There is a huge variable to consider when looking at which teams are going to be the cream of the crop at the end of this calendar year…namely, are we going to be looking at a larger league? There’s been a lot of discussion about how good earners should be able to move up and out of the J earlier than the standard 4 years. If that’s going to happen, the talent pool will need to be diluted, whether that be through 4th lines or through expansion teams. Supposedly recruitment has been down so talent dilution may happen naturally, however, it is possible that we see a restructuring including more expansion teams. If that is the case, in 1 year the Tokyo team will be #1 because everyone with an anime avatar will demand a trade there and will be too strong.

If that doesn’t happen, I can see Toronto backstopped by an all star Scoochie Stratton completing their rebuild and going heavy. I can see Tampa running the Atlantic much like Manhattan is now. And I can see Texas making a few runs as well.