Just two and a half months ago, the Colorado Avalanche were lifting the Stanley Cup, triumphant over the back-to-back champion Tampa Bay Lightning in a thrilling final.
We’ll forgive you if you spent the warm months outside touching grass, and are just beginning to return to a hockey mindset. We’re just beginning to ramp up again, after all. This week will bring the opening of rookie camps, with full training camps looming next week.
So with hockey set to return, we’re sharing one thing to remember about each team to refresh your memory.
Anaheim Ducks: The Ryan Getzlaf era is over
For the first time in 17 years the Ducks won’t have Getzlaf on the team. It’s a definitive mark of a new era in Anaheim, which will be led by EA Sports cover star Trevor Zegras. Can he build on a 61-point season, and wow us with even more creativity and ingenuity? Getzlaf’s replacement on the depth chart is Ryan Strome, coming off a 54-point season of his own with the Rangers. Those could be the top two centres on the team, but pay attention to what rookie Mason McTavish does in pre-season.
Arizona Coyotes: A most interesting rink arrangement awaits
It ain’t going to be a pretty season in the desert. In fact, the best outcome may be for them to bottom out, end up with the first-overall pick, and draft sensational Connor Bedard. The on-ice product may not be the most exciting this season, but the rink they’re going to be playing in will cause some buzz — for better or worse. The Coyotes are temporarily moving into appropriately named Mullett Arena, a roughly 5,000-seat setting meant to house the University of Arizona hockey team. It will be unlike any other NHL arena, and could have more of a college atmosphere. When Arizona plays its home opener on Oct. 28 against the Winnipeg Jets, how many curious onlookers will tune in to see how it looks and sounds? Meantime, the Coyotes continue to try and work towards their own permanent home in Tempe, which will be a storyline all season and beyond.
Boston Bruins: David Pastrnak is a pending UFA
Overall it was a positive summer for the Bruins. Fans exhaled when Patrice Bergeron returned on a one year bargain contract ($2.5 million) and it was something of a bonus to have David Krejci come back from playing in Czechia last season. Injuries to Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy will keep them out for a couple months to start the season, so challenges are ahead. But while talk of “rebuild” faded, one major factor remains unresolved. David Pastrnak, the 26-year-old 40-goal man, is entering the final season of his contract, after which he’ll be UFA eligible. Will he sign, and will it be for the long term? If he goes to market, the Bruins will face an uncertain future all over again.
Buffalo Sabres: Eric Comrie an X-Factor to any upward push
Playoffs? Playoffs?!? Admittedly, that’s a tall ask for a team that missed out by 25 points a season ago, but some upward movement and a more competitive season can be reasonably expected. While Tage Thompson’s breakout and his new contract, Owen Power’s first full season, and Rasmus Dahlin’s continued progression are all going to be important for this team, the goaltending could really determine how much better the end result is. Craig Anderson returns, but Eric Comrie is the new addition with potential. The 27-year-old posted a .920 save percentage behind Connor Hellebuyck last season — his first full season as an NHL backup. Given Comrie has played just 47 games in the NHL and AHL over the past three seasons it’s hard to get a read on just how he’ll do, but he could earn more starts in Buffalo and if he hits, the Sabres will have one of their more competitive seasons in years.
Calgary Flames: The top line may be broken up, but they may have greater depth
With Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau — two-thirds of last season’s dangerous top line — out of town, Calgary may not have quite as much offensive pop on its top unit. Then again, having 115-point scoring forward Jonathan Huberdeau up there will be a handful for opponents. But we all know how important the centre position is to success in today’s NHL, so now that Calgary can run out Elias Lindholm, Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund, they could be harder overall to handle than before.
Carolina Hurricanes: The jerks are gonna love Brent Burns
Already with one of the best defensive blue lines in the league, Carolina brought in Burns from San Jose — still a top 10 scoring defenceman over the past three years. Tony DeAngelo was the top-scoring blueliner for last year’s ‘Canes, but with his departure to Philadelphia, Burns effectively brings a probable upgrade at 37 years old. He’s also celebrated for his character, which we’re sure will be embraced by the hungry Carolina fans.
Chicago Blackhawks: This could be the last go for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews
When the Blackhawks traded 24-year-old, 40-goal scorer Alex DeBrincat this summer, it was the clearest indicator that this front office was conducting a scorched Earth rebuild. And so now we wait to see what that means for longstanding franchise cornerstones Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Both are entering the final season of their contracts. Toews has spoken about considering playing elsewhere, and Kane will start the season atop trade candidate lists and still able to put someone over the top.
