DobberHockey Pre-Season Experts Panel 2015-16
steve laidlaw
2015-10-07
The DobberHockey Experts make their pre-season picks for Art Ross, Stanley Cup, Calder and more…
Welcome to the second annual edition of the DobberHockey Experts Panel, where we make our pre-season picks for the top scorers, best teams and more. Last year was our first go around and we did okay, correctly picking Alexander Ovechkin to win the Rocket Richard trophy and for Erik Karlsson to lead the league in defenseman scoring.
Some of our other picks weren’t so hot. Only a few of us had Jamie Benn even cracking the top 10 in scoring, let alone leading the league, none of us had Aaron Ekblad to win the Calder and we all thought Boston would make the playoffs.
Still, it’s a fun exercise and a good reminder that even the experts whiff on a bunch of their picks. Click here for all of last season’s picks – good and bad – and check out our fresh predictions for this season below.
Top 10 Scorers:
Dobber |
Tavares |
Crosby |
Ovechkin |
Seguin |
Benn |
Malkin |
Kessel |
Giroux |
Stamkos |
McDavid |
Laidlaw |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Kessel |
Johnson |
Ovechkin |
Giroux |
Seguin |
Benn |
Hall |
Malkin |
Gooding |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Giroux |
Benn |
Ovechkin |
Malkin |
Kessel |
Stamkos |
Johnson |
Daoust |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Giroux |
Benn |
Ovechkin |
Stamkos |
Kessel |
Malkin |
Backstrom |
Campkin |
Crosby |
Ovechkin |
Tavares |
Kessel |
Giroux |
Malkin |
Seguin |
Benn |
Hall |
Stamkos |
Collins |
Crosby |
Seguin |
Tavares |
Benn |
Ovechkin |
Getzlaf |
P. Kane |
Kessel |
Giroux |
Hall |
Coretti |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Ovechkin |
Kessel |
P. Kane |
Malkin |
Stamkos |
Tarasenko |
Getzlaf |
Da Costa |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Benn |
P. Kane |
Ovechkin |
Kessel |
Giroux |
Backstrom |
McDavid |
Fragopoulos |
Malkin |
Tavares |
Ovechkin |
Seguin |
Hall |
Stamkos |
Crosby |
Giroux |
Kessel |
Benn |
Hoos |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Tarasenko |
Kessel |
Benn |
Stamkos |
Johnson |
Karlsson |
Getzlaf |
LeBlanc |
Crosby |
Seguin |
Tavares |
Ovechkin |
Benn |
Malkin |
Giroux |
Tarasenko |
Johansen |
Kopitar |
Libin |
Seguin |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Malkin |
Benn |
Ovechkin |
Giroux |
Hall |
Kessel |
McDavid |
McMillan |
Crosby |
Voracek |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Giroux |
Johansen |
Ovechkin |
Benn |
Stamkos |
Tarasenko |
Pudsey |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Giroux |
Seguin |
Voracek |
Ovechkin |
Benn |
Getzlaf |
Stamkos |
Malkin |
Roos |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Voracek |
Johansen |
Giroux |
Turris |
Ovechkin |
Benn |
Crosby |
Kessel |
Schmidt |
Tavares |
Crosby |
Seguin |
Ovechkin |
Giroux |
Tarasenko |
Malkin |
Hall |
Stamkos |
Benn |
Cane |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Ovechkin |
Giroux |
Backstrom |
Stamkos |
Kessel |
Seguin |
Benn |
Pavelski |
Consensus |
Crosby |
Tavares |
Seguin |
Ovechkin |
Benn |
Giroux |
Kessel |
Malkin |
Stamkos |
Hall |
In all, 21 players found their way onto the top-10 list for at least one of our writers including one defenseman; Erik Karlsson, and even a surprise appearance by Kyle Turris. Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Tyler Seguin were on the list for all 17 writers, while Alexander Ovechkin and defending scoring champ Jamie Benn were near unanimous appearing on 16 of 17 lists. Ryan Getzlaf, following a down season went from a near unanimous choice last pre-season to making just four lists this time around. Taylor Hall, following an even worse showing hung onto the last spot on the consensus list grabbing six votes but he is the only member of the consensus to grab less than half the vote, consider him a minority member.
