We are officially into September and just under 2 weeks away from training camp and the pre-season! It was starting to feel like it would never get here, but here we are!
As hockey news tends to be slow in the last 2 weeks right before the season begins, I thought it would be fun to look at each of the seven Canadian franchises and predict who will lead each of them in scoring in '19-'20. I'll start with the no-brainers.
The Calgary Flames:
After a successful 2018-2019 regular season that saw the Flames put up 107 points and finishing 1st in the West, not many were predicting such an early first round exit from the playoffs and I fully expect the Calgary Flames to have a serious chip on their shoulder coming into this season.
One player to keep your eye on is Johnny Gaudreau. I know.. Shocker, right? It should come as no surprise to see Johnny Hockey on this list. With the Flames primed for another strong season, I expect Gaudreau to be one of the biggest reasons for their success in '19-'20.
Prediction: 38 goals, 56 assists for 94 points.
The Edmonton Oilers:
Not much has changed in Edmonton this off-season. The Oilers are hoping to avoid another disappointing season, but with goaltending and scoring depth being their main issue, I don't expect much to change by bringing in James Neal and Mike Smith.
Suffice it to say, Connor McDavid will be an absolute beast again in '19-'20 and lead the team in scoring. Maybe the whole league. I think we can just move on here.
Prediction: 40 goals, 69 assists for 109 points.
The Vancouver Canucks:
The Canucks remind me of the Buffalo Sabres. Not that they are a bad team, but they are certainly a team that is missing something. One or two impact players to put them over the top and have them competing for a playoff spot. The jury is still out on whether J.T. Miller, Michael Ferland and Tyler Myers can be those impact players, but the Canucks do look better on paper this season than they did in '18-'19.
The emergence of Elias Pettersson as one of the league's best young players is definitely a step in the right direction. A healthy Brock Boeser is another key component to turning things around in Vancouver. Either one of these players could lead the Canucks in scoring this year, but I am going with Boeser here.
I expect these 2 dynamic youngsters to line up together and probably land within a few points of one another, so really it's a coin flip. A healthy Boeser will have the edge, as the sophomore slump is real and could hit Pettersson this season, as it does with many young players.
Prediction: 34 goals, 42 assists for 76 points.
The Montreal Canadiens:
With the Habs contending for a playoff spot right down to the wire last season, I suspect that they will be right there again this season. This time around, I fully believe they make the cut. They have great, albeit young, forward depth, a decent defense corps and one of the best goalies in the NHL in Carey Price. All ingredients for a successful 2019-2020 campaign.
Max Domi was a force for the Canadiens in his first season with the club and he will be a big reason why they make it this year. Domi has the right mix of skill, intensity and heart to lead this club into the post-season. Plus, Max is built for playoff hockey.
Prediction: 31 goals, 47 assists for 78 points.
This is where things get a little more difficult to predict. Each of Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg have multiple candidates that could lead their respective teams in scoring this season.
The Ottawa Senators:
When you have hit bottom, the only way you can go is up. The Sens have plenty of high quality prospects in the system, but very little in the way of veteran leadership and star power. It may take a couple of seasons to turn things around in Ottawa, but at least they have their own first round picks going forward.
I'm going to close my eyes and throw a dart at the dart board and hope that it hits. I will go with Colin White to lead the team in scoring this year.
Prediction: 27 goals, 36 assists for 63 points.
The Toronto Maple Leafs:
Say what you will about the Leafs, they are loaded with offensive talent. This is a team that may boast two 50-goal scorers this season in Matthews and Tavares.
Mitch Marner led the team in points with 94 last season, but the uncertainty of his contract status coming into this season may result in him missing training camp, the preseason and maybe even part of the regular season.
I am going with Auston Matthews here. If this kid can stay healthy and play all 82 games, like he did in his rookie year, eclipsing 50 goals and 100 points seems obtainable.
Prediction: 52 goals, 50 assists for 102 points.
The Winnipeg Jets:
This is a tough call for me. The Jets have some very talented players up front. The team itself is going to be dealing with a lot of turnover on the blue line this season, with the departures of Trouba, Chiarot and Myers, so I can't imagine they will remain one of the top teams in the West, but with quality goaltending and enough scoring, anything is possible.
To me, it comes down to Connor, Scheifele and Wheeler. The reason this decision is tough is that like the Pettersson/Boeser dilemma, these players are likely to be on the same line. Through much deliberation, I'm going with Scheifele.
Mark Scheifele continues to be one of my favourite players to watch in the league. He is so crafty and intelligent that he is often completely unpredictable. His vision is right up there with Crosby and MacKinnon and his finishing ability is just below them.
Prediction: 38 goals, 51 assists for 89 points.
Thanks for reading.
