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Thankful Series 2022-23

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Winnipeg Jets

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Winnipeg Jets.

Who are the Jets thankful for?

Josh Morrissey.

The emergence of Norriss-err, Morrissey this season has been a huge reason for the Jets’ early success, setting a career-high with 40 points through his first 35 games. There’s nothing like a true No. 1 defenseman to change the fate of a team, and after the disappointing 2021-22 season the Jets are right back in the Central Division playoff picture. Morrissey is playing more than 23 minutes a night, sits second in scoring among defensemen, and has quickly made the eight-year, $50MM contract he signed in 2019 look like a bargain.

At a $6.25MM cap hit through the 2027-28 season, Morrissey’s development has made it possible for the Jets to stay legitimate contenders moving forward. It wasn’t so long ago that things looked like a disaster in Winnipeg. The team was struggling, Mark Scheifele was a rumored trade chip, and Pierre-Luc Dubois wasn’t willing to commit long-term. But things are looking a lot better these days, and a big part of that is because of the outstanding performance of Morrissey every night.

What are the Jets thankful for?

The return of Vezina-caliber Connor Hellebuyck.

If things continue the way they are now, Hellebuyck is going to lead the league in saves for the fifth-straight season. But while he continues to strap on the pads nearly every night, the performance has gone up and down over the last few years. When he won the Vezina Trophy in 2020, he had a .922 save percentage. This season, he’s at .927. The improvement to team defense is part of it, but Hellebuyck has been outstanding so far, keeping the Jets alive every night.

He leads the league in shutouts with three and has already racked up 17.9 goals saved above average. Linus Ullmark’s .938 save percentage and 20-1-1 record put him as the front-runner right now, but Hellebuyck looks like he’ll be right there when the Vezina voting takes place.

It’s simple. When you have one of the best goalies in the league, you have a chance for the Stanley Cup. Right now, the Jets have one of the best goalies in the league, and with Hellebuyck’s history, it’s hard to believe it will end anytime soon.

What would the Jets be even more thankful for?

Some better injury luck.

Even though they are in the mix and playing well, the Jets’ can’t seem to stay healthy. Mason Appleton, Nikolaj Ehlers, Saku Maenalanen, Nate Schmidt, Logan Stanley, and Blake Wheeler are all currently on injured reserve, while Cole Perfetti is also dealing with a more minor issue. That’s more than $25MM on the sidelines, and a group that could be considered an entire core of some rosters.

When Hellebuyck missed practice earlier this month, the heart of many Jets fans jumped into their throat, expecting the worse. The netminder was only dealing with an illness, but it showed just how delicate their success is right now. A few more injuries and they might fall completely off the table, a couple fewer and they might go on a dominant run. There’s a lot of talent on the Jets roster – if they can keep it on the ice, they have a good chance at contending in the Western Conference.

What should be on the Jets’ holiday wishlist?

Another center.

The thing is, there’s no guarantee that the team ever does get fully healthy. With so many wingers out, they have Adam Lowry playing the wing on the second line, meaning Kevin Stenlund and David Gustafsson are their third and fourth-line centers. You can think all you want that they have done a good job in a tough situation, but Gustafsson hasn’t scored a single goal in 34 games and Stenlund is a minor league veteran with fewer than 80 NHL games under his belt.

When someone comes back they will be able to use Lowry in the middle of the third line again, but if Winnipeg is going to make a real run they should shore up that position with a little more depth. They’ve had players like Andrew Copp, Bryan Little, and Paul Stastny in that role in the past to great success.

That’s not to say it’s the only hole. David Rittich as a backup is a little scary, and the third defense pairing has been a rotating cast of characters all season. But the team only really has three legitimate centers at this point. It needs to be a focus, if the Jets do anything at the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Washington Capitals

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Washington Capitals.

Who are the Capitals thankful for?

Charlie Lindgren, Dylan Strome, and Sonny Milano

Yes, the Washington Capitals are absolutely thankful for Alex Ovechkin, the current team leader in goals and points this season by a wide margin and the greatest player in the history of the franchise. They’ve been thankful for Ovechkin since he debuted back in 2005. We’ll get to the Great Eight further down, but first we’ll take a look at a trio of players who have come somewhat out of nowhere to help keep the team in the playoff race.

Signed to a three-year deal carrying a $1.1MM AAV this summer to backup fellow newcomer Darcy Kuemper, Lindgren had been off to a solid start to the year before Kuemper went down with injury. Kuemper has since come back, but in the nearly three weeks he was out, Lindgren stepped up to the plate, starting every game and carrying the team to a 7-1-0 record with a .930 save-percentage. Lindgren hasn’t been that hot the entire season, but his overall numbers, a .913 save-percentage and 2.60 goals-against average are nearly identical to Kuemper’s .916 and 2.53 on the year.

Sitting third on the team in points with 25 through 36 games, Strome’s success isn’t exactly unprecedented. In fact, the forward had 48 points in 69 games last season and even hit a career-high of 57 over 78 games back in 2018-19. However, after a disappointing 2020-21, followed by struggles early last season under then-head coach Jeremy Colliton with the Chicago Blackhawks before the rebound, Chicago failed to qualify Strome this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Washington took a chance on the 25-year-old, signing him to a one-year, $3.5MM deal. Strome hasn’t disappointed, on pace to match his career-high in points while displaying excellent possession metrics.

After the Anaheim Ducks failed to qualify him, Sonny Milano was left an unrestricted free agent much like Strome. Coming off a breakout season, the former first-round pick waited most of the summer for an opportunity before the Calgary Flames offered him a PTO, from which he was later released. The Capitals gave Milano a chance, signing him to a one-year, one-way league minimum deal on October 15th, calling him up November 2nd. In that time, the winger has done more than simply impress, recording 16 points in 23 games for the Capitals. It’s a very good season, on pace to be Milano’s best, but not necessarily groundbreaking. However, in a year that has yet to feature Nicklas Backstrom or Tom Wilson, getting this level of production out of Milano, and Strome for that matter, has been much appreciated in Washington.

