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Season Previews 2018-19

2018-19 Season Primer: Anaheim Ducks

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Last up is a look at the Anaheim Ducks.

Last Season: 44-25-13 record (101 points), second in the Pacific Division (lost to San Jose in the first round of the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $0 in regular space, $9.275MM with LTIR per CapFriendly (still need to re-sign Nick Ritchie)

Key Additions: F Pontus Aberg (waivers, Edmonton), F Brian Gibbons (free agent, New Jersey), F Isac Lundestrom (draft), F Carter Rowney (free agent, Pittsburgh), D Luke Schenn (free agent, Arizona), F Ben Street (free agent, Detroit), D Andrej Sustr (free agent, Tampa Bay)

Key Subtractions: D Francois Beauchemin (retirement), D Kevin Bieksa (free agent, unsigned), F Jared Boll (retirement), F J.T. Brown (free agent, Minnesota), F Jason Chimera (free agent, unsigned), F Derek Grant (free agent, Pittsburgh), F Chris Kelly (retirement), F Antoine Vermette (free agent, unsigned)

[Related: Ducks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Jakob Silfverberg – The 28-year-old was the key player coming to Anaheim as part of the deal that sent Bobby Ryan to Ottawa back in 2013.  They viewed him as a core forward and while he hasn’t really emerged into a top line piece, he has been an important part of their supporting cast since being acquired.

Silfverberg now finds himself in the final year of his contract and with the long-term injury to Corey Perry, he also now has a golden opportunity to demonstrate that he can be more than a secondary scorer.  The expectations will be there given the higher ice time but a good showing here would go a long way towards bolstering his case in free agency.

What will be interesting to see is if Anaheim finds a way to lock him up.  GM Bob Murray acknowledged over the summer that inking him was a priority but with having more than $74MM tied up in just 16 players for next season, finding a way to keep him around is certainly going to be a challenge.

Key Storyline: Anaheim has been a team in the bottom half of league scoring in each of the past three seasons and didn’t really address that in their offseason movement, opting instead to change some of their depth pieces around.

Barely a week into the year, the injury bug has struck hard.  Perry will miss most of the season after undergoing knee surgery, Patrick Eaves is recovering from a shoulder issue after missing most of last year with Guillain-Barre syndrome (so even when he returns, he will be rusty for a while), while Ondrej Kase, who quietly tied for second on the team in goals last season, is dealing with a concussion.  For a team that isn’t a prolific offensive unit, this is a lot of firepower they’re missing already.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Ducks look to make a move sooner than later to bolster their attack.  While getting back into cap compliance will be a factor when Perry gets back four-to-five months from now, they’ll have plenty of time between now and then to make that work.  Given their cap situation beyond this season though, they’ll already be forced to look through the rental market.

Overall Outlook: Anaheim can sometimes be a trendy pick in terms of teams that will take a step back but they always seem to be in the mix at the end.  Their injuries up front will certainly hurt but when all is said and done, they’ll likely still be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot at least in what looks to be a very tight Pacific Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Arizona Coyotes

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With the NHL season now underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Arizona Coyotes.

Last Season: 29-41-12 record (70 points), eighth in the Pacific Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $7.72MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Alex Galchenyuk (trade with Montreal), F Michael Grabner (free agent, New Jersey) , F Vinnie Hinostroza (trade with Chicago), F Marian Hossa (trade with Chicago – assuming the remainder of his contract), D Ilya Lyubushkin (free agent, Lokomotiv, KHL), D Jordan Oesterle (trade with Chicago)

Key Subtractions: F Max Domi (trade with Montreal), F Freddie Hamilton (free agent, unsigned), F Jordan Martinook (trade with Carolina), D Luke Schenn (free agent, Anaheim)

[Related: Coyotes Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Dylan Strome – While it is typically unfair to say a 21-year-old player is in a make-or-break year, it certainly feels that way when it comes to Strome.   In an era where top picks are making an NHL impact right away, he has been an exception as he heads into 2018-19 with just 28 NHL games under his belt.

Strome was drafted as Arizona’s center of the future back in 2015, earning himself the third overall selection.  To say he was dominant at the junior level after being drafted would be an extreme understatement.  To say he was productive in the minors last year (his first season of AHL eligibility) would also be one.

