2017/18 Daigle Division Preview

The Daigle division might be the deepest in the league. At least 7 of the 8 teams should stand a good chance at making the playoffs (only 3 did last year). These predicitions are going to look like trash at the end of the year but I'm willing to bet any money that I'm right on #8.

8.  Buffalo Sabres

Last Season: 8^th in Daigle Division – 59 PTS

The Good: The Buffalo Sabres offence was trash last year, averaging less than 2 goals per game. They’ve made significant strides to address this, acquiring Tomas Plekanec, Zach Parise and Kris Versteeg over the summer. Zach Parise’s 136 goals over the last three seasons is an incredible coup that should be a huge help in Buffalo. Nikita Zaitsev will help on the backend, but the rookie is being thrown right in to the thick of it and will be expected to carry the big minutes. 

The Bad: Outside of Zaitsev and Enstrom, the defence in Buffalo is either inexperienced or just plain bad. The goaltending never got support last year, but they did themselves no favours either and Cam Ward is back in net this year which might be the definition of insanity. Besides Parise and Plekanec everyone else are either 3^rd or 4^th liners on other teams, so secondary scoring will be a massive issue. 

And the Verdict: The Sabres were historically bad last season and might not be much better this year, but they will be better. The goaltending is still trash, the defence is suspect and the offence doesn’t have enough firepower to keep up. The Sabres might get a huge jump in points this year, although that won’t be enough to even put them close to a playoff spot. 

7.  Tampa Bay Lightning

Last Season: 3^rd in Daigle Division – 102 PTS

The Good: The Lightning are an incredibly scary team on the wings. Young and upcoming stars like David Pastrnak and Mike Hoffman continue to improve on a yearly basis. Mikko Rantanen joins Nazem Kadri down the middle to a centre group that desperately needs help. Scott Darling and Tuukka Rask is an impressive tandem that should split the games somewhat this year.

The Bad: Outside of the top 2 guys, the centre depth is basically non-existent. Trusting it to a rookie and Nazem Kadri might be too tall of an order for them. The defence is decent through the first few names, the further you go along it starts to become worrisome.

And the Verdict: The Lightning are good but they are just not as deep as they were last year. With the division getting stronger and some teams expected not to slump again, the Lightning might be sitting outside the playoff picture this season.

6.  Boston Bruins

Last Season: 5^th in Daigle Division – 89 PTS

The Good: Taylor Hall and Nikolai Ehlers added to the wings of Barkov and Tavares should make for two really exciting lines. Jay Bouwmeester is a great add to an already great defensive group. Frederik Andersen is unproven as a starter for the Bruins but seems poised to take on that role and Kari Lehtonen who was signed during free agency should provide as a capable backup. 

The Bad: After the top two lines, the Bruins forward depth is a pedestrian bunch. After the elite talents at the 1-2 spots down the middle, the rest of the centre depth is a disappointing group. So while there’s not a ton wrong with the Bruins, 6 of their 12 forwards are not great and that makes things easier for opposing coaches to key in on. 

And the Verdict: The Bruins were one of those teams last year where you expected them to make the playoffs yet they are on the outside looking in. I’m not entirely sure that they are better this year which could be trouble when they are in a division that seems to be getting stronger. The Bruins should be in the playoffs, but they might need to make in-season adds to get there. 

5.  Montreal Canadiens

Last Season: 4^th in Daigle Division – 90 PTS

The Good: The Canadiens spent the summer bringing in elite talent with Jamie Benn and Shea Weber now joining the ranks. With the one two punch of Getzlaf/Thornton down the middle are one of the best duos in the league. The defence is solid as well with a contingent of mid 20’s defenceman led by John Klingberg and Ryan Ellis. The Jonathan’s (Drouin and Huberdeau) are an exciting pair on the wings going in to this season.

The Bad: Goaltending! Peter Budaj is a decent goalie but expecting him to carry the team through the majority of the season is the bet they should be making. Alex Stalock is their backup, so they don’t even have a fallback if Budaj falters. Besides the hole in net, the rest of the Canadiens are a solid group. 

And the Verdict: The Canadiens missed the playoffs by a frustratingly 3 points last year and they are making sure they are not in that position again. If they can get decent goaltending out of Budaj or find an upgrade, they should be a playoff team this time around.