Only four players were chosen as league-leaders: Crosby, Tavares, Seguin and even Evgeni Malkin grabbed one top vote. Crosby remains the king and given Phil Kessel popping up on the majority of the writers’ lists shows that fireworks between those two are expected.
If you can count on one thing, it’s that this list will be wrong but if nothing else it should tell you where popular opinion is at.
Top Five Defensemen:
Dobber |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Josi |
Yandle |
Burns |
Laidlaw |
Karlsson |
Letang |
Shattenkirk |
Subban |
Hedman |
Gooding |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Burns |
Giordano |
Letang |
Daoust |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Shattenkirk |
Burns |
Byfuglien |
Campkin |
Karlsson |
Byfuglien |
Subban |
Hedman |
Carlson |
Collins |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Shattenkirk |
Carlson |
Letang |
Coretti |
Karlsson |
Letang |
Subban |
Burns |
Shattenkirk |
Da Costa |
Karlsson |
Giordano |
Shattenkirk |
Subban |
Letang |
Fragopoulos |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Hedman |
Burns |
Doughty |
Hoos |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Letang |
Carlson |
Hedman |
LeBlanc |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Giordano |
Hedman |
Shattenkirk |
Libin |
Letang |
Karlsson |
Josi |
Subban |
Burns |
McMillan |
Karlsson |
Giordano |
Burns |
Shattenkirk |
Subban |
Pudsey |
Karlsson |
Shattenkirk |
Subban |
Burns |
Doughty |
Roos |
Karlsson |
Shattenkirk |
Josi |
Subban |
Burns |
Schmidt |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Burns |
Giordano |
Barrie |
Cane |
Karlsson |
Burns |
Yandle |
Subban |
Keith |
Consensus |
Karlsson |
Subban |
Burns |
Shattenkirk |
Letang |
It should come as no surprise to see Karlsson as a unanimous pick, he very nearly was the top choice on every list, with just one holdout leaving him second behind Kris Letang. I suppose Doran Libin is counting on a healthy year from the Penguins’ defenseman. Letang appeared on just seven lists making him our shakiest consensus choice but that makes sense given his checkered injury past. PK Subban also made it onto everyone’s list though his positioning varied a lot more. In all, 14 different defensemen made it onto at least one list.
Top Five Goalies (Wins + Shutouts):
Dobber |
Price |
Holtby |
Halak |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Laidlaw |
Holtby |
Price |
Bishop |
Fleury |
Bobrovsky |
Gooding |
Price |
Holtby |
Bishop |
Fleury |
Lundqvist |
Daoust |
Price |
Lundqvist |
Rinne |
Bishop |
Holtby |
Campkin |
Price |
Holtby |
Dubnyk |
Fleury |
Halak |
Collins |
Price |
Bishop |
Holtby |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Coretti |
Price |
Holtby |
Dubnyk |
Quick |
Bobrovsky |
Da Costa |
Price |
Holtby |
Bishop |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Fragopoulos |
Price |
Quick |
Holtby |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Hoos |
Price |
Bishop |
Holtby |
Rinne |
Fleury |
LeBlanc |
Holtby |
Price |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Quick |
Libin |
Holtby |
Lundqvist |
Dubnyk |
Fleury |
Price |
McMillan |
Holtby |
Price |
Andersen |
Lundqvist |
Bobrovsky |
Pudsey |
Holtby |
Price |
Fleury |
Rinne |
Dubnyk |
Roos |
Price |
Holtby |
Bishop |
Dubnyk |
Fleury |
Schmidt |
Price |
Rask |
Bobrovsky |
Lundqvist |
Holtby |
Cane |
Bishop |
Lundqvist |
Holtby |
Fleury |
Rask |
Consensus |
Price |
Holtby |
Fleury |
Bishop |
Rinne |
Much less variance among the goalie selections with only 11 in total receiving votes and none receiving just one vote. Surprisingly, the consensus top pick, Carey Price, didn’t even make it onto all of the lists falling short by one but he holds the top spot because of all the first place votes. The only goalie to receive unanimous approval was Braden Holtby, which is a massive turnaround from where he was two years ago. Fleury never received higher than a third place vote but was near unanimous appearing on 13 lists. Tending goal for the Penguins has its perks.
