NHL 17: Our 2016-17 NHL Season Simulation Results
Using the miracle that is modern sports games, we use NHL 17 to determine what will happen on the ice this upcoming season.
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There are many, many, many storylines heading into the new NHL season. Blockbuster trades, teams continuing to rebuild and the dawn of a new franchise in Las Vegas (coming next season) all provide intrigue as to what 2016 will bring on the ice. What better way to take a look at the year’s possibilities than with an NHL 17 sim?
As is tradition, we’ve decided to use the power of NHL 17 to simulate this upcoming season just to see what happens. What occurred were quite a few surprises, as you’ll see if you scroll flip through the following slides. Each slide contains some noteworthy stats and events revolving around each team, as well as where you can find more coverage of each team on the FanSided network.
There are a few things to note about this simulation:
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With that all out of the way, let’s get started!
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Metropolitan Division
Washington Capitals: 47-29-6, 100 points
Our NHL 17 sim has the Caps being, once again, the class of the Metro Division. It should really come as no surprise, seeing as how Washington has strung together playoff seasons in two of the past three years.
Alex Ovechkin continued has dominance of the game as well. With 53 goals, 86 points, 33 assists in all 82 games, he’s easily the most consistent scoring producer in the Eastern Conference. He also got some help from Nicklas Backstrom who put up a team-high 52 assists and 67 points in 80 games.
Washington is known for offensive efficiency, but Braden Holtby also had a solid season behind the net. Last season’s Vezina Trophy winner went 41-20-2 in 68 games played during our sim, with a 2.46 GAA (goals against average).
For more Capitals coverage, check out our friends at Stars & Sticks.
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Pittsburgh Penguins: 43-29-10, 96 points
The defending Stanley Cup champs once again fall just shy of another division title in our sim. Despite that, just behind Washington in the regular season isn’t exactly a bad place to be. A 40+ win season has pretty much become the norm in Pittsburgh, but this one wasn’t without its challenges.
For one, the Pens were without Sidney Crosby for a while. An injury cost him 13 games in the simulation, and his stats surely took a hit. “The Kid” put up just 55 points on 23 goals and 32 assists in his 69 games played.
Fortunately for the black and gold faithful, they had some shoulders to lean on.
Phil Kessel asserted himself with a team-high 66 points in 80 games. Though he didn’t score often, the Pens seemed to become a team that did more damage spreading the puck around than relying on one or two key scoring threats. Kessel had 21 goals and 35 assists, the latter being a team-high tied with 30-year-old Evgeni Malkin. Malkin scored 24 times and tallied up 59 points as he played in all 82 games.
For more Penguins coverage, check out our friends at Pen’s Labyrinth.
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Carolina Hurricanes: 42-30-10, 94 points
Remember how I said some things in this NHL 17 sim are surprising? This is the first of many of them.
The Hurricanes have long been ridiculed as a team that can’t escape their magical 2006 Stanley Cup season. With at least one player from that team remaining on the main roster, it’s not hard to imagine why. Despite things continuing to be rebuilt in Raleigh, our sim sees them as the breakthrough team of 2016 with a firm position in the playoff picture.
How’d they get there? How about on the stick of Jeff Skinner, who remains one of the hotter young commodities in the market. Our sim has him scoring 40 goals and racking up 36 assists in 81 games, which falls right in line with his solid career thus far. He got some help from 22-year-old sim phenom Teuvo Teravainen, who put up 54 points on a team-high 40 assists. The Canes are a team full of younger prospects, and it looks like they will finally shine in the big time.
On the opposite end of those young prospects lies Cam Ward. The 32-year-old has clocked in over 500 games for Carolina as of last season, and our simulation projects he could have his best season ever. Ward won 30 of his 62 games while putting up a 2.61 GAA, stats that are eerily similar to his performance a decade ago (30-21, 2.93 GAA in 60 games).
For more Hurricanes coverage, check out our friends at Cardiac Cane.
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New York Islanders: 42-31-9, 93 points
You know one thing that isn’t surprising about this sim?
John. Freaking. Tavares.
