2013-14 Scoring Predictions

[dlbalr]

As is tradition, August is fantasy hockey month on the site where we profile numerous Habs from a fantasy perspective. One of the areas of focus obviously is their production. Here are the profiles we have so far (there are plenty more to come):

Bourque

Briere

Desharnais

Diaz

Eller

Galchenyuk

Gallagher

Gionta

Markov

Pacioretty

Plekanec

Price

Prust

Subban

Rest of the NHL squad

Prospects

Who will lead the Habs in points this year? Plus, feel free to post your predictions for any players.

[BlueKross]

Briere--I don't see him coming anywhere close to Ryders 35. The big question is how many games out of 82 is he going to be healthy for. My guess would be between 15 and 20 goals. I would give him 25 if he remains healthy all year.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Uhhh why not just throw something at the wall here. Will be fun to re-visit later. Top 10 in scoring:

Pacioretty: 40 goals, 75 points

Subban: 15 goals, 75 points

Eller: 20 goals, 65 points

Galchenyuk: 25 goals, 60 points

Plekanec: 25 goals, 60 points

Gallagher: 30 goals, 50 points

Markov: 15 goals, 50 points

Briere: 20 goals, 45 points

Gionta: 20 goals, 40 points (shortened season)

Desharnais: 15 goals, 35 points (shortened season)

Probably being a bit conservative on a few there.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Pacioretty-35 goals 60 points

Subban-20 goals 65 points

Gallagher 25 goals 45 points

Markov 10 goals 35 points (shortened season; it's been three years after all)

GALCHENYUK-20 goals 75 points

Eller-15 goals 50 points

Desharnais-10 goals 35 points (I believe with the rightful emergence of Eller and Galchenyuk as the top 2 pivots he's going to play himself off the team, and yes, this is a bold prediction)

Plekanec- 20 goals 55 points (slow and stale wins the race for the turtleneck, as he starts to become invaluable as a shut down/3rd line center)

Parros-2 goals, 5 assists

BRIERE-25 goals 60 points. Surprise of the year, he shines with Galchenyuk, as a first line while Galchenyuk refines his two way game, by neccesity.

Rene Bourque-20 goals 40 points. Along with Plekanec and Gio, they flip flop and become an excellent third line.

Gionta-10 goals 25 points. Shortened year, and an unremarkable one, foreshadowing a changing of the guard, which needs to start next year.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Plekanec- 20 goals 55 points (slow and stale wins the race for the turtleneck, as he starts to become invaluable as a shut down/3rd line center)

The thing about Plekanec is that's basically his role already. However, he always plays against the top line of the opposing team so he's always logging in a ton of minutes. The problem is you can't take him off the PP because he's honestly our most consistent power play performer. Last season we played Gionta/Plekanec/DD/Patches/Gallagher/Ryder/Bork with the most forward PP minutes. This season I could see that turning into Plekanec/Patches/Gallagher/Eller/Galchenyuk/Briere/Gionta/DD. Giving Eller and Galchenyuk more PP minutes needs to happen. Gionta is a solid PP hand for us and should get slotted back in if someone isn't working but we should be looking to ease his minutes down in his final year with the team.

[dlbalr]

Probably being a bit conservative on a few there.

I'd go the other way and suggest it's a bit optimistic on some of them. The 10 players you have listed combine for 225 goals - that alone would put the Habs near the top-10 in GF before factoring in the other 10-12 players who will produce some goals during the year. It'd be nice if that were to happen though.

[illWill]

Pacioretty-35 goals 60 points

Subban-20 goals 65 points

Gallagher 25 goals 45 points

Markov 10 goals 35 points (shortened season; it's been three years after all)

GALCHENYUK-20 goals 75 points

Eller-15 goals 50 points

Desharnais-10 goals 35 points (I believe with the rightful emergence of Eller and Galchenyuk as the top 2 pivots he's going to play himself off the team, and yes, this is a bold prediction)

Plekanec- 20 goals 55 points (slow and stale wins the race for the turtleneck, as he starts to become invaluable as a shut down/3rd line center)

Parros-2 goals, 5 assists

BRIERE-25 goals 60 points. Surprise of the year, he shines with Galchenyuk, as a first line while Galchenyuk refines his two way game, by neccesity.

Rene Bourque-20 goals 40 points. Along with Plekanec and Gio, they flip flop and become an excellent third line.

Gionta-10 goals 25 points. Shortened year, and an unremarkable one, foreshadowing a changing of the guard, which needs to start next year.

