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!

9 Comments

  1. Rick Roos 2015-10-07 at 16:41

    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?

  2. Marcus Lepkowski 2015-10-07 at 17:27

    What? no Toronto in the playoffs? ;-)

    sucks being a Leafs fan, but I'm hoping it will be worth the wait.

  3. D 2015-10-07 at 18:24

    I only see 7 as well

  4. Eric Daoust 2015-10-07 at 18:58

    The table needs to be narrower. The last three are behind the stuff on the right side.

  5. Rick Roos 2015-10-07 at 19:13

    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

    • Tom Collins 2015-10-07 at 19:56

      My final three were Kessel, Giroux and Hall.

      • Rick Roos 2015-10-07 at 20:34

        Oops – sorry Tom.  Must've missed you along the way.  I was going from one window to another.

  6. isle b. 2015-10-07 at 19:53

    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.

  7. Mark 2015-10-08 at 03:48

    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.

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