What are the Capitals thankful for?

Ovechkin’s Chase for 895

There’s plenty to be thankful for with Ovechkin, not only in what he’s meant to the franchise and his success year after year, but simply in this season. As the team just about hangs on in the playoff race, Ovechkin has done his best to carry the team through. The players mentioned above, among others, have done their part, but of course Ovechkin’s game-breaking ability to score goals has been a difference-maker.

What the Capitals can also be thankful, related to Ovechkin, is the decision not to rebuild until Ovechkin breaks Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Though some may say it’s time for the Capitals to shake things up and hit the reset button, Washington has ensured that they will do all in their power to chase the Stanley Cup for at least a couple more seasons. It’s an interesting decision, but given the organization’s ability to remain competitive for the better part of the last 15 years and Ovechkin still performing at or near the top of his ability, it’s an exciting one for those involved.

Not to be forgotten is Ovechkin’s high-level of competitiveness and graceful aging. It’s hard to imagine many elite athletes would continue to play without being competitive, but if the team is going to hold off on a rebuild while Ovechkin continues the chase, at least another 93 goals, Ovechkin will need to continue to be the elite shooter and physical power forward he’s been all these years, and there doesn’t appear to be much getting in the way of any of that.

What would the Capitals be even more thankful for?

Health

The big story this season when it comes to Capitals injuries would be Backstrom and Wilson, neither of whom have played a game this year. That was expected going into this season, and Washington acted accordingly, signing players like Strome, Milano, and Marcus Johansson to fill the void. Although Wilson is expected to return to the lineup at some point this season, and perhaps not far off, Backstrom’s availability for this season and long-term, remains in question.

Beyond that pair, Washington has also had a number of smaller-scale injuries that have impacted them this season, including players like T. J. Oshie, Dmitry Orlov, and Martin Fehervary missing at least 10 games, and Connor Brown playing in only four games thus far. Superstar defenseman John Carlson, who has already missed six games, is expected to miss a considerable amount more after taking a slapshot to his head a few days ago.

Backstrom and Wilson are one thing for the Capitals, but getting the rest of their lineup back to full health and keeping them there has been a challenge this year, and part of the reason the team is in a playoff fight, and not a comfortable playoff position.

What should be on the Capitals holiday wishlist?

A return of Wilson and Backstrom and/or a top-six forward

Besides overall health, Washington has a pretty clear need for at least another top-six forward. As discussed, they should get a boost when Wilson eventually returns to the lineup, but even still, the depth there is lacking. Coming into tonight, Ovechkin was not only the team leader in points, but his 41 points are 13 ahead of Evgeny Kuznetsov’s 28. Strome and Milano have had fantastic seasons thus far, but both may be better suited for secondary scoring roles if the team does indeed envision playoff success.

Complicating things for Washington would be whether or not Backstrom returns this season. With Backstrom now skating, a return by season’s end appears plausible, though not guaranteed. If the veteran is fully healthy and able to play like himself, that would solve the need for another top-six forward no problem. However, Backstrom’s injury issues, and the surgery that dealt with them, were rather significant and whether he can return to the player he was in the past, regardless of age, is perhaps a bigger question than whether he can return in the first place.

The main issue though is Backstrom’s $9MM cap hit. If and when he returns, that number comes off of LTIR and begins to count against Washington’s cap. The Capitals will, presumably, work that issue out when it comes time, but they might not be able to accommodate another even remotely large cap hit, like a Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, or Bo Horvat, even with salary retained. A trade in that situation might not be impossible, but knowing whether or not Backstrom is going to be a factor down the stretch will make a huge impact on if and how a deal would get done.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vegas Golden Knights

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Who are the Golden Knights thankful for?

Their goaltenders

Chandler Stephenson, Jack Eichel, and Alex Pietrangelo are all averaging a point-per-game, Mark Stone isn’t far behind their pace while playing Selke level hockey, Reilly Smith leads the team with 17 goals, and despite some injury issues, the team is comfortably pacing the NHL’s Pacific Division. There’s plenty to be thankful for in Vegas, but perhaps none more than the goaltending duo of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill.

Neither netminder is finding himself in the Vezina conversation this year, at least not at the moment, but considering where the team stood coming into this season, both have been a revelation. At the outset, the Golden Knights expected to be without Robin Lehner for the entire season, and though they weren’t sure exactly when Laurent Brossoit would return, it wasn’t going to be for opening night. The team opted to roll with Thompson, the rookie and incumbent from last season who had an impressive finish to his 2021-22, carrying Vegas as far as he could go in pivotal games, just missing out on a playoff berth. Knowing he couldn’t go it alone, Vegas also acquired Hill from the San Jose Sharks in late August.

A career backup, Hill has continued in that role, filling it just as Vegas hoped, recording a .903 save-percentage and 2.66 goals-against average over 12 starts. That performance, along with the effort of those in front of him, has lead Hill to an 8-3-1 record in those games, fantastic for the team’s backup.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the undrafted Thompson has become one of the league’s best young netminders and has taken the reins for Vegas. As much as they’d like to have Lehner too, Thompson has made the case for his absence being a non-issue as of right now. Through 24 games, Thompson has compiled a .914 save-percentage and 2.66 goals-against average and his 16 wins are good enough for third in the entire NHL.

What are the Golden Knights thankful for?

