Poll: Who Will Win The 2018 IIHF World Championship?
If you were one of the many hockey fans frustrated by the NHL’s decision to not attend the most recent Winter Olympics, or one of the many others who have already seen their team eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, this weekend is for you. On Friday, some of the best hockey players in the world will kick off the IIHF World Championship as Team USA and Team Canada do battle.
For more than two weeks, players will represent their countries in the top international tournament of the year. The bronze and gold medal games will be played on Sunday, May 20th—who will be there?
The Canadians look like favorites to contend once again, with Connor McDavid leading an impressive forward group that also includes names like Mathew Barzal, Ryan O’Reilly, Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn. Tyson Jost was added to the team today, while a blue line manned by Aaron Ekblad and Colton Parayko should be smothering.
Team USA doesn’t lag far behind, with Patrick Kane headlining an incredibly skilled group of forwards. Cam Atkinson, Alex DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Dylan Larkin and others are going to bring speed and offense to the tournament.
Russia is always a wildcard in international tournaments, and is coming off an Olympic victory in Pyeongchang. The team will also have a new face behind the bench, as Oleg Znarok stepped down earlier this month. Ilya Kovalchuk won’t be there, but don’t expect a reduced level of play from the Russians.
As usual, Sweden—the defending champions—will have arguably the best defensive corps in the tournament, with names like John Klingberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Hampus Lindholm and Adam Larsson manning their blue line. The team will also feature young talents like Lias Andersson and Elias Pettersson up front, making their games must-see TV for prospect nerds.
The Czech Republic, Finland and Slovakia will all be tough outs like always, and don’t overlook a Leon Draisaitl-led German squad. The Germans have made the quarter-finals in the last two World Championship tournaments, and shocked the hockey world with an Olympic silver medal in South Korea.
In all, the tournament should be excellent and provide a hockey release for those already frustrated with their team’s performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. With that, we ask you who you think will win the gold medal. Make sure to explain your reasons down below.
Who will win the World Championships?
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Canada 49% (257)
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USA 23% (122)
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Sweden 16% (82)
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Finland 6% (32)
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Czech Republic 2% (12)
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Russia 2% (11)
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Other (leave in comments) 2% (8)
Total votes: 524
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Poll: Who Should Win Coach Of The Year?
The Jack Adams is a tough trophy to award. Almost always based on team success relative to the prior year, or in the face of injury, it’s an award whose voters rarely have all of the pertinent information. No one can say for sure what is the best coaching method, or how one individual decision affected the results of an entire hockey team.
That said, the league seemed—from the outside at least—to have an excellent field of coaches to choose from this year. Three finalists were named in Gerard Gallant (Vegas), Jared Bednar (Colorado) and Bruce Cassidy (Boston), but other names like John Hynes (New Jersey), Paul Maurice (Winnipeg) and Peter Laviolette (Nashville) all could have found themselves in the race in any other year.
The question is should they have been in the race this year? Should someone else, like Jon Cooper or Peter DeBoer have been considered? What exactly determines the “coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success” in your mind? While Gallant may be the expected winner by many around the league, should he be?
Vote below on not who you think will win, but who you think should win the Jack Adams trophy. Our similar poll for the Calder resulted in different finalists, while our readership picked the same top three for the Norris. Remember this is based on regular season results, not the first round of the playoffs. Explain your choice in the comment section below.
Who should win Coach of the Year?
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Gerard Gallant (VGK) 63% (487)
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Bruce Cassidy (BOS) 14% (110)
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Jared Bednar (COL) 9% (72)
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Other (leave in comments) 5% (35)
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Paul Maurice (WPG) 4% (32)
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John Hynes (NJD) 3% (24)
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Peter Laviolette (NSH) 2% (16)
Total votes: 776
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Poll: How Far Will The Golden Knights Go?
The Vegas Golden Knights can’t be stopped. The Los Angeles Kings couldn’t even slow them down. It took just four games for the NHL’s youngest franchise to win their first playoff series, allowing just three goals in the process. Marc-Andre Fleury is an early favorite for the Conn Smythe trophy, but he’ll have to continue his string of outstanding starts to actually take home the trophy. More likely than not, the Golden Knights will also have to win the Stanley Cup, something that doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.
