Prediction Thread

[Claude_Verret]

Let's have 'em...

 

Sabres finish / total points?

 

Sabres leading goal scorer?

 

Sabres points leader?

 

Miller / Vanek fate?

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion?

 

Any other predictions you care to throw out there so the rest of us can have some gotcha material to use on you for public ridicule.

 

 

I'll go first..

 

Sabres 6th in Atlantic with 79 pts

 

Vanek nets 28

 

Hodgson with 62 pts.

 

Miller extended, Vanek gone at deadline for picks and prospects

 

Penguins over Kings in 6

 

Wild prediction: Darcy fleeces another team as someone finally agrees to take Stafford off our hands

[LGR4GM]

Sabres finish in 5th (Atlantic) with 89pts

Vanek - 31goals

Vanek - 76pts

Miller traded (islanders) and Thomas Vanek signs extension 8yrs X8mil

Detroit loses to Minnesota in 7

 

Left field prediction: Mikhail Grigorenko 11goals 20assists

[MattPie]

Let's have 'em...

 

Sabres finish / total points?

 

Sabres leading goal scorer?

 

Sabres points leader?

 

Miller / Vanek fate?

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion?

 

Any other predictions you care to throw out there so the rest of us can have some gotcha material to use on you for public ridicule.

 

Sabres finish 11th in the EC, with 81 points

Vanek: 33

Leino: 65

Miller/Vanek: Both sign with Sabres

Cup: Sharks/Bruins, Bruins in 5.

 

Randoms:

Scott fights 8 times, wins 6.

Kaleta plays more than 60 games. 5 lost due to suspension.

Stafford scores more than 20 goals, still traded at deadline for mid-first round pick.

Josie914 ostracized when she decides to root for Detroit.

No fights in the first Toronto game. Three in the second game.

Sabres only win one game against Philly, so I have to hear about the rest at work.

[ROCBuffalo]

Sabres 9th with 71 points

Hodgson - 25 goals

Ennis - 68 points 18 G and 50 A (Yep!)

Miller stays and Vanek gets traded (which is why I didn't chose him)

 

I think Chicago repeats for the first time in over a decade.

 

Bold Prediction: Girgensons will out-score Grigorenko

[CallawaySabres]

ECF - Montreal over Detroit

WCF - St. Louis over Chicago

 

St. Louis over Montreal

 

Sabres - could not even begin to guess.....

[sicknfla]

9th - 71 pts

Miller gone by xmas - somebody gets hurt or desperate.

Vanek gone at deadline. 2 prospects and a #1.

Stafford/Weber involved in trade for prospect and late #1.

Hodgson leads team with 58pts.

Grigs will be a regular scratch by mid-Nov.

Larsson be #2 center by xmas

First thread about who we pick in top 3 by Jan.15.

Edited October 1, 2013 by sicknfla

[Claude_Verret]

A lot of folks afraid of the gotcha stuff apparently...

[Weave]

One prominent member flounces.

JJFiveOh comes around on advanced stats

Liger flipflops twice on which defenseman he obsesses over

Chz resorts to a racy avatar to get a winning streak going

The forum crashes the day of the trade deadline

[LGR4GM]

I really love McBain... he has shown us something this preseason...

[darksabre]

I really love McBain... he has shown us something this preseason...

 

:lol:

[X. Benedict]

This is an 84 point team.

 

38-36-8

 

They will compete, they will tease, they will make a run, they will fizzle out.

A fairly respectable year in this division, given the circumstances.

[SwampD]

The Buffalo Sabres will win the Stanley Cup this year.

[Eleven]

Sabres finish / total points?

 

7th in the Flortheast, 77 points.

 

 

Sabres leading goal scorer?

 

Vanek.

 

Sabres points leader?

 

Hodgson.

 

Miller / Vanek fate?

 

Gone. Maybe Vanek stays, but I just don't see it.

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion?

 

I just don't study the Western Conference enough. Montreal breaks out of the East.

 

WIld prediction: Drane drives to Dallas and shoots Lindy in the head from a book depository.

Edited October 2, 2013 by Eleven

[Taro T]

Prediction: unless the Sabres do significantly better than expected this board will be unbearable.

[drnkirishone]

Sabres finish / total points? 8-10th in conference and somewhere around 80-83 points

 

Sabres leading goal scorer? Stafford

 

Sabres points leader? Hodgson

 

Miller / Vanek fate? Miller traded Vanek reups

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion? Red Wings vs Stars winner Red Wings

 

Any other predictions you care to throw out there so the rest of us can have some gotcha material to use on you for public ridicule. My prediction is Stafford gets hot for a month or two and scores a bunch of goals that propel him to the team lead and he keeps it due to a season ending injury to Vanek sometime around january. Also I predict the youth movement is going to do very very well and will make people realize this will be a quick turn around hence Vanek resigning.

