1 Reason for Every NHL Team to Be Optimistic a Month Before the 2024-25 Season
1 Reason for Every NHL Team to Be Optimistic a Month Before the 2024-25 Season0 of 32
Nathan MacKinnonMichael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
The beauty about the start of NHL training camp is the idea of hope.
Everyone is back to square one with the idea of skating around the ice with the Stanley Cup come June. And whether a team is a true contender or a big dreamer, the idea that “anything can happen” sustains us all.
Anything can happen, of course. Anything can also be good or bad, but we’re keeping the vibes positive because hockey is just getting started with teams having their rookie camps and prospect tournaments going on ahead of the official start of training camp.
We’re working on being positive ourselves and we’re going to lean into it by scheming up one reason for every team to think big with the season on the horizon in October. Does every team realistically have a shot at going all the way? Definitely not, but success for one team would be a huge disappointment for others and it’s all a matter of perspective here.
Sara Civian got the ball rolling last week with a wish list for every team in the NHL ahead of training camp, but this week, but this time around it’s all about looking on the bright side.
Anaheim Ducks1 of 32
Frank Vatrano and Radko Gudas.Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images
Fun
Maybe we’re guilty of being influenced by the spate of young players Anaheim has, but despite the Ducks being one of the NHL’s worst teams the past two years, it just kind of feels like things will get better this season and maybe even a little better than expected.
With Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish, there’s a boatload of talent there. It’s just mostly really young players who are still finding their way.
But it’s a league that’s getting younger by the season and with John Gibson and Lukas Dostal in goal and Radko Gudas making everyone mad elsewhere, the Ducks are going to make those late-night starts on the East Coast a lot more exciting to stay up and watch.
They need to grow together, and other guys have to get an honest feel for the league yet, but this team should be a lot of fun to watch regardless.
Boston Bruins2 of 32
Matthew PoitrasAndrew Burke-Stevenson/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Inevitability
How many years have you thought it was time for the Bruins to fall from grace only to see them rumble through the regular season and into the playoffs? Too many to count, right?
Like Thanos, the Bruins are inevitable and whatever they do always seems to work out for them.
Sure, they lost a few guys this summer (Linus Ullmark, Jake DeBrusk) but they added Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov who will be a folk hero in Boston almost immediately with how he plays. They’re getting Matthew Poitras back from injury, and whenever they get Jeremy Swayman re-signed, they’ve got their goalie settled for years to come.
Go ahead, say it’s time for the Bruins to have to fight to get into the postseason, they dare you. But we all know exactly what will happen and where they will be when the season wraps up in April.
Buffalo Sabres3 of 32
Rasmus DahlinBill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images
Jelling with a punch
We’ve all been waiting for the core of outstanding young stars in Buffalo to figure things out and become the scary good team they look like on paper.
Guys like Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch have been together for a few seasons now and younger guys such as Dylan Cozens, Owen Power, JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn are helping bring along even younger guys like Zach Benson.
But they need someone to give them more direction and a push and that’s where new-old coach Lindy Ruff comes in. His high-intensity style of play and take-no-nonsense demeanor will bring them together come hell or high water.
The Sabres will have all the ability to score and they’re going to play the kind of hockey that will remind everyone of what they used to play like when they were coached by Ruff the first time around 20 years ago.
Calgary Flames4 of 32
MacKenzie WeegarGerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images
Clearing the decks
When the spate of former Flames stars all decided they weren’t going to stick around Calgary and the team had to move on from them and figure out how to fix it on the fly, they’ve been living in limbo ever since. Not anymore.
The Flames were stuck and attached to the old plan that former GM Brad Treliving set forth for them. Now with Jacob Markström off to New Jersey and Dustin Wolf taking over in goal, it at last feels like they’ve moved on and can start anew.
That won’t be without a lot of pain, but getting to see more of Connor Zary, Yegor Sharangovich and a reinvigorated Anthony Mantha up front with MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson on the back end, there are reasons to be hopeful for the years ahead. If Jonathan Huberdeau can find his game again, then that would be great, too.
