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Which NHL Team Would Take Top Spot In An All Canadian Division?

Who might finish atop the hypothetical NHL Canadian division next season?

Now that the NHL is comfortably in off-season mode and for the undeterminable future, there has been plenty of chatter involving future re-alignment within the league. In mid-October, Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley inadvertently broke news of a potential all Canadian team NHL division. I will spare readers my uninformed decision on whether an all Canadian division is a real possibility, but it might be fun to take a stab at where each team might finish during the next regular season. To be clear up front – the key word in the previous sentence is ‘fun’.

I’ve asked a few of our contributors to add their two cents and we’ll compare predictions. Myself (Ryan), the creator of NHL Trade Talk and The Old Prof will be weighing in. You’ll see how quickly predictions vary.

Throughout this hypothetical exercise it was more than a little difficult to place teams six through one. In fact, it is entirely possible that the 1st ranked team could end up finishing 6th and vice versa. Montreal should have a better season, but the remaining five teams all finished within five points of one another last season (Edmonton finished with 83 points while Vancouver had 78 with Calgary, Toronto and Winnipeg wedged between those two teams).

An all Canadian division would be competitive but there is not a definitive front runner within the group of teams. Without further adieu, here is how the ‘Canadian’ division might finish at the end of the next NHL regular season:

Ryan’s (My) Picks:

For the purposes of the exercise, we’ll start with my take and then hear from the other two contributors.

7) Ottawa Senators

The Senators have made some solid upgrades as they begin to rebuild: in goal with Matt Murray, on the backend with Erik Gudbranson, and up front with Evgenii Dadonov. The team from the nation’s capital really stocked the cupboards at the 2020 NHL Entry draft and from the looks of things the team appears to be headed back in the right direction. In the interim however, the Senators still have a long way to go before they are truly competitive.

Jim’s #7:

I agree with Ryan that the Senators will be the clear underdog of all the Canadian teams. After all, what should we expect of a rebuilding club that cleaned house, made a ton of draft selections and added some salary this offseason just to get to the cap floor? That said, I think Ottawa could be better than people expect.

They’ve got some good pieces on the blue line and a quality goaltender now.

Old Prof’s #7:

I’m going to be the outlier here, but I believe the Ottawa Senators have made significant improvements. I think the addition of Evgenii Dadonov to the first line and the power play will push him to 30 goals for the first time in his career. The two colors – White (Colin) and Brown (Connor) are young and getting better. And the nicer Tkachuk brother – Brady – is growing into a leadership role.

The goalie combination of Matt Murray and Marcus Hogberg (who I think is underrated) will be strong. As well, if Thomas Chabot isn’t in the Norris running soon, I’d be surprised. The team is growing but I like D.J. Smith as a coach and think they will beat the Winnipeg Jets, the team I think is rated too highly. I rated the Senators as #6.

Related: Tim Stuztle Contract Snag Mean Senators Could Lose Him 20/21 Season

6) Edmonton Oilers

In 2019-20, the Oilers got off to a great start which enabled them to finish in a relatively comfortable playoff position when the pandemic shut the season down. The Oilers goaltending tandem will remain the same with Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith manning the crease. Both goalies were key in the Oilers hot start and they will need to match or better that effort from last season. Edmonton’s defensive unit has come a long way, but still has some gaps – especially considering the Oil will likely miss Oscar Klefbom because offseason surgery. Adding Tyson Barrie will help offensively, but the defensive depth still might be considered questionable.

Jim’s #6:

I don’t know that I would put the Oilers down this low. Losing Kelfbom will certainly hurt, but that’s the only area Edmonton is taking a step back this season and, as Ryan mentioned, the team added Tyson Barrie to help with the power play, so Klefbom’s absence should be marginal.

Remember, this was a very good team during the regular season and they made improvements in the offseason adding Kyle Turris, Jesse Puljujarvi and bringing back Tyler Ennis for a full season. If the goaltending falters, there could be issues, but that’s the narrative a lot of people are choosing to assume. Mikko Koskinen could surprise.

Chris Tanev Canucks
Mikko Koskinen Edmonton Oilers

I’m going to put Vancouver here. I believe they suffered big losses this offseason and haven’t done a good job replacing players who left.

Old Prof’s #6:

I think the Winnipeg Jets would be the weakest team if there were to be a Canadian division in the NHL. First, I simply don’t believe Connor Hellebuyck can repeat last season. He had to be absolutely stellar playing behind one of the least lucky defenses in the NHL – through trade, injury, or desertion. And, stellar he was. It isn’t likely to happen again.

If the Jets do prosper, it will be because of the top-six forwards – or maybe just the top line of Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, and Mark Scheifele. They might be the best line (outside of the Toronto Maple Leafs) in Canada. And Paul Maurice is a great coach.

