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I have written elsewhere that predicting the future is a fool’s errand.  Well, I’m going to join the fools.  I wouldn’t normally do so, but this year I’ll go on record with my predictions for the upcoming NHL season.  But I’m doing it with a twist, or at least a purpose.  The purpose is directly compare my predictions with another set of predictions, namely that of The Hockey News Yearbook (THN).

How do I expect I’ll do competing against “The Bible of Hockey”, as they call themselves (it’s right on the cover!)?  Well, I’m hoping to do a bit better, but I’ll probably do just about equal in terms of predicting the order of finish.  I have written elsewhere (see: Prognosticate This!) that simply predicting all teams will finish exactly as they did the previous year is just as good as THN has been in recent years.  Therefore, any more-accurate-then-usual predictions will likely be the result of flukes, and will even out over time.

But I will play one hunch.  If you look at the predictions below, you’ll se my predictions total a change of 47 placements from last year.  That is, if I predict a team at #4, and they were #7 last year, that’s a difference of 3 placements.  Only the absolute value is used.  THN has a change of 68 placements.  I believe THN may be overpredicting, meaning they’re trying so hard to see change that they may see it even when it is not there.  So I’m hoping my predictions will be a little more accurate.

The largest differences between my predictions and THN are as follows.  I have Washington as #5 in the East, while THN has them #2.  I have Carolina at #10 in the East, THN has them #7.  Finally, I have Edmonton at #9 in the West, while the THN has them at #6.  All of these are differences of 3 placements.

Finally, I will discuss theses predictions after the season is over.  That is something that THN never has to do, explain when their predictions are wrong.  They simply whip up a new batch of predictions for next season.  I am going to be accountable for my predictions.  Just remember that I do not expect to do well, because predicting the future is a foolish thing to do. 

The standings of each conference below are based solely on points.  The stupid 1-2-3 seeding of division winners is ignored.

Eastern Conference 

Western Conference