However, when the NHL opportunities have been there, he hasn’t fared anywhere near as well.  His skating has been a concern and as the league is trending towards being faster and faster, this has been a point of emphasis in his development.  If he’s going to become that core center they hope he can be, he’ll need to improve.

Injuries to Alex Galchenyuk and Christian Dvorak have opened up an opportunity for Strome to play an important role with Arizona early on and he has fared well in a short sample size thus far.  However, if he falters, he could find himself back in the minors before too long which will only amplify the questions about his long-term potential.  Even though he’s just 21, there is a lot riding on this season for Strome.

Key Storyline: Goaltending has been a question mark in the desert for a while now and while there are still questions about their current duo, there’s also more optimism than there has been lately.

When healthy, Antti Raanta has very quietly been a very effective goalie.  However, injuries have been a concern and as a result, he has yet to play a full season with a number one workload.  The closest he came was last season where he played in 47 games.  However, he also had four separate injuries.  If he can maintain his performance from last year and stay healthy, Arizona should be in great shape.  However, both of those ifs are certainly question marks.

Darcy Kuemper has had a bit of a tumultuous last few years.  He went from someone that Minnesota hoped could push for the number one role to someone that had to sign for the league minimum last summer to someone that was viewed as a higher quality backup, all in the span of a couple of years.  The 28-year-old fared quite well with the Kings last season which enabled him to nearly triple his previous AAV upon being dealt to the Coyotes.  However, he didn’t play well after the trade.  Is he the high-end backup he was in Los Angeles that could push for more playing time or was that an aberration and he’s more of a run-of-the-mill number two?  Given Raanta’s injury history, they’re clearly banking on the former but it’s far from a given.

If everything goes well, Arizona could quietly have one of the better goalie duos in the league.  However, there is certainly some risk associated with both netminders which makes this a key factor in their success for this season.

Overall Outlook: The Coyotes were a popular sleeper pick throughout the summer and with good reason.  Their young core is a year older while Grabner and Galchenyuk give them an improved scoring touch up front while the back end remains solid.  They’re not in the echelon of the top teams in the division but after being an afterthought for the past few years, Arizona should be in the mix for a Wild Card spot in 2018-19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Boston Bruins

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Boston Bruins.

Last Season: 50-20-12 record (112 points), second in the Atlantic Division (lost in second round to Tampa Bay Lightning)

Remaining Cap Space: $5,246,849 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Martin Bakos (free agent, Liberec – Czech Rep.), G Jaroslav Halak (free agent, NY Islanders), D Steven Kampfer (trade, NY Rangers), D John Moore (free agent, New Jersey), F Joakim Nordstrom (free agent, Carolina), F Chris Wagner (free agent, NY Islanders)

Key Subtractions: F Kenny Agostino (free agent, Montreal), D Tommy Cross (free agent, Columbus), F Austin Czarnik (free agent, Calgary), F Brian Gionta (retirement), D Nick Holden (free agent, Vegas), G Anton Khudobin (free agent, Dallas), D Adam McQuaid (trade, NY Rangers), F Rick Nash (free agent, unsigned), F Riley Nash (free agent, Columbus), D Paul Postma (free agent, Kazan – KHL), F Tim Schaller (free agent, Vancouver), F Tommy Wingels (free agent, Geneve – NLA)

[Related: Bruins Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Ryan Donato – Rookie forward Donato made his NHL debut last year in the midst of a season most only dream of. Donato wrapped up a stellar collegiate career with Harvard University by leading the NCAA in goals per game with 26 tallies – and 43 points – in 29 games. The effort made Donato a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top player in college hockey. Donato also starred for his country, playing a major role for Team USA at the Winter Olympics where, again, he led the tournament in goals per game, potting five in six contests. He then stepped right into the NHL, notching five goals and four assists in 12 regular season games down the stretch and even skating in three playoff games. After such an impressive campaign, the question now is can he keep it up?