The 26-year-old center has put together some nice seasons for the Isles as of late, but our NHL 17 sim indicates that he could be in for a monster year. In 80 games, Tavares scored an Eastern Conference high 90 points thanks to 46 goals and 44 assists. Ten of those 46 goals were actually game-winners, which led the league.
New acquisition Andrew Ladd helped out with a team-high 49 assists, a far cry from his less than spectacular years in Winnipeg. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak also locked down things near the net, winning 35 of his 59 games with a 2.49 GAA.
With this sort of production, it’s not hard to see why the Isles could be a threat in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While they were the last team to get in from the East, will they stick around long enough to give Brooklyn a fighting chance?
For more Islanders coverage, check out our friends at Eyes on Isles.
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Columbus Blue Jackets: 39-32-11, 89 points
While not finding themselves at the bottom of the Metro like last season, Columbus still ends up just shy of the playoffs in our sim. Going just 3-5-2 in the final stretch of the season finds them just five points shy.
The Blue Jackets weren’t really able to capitalize on the power play very often but had one of the better penalty kills in the division. An 82.3% penalty kill ranked them among the best in the Metro, and even in the Eastern Conference as a whole.
It’s a year of improvement for the Blue Jackets, though. Right winger Cam Atkinson got vastly better, leading the team with 70 points and 49 assists, both career-highs. The Jackets’ duo of Brandons (both Dubinsky and Saad) both scored a team-high 26 goals. All three players mentioned were able to stay healthy throughout the season, with at least 76 games seeing all three on the ice.
Sergei Bobrovsky also had a solid season in the net. He won 37 of his 69 games with a 2.42 GAA and even pitched a pair of shutouts.
For more Blue Jackets coverage, check out our friends at Union and Blue.
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Philadelphia Flyers: 41-36-5, 87 points
Philly got hit with some bad luck down the stretch in our NHL 17 sim. Captain Claude Giroux missed the final few weeks of the season with a concussion and other injuries, which could be why the Flyers just miss out on the playoffs.
For the 72 games he was on the ice, Giroux was the biggest offensive catalyst for the orange and black. Of 85 points, 52 of those coming off a team-high 34 goals, nine of those actually turned out to be game-winners. He and right winger Jakub Voracek tied with 52 assists, with the latter actually playing 82 full games.
Defenseman Radko Gudas was also a true enforcer, being among the top players at his position in the Metro. His 142 hits were among some of the best in the division, along with 32 takeaways; he even scored 4 points on three goals and an assist.
For more Flyers coverage, check out our friends at Broad Street Buzz.
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New York Rangers: 35-33-14, 84 points
Our NHL 17 sim showed a pretty rough fall from grace for Madison Square Garden’s hockey team. While the Rangers were one of the top teams in the East last year, they missed out on the playoffs here.
What could cause this? How can the Rangers miss the playoffs when they’ve been contenders for the past few years?
A big reason could be because Rick Nash missed nearly half the season. Easily one of the Rangers’ biggest scoring threats, he dealt with post-concussion syndrome in mid-March and ended up missing the last nearly full month of the season because of it. In the 48 games that he did play, he wasn’t very effective. Nash only scored 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists)–a polar opposite from his breakout 2015.
With Nash sidelined, the Rangers didn’t really have a breakout scoring leader. Derek Stepan, Chris Kreider, and J.T. Miller were among leading scorers, with Stepan leading the team with 38 assists. One constant for New York was Marc Staal who, at age 30, remained one of the top defensemen in the East.
It wouldn’t be a conversation about the Rangers without talking about Henrik Lundqvist. “The King” had a rough time ruling over his dominion, winning just 24 of his 67 games and being hit with nagging injuries.
For more Rangers coverage, check out our friends at Blue Line Station.
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New Jersey Devils: 35-38-9, 79 points
The Devils are continuing the post-Brodeur era, and the franchise finds themselves at the bottom of the division in our NHL 17 sim. New Jersey has a young team and wasn’t expected to go far, but their last place finish didn’t come without some positives.
Taylor Hall made an immediate impact after coming over from Edmonton. In his best all-around NHL season, he played all 82 games and scored a team-high 79 points thanks to 35 goals. He also tied a team-high in the assist category with right winger Kyle Palmieri and center Travis Zajac at 44.