Colorado Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon’s contract status could re-shape the NHL market
Cap limitations squeezed Nazem Kadri out of Colorado after his career season en route to the Stanley Cup. Valeri Nichushkin got a pay day that will require him to live up to his own breakout season in 2021-22. But the biggest contract question looms: Will Nathan MacKinnon become the NHL’s highest paid player? With just one year left on an exceptional value contract paying just $6.3 million against the cap, MacKinnon could reset the top of the market. Connor McDavid’s $12.5 million is the highest AAV in the league right now, and when he signed that deal it accounted for 16.67 per cent of the cap. A $12.5 million AAV signed today comes out to 15.15 per cent of the cap, and when you consider the upper limit is expected to begin considerably rising again in two years, it is not out of line to suggest MacKinnon could go north of McDavid’s number.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Not one, but two elite producers locked in for term
The headline of the summer perhaps, Johnny Gaudreau was plucked off the UFA market by Columbus, last year’s No. 2 scorer in the NHL. But don’t forget: nine days after that signing, the Blue Jackets extended Patrik Laine on a four-year contract when he could have walked himself to UFA next summer. Now the Blue Jackets have a couple of cornerstone offensive players in their primes, without any of the contract speculation distractions that have recently surrounded those types of players in this market.
Dallas Stars: New coach…new style?
This could be an interesting pivot point for the Stars. Under Jim Montgomery and then Rick Bowness, the Stars were a heavy defence structure team for four years — 27th in goals for over that time. Notably, high earners Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin saw their offensive numbers take a major slide. After last season’s first-round exit, a change was made behind the bench, and now Peter DeBoer comes to town with perhaps a different expectation from up top.
“As much as people might be down on Tyler and Jamie for what they’ve done, I think part of that is just the way we’ve played. And a bit of our strategy, which is what we really believe needed to change, hence the coaching change,” Stars owner Tom Gaglardi told Andy Strickland.
Detroit Red Wings: The rebuilding team that made some winning moves
Entering Year 4 of the Steve Yzerman rebuild, the Red Wings made some surprising veteran additions over the summer. It’s not that this collection of players (Andrew Copp, David Perron, Ben Chiarot, Dominik Kubalik, Olli Maatta) will necessarily be playing leading roles when the Wings emerge, but together add a significant veteran presence and many complementary skills to the young core already in place. The Wings should be harder to play against this season than they have been in a while.
Edmonton Oilers: The Western Conference finalist seems to have upgraded in net
Last year the Oilers finally broke through with a couple of playoff series wins, including against their provincial rivals. But there was still a weakness holding them back just a bit in net. GM Ken Holland addressed it in the summer, which means Edmonton could be in line to level up again. Still, we want to see it to believe it. Jack Campbell settled Toronto’s net when he earned his first starting gig more than 10 years after being drafted, but it’s worth mentioning that he faded in the second half of the regular season.
Florida Panthers: Matthew Tkachuk is going to mess around with the Atlantic Division now
The Battle of Alberta’s loss is the Battle of Florida’s gain. Matthew Tkachuk may not always outscore the forward he was swapped in for (Jonathan Huberdeau) but he is no slouch either, finishing with 104 points last season. But he’ll also add a little snarl to a lineup looking for a playoff breakthrough. And for all the East Coast fans who can’t always stay up for the later games, they’ll get a more consistent dose of Tkachuk’s irritating antics. More Tkachuk Brother battles? More Leafs Nation reaction to his flavour? More Jack Edwards sound bites to whatever Tkachuk pulls on the Bruins? Enjoy.
Los Angeles Kings: They added a top 25 scorer from the 2021-22 season
Last season was a hugely promising one for the Kings, returning to the playoffs and carrying themselves well. They did most of that without all-star defenceman Drew Doughty, who played just 39 games (none in the playoffs) before getting injured, so his return will be weighty enough. But how about Kevin Fiala? Acquired from the cap-dumping Wild, Fiala had a monster year, scoring 85 points in 82 games. Los Angeles had the 20th-ranked offence last season, and Fiala’s totals would have made him the highest scorer on the team.
Minnesota Wild: So begins Year 1 of The Great Pinch
Buyouts to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter from two years ago are just now beginning to exert great pressure, with the penalties for those moves accounting for $12.743 million of the cap this season. That penalty will rise another $2 million next season. Because of this, tough choices had to follow a great year in Minnesota, with Kevin Fiala and Cam Talbot both being traded. Matthew Boldy and Marco Rossi will be looked at to help bridge through the tough financial times, as they remain on affordable ELCs, though with much still to prove.
