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nour · 09-21-2020, 12:24 AM

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Tampa Bay will not finish with the worst record this season - San Francisco will

This isn't bold at all, San Francisco is missing $12,000,000 in cap space which has hampered almost all their moves this offseason, and they're selling players for pennies on the dollar. Tampa has a young roster that is steadily improving and can easily scoop up some wins being in the easier of the 2 Eastern divisions without Hamilton, Buffalo and Chicago.

**First GM in SMJHL history to win 3 Four Star Cups back-to-back-to-back**

*leviadan* · 09-21-2020, 12:29 AM

Quote:Texas will be the top team in the Western Conference

This prediction is NOT BOLD. Full stop. Texas will be the top team in the west without a doubt in my mind. You wanna know why? Because this rootin' tootin' son of a spur has been cooking in Detroit for FOUR SEASONS. That's right you teetotalers I'm about to go Frankie Valli on the SHL. I've been working my way back to you and I'm going to be the big man in town, candy girl.

If you think you're going to touch a single puck in Texas without having this Sulfurgold scorpion on your back you're WRONG. I'm going to be the snake in your boot, cowboy. I'm going to hog tie you and toss you back into whatever namby-pamby state you sauntered in from. This is NOT A JOKE. This conference has a new power forward pit boss and he's pissed off. End of discussion.

[Image: pin1_1.gif?ex=661a1734&is=6607a234&hm=b8...1bf5caed8&]

Moreorless89 · 09-21-2020, 12:30 AM

Monkey D Luffy, extra TPE and all, will have a worse season than he did in S55

This isn’t bold. He is gonna do worse because he knows I will soon be in the SHL and I will wreck him. He fears the future because he knows there is only room for one Luffy, and that is I, Luffy Richard. Muahahha. This prediction is just straight facts, and season 57 will be even worse because imma hit him every chance I get.

***boom*** · 09-21-2020, 12:30 AM

- Tampa Bay will not finish with the worst record this season - San Francisco will

This one's not too bold. While the 18 backup starts is a huge hurdle, Geezus Kryyst is still at a high TPE level and capable of handling it. The problem is the depth. A $12 million cap penalty is absolutely crippling, and we're already seeing it with Thatguy91 and AgentSmith630 already being forced to sign bottom-of-the-barrel IFAs to fill out the roster. Five of their defensemen are below 600 TPE, with Alex Petrenko being the only bright spot. Up front it isn't much better, as there are three forwards below 500 TPE and five below 800.

- There will be no major scandals during the season

Whoever wrote this, I admire your blind optimism. This is the SHL. There will be blood.

- The Nevada Battleborn will win the Four Star Cup

This one is interesting. While they have a young team around the 350 TPE range, I'm not sure if they have the depth to get past teams like Anchorage, Vancouver or Maine when the chips are down.

- The Detroit Falcons will return to dominance and be a top 3 team in the SMJHL regular season

I doubt it. Detroit's main losses this offseason were up front, with players like Edward Williams, Zoltan Topalo and Burlok Sulfurgold departing for the SHL. At the moment the team only has two 425 TPE forwards, and while Kolja Kekkonen is a pretty nice 1D I just don't think they have the depth to contend this season.

***Gwdjohnson*** · 09-21-2020, 12:41 AM

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Chicago will win the President's Trophy

Not a chance. Chicago lost out massively this offseason by not securing any major signings in free agency, and overall you would have to consider their team a lower quality than both Hamilton and Buffalo's. Last season Chicago barely managed to scrape into the playoffs and they had a team that was better than their current team this season. Hamilton's roster has way more strength overall than the roster of Chicago after they added Michael Scarn, Theo Morgan, Ray Bork, Guy O'Shea, Rikard Hammarberg and Chico Smeb to their lineup, a lineup that already finished rather comfortably ahead of Chicago. The Syndicate did make some additions to their team, picking up Disisde Dayudie and Charlie Schieck via trade and slotting top prospect Ryuuji Minamino in too, but it's just not enough in my eyes to elevate them to the top of the Great Lakes, much less the President's Trophy.