What really killed the Devils was their lack of defense, particularly in the net. They allowed an NHL-high 259 goals when splitting time between the injured Cory Schneider and Scott Wedgewood, who played in his first full NHL season. The 31-year-old Schneider played just 23 games and won 10 of them, while Hedgewood struggled with a 16-19 record in 43 games and a 3.33 GAA.
For more Devils coverage, check out our friends at Pucks and Pitchforks.
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Atlantic Division
Detroit Red Wings: 46-25-11, 103 points
Yes, the streak will continue, at least according to our sim.
In what would be their 26th-straight playoff appearance, the Red Wings ran through a competitive Atlantic Division and sat atop the East at the end of the regular season.
So what makes Detroit so good?
Having a pair of 70+ point players never really hurts. Right winger Gustav Nyquist led the Red Wings with 77 points and 35 goals in all 82 games. It would easily be his best NHL season to date, more than doubling his goal total from 2015. Left winger Tomas Tatar was the other notable performer in Hockey Town. With 72 points (30 goals, 42 assists) in 80 games, the NHL 17 sim projects he’s also in for a career year in 2016.
Goalie Petr Mrazek also put in a solid season. He went 35-17 in 62 games along with a 2.50 GAA and allowed just 151 goals against him during that span.
For more Red Wings coverage, check out our friends at Octopus Thrower.
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Toronto Maple Leafs: 45-30-7, 97 points
While it wasn’t really a close race at near the top of the Atlantic, the Leafs are back near the top of the division standings after finishing last in 2015.
Toronto had a so-so scoring offense as a team in our sim, averaging 2.62 goals per game. Still, guys like left winger James Van Riemsdyk found the back of the net 30 times which was a team-high. Meanwhile, it was center Nazem Kadri that led the team in points with 62 (29 goals, 33 assists), putting together a solid performance through 82 games.
The real breakout star of the Leafs ended up being defenseman Morgan Rielly. The 23-year-old put up 61 points thanks to a team-high 48 assists. Making room and giving opportunities to guys like Van Riemsdyk, Kadri and even others like Leo Komarov clearly helped with the offensive efficiency Toronto showed in our NHL 17 sim.
Want more Leafs coverage? Check out our friends at Editor in Leaf.
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Montreal Canadiens: 44-31-7, 95 points
Much like the Leafs, the Habs also had an okay scoring offense. What’s fascinating is how solid they were on special teams. Granted, they only scored 39 times on the Power Play, but their 81 percent efficiency on the penalty kill and five short-handed goals demonstrated that they could adapt when mistakes are made.
The Habs didn’t really have a breakout star in our sim, but rather, they had a bunch of guys put up very consistent numbers. Left winger Max Pacioretty led scoring with 36 goals in 79 games and ended up being tied for a team-high 59 points with right winger Alexander Radulov, who played 75 games. Montreal ended up hurting at right wing by the end of the year, as Radulov and Brendan Gallagher were out with injuries for the last few weeks of the regular season. Both should return if Montreal can make a deep enough run in the postseason.
Montreal didn’t lack much defensively, though. Goalie Carey Price put up some of the better numbers in the league, going 37-23 in 68 games with a 2.37 GAA. Big offseason acquisition Shea Weber provided some help on offense with 39 assists, while also getting 37 takeaways and 115 hits when focused on defense.
For more Canadiens coverage, check out our friends at A Winning Habit.
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Tampa Bay Lightning: 44-32-6, 94 points
One of the more dynamic teams in the entire NHL, it’s not a shocker to continually see the Lightning back in the playoffs year after year.
Our NHL 17 sim predicted that Tampa could have the best scoring offense in the league, as they scored an astounding 255 total goals. That averages out to 3.11 goals per game, which led the NHL along with their total goal count.
A conversation about the Lightning in 2016 can’t possibly begin any other way than talking about Steven Stamkos. The four-time all-star led the way with 81 points (37 goals, 44 assists), producing team-highs in points and goals. Left winger Ondrej Palat also proved himself to be a big playmaker with a team-high 58 assists along with 16 goals to his credit.