Montreal Canadiens: Carey Price likely isn’t back (and Shea Weber is gone, gone)
Had Carey Price been able to return to Montreal this season, he would have been the primary X-Factor in turning last season’s result around. However, with news that he’ll start the season on LTIR and is unlikely to play in 2022-23, we have to consider the possibility the netminder may never come back. Meantime, the team traded defenceman Shea Weber’s contract to Vegas for their LTIR reasons. Altogether, not having either of those stars around marks the end of one era, as the Canadiens turn to another led by the likes of Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky.
Nashville Predators: A mushy middle team trying to make a push for the next tier
It’s been five seasons since the Nashville Predators peaked with a Stanley Cup Final appearance, and they haven’t won any playoff rounds since 2019. Last season ended in a sweep against champion Colorado in Round 1, though the Preds were without star goalie Jusse Saros. How would they react to this? GM David Poile acquired scorer Nino Niederreiter, and traded for 33-year-old defenceman Ryan McDonagh’s hefty contract. Most importantly, though, he was able to retain Filip Forsberg. Will any of this be able to lift them up, or will it be much of the same?
New Jersey Devils: Promising additions could still be offset by goaltending concerns
There’s no question the Devils are making strides back towards playoff contention. The additions of Ondrej Palat, John Marino and Erik Haula will help in that regard, as will continued progression from some of the younger players. But the goaltending finished 31st in save percentage last season, and it was a stated goal of the team to try and improve there. The only addition they made was Vitek Vanecek, who had a .908 save percentage in 2021-22. He’ll join returning netminder Mackenzie Blackwood.
New York Islanders: Well…not much has changed
After missing the playoffs, some corners hoped or expected change for the Islanders. Linked to some of the bigger names available in trades and free agency, when the dust settled New York’s most notable add may be defenceman Alexander Romanov. For better or worse, it appears they’re running it back largely as-is.
New York Rangers: A top-six forward added, a top young player requesting out
Last year was a breakthrough for the Rangers, who went all the way to the conference final and put up a solid fight against the Lightning. Vincent Trocheck was their big off-season addition and should make them even stronger up front. Interestingly, the Rangers also seem at an impasse with one of their top prospects, Nils Lundqvist. The 2018 first-rounder requested a trade because of the log jam on the right side of New York’s blue line and may not report to camp.
Ottawa Senators: The forwards look fantastic, but they may still be after another defenceman
The Sens are going to be one of the early “must see” outfits this season, as we all want to see how the exciting off-season moves translate on the ice. Almost all of that is because of what happened up front — from the additions of Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux to the long-term extensions for Josh Norris and Tim Stutzle. But are they strong enough on defence to make up all the ground ahead? The Sens have been rumoured around various defencemen this summer. Jake Sanderson is probable to arrive as a rookie, but GM Pierre Dorion may not be done tinkering quite yet.
Philadelphia Flyers: John Tortorella is tasked with getting this lineup into shape
The Flyers have been a major disappointment for two seasons running, but rather than try and step back to fix things, GM Chuck Fletcher doubled down on this team and core (minus Giroux), and must be feeling the pressure to win now. And so he’s put John Tortorella behind the bench to try and squeeze out more from this team and perhaps change the culture — something Tortorella made no bones about in an interview last week.
“I have major concerns about the room,” he told Sirius XM. “I have major concerns about what goes on in there. Before we even step on the ice, situations and standards and accountability in the room is at the forefront.”
Pittsburgh Penguins: Any talk of a major roster shift probably disappears for the next three years at least
It’s been four years since the Penguins won a playoff round, and after last season’s exit there were a lot of questions about what comes next. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang were headed to UFA with no guarantees either would be back. It’s not that you’re going to rebuild with Sidney Crosby still active, but losing those two would have demanded some major change in the roster build. But, with both re-signing for multiple years, the next window of major core questions likely opens in 2024-25, when Crosby hits the last year of his contract at age 38. Now we wonder if this group can get back to winning playoff series.