The bandage got ripped off fully at last and that’s a good thing, even if it means things get tough for a bit.
Carolina Hurricanes5 of 32
Andrei Svechnikov and Seth JarvisMichael Mooney/NHLI via Getty Images
Shots, shots, shots, shots
It’s fun to see teams lean into what they are even in the face of distressing times.
The Carolina Hurricanes could’ve panicked when they lost defensemen Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei and forward Teuvo Teravainen in free agency, but they opted to put their head down and own who they are: A team that plays fast and shoots a ton.
They brought back Shayne Gostisbehere for the blue line and added Sean Walker as well to give them an ultra-mobile blue line that can create offense and score. Locking up Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas to new contracts was good business and adding Jack Roslovic and William Carrier gave them speed and physicality to jar pucks loose to take the other way to score more goals.
Carolina drives opponents mad by throwing everything at the net and now it’s even more capable of doing that. Annoying? Only to non-Hurricanes fans. Good luck hanging onto the puck and trying to get it back from the ‘Canes.
Chicago Blackhawks6 of 32
Connor BedardPatrick McDermott/Getty Images
Year 2 of Connor Bedard
Listen, we know Chicago did a lot to help make its lineup deeper with actual NHL talent this summer. That was a good thing to do considering how relatively inexperienced it was last season.
But let’s be real here: This season is all about seeing what Connor Bedard will do with a year of NHL experience under his belt.
For megastars, the second season is where we get to really see them explode. Had it not been for a broken jaw last season, we would have gotten a full look at what Bedard can do; but this season, with more veterans to work with and even better fellow prospects vying for the NHL lineup, it’ll be even more exciting.
The Blackhawks probably aren’t going to be a playoff team again, but they’re also not going to be a lot of fun to play against either, especially with Bedard running the show and being even more comfortable in his role in the league.
Colorado Avalanche7 of 32
Gabriel LandeskogMike Carlson/Getty Images
Ferocious competitors
The Avalanche will be a joy to watch again this season and will be even more so when captain Gabriel Landeskog returns after missing the past two seasons. Colorado has been excellent without their leader, but there’s no doubt they’re a much more difficult team to play against with him.
With Landeskog rejoining Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Devon Toews it’s like having Voltron or the Power Rangers put back together again as a full unit ready to rule the roost.
The Avs have a great team, and they can be Stanley Cup champs again this season even in a brutally competitive division and conference, but with the speed and edge they play with all year led by MacKinnon and Makar, they’re a nightmare for opponents.
Getting the band back together again with Landeskog after adding guys like Casey Mittelstadt they’ve got the sort of depth in their attack to make everyone wish they didn’t have to face them.
Columbus Blue Jackets8 of 32
Zach WerenskiJason Mowry/Getty Images
Unity
It’s so hard to see the Columbus Blue Jackets deal with tragedy again after the death of Johnny Gaudreau. And it’s even harder to see the pain everyone in the organization feels because of that.
In the wake of such circumstances, the Blue Jackets will play this season together for Johnny and his family, and that kind of inspiration will make all of us want to see good things happen for them all year.
Seeing the players come together to win games for Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau will make us wish to see a dream season come together.
With so many very good, young players at Columbus now (Kirill Marchenko, Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, David Jiricek) and on the way in short order (Gavin Brindley, Cayden Lindstrom, Denton Mateychuk), having them all rise up now amid this sadness would help provide a much-needed light.
Dallas Stars9 of 32
Wyatt Johnston and Jamie BennCurtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Next New Wave
The Dallas Stars have had their best players arrive in waves over the past decade or so.
From Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin to Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. Now, the next generation is ready to carry the weight with Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley becoming stars the past two years, and Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque now ready to join the party.
Watching Stankoven thrill in his handful of games last season was the alarm sounding that another guy is ready to crash the net and score goals. And after the monster season Bourque had in the AHL, he won’t be far behind. Oh yeah, the Stars are also still extremely good and will be a top contender for the Stanley Cup again.