Chicago still has the pieces to be very competitive, and obviously they will make the playoffs because Toronto just isn't at the level necessary, but they will not finish ahead of Hamilton or Buffalo in the Great Lakes in my eyes. As for who I think WILL win the President's Trophy, to me its easily going to be the Manhattan Rage. While Hamilton, Buffalo and Chicago all have to tussle with each other and drop points all over to fight for Great Lakes supremacy, Manhattan has an easy road division featuring 4 teams that are all quite clearly a level below them in New England, Atlanta, Baltimore and Tampa Bay. The additional games against divisional opponents compared to the rest of the league tips the scales heavily in the Rage's favor, and this isn't even including their huge additions of Oliver Cleary and Piotr Czerkawski in the offseason.

I don't see it being anyone in the west, as New Orleans and Edmonton have both taken large steps back, and while Calgary and Texas are going to be very solid, I don't think they have quite the ability to dominate their respective divisions enough to secure a President's Trophy, unlike Manhattan.

Matteo · 09-21-2020, 12:42 AM

Chicago will win the President's Trophy

Homer pick here, but I'm saying this one isn't too bold. Chicago has a great combination of veteran players like the Smeb brothers and Billy Sorokin, as well as younger players who are just starting to come into their own, such as Akira Ren and new acquisition Disisde Dayudie. On top of this they're also calling up SMJHL star Ryuuji Minamino who could very well make a pretty immediate impact on the team, which brings me to my next point

Someone from the S53 draft class will win rookie of the year

Ryuuji Minamino was a huge reason why the Berserkers won the Four-Star Cup this season, and has been a huge presence on the team for a long time now. On top of this, Chicago is relatively thin on right wingers so Minamino could feasibly be getting 2nd line minutes in his first professional season, giving him more chances to rack up lots of points.

FlappyGiraffe · 09-21-2020, 12:43 AM

"The long reign of Edmonton and Calgary is over - neither of these teams will finish the season atop the Northwest Division standings"

This is not a bold prediction, as we see significant departures from the Edmonton blueline leaving as mainstays Brady McIntyre and Tor Tuck hit free agency. And Calgary continues to age as their stars go deeper into their regression. I think it is very possible we see a young up and coming team like the Winnipeg Jets take the top spot with some sim luck.

MN_Moosey · 09-21-2020, 12:47 AM

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Neither expansion team will make the playoffs

It's bold but it will be wrong. Expansion teams in a sim league such as this are set up quite well with how the expansion rules were set. Just look at Vegas in their first year IRL. Anything can happen. The sim can do some crazy stuff so look out for these teams to make a splash.

DeletedAtUserRequest · 09-21-2020, 12:48 AM

09-21-2020, 12:19 AMKeygan Wrote: Some whacky ass shit would need to happen in order for neither of Edmonton or Calgary to be atop the division come season end, and if you truly believe one of them won't be I'd love to have a hit of whatever it is you're smoking.

#True ^

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Tate · 09-21-2020, 01:12 AM

“There will be no major scandals during the season”

INCORRECT - With how things tend to play out in this league I’d be shocked if we went a week, let alone the offseason, without a scandal. The SHL should stand for Spicy Hockey League for how much trouble it likes to brew, good thing I like my food hot though.

*Keven* · 09-21-2020, 01:24 AM

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Someone from the S53 draft class will win rookie of the year

Not a bold prediction at all. There are so many incredible S53 players making their SHL debut this year that it's basically guaranteed one of them will win rookie of the year. The S53 players have had the most time to train in the SMJHL, and the rookies that haven't been called up prior to this season are obviously in the most advantaged position to win the award.