Goalie Ben Bishop also made an impact in the crease, going 23-22 in 61 games and allowed under 150 total goals on the season along with four shutout wins.
For more Lightning coverage, check out our friends at Bolts by the Bay.
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Buffalo Sabers: 41-33-8, 90 points
Buffalo also seemed to turn things around after being near the bottom of the Atlantic last year. While just barely missing out on the playoffs, the Sabers had one of the better power plays in the league, scoring 55 times with the advantage. They also had an 82.3 percent efficiency on the penalty kill, rounding out an impressive special teams unit.
The Sabers were also primarily healthy for most of the year, with many of their big playmakers going the 82-game distance. Jack Eichel found a spark in his still very young career, scoring 30 goals and tallying up 46 assists. Center Ryan O’ Reilly was another huge offensive catalyst, with 69 of his 88 points coming off assists. Left winger Evander Kane put up solid numbers as well, with 29 goals and assists each, but did clock in a team-high 66 penalty minutes.
The defensive pair of Josh Gorges and Rasmus Ristolainen also had solid seasons. Gorges was Buffalo’s pure enforcer with 169 hits and 31 takeaways, while the 22-year-old Ristolainen had 30 assists 114 hits to his credit.
For more Sabers coverage, check out our friends at Sabre Noise.
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Florida Panthers: 41-33-8, 90 points
The Panthers were somewhat of a surprise last year. Topping the Atlantic standings in 2015, Florida found themselves deadlocked with Buffalo and out of the playoffs in our simulation.
The shiny new threads may be a good luck charm, though. The team scored an NHL-high 65 power play goals during the regular season, making them the deadliest offensive special teams unit in the league.
The seemingly-immortal Jaromir Jagr was, once again, a huge leader for the Panthers in our NHL 17 sim. In 81 games he put up a team-high 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists), which is impressive for a guy who will turn 45 years old during the 2016-17 season. Of course, he got some help from the up-and-coming Panthers. Nick Bjugstad scored a team-high 30 goals while playing all 82 games, which is his best scoring season since 2014.
Jagr wasn’t the only older guy putting up nice numbers. Goalie Roberto Luongo will turn 38 during this season, and our sim shows that he’ll be just as good as he was last year for the Panthers. In 65 games, he went 36-20 with a 2.61 GAA.
For more Panthers coverage, check out our friends at The Rat Trick.
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Ottawa Senators: 41-36-5, 87 points
The Sens are still a team trying to figure things out, clearly. Our sim has them missing out on the playoffs for the third time in six seasons, despite having a better record than their 38-win, 85- point 2015.
That being said, don’t mistake those shortcomings for weakness. The Senators were actually one of the better defenses in the league in our sim. Allowing just 2.68 goals per game put them in the top-15 in the NHL, and their 84.3 percent penalty kill efficiency made them a top-three special teams unit.
It’s certainly a solid defense, anchored by goalie Craig Anderson. The 35-year-old won 41 of his 77 games played in our sim, finishing up the season with a 2.53 GAA. He also earned nine shutouts, which topped the Eastern Conference.
What the Sens had in defense, they sorely lacked in offense, based on our NHL 17 sim. Despite being relatively healthy, Ottawa was a middle-of-the-road scoring team, which could explain why they missed the playoffs. Left winger Mike Hoffman scored a team-high 32 goals, partially thanks to defensemen Erik Karlsson’s 50 assists. Karlsson’s playmaking ability saw him score 70 points, which was the highest among Ottawa’s skaters.
For more Senators coverage, check out our friends at SenShot.
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Boston Bruins: 36-38-8, 80 points
It’s hard to believe it’s been five, going on six, years since the Bruins were Stanley Cup champions. If this prediction were to come true, it would be the third straight year that Boston was kept out of the playoffs and would easily be their worst record since the lockout season.
Having one of the more inefficient offenses in our NHL 17 sim can likely be blamed here, along with a defense that didn’t really stop opponents from scoring that much. The Bruins allowed nearly three goals per game and 60 goals coming from opposing power plays. They also posted a sub-.500 record at home, but did go 5-4-1 in their final ten games of the season.
