm just wondering why all you guys have the Habs at 11 or 12. Can any of you give me a valid reason why they are a wrose team than last year?
Anyways here are my predictions:

1) Ottawa Senators
I know they lossed Chara and Havlat but no team in the east can compete with them. They're young and keep improving, Vermette will keep improving and on defense Phillips will have a bigger role and replace Chara.
2) New Jersey Devils
I don't see the Rangers being as good as last year and no one els ein that division can compete.
3) Tampa Bay Lightning
With Denis in net this team will surprise a lot of people.
4) Buffalo Sabres
Best team in 2005-2006 and should have won th ecup if it weren't for all the injured D's. Pominville will have a bigger role and will do a fine job replacing Dumont on Briere's right.
5) Montreal Canadiens
Improved team with Samsonov and Johnson and with Ribeiro, Zednik and Bulis gone. Latendresse and Johnson will make the 3rd line dangerous. The one concern is the PK but with Carbo, Muller and Jarvis that won't be a problem for too long. And yeah those who say Huet was a half-season wonder, don't forget Theodore lost a lot of games for them in the first half.
6) Carolina Hurricanes
I didn't think they were that good last year and shouldn't have beaten the Sabres, they'll still be a good team just not as good.
7) Philadelphia Flyers
Goaltending will still be a problem but with the offense they have they'll still make the playoffs.
8 ) Boston Bruins
The one reason they are there is Patrice Bergeron will keep improving.
9) New York Rangers
Jagr and Lundqvist are the only reason they're not near the bottom.
10) Toronto Maple Leafs
They suck and I hate them but I just don't see them any worse than 10th with Mats Sundin. J-S Aubin will start and will surprise though.
11) Atlanta Thrashers
Losing Marc Savard will hurt them more than people think.
12) Pittsburgh Penguins
Still as bad even with Malkin and Staal. I'd love it if they finished higher but I just don't see it happening.
13) New York Islanders
This team just sucks.
14) Florida Panthers
Auls is underrated by most but they'll realixe how good Luongo was.
15) Washington Capitals
No future until the owner changes and decides to spend more than the salary floor.

1 Nashville Predators
Vokoun is king and should have been nominated for Vezina. Dumont will also kick ass.
2 Vancouver Canucks
Luongo will kick ass.
3 Anaheim Ducks
Sure, why not
4 Detroit Red Wings
I don't see how but they're always there
5 San Jose Sharks
I heard they're good
6 Calgary Flames
meh
7 Dallas Stars
Ribs will kick ass on the 2nd line yaaaaaaaaaaaap
8 Minnesota Wild
They're back
9 Colorado Avalanche
The-Odor isn't that bad
10 Edmonton Oilers
They'll suck without Pronger
11 Los Angeles Kings
Improving but they still suck
12 Columbus Blue Jackets
Better than Phoenix, St.Louis and Chicago but they suck
13 Phoenix Coyotes
Better than St.Louis and Chicago but they suck
14 St. Louis Blues
Better than Chicago but they suck
15 Chicago Blackhawks
They just plain suck

Philippe27 wrote:

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9) New York Rangers
Jagr and Lundqvist are the only reason they're not near the bottom.

---

You pick the Rangers to miss the playoffs and wonder why we think Montreal won't make it?

JJ and Lund the ONLY reasons? The first line is as dominant as any in hockey, the second line looks to be as good or better than Montreal's top line. The third line is intriguing and it'll depend how much Dawes thrives early, he certainly will get 10-30 goals as a rookie. The fourth line gets shortshifted and is good for checking, though I suspect Hossa will stand out as an odd fit.

Straka-Nylander-Jagr 
Prucha-Cullen-Shanahan
Dawes-Betts-Hall
Hossa-Hollweg-J. Ward

But the defense is VERY good at moving the puck and keeping the speed going, skills very useful in the new NHL. Lundqvist is twice as good as Huet. Healthy, he'll shine.

Defense:
Tyutin-A. Ward
Malik-Rozsival
Pock-Rachunek