It’s a regular conveyor belt of talent the Stars have going for them. If fans in Dallas weren’t already optimistic, maybe they were too focused on the stars on the Cowboys helmets instead of the Stars on ice.
Detroit Red Wings10 of 32
Patrick KaneJohn Russell/NHLI via Getty Images
Eventuality
Fans in Detroit have been patiently waiting for GM Steve Yzerman to put it all together to get the Red Wings back to the playoffs. And it’s got to come together now, right?
Dylan Larkin was the guy who made it all go. Patrick Kane arrived and found a way to turn back the clock and pile up points. Alex DeBrincat’s homecoming was everything they thought it could be. Lucas Raymond exploded last season and was brilliant. Moritz Seider showed he can handle the weight of being a No. 1 defenseman so young.
Now they’ve got Vladimir Tarasenko reuniting with Kane after winning his second Stanley Cup and Cam Talbot signed on to solidify their goaltending. It has to work now because there are so many question marks with many of the other teams in the Eastern Conference and they showed last season for a good chunk of it that, yes, they can be a playoff-caliber team.
It’s got to happen eventually, and maybe eventually is right now.
Edmonton Oilers11 of 32
Connor McDavidAndy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images
Even More Gas, Even Fewer Brakes
We praised the Carolina Hurricanes for leaning into who they are, so we would be huge hypocrites if we didn’t do the same for the Edmonton Oilers.
By adding Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson along with trading for top prospect Matthew Savoie, the Oilers decided that their already-potent offensive attack led by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard needed a bit more fuel.
Skinner scored 30 or more goals five times and scored 40 goals once as well. Arvidsson scored 30-plus in a season twice in his career. Sure, they sacrificed defensive players like Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway, but the Oilers are making sure they’re going to be able to score their way out of anything now.
Edmonton was already mandatory viewing. Now? It’s going to be the greatest show on ice and seeing how teams will try to stop it will be a treat.
Florida Panthers12 of 32
Niko Mikkola and Gustav ForslingCarmen Mandato/Getty Images
What an encore looks like with a new cast
The Panthers’ run to winning the Cup last season a year after they lost in the Final was thrilling. Heck, we got a Game 7 out of it and everything and the best team truly won it.
But the Panthers won it fully knowing there would be a lot of change in the offseason and, yeah, the roster had a lot of turnover with Brandon Montour, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Nick Cousins, Ryan Lomberg, Steven Lorentz, Kevin Stenlund and Anthony Stolarz all leaving in free agency and Kyle Okposo still unsigned.
That’s a lot of guys who were vitally important to helping them win it all and they’re all gone.
But the Panthers added some guys in free agency and will promote a bunch of others up from the minors while maintaining the core of Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Sergei Bobrovsky, Carter Verhaeghe, Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling among a few others.
Head coach Paul Maurice will have to work his magic again with half of a new team, but it will be fun to see how they go about trying to repeat as champions.
Los Angeles Kings13 of 32
Adrian KempeAndy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images
Steady as it goes
The Kings are fascinating because it never really seems like they’re totally set and yet, there they are at the end of the season in the playoffs and stuck dealing with Edmonton in the first round.
Having Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty helps answer a lot of questions, but now we’re seeing their younger players and outside acquisitions take charge. Quinton Byfield is emerging as a brilliant forward. Adrian Kempe is a consistent scorer. Kevin Fiala does a lot of everything. Trevor Moore and Phillip Danault are brilliant two-way players as well.
Now the Kings are working in even younger players like forwards Alex Laferriere, Alex Turcotte, Jordan Spence, Akil Thomas, Arthur Kaliyev and Brandt Clarke. It’s a curious mix of homegrown talent and gritty veterans who know their role.
It doesn’t have the kind of flash a group in Hollywood would normally have, but an ensemble cast like this just goes out and does their job pretty well. It’s the indie movie rather than the blockbuster and there’s a place in life for those to succeed.