Agree

[Meller93]

Every year there are a couple surprises, some being disappointments, and some being breakouts. Any predictions on who those players might be?

I look to Emelin to continue his improvement when he returns.

Maybe a disappointing season from Desh again with his ice time being squeezed out by good play from Eller.

But I don't know who could break out. Galchenyuk maybe?

[Link67]

So far i'd have to say what i'm reading is quite optimistic. Based on Last season, factoring in PPG averages, and spreading that average over an 82 game season, this is what our current top 10 would have looked like. Comparing this list to some of the lists here, and you can see fairly quickly that optimism is soaring.

Max Pac = 72 pts

P.K = 74 pts

Plekanec = 57 pts

Markov = 51 pts

Eller = 53 pts

DD = 47 pts

Gallagher = 52 pts

Galchenyuk = 45 pts

Gionta = 44 pts

Briere = 37 pts

I'm certain we will see player progression from guys like Eller, Gallagher, and Galchenyuk, but that will come at a cost of production and role reversals for players like Desharnais and Gionta. I can see if not right out of pre-season, then during the season, Eller swapping spots with Desharnais. This would result in an increase of production and ice time for Eller, but a reduction of time for DD and a relegation to the 3rd line which would result in maybe 35 - 39 points on the season. Gionta, Briere, and Bourque will all be wrestling for the 2nd line position along side Plekanec, and what it will mean for the loser of the battle is time on the 3rd line, with lesser minutes, and also resulting in lesser production. if the line combinations resemble something of the sort for the better part of the season, the point production I could see in a best case scenario type of situation is..

Pacioretty(76) - Eller(66) - Gallagher(61)

Bourque(54) - Plekanec(57) - Briere(51)

Galchenyuk(49) - Desharnais(39) - Gionta(41)

Parros(11) - White(19) - Prust(27)

Subban(66) - Georges(21)

Markov(44) - Diaz(39)

Boullion(14) - Tinordi(11)

I'd like to think this would be a very objective expectation of what that roster could produce in the coming season

[Kiwihab]

Im going to make a left field call and say that Bourque will stay healthy and lead the team in goals. (Im going to guess 37 goals)

Im picking Gallagher will be targeted this year and will suffer injuries drastically reducing his points production. While his style of play wont regress, the above mentioned injuries will mean fans will be dissapointed in his season.

Those are my predictions, feel free to dredge this up when Bourque scores 7 goals and gets traded and Gallagher leads the league in scoring lol

[Lovett's Magnatones]

So far i'd have to say what i'm reading is quite optimistic. Based on Last season, factoring in PPG averages, and spreading that average over an 82 game season, this is what our current top 10 would have looked like. Comparing this list to some of the lists here, and you can see fairly quickly that optimism is soaring.

Max Pac = 72 pts

P.K = 74 pts

Plekanec = 57 pts

Markov = 51 pts

Eller = 53 pts

DD = 47 pts

Gallagher = 52 pts

Galchenyuk = 45 pts

Gionta = 44 pts

Briere = 37 pts

I'm certain we will see player progression from guys like Eller, Gallagher, and Galchenyuk, but that will come at a cost of production and role reversals for players like Desharnais and Gionta. I can see if not right out of pre-season, then during the season, Eller swapping spots with Desharnais. This would result in an increase of production and ice time for Eller, but a reduction of time for DD and a relegation to the 3rd line which would result in maybe 35 - 39 points on the season. Gionta, Briere, and Bourque will all be wrestling for the 2nd line position along side Plekanec, and what it will mean for the loser of the battle is time on the 3rd line, with lesser minutes, and also resulting in lesser production. if the line combinations resemble something of the sort for the better part of the season, the point production I could see in a best case scenario type of situation is..

Pacioretty(76) - Eller(66) - Gallagher(61)

Bourque(54) - Plekanec(57) - Briere(51)

Galchenyuk(49) - Desharnais(39) - Gionta(41)

Parros(11) - White(19) - Prust(27)

Subban(66) - Georges(21)

Markov(44) - Diaz(39)

Boullion(14) - Tinordi(11)

I'd like to think this would be a very objective expectation of what that roster coulDeduce in the coming season

I would switch Briere and Gio. If not, we're headed towards a Bozak/Kessel situation with Pacioretty and Desh. I hope Subban is with Markov, Diaz and Markov would be a disaster.

[BlueKross]

"Quite optimistic" captures it quite well.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I think we should be optimistic. Despite my rants during the Cup (when fans of 28 teams are down in the dumps) the team is looking good. I actually didn't renew my season tickets because I'd rather watch the Habs this year. Florida certainly didn't get better.