An expected bump to the salary cap

When you think of the NHL’s cap crunch and the issues it presents, chances are you think of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights off the bat. The organization has had to make several interesting moves in order to ice the team they wish and remain cap compliant, and just barely so. In recent years, those have consisted of trading away the then-Vezina Trophy winner Marc-Andre Fleury for virtually nothing and this offseason, trading Max Pacioretty and Dylan Coghlan away for quite literally nothing, while acquiring Shea Weber’s contract for LTIR purposes, sending Evgenii Dadonov the other way.

These moves have allowed Vegas to do what it needs to do in order to remain competitive, and though the Fleury and Pacioretty trades netted little in return, Vegas may argue that the cap space they received was the valuable return. Still, one may also argue that a team is at its best when it can keep all of its players, and that’s what the expected salary cap increase should do for Vegas. It may not let them acquire another Eichel or sign another Pietrangelo, and it can’t bring back Pacioretty or prime Fleury, but it can allow Eichel, Pietrangelo, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and others to stay while eventually giving long-term extensions to others such as Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault, who are both due after next season.

It’s still unclear when, how, and how much the cap will increase, but any little bit counts for Vegas and at present, they’ve been able to structure their roster so that issues likely won’t arise until they’re given a significant amount of additional space.

What would the Golden Knights be even more thankful for?

Health

To confuse the Golden Knights’ injury issues this season with the ones faced by the Columbus Blue Jackets or the Philadelphia Flyers, or their own issues from a year ago wouldn’t be fair. In fact, knock on wood, this season has been a vast improvement, and likely a big reason behind the team’s success. Still, Vegas has another 46 games to go plus playoffs, to stay healthy, with a number of somewhat concerning injuries.

For one, the team now has forward Brett Howden and defenseman Zach Whitecloud on LTIR with no clear return set for either of them. While not the team’s foremost stars, both players occupy important roles which are now filled by replacement players. The other primary injury concern is Eichel, who is on IR with a lower-body injury. There is some relief on that front as the injury appears unrelated to the issues that kept himl out for portions of the last two seasons, but every game missed by the superstar does put strain on the team’s offense. No timetable is clear on Eichel either, but remaining on IR as opposed to a transfer to LTIR, is encouraging.

What should be on the Golden Knights’ holiday wishlist?

A couple of depth pieces

Looking up and down the Vegas roster, it’s hard to find many holes. The goaltending is strong, the defense core is incredibly deep and contains players with offensive minds, defensive minds, and some who do both. Up front the team is deep as well and features a two-way star in Stone, a superstar scorer in Eichel, a few puck movers and snipers with names like Stephenson, Smith, and Marchessault, and a number of other secondary scoring options as well as a solid bottom-six.

Where Vegas is lacking in these groups, however, is depth beyond their main group. The team has dealt with injuries, discussed above, however the replacement players they’ve brought up, while talented in their own right, are not perhaps the most experienced and ready to join a group with eyes set on the Cup. Vegas doesn’t need depth as far as another third-line option goes, but instead an affordable player or two with semi-significant NHL experience to step in when players go down. This depth could be found on the trade market, and that may help with budgeting the new player in, but could also simply be a waiver-wire find.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Vancouver Canucks

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Vancouver Canucks.

Who are the Canucks thankful for?

Elias Pettersson

Amid turbulent times in Vancouver, the Canucks do find themselves with one of the brightest pieces in the entire league: Elias Petterssoon. Already a clear star in the NHL, the 24-year-old took the next step this season with a massive breakout, featuring 15 goals and 26 assists for 41 points through just 31 games.

The young Swede is signed through next season at a $7.5MM cap hit, expiring as a RFA, and was recently listed as the one untouchable player in the Canucks organization. Pettersson being “untouchable” might seem obvious, but on a team with a few superstars. but no certain direction in the short or long-term future, that denomination is significant.

Once this summer begins, regardless of the direction the team chooses to go in, the organization will surely need to focus on negotiations with their superstar center to keep him from hitting the UFA market in a couple of years. Extensions with J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes, and Thatcher Demko are an encouraging sign of things to come, but the issues with captain and pending UFA Bo Horvat do raise concerns.

Regardless of contract concerns or the success of the current build, Pettersson has taken himself from a solid top-six forward and propelled himself into superstar status with this season. Having him, whether that’s to carry the team on his back, to build around, to ultimately deal for assets, or something else, is a blessing for the organization, especially as it goes through these difficult times.

What are the Canucks thankful for?

Assets

Regardless of who is untouchable or not in Vancouver, and independent of how the team chooses to navigate its future, the organization is lucky to have a bevy of assets that hold substantial weight on the trade market for different reasons. The most clear-cut of these is Horvat.

After negotiations appeared to break down between the Canucks and Horvat’s camp, it seemed as though the struggling Canucks would likely deal their captain before this winter’s trade deadline. Normally, a rental of a responsible two-way forward who was also good for 60 points would fetch a massive haul on the market, but that’s not necessarily the story here. This year, Horvat has been much the same player with one significant change: he’s on pace for 60 goals. If Horvat keeps that level of production up, or even remains close, Vancouver could be looking at a package of picks and prospects not seen at the deadline in some time.

Another interesting pending UFA could be first-year winger Andrei Kuzmenko. The former KHL star chose to come to North America this offseason, pursued by a number of NHL teams, ultimately signing a one-year ELC with Vancouver. Expectations were high for the winger, though he’s arguably eclipsed them, registering 29 points, 14 of them goals, through 32 games.

Outside of the “untouchable” Pettersson, perhaps Vancouver’s biggest asset could be Hughes, who Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman estimated would require a “mammoth” haul to get Vancouver to trade him. The 23-year-old, signed through 2026-27 at a $7.85MM cap hit, has blossomed into an elite playmaking defenseman for Vancouver. There’s no shortage of teams who might find themselves interested in the defenseman, though presumably the Canucks’ asking price could drive them away. While there’s been no connection between the two teams, it is interesting to consider the team best-equipped to make this kind of trade, the New Jersey Devils, already have both of Quinn’s brothers in the organization.