*Carpy48* · 09-21-2020, 01:43 AM

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The Toronto North Stars will finish with fewer points than the Seattle Argonauts

b) Couldn't agree more. Why? First of all Seattle is in the West and they have more chances to win against other, slightly weaker teams than Toronto in the East, especially looking at the division Toronto is in. I totally expect Seattle to have a better season than Toronto, maybe not by much.

charlieconway · 09-21-2020, 02:00 AM

Quote:Tampa Bay will not finish with the worst record this season - San Francisco will

Not bold at all. Tampa Bay has been on a slow climb since their abysmal S54 winless season. They've got some 1k+ TPE forwards in Ronlain, Fiddler, and Fitted. Knight and Topalo will be increasing their TPE as the season goes along, and Cuddles will be hitting 1k on the back end as well. They aren't going to get near the playoffs, but they will pick up wins and might even surpass last season's surprise record.
The San Francisco Pride are another story. Wracked by the cap penalty inherited from their delinquent former GM, they've clearly gone into the S56 season expecting to tank and challenge for the 1st overall in the draft. The D core, especially, will be in tough, as there's not much there beyond Petrenko. It's conceivable that they have a second pairing with a combined total of sub-800 tpe. That's atrocious, even in a post-expansion world. Kavanagh is going to find himself in the same position Carpet did in those rough North Stars seasons.

Quote:The Toronto North Stars will finish with fewer points than the Seattle Argonauts

Not bold, although I think this is up in the air. I'm not expecting either team to make the playoffs, as they both have serious holes in their rosters. The North Stars will be relying heavily on their goalie to keep them in games, while the Argonauts have a top blueline and not much else. You could make a case either way, but in doing so would admit that the above prediction is a toss-up at best.

Quote:Neither expansion team will make the playoffs

WRONG. I think Atlanta has enough skill to make the playoffs, and may even get in above the Wolfpack at 2nd, behind Manhattan. They have some superstars in Zheng and van Otter, some underappreciated players in LeBlanc, McIntyre, Moore, and Jones. Their goalie is above the 800 TPE mark, which ensures their netminding won't outright lose them games. I think the Inferno will surprise some people.
Seattle, I think, is in for a tougher season. As good as their D core is, their forwards leave something to be desired. Kane is the only real game-breaking forward they have. Their goaltending is mid-level, and even if defense is incredibly important in the FHM environment, Seattle's isn't enough to overcome their deficiencies in other areas.

Quote:Chicago will win the President's Trophy

WRONG. I'm always iffy on how the schedule shakes out, since IIRC FHM can be very hit or miss when scheduling the right amount of divisional games. But assuming the teams play an even amount of divisional games, then I think both New Orleans and Manhattan have a better shot at winning the President's Trophy. To the Syndicate's credit, however, I think they finish atop the Great Lakes division, though the Stampede and Steelhawks will give them plenty of trouble.

Quote:Texas will be the top team in the Western Conference

WRONG. As good as Texas is, they're still a step behind the Specters and Dragons in the West. When I look at the Renegades roster, I see a team that's two or three seasons away from dominating; they have many young players all at or around the same draft era, meaning many players will be reaching their peaks at the same time. The only threat I see to their chances in the future is the salary cap, as their litany of top earners will all wind up hitting that highest contract tier at around the same time.

Quote:The winner of the McBride Award (top goaltender) will come from the Atlantic Division

Not bold at all. I'm expecting Manhattan's Peter Larson to take home the award, and here's why: the Rage had a phenomenal season in S55, and they've improved their defense since then with the addition of Oliver Cleary. Doskocil is still around where he was last season, and he's one of the best defensive D-men in the league. McCarthy's still playing at a high level, and Vent, MacIntyre, and Timonen will round out a D-core that sees not a single player starting behind the 1k TPE mark. In terms of the other goalies, I've always considered Franz Eller to be a very capable goaltender, and the same goes for Baltimore's Del Vecchio. Are any of these goalies the odds-on favorite to win the McBride? Maybe not, but the division has just as much--if not more-- of a chance to win than any other.

Quote:New Orleans will see a significant decline and barely make the playoffs

WRONG. So very wrong. They lost some big pieces, there's no doubt about that. But the Specters still boast a very strong array of forwards in Slothface, Williams, Cloutier, Moyer, Muller, and Manius. Their D is very strong, with old man Kirkby anchoring and two S48 studs in Claude and Odelein III. Saarinen Jr. is a step back from Cain TPE-wise, but Buffalo and Hamilton have proven that a sub-1k tpe goalie can still be more than up to the task of backstopping a top team.

