Last season was a season full of unexpected turns of events, marred by the COVID pandemic: Four geographically realigned divisions, including one that was solely comprised of Canadian teams, teams playing only opponents within those divisions, and a playoff format that disregarded wild card teams.
But it ended exactly the same way the 2020 season was: The Canadiens embarrass a highly favored opponent in their first series, the Penguins and Capitals got ousted by inferior opponents, the Maple Leafs still can’t win a playoff series, the Bruins lose in the second round to a defensive-focused team, the Avalanche play like Cup contenders in the first round only to lose in the second round in frustrating fashion, the Golden Knights almost blow a 3-1 series lead then lose in the final four to a defensive-focused team, the final four teams were the Lightning, Islanders, Golden Knights, and one with Corey Perry on the roster.
The Stanley Cup Final once again featured the Lightning and the team with Corey Perry, and the Lightning won the Stanley Cup again.
They will try and go for the three-peat in the first 82-game season since the 2019 season in front of full sold out crowds, interconference play, and the same wild card playoff format that has been in place since 2014.
The big change is that there are now 32 teams, as the Seattle Kraken will play their inaugural season in the league. They will play in the Pacific Division, forcing the Arizona Coyotes to play in the Central. Cue the power rankings, folks.
#32: Buffalo Sabres
2021 Finish: 8th East | 15-34-7 (37 pts)
GM: Kevyn Adams | HC: Don Granato | Capt.: Vacant
The Sabres are a disaster of a team. They have moved Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen in the offseason and Jack Eichel is expected to be traded as well. The forward core is terrible, and the goaltending tandem appears to be the worst in the league. There are bright spots, however, as Rasmus Dahlin and Casey Mittelstadt showed improvement under new head coach Don Granato, Mittelstadt can see improvement from playing with Jeff Skinner and Victor Olofsson, which will give him the best opportunity to play offensively, and Will Butcher has some potential for a bounce-back season, but there isn’t much to look forward to for the Sabres this season. It’s not helping that Dylan Cozens, despite being a great player, isn’t ready to be the main scorer yet on an NHL team. They won 15 games in a shortened season last year, so don’t expect them to win many more in a full 82-game season. The best case for them is if they finish last in the league, win the draft lottery, and draft Shane Wright.
HOT TAKE: The Sabres do not finish as the worst team in the league, but still finish somewhere in the bottom five.
TEAM MVP: Rasmus Dahlin
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Casey Mittelstadt
#31: Arizona Coyotes
2021 Finish: 5th West | 24-26-6 (54 pts)
GM: Bill Armstrong | HC: André Tourigny | Capt.: Vacant
Bill Armstrong has done a great job at stacking up draft picks for the Coyotes rebuild. By taking on picks, trading players and taking on bad contracts, they have a great chance at drafting elite talent like Shane Wright, Brad Lambert or Matthew Savoie, who can completely turn the franchise around. Their best move was taking on a 2nd round pick just for taking on Shayne Gostisbehere’s contract. The former 65-point defenseman has just two years left on his deal, is 28 years old, and he can revive his career in Arizona. Acquiring Connor Timmins was a great move and it will help them immensely down the line. A signing that went under the radar was Dmitrij Jaskin. While he has never shown success at the NHL level, he is literally the best player in KHL history. They have some intriguing pieces in Jakob Chychrun, Clayton Keller, and Barrett Hayton, which will be crucial for the rebuild. The offense doesn’t have any true stars and expect Phil Kessel to be traded at some point this season. The defense isn’t bad, but the goaltending is weak. The best case for them, although it’s unlikely, is that new head coach Andre Tourigny finds something in this roster that isn’t evident as of now, but he finds a chemistry exceeding the potential on paper. However, they play in the Central Division, and there are much, much better teams ahead of them. They have just seven players under contract for the 2023 season, and it’s a matter of when, not if, some of the veterans are going to be shipped out to stock up on draft picks.
HOT TAKE: The Coyotes finish as the worst team in the league.