Individual Awards:
Calder |
Richard |
Sleeper |
|
Dobber |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Galchenyuk |
Laidlaw |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Strome |
Gooding |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
Daoust |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
Campkin |
McDavid |
Ovechkin
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|
Scheifele |
Collins |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
Coretti |
Eichel |
Ovechkin |
Nyquist |
Da Costa |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Strome |
Fragopoulos |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Scheifele |
Hoos |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
LeBlanc |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Nyquist |
Libin |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
McMillan |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
E. Kane |
Pudsey |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Saad |
Roos |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
Schmidt |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Nyquist |
Cane |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Nyquist |
Consensus |
McDavid |
Ovechkin |
Huberdeau |
Ovechkin was a unanimous choice for the Rocket Richard trophy so naturally he won’t win it this season. Connor McDavid was nearly unanimous for the Calder if not for Jonathan Coretti choosing Jack Eichel.
This season the standard for the top sleeper pick were: player who hasn’t yet hit 55 points who may break 70 this season. A popular refrain was that there would be no such player. There probably will be, just no one has any idea who it might be. Seven different players were named with Jonathan Huberdeau the most popular choice but Gustav Nyquist was not far behind. Given the fireworks he has displayed alongside Ryan Johansen it was surprising to see Brandon Saad only pop up on one list. For my money, Ryan Strome is the best bet to go supernova but what do I know?
Eastern Conference Playoffs:
Dobber |
NY Rangers |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Washington |
NY Islanders |
Montreal |
Ottawa |
Columbus |
Laidlaw |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Washington |
NY Islanders |
Detroit |
Montreal |
Columbus |
NY Rangers |
Gooding |
Washington |
Tampa Bay |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
Columbus |
Ottawa |
Daoust |
Tampa Bay |
NY Rangers |
Washington |
Montreal |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Detroit |
Columbus |
Campkin |
Pittsburgh |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
Columbus |
NY Islanders |
NY Rangers |
Montreal |
Florida |
Collins |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
Montreal |
Florida |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Columbus |
Coretti |
Pittsburgh |
Tampa Bay |
NY Rangers |
Montreal |
Washington |
NY Islanders |
Columbus |
Philadelphia |
Da Costa |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
Detroit |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Washington |
Columbus |
Fragopoulos |
Montreal |
Pittsburgh |
Tampa Bay |
Florida |
Washington |
NY Islanders |
Columbus |
Philadelphia |
Hoos |
Tampa Bay |
NY Islanders |
Washington |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
Columbus |
NY Rangers |
Detroit |
LeBlanc |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Columbus |
Montreal |
Florida |
Libin |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
Detroit |
Columbus |
McMillan |
Washington |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
NY Islanders |
Montreal |
NY Rangers |
Florida |
Boston |
Pudsey |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
Montreal |
Ottawa |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Columbus |
Roos |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
NY Rangers |
Columbus |
NY Islanders |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
Ottawa |
Schmidt |
Montreal |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Detroit |
Columbus |
Florida |
Cane |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Ottawa |
Montreal |
Boston |
NY Rangers |
NY Islanders |
Washington |
Consensus |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
Pittsburgh |
Montreal |
NY Islanders |
NY Rangers |
Columbus |
Detroit |
Tampa Bay and Washington were the two most popular division winners selected but Washington wasn’t even a unanimous choice to make the playoffs falling one short. Teams receiving all 17 votes to make it in included: Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Montreal and the Islanders. The Rangers joined Washington in falling one vote short of unanimity.