The ceiling for Donato is clear: as a supremely talented shooter and intelligent offensive player, Donato is able to seamlessly transition into a regular scoring role on a skilled Boston lineup. Donato is currently skating on the off-wing, something he did little of in college, on the Bruins’ second line with veteran center David Krejci and impressive sophomore winger Jake DeBrusk. He’s also been tasked with first unit power play work, getting to share the ice with the NHL’s best line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. If he adjusts well to this role, Donato could be looking at 30+ goals and not only in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, but perhaps the favorite.

However, the floor for Donato is also apparent. The Bruins have recently seen what can happen when a talented offensive player with a knack for putting the puck in the net during his developmental years fails to transition that ability to the NHL. Frank Vatrano, traded late last year to the Florida Panthers, was a goal-scoring phenom in the AHL and was expected to take over a top-nine role last season, only to struggle with scoring, too often get exposed defensively, take too many bad penalties, and ultimately end up as an extra skater later jettisoned away. While Donato is a far superior prospect to Vatrano and is in no way at risk of being dealt, his rookie year could go similarly to Vatrano’s final season in Boston. The Bruins ask all of their forwards to play a responsible, two-way, forechecking game. Donato is still developing those skills and, if he isn’t scoring enough on the second line, could find it hard to get play time in the bottom-six. Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork already have a pro experience, and more importantly two-way IQ, to their credit and could push Donato for an opportunity in the top-six or even force him out of the lineup entirely. The Bruins also have their eye on a Stanley Cup this year and could seek to replace a disappointing Donato via trade if it comes to that down the line.

It says a lot that the Bruins let several middle-six free agent forwards walk without finding viable replacements this off-season, as they clearly trust Donato, as well as DeBrusk, Heinen, Bjork, and other options in the AHL, to be reliable NHL scorers. Already, through just three games, secondary scoring has been an issue for Boston and Donato needs to prove management right that he is ready to take on his current role. The Bruins’ season rests with the ability of their young forwards to continue improving and provide stable secondary scoring. Of that group, Donato is the most important, having been handed the second-line opening early on, and bears watching all season long.

Key Storyline: For much of last season, the Boston Bruins were neck-and-neck with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in both the division and the conference and at times even the league’s best record. Boston ended up only one point behind the Bolts in the final standings and then fell to their foes in the second round of the playoffs. Part of the reason that Tampa was able to relatively easily dispatch the Bruins: their trade deadline additions of Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, both of whom remain on the team moving forward. The Bruins added Rick Nash, who was a good fit while healthy but a bust overall, as well as several depth pieces. None of those players are donning the black and gold this year.

Then, this off-season the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finished third behind the Bruins in the division last season and proved to be a difficult first round opponent, landed the biggest fish in free agency, superstar center John Tavares. The Bruins were in on Tavares as well, but after they missed out, opted not to pursue any other prominent free agent scorers.

The Atlantic Division has improved right before the Bruins’ eyes, with many calling the Lightning and Leafs favorites not only to win the division, but the Stanley Cup. And that isn’t even considering the improvements made by the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres as well. Meanwhile, Boston continues to rely on their current core and the young players they have shuffled into the lineup. Without many noticeable external improvements – outside of a top backup goaltender in Jaroslav Halak and a reliable, versatile defenseman in John Moore – can the Bruins keep up? Is this team as good as the patient front office thinks they are?

Overall Outlook: The answer, of course, is yes. This Bruins team is great. Ignore an ugly opening night loss to the banner ceremony-fueled Washington Capitals and Boston still enters the season with some of the highest expectations in the NHL. The best line in the league is supported by young, exciting scoring forwards, dependable veterans like Krejci and David Backes, and several capable fourth line options. The defense is anchored by a legend in Zdeno Chara and a wunderkind in Charlie McAvoy, not to mention offensive dynamo Torey Krug and young Brandon Carlo. Tuukka Rask and Halak could also prove to be the best goalie tandem in the league and not a stretch as Jennings Trophy favorites behind a possession-dominant, defensively responsible lineup. Not to mention, the Bruins have ample cap space and will almost assuredly be a top suitor come trade deadline time. Yes, the Bruins are great. But is “great” enough in a division that is stacked at the top with arguably three of the NHL’s top five teams? Or to make it out of the Eastern Conference, which features the past three Cup winners in the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins?

2018-19 Season Primer: Buffalo Sabres

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Buffalo Sabres.