TEAM MVP: Jakob Chychrun
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Barrett Hayton
#30: San Jose Sharks
2021 Finish: 7th West | 21-28-7 (49 pts, 15 RWs)
GM: Doug Wilson | HC: Bob Boughner | Capt.: Logan Couture
Bad news, Sharks: Evander Kane is likely not going to put on an NHL jersey ever again with the situation he is going through. With him out of the question, the offense leaves a lot to be desired. They shook up the roster a bit, but they are on the verge of entering the final season of a four-year contract with Tomas Hertl signed in 2018. This is a team well past its expiration date as a playoff contender, as they have a collection of both bloated and immovable contracts handed to players in the twilights of their careers. However, they would want to keep Hertl around, as he is a consistent offensive performer, and is just two years removed from a 35-goal season. A big-bodied center, the Sharks would want to build the team around him, as he is entering his prime. But he is a UFA this upcoming offseason and is taking a wait-and-see approach with them. Timo Meier is another bright spot that will need to have a career year for the team to have success. There are other decent pieces to the offense in Logan Couture and Kevin Labanc, but don’t expect the highest of hopes for the offense. While the addition of Adin Hill is nice, and while it’s expected that he has somewhat of a breakout year, the glaring issue is the defense in front of him. Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are all being paid like top-pairing defensemen when they don’t play at that level. Mario Ferraro is another breakout candidate for the team. If he can develop nicely, it would be a big step forward. Don’t expect a lot from Ryan Merkley, but he should be a stud for them in the future.
HOT TAKE: Adin Hill emerges as the clear-cut starter for the Sharks.
TEAM MVP: Tomas Hertl
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Adin Hill
#29: Ottawa Senators
2021 Finish: 6th North | 23-28-5 (51 pts)
GM: Pierre Dorion | HC: DJ Smith | Capt.: Vacant
Pierre Dorion claims that the Senators rebuild is done, but looking at the team, there is a lot that points to the contrary. There is still a lack of experience in the lineup, and there are huge question marks in the goaltending crease, especially with Matt Murray, who has been a liability the past two seasons. It’s also not certain on if Filip Gustavsson can be a full-time starter in the NHL. There are also glaring depth issues with the team, and the contract situation involving Brady Tkachuk is not helping. While the Sens offered him an 8-year deal worth $8M per season, a report from St. Louis said that he would rather sign a three-year bridge deal and then come back for options on a long-term deal (UPDATE: He was signed to a 7-year deal at roughly $8.25M per year). It’s not helping that they lost Colin White for between four and six months because of a dislocated shoulder either. But if all goes well, and guys like Josh Norris, Drake Batherson, Tim Stützle, and Shane Pinto develop, the ceiling is high for this team. However, don’t look for this team to be a middle-of-the-pack team in an 82-game season in the Atlantic Division. It’s going to take a few more years for them to be competitive in a strong Atlantic division.
HOT TAKE: Filip Gustavsson becomes the full-time starter for the Sens.
TEAM MVP: Thomas Chabot
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Josh Norris
#28: Anaheim Ducks
2021 Finish: 8th West | 17-30-9 (43 pts)
GM: Bob Murray | HC: Dallas Eakins | Capt.: Ryan Getzlaf
The Trevor Zegras era in Anaheim has just begun, and while the Ducks have some good building blocks, they are still a few years away from being competitive. They didn’t do much this offseason, and they are looking to be in for another losing season. Retaining Ryan Getzlaf for one year was wise considering it’s a young squad, but getting Maxime Comtois to a two-year deal at a tad over $2M per year is a steal. He flashed his potential last season and showed promise on a line with Zegras and Troy Terry, as the trio controlled 62% of the expected goals at five-on-five. He has an opportunity to break out even more this season, while Alex Volkov has an opportunity to be a solid player on the bottom six. However, the offense is relatively weak and inexperienced and won’t see large amounts of success. It’s also expected that Bob Murray sells off key pieces like Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg for additional draft stock if they can’t get extensions for them by the deadline. The defense is just okay. Whether or not Jamie Drysdale can be an effective defender at 19 years old will be a determining factor on how successful the team will be. John Gibson is still one of the better goalies in the league, but one should not rule out the possibility of him being moved should this team continue to do poorly. Don’t expect the Ducks to put up Ws on the win column this season. The future is bright in Cali for the Ducks, though.
HOT TAKE: John Gibson remains a Duck by the deadline and has his best season since 2018.