What would the Canucks be even more thankful for?

A clear direction

After a poor start, losing their first seven games to start the season, the Canucks were able to bounce back, even finding themselves just a couple of points out of a playoff spot at times. The team’s play hasn’t simply been mediocre since the rough start, but instead has been up and down, that start merely representing the first down.

Comments and action from management have lead some to believe the team could be headed for a rebuild, some to believe they need a short-term reset, and some believing the team is still trying to compete. Complicating the situation is the team’s 2021-22 season and the offseason that followed. Last season was rather similar to this one, a rough start, followed by a rebound, just missing the playoffs. The team appeared to need a clear direction last year too, and re-signing new head coach Bruce Boudreau, extending J.T. Miller, and signing Kuzmenko and Ilya Mikheyev seemed to indicate the team was all-in. But, this confusing start, the lack of a Horvat extension, and the previously discussed comments from management still make that unclear.

It would seem what Vancouver needs most in order to ice a team competitive enough to compete for a Stanley Cup, is simply direction. A full-scale rebuild might extend the process, but the assets they have now should bring back plenty of quality pieces. A temporary re-tool would make sense given the players they have signed long-term and what they could get back for players like Horvat and Kuzmenko. Continuing to compete as is wouldn’t be surprising either, given the team’s ability to bounce back and the players they have now, but that could be risky given Horvat’s contract status.

What should be on the Canucks holiday wishlist?

A Horvat extension, or a massive trade package

Already discussed in detail, the Canucks have had issues extending Horvat and at this point, a trade seems more likely than ever. Even with broken negotiations and a struggling team, it’s easy to understand why the Canucks would still prefer to work out a deal with Horvat.

It’s hard to imagine, so long as they get a respectable deal, that anyone would blame the organization either way. The issue comes with Horvat’s ability to simply leave on July 1st. Obvious as it sounds, the Canucks cannot allow Horvat to simply walk like Johnny Gaudreau did with the Calgary Flames last offseason, how Artemi Panarin did with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019, or how John Tavares left the New York Islanders in 2018.

None of those departures were a “good” thing for those teams by any stretch, however Calgary and Columbus had been in a position to win a Stanley Cup those years and needed their star wingers to  compete for it. Add onto that, Calgary had expected they could re-sign Gaudreau for most of the spring, and Columbus knew what might be happening as Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky also hit the UFA market. As for the Islanders, they also expected to be able to re-sign Tavares the entire spring, but at the very least, though Tavares was going out, a pair of legends in that of GM Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz were coming in, breathing new life.

What was the case for Calgary, Columbus, and New York isn’t necessarily the same for Vancouver. They have plenty of talented players, many of them signed long-term, a legendary executive in Jim Rutherford, and a star coach in Boudreau, but the team has been lacking direction for a few years now with no clear sign of a new one coming. Losing Horvat for nothing wouldn’t necessarily make a decision for them on their direction, but would make whatever option they eventually chose just that much more difficult to be successful with.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Toronto Maple Leafs

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Who are the Maple Leafs thankful for?

Mitch Marner

As special as Marner’s 23-game point streak was for both player and team, it represented something just as important to Toronto’s season: consistency. As other players went hot and cold or went down with injury, Marner continued to produce night in and night out.

The winger has arguably been the team’s MVP thus far, even with Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares all having fantastic season thus far. Marner’s 40 points are good enough to lead the team, just one ahead of Matthews and Nylander. Not only is Marner playing a key role in the team’s superb offensive output, but he’s one of not only the team’s, but the league’s best two-way forwards, playing a key role on the penalty kill and late in games.

Perhaps the most interesting statistic that shows just how vital of a role Marner plays is time-on-ice. Marner, a right wing, is second on the team in average time-on-ice, behind only Morgan Rielly, who’s currently injured. The next closest forward on the list is Matthews, who’s 20:19 average time-on-ice is over a full minute less than Marner at 21:23.

Sure, Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas, and the front office built this team and Sheldon Keefe coaches it. Tavares is the captain and locker room leader while still being one of the team’s superstars. Nylander is enjoying a career year and the possibility of a 50 goal season. And yes, Matthews scores goals at a historic rate, but this year it’s been the consistent, steady play of Marner that Toronto is most thankful for. In a season of some ups and more than a few downs, the Maple Leafs may just be having their best campaign under this group, and now it seems to be Marner leading them all.

What are the Maple Leafs thankful for?

Depth, depth, and more depth.

It’s Christmas Day, the Maple Leafs have played 34 games and thus far, they’ve dressed a whopping 12 defensemen in games this season. That’s enough for their opening night lineup, plus an entire second unit too. Now, add to that their goaltenders. The team has only had three goaltenders play in games for them this season, not unusual, but all three have played in double-digit games.

With all of these injuries added onto a slow start, nobody would blame the Maple Leafs for being on the fringes of the playoff picture. But instead, Toronto sits comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division, behind only the Boston Bruins, who are enjoying what can only be described as a historic start to their season. So, what’s going right?

The depth the Maple Leafs have put forward this season has been, in a word, impeccable. When both halves of the intended goaltending duo of Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov went down with injury earlier this year, The Maple Leafs rested their hopes on Erik Kallgren to carry the load in net. Kallgren’s numbers this season aren’t going to win him the Vezina Trophy, but his .898 save-percentage and 2.67 goals-against average have been enough to keep the team in games, arguably their most important ones of the season. Notably, Kallgren was forced into the full-time starter’s role for a brief period, just as the team was fighting to regain itself as a winner, recently losing four straight on their west coast road trip.