Last Season: 25-45-12 record (62 points), eighth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $618K per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Patrik Berglund (trade with St. Louis), D Rasmus Dahlin (draft), F Remi Elie (waivers, Dallas), G Carter Hutton (free agent, St. Louis), D Matt Hunwick (trade with Pittsburgh), F Conor Sheary (trade with Pittsburgh), F Jeff Skinner (trade with Carolina), F Vladimir Sobotka (trade with St. Louis), F Tage Thompson (trade with St. Louis)

Key Subtractions: D Victor Antipin (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL), D Justin Falk (free agent, unsigned), D Josh Gorges (free agent, unsigned), G Chad Johnson (free agent, St. Louis), F Jacob Josefson (free agent, Djurgardens, SHL), G Robin Lehner (free agent, NY Islanders), F Jordan Nolan (free agent, St. Louis), F Benoit Pouliot (free agent, unsigned), F Ryan O’Reilly (trade with St. Louis)

[Related: Sabres Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Jeff Skinner – After a summer fueled with trade speculation, Carolina finally gave up on Skinner, moving him to Buffalo for a collection of future assets.  While going to a team that finished in the basement of the league last season wouldn’t normally be viewed as a positive, it was a good landing spot for the 26-year-old as he gets to play with a high-quality center in Jack Eichel.

From Buffalo’s standpoint, Skinner represents a significant upgrade on the left wing compared to recent seasons.  They’re certainly hoping that this will allow Eichel to take a key step forward offensively while it’s reasonable to expect Skinner to build on his 49-point output from last year as well.

That would bode quite well for Skinner as he’s in the final year of his contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.  He’ll be one of the younger players to hit the open market if he makes it there and a strong showing would certainly boost his negotiating leverage around the league if he doesn’t re-sign with Buffalo.  While the Sabres have a lot to play for as they look to work their way back to respectability, Skinner himself has plenty at stake in the 2018-19 season.

Key Storyline: Last year, Buffalo struggled defensively, to put it lightly.  They allowed nearly 33 shots per game and received below average goaltending from Lehner and Johnson.  While they tried to address their deficiency between the pipes this summer, they turned to Hutton who is coming off of a career year but has yet to play more than 40 games in a single season.  Can he be the answer in goal and if not, will youngster Linus Ullmark be able to pick up the slack?  The early returns are promising but we’re still in the first week of the season.

On the back end, not much work was done as GM Jason Botterill wound up shaking up the forward group instead.  Adding Dahlin is great for their long-term hopes as he’s pegged to be a franchise piece when he develops but how much of an impact can he have this season?  Can he alone turn what was a poor defense corps into a playoff-caliber one?  Even with his upside, that’s a lot to put on a first-year NHL player.

Even with their improved depth up front, that alone isn’t going to change Buffalo’s fortunes overnight.  They’ve made improvements in goal and on the back end but are those enough to get back into the playoff hunt?

Overall Outlook: While Colorado went from dead last two years ago to a playoff spot last season, it’s hard to see Buffalo doing the same.  There is a distinct top-three in the Atlantic and the Sabres aren’t anywhere near that level.  Even a Wild Card push seems iffy at this point.  They will be better and should be able to move safely out of the basement in the division but more work needs to be done before they can truly become a postseason threat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Calgary Flames

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Calgary Flames.

Last Season: 37-35-10 record (84 points), fifth in the Pacific Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.35MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Austin Czarnik (free agent, Boston), D Noah Hanifin (trade with Calgary), F Elias Lindholm (trade with Calgary), F James Neal (free agent, Vegas), F Derek Ryan (free agent, Carolina)

Key Subtractions: D Matt Bartkowski (free agent, Minnesota), F Troy Brouwer (buyout, Florida), F Micheal Ferland (trade with Calgary), F Tanner Glass (free agent, Bordeaux, Ligue Magnus), D Dougie Hamilton (trade with Calgary), D Brett Kulak (trade with Montreal), F Jaromir Jagr (free agent, Rytiri Kladno, Czech Republic), F Nick Shore (free agent, unsigned), F Matt Stajan (free agent, EHC Munchen, DEL), F Chris Stewart (free agent, retired after signing in the Czech Republic), F Kris Versteeg (free agent, Avangard Omsk, KHL)

[Related: Flames Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Mark Giordano – The 35-year-old has been a workhorse on Calgary’s back end for the better part of a decade.  However, he has shown some signs of slowing down which likely played a role in their decision to acquire Hanifin, sacrificing one of their better right-shot defenders in Hamilton in the process.