Columbus is this season’s favourite to leap into the playoff picture receiving a shocking 15 of 17 votes. Not much consensus for the final playoff spot with Detroit receiving six votes to narrowly edge Florida (six) and Ottawa (five). Let’s get real people; the Red Wings’ playoff streak isn’t ending this season.
Also receiving votes were Philadelphia and Boston with two apiece. Four teams received no votes including Toronto, Carolina, New Jersey and Buffalo. If last year is any indication, one of these teams will jump into a playoff spot, like Ottawa did after receiving no votes. Buffalo is the only team that even remotely seems plausible.
Western Conference Playoffs:
Dobber |
Anaheim |
Dallas |
Minnesota |
Chicago |
St. Louis |
Winnipeg |
Calgary |
Edmonton |
Laidlaw |
St. Louis |
Calgary |
Winnipeg |
Nashville |
Los Angeles |
Anaheim |
Dallas |
Minnesota |
Gooding |
Anaheim |
St. Louis |
Nashville |
Minnesota |
Chicago |
Dallas |
Los Angeles |
Calgary |
Daoust |
Anaheim |
Minnesota |
Nashville |
St. Louis |
Chicago |
Los Angeles |
Winnipeg |
Calgary |
Campkin |
Minnesota |
Los Angeles |
Chicago |
Anaheim |
St. Louis |
Dallas |
Winnipeg |
San Jose |
Collins |
Anaheim |
St. Louis |
Chicago |
Los Angeles |
San Jose |
Dallas |
Colorado |
Minnesota |
Coretti |
Anaheim |
Minnesota |
St. Louis |
Nashville |
Chicago |
Los Angeles |
Dallas |
San Jose |
Da Costa |
St. Louis |
Anaheim |
Nashville |
Minnesota |
Dallas |
Calgary |
Los Angeles |
Chicago |
Fragopoulos |
St. Louis |
Los Angeles |
Nashville |
Minnesota |
Winnipeg |
Anaheim |
Calgary |
San Jose |
Hoos |
St. Louis |
Anaheim |
Dallas |
Chicago |
Minnesota |
Calgary |
Winnipeg |
Edmonton |
LeBlanc |
Anaheim |
Minnesota |
Calgary |
Los Angeles |
Winnipeg |
St. Louis |
Dallas |
Chicago |
Libin |
St. Louis |
Los Angeles |
Dallas |
Chicago |
Anaheim |
San Jose |
Minnesota |
Nashville |
McMillan |
Anaheim |
Chicago |
Dallas |
Los Angeles |
Minnesota |
Nashville |
St. Louis |
San Jose |
Pudsey |
Anaheim |
St. Louis |
Chicago |
Los Angeles |
Minnesota |
Dallas |
Calgary |
Nashville |
Roos |
St. Louis |
Anaheim |
Chicago |
Dallas |
Minnesota |
Winnipeg |
Calgary |
Los Angeles |
Schmidt |
Anaheim |
Chicago |
St. Louis |
Los Angeles |
Minnesota |
Dallas |
Calgary |
San Jose |
Cane |
San Jose |
Chicago |
Dallas |
St. Louis |
Winnipeg |
Anaheim |
Los Angeles |
Calgary |
Consensus |
St. Louis |
Anaheim |
Minnesota |
Chicago |
Dallas |
Los Angeles |
Calgary |
Nashville |
Anaheim and St. Louis were the most popular choices to win their respective divisions and both were unanimous choices to make the post-season. They were the only unanimous choices in the West with even the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks being left off a couple of lists. Minnesota was left off just one list while Dallas and Los Angeles – the two most popular choices to rejoin the playoff picture – tied Chicago with 15 votes, while Calgary pulled in a dozen.
Like the East, the final spot in the West was indecisive with Nashville’s nine votes narrowly edging Winnipeg (nine) and San Jose (eight). With Dallas a near unanimous choice to rise in the Central it seems that one of Winnipeg or Nashville will suffer the consequences, which one is anyone’s guess.