This is all with a relatively healthy roster as well. Center Patrice Bergeron played 81 games and put together a 77-point season, mainly coming from 52 assists. Brad Marchand was the primary scoring threat with just 34 goals in all 82 games, and David Krejci had a career-high 56 assists.
The Bruins’ problem seemed to mainly lie with the defense. Zdeno Chara went down with an injury and played just 48 games in the season. While 25-year-old Torey Krug stepped up with 43 points and 26-year-old Jared Cowen was the main enforcer, it was that youth that arguably cost the Bruins more times than not.
Then there’s Tuukka Rask, who went 29-36 in 73 games with a save percentage of just .912. He allowed over 200 goals and finished the year with a 2.85 GAA, making it clear to see why Boston missed out on the postseason again.
For more Bruins coverage, check out our friends at Causeway Crowd.
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Central Division
Nashville Predators: 49-26-7, 105 points
The Preds seem to be a sexy pick to get top billing in the Central. They’ve been improving year after year, and the big acquisition of defenseman P.K. Subban from Montreal only made them better in our sim.
For starters, Nashville had one of the stingiest defenses in the simulation. Allowing just 191 total goals through 82 games, that rounds out to 2.33 goals against per game (2nd in the NHL). They also had a top-five penalty kill, rejecting opponents 83.5 percent of the time during the man advantage.
Right winger Craig Smith led the team in points with 50 (23 goals, 27 assists), despite playing 76 games. Left winger Filip Forsberg, meanwhile, had a bit of a down year compared to his 33-goal, 64-point performance in 2015. The undrafted Swede had 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists) in all 82 games.
The defensive duo of Subban and Roman Josi also paid dividends. The former had a 43-point, 12-goal season through 78 games, while the latter led defensemen with 45 points anchored by a team-high 36 assists. Goalie Pekka Rinne also had a solid season in our NHL 17 sim, going 36-17 in 60 games with a 2.11 GAA gave him his best stat line since the 2014-15 season.
For more Predators coverage, check out our friends at Predlines.
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St. Louis Blues: 46-27-9, 101 points
The Blues maintained their foothold as one of the top teams in the West with another strong regular season showing.
That’s mostly due to NHL 17 cover boy Vladimir Tarasenko, who led the team with 74 points as well as a team-high 41 goals. The right winger seemed to be flat out unstoppable at times during his 81 game season, and with only six penalty minutes, he was out on the ice quite a bit. The opposite could be said for a guy like right winger Ryan Reaves, who tallied up 101 penalty minutes by himself.
Elsewhere for St. Louis, left winger Alexander Steen had a career-high 50 assists on his way to a 73-point outing through 82 games. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was the big enforcer with 146 hits, and even helped out on offense with 44 assists.
Goaltending in St. Louis was hit with an injury to starter Jake Allen, who went 24-10 throughout 41 games. Carter Hutton did go just over .500 in 39 games (19-15), but did allow 108 goals compared to Allen’s 86.
For more Blues coverage, check out our friends at Bleedin’ Blue.
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Chicago Blackhawks: 44-33-5, 93 points
Always the perennial favorite to win the Stanley Cup, Chicago proved to be as strong as they ever were in our sim. Mind you, they weren’t dominant, but they still possess the talent to potentially make noise in the postseason.
The Hawks were powered by a top-ten scoring offense that put up nearly three goals per game, an astounding number that should leave little surprise given their roster. They also had a top-five power play, scoring with the advantage 23.8 percent of the time.
Chicago’s blazing offense was primarily orchestrated by Patrick Kane, who had a mind-blowing 104-point season (57 goals, 47 assists). He topped the league in terms of points and goals, and through 82 games, only accumulated eight penalty minutes. In fact, no one on the rest of the team even came remotely close to his goal total, which should make Kane a front-runner for what would be his second straight Hart Trophy.
In the crease, the Hawks split time between Corey Crawford and Scott Darling. Both finished over .500, with Crawford posting a 23-13 record with 2.61 GAA. It’s nowhere near some of his better seasons in Chicago, but he would likely be expected to turn things up in the postseason.