With Hanifin now in the picture as well as T.J. Brodie, the Flames now have three legitimate top-four defenders that are natural lefties, not to mention youngster Juuso Valimaki who impressed in training camp.  With that in mind, it’s going to be worth watching to see if Calgary tries to scale back Giordano’s ice time after he averaged nearly 25 minutes of playing time per night.  They certainly have the depth to back down his playing time and with four years left on his contract (including this one), thinking long-term would be a wise strategy.

With Hanifin in the fold and locked up long-term, there will be a changing of the guard on that top pairing at some point.  How quickly will it come or will Giordano be anchoring the top pairing for a while yet?

Key Storyline: Goaltending in Calgary has been a question mark since the days of Miikka Kiprusoff.  Veterans like Brian Elliott and Jonas Hiller had some good moments but Mike Smith was viewed as an improvement when they brought him in a year ago.  However, he also wasn’t able to get the job done and his injury late last season was quite damaging to their playoff hopes.

Between Smith, 36, and David Rittich, who has just 22 games of NHL experience, there are still legitimate questions about their goaltending situation, both in the short-term and long-term.  Can Smith stay healthy and give them decent netminding throughout the full season?  Can Rittich or Jon Gillies pick up the slack if Smith falters or gets injured and is one of them going to be able to take on the number one job in the next year or two?

Given those questions, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Calgary monitoring the trade market for goalies throughout the season.  If a controllable starter happens to become available or even a more proven option as a backup, the Flames will probably find themselves in the mix before too long.  If not, they’ll be a team to watch in free agency next summer.

Overall Outlook: With the additions of Neal and Lindholm, Calgary’s offense should be a lot better than the group that placed 26th in the league in goals scored last season.  That alone should pick them up a few more wins and if Smith avoids the late-season injury this time around, they’re certainly going to be in the mix for a Wild Card spot in what has quickly become a very tight Pacific Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last Season: 36-35-11 record (83 points), sixth in the Metropolitan Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $15.35MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Calvin de Haan (free agent, NY Islanders), F Micheal Ferland (trade with Calgary), D Dougie Hamilton (trade with Calgary), F Jordan Martinook (trade with Arizona), G Curtis McElhinney (waivers, Toronto),G Petr Mrazek (free agent, Philadelphia), F Andrei Svechnikov (draft)

Key Subtractions: D Klas Dahlbeck (free agent, CSKA Moscow, KHL), F Marcus Kruger (trade with Arizona), F Joakim Nordstrom (free agent, Boston), Derek Ryan (free agent, Columbus), F Jeff Skinner (trade with Buffalo), F Lee Stempniak (free agent, Boston – PTO), Cam Ward (free agent, Chicago)

[Related: Hurricanes Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Scott Darling – A little over a year ago, the Hurricanes thought they had found their goalie of the future in Darling.  They acquired his negotiation rights from Chicago and quickly worked out a four-year, $16.6MM deal with a 15-team no-trade clause.  To put it nicely, their return on that deal was not very good in the first season.

The 29-year-old wound up losing the number one job relatively quickly and wound up in basically a platoon situation with Ward, who had the better numbers overall.  Darling finished up last season with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 SV%, numbers that were below average for a backup let alone a starter and were the worst of his career by a significant margin.

Carolina conceded that they couldn’t bring back the same tandem for this season which resulted in Ward moving on.  Darling has once again been given the opportunity to grab a hold of that top job but will be delayed in starting his campaign after suffering a lower-body injury that will sideline him for multiple weeks.  How he fares will go a long way towards determining what type of success, if any, the Hurricanes have and if Darling has a repeat performance of last season, they’re going to once again be looking for that goalie of the future.

Key Storyline: It’s quite rare for a team to be spending almost as much on their seven defensemen as their entire forward unit but that’s the case in Carolina as their back end is within less than $200K of their forwards despite the fact they have 14 on their roster (including injured reserve).  Their back end is quite enviable and at some point, it’s fair to wonder when they’re going to deal from it to fill another hole.

