Prediction 6: Chicago will not make the playoffs
This one wasn’t a hugely hot take, the Hawks missed the playoffs last year, and haven’t won a playoff series since they won the cup in 2015, but there was a little bit of optimism surrounding this team in the off-season and a team with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will always have the chance to surprise. The Blackhawks are not eliminated from the playoffs race just yet, as they sit 6 points back from the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s only a matter of time for the team currently 7th in the Central division.
Result of… Lukewarm Take: Correct, but nothing to brag about.
Prediction 7: Edmonton, Calgary and one of SJ or Arizona will be the Pacific Division Playoff teams
I pictured the Edmonton Oilers rebounding a bit, it’s really hard to fathom a team with arguably the best player in the entire world not being able to make the playoffs in the weakest division in hockey… But here we are and the Oilers find yet another way to disappoint their fans and waste another year of Connor McDavid. Meanwhile, SJ and Arizona were duking it out for the 3rd spot in my mind, but these predictions were made prior to Erik Karlsson joining the SJ Sharks, getting a defenseman of that caliber certainly shakes things up a bit. Arizona has been pesky, and despite injuries that would even make the Ducks blush, are still in the thick of things. The Knights success has pushed the Coyotes down just a bit, but not unfathomable to think they still make the playoffs, albeit in the Wild Card rather than a divisional spot.
Result of Hot Take: Partly correct. Calgary made it, SJ made it, Arizona could make it, but Chiarelli did Chiarelli things and the Oilers did not.
Prediction 8: Islanders, Canadiens, Canucks, Senators and Red Wings will be the bottom 5 teams
Starting with the Senators, Canucks, and Red Wings, those 3 are in the thick of a rebuild, and while progress was expected from the latter 2, neither did I predict to make the playoffs, the Canadiens and the Islanders were facing some tumultuous times and while the Islanders were bringing in the coach who was fresh off a Stanley Cup win, and the Canadiens had a shiny new toy in the way of Jesperi Kotkaniemi to be excited about, I didn’t expect either of them to compete for the playoffs.
Result of Hot Take: As it stands now, the Islanders are a playoff team, the Canadiens are a point out of the wild card spot, neither of them will be in the bottom 5, the Canucks also won’t be a bottom 5 team, although they will likely be close. Detroit and the Senators were correct, rounded out by New Jersey, Buffalo, and LA.