Recently, SB Nation launched the NHL FanPulse survey to give fans like you the opportunity to weigh in on big questions about the league.
The first questions were sent, the results were tallied, and now the results of the very first SB Nation NHL FanPulse survey are in. Fans across the league were asked to weigh in on two big predictions as the NHL season got under way.
Spoilers: things don’t look good for the Kings.
Okay, no surprise here: based on the early season results so far, these teams are (mostly) pretty hot so far. The Oilers, even though they’re still driven almost entirely by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, actually look competent this year. The Sabres may have finally figured it out. The Flyers have had their ups and downs, but they also have a very passionate fanbase who wants the best for them … or also wants to jettison the whole team into the ocean. I’m never quite sure with Philly fans. The Panthers and Canadiens may very well be competing with each other for a spot in their division, which may be fascinating to watch play out.
The Kings are nowhere on this list. Just 1.37% of respondents thought the Kings could make a return to the post-season, putting them next to last on this list (just ahead of the Ottawa Senators, who couldn’t even muster a full percentage point of support). Bless the small handful of folks who think the rest of the Pacific division is going to be abducted by aliens, I guess.
Running away in the “oops we messed up” category are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who bet the farm on last year’s playoffs and still bowed out early. A resounding 62% of respondents suggested that the Blue Jackets may not make the playoffs. The Islanders exceeded expectations last year and experienced some real hot goaltending, but fans aren’t quite as confident that they can repeat the effort. The Jets and Stars have both had early season struggles, so seeing them with some votes isn’t a shocker, but the biggest surprise on here may be the San Jose Sharks. Then again, for a very brief window of time, the Kings were ahead of the Sharks in the standings, so maybe it does all make sense. The perennial playoff contenders may struggle to get out of the basement to give Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau one potential last run at the Cup.
If you want to weigh in on future FanPulse surveys, make sure you fill out this survey in order to receive questions in your email inbox. The next round of questions goes out soon, so just go click on over there right now to sign up.