2015-16 Brendl Division Preview

8. Washington Capitals

Last Season: 1st in Brendl Division - 112 PTS

The Good: One thing going for the  Capitals is that they have a lot of young exciting players up front. Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Turris should create a nice combo up front. Sprinkle in guys like DSP, Hagelin and Boone Jenner on the other lines should keep other teams guessing. The defence might not be the sexiest in the league, but they should be steady enough.

The Bad: EIGHT GAMES! That is the amount of MRFHL experience between Ben Scrivens and Jake Allen have, and they will be shouldering the load this year between the pipes that was once held by Roberto Luongo. The forward core is young, and that should lead to some inconsistency issues if things aren’t going their way. Half the defence core (Scuderi, Robidas, Polak) are going to get burned down the wings a lot, so hopefully they get paired with a younger, responsible and quicker defence partner.

And the Verdict:  The Capitals were dominant last year, but after a summer of selling off they will be closer to the bottom than the top.

7. New Jersey Devils

Last Season: 8th in Brendl Division - 69 PTS

The Good: One thing that is greatly improved on this Devils team is the goaltending.  After a disappointing year from Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury will now add a steadying presence in net that was sorely missed last year. The defence is not spectacular but it is complete with safe and veteran players.

The Bad: The Devils were one of the lowest scoring teams last year and that was an area that they attempted to address. The highest scorer from last years team that remains is defenceman Nick Holden, who had 25 points. The top two lines are almost completely reworked with the likes of Jeff Skinner, Brad Marchand and Paul Stastny brought in. Marchand and Skinner are coming off pretty poor seasons by their standards, so it will remain to be seen how much effect they can have when they are relied upon as the top scorers.

And the Verdict: The Devils are definitely better than what they were, but in a solid Brendl Division it’s still hard to see them as a playoff team. The risk of trading their first may really come to bite them in the ass.

6. Columbus Blue Jackets

Last Season: 4th in Brendl Division - 91 PTS

The Good: Radim Vrbata and Jason Spezza had instant chemistry last season, so the two together again this year should pick up where they left off. Mike Smith was solid last year and will need to be just as good this year. The top pairing on D is dynamic with the puck, with youngster Adam Larsson and veteran Brian Campbell.

The Bad: After the duo up front the other 10 forwards are all fairly average at best, so goals will be hard to come by. The same thing can be said for the defence, which will need Derrick Pouliot to have a top rookie campaign.  

And the Verdict:  Expect a rebuilding year in Columbus. They’ll be able to stay in games, but are just not good enough to stay competitive with the better teams in the league. If they even want a sniff at the playoffs, Mike Smith needs to be even better than what he was last year.

5. Carolina Hurricanes

Last Season: 6th in Brendl Division - 84 PTS

The Good: The instant chemistry between the Sedin twins is something that is almost priceless, and they should look to continue on their great first year with the Hurricanes. The Canes didn’t do a lot over the summer, but the addition of Brad Richards on the 2nd line and rookie Filip Forsberg added to the lineup should help. While Corey Crawford was solid last year, you can make the argument that they improved with Cory Schneider between the pipes. The defence is solid, with the hope that Seth Jones adds a dynamic ability to the backend.

The Bad: When you look up and down the roster there’s nothing terrible about this team. The problem is that it’s not that great. The bottom 9 forwards have some ability, but could definitely have trouble being relied upon if the top line fails. The defence is solid, but lacks the dynamic offensive ability except for Tyutin and possibly Jones. They will need more than 1 point from Kulikov this year if they want to succeed.

And the Verdict: The Canes are good enough to reach the playoffs, but things just need to go right and hope that the other teams are not as strong. I expect Carolina to be better this year, just not good enough.

4. New York Islanders

Last Season: 7th in Brendl Division - 79 PTS

The Good: Even though his first stint with the Islanders was disappointing, Roberto Luongo is still a dominate goaltender and will give the team a chance to win every night. Supporting Roberto is a top 4 defence that is built with veteran stalwarts and up and coming young guys who will be relied more and more to eat up bigger minutes.

The Bad: Luongo had a GAA just below 2 with the Capitals last year, and the Islanders will desperately need that if they want to compete. This team is going to have a lot of trouble scoring goals this year. The catalyst and probably the best player in this offense is also a rookie (Ryan Strome), which is more than likely not an ideal situation.

And the Verdict: The Islanders are a rebuilding team, so finishing at the bottom might be something that they’ll actually want. Luongo needs a Vezina year to put this team in playoff contention, which is not out of the realm of possibility.

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

Last Season: 2nd in Brendl Division - 98 PTS

The Good: Datysuk and Getzlaf are almost as good of a 1-2 punch you can get in the league (there are better and we’ll get to them). Corey Perry was absolutely dominate in his short time after coming over from Ottawa. Drew Doughty is one of the best young guys in the league, and the rest of the defence are a solid group.

The Bad: James Reimer has played just under 140 minutes the past two years, and now he’s being handed the #1 spot in Pittsburgh, so forgive me for being skeptical. After the top three guys up front there is a serious drop in talent.

And the Verdict: Martin St.Louis retiring and Ryan Miller leaving will leave a huge hole in Pittsburgh. They still have the talent to be good, but a lot will be riding on Reimer to be good over a long stretch to get this team into the playoffs.

2. New York Rangers

Last Season: 5th in Brendl Division - 87 PTS

The Good: Like a few other teams in the division, the Rangers have seriously retooled their offence. Adding a ton of young and talented players in the likes of Parise, JVR, Stepan and Nyquist. The Rangers are solid four lines deep, with some talent even on the 4th line. The remodelled top four defence is a nice mix of young and old, headlined by the top pairing of Shattenkirk and Kronwall.

The Bad: While their goaltending pairing played over 140 games last year between the two of them, it’s still not the best situation. Talbot held the fort fairly well last year for the Rangers, while Niemi was solid in a few stops last season. The bottom pairing on the backend is thin, so the guys in front of them will need to log bigger minutes throughout the year.

And the Verdict: The Rangers are definitely improved from last years team. Now the question remains are they good enough to make up the 10 points that left them out of the playoffs last year? Whatever happens, expect them to be in the hunt until the bitter end.

1. Philadelphia Flyers

Last Season: 3rd in Brendl Division - 97 PTS

The Good: The Flyers are incredibly deep up the middle. David Krejci was spectacular last year, but even if he can’t lock down the #1 centre spot again there are three or four others that could take up that mantle. Size and skill make up the top pairing on D, with Chara and Yandle (who they will want more offence from this year). Rinne didn’t get a lot of playing time last year, but the new addition is a top end goaltender in this league.

The Bad: While they are deep down the middle, there isn’t a lot on the wings. They may have size, but other than Oshie there is not a lot of game breaking talent and guys who can consistently fill the net. Chad Johnson was poor as the Flyers backup last year, so they’ll need Rinne not only to play over 70 games but also stay healthy. The defence is solid through three pairings, but the key guys are getting older and may be losing a step.

And the Verdict: Khudobin was good last year, but Rinne should easily improve that category. The Flyers made a lot of good cheap additions to their bottom 6, and even with the loss of Nyquist, the Flyers should still maintain their playoff position this year.