On the blueline, only Justin Holl and Mark Giordano have played in every game this season, Rasmus Sandin closely behind with 33, but after those three, the next closest is Timothy Liljegren at 23. The three who were expected to make up the most important Leafs defensemen, Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie, have all missed fairly significant time, Muzzin unlikely to return this season. Mac Hollowell and Filip Kral have been solid when called upon, and Jordie Benn’s presence as a veteran shutdown defenseman has been impactful.

Amid the rapid loss of defensemen, Toronto was forced to make a trade and acquired Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes. Always highly-regarded, but just as frequently injured, Timmins has struggled to become an NHL regular for that reason. Since making his Maple Leafs debut earlier this month, Timmins has flourished, recording six assists in eight games, chipping in strong defense.

Of course, the organization will want to have it’s key pieces healthy and performing as expected, but in their absence, the next man up has been more than ready for action this season in Toronto and the ultimate success of this team will have to give large credit to this group of players.

What would the Maple Leafs be even more thankful for?

Health

We’ve just discussed the impact that Toronto’s depth additions have had on the team, such as Kallgren and Timmins and though the organization is happy to have them there, and perhaps give them a bigger role going forward, having their marquee players healthy and in the lineup would be just that much better.

The biggest injury in nature appears to go to Muzzin, who is likely done for the season. There, the health of the person is of primary importance and at this point, the Maple Leafs will likely consider how they can replace him, at least for the remainder of this season, with his $5.625MM cap hit on LTIR.

In terms of players who can come back, Rielly has been out since November 21st and while a return doesn’t appear to be imminent, there is hope the star defenseman will be back relatively shortly. Injured recently, Sandin and his status beyond being placed on IR is unknown, but having the young defenseman return would still change the dynamic of the blueline. Beyond them, returning defenseman Victor Mete and forward Nicholas Robertson to the lineup, when possible, would simply continue to add to the overall depth the team has available.

A healthy team isn’t just the players on IR returning to the lineup, but also consists of keeping the rest of the team healthy. As strong and as plentiful as the depth has been this year, it’s not endless. Furthermore, Toronto has been lucky that, with the exception of Reilly, injuries largely haven’t affected their elite players. Even losing just one of their big four of forwards for a long stretch could have a devastating effect on the season going forward.

What should be on the Maple Leafs’ holiday wishlist?

A secondary scorer

With Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares, complimented by Michael Bunting and Alexander Kerfoot, it would seem counter-intuitive to add another offensive-minded forward to the mix here, especially with injuries to the defensemen. To address the defense first, Rielly should hopefully return soon and the team will cross its fingers for a positive update on Sandin, but having both back solves many issues. Replacing Muzzin would make sense, but given the play of Benn and Timmins, it might not be necessary, at least not right now.

Up front, losing any of the big four would be drastic and though none of the four would be considered injury prone, nothing is guaranteed. Also consider the saturation of their production, the group primarily placed in the top-six and the first powerplay unit. If something goes wrong on the injury or production front, the rest of the team will have to step up and as talented as that group is, they aren’t so adept at getting the puck past the goaltender.

Toronto doesn’t necessarily need to go out and grab Patrick Kane at this year’s deadline, but a solid third-line option could do the trick, and at a relatively affordable price too. Sticking with Chicago, both Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou are UFA’s at season’s end and both have a history of offensive production. Alternatively, a reunion with former Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk could be in the books, assuming the Flyers are willing to retain salary, which they appear to be.

If Toronto does prefer to add defense, or needs two for the price of one so to speak, perhaps adding a dynamic offensive defenseman, like Shayne Gostisbehere from the Arizona Coyotes could be in the works. With 24 points this season in 32 games, Gostisbehere would give the team the offensive boost it needs while also serving as additional defensive depth and filling the void created by Muzzin’s injury.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Tampa Bay Lightning

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Who are the Lightning thankful for?

Nikita Kucherov.

Yes, he’s healthy, and yes, he’s as good as he’s ever been. Kucherov has shone brightly this season, even among a notoriously strong supporting cast in Tampa Bay. He had played in just over a third of Tampa’s regular season games over the past two seasons, even losing the entire 2020-21 regular season to injury.

But he’s back on his world-beating pace, set to break the 120-point mark once again if he can suit up for a full 82 games. He leads all Lightning with 49 points in 32 games, 11 points ahead of Steven Stamkos. He’s also playing over 21 minutes per game, the highest mark in his NHL career.

The Lightning will have eight players with a cap hit greater than $5MM next season, not including the long-term injured reserve relief of Brent Seabrook. With that kind of top-loaded structure, you need quality depth, and you need your stars to be stars. Kucherov’s performance, especially when healthy, makes his $9.5MM cap hit seem like a bargain, even in this tight salary cap landscape. Continued elite performance from the 29-year-old is crucial in giving the Lightning a chance to remain among the league’s best.

What are the Lightning thankful for?

Financial certainty as the cap rises.

It’s been a delicate dance for the Lightning’s front office over the past few seasons. The team made three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances in a time of near-complete financial stagnation for the league, mainly due to their management’s ability to play with fire without getting burned.

In even better news, they’re in a position to get rewarded as the cap rises. They have very few core players to sign to new contracts anytime soon. Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman will need new deals in the next three seasons, but they’ll be 34 and 35 at that time and won’t be able to command much of a raise, if any. Kucherov, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and even Erik Cernak and Nick Paul are locked in well past their 30th birthdays.

It finally seems like there may be some room to breathe for the Lightning, even if it’s a few seasons away.

What would the Lightning be even more thankful for?

More out of Victor Hedman.

18 points in 30 games aren’t bad by any measure, but Hedman has lost his grip on being the team’s unequivocal number-one defenseman, at least for now.