But the defense isn’t much better. And, Bryan Little’s likely not to play again – sadly – ever. Much depends upon whether Patrik Laine stays – really stays, even if he doesn’t leave the team. It might be a cold winter in Winnipeg.

5) Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks had a great playoff run before bowing out in the Western Conference semi-final to the Vegas Golden Knights. However, Vancouver is still in development mode. The addition of Nate Schmidt will help the defensive unit, but the loss of Jacob Markstrom is going to sting for a while. Two key questions for the Canucks will be whether the amazing young talent can continue the pace they are on and what kind of goalie will Braden Holtby be post 30?

Jim’s #5:

I agree that the Canucks were a surprisingly good team last season and they have some excellent pieces but I don’t think the loss of Markstrom is as huge for them as some might suggest considering they’ve still got Thatcher Demko and now, Braden Holtby between the pipes. I think the big loss is Tanev, Toffoli and the fact that the team couldn’t add better pieces because of their cap issues.

At the No. 5 spot for me is the Calgary Flames. I believe they made some good depth signings this offseason and clearly upgraded in goal, but they lost a number of pieces on the blue line and I’m not sure their offensive stars have the right stuff to get them over the hump.

Old Prof’s #5:

Jacob Markstrom is a good goalie. Chris Tanev plays like the metal man Arnold Schwarzenegger fought in Terminator. And it’s tough to argue with Mark Giordano on defense. The top-six forwards could be as good as almost any team.

All that said, the bottom six isn’t as strong as it should be and the Flames defense isn’t up to par.

If there are no injuries during the season, the Flames could be good. But, I’m not convinced. Sean Monahan is steady, but will Johnny Gaudreau play like people are trying to get rid of him of that he wants to stay? Can Matthew Tkachuk play without injury for a whole season?

There are a lot of questions with this team. Unlike my colleagues, I don’t think they are as good as people think.

4) Winnipeg Jets

With or without Patrik Laine, the Jets still have some veteran depth and scoring upfront. Re-adding Stastny into the line up will also help generate more offensive opportunities. However, it is near impossible to replace a player like Dustin Byfuglien on the back end. The defensive unit in Winnipeg does not ‘feel’ the same without him, and never will. If Laine is on the move, will the Jets add another defenseman to help bolster the blue line?

Like any other team in this division, a key factor will be goaltending. Can Connor Hellebuyck duplicate his Vezina winning season from 19/20? If he can, then the Jets could easily finish higher than 4th.

Jim’s #4:

I’m good with Winnipeg in this spot. I think Hellbuyck is going to have to replicate his success from last season, but the addition of Stastny is big. The Jets have a better top six than the Flames, Canucks and Senators. Edmonton’s top has better stars, but not as much depth. Winnipeg made some improvements on the blue line but I’m not sure they did enough for it to really matter. It’s still one of their areas of weakness and the Jets could easily be the sixth team in Canada, not the fourth based on how things go.

Old Prof’s #4:

This is my place for the Vancouver Canucks. The team has Elias Pettersson, and he’s going to be better this season than before. The team has Quinn Hughes, and he’s going to be better this season than before. And the team has captain Bo Horvat, and he’ll be exactly like he was during last season’s playoffs.

But the key for me with the Canucks was J.T. Miller. He added much to the team last season. I think Jake Virtanen could/might/oughta-be-able-to become a good power forward. Brock Boeser could have a breakout season.

I don’t think the Canucks defense is that bad – even with the loss of Chris Tanev, who played wonderfully well as Hughes’ bodyguard. Fans might be surprised by play of Olli Juolevi. The Canucks have been waiting for him a long time, and he could blossom.

I think they have a good coach in Travis Green and they will miss, but be able to replace, Jacob Markstrom with Braden Holtby and Thatcher Demko.

3) Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens have made several solid offseason adjustments and have shored up some gaps in the roster. They added some punch upfront by acquiring Josh Anderson. The Habs also signed a good free agent in Tyler Toffoli to help out in the scoring department. Defensively they bring in some bite with big Joel Edmundson as well as good backup option in Jake Allen. As great an addition as Anderson is, losing Max Domi will still be a loss and they still need to prove they have fully recovered from a disappointing 19/20 regular season.

Jim’s #3:

I think the additions the Montreal Canadiens made this offseason should put them near the top of the Canadian teams, if not at the top. As such, I’ll say the No. 3 spot is a bit low. No team made as many positive changes as the Canadiens and they are now deep everywhere.