TEAM MVP: John Gibson
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Trevor Zegras
#27: Detroit Red Wings
2021 Finish: 7th Central | 19-27-10 (48 pts, 17 RWs)
GM: Steve Yzerman | HC: Jeff Blashill | Capt.: Dylan Larkin
The Red Wings are once again looking like a team that is going to be struggling. Now that Jakub Vrana is going to be out for four months, goals are going to be hard to come by. However, they did make some solid acquisitions in the offseason, with the additions of Alex Nedeljkovic, Nick Leddy, and Pius Suter, with Nedeljkovic looking to be the goalie of the future in Detroit and has the potential to be one of the best goalies in the league in the future. Suter offers a low risk, high reward option down the middle on a decent offense. The young talent in Detroit is abundant, with Filip Zadina, Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, and Simon Edvinsson all having a high ceiling. The defense, however, is hit or miss. Nick Leddy can help the power play, but everyone else is a question mark. All in all, they will have to hope for breakout seasons from Zadina and Seider for them to go anywhere. But it seems they will remain at or near the bottom of the league as of now.
HOT TAKE: Tyler Bertuzzi leads the Red Wings in goals.
TEAM MVP: Dylan Larkin
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Moritz Seider
#26: Columbus Blue Jackets
2021 Finish: 8th Central | 18-26-12 (48 pts, 12 RWs)
GM: Jarmo Kekalainen | HC: Brad Larsen | Capt.: Boone Jenner
There is no doubt that the Blue Jackets are the worst team in the Metro Division. Like many teams at the bottom of the league, they are expectedly at the bottom. They are attempting to rebuild, so them being low in the power rankings isn’t the worst thing in the world for them, especially given that the 2022 draft class is stacked. They have solid pieces across the lineup that will win then a decent amount of games. The forward core isn’t too bad. Patrik Laine, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jakub Voracek, and Gustav Nyquist can put up a fair amount of points, and Jack Roslovic and Max Domi can both be solid centers if they play well. The bottom six has some good pieces (Alexandre Texier, Eric Robinson, Liam Foudy, Yegor Chinakov, Cole Sillinger) that can be solid if they develop nicely. The defense is not great, but not bad. Trading away Seth Jones was the best thing for them this offseason, as Jarmo Kekalainen got a great haul for the defenseman, reeling in two 1st round picks and young blue liners in Adam Boqvist, who should nicely pair with Zach Werenski on the top pairing. Jake Bean, who was acquired in a separate trade from the Hurricanes, is another solid addition. The goaltending tandem is also good. This team is decent, but won’t win a lot of games in a highly stacked division.
HOT TAKE: Elvis Merzlikins fulfills his promise to Matiss Kivlenieks and wins the Vezina, carrying the Blue Jackets to a surprise playoff appearance.
TEAM MVP: Elvis Merzlikins
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Jake Bean
#25: Nashville Predators
2021 Finish: 4th Central | 31-23-2 (64 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Central Semifinals to Hurricanes (6 games)
GM: David Poile | HC: John Hynes | Capt.: Roman Josi
The Predators are a huge candidate for regression this season. The losses of Ryan Ellis, Viktor Arvidsson, and Calle Jarnkrok are really going to hurt them significantly. This is not a good look for them, as they have essentially replaced them with Philippe Myers, Philip Tomasino, and Cody Glass. While Myers and Glass are bounce-back candidates and Tomasino is expected to make the jump to the NHL, which will boost the bottom six, Pekka Rinne announced his retirement and the Preds brought in David Rittich to be Juuse Saros’ new backup. Saros has a real shot at the Vezina and Rittich can provide serviceable depth in net. The defense is still good, as Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm are still studs, and Myers and Dante Fabbro can take steps forward. The offense is where the questions rise. Filip Forsberg is once again expected to be the team’s best weapon and Eeli Tolvanen is expected to have a breakout season, but it all depends on if Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene have a turnaround season. This team can be anywhere—there is the potential for a playoff berth, but they can also struggle if the offense doesn’t click.
HOT TAKE: Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene both have bounce-back seasons.