For more Blackhawks coverage, check out our friends at Blackhawk Up.
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Minnesota Wild: 41-31-10, 92 points
The Wild find themselves in a bit of a better situation this season and enter in as a potential playoff dark horse.
That’s largely in part to their outstanding defense, which allowed just 200 total goals in the regular season in our sim, which round out to 2.44 goals allowed per game.
Goalie Devan Dubnyk also came to play in our NHL 17 simulation. His 10 shutouts ended up being a league-high among goalies. He went 36-22 through 68 games, and his .927 save percentage and 2.17 GAA were the best out of goalies who played 65 games or more.
The Wild were also fairly consistent on offense, with six players eclipsing the 50-point mark. Left winger Zach Parise had a team-high 59 points (30 goals, 29 assists), while defenseman Ryan Suter led the team in assists with 49. Suter also brought the pain with 155 hits as well.
Eric Staal also rebounded after a 39-point 2015. The former Hurricane bounced back with a 55-point season in our sim (25 goals, 30 assists), making him an interesting asset to Minnesota during the season.
For more Wild coverage, check out our friends at Gone Puck Wild.
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Dallas Stars: 42-34-6, 90 points
The Stars find themselves back in the postseason, mostly thanks to a much weaker Pacific division. Still, an 86 percent penalty kill was the best in all of hockey, according to our NHL 17 sim, and there’s no doubt that the Stars possess a ton of talent.
One of those main pieces is Tyler Seguin. The 25-year-old center scored a team-leading 39 goals and was a primary producer with 73 points. Left winger Jamie Benn led all forwards in assists with 44, but defenseman John Klingberg led the entire team with 47 assists through 74 games.
Patrick Sharp put together an okay 48-point year through 82 games, clearly still looking for that magic that existed during his prime years in Chicago.
Goalie Kari Lehtonen was putting up a solid year in the crease before a herniated disk cost him some time. The 33-year-old went 27-17 through 47 games played with a 2.41 GAA, allowing just 110 total goals throughout the season. The game’s injury report mentioned that he should be back in time for the postseason.
For more Stars coverage, check out our friends at Blackout Dallas.
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Colorado Avalanche: 38-35-9, 82 points
The Avs are out of postseason contention once again this year, according to our NHL 17 sim. A look at the stat line shows that Colorado had the most unproductive offense in the league, scoring just 2.44 goals per game. In fact, the Avalanche only scored 200 total goals through 82 games while also giving up nearly three goals per contest.
Among the team, center Matt Duchene was the most productive with 52 points, but he didn’t top the team in terms of individual categories. Left winger Gabriel Landeskog led scoring with 22 goals, while defenseman Tyson Barrie had 41 assists and was clearly the best statistical defenseman that Colorado had.
Goalie Semyon Varlamov surprisingly went .500 on the year, posting a 25-25 record in 56 games played, but also gave up nearly three goals per game. Backup Calvin Pickard didn’t fare much better through 29 games, going 11-10 with a 2.48 GAA.
For more Avalanche coverage, check out our friends at Mile High Sticking.
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Winnipeg Jets: 36-39-7, 79 points
I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that the former Atlanta Thrashers are not at the bottom of the Western Conference. The bad news? They’re still last in the Central.
Much like the Avs, the Jets are a fairly young team with much still yet to prove. Their offense left much to be desired in our NHL 17 sim, though, scoring just 212 goals as a team. They also had one of the worst power plays in the league, scoring just over 16 percent of the time.
Both Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele tied for a team-high 59 points, but both would actually lead in different scoring categories. The veteran Wheeler led the Jets in assists with 43 while the 25-year-old Scheifele scored 23 goals.
Starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec had a sub-.500 year, going 25-27 through 60 games with a 2.63 GAA. Despite only giving up 152 goals, the Jets’ lack of offense wasn’t enough to keep up with opponents that did get past him. Backup goalie Connor Hellebuyck also had a 2.63 GAA through 25 games, but went 10-12 in his tenure.
For more Jets coverage, check out our friends at Jets White Out.