Tyson Barrie Connor McDavid
Toffoli Signs with Canadiens

Instead, I’ll put the Edmonton Oilers here. I think they’re a better team than the play-in round suggests but that’s what everyone is holding onto as a reason to drop them in the rankings, blaming the same goaltending that was good most of last season. I believe they are extremely motivated after losing to Chicago and they have the two best players in the world. That alone has to make them a top-three team in Canada and it makes other players who play with them better.

Old Prof’s #3:

Tyler Ennis is one of my favorite players, and I’m rooting for him get 25 goals on Connon McDavid’s wing – finally showing the potential he teased everyone with when he was with the Buffalo Sabres. How can anyone not be a fan of Leon Draisaitl? He has a good thing with Kailer Yamamoto.

I’m happy the goalies didn’t change; and, unlike so many Oilers’ critics, I think Mikko Koskinen could be good. The defense is getting better and will be – in a couple of seasons – one of the NHL’s best.

So, choosing the Oilers over the Flames is a matter of personal preference for McDavid and not for the Flames Tkachuk.

Related: Canucks Say No To Second Buyout Window

2) Calgary Flames

The Flames have steadily become a very consistent team in the past several seasons. This progress has been made despite the Flames not having a tried and true starting goaltender. Of course, the Flames now have that piece in former Canuck Jacob Markstrom. The Flames will need several players to step up and have a better season in 20/21, but the team also has a great mixture of players that are collectively efficient.

Jim’s #2:

No. 2 is too high for me when it comes to the Flames. Yes, the goaltending is much better now, but is that really enough? I don’t believe so. I’ll put the Toronto Maple Leafs here. They made some key upgrades in areas where they were weaker, they added leadership and smart low-cost contracts and if their current roster improves even 10% because of the changes in the locker room, they should be quite good.

Old Prof’s #2:

I’ve got to go with the Montreal Canadiens as the number two team in Canada. Jake Allen makes a big difference and gives the great Carey Price – who for good reason was named by peers as the best goalie in the NHL. Look what a rested Price did in the playoffs.

I grew to like Tyler Tofolli when I watched him with the Vancouver Canucks – so I add him as a great addition. Brendan Gallagher was a good re-signee, Tomas Tatar has grown to love Montreal and probably now speaks French fluently, and Nick Suzuki is getting better.

However, the breakout season for the Canadiens will be Jonathan Drouin. He could be much better. And, for all the hype about Alex Pietrangelo, I’d take Shea Weber over him now (well, maybe five seasons ago, but Weber is better than people think and can at times dominate the ice like LeBron dominates a basketball court.

1) Toronto Maple Leafs

On paper the Toronto Maple Leafs have the most offensive talent within this hypothetical scenario, but can they finally transform that depth into a dominant season? A healthy Jake Muzzin and the addition of TJ Brodie will help solidify a quality top 4 group on the back end. The addition of Wayne Simmonds gives them a true power forward that can slide in and out of the top 6 as well as add a front net presence on the power play. Additionally, the Leafs add a big veteran presence in Joe Thornton. His 1600+ NHL games should help in a lot of areas on and off the ice.

Like the entire division, the goaltending situation will be the key. At 31, Frederik Andersen will need to put a bounce back season together for the Leafs to finish atop this highly competitive division.

Finally, Frederik Andersen will get them to the playoffs, and then he only has to exorcise his demons there. But that’s for later.

Jim’s #1:

Marc Bergevin Montreal Canadiens
Marc Bergevin Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens to me are the team to beat in Canada now. I think they know they’re a better team, I think they know they’re deep everywhere and the only thing that could hurt them is if their young centers don’t take another step forward. I believe they will.

I think the Canadiens have the right mix of skill, grit, leadership, speed and they, along with Vegas, might have the best one-two punches in their goaltending tandem across the entire NHL.

NEXT: Which Canadiens Make the Short-Leash List After Offseason Changes

Old Prof’s #1:

I am totally sold on the veterans’ presence both on the ice and in the dressing room. I think the Maple Leafs are the team to beat. I think Joe Thornton will be an amazing leader and team icon – I think the team should hang him over the dressing-room door so the team could tap him with their sticks on the way to the rink, then take him down for some time as a third-line passing to Nick Robertson, who’ll shoot from anywhere. It’s a combination to rival Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto, except Thornton is the better passer.

The top four forwards (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares) will find space to roam with a more gritty on-ice presence of Wayne Simmonds and Zach Bogosian.

Toronto could be the best team in Canada but I’m not totally sold the veterans will add much production. I believe they’ll be more a presence in the locker room meant to get better and more consistent production out of the stars.

Final Notes…

There you have it – a simple take on what would be an exciting division if it actually came to fruition.

Next: GMs Want NHL Free Agency Interview Period Back, Pitching Unique Idea

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