NHL – 2015-2016 Regular Season, Playoff and Stanley Cup Expert Picks and Predictions

The 2015-16 regular season is set to begin this coming October 7 with eight teams kicking off the action on the ice. But before we get to that, let’s first see which teams hockey experts are expecting to win the divisions and the Stanley Cup final.

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2014-2015 NHL Experts’ Predictions

On the Forecheck (SB Nation)

Experts | Stanley Cup Champion Picks
Jon | Anaheim Ducks
Jeremy | Anaheim Ducks
Kris | Anaheim Ducks
Zeke | Anaheim Ducks
George | Anaheim Ducks
Dirk | Anaheim Ducks
Dan | Tampa Bay Lightning
Chris | Tampa Bay Lightning
Anish | Tampa Bay Lightning
Caroline | Pittsburgh Penguins
Alex | Pittsburgh Penguins

[sc:NHL240 ]The hockey guys over at SB Nation’s On The Forecheck came out with a comprehensive picks and predictions piece for the upcoming NHL season. Of course, the one that piqued our interest the most are these experts’ selections to raise the Cup next year.

While there are no out-of-nowhere picks, it’s still worth noting that of the 11 experts, six are betting that last season’s Pacific Division top dog in Anaheim would finally win it all next June.

The Ducks still have one of the most fearsome threesomes in the league with a topline composed of Patrick Maroon, Ryan Getzlaf, and Corey Perry. They also have depth in the goalie position with Frederik Andersen at the top of the depth chart with John Gibson and offseason acquisition Anton Khudobin in the rearview mirror of Andersen.

Speaking of offseason additions, the Penguins arguably got the biggest fish in the trade market when they extricated Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the potential explosiveness of a line that has either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin at center and Kessel on the right wing.

The Pens also added Nick Bonino, who has mustered 88 points 51 over the last two seasons. With Bonino at the middle of the third or fourth line, the Pens are almost guaranteed that there would be no steep drop off at the center position whenever Crosby and Malkin are off the ice. Marc Andre Fleury always has a question mark hovering above him, but at the same time, he’s coming off a solid 2014-15 campaign, wherein he finished with a 34-20 record along with a career best-tying 2.32 GAA.

The Lightning, meanwhile, have converted three OTF panelists into believers following a surprising season in which the team finished runner-up in the Stanley Cup final. The Bolts looked great heading into a new season with Steven Stamkos heading a talented cast of youngsters on both ends of the ice.

The extremely skilled Triplets line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov has such a high ceiling even after an incredible season that saw the group torture opponents for 73 goals. Then there’s Victor Hedman lurking in the blue line and Ben Bishop between the pipes to make the Lightning among the best defensive teams in the league.

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The Fourth Period

Experts | Picks
Bernstein | Anaheim Ducks
Hutcheon | Anaheim Ducks
Strehle | Anaheim Ducks
Bamford | Nasvhille Predators
Kearns | Washington Capitals
Grossi | Tampa Bay Lightning
Pagnotta | Pittsburgh Penguins

Anaheim also has the majority of picks to win the Stanley Cup in the blog site, The Fourth Period. Of the seven hockey analysts polled, three have the Ducks as their Cup champs. The other four are split on the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay, Washington, and Pittsburgh. The Preds and the Caps are the outlier picks here, as they have odds of +1,400 and +1,800 to win the Cup, respectively.

Rant Sports

Expert | Atlantic Division | Metropolitan Division | Central Division | Pacific Division
Darrell Samuels | Montreal Canadiens | Pittsburgh Penguins | St. Louis Blues | Anaheim Ducks

Puckheads at Rant Sports, meanwhile, have published a division-by-division breakdown, which includes their predictions for the top team of each at the end of the season.

We begin with the Atlantic Division. For writer Darrell Samuels, he thinks that the Montreal Canadiens will rule this division. It’s a bit bold of a prediction, though, considering the presence of Tampa Bay in the same division.

It’s not a crazy idea, however. For one, the Habs have one of the best netminders in the business in Carey Price. Moreover, Price is surrounded by the likes of Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec, who put up 67 and 60 points, respectively, last season.

Then there’s the defensive pairing of P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov, two blueliners who can also contribute on offense.  Montreal is priced +250 to top the division at the end of the regular season.

Moving over to the Metropolitan Division, Samuels predicted that the Penguins would finish at first place there. With general manager Jim Rutherford doing a great job back in the offseason by bringing Kessel and Bonino, to name a few, to Pittsburgh, the Penguins are looking like a team with evil intentions whenever they’re on the attack. Now, if only the Pens can finally be consistent on defense.

As for the Central Division, Samuels is putting his money on the St. Louis Blues. Despite the Blues  (+300) trading T.J. Oshie to Washington, Samuel feels confident that St. Louis has enough firepower left in the roster to cause tremendous headache for opponents.

The Blues have always performed well in during the regular season, but has always choked in the playoffs since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach in 2012. Nevertheless, a group that boasts of returning key players David Backes, Alexander Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko and notable addition in Stanley Cup champion Troy Brouwer give the Blues hope to extend their dominance in the division.

Lastly, Samuels chose the Ducks as his bet to win the Pacific Division. The Ducks are the overwhelming favorites to top the division, as they are priced +150 to do just that. The Ducks came within a win of ousting the Chicago Blackhawks in the conference finals last season, and with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry still a combustible tandem as ever, hopes are high for Anaheim to be a Cup contender again.

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