Minnesota Wild14 of 32
Matt BoldyDavid Berding/Getty Images
Flash, dash and crash
The Wild can do a bit of everything you want to see out of a hockey team.
They’ve got the exciting plays and highlight-reel goals from Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, Mats Zuccarello and Marco Rossi. There’s two-way brilliance from Joel Eriksson Ek and they’ve got defenders who can move the puck and thwart opposing players like Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon. Then there are the guys who go all-out to physically punish opponents like Marcus Foligno, Ryan Hartman, Jakub Lauko and Yakov Trenin.
What more could you ask for? Oh right, there’s Marc-Andrè Fleury in goal (with Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt as well) thrilling with electrifying saves and his glowing personality.
The Wild are interesting. They can be pretty good, too, provided injuries stay away, but get the puck to Kaprizov and let him work his wonders and make jaws drop all over the place with his skill.
Montréal Canadiens15 of 32
Nick SuzukiGregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Youth gone wild
The Canadiens are a team that’s slowly on the rise, and the reason for that is their budding young stars are making their way up the ladder and improving themselves so they can take Montréal by storm in the years to come.
While Nick Suzuki leads the way, Cole Caufield is his second-in-command using his elite skill with the puck and his shot to pile up goals. If he can stay healthy for a full season, the kinds of numbers he can put up will be all kinds of fun.
There’s 2022 No. 1 pick Juraj Slafkovský, who broke out last season with 20 goals and 30 assists and appears ready to take charge as the power forward the Habs always wanted.
Now with Patrik Laine in the fold, we’re hoping his comeback explodes with Montréal and allows him to get back to being one of the league’s most dangerous snipers. If nothing else, there are a lot of reasons why things could be a lot of fun.
Nashville Predators16 of 32
Ryan O’ReillyAndrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Carpe diem, baby
The Predators went for it this summer and we love it.
By signing Steven Stamkos out of Tampa Bay, Jonathan Marchessault from Vegas and Brady Skjei from Carolina, Nashville showed it wasn’t just happy with returning to the playoffs last season; it wants to get back to the Cup Final ASAP.
With Stamkos and Marchessault each coming over with bruised feelings from their old teams, the motivation factor for both of them is sky-high to prove to them they made terrible mistakes.
Bringing in Skjei to essentially replace Ryan McDonagh (who was traded back to Tampa Bay) was a great move that only cost them money in the end.
With those guys joining Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly and Juuse Saros, it’s a deeper well of high-end veteran talent to help provide guidance on how to go deep into the playoffs. It’s awesome to see teams go for it so aggressively and seeing if/how it pays off is all part of the adventure.
New Jersey Devils17 of 32
Jack and Luke HughesRich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images
Making Amends 101
Last season didn’t go at all how the Devils envisioned, and they spent this summer doing what they could to make up for that and they went hard.
New Jersey sorely needed to address its poor goaltending and did that by finally acquiring Jacob Markström from Calgary. It was a move rumored to happen at the trade deadline last season but didn’t.
Sure, GM Tom Fitzgerald could’ve laid low and waited for Dougie Hamilton to return from last season’s injury and call it a day on improving the team, but he instead brought in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon for the blue line. New Jersey needed more depth there and got it in a big way.
That it brought back forwards Tomas Tatar and Stefan Noesen gave New Jersey experienced and familiar depth up front. And with new coach Sheldon Keefe in charge, things are looking up again.
Having Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes already in place helps make the Devils a contender in the division again.
New York Islanders18 of 32
Mathew BarzalMichael Mooney/NHLI via Getty Images
Vigilance
It might drive Islanders fans a little batty to see how GM Lou Lamoriello runs the show, but they’re always in the conversation for the playoffs even if the rest of us occasionally forget about them.
At least this summer, the Isles went out and signed Anthony Duclair to spice up their forward attack. With Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat and Anders Lee already in place and Noah Dobson running the show from the blue line, Long Island has some fun pieces.