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Pacific Division
San Jose Sharks: 50-26-6, 106 points
It should shock absolutely no one that the San Jose Sharks are the class of the Pacific. With a division that is taking a downward trend, last year’s Western Conference champs remain a force to be reckoned with in our sim.
The Sharks allowed just a total of 189 goals in the regular season, which is the best in the NHL. Their 2.30 GAA also was the best in the league through 92 games. They also had 85 percent efficiency on the penalty kill that ranked second in the entire NHL.
Joe Pavelski simmered down as opposed to his previous few seasons, but still led the team with 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) through 82 games played. Joe Thorton led the way in assists with 42, while Mikkel Boedker and Logan Couture also put up solid numbers despite missing time with various injuries.
Brent Burns was the clear leader of the defensemen for the Sharks, snagging 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists). Out of those 18 goals, six came during the power play while eight were game-winners. In the crease, Martin Jones went 30-19 in 54 games played with a 2.24 GAA, while Ilya Bryzgalov was also impressive (18-6, 2.16 GAA).
For more Sharks coverage, check out our friends at Blades of Teal.
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Vancouver Canucks: 44-29-9, 97 points
Our sim projects that the Canucks will turn things around in 2016, and get back near the top of the Pacific after being second to last a year ago.
The Sedin twins weren’t just identical by physical appearance, but the NHL 17 simulation saw them post similar numbers as well. They both led Vancouver with 66 points, but led in different scoring categories. Henrik proved to be the pure playmaker with 54 assists, while Daniel scored a team-high 29 goals. That sort of chemistry runs in the family it seems, and it clearly led Vancouver back to the playoffs.
Goalie Ryan Miller missed some time due to an injury, but went 33-22 in 64 games played. His 2.41 GAA isn’t a mind-blowing stat, but it was certainly enough to get Vancouver by. Backup Jacob Markstrom was more than capable of filling in as well. In 20 games he went 10-5 with a 2.30 GAA, as he’ll take over the starring role if Miller misses any time in the playoffs.
For more Canucks coverage, check out our friends at The Canuck Way.
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Los Angeles Kings: 45-31-6, 96 points
A perennial Pacific power, the Kings took a step down in our sim, but still find a way into the postseason as they seem to always do.
LA had an impressive top-ten offensive performance during the regular season, scoring 2.83 goals per game. They also only allowed 2.62 goals per game, which also ranked in the NHL’s top ten, and they scored 26.9 percent of the time on the power play (tied for best in the league).
Anze Kopitar was the real star in Tinseltown, leading the Kings with 76 points and a team-high 56 assists. Jeff Carter provided some assistance on the second line, leading LA scorers with 31 goals through 82 games. Drew Doughty led defensemen with 57 points, which included 43 assists in 69 games.
Goalie Jonathan Quick was also a standout in our NHL 17 sim. Through 68 games he went 38-23 with a 2.38 GAA, a performance that ranked among the best in the NHL.
For more Kings coverage, check out our friends at Rink Royalty.
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Edmonton Oilers: 36-38-8, 80 points
The Oilers seem to be on the road to improvement in our sim, but they are still kept out of the postseason for what would be the sixth straight year.
That’s mostly due to a still young team and a franchise that is continually in rebuilding mode. Our sim shows that the Oilers rank among the most inefficient offensive teams in the NHL, both in normal settings and on the power play.
Believe it or not, Connor McDavid did not lead the Oilers in points. Despite playing 82 games and racking up a team-high 50 assists, his 71 points were eclipsed by right winger Jordan Eberle. Eberle led the way for Edmonton with 74 points, including 26 goals through 79 games.
Cam Talbot had some issues in net, but managed to pull off a 26-22 record in 53 games along with a 2.69 GAA. He split some time with Joni Ortio, who played 32 games and went 10-13 with a 2.88 GAA.
For more Oilers coverage, check out our friends at Oil On White.
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Calgary Flames: 35-39-8, 78 points
If our NHL 17 sim holds up, it would be the fifth time in six seasons that the Flames are held out of the postseason. With a new coach and culture, it may take some time for Calgary to get back to a string of playoff appearances like they did in the mid-2000’s.