Mikhail Sergachev has dominated, potting 27 points in 30 games while seeing his usage equal nearly that of Hedman’s across 30 games. But it’s not just points separating the two this season.

Hedman’s main defense partners this year, Erik Cernak and Nicklaus Perbix, each have better defensive metrics paired with different defenders. Neither the Hedman-Cernak pairing nor the Hedman-Perbix pairing has eclipsed a 50% expected goals share this season, according to MoneyPuck’s model. It’s putting more strain on other Lightning defenders to pick up the legwork, and thankfully, they’re delivering.

What should be on the Lightning’s holiday wishlist?

A better backup goalie.

Tampa still has very little maneuverability this season financially, so any trade deadline moves they make will need to be small and effective. Their forward core still makes up the eighth-ranked offense in the league, and their defense is still capable for the most part.

Their most glaring weakness can thankfully be easily addressed. Brian Elliott is 37 years old and, despite a 7-2-0 record this year, has just a .894 save percentage. If any health issue affects Vasilevskiy in the playoffs, it’s likely game over for Tampa in a tight Eastern Conference.

Main photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: St. Louis Blues

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the St. Louis Blues.

Who are the Blues thankful for?

Jordan Kyrou.

He may have had a slow start to the season, but Kyrou’s had a torrid November and December to silence any doubters. It’s been a streaky run for the Blues this season, and seeing young cornerstones continue to develop and lead the team is always a positive.

After just three points in his first eight games, Kyrou has 29 in his past 23 and leads the team in scoring with 16 goals and 32 points. At 24 years old, Kyrou figures to be a long-term solution for elite goal-scoring in St. Louis. The team agrees and is being rewarded for their gamble, handing Kyrou an eight-year, $65MM extension that kicks in next season.

He’s rolling along at more than a point-per-game clip on the league’s 21st-ranked offense, which is underperforming, to be fair. But the Blues still remain in the playoff conversation with a .500 record as Christmas approaches, mainly in part due to Kyrou’s offensive excellence.

What are the Blues thankful for?

A rough season with good timing.

If there were ever a season for the Blues to sell, it would be this one. Ryan O’Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Ivan Barbashev are all unrestricted free agents at the season’s end. While it would be a tad out of nature for general manager Doug Armstrong, the team could certainly opt for a retool around the strong performances of players like Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich.

It would allow St. Louis to recoup what could be massive value early on in a retool phase, giving them a jumpstart in getting back into competitiveness without having to sacrifice players like Kyrou and Thomas later in their primes for a full-scale rebuild. If Armstrong plays his cards right, he has a unique opportunity to restock St. Louis’ cupboard at just the right time.

What would the Blues be even more thankful for?

A Jordan Binnington resurgence.

His .897 save percentage doesn’t tell the whole story. The team has not been close to the league’s upper echelon defensively, and it reflects in their goals against total, which sits near the league’s bottom.

But Binnington hasn’t stolen games the way he did earlier in his NHL career, and his behavior unrelated to his play has made more headlines this year than his saves have. He’s been average, not to blame for St. Louis’ struggles, but not the goalie that won them a Stanley Cup in 2019.

The issue lies in that St. Louis has invested in him to do just that – steal games. He’s not paid like a tandem netminder, locked in at a $6MM cap hit through 2027. With trade protection in the mix, too, it’s not looking like a pretty situation financially.

What should be on the Blues’ holiday wishlist?

Like many other teams, young defensemen.

The team’s prospect pool on D revolves around Scott Perunovich. While extremely talented, he hasn’t been able to avoid constant injury issues. He played just 36 games last season across both the NHL and AHL and hasn’t played at all this season due to a shoulder injury expected to keep him out through April.

Outside of him, there are some players who may have NHL futures, but no one who fits the bill as a solid long-term solution. Help in the D pipeline will likely be top of mind in trade returns if the Blues do sell off assets at the trade deadline.

Main photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Seattle Kraken

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Seattle Kraken.

Who are the Kraken thankful for?

Matthew Beniers

The second-overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and the first pick in the history of the Kraken, Beniers has had a quick rise to success, and stardom, in the NHL. The recently-turned 20-year-old currently sits third on the team in points with 24 and fourth amongst Kraken forwards in average time-on-ice, playing 17:13.

Impressive as Beniers’ offensive game has been thus far, looking a little deeper at his numbers beyond just points, shows how impressive the rookie is. Coming into tonight, Beniers currently holds a +6 rating along with a 56.5 Corsi and 56.2 Fenwick, albeit with far more offensive-zone starts than defensive.

One might also expect a player of this age and experience to be fairly irresponsible, but for Beniers’ 16 giveaways in 31 games this season, he’s countered with 17 takeaways. Perhaps you’d think that surely he wouldn’t be throwing his body around much in his first full season, but Beniers also comes into today with 37 hits. You also wouldn’t be blamed for thinking a 20-year-old who plays physical hockey would definitely have piled up plenty of penalty minutes, putting his team on the penalty kill over and over. That’s also not the case with the beyond-his-years forward, who has a grand total of two penalty minutes over those 31 games.

Beniers still has plenty to work on and is a few years away from entering his prime, but when looking for reasons why Seattle was able to have such a quick turnaround after a disappointing inaugural season, at the top of the board is this rookie sensation.

What are the Kraken thankful for?

A quick turnaround

When the expansion Vegas Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first season, it got many prospective new franchises (their potential owners, especially) excited at the prospect of adding a team in their city too. Seattle was fortunate enough to receive the next expansion team, but their inaugural season provided the disclaimer on Vegas’ success to all future expansion franchises: results may vary.

The Kraken finished 30th overall in the NHL in their first campaign, ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens. While the franchise probably doesn’t appreciate being compared to the Golden Knights every step of the way, one would assume they were hoping for a comparable first season. That, of course, didn’t happen, though the team did receive a nice consolation prize: the fourth-overall pick and the opportunity to select Shane Wright.