One thing that was conclusive: Vancouver will fall out of the playoff picture. Even Edmonton and Colorado drew a vote or two but not Vancouver. They joined Arizona as the only Western teams not receiving a vote.
Team Awards:
President’s Trophy |
Stanley Cup |
|
Dobber |
Anaheim |
Tampa Bay |
Laidlaw |
Tampa Bay |
Tampa Bay |
Gooding |
Washington |
Tampa Bay |
Daoust |
Anaheim |
Minnesota |
Campkin |
Pittsburgh |
Washington |
Collins |
Anaheim |
Washington |
Coretti |
Pittsburgh |
NY Rangers |
Da Costa |
Pittsburgh |
St. Louis |
Fragopoulos |
Montreal |
Anaheim |
Hoos |
Tampa Bay |
Tampa Bay |
LeBlanc |
Tampa Bay |
NY Rangers |
Libin |
Tampa Bay |
Washington |
McMillan |
Anaheim |
Anaheim |
Pudsey |
Anaheim |
Anaheim |
Roos |
Washington |
St. Louis |
Schmidt |
Montreal |
Montreal |
Cane |
Tampa Bay |
Pittsburgh |
Consensus |
Tampa Bay/Anaheim |
Tampa Bay |
It’s a bit of an indictment of the playoff system that more teams received Stanley Cup votes (eight) than received President’s Trophy votes (five). Anaheim and Tampa Bay tied with five votes apiece for the regular season crown and were also the most popular choices to win the Cup. Washington tied Anaheim for second on the Cup list with three votes, more than they received for the President’s Trophy, I guess that’s the Justin Williams factor at play. Oddly enough, neither of the Blackhawks or Kings, who have split the past four Cups was anywhere to be found on these lists. But perhaps take this with a grain of salt, last season’s President’s Trophy winner, the New York Rangers, didn’t receive a single vote from the panel. Hopefully we do better this time around!
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I had to pick Turris after saying in my 10 Fearless Forecasts column that either him or Monahan would be among the top five scoring centers.
Am I the only one seeing 7 of the top 10 scorers?
What? no Toronto in the playoffs? ;-)
sucks being a Leafs fan, but I'm hoping it will be worth the wait.
I only see 7 as well
The table needs to be narrower. The last three are behind the stuff on the right side.
In case the tables for top 10 can't be fixed, here are the final three selections for each writer:
Dobber = Giroux, Stamkos, McDavid
Laidlaw = Benn, Hall, Malkin
Gooding = Kessel, Stamkos, Johnson
Daoust = Kessel, Malkin, Backstrom
Campkin = Benn, Hall, Stamkos
Coretti = Stamkos, Tarasenko, Getzlaf
Da Costa = Giroux, Backstrom, McDavid
Fragopoulos = Grioux, Kessel, Benn
Hoos = Johnson, Karlsson, Getzlaf
LeBlanc = Tarasenko, Johansen, Kopitar
Libin = Hall, Kessel, McDavid
McMillan – Benn, Stamkos, Tarasenko
Pudsey = Getzlaf, Stamkos, Malkin
Roos = Benn, Crosby, Kessel
Schmidt = Hall, Stamkos, Benn
Cane = Seguin, Benn, Pavelski
My final three were Kessel, Giroux and Hall.
Oops – sorry Tom. Must've missed you along the way. I was going from one window to another.
If the Oilers are making the playoffs, then McDavid should be a lot closer to Art Ross territory, Hall should crack the top 10 and maybe Schultz should crack the top 5 D and evrn a Yak/Purcell/Lander/Pouliot appearance in the sleeper category because it is going to take an awful lot of scoring to overcome that defense and goaltending.
So Cane thinks that Rask would out point Price, yet he has the Habs as 4th in the East…Condon must be winning lots of games this year! That seems to be the only terrible prediction, even worse than the Turris pick. I wouldn't be surprised to see Rask with less than 30 wins this season. That defense is maybe even worse than Edmonton's now, lol.