TEAM MVP: Juuse Saros
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Eeli Tolvanen
#24: Los Angeles Kings
2021 Finish: 6th West | 21-28-7 (49 pts, 19 RWs)
GM: Rob Blake | HC: Todd McClellan | Capt.: Anze Kopitar
Rob Blake has done a good job at taking a step in the right direction for the Kings rebuild by adding Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault to the forward core, as well as adding veteran defenseman Alex Edler. With the acquisitions of Arvidsson and Danault, the top 6 went from below average to relatively solid. Anze Kopitar and Danult provide a great defensive one-two punch down the middle, while they have decent wings. While Quinton Byfield is week-to-week with injury, when he arrives, he will be a nice addition to the bottom six. If he is able to play out of the gate, this offense will cause problems for opposing defenses. They also have a ton of young talent that could see NHL ice time in Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, Akil Thomas, etc. Gabe Vilardi also saw NHL action and broke out into a solid player. The defense is okay. Drew Doughty is vastly overpaid but had somewhat of a bounce-back season last year. Edler brings in experience and leadership to a young group. In net, Cal Petersen is a young goalie on the rise and will only get better from here, while Jonathan Quick will serve as a reliable backup. This team can fight for a playoff spot in a weak Pacific Division, but it will depend on whether or not the youth can find immediate success.
HOT TAKE: Cal Petersen finishes top 5 in the Vezina voting.
TEAM MVP: Anze Kopitar
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Quinton Byfield
#23: Vancouver Canucks
2021 Finish: 7th North | 23-29-4 (50 pts)
GM: Jim Benning | HC: Travis Green | Capt.: Bo Horvat
The Canucks had to get rid of some bad contracts, and that is what they did when they traded Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Loui Eriksson to the Coyotes. Although they will have to take on six years of Oliver Ekman-Larsson at $8.25M, they were able to get a promising forward in Conor Garland for the next five years. They are also aided by the additions of Jason Dickinson and Vasily Podkolzin offensively to round out a solid top nine. That top six, though, is lethal. Brock Boeser and JT Miller are absolute snipers, while Garland and Nils Hoglander are high-energy guys who will only improve from here. Elias Pettersson is bound to be a top 4/5 center in the league and Bo Horvat is a great 2nd line center. Thatcher Demko is looking to be a high-end starter, but Jaroslav Halak is coming off a horrendous season as he is only getting older. The defense, however, is an absolute disaster, and most analytical models rank them near the bottom of the league. There is the potential that Quinn Hughes evolves into a high-end top-pairing defenseman and that Ekman-Larsson benefits from a change of scenery, this is a disastrous unit that is likely going to rely on goaltending to win games. The Canucks can still make the playoffs, but the question is if they have what it takes in them.
HOT TAKE: Thatcher Demko carries the Canucks to the playoffs as he plays out of his mind throughout the season and wins the Vezina.
TEAM MVP: Elias Pettersson
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Conor Garland
#22: New Jersey Devils
2021 Finish: 7th East | 19-30-7 (45 pts)
GM: Tom Fitzgerald | HC: Lindy Ruff | Capt.: Nico Hischier
The Devils had a great offseason, bringing in key pieces like Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Bernier, Ryan Graves, and the big fish—Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton will anchor the Devils’ defensive core for many years to come. While the Devils are finally expected to be a competitive team, the downside is that they play in a stacked Metro Division. However, this will be a huge development year for many Devils players. Expect Jack Hughes to emerge as a legitimate star, with guys like Yegor Sharangovich, Janne Kuokkanen, Mikey McLeod, and Ty Smith proving their worth. The center depth is great, and they’re going to be one of the strongest teams down the middle. The defense went from bad to good. They can see a solid development from Jonas Siegenthaler to a consistent defender with limited offensive upside, and PK Subban might have a bit of a bounce back season. The goalies should be solid. Mackenzie Blackwood had a bit of a down season last year, but expect him to improve with a better defense in front of him. He can potentially be one of the better goalies in the league, which is crucial to the Devils getting wins. Additionally, Bernier is a nice safety blanket in case Blackwood struggles. Expect the Devils to be competitive, but not enough to make the playoffs.
HOT TAKE: Jack Hughes’ breakout season goes above expectations as he racks up at least 70 points.