In the early going, the ‘Canes have Brett Pesce on their third pairing who finds himself in the first year of a six-year, $24.15MM contract.  He has clearly established himself as a top-four defender so while having that extra higher-quality depth is nice, could it be better used filling a vacancy inside their largely inexperienced top-six?

However, given their commitment to Pesce, he’s probably not the one that would move.  Instead, that would be veteran Justin Faulk who was widely made available over the offseason.  As a legitimate top-four option himself with two years left on a reasonable contract ($4.83MM), he’s the type of player that could bring back a significant return so if they want to add to their forwards or simply shake up their team further, he’s someone that could be moved in the coming months.

Generally speaking, it’s nice to have a quality back end like Carolina does but with their self-imposed budgetary constraints (they’re at the bottom in league spending), can they afford to be spending as much on their defense corps as their forwards?  If they determine the answer to that question is no, expect some movement on that front this season.

Overall Outlook: The Hurricanes have clearly embraced a youth movement up front so there are going to be some growing pains.  Between that and a still shaky situation between the pipes, it’s hard to envision them being serious contenders in the Metropolitan Division.  If all goes well, a Wild Card berth isn’t impossible but a likelier outcome is them extending their playoff drought to a tenth straight season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Chicago Blackhawks

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With the NHL season now just underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Chicago Blackhawks.

Last Season: 33-39-10 record (76 points), seventh in the Central Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $3.46MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Brandon Davidson (free agent, NY Islanders), F Dominik Kahun (free agent, EHC Munchen, DEL), F Marcus Kruger (trade with Arizona), F Chris Kunitz (free agent, Pittsburgh), D Brandon Manning (free agent, Philadelphia), G Cam Ward (free agent, Carolina)

Key Subtractions: F Lance Bouma (free agent, Geneve-Servette, NLA), D Adam Clendening (free agent, Columbus), F Anthony Duclair (free agent, Columbus), F Vinnie Hinostroza (trade with Arizona), F Marian Hossa (trade with Arizona), F Tomas Jurco (free agent, unsigned), D Jordan Oesterle (trade with Arizona), F Patrick Sharp (retirement)

[Related: Blackhawks Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Jonathan Toews – For many years, Toews’ reputation around the league has been that he is one of the top centers in the game.  He checks off all of the boxes as a leader, a good defensive player that takes all the tough matchups, a well-above-average performance at the faceoff dot while still putting up good offensive numbers.

However, that reputation hasn’t really changed despite his output declining.  He put up just 52 points last season, the second lowest total of his career (his lowest came in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign where he had 48 points in 47 games).  While 52 points isn’t a bad number by any stretch, he’s carrying a $10.5MM cap hit and given Chicago’s annual salary constraints, they’re counting on more from him.

Toews is entering the season as their top pivot once again and with Nick Schmaltz and Artem Anisimov behind him, he probably isn’t going to get pushed for ice time anytime soon.  The Blackhawks are for the most part bringing back the same roster that failed to get the job done last season.  They’ll be turning to their captain to help lead the turnaround and will be counting on him to be more productive if they want to get back into the playoff mix.

Key Storyline: After last year, patience wound up being the surprising theme.  Stan Bowman remains as GM while Joel Quenneville is still behind the bench.  Meanwhile, their most notable move of the summer was donating Hinostroza to the Coyotes to get them to assume the remainder of Hossa’s contract; the core of the team remains the same.

The fact that Hossa is gone gives the Blackhawks something they haven’t had in quite some time, cap flexibility.  Instead of scrounging to free up a little bit of money for late-season additions, Chicago should have the ability to make a move early if things start to go off the rails early.  If not, they’ll be able to add without necessarily having the other team needing to retain salary or take an offsetting contract back.

Either way, it’s hard to envision Chicago’s patience lasting another full season.  Something’s going to have to give at some point, whether it’s in the form of player movement or changes off the ice.  It’s not a question of if, but rather when it happens.