When you factor in Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov in goal with Patrick Roy at the helm behind the bench, the Islanders are an interesting team that will again be in the playoff mix.
Yes, Isles fans are starved for the chance to be back in the NHL’s final four again, but with a full training camp with Roy and the goalie tandem they’ve got, they’re a threat to go deep if they make it to the playoffs.
A hot goalie (or two) can make anything happen after all.
New York Rangers19 of 32
Chris Kreider.Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images
The Revenge Tour
The Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Final last season which, in most seasons would be an outstanding achievement. But when you’ve won the Presidents’ Trophy, it’s more of a slap in the face and motivation to go even further the following year.
That’s the goal for the Rangers this season and there’s no reason to think they can’t do it.
They’ve still got Artemi Panarin, Igor Shesterkin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Adam Fox. They’ve also got Alexis Lafrenière on the verge of becoming their next superstar up front after years of waiting and hoping it would happen. Adding Stanley Cup winner Reilly Smith from Pittsburgh makes them deeper up front.
The Rangers didn’t have to change much of anything in the summer, and they made sure not to. Running it back and going even further would cement how good the team can be.
Ottawa Senators20 of 32
Brady TkachukBen Ludeman/NHLI via Getty Images
A breakthrough
Like their division foes in Buffalo and Detroit, Ottawa has been fiending to break out of the draft lottery and return to the playoffs. Injuries and poor goaltending tripped them up last season and while everyone got healthy with time off, they also got better in goal adding Linus Ullmark from Boston.
The Senators have plenty of talent and snarls in their lineup and sometimes those two qualities are not exclusive of each other. Brady Tkachuk is just like his brother in Florida in that he can score and drive opponents up a wall even when he’s not scoring.
Tim Stützle is a brilliant offensive player and makes opposing players see all shades of red when he occasionally enhances their misdeeds.
Having Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson on the blue line gives them a pair of guys that play well and eat a ton of minutes and with Claude Giroux providing a guiding hand to everyone there, they have pieces that can work.
New coach Travis Green has a lot to work with and maybe this is his shot to take them back to the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers21 of 32
Matvei MichkovTerry Wyatt/Getty Images
It’s Michkov time
It would’ve been easy to have an uneasy feeling headed into this season as a Flyers fan if it wasn’t for 2023 first-round pick Matvei Michkov signing this year.
After all, the Flyers played inspired, hard-working hockey last year and stunned everyone around the league being in a playoff spot late into the season. But after watching them run out of gas and ultimately wind up back in the lottery, it highlighted how they’re still in the middle of a rebuild.
But now with Michkov taking Philly by storm, excitement is back on the menu with a side of hope. If nothing else goes right this year for the Flyers, he is there to provide a lot of fun and excitement for everyone.
Pittsburgh Penguins22 of 32
Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni MalkinBrian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images
The old guard can still bring it
We know it was another playoff-less season for the Penguins last season and that’s disappointing for the fans, but did you see who led the way for them?
Sidney Crosby nearly put up 100 points and led the team in scoring at age 36. Evgeni Malkin was second in scoring at age 37. Erik Karlsson was fourth at age 33, and Kris Letang was sixth at age 36.
Four future Hall of Famers who continue to play excellent hockey, and while some of them aren’t at the level they were in their prime, Crosby still is and that alone is worth being excited about.
The Pens are trying to get younger on the fly and Rutger McGroarty will get a shot to show he was worth adding from Winnipeg. Learning the ropes from some of the all-time best players is a good way to go about it. And if it leads to another run in the postseason, that would be something special.
San Jose Sharks23 of 32
Macklin CelebriniCandice Ward/Getty Images
Celebrini’s reign begins
Even though the Sharks still have a few veterans from the Stanley Cup Final run in tow, this team is fully ready to embrace its youngest players and that starts with Macklin Celebrini.
With the No. 1 pick ready to take on the NHL, the Sharks have all the reason in the world to be excited to see what he brings right away as well as in the years to come.
That he’ll have the Sharks’ 2023 first-round pick Will Smith there with him this year will only enhance the reasons for fans and management to be excited about what will likely be another difficult season.
But we’re staying positive here, right? If Logan Couture can return from a groin injury at some point to join Celebrini, Smith and 2021 first-round pick William Eklund, it’ll help them learn from a great NHL veteran and team captain.
Seattle Kraken24 of 32
Shane Wright and Matty BeniersBrett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Do The Evolution
Yeah, it’s a Pearl Jam song title and we’re talking about the Seattle Kraken. Truth is, it fits with what the team is going through right now.
They went from 100 points and a second-round appearance in the playoffs two seasons ago to being back in the lottery last season.
They made Matty Beniers their go-to guy by locking him up to a seven-year, $50 million contract this summer and just got a four-year, $21 million deal done with defenseman Adam Larsson. Those signings came after they locked up forward Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Brandon Montour to huge free-agent contracts.
The Kraken have made their choices about how they’re going forward and now they’ll likely be adding 2022 first-round pick Shane Wright to the equation. With Dan Bylsma taking over as coach, that should help Wright along after he coached him in Coachella Valley in the AHL.
Using veterans and homegrown guys together is how expansion teams eventually grow, and seeing Seattle doing it now going into their fourth season will educate us about how well they’re doing with it.
St. Louis Blues25 of 32
Robert Thomas and Jordan KyrouKeith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Guts and glory
Blues GM Doug Armstrong became a folk hero of sorts this offseason by not only using offer sheets but also helping improve his team by successfully deploying them against Edmonton to add Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
It was a courageous move given how most GMs fear using them out of worry over getting payback in the future, but we like that kind of moxie.
Armstrong adding Alexandre Texier from Columbus after he made it known he wasn’t happy there was a solid buy-low move, but his best move was signing Pavel Buchnevich to a six-year, $48 million extension to put rumors about trading him to bed for good.
That he did all this after the Blues made a surprise run at the wild card last season showed he sees something going right with the team.
It helped having Jordan Binnington return to form, but showing the team he believes in them and getting bold with moves is the kind of thing that can rally them in the new season.
Tampa Bay Lightning26 of 32
Victor Hedman and Nikita KucherovMark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images
The next chapter
The Lightning let Steven Stamkos go, and while that could’ve been a PR disaster, they weathered it well enough by adding the best free-agent forward on the market in Jake Guentzel to soften the blow.
That GM Julien BriseBois reacquired defenseman Ryan McDonagh from Nashville and later traded Mikhail Sergachev to Utah were two of the more unpredictable moves of the offseason, but it showed that a cap-strapped team has to know when it’s time to adjust the situation to stay in a contender’s position.
They filled out their ranks with inexpensive deals for forwards Cam Atkinson and Zemgus Girgensons and added J.J. Moser in the Sergachev deal. The Lightning turned the page on their past and are moving forward with more than enough guys who helped them win back-to-back Cups.
That on top of a slightly longer offseason to rest up should mean taking the Lightning lightly would be a painful mistake.
Toronto Maple Leafs27 of 32
Auston MatthewsBrett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Running it back in a good way
After the Maple Leafs were bounced out of the playoffs earlier than they expected the past two seasons, questions that followed were focused on not just who would be moved out but also how many of their core group would go.
Instead, Toronto management decided to keep the main guys together and go for it one more time. Sure, it hasn’t worked out before, but with other teams at the top of the Atlantic Division going through various levels of tumult, the fact that the Leafs kept Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner together was the right idea.
Adding defensive help with Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson addressed a habitual shortcoming on the blue line as well.
Chemistry and consistency with new coach Craig Berube in charge will be vital, particularly because the pressure is as high as it’s ever been before, especially with Marner’s and Tavares’ contracts each up after the season.
Utah Hockey Club28 of 32
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Salt Lake Life
It’s hard not to be optimistic about the Utah Hockey Club.
The dark clouds that hung over the franchise in Arizona are gone after Ryan and Ashley Smith purchased and relocated the team. The new influx of cash allowed GM Bill Armstrong to be bold in addressing the team’s defense by acquiring Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay and John Marino from New Jersey.
Strengthening the blue line while budding young forwards Logan Cooley, Josh Doan and Dylan Guenther grow with Clayton Keller and Matias Maccelli, while goalies Conor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka hold it down in net introduce something there hasn’t been in a long time with the franchise: genuine hope.
The start of the franchise in Utah is geared up to be a massive success story already. And with the players in place now, it’s hard to not think about how things went for the Quebec Nordiques when they moved to Colorado and the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina.
Vancouver Canucks29 of 32
Quinn HughesDerek Cain/Getty Images
Taking the next step
Watching how the Vancouver Canucks played under Rick Tocchet last season was so breathtaking and startling all at once that we were left wondering why they haven’t played like that for years already.
Quinn Hughes leading from the back with JT Miller, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser was incredible to see in action, and it led them to the top of the Pacific Division unexpectedly. Now we’re eager to see the steps they’ll take this year to improve and avenge their playoff loss to Edmonton.
We know there are questions about Thatcher Demko’s status, but the Canucks got deeper up front with additions of Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen as well as on defense with Derek Forbort to go along with re-signing Filip Hronek and Tyler Myers.
The Canucks are fun and worth watching no matter what. With how they play and the way the Oilers decided to go all-in on scoring a zillion goals this summer, it’ll be worth it to watch them duke it out for the Pacific Division again.
Vegas Golden Knights30 of 32
Jack EichelJeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images
Sin City? No, it’s Snipe City now
Vegas was mostly quiet this offseason, but it managed to get a fair bit more interesting in a way.
Letting Jonathan Marchessault walk in free agency was anything but quiet, but the Golden Knights are famously hard against/over the cap and re-signing him for big money would’ve led to many other exits.
They replaced Marchessault with snipers Victor Olofsson in free agency from Buffalo and Alexander Holtz from New Jersey in a trade.
Both Olofsson and Holtz have outstanding shots, the former’s in particular is quite nasty and having those two perched on a power play will give opposing teams nightmares on how to cover them as well as Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone.
Vegas needed to improve its power play (it was 20th in the NHL last season) and with gunners like Olofsson and Holtz added to the mix, it will surely get better and in highlight-reel fashion to boot.
Washington Capitals31 of 32
Alex OvechkinGerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images
All Ovechkin, all the time
It’s cool that the Washington Capitals took their surprising return to the playoffs last season as the proper inspiration to try to ensure it’s not as much of a fight this season.
Acquiring Jakob Chychrun from Ottawa and signing Matt Roy out of Los Angeles were great. Adding Andrew Mangiapane was sneaky good and acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois was honestly shocking. Replacing Darcy Kuemper with Logan Thompson in goal was also pretty savvy.
But let’s be real here, this season is all about whether Alex Ovechkin will break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal scoring record.
Ovechkin is 41 goals behind The Great One and the only question left for Ovi is whether he breaks the record this season or next. If the pursuit of a Gretzky record that many figured to be untouchable can’t get you fired up for the season, check your pulse.
Winnipeg Jets32 of 32
Mark SchiefeleBruce Bennett/Getty Images
Hellebuyck or high water
Seeing goalie Connor Hellebuyck return to his Vezina Trophy form last season was brilliant, and it clearly worked for the Winnipeg Jets because it got them right into the mix for the Central Division title seemingly out of nowhere.
While a great goalie can take you far, the Jets have the offense to make it go, too. Forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor were great last season as was defenseman Josh Morrissey. Forward Gabe Vilardi was also brilliant after coming over from Los Angeles, but injuries held him to 47 games.
The Jets will need all of those guys clicking at a high level again to keep up with Dallas, Colorado and Nashville. Maybe things will get really wacky and St. Louis and Utah join the fight as well. But no matter what, it’ll be up to Hellebuyck to make it possible. No pressure, though.