The Flames scored just 211 goals in the entire season, which is around 2.57 goals per game. It’s a fairly inefficient offense, but still not the worst in the Pacific. They did allow nearly three goals per contest, which is likely what cost them a chance at contention.
Johnny Gaudreau led Calgary with 64 points, and his 24 goals and 40 assists were near team-highs. 22-year-old Sean Monahan found the back of the net 25 times, which ranked highest among Flames scorers, while defensemen Dougie Hamilton put up 42 assists and asserted himself as a solid playmaker.
For more Flames coverage, check out our friends at Flame for Thought.
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Arizona Coyotes: 34-42-6, 74 points
Arizona follows the common theme of the Pacific in our NHL 17 sim: not being able to score goals and win games. The Coyotes scored just 203 goals, which puts them just behind Edmonton as the most inefficient offense in the division. They were also abysmal at home, going 16-22-3 at the Gila River Arena.
The addition of Pavel Datsyuk may do wonders down the line, but his 61-point performance (25 goals, 36 assists) wasn’t enough to dig the Coyotes out of their hole. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson actually led Arizona in points with 63, including a team-high 52 assists. 22-year-old left winger Max Domi also had a solid showing, with 55 points to his credit (23 goals, 32 assists).
Goalie Mike Smith had a pretty huge workload in the crease, playing in 73 games during our sim. The 35-year-old was able to go 26-37 with a 2.62 GAA, giving up a total of 180 goals while he was in front of the net.
For more Coyotes coverage, check out our friends at Howlin’ Hockey.
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Anaheim Ducks: 28-48-6, 62 points
Talk about your big falls from grace. The Ducks still contain some of the best talent on paper in the conference, but our sim shows that new coach Randy Carlyle may have his work cut out for him in year number one.
Let’s start with a big positive; the Ducks had the league’s best power play percentage at 26.9%, as well as the second most power play goals in the NHL. The tradeoff to that is that Anaheim allowed over three goals per game, which is the highest amount in the entire conference. They also weren’t able to score often even when things were even, scoring just 205 goals through 82 games.
The bad record and last place finish didn’t deter Corey Perry at all. His team-high 88 points went unmatched by his teammates, even Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Perry also led Anaheim in goals and assists with 47 and 41, respectively. Getzlaf missed some significant time with a rib injury and only played in 64 games in our NHL 17 sim.
Josh Gibson also had an overly disappointing year in the crease for the Ducks. In 70 games he went 24-39 and gave up a whopping 198 goals. His 3.04 GAA was among the highest in the league, and is a big reason for the Ducks’ woes during our simulation.
For more Ducks coverage, check out our friends at Pucks of a Feather.
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Playoffs
Eastern Conference – First Round
Western Conference – First Round
Eastern Conference – Semifinals
Western Conference – Semifinals
Eastern Conference Finals
Western Conference Finals
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Awards
Presidents’ Trophy – San Jose Sharks
Art Ross Trophy – Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Hart Memorial Trophy – Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Jame Norris Memorial Trophy – Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Calder Memorial Trophy – Scott Wedgewood (New Jersey Devils)
Conn Smythe Trophy – Marc-André Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Vezina Trophy – Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota Wild)
William M. Jennings Trophy – Matt Jones (San Jose Sharks)
Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy – Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild)
Frank J. Selke Trophy – Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)
Ted Lindsay Award – Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
Maurice Richard Trophy – Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
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Stanley Cup Finals
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Game 1: Penguins win 3-2
Game 2: Penguins win 5-2
Game 3: Blackhawks win 5-1
Game 4: Blackhawks win 3-2
Game 5: Penguins win 4-3
Game 6: Penguins win 3-1
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2016-17 Stanley Cup Champions: Pittsburgh Penguins
That’s right, our NHL 17 sim shows that the Penguins will repeat as Stanley Cup champs. It would be the second repeat in franchise history, with the last one coming during the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.
Goalie Marc-André Fleury won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He proved to be dominant through the first three rounds and held his own against one of the hottest offenses in hockey.
If you got this far, what did you think of our simulation? How did your team do?
The views expressed in this article explicitly belong to the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of, nor should be attributed to, App Trigger or FanSided as an organization.
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