[deluca67]

The final four teams will be the same as last year with LA, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Boston. Pittsburgh beats Chicago in the Finals.

 

The Penguins acquire Ryan Miller for a 2nd round pick and defenseman Simon Despres.

 

Thomas Vanek finishes the season in Phoenix in exchange for a 1st round pick and forward Lucas Lessio.

 

Sabres finish 16th in the East losing out to Calgary for the #1 pick in the draft.

 

Sabres attempt to justify another season of Regier at the end of the season press conference but no media show up to report it.

 

Ron Rolston steps down as head coach midway through the season to follow his true passion, underground Taiwanese squirrel fighting.

[nfreeman]

 

 

Sabres finish / total points?

 

4th in division/7th in EC; 93 pts

 

Sabres leading goal scorer?

 

Vanek until he is traded at the deadline; then Ennis at end of reg season

 

Sabres points leader?

 

Hodgy

 

Miller / Vanek fate?

 

Vanek traded at deadline for fat package; Miller signs 4-year, $20MM extension at deadline

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion?

 

Chicago over Boston again

 

Wild prediction:

 

Dallas dusts the Sabres in both meetings. Vanek is traded and then goes to UFA. Griggy is healthy-scratched more times than John Scott.

 

And foligno-girgy-larsson-tropp form a new spine throughout the previously spineless forward group. Combined with a Myers resurgence and killer goaltending, the Sabres entertain, hustle and surprise.

 

That's right.

[dudacek]

Vanek leads the team with 36 goals, 68 points, re-signs for 7@$7 around the all-star break with the Sabres solidly in the playoff mix.

Miller is lights out, makes the Olympic team and is traded with futures for Ryan O'Reilly the second O'Reilly's offer sheet restriction runs out.

Sabres go on a late season tailspin and finish in 10th with 82 points.

Grigorenko and Girgensons have up and down years, each seeing time in the press box. Pysyk is the team's best rookie.

Rolston is suspended two games after John Scott glares at Sidney Crosby.

Risto jumps in as Colton Orr is pummelling Hodgson. Don Cherry says the Chicken Swede should let Cordy Hodgkins fight his own battles.

It takes 68 games, but Christian Ehrhoff registers a shot on goal on the power play.

Tyler Myers gets a zen tattoo.

Patrick Kaleta leads the Sabres in shorthanded goals, hits, blocked shots and the entire league in penalties drawn. Broadcasters across the league say there is no place in the NHL for players like that.

Tyler Ennis spoils a team bonding activity when he gets IDed in Montreal's party district.

Drew Stafford is told he will be given the C in games against teams with green jerseys. Rolston forgets Dallas has new uniforms.

Cody McCormick bruises his knuckles.

Mike Weber breaks his nose fighting a guy out of his weight class. He doesn't miss a shift.

The trainers refuse to handle Enroth's gear anymore, after yet another "coffee" incident.

McBain makes a bad pinch.

Foligno becomes legitimate NHL power forward.

Three games after returning from IR, Cory Tropp takes a souvenir t-shirt fired by a mascot during a west coast road trip right in the eye. He's out for the season.

People forget Porter is on the team.

Leino and Tallinder get injured in practice. This pleases Nikita.

Darcy lets Ott go to UFA to "prove I'm no Pegula puppet."

Flynn? Who's Flynn?

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Chicago and LA in the West, hands down. Maybe a STL can sneak in to the finals, but I think those 2 are the class...........In the East, Montreal is going to keep progressing. I say the Rangers and MTL in the east, with New Jersey being the surprise this year and my wildcard. Boston and Pitt will be competitive, but I don't see either in the Finals. Winnipeg is also a deep wildcard, but they either make a move this year or it won't happen..............The Sabres? Look at the lineup....every line and D pairing is a minus. Vanek/Hodgson/Stafford/Myers/Ehrhoff....ok 2nd..crappy 1st. Ott/Ennis/Lieno/Weber/Pysyk.....ok 3rd, crappy 2nd.........Grigs/Girg/Foligno/Tallinder/Risto......maybe a 2nd in 2-3 years....now? Then the filler.........Miller will be ok, but if things start going downhill early, he will lose focus.......Scoring leaders? I fully expect Hodgson to be injured this year, especially on the heels of a bad team come game 25-30 or so......in all honesty, I see both Vanek and Miller traded because I expect the team to tank early.....I'm guessing 14 points in the first 20-22 games........Ott for scoring leader. Sabres lucky to hold off Florida in the division.