Overall Outlook: Considering how poorly things went last season and the fact it’s largely the same roster, it’s tempting to write Chicago off already.  However, a healthy Corey Crawford (he’s expected to return within the next couple of weeks) and a return to form from players like Toews and Brandon Saad should have them in the hunt for a Wild Card.  If those players continue to falter though, another season outside the playoffs is a likely outcome.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Colorado Avalanche

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With the NHL season now just days away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

Last Season: 43-30-9 record (95 points), fourth in the Central Division (lost in the first round of the playoffs to Nashville)

Remaining Cap Space: $12.18MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Matt Calvert (free agent, Columbus), D Ian Cole (free agent, Columbus), G Phillip Grubauer (trade with Washington)

Key Subtractions: G Jonathan Bernier (free agent, Detroit), F Blake Comeau (free agent, Dallas), G Andrew Hammond (free agent, Minnesota), F Nail Yakupov (free agent, SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

[Related: Avalanche Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Semyon Varlamov – In 2011, Colorado made a deal with Washington to get what they hoped was their goalie of the future in Varlamov.  Seven years later, history repeated itself with the Avalanche bringing in Grubauer from the Capitals to be their new goalie of the future.  Where does that leave Varlamov?

While he remains their highest-paid goalie and could still be their opening night starter, it certainly stands to reason that he isn’t in their long-term plans anymore.  Grubauer is going to get a workload that’s larger than a typical backup given their commitment to him and that’s not going to help Varlamov’s free agent case for next summer.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Varlamov is made available during the season (or even requests to be dealt).  There aren’t a lot of starting roles projected to be available next summer in free agency so he’s not going to want to find himself in a platoon situation (or something close to it).  That’s going to put a lot more pressure on him when he is between the pipes as he is basically going to be showcasing himself to the rest of the league whenever he’s in the lineup.

Key Storyline: Last year was all about the rebuilding process for the Avalanche, or at least that was the plan.  Instead, the team was the biggest non-expansion surprise in the league and worked their way into the postseason.  GM Joe Sakic stated again after the season that they were planning to stay the course and their offseason movement aside from adding Grubauer was basically shuffling in a couple of different veterans.

That type of long-term thinking is nice in principle but will they remain that patient if there is some regression in the first half of the season?  Colorado has a strong nucleus of young players to work with and could conceivably deal from that to add a player or two to help them now.  Will that temptation to do so be there or will Sakic stay true to his word and stay the course, even if it means taking a small step back just after taking a sizable step forward?

Overall Outlook: At this point, it looks like Nashville and Winnipeg are the class of the Central Division which leaves just one guaranteed playoff spot.  St. Louis has improved and Dallas is going to be in the mix as well but if Colorado’s young players continue to progress, they should be in the hunt as well.  However, given everything that went so well last year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them take a small step back either.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Last Season: 45-30-7 record (97 points), fourth in the Metropolitan Division (lost in the first round of the playoffs to Washington)

Remaining Cap Space: $5.61MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Adam Clendening (free agent, Chicago), F Anthony Duclair (free agent, Chicago), F Riley Nash (free agent, Boston)

Key Subtractions: F Matt Calvert (free agent, Colorado), D Taylor Chorney (free agent, Lugano, NLA), D Ian Cole (free agent, Colorado), D Jack Johnson (free agent, Pittsburgh), F Thomas Vanek (free agent, Detroit)

[Related: Blue Jackets Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Zach Werenski – While Werenski had a down year offensively relative to his rookie campaign, his all-around game took a step forward while he was trusted to play more minutes.  Now, he heads into 2018-19 with a fair bit of pressure on him.

For starters, he will likely take on an even greater workload with Seth Jones out to start the season and will be asked to take on more of a role offensively as well.  As their depth is a little weaker this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him approach the 24 minutes per game mark, the type of ice time that’s reserved for the best defenseman on the team.

How he handles it will go a long way towards helping shape his next contract.  While Werenski is undoubtedly looking at a significant raise already next summer (as a restricted free agent without arbitration rights), ascending into a true number one role would set him up for potentially one of the bigger post-ELC deals we’ve seen.  Needless to say, there’s a lot riding on this season for the 21-year-old.