Quote:The long reign of Edmonton and Calgary is over - neither of these teams will finish the season atop the Northwest Division standings

Wrong, though I'd love nothing more than to see the Jets top the Northwest division. I think Edmonton takes a step back from last season given their large losses, and Calgary has enough talent on the roster to threaten New Orleans for top of the West. The Jets, I believe, finish a close third behind the Blizzard, making the playoffs for the first time in my player's SHL career.

Quote:Neither Buffalo nor Hamilton will make the Challenge Cup finals

Not bold. Sure, they could make it. Their teams are good enough and their coaching is canny enough to make it there. But I think the Syndicate and Rage are two teams that have a better shot at making it to the finals, and I'm operating under the assumption that one of them will get there above the Steelhawks and Stampede.

Quote:There will be no major scandals during the season

lol

Quote:Monkey D Luffy, extra TPE and all, will have a worse season than he did in S55

Wrong. As unpredictable as FHM can be, I don't think Luffy will have a worse season, because his S55 season wasn't all that great. I fully expected him to top the league in points, and looking back on the misapplied/not-applied tpe fiasco, there's probably a good reason why that happened. I see Luffy coming in at the top or near-top this season, with a greater amount of points than his 72 in S55. I wouldn't be surprised if both Luffy and Hamilton's Theo Morgan both came in at around the 80-point mark.
Of course, this assumes that the premise of the above statement is ignoring the fact he won the Challenge Cup last season. If you're including that, then I think it's absolutely true he'll have a worse season, as I don't expect the Stampede to repeat as champions. They could, but I don't think they will.

Quote:Someone from the S53 draft class will win rookie of the year

Not bold at all. I'm expecting Buffalo's Steve Harrington to have a very strong season, since I believe he'll be playing on Buffalo's second line with Hippo Passamus and Aron Hernadivic. The Stampede are a very capable offensive team, one that will outscore the opposition more often than not, especially against teams like the Barracuda, North Stars, and Platoon. Harrington is a tpe machine, with a build that has enough points spent on offense to be a fair-sized contributor to his line's point production. I consider Harrington to be the favourite for this award, and since he's an S53 player, this prediction may very well come true.

Quote:The Nevada Battleborn will win the Four Star Cup

Not bold. I don't see why not. Their league-worst season in S55 wasn't unexpected given they're an expansion team that relied heavily on the entry draft to fill out their roster. It's reasonable to think that with many of those players graduating into the higher levels of TPE, the team will be better. I wouldn't consider them the favorite to win the 4SC, but I also wouldn't think it out of the realm of possiblity for them to win it. Not enough for me to say that suggesting it is flat out wrong, anyway.

Quote:The Detroit Falcons will return to dominance and be a top 3 team in the SMJHL regular season

Not bold. I think they will, and I'll admit that part of that is just their consistent domination over the course of the past several seasons (excluding S55 of course). The Falcons brain-trust in management is filled to the brim with very capable sim-hockey minds, and they had 10 rookies on the roster last season, behind only the Battleborn (12) and Citadelles (17). Detroit's interesting to me because they seem to have a very distinct culture that's lacking on some of the other J teams, and their graduates always seem to value their time on the team. I don't expect the Falcons to be down long ever because as talent graduates to the SHL, there's always a new crop of engaged and active first-gens and recreates to fill the void.

Mack · 09-21-2020, 02:03 AM

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There will be no major scandals during the season

This is wrong. There has been rumblings of a relationship in the SHL gone sour. Two former best friends now hate each other. One was quoted as saying "@#*#$ is dead to me". Relationship problems are nothing new to the SHL...BUT this isn't just any 2 friends...think HUGE! I've probably already said too much. Now rumor has it that a major trade is being orchestrated as we speak to break the dynamic duo up. Will this have a major impact on at least 1 teams management? Let's wait and see...the site will never be the same. If this story never breaks into the mainstream just know that at least one of them is dead. Keep an eye out for any big names going inactive.

gordieboom · 09-21-2020, 02:11 AM

While i browsed through the bold prediction list i stumbled upon the sentence ‘chicago will win the presidents trophy’ and i immediately burts out in laughing. That one is really off compared to the orher predictions. Chicago doesn’t have any chance with teams like Buffalo, Hamilton and Manhattan. This was probably a typo and should have been Calgary.

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