Vegas has been doubted at every turn. When they got off to an 8-1 start to the season, people said they would come back to earth. It was just a motivated group and home-heavy schedule. They would still falter by the trade deadline, and sell off their expiring assets. Instead, they went out and spent three draft picks on Tomas Tatar to improve their offense and retained all of their high profile unrestricted free agents.
Now, they sit as the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup after eviscerating the Kings in four games. They only scored seven goals against the stingiest defensive team in the league, but that was more than enough to feel in control of the series the whole time. Amazingly those Kings were basically neck-and-neck with the Golden Knights when we asked who would come out of the Western Conference just before the playoffs began. That was despite an 11-point lead in the regular season. Now, the tide seems to be turning in their favor.
The Golden Knights will take on the winner of the Anaheim-San Jose series next, and they should likely be considered favorites regardless of who they face. Just 12 wins remain for the Stanley Cup, a result unimaginable at season’s start. We ask you, has your opinion changed? How far will the Golden Knights go?
How Far Will The Golden Knights Go?
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Lose In Western Conference Final 42% (275)
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Lose In Second Round 29% (186)
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Win Stanley Cup 17% (111)
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Lose In Stanley Cup Final 12% (76)
Total votes: 648
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Poll: Who Will Be Eastern Conference Champions?
Yesterday, we asked who would come out of the next few weeks with the title of Western Conference Champions, and 37% of our readership agreed. The Nashville Predators easily led the poll, with the Colorado Avalanche bringing up the rear with just 3% of the total vote. Interestingly, the vote pegged the Los Angeles Kings as the third-most likely to win, despite finishing the season as the seventh best team in the West.
Will the public perception be the same in the Eastern Conference? We ask you the same thing, who will be champions when the first three rounds have been decided?
Can the Tampa Bay Lightning ride their conference lead all the way to the top? Will the Pittsburgh Penguins reach their third consecutive Stanley Cup Final? Are the Washington Capitals really cursed, or is it finally time for Alex Ovechkin to lift the Cup?
Make sure to leave your reasoning in the comments below, and share the poll on Twitter so you can disagree with even more people.
Who will be Eastern Conference champions?
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Pittsburgh Penguins 29% (389)
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Boston Bruins 22% (298)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 21% (282)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 8% (102)
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Washington Capitals 7% (87)
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New Jersey Devils 5% (66)
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Philadelphia Flyers 4% (57)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 4% (55)
Total votes: 1,336
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Poll: Who Will Be Western Conference Champions?
The NHL Playoffs kick off tomorrow night with three first round matchups. The Minnesota Wild head to Winnipeg to take on the Jets, the Pittburgh Penguins welcome in their rival Philadelphia Flyers, and the Vegas Golden Knights host the first playoff game in franchise history when they take on the Los Angeles Kings. All three should be exceptional games, featuring superstars and underrated talents.
By Thursday evening, all eight series will have started and the first round will truly be underway.
So who do you think comes out of it all? This year more than ever the conferences seem wide open, with several teams built to be real contenders for the Stanley Cup. Even with weaker records, some of the lower seeds have the ability to catch fire for a few weeks, while injuries can always upset the favorites. Vote below on who you think will win the Western Conference, and explain why in the comment section. Will the Predators head back to the Finals for the second year in a row? Is it another long playoff run for Joe Thornton (when he returns) and the Sharks? Can the Anze Kopitar and the Kings score enough to shock the world again?
Who will be Western Conference Champions?
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Nashville Predators 36% (375)
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Winnipeg Jets 18% (189)
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Vegas Golden Knights 11% (119)
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Los Angeles Kings 11% (113)
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San Jose Sharks 7% (75)
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Anaheim Ducks 7% (72)
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Minnesota Wild 6% (66)
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Colorado Avalanche 3% (36)
Total votes: 1,045
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Poll: What Is The Worst Contract In The NHL?