Key Storyline: In a time where teams are moving quickly to lock up their top pending unrestricted free agents as soon as possible, it isn’t very often now that one remains unsigned heading into the season.  It’s very rare for a team to have two prominent potential UFAs but that’s the case in Columbus when it comes to winger Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.

Panarin’s camp has already indicated to the team that he doesn’t have interest in signing there on a max-term deal and had set a deadline of the start of training camp for any extension negotiations.  As things stand, it certainly appears as if he’s heading for the open market in July.

Bobrovsky’s case isn’t quite so clear.  He’s looking to become among the top-paid goalies in the league and his performance the last couple of years should have him in that mix.  Is he willing to sign an extension (and are the Blue Jackets willing to pay the asking price)?

If Columbus is in the playoff mix by the trade deadline, they’re going to have some interesting decisions to make.  Do they use both players as internal rentals and run the risk of losing them for nothing to make a run?  Or, do they deal them for the best return they can get and opt to forego short-term success for longer-term assets?  This is going to be one of the more intriguing stories around the league to follow this season.

Overall Outlook: For the most part, the Blue Jackets are bringing back the same roster as last season and that team was good enough to be in the mix for one of the three divisional playoff spots right to the very end.  It’s hard to imagine that this won’t be the case again at least up until the trade deadline when they’ll have to make a call on what to do with Panarin and Bobrovsky.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Dallas Stars

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Dallas Stars.

Last Season: 42-32-8 record (92 points), sixth in the Central Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $4,445,835 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Blake Comeau (free agent, Colorado), F Erik Condra (free agent, Tampa Bay), D Joel Hanley (free agent, Arizona), G Anton Khudobin (free agent, Boston), F Michael Mersch (free agent, Los Angeles), D Roman Polak (free agent, Toronto).

Key Subtractions: D Andrew Bodnarchuk (free agent, Red Bull Munchen, DEL), F Brian Flynn (free agent, St. Louis), D Dan Hamhuis (free agent, Nashville), G Mike McKenna (free agent, Ottawa), F Curtis McKenzie (free agent, Vegas), D Greg Pateryn (free agent, Minnesota), F Antoine Roussel (free agent, Vancouver),

[Related: Stars Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Tyler Seguin — The Stars have placed all their faith in Seguin to lead the team to the playoffs and beyond this summer when they signed the 26-year-old to an eight-year, $78.8MM extension this summer. While that $9.85MM AAV doesn’t kick in until the 2019-20 season, the team hopes that Seguin is finally ready to take that next step as an NHL elite player.

The center did post a 40-goal season for the first time in his career, but he has only surpassed 80 points once in his career. While he is expected to man the top line once again alongside veteran Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov, the team hopes he can take that next step and be a consistent 80 or 90-point player the team truly needs.

Key Storyline: What the team needs more than anything is secondary depth at forward. While the first line was impressive offensively, the remaining lines were the opposite of that as few players stepped up and showed they can score goals. The team had hopes last year that players such as Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie, Jason Spezza and Martin Hanzal would make up the remaining bulk of the scoring, but none of them did. While Faksa’s defensive game took big strides, he still posted just 33 points last season. Ritchie was even worse, posting just seven goals and 14 points. Spezza’s game went down as well, going from 50 points in 2016-17 to 26 points last year, while Hanzal struggled with injuries all season.

This year, the team has hopes that they can get a solid return from 23-year-old Valeri Nichushkin, who played the last two years in the KHL, and now returns. They still hope Spezza can bounce back, while the team has high hopes that Mattias Janmark, Faksa, Tyler Pitlick and Comeau can increase that scoring. Whether that will happen is questionable as Nichushkin put up very pedestrian numbers in the KHL while he was away, so assuming he posts big numbers seems unlikely, while the 35-year-old Spezza will have to prove that the game hasn’t passed him by.

Overall Outlook: While the goaltending seems to be more solidified as the team replaced backup Kari Lehtonen with Khudobin, who should be a better stopgap if starter Ben Bishop goes down with another inconvenient injury and a much stronger defense with the addition of 19-year-old Miro Heiskanen and a more confident Julius Honka, the team has a solid defense behind him. Add in a new coach in Jim Montgomery, the team has a lot of promise, but where that offense will come from is a question that the team will have to prove if they have any chance in competing in a very competitive Central Division.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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