Good as Wright is, and will be, Seattle knew it needed to flip the switch after last season and did plenty to address the situation this offseason, highlighted by adding Andre Burakovsky in free agency and acquiring Oliver Bjorkstrand from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Beniers’ breakout, along with a resurgence from Jordan Eberle and newfound success from Daniel Sprong in the bottom-six also aided Seattle’s turnaround, the team currently sitting third in the Pacific Division entering the day.

Now in their second season and the weight of last season’s poor performance off their shoulders, the group can continue to focus and push for the playoffs as just another one of the NHL’s 32 teams, a good situation for players, coaches, management, ownership, and fans of any team, including the newest.

What would the Kraken be even more thankful for?

Average (or better) goaltending

Quality goaltending was more or less impossible for the Kraken to find last season. None of their three goaltenders, Philipp Grubauer, Chris Driedger, or Joey Daccord, recorded a save-percentage over .900 and only Driedger’s goals-against average, 2.96, was below 3.00. Keeping the puck out of the net is a team effort, however it’s reasonable to suspect that had Seattle received at least league-average goaltending, they may have been competitive for a long stretch of last season.

Entering 2022-23, if the team wanted to turn things around, it appeared they would need the goaltending situation to improve in a big way. Interestingly, the team has turned things around in a major way, however the goaltending hasn’t improved all that much. Grubauer’s play has in fact deteriorated even further, though the newly-signed Martin Jones is having somewhat of a rebound.

Jones, 32, has shouldered the load for the Kraken thus far, getting into 22 of the team’s 31 games, posting an .889 save-percentage and 2.91 goals-against average. Those numbers aren’t much better than anything else Seattle has seen, but they also don’t tell a complete story. After a strong start, Jones has trailed off a little in the past couple of weeks and was impacted by an outlier 9-8 win over the Los Angeles Kings on November 29th, where he recorded 27 saves on 35 shots.

While Jones’ numbers are an improvement, they aren’t exactly good either. If Seattle wants to succeed and make a run not only at the playoffs, but in them, the internal goaltending performance will need to improve significantly. With $11.4MM tied up in goaltending for this season, there isn’t much room to make an immediate upgrade at the position. Even after this season when Jones and his $2MM come off the books, the team still has Driedger signed for another year at $3.5MM AAV and Grubauer signed for another four years at $5.9MM AAV.

Bringing in a new netminder in the offseason wouldn’t necessarily be impossible, but would be difficult given their commitments. Even then, adding a goaltender with a strong pedigree is great, but they would need him to perform like it. After all, the team signed a goaltender with a strong pedigree before last season: Grubauer.

What should be on the Kraken’s holiday wishlist?

A puck-moving defenseman

Some Vezina-quality goaltending would probably top the list in Seattle, but as we explained, that’s not as easy as it sounds. After that, the Kraken could certainly benefit from a defenseman who could get their strong crop of snipers the puck in key areas, especially on the powerplay.

The Kraken could more realistically address this need in-season, with a few options available. The team currently has just under $1.2MM in salary cap space, which should get better as the deadline approaches. Perhaps the biggest name in this category would be Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Klingberg, who could have been a fit for the Kraken in free agency. Klingberg ultimately signed a one-year, $7MM contract with the Ducks where he, like his team, hasn’t been at his best. Still, the talent is there and the last-place Ducks are expected to move the blueliner for an asset before the deadline approaches.

Another option could be Shayne Gostisbehere of the Arizona Coyotes. The 29-year-old, who is set to be a free agent this offseason, had a fantastic comeback in 2021-22 with 51 points in 82 games and is well on his way to repeating upon that success with 21 points in 31 games this year. Considering Arizona’s struggles, Gostisbehere’s performance appears that much more impressive and putting him in a situation like Seattle with a number of talented point-producers could serve to grow his production that much more.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: San Jose Sharks

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the San Jose Sharks.

Who are the Sharks thankful for?

Erik Karlsson.

Wait, a team at the bottom of the standings is most thankful for an aging defenseman that makes $11.5MM a season? Well, there isn’t a lot of competition in San Jose these days. The Sharks probably aren’t very happy with the trade that brought him in or the extension that he signed when he arrived. The team would probably be in a much better place without ever getting Karlsson in the first place.

But his play this year has given them a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel. The 32-year-old defenseman has 42 points in 34 games (including an active eight-game point streak) and is playing more than 25 minutes a night for the Sharks. That has potentially opened up the possibility of a trade at some point, allowing them to get out from under the last few years of his contract.

It still will be a complicated move to pull off, but general manager Mike Grier has admitted he would listen to proposals and Karlsson is making sure people don’t forget that there was a time he was considered the best defenseman in the world. In a recent interview on Hockey Night in Canada, he promised that he still has “lots of years left” in his career.

What are the Sharks thankful for?

A rising salary cap ceiling.

Over the last couple of years, there hasn’t been anyone in a worse financial situation than the Sharks. The team was playing poorly, and yet they were locked into a number of long-term expensive contracts for aging players. It looked like they would just have to wait it out, struggling to put a competitive team on the ice for years.

But there is a chance that won’t be the case. Not only has Karlsson’s play created a chance (however small) of trading his deal, but the team has found other ways to shed salary as well. Evander Kane’s contract was terminated, Martin Jones was bought out, and they moved most of Brent Burns’ deal in an offseason trade.

They’re still not out of the woods. Tomas Hertl just re-signed, Timo Meier has a huge qualifying offer due, and Marc-Eduoard Vlasic still has three more seasons on his deal at $7MM. But there is at least a little breathing room, and a cap increase would only help matters.

What would the Sharks be even more thankful for?