4.  Detroit Red Wings

Last Season: 6^th in Daigle Division – 86 PTS

The Good: The Wings seemed to have one objective this summer and that was to bring in veterans. They solidified their defence with Mark Giordano, Francois Beauchemin and Jared Spurgeon, who join reigning Norris Tropy winner Erik Karlsson. Henrik Zetterberg and Ryan Kesler were brought in to bolster a top 6 that is full of exciting youngsters like Tarasenko and Panarin. The biggest add will not have been from free agency or trade but by the addition of rookie Connor McDavid who is the odds on favourite for this year’s Calder Trophy. Mike Smith is a great backup for youngster Matt Murray. 

The Bad: Other than the three electrifying millennials upfront, it’s a surprisingly old group in Detroit as they are by far have the oldest average age in the league at almost 32 years of age. So keeping healthy over the long year could be an issue, but if you’re going to have veterans may as well have really good ones.

And the Verdict: The Red Wings are a deep team all over. Their goaltenders are both solid, their defence is solid yet exciting and their offence have some of the most interesting players in the league. McDavid is an all world talent and the fact that the Wings missed the playoffs by only 7 points last year, McDavid alone should be at least a 4 wins above replacement level player. 

3.  Toronto Maple Leafs

Last Season: 2^nd in Daigle Division – 112 PTS

The Good: The Leafs took the Flames to Game 7 last year but ended up coming short. To avoid that similar fate they’ve kept basically the same roster intact, adding in behemoth Zdeno Chara. The offence that was very spread out is all back and the Leafs are hoping for a repeat of last season. Corey Crawford was excellent last year and so was the defence who as we’ve mentioned swapped out Marc Staal for Chara - which if you don’t know, is a huge upgrade. 

The Bad:  The Leafs offence is spread out but fairly inconsistent on the bottom lines. There could be nights through the season where if the top line doesn’t show up they might be hurting for goals. The ever aging core upfront could have some durability issues as the season goes on. 

And the Verdict: A goal with under 4 minutes left crushed the Leafs chances at finally ending their championship drought. No other teams came closer to a title without actually winning it last year. With the moves they made the Leafs are definitely a position to get another chance at a championship.

2.  Florida Panthers

Last Season: 7^th in Daigle Division – 84 PTS

The Good: Out are long time members Jamie Benn and Alex Pietrangelo, in are Claude Giroux and Jaccob Slavin. The Panthers reworked the team  this summer but they are still really deep. Goaltending is stronger now with Cam Talbot, who will shoulder the weight with Steve Mason who was solid last season. The team has three good scoring lines with the likes of Crosby, Ovechkin, Stepan, Giroux, Draisaitl and Sheary spread amongst the lineup. They strengthened up their depth at the backend with signings of Dennis Seidenberg and Thomas Hickey, with rookie Josh Morrissey joining the group as well. 

The Bad: The Panthers on paper are a strong team. Throughout the lineup they have depth, even as healthy scratches and in the minors. The question will be if the stars can produce, which has been a problem in the past for Florida.

And the Verdict: Really these guys are the best. Under the guidance of their brilliant and handsome General Manager…….alright I’ll stop. Florida was an odd case last year. Their goal differential should have put them somewhere in the playoff picture or just outside of it, but they ended up near the bottom of the division. Two years out of the playoffs caused a bunch of changeover and they should be back in the playoffs this next season.

1.  Ottawa Senators

Last Season: 1^st in Daigle Division – 116 PTS

The Good: Nicklas Backstroke leads a very capable group of forwards up front that’s young and ready to take on the world. New adds Tyler Johnson and Jordan Eberle give the Senators a new look that it hasn’t seen in a while. They’ve also changed out half their D-core with Justin Schultz, Ryan Murray and Dougie Hamilton that gives the group a bit more skill that it hasn’t necessarily had in the past - and that’s already including PK Subban. Carey Price has won the Vezina 3 years in a row now, so expect excellence once again.

The Bad: The backup position is weak, but that’s not a worry that should keep anyone up (unless Price gets hurt - imagine the historic collapse that could happen in that scenario). The offence is full of young and exciting players, but there’s no real defensive guys among the bunch which could make their free-flowing game a bit nerve-racking.

And the Verdict: The best team in the league were out in 5 games last year and they hope to avoid a similar fate this season. They are deep team and may not win the east again this year, but they'll be knocking on the door.