Staff Predictions
With the 2013-14 campaign about to start, this is the perfect time for us to make some bold predictions about the coming season.
As we’ve done in the past, we’ve singled out our preseason trophy picks, our Stanley Cup Final predictions, and the players we think will have the biggest fantasy impact. We’ve also thrown in some oddball predictions to spice things up.
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Ryan Dadoun
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard Trophy: Alex Ovechkin
Vezina Trophy: Henrik Lundqvist
Calder Trophy: Aleksander Barkov
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Kris Letang
PIM Leader: Antoine Roussel
Best Fantasy Forward: Sidney Crosby
Best Fantasy Defenseman: Kris Letang
Best Fantasy Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist
Best Sleeper: Mike Green
Most likely to disappoint: Sergei Bobrovsky
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Jonas Hiller
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The St. Louis Blues defeat the New York Rangers in five games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. The Detroit Red Wings will go from the fourth most disciplined team in the NHL (rated by total penalty minutes), to one of the top 10 most penalized teams now that they are in the Atlantic Division.
2. The New Jersey Devils ranked 28th in goals per game last season. They will improve on that despite losing Ilya Kovalchuk, but they will still miss the playoffs.
3. The gold medal game in the 2014 Winter Olympics will not involve Canada, the United States, or Russia.
Kevin A. Brown
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Vezina Trophy: Henrik Lundqvist
Calder Trophy: Seth Jones
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Erik Karlsson
PIM Leader: Zenon Konopka
Best Fantasy Forward: Steve Stamkos
Best Fantasy Defenseman: P.K. Subban
Best Fantasy Goalie: Tuukka Rask
Best Sleeper: Mikhail Grabovski
Most likely to disappoint: John Tavares
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Braden Holtby
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The Los Angeles Kings defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. Daniel Alfredsson may have fled for Detroit in order to win a Stanley Cup, but Ottawa will make it further in the playoffs than the Red Wings will.
2. The departed Mikhail Grabovski will record more points than both Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson combined.
3. Marc-Andre Fleury will lead the NHL in wins despite recording a save percentage below .905.
Brian Rosenbaum
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Vezina Trophy: Tuukka Rask
Calder Trophy: Valeri Nichushkin
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Kris Letang
PIM Leader: Radko Gudas
Best Fantasy Forward: Sidney Crosby
Best Fantasy Defenseman: Kris Letang
Best Fantasy Goalie: Tuukka Rask
Best Sleeper: Mikkel Boedker
Most likely to disappoint: Jiri Tlusty
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Karri Ramo
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The Washington Capitals defeat the San Jose Sharks six games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. Corey Perry's and Ryan Getzlaf's combined points will be within 50 points of all other Anaheim Ducks' forwards added together.
2. Tuukka Rask will have more shutouts than Karri Ramo will have wins.
3. Sami Vatanen will outscore highly-touted Seth Jones.
James O'Brien
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Vezina Trophy: Henrik Lundqvist
Calder Trophy: Mark Scheifele
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Erik Karlsson
PIM Leader: Zenon Konopka
Best Fantasy Forward: Alex Ovechkin
Best Fantasy Defenseman: Erik Karlsson
Best Fantasy Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist
Best Sleeper: Steve Downie
Most likely to disappoint: Sergei Bobrovsky
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Steve Mason
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The St. Louis Blues defeat the New York Rangers in six games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. A significant player will get injured during the 2014 Winter Olympics, altering the playoff picture in the process (much like Dominik Hasek in 2006).
2. Evander Kane will be the most valuable player fantasy-wise named Kane (not Patrick) next season.
3. Jarome Iginla will have a better season with David Krejci and Milan Lucic than Nathan Horton ever did.
Antti Makinen
Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Vezina Trophy: Tuukka Rask
Calder Trophy: Aleksander Barkov
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Kris Letang
PIM Leader: Colton Orr
Best Fantasy Forward: Steve Stamkos
Best Fantasy Defenseman: Erik Karlsson
Best Fantasy Goalie: Tuukka Rask
Best Sleeper: Mikkel Boedker
Most likely to disappoint: Phil Kessel
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-2014: Jonas Hiller
Result of the Stanley Cup final: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeat the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
Three oddball predictions:
1. The Columbus Blue Jackets will make it to the playoffs.
2. The Washington Capitals won't make it to the playoffs.
3. The Philadelphia Flyers will have a solid goaltender whole season.
Jimmy Hascup
Hart Trophy: John Tavares
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Vezina Trophy: Henrik Lundqvist
Calder Trophy: Tomas Hertl
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Erik Karlsson
PIM Leader: Chris Neil
Best Fantasy Forward: Steve Stamkos
Best Fantasy Defenseman: P.K. Subban
Best Fantasy Goalie: Jonathan Quick
Best Sleeper: Brayden Schenn
Most likely to disappoint: Sergei Bobrovsky
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Martin Brodeur
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The Detroit Red Wings defeat the St. Louis Blues in six games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. John Tortorella becomes a media darling in Vancouver.
2. Martin Brodeur admits he just doesn't have it, passes the torch himself to Corey Schneider.
3. During Olympics, one NHL star goes down with season-ending injury that drastically impacts playoff race.
Corey Abbott:
Hart Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Rocket Richard Trophy: Steve Stamkos
Vezina Trophy: Jonathan Quick
Calder Trophy: Aleksander Barkov
Art Ross Trophy: Sidney Crosby
James Norris Trophy: Alex Pietrangelo
PIM Leader: Colton Orr
Best Fantasy Forward: Steve Stamkos
Best Fantasy Defenseman: P.K. Subban
Best Fantasy Goalie: Tuukka Rask
Best Sleeper: Brent Burns
Most likely to disappoint: Nathan Horton
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: Steve Mason
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The Los Angeles Kings defeat Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. Tyler Seguin will outscore trade counterpart Loui Eriksson, who will be Boston's leading point producer, this season.
2. New York Islanders' Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck will combine to surpass 800 hits this year.
3. Taylor Hall, Evander Kane, Logan Couture and Jamie Benn will enjoy breakout years and enhance their growing fantasy worth.
Michael Finewax
Hart: Steve Stamkos
Richard: Steve Stamkos
Vezina: Henrik Lundqvist
Calder: Aleksander Barkov
Art Ross: Sidney Crosby
Norris: Erik Karlsson
PIM: Zenon Konopka
Best Fantasy Forward: Steve Stamkos
Defenseman: Mike Green
Goaltender: Henrik Lundqvist
Sleeper: Brad Richards
Biggest Disappointment: Joe Thornton
Goalie most likely to lose his starting job in 2013-14: James Reimer
Result of the Stanley Cup Final: The Boston Bruins defeat the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
Three Oddball Predictions:
1. They'll have trouble with the ice for the Winter Classic because of the warm weather conditions, putting the game in peril.
2. Ilya Bryzgalov will find a job in the NHL, but will not be a good quote.
3. Russia will not win the gold medal in the Olympics. Alex Ovechkin will be distraught once again and have a poor second half.