San Jose Sharks: Significant off-ice changes hope to ring in new era
There was one big change on the ice this off-season as the Sharks shipped Brent Burns to Carolina. But the bigger work happened off the ice, where Mike Grier was named GM, he named David Quinn as head coach, and plenty of turnover came to hockey operations. Now, much of the core remains — Tomas Hertl was extended for eight years — and it’s been three years since they made the playoffs, but it’s clear the Sharks are attempting to do things a little differently than they have in a while.
Seattle Kraken: A struggling offence added a couple of goal scorers
While goaltending was overall the sorest part of this roster last season, the offence left something to be desired as well. The Kraken were 29th in shots, 28th in goals and 27th in shooting percentage last season, but made two intriguing additions. One was Andre Burakovsky through free agency, a 22-goal, 61-point player for the Avs last season; the other was Oliver Bjorkstrand via trade, a 28-goal player for the Blue Jackets. On top of that, Shane Wright will be one to watch in camp after the No. 1 ranked 2022 draft prospect unexpectedly fell to the Kraken at four.
St. Louis Blues: Pressure heightens on Jordan Binnington
The Blues’ $6 million Cup-winning goalie has seen his stats trending the wrong way for a few years in a row now, and he even lost the crease to Ville Husso for the stretch and beginning of the playoffs in 2021-22. Binnington did take it back, and showed pretty well, but Husso is now in Detroit, replaced by 36-year-old Thomas Greiss. The Blues made no other major changes to the roster, and now will rely on their starter to return to form.
Tampa Bay Lightning: A chunk more of the core re-signed for the long-term
The Lightning wrestled a bit with the salary cap again this season and the casualty was Ryan McDonagh, whose full cap hit was dealt to Nashville. But Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev all signed eight-year extensions, joining Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Nick Paul, and Andrei Vasilevskiy on the list of guys under contract for at least the next five seasons.
Toronto Maple Leafs: In another ‘must win a playoff round or else’ season, they may have their most risky goalie situation to date
With Jack Campbell signing in Edmonton, the Maple Leafs had urgency to find a replacement, and are banking on two high-risk, potentially high-reward netminders. Matt Murray was acquired with $4.687 million of his cap hit, but it’s been three years since the two-time Cup champion has posted league-average numbers. Joining him is Ilya Samsonov, a first-round pick and one-time goalie of the future for Washington, who hit free agency a year early when the Caps decided not to qualify him as an RFA. They both have pedigree and have No. 1 upside, but the downside is obvious.
Vancouver Canucks: They were the fifth-best Western Conference team after Bruce Boudreau was hired last season
A hellish start for the Canucks was salvaged by a 33-16-10 performance from Dec. 5 on, when Boudreau became head coach. Still there was some wonder how much of the roster could change over, especially with J.T. Miller and Bo Horvat entering contract years. But they added to this team, with Ilya Mikheyev and Andrei Kuzmenko bringing depth, and they re-signed Miller for the long term. The defence remains something of a weakness, but despite some calls for re-tooling, the on-ice performance did give some reason to believe this team could push for the playoffs with Boudreau.
Vegas Golden Knights: Robin Lehner is out for the season
Remember when the Golden Knights had too full of a crease to fit everyone, and had to offload the popular Marc-André Fleury? Well now they enter with Logan Thompson as their starter, who has 20 games of NHL experience, and Laurent Brossoit and Adin Hill behind him. Robin Lehner is not in the picture this season as he recovers from hip surgery, leaving the Golden Knights with lots to prove in the crease as they attempt to bounce back from their first playoff miss in team history.
Washington Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom will be out of the lineup for a while
After qualifying as the East’s final playoff seed and then losing in the first round for the fourth season in a row, the Capitals addressed perhaps their biggest off-season need by signing Darcy Kuemper to take over in net. However, Nicklas Backstrom had off-season hip surgery, which means he won’t be in the lineup to start the season. The good news: it does sound like he’ll be able to resume his NHL career at some point. The bad news: we don’t know when that will be exactly, as he’ll start with an “out indefinitely” designation.
Winnipeg Jets: Neither of their top two centres seem all that jazzed about staying long term
The Jets were one of the biggest disappointments in the league last season, from missing the playoffs, to watching their head coach step down mid season. Even more troubling, though, was that both of their top two centres were lukewarm about their long-term prospects here. While Pierre-Luc Dubois indicated his interest in testing unrestricted free agency when he becomes eligible in 2024 (he’ll be an RFA in 2023), a frustrated Mark Scheifele’s first reaction to the end of the season was to ponder if he was still a fit here. Those comments were walked back somewhat in mid-summer, but what happens if things still don’t go right in 2022-23?
