With some transactions since my last post, and since a bunch of the predictions were a combination of bias and an experiment to see comments ... I have decided to redo that blog in a shorter format with basic predictions for the opening night roster, and some point predictions for that roster... enjoy!
Sorry in advance for the format, I tried my best to keep it simple!
LW C RW
Line 1 Ponikarovski Stajan Kessel
Line 2 Blake Grabovski Hagman
Line 3 Bozak Tlusty Stempniak
Line 4 Wallin Primeau Orr/Mayers
Mitchell, Hanson, Boyce and some more depth forwards will split time between NHL and AHL based mostly on injuries
Pairing 1 Kaberle Komisarek
Pairing 2 Schenn Beauchemin
Pairing 3 Exelby White/Finger
Starter Toskala
Back Up Gustavsson
I think that this roster, if it stays healthy, could reach as high as 6th in the conference. Mind you, the team needs better goalkeeping out of Toskala, and hopefully if not, then Gustavsson carries over the brilliant numbers from the SEL.
OK... Now stats predictions in order of the line predictions!
GP G A PTS
Ponikarovski 82 23 39 62
Stajan 80 19 49 68
Kessel 67 31 19 50
Blake 75 22 39 61
Grabovski 82 27 32 59
Hagman 82 26 21 47
Bozak 71 14 16 30
Tlusty 75 8 20 28
Stempniak 80 11 14 25
Wallin 70 4 8 12
Primeau 65 3 5 8
Orr 41 0 2 2
Mayers 41 1 3 4
Kaberle 82 8 41 49
Komisarek 82 12 20 32
Schenn 82 6 19 25
Beauchemin 76 11 35 46
Exelby 71 3 10 13
White 65 8 12 20
Finger 17 1 3 4
---
Extras
Hanson 12 4 4 9
Mitchell 20 5 10 15
Boyce 4 0 1 1
Van Ryn 17 3 4 7
Total GF - 250 Compared to last years numbers, that is only an increase of 6 and would have tied the Leafs for 9th overall.
Goalies GP (W-L-OTL) GAA SV% SO
Toskala 57 (29-19-8) 2.49 0.917 6
Gustavsson 25 (14-9-2) 2.56 0.908 2
With the improved defense, and a hard-nosed ultimatum from the front office that if the players can't play in their own end, then they wont play, the Leafs are destined to improve their goals against. I predict the team allows 230 goals. That would put them right around 15th in the league, a vast increase over the dead last 30th the team finished last season.
Stempniak will flirt with 20 goals this year, possibly hit 25
So.... 43-28-10 for 96 pts? seriously? 7th in the east last year points-wise... yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaa okay
Not a bad write-up. Line-up wise, the only thing I would change would be to put Blake on the 1st line with Kessel and Stajan, and drop Poni down to the second line with Grabovski and Hagman. Also, you don't have Kuelimin listed at all. I'm wondering where he fits into the line-up.
Actually pretty impressive... Personally, I'd not expect Komisarek to hit 30 points but expect more from Wallin. Often overlooked is that this guy (Wallin) had 10 points in 19 games the first time around... can't imagine him being considerably worse now.
Stempniak and Mayers are going to put op more points than you listed, and Komisarek will be lucky to put up 20. Wallin will probably hit 30-35. Stajan is not going to hit anywhere near 68 since he won't be the first line center. A good writeup nonetheless.
6th in the conference? Who's dropping out? Pit, Car, Devs, Phi? Come on!Its nice to see you guys finally improving....but some leafs fans need to peek outside the cave once and a while and realize the rest of the conference didn't just freeze and watch in awe at the center of the hockey world like some (not necessarily you) think.
WHERE IS KUELMIN???
and come on stalberg is better then boyce
i think kessel plays centre inbetween blake and hagman and stajan third line centre
I dont think Kessel will be there opening night but I may be wrong
the roster is a general consensus with the whole team healthy ... he's out till early-mid november from what i understand ... and you're right about stalberg but i see him getting first line duties with kulemin with the marlies this year
12 goals for Komisarek? He has 12 goals over his last 4 years combined.
he i sa leaf now.. means he will score 4x the totals from last year
Habbies: that would make you wrong.
and I'm willing to bet that if Tlusty and Bozak don't crack the top six, they spend time in the AHL.
If Tlusty plays 75 games and gets 8 goals we might have an issue, that and none out of Kulemin...Komisarek number is definitely high.I have slightly higher goals (and games played) from all your spares except Boyce, who didn't make my list.I like (and recognise) your methodology - nice post.
Tlusty the third line center over Mitchell? Are you serious? How are you aloud to blog on a website about a team you know nothing about. Come on man....
go have some fun with a barn yard animal jordan ...
i will reserve comment until i see final roster,but i think Stahlberg should be in the line up opening night