[Trizzak]

I think we should be optimistic. Despite my rants during the Cup (when fans of 28 teams are down in the dumps) the team is looking good. I actually didn't renew my season tickets because I'd rather watch the Habs this year. Florida certainly didn't get better.

How many personal phone calls did you get from Cliff Viner begging you to reconsider?

[Lovett's Magnatones]

How many personal phone calls did you get from Cliff Viner begging you to reconsider?

Yormark actually responds to emails no matter how silly and if you spend 800+ they give you a 300 dollar gift certificate to Duffy's sports bar, free parking, free suite for a game, free jerseys, free autograph signings etc. It's pathetic.

And it's honestly not the same. It's more of an AHL experience. None of the games are competitive, there's no atmosphere, and the fans can't even get a chant started. They seem to be turning into a poor man's Oilers, and that isn't working out for Edmonton so well.

Ten to fifteen games are great, 44 games and it gets depressing.

[JGC21]

Yormark actually responds to emails no matter how silly and if you spend 800+ they give you a 300 dollar gift certificate to Duffy's sports bar, free parking, free suite for a game, free jerseys, free autograph signings etc. It's pathetic.

And it's honestly not the same. It's more of an AHL experience. None of the games are competitive, there's no atmosphere, and the fans can't even get a chant started. They seem to be turning into a poor man's Oilers, and that isn't working out for Edmonton so well.

Ten to fifteen games are great, 44 games and it gets depressing.

Makes me wonder how long cities like Florida and Tampa will have hockey teams.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Makes me wonder how long cities like Florida and Tampa will have hockey teams.

Tampa won't ever lose its team. They have built a solid market there.

Florida is an unhealthy situation but they too won't lose their team. The ownership bought the team for the arena and surrounding property. They don't care about making money on hockey individually like say the owner of the Senators might. It's about promoting the arena as an entertainment attraction which includes hockey. They really should have never received a hockey team in the first place (expanding two teams in Florida and California in a two year span was ridiculous) but they are really in a situation where it doesn't quite matter how interested people are. The owners are cool with creating loyal fans but otherwise it's more about everything other than the team.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Tampa won't ever lose its team. They have built a solid market there.

Florida is an unhealthy situation but they too won't lose their team. The ownership bought the team for the arena and surrounding property. They don't care about making money on hockey individually like say the owner of the Senators might. It's about promoting the arena as an entertainment attraction which includes hockey. They really should have never received a hockey team in the first place (expanding two teams in Florida and California in a two year span was ridiculous) but they are really in a situation where it doesn't quite matter how interested people are. The owners are cool with creating loyal fans but otherwise it's more about everything other than the team.

Correct! The situation is classic Corporate Welfare, where Broward County has given the Panthers hundreds of millions of dollars under the guise of "tourism." Between the new scoreboard and a loan last year, they've given the Panthers 11.2 million dollars in less than two calendar years. They have really big name concerts (Bon Jovi, Rhianna, etc) and that's where the money comes from.

The exact numbers are something like 90 million dollars given by Broward and 350k received back in profit sharing.

[Neech]

People are being harsh on their Desharnais predictions. I predict we have three 50+ point centres. When's the last time that happened?

[Machine of Loving Grace]

People are being harsh on their Desharnais predictions. I predict we have three 50+ point centres. When's the last time that happened?

92-93 I think: Muller, Lebeau, Savard

[Neech]

And those were early-90's points, which grew on trees.

With our balanced three line attack being our greatest asset, we could also have as many as EIGHT 20-goal players, if things go right.

Pacioretty

Subban

Plekanec

Galchenyuk

Gallagher

Bourque

Briere

Eller

All of these guys has what it takes, but it's more likely that a couple don't quite make it.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Not Gionta? He's honestly more capable than Bourque

[Neech]

Whoops, forgot Gionta, I definitely think he's good for 20, even if he misses a few games.

That would give us NINE guys with 20, which would be nuts. Subban and Bourque and maybe Eller and Briere will probably end up with 15-20.

[dlbalr]

A couple more articles are up:

Eller

Subban

Gallagher is next on the docket, his article goes online tomorrow.

[Link67]

if you can find me ONE legitimate 3rd line center in the league who crossed the 50 point plateau in the league, i'd be seriously impressed. So suggesting Desharnais will be capable of doing it from our 3rd line? and I firmly believe this is where he will end up if Eller keeps up his pace, they will swap line spots during the season. Sorry that is just a tough pill for me to swallow, and I admire the faith and optimism, but I have to call "Habvision Goggles" on that one.