Every year, young or overlooked players break out in the NHL and provide incredible value for their teams. In Vegas they know this phenomenon quite well. Jon Marchessault and William Karlsson are impact players for them while earning pennies compared to other stars, and are a big reason why the Golden Knights look like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
But at the other end of the spectrum are players who have fallen apart after signing long-term, big money deals. Veterans who earned a big payday after some excellent seasons in their youth, but aren’t coming anywhere close to delivering on that promise. We’ve looked at this subject in the past, mentioning players like Carl Soderberg and Bobby Ryan, who hadn’t come close to their previous scoring totals. Soderberg has reclaimed some of his offensive touch this season, while Ryan has continued to struggle in Ottawa.
So who really does have the very worst contract in the league? In the poll below we’ve listed some of the obvious options, but make sure to discuss in the comment section who you think tops the list. Is it an aging defenseman, or a useless forward? A former superstar, or a role player riding the spoils of a career season?
The amount listed is how much of the contract is remaining after the 2017-18 season.
What is the worst contract in the NHL?
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Brent Seabrook (6 years, $6.875MM) 30% (812)
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Milan Lucic (5 years, $6.0MM) 23% (627)
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Bobby Ryan (4 years, $7.25MM) 18% (503)
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Loui Eriksson (4 years, $6.0MM) 7% (200)
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Andrew Ladd (5 years, $5.5MM) 6% (161)
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Justin Abdelkader (5 years, $4.25MM) 6% (155)
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Other (leave in comments) 4% (103)
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Marc Staal (3 years, $5.7MM) 2% (63)
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Marian Gaborik (3 years, $4.875MM) 2% (49)
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Brandon Dubinsky (3 years, $5.85MM) 2% (49)
Total votes: 2,722
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Poll: Will Washington Re-Sign John Carlson?
John Carlson is having an outstanding season, and he’s doing it as the fourth-highest paid defenseman on the Washington Capitals. Despite the fact that he’s tied for the league lead in points from a defenseman, a legitimate candidate for the Norris Trophy, and logging almost two minutes more each game than anyone else on the Capitals, he’s being paid just $4.0MM this season. Matt Niskanen, Dmitry Orlov and Brooks Orpik all carry much higher cap hits, and are earning more actual salary.
But boy, is Carlson about to get paid.
In the upcoming free agent class, no defenseman comes anywhere close to providing the impact Carlson has, and if it weren’t for a certain center in New York he’d have a good shot at being the top name on the board at any position. Calvin de Haan, Mike Green and Jack Johnson might be nice names to add, but Carlson is on another level.
So, why would the Capitals let him go? Part of the reason may lie in the fact that he’s the fourth name down when looking at the salaries on their blue line. With so much money tied up in Niskanen, Orlov and Orpik, there might just not be enough left for Carlson if he demands a deal approaching some of his contemporaries. Giving him something like $7MM per season (or perhaps even more) would make navigating the cap very tricky, given their long-term commitments to so many other players.
But they also can’t really afford to lose him. Though Madison Bowey and Christian Djoos have showed they can play at the NHL level, they’re not about to pick up the slack for a departing Norris candidate (or winner). Orpik is a buyout candidate once again, but at this point it doesn’t save a ton of money going forward and it might just be easier to ride out his last year in 2018-19.
So will Carlson stay? The Capitals have made it clear they will try to re-sign him, and they’ve shown a willingness in the past to give out max-length deals to keep the cap hit as low as possible. Cast your vote below, and leave a comment with where you think he’ll end up in the future.
Will Washington re-sign John Carlson?
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Yes 53% (288)
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No 47% (255)
Total votes: 543
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Poll: Which Club Is Most Likely To Bounce Back?
The 2017-18 season has not been good to preseason prognosticators. No one saw the Vegas Golden Knights going from expansion to excellence, and few could predict the disappointing seasons in Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal. Many even had the Oilers as a Western Conference favorite before the season began, thanks in large part (or entirely) to Connor McDavid‘s ascent to the top of the league.
