NHL insider Mike Johnson ditches Canadiens, Rangers to pick $1.4 billion franchise as 'best team in East'

NHL insider Mike Johnson gave his take on the potential playoff battles in the Eastern Conference. Appearing as a guest on the TSN podcast First Up with Korolnek and Colaiacovo, Johnson picked the Florida Panthers over the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Rangers as the team to beat in the East.

"I think they are the best team in the East when fully healthy, fully up and running,” Johnson said. “Marchand’s on your third line. Tkachuck is back. Lundell’s having a sneaky, really good season in there. Ekblad is still very good … Jones will be a nice addition.”

The former Leafs winger suggested that the Panthers might make the Stanley Cup final for the third year in a row, which could trip them up.

“The biggest fall for them might be the fact that they’re trying to do a three in a row. Like, what does that feel like, physically? I don't know, but that might be something that might hold them back,” he said.

Johnson also laid out the tough playoff games the $1.4 billion franchise (via Forbes) would have against some of the best teams in the league.

“Tampa, if they don't win the division, going through Tampa, they try to go through Toronto, they try to go through Washington, whatever. They got the tough, tough run to make," he added.

NHL analyst confident Canadiens won't make the playoffs

The Canadiens and the Rangers are within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the playoffs. The Habs are one point away, the Rangers, two.

In January, TSN hockey analyst Mike Johnson claimed the Habs would not make the playoffs this year.

“I have said with confidence Montreal is not making the playoffs this year,” he said via TSN’s OverDrive. “Their roster is improving, they're getting it together but it's not there yet.”

On Thursday, he pointed to the fact that the Canadiens didn’t make any major acquisitions before the trade deadline.

“They (the Canadiens) know they’re not that good,” Johnson said. “They know they’re not really challenging for a Cup … I think staying with it (their current roster) is actually not a bad idea.”

The Canadiens' next game is against the Panthers on Saturday.