NHL Expert Picks: Capitals, Lightning and Ducks poised for big year – CBSSports.com
Coming off one of the most wildly unpredictable NHL seasons in recent memory, what 2015-16 will bring us is anyone’s guess. But that’s what we’re going to try to do here. CBSSports.com hockey writers Adam Gretz and Chris Peters sat down to predict how the 2015-16 campaign will shake out from division standings all the way to the Stanley Cup champion.
Big things are expected out of teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks this season, but don’t count out the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks and recent Stanley Cup winners Los Angeles Kings either. Plus, you never know which teams will come out of left field to pull some surprises this year like the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators last season.
It should be another entertaining NHL season. Feel free to share your own predictions in the comments.
Why the Capitals will win the Stanley Cup: The Capitals have been Stanley Cup favorites before in the Alex Ovechkin era, but this team seems to have the right mix of offensive firepower and strong defensive play without going too far in either direction, which had been a problem — one way or another — in recent years. They should be one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league with a strong defense and one of the better goaltenders in the league in Braden Holtby. That is a fantastic combination. — Adam Gretz
Why the Lightning will win the Stanley Cup: We already saw how good the Lightning can be last season and they return almost the same exact roster in 2015-16. The emergence of Victor Hedman last season as one of the top two-way defensemen in the league and the team’s overall depth of scoring led by Steven Stamkos and “The Triplets” line of Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov (whether they play together) is unrivaled. Throw in Ben Bishop with a full postseason of experience now and the Lightning are better positioned to win this season than they were last. — Chris Peters
The Lightning and Capitals enter 2015-16 as Stanley Cup favorites. (USATSI)
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