Now, as we head into the last few weeks of the regular season, it’s becoming clear who will finish the year at the very bottom. Amazingly, the Colorado Avalanche are not among the worst teams in the league despite having a historically-bad season in 2016-17. That bounce back is exactly what every non-playoff club will attempt next season, hoping that a few tweaks and some natural progression will get them right back into the hunt.
Of those teams already considered out of the running, which one is most likely to make the playoffs next season? Is it Edmonton, thanks once again to McDavid’s skill? Or a team like Vancouver who have their own young talents to build around? Will success ever come to Arizona or Buffalo?
Vote below, and make sure to list your reasons in the comments.
Which team is most likely to bounce back?
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Chicago Blackhawks 38% (653)
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Edmonton Oilers 29% (492)
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Montreal Canadiens 8% (135)
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Buffalo Sabres 8% (130)
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Detroit Red Wings 6% (107)
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Arizona Coyotes 4% (71)
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Ottawa Senators 4% (67)
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Vancouver Canucks 3% (59)
Total votes: 1,714
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Poll: What Was The Most Surprising Non-Trade From The Deadline?
As is often the case around the trade deadline, there was a flurry of moves but only a handful involving players of prominence (including Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay, Paul Stastny to Winnipeg, and Rick Nash to Boston). Considering the players who were rumored to be available, some of the non-trades certainly came as a surprise.
Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson was the biggest name out there and while it seemed like a longshot at first, the rumors only seemed to intensify to the point where it started to look like he would have indeed been dealt. By all accounts, Vegas was in it until the dying minutes but a deal failed to materialize while other teams had also had discussions. Instead, his future will now have to be addressed in the summer.
Another Senator, Mike Hoffman, also failed to move despite being signed for two more years at a reasonable rate. Max Pacioretty out of Montreal had been available for a couple of months at least and despite a down season, has been one of the top scorers around the league in the past several years but it appears that no trade was particularly close.
Many viewed Detroit’s Mike Green as the top rental blueliner available but he wound up staying put. His neck injury certainly lessened the overall interest but even with the extra risk, he still appeared to be close to a lock to move. Jack Johnson, another rental defender, had asked for a trade from Columbus early in the year and the team had even gone and acquired a possible replacement for him in Ian Cole but in the end, he remains with the Blue Jackets.
Which of these non-moves was the biggest surprise in your opinion? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
Which Non-Trade Was The Biggest Surprise?
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Mike Green (DET) 55% (630)
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Max Pacioretty (MTL) 16% (189)
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Erik Karlsson (OTT) 16% (180)
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Jack Johnson (CBJ) 7% (81)
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Mike Hoffman (OTT) 5% (53)
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Other (post in the comments) 2% (18)
Total votes: 1,151
Mobile users, click here to vote.
Poll: Should The New York Rangers Buy Or Sell?
Every week in our live chat, a question is inevitably asked:
Will the New York Rangers buy or sell at the deadline?
The question is understandable given the Rangers’ inconsistent season so far. Though they are right in the thick of the playoff chase in the Metropolitan Division, there has been several occasions where the team doesn’t look deep or good enough to make a real impact in the postseason. Tonight is one of those nights so far, as they trail the Toronto Maple Leafs as of this writing 4-0.
The Rangers have some significant assets if they decide to sell, including captain Ryan McDonagh and top scorer Mats Zuccarello. Both players have another year on their deals at a reasonable cap hit, and could bring back considerable value if made available. The decision to make them available though, doesn’t seem certain this point.
They also have several expiring contracts in Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, David Desharnais and Nick Holden, all of whom could be valuable on the trade deadline market. Those players could be moved without sacrificing any talent next season, but would signal a sort of white flag on 2017-18.
So what do you think? Should the Rangers blow it up completely, just move out a few rentals or actually add for a run at the playoffs? It’s not out of the question that they could be in a playoff spot by this time next week, making it hard to decide to throw in the towel. Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Should the New York Rangers buy or sell at the deadline?
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Blow it up! Sell everything that isn't tied down. 62% (754)
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Sell off some rentals, but keep the core. 33% (410)
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Go after the top names for a real deadline splash. 4% (43)
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Add some minor pieces for another playoff run. 2% (19)
Total votes: 1,226
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