A concrete front office direction.

The biggest problem is that for years now, the Sharks have avoided the idea of a rebuild entirely. They are stuck somewhere in the middle of buying and selling, all to the detriment of the on-ice product. Take two of the biggest moves the team has done in the past year, for instance.

In March, after deciding to hold onto him through the trade deadline, they signed Tomas Hertl to an eight-year, $65.1MM contract that keeps him in town until 2030 – essentially the rest of his career. But then a few months later they trade Burns, and retain 34% of his contract, in exchange for future assets.

Those two moves seem completely at odds with each other. One is made by a team that believes it can compete, and another is by a rebuilding club that wants to move on from older players and start collecting draft picks.

They now have another chance to point out a direction for their franchise with Meier. The 26-year-old is in the final season of a four-year bridge deal he signed in 2019 and is due a $10MM qualifying offer in the summer. Any long-term extension would be expensive because of that leverage, but he would still be a very attractive asset for contenders at the deadline looking to upgrade their top six. Does San Jose trade him, move on and start the rebuild? Or still believe they can compete with this core, and bring Meier back as they did with Hertl last year?

Whatever it is, Sharks fans are dying for some consistent direction. A plan.

What should be on the Sharks holiday wishlist?

A young defenseman.

If they are able to make some trades at the deadline, the Sharks should be targeting draft picks and young defensemen. They already have a number of interesting young forward prospects, led by William Eklund, Thomas Bordeleau, and Filip Bystedt. But it’s been a while since they had a real star defensive prospect to build around. Mario Ferraro is young enough that he can be part of the solution, but no other defenseman on the roster is under the age of 28.

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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Pittsburgh Penguins

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As we approach the end of the year, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Who are the Penguins thankful for?

Jake Guentzel.

The Penguins wouldn’t be the Penguins without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way, and this season is no different. The two Pittsburgh legends are first and second in team scoring with 40 and 32 points respectively through 31 games.

But you don’t get back to the pinnacle of hockey with only players selected at the very top of the draft. Any team in Pittsburgh’s place would have picked those two – it is lesser-known talents that are drafted and developed that can really push a roster over the top.

Enter Guentzel, the 77th pick of the 2013 draft and still – nearly ten years later – one of the most underrated players in the NHL. Often included as an extra forward (or left off entirely) when projecting a potential U.S. Olympic team, this two-time 40-goal scorer is one of the most consistent offensive pieces in the league. 

It’s not like that is new, either. From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh he has been putting the puck into the net or helping his linemates do the same, and his 0.93 points/game rate since his debut is good for 28th in the entire league. He’s 21st over that same stretch in total goals, despite playing only 402 games (Phil Kessel, the league’s iron man, has played 488 for comparison).

Penguins fans thank the lottery balls for getting Crosby every day. But there’s another star on the roster that they’re even luckier to have.

What are the Penguins thankful for? 

The health of Kris Letang.

There aren’t all that many medical terms scarier than stroke. When news broke last month that Letang had suffered his second in eight years, many fans (and not just those who root for the Penguins) weren’t thinking of his playing future, but his quality of life. Who cares if he gets back on the ice – will he be able to raise his kids?

Incredibly, Letang not only recovered quickly but was on the ice just a few days later, preparing to return to the lineup. He did just that on December 10 and was back to playing 28 minutes in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Penguins’ doctors have determined that hockey doesn’t increase the risk of future events and that his issue – born with a hole in his heart that didn’t close, as it does for most – wasn’t caused by playing the sport at a high level.

But we can still only marvel at the fact that he was back on the ice so soon, if only because of the mental strain that something like this would cause most people.

What would the Penguins be even more thankful for?

A consistent Kasperi Kapanen.

There is no one that should doubt Kapanen’s raw skill at this point. If you watch him for long enough, you’ll see a moment or two when he looks like he could stand among the true stars in the league. Brilliant speed, enough size and strength to protect the puck, and a hard, quick shot – Kapanen should be able to flourish in a top-six role next to Crosby or Malkin and become a key part of the Penguins attack.

Except it just doesn’t work, not often enough anyway.

The 26-year-old has been a frustratingly inconsistent player for his whole NHL career and has ended up in the press box several times this season. That is reasonable for a depth forward still trying to find his way in the league but the Penguins re-signed Kapanen to a two-year, $6.4MM contract in the summer that cemented him as a piece that they should be able to rely on.

If somehow they are able to coax a more consistent player out of Kapanen, their forward group would be much more difficult to contain. He does have eight points through eight games in December, but there’s no way to know when he’ll drop off the map completely again. That’s a scary proposition for a team that needs to be efficiently spending every salary cap dollar it has while Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are still good enough to contend for a Stanley Cup.

What should be on the Penguins’ holiday wishlist?

A third line center.

’Didn’t they just re-sign Jeff Carter?’ you might be asking. Yes, but through 28 games he is showing more and more of his age (he’ll turn 38 on January 1), and it’s holding the team back. Carter has just two goals in his last 24 games and four on the year, leading to head coach Mike Sullivan dropping his ice time significantly.

After playing nearly 18 minutes a night for the Penguins last season, Carter is down to 14:30 in 2022-23 and is averaging fewer than 13 minutes over his last seven games.

By acquiring a legitimate difference-maker to slot into that third-line pivot role, Carter could slide over to the wing while still helping out on faceoffs. The Penguins have always been their best when they can roll out another line behind Crosby and Malkin to keep the pressure on an opponent, and right now that’s not really the case.

This is of course assuming that Jeff Petry can return to full health. If not, defense might end up being an even more important position to shore up given how much he and Letang have been asked to do so far. That said, cap space will be limited (especially when Petry returns) so the team will have to be creative with how they approach the trade deadline and may only be able to address one or the other.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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