We have a coupl
e weeks off from the NHL right now, so I thought it was a good time to review my bold predictions and see how they’re looking. MarmosDad will be back tomorrow previewing the trade deadline, so be on the lookout for that. As always, feel free to ask any questions, leave any comments, or give any suggestions below. Let’s get to it!
1) Matvei Michkov scores 90 points.
Well, we’re off to a poor start. I forgot that Tocchet hates Russian players, and that’s on me. Imagine playing Michkov on the third line with the lack of talent on the Flyers roster. Just bonkers. The one bright side is that in my Michkov prediction, I wrote that “as a secondary predicition, I’ll say Zegras sets a new career high in points, which means he gets 66+. A new start should be exactly what Zegras needed.” This looks firmly in play, despite the struggles of Michkov.
2) Jet Greaves is a top twelve goalie.
Much better! Greaves is currently the #9 overall goalie at the Olympic break. It’s far from a guarantee that he stays in the top 12, but regardless, he was the perfect late pick in drafts. Given how CBus has looked since Bowness took charge, I’m betting on Greaves maintaining his rank.
3) The Los Angeles Kings miss the playoffs.
This one is a bit up in the air. Right now, they’re just on the outside looking in. However, the addition of Panarin obviously could make a world of difference. The models even have big disagreement, with The Athletic having the Kings at 80% to make it, while MoneyPuck has them 55.2%. I will say that in my blurb, I wrote that Utah could pass them, but also mentioned Vancouver having a chance. Moving on…
4) Evander Kane works his way into being a hold in all formats for the full season.
Well, I guess staying in Vancouver instead of moving on. He has been nowhere near a hold, making this a complete whiff. I can’t really see any path to that changing down the stretch.
5) Cole Caufield finishes top five in the league in goals, scoring 45.
This one has real life! Caufield is currently tied for 3rd in the league (with four other players) with 32 goals. Caufield has been fantastic, but apparently not good enough for Team USA! At least he should be rested for the stretch run. He’s a top 20 player now fully delivering on his draft value.
6) Rasmus Dahlin wins the Norris Trophy.
Dahlin is currently the #9 overall defenseman in fantasy, but nowhere near the Norris list. Considering everything that happened with his fiancee off the ice, it’s remarkable that he’s even playing at this level. I still think he has a Norris in him eventually, but for now, just enjoy the fantasy value.
7) Ottawa doesn’t have a top 150 player besides their big four.
This one looks extremely unlikely to happen. Cozens and Batherson are both currently inside the top 100 overall. Batherson has been good all around, while Cozens is crushing it on the power play. Batherson is a clear hold right now, while Cozens is on the fringe.
8) Morgan Rielly is a top 15 defenseman.
He’s not even a top 50 defensemen overall. Fail. Toronto has been a mess. but even OEL has delivered more value than Rielly. The bounce back hasn’t happened at all.
9) Brandt Clarke is top ten in defenseman points.
It took the Kings months to play Clarke on the top power play unit while the unit was a disaster. He’s still getting nowhere near the minutes he deserves either. I wouldn’t be shocked by a big run down the stretch from Clarke now that Panarin is there, but he’s still not getting into the Top 10. The first year Hiller is gone, I’m going to be all in on Clarke.
10) Sidney Crosby gets traded at the deadline.
I’d call this a zero percent chance. Pitt has gone from a team that everyone was picking to finish dead last in the East to a playoff favorite. Unsurprisingly, Crosby has been a big part of that. He’s played his way onto the all-time hockey Mount Rushmore for me now. Full credit to him for still doing this at age 38.
So there’s one likely to hit, and two more that have a decent chance. Not the best work, but getting three would be a good result given that I’m making very bold predictions.
I’ve been burned by Rielly so many times I’m considering legal action