[TrueBlueGED]

Sabres finish / total points? 11th, 83 points

 

Sabres leading goal scorer? Vanek ~30 (if Vanek is traded, then Hodgson in the low 20s)

 

Sabres points leader? Vanek ~70 (if Vanek is traded, then Hodgson at ~65)

 

Miller / Vanek fate? Vanek traded at deadline, Miller kept until offseason

 

Stanley Cup matchup & Champion? Washington vs. Chicago, with the Hawks repeating

 

Surprise East playoff team: Tampa

 

Surprise West playoff team: Colorado

[LGR4GM]

Leino and Tallinder get injured in practice. This pleases Nikita.

:w00t:

[Peppy22]

There is only one prediction I will make. Leino 40-55 points if he plays above 65 games. And a positive +/- rating.

[darksabre]

Vanek leads the team with 36 goals, 68 points, re-signs for 7@$7 around the all-star break with the Sabres solidly in the playoff mix.

Miller is lights out, makes the Olympic team and is traded with futures for Ryan O'Reilly the second O'Reilly's offer sheet restriction runs out.

Sabres go on a late season tailspin and finish in 10th with 82 points.

Grigorenko and Girgensons have up and down years, each seeing time in the press box. Pysyk is the team's best rookie.

Rolston is suspended two games after John Scott glares at Sidney Crosby.

Risto jumps in as Colton Orr is pummelling Hodgson. Don Cherry says the Chicken Swede should let Cordy Hodgkins fight his own battles.

It takes 68 games, but Christian Ehrhoff registers a shot on goal on the power play.

Tyler Myers gets a zen tattoo.

Patrick Kaleta leads the Sabres in shorthanded goals, hits, blocked shots and the entire league in penalties drawn. Broadcasters across the league say there is no place in the NHL for players like that.

Tyler Ennis spoils a team bonding activity when he gets IDed in Montreal's party district.

Drew Stafford is told he will be given the C in games against teams with green jerseys. Rolston forgets Dallas has new uniforms.

Cody McCormick bruises his knuckles.

Mike Weber breaks his nose fighting a guy out of his weight class. He doesn't miss a shift.

The trainers refuse to handle Enroth's gear anymore, after yet another "coffee" incident.

McBain makes a bad pinch.

Foligno becomes legitimate NHL power forward.

Three games after returning from IR, Cory Tropp takes a souvenir t-shirt fired by a mascot during a west coast road trip right in the eye. He's out for the season.

People forget Porter is on the team.

Leino and Tallinder get injured in practice. This pleases Nikita.

Darcy lets Ott go to UFA to "prove I'm no Pegula puppet."

Flynn? Who's Flynn?

 

:worthy:

[chileanseabass]

Sabres ride Miller and Myers to 5th in the Atlantic and squeak into the playoffs with 92 pts.

Miller spends the whole season in Buffalo and does not sign an extension.

Vanek is traded at the deadline for a prospect and pair of draft picks.

Sabres deal some of their 2014 picks and McNabb for a big tradeline acquisition to replace Vanek.

Grigorenko finishes second in most games as a healthy scratch behind Scott.

Girgensons finishes with more points than Grigorenko.

Flynn scores more goals than Stafford.

Stafford finishes the season in Buffalo, and is scratched down the stretch.

Risto leads all defensemen in +/-.

Hodgson is the leading scorer with 82 pts.

Ott signs a 3 year extension for 4 mil per, and also scores 18 goals.

Foligno scores over 20 goals.

Kaleta leads the league in games suspended.

Myers receives votes for the Norris, and Girgensons and Risto get votes for the Calder, but none win an award.

McCormick leads the team in PIMs and finishes 4th in the NHL in fighting majors.

Rolston is a finalist for the Adams.

[That Aud Smell]

I'm not into predictions this year, sorry. I don't see this as a playoff team, but with Miller playing in a contract/Olympic year, it's possible.

 

I have little/no expectations, so I have little sense of what might happen.

 

One quick point of order: The playoff seeding system has changed this year, right? It's the top-3 in each division plus the conference's two teams with the next-highest point totals. So if someone were to predict, for example, a 4th or 5th place finish in our division (without elaborating), it's not clear whether they're projecting the team to make the playoffs.

Edited October 2, 2013 by That Aud Smell