TEAM MVP: Jack Hughes
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Yegor Sharangovich
#21: Chicago Blackhawks
2021 Finish: 6th Central | 24-25-7 (55 pts)
GM: Stan Bowman | HC: Jeremy Colliton | Capt.: Jonathan Toews
It’s been an interesting offseason for the Blackhawks. The front office still wants to get the most out of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, so they brought in some experienced veterans at the expense of the youth. Time will tell if it is the right call. The top six is still intact. Kane is still one of the better offensive playmakers in the league even though his defensive game is nonexistent. Alex DeBrincat is still a lethal goal scorer. The center depth has question marks, but all signs point to Toews being healthy and ready to go, which will be big for the team. Kirby Dach will also need to continue his development for the team to find success. Trading for Tyler Johnson is big too, as he should be a serviceable player for them. The big changes came at the defensive side. Seth Jones needs to have a bounce-back season to justify his massive contract. Jake McCabe is an underrated addition on the blueline, while moving on from Duncan Keith to get Caleb Jones is another outstanding move. The goaltending went from one of the biggest weaknesses to one of their biggest strengths. They acquired the reigning Vezina winner in Marc-Andre Fleury for absolutely nothing, and have a very reliable backup in Kevin Lankinen. This revamped team can find success, and while the Blackhawks front office thinks that they can still compete for a Stanley Cup, the reality is that this team is just playoffs at best.
HOT TAKE: The Blackhawks fail to meet expectations and fire both Stan Bowman and Jeremy Colliton after the season.
TEAM MVP: Patrick Kane
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Kirby Dach
#20: Montreal Canadiens
2021 Finish: 4th North | 24-21-11 (59 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Stanley Cup Final to Lightning (5 games)
GM: Marc Bergevin | HC: Dominique Ducharme | Capt.: Shea Weber
Oh boy, here we go. The Canadiens, despite making the Stanley Cup Final last season, are in prime position to regress this season. They were 18th in the standings heading into the playoffs and were below .500 in a horrific North Division. Now they lost a top 6 center in Phillip Danault to free agency, their captain and top-pairing defenseman in Shea Weber to what looks like a career-ending injury, and a young and promising center in Jesperi Kotkaniemi. These losses will surely hurt the Habs’ chances of making the playoffs this season. They will also begin the season without Carey Price, and while he is a beast in the playoffs, he has struggled in the regular season as of late. Fortunately, there is Jake Allen, who is a great backup and can fill in nicely for Price. The offense is decent, with Nick Suzuki expected to take the next step forward to solidify himself as a 1st line center. Tyler Toffoli, Mike Hoffman, Brendan Gallagher, and Josh Anderson are gritty forwards who can wear down opponents, while Cole Caufield should be in the running for the Calder Trophy as he racks up a ton of goals. They got Christian Dvorak to make up for the loss of Kotkaniemi. The defensive core is also decent. Jeff Petry is a great defenseman, but they will need guys like Alexander Romanov and David Savard to step if they want to find success. However, in a competitive Atlantic division, it will be very hard for the Habs to make the playoffs again.
HOT TAKE: Josh Anderson lives up to his contract and has his best season since 2019.
TEAM MVP: Nick Suzuki
BREKAOUT CANDIDATE: Cole Caufield
#19: Calgary Flames
2021 Finish: 5th North | 26-27-3 (55 pts)
GM: Brad Treliving | HC: Darryl Sutter | Capt.: Vacant
The Flames had high expectations last season and failed to reach them. Now they are stuck in mediocrity after losing Mark Giordano, and it seems that their top forwards can’t seem to take the next step forward. They will, however, be in the hunt for a playoff spot in the weak Pacific division, and they could squeeze in a wild card spot. The top 6 has a fusion of skill and grit, aided by the addition of Blake Coleman, who will fit in with the style of play that Darryl Sutter runs, but will desperately need Sean Monahan to get back to form and have a good season if they are going to be successful enough. The defense is just okay. Chris Tanev is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league, while Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson, and Juuso Valimaki still have high upside. Nikita Zadorov should be able to ease up the loss of Giordano a bit. Jacob Markstrom is the X-factor here, as he has to steal some games if the Flames want to make the playoffs, but there is no way he performs as poorly as he did last season. When looking at this team, it looks like one that lacks direction. Their three star players (Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, and Johnny Gaudreau) have been constantly in trade rumors. They have a medium ceiling and a low floor heading into the season, but they can be a playoff team, as they are a well-structured defensive team.
HOT TAKE: Jacob Markstrom has a bounce-back season and puts up similar stats to his 2020 season.
TEAM MVP: Johnny Gaudreau
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Dillon Dubé
#18: Seattle Kraken
GM: Ron Francis | HC: Dave Hakstol | Capt.: Mark Giordano
The Kraken are the most interesting team in the league. Some think they are a playoff team, others think they will finish near the bottom, and others think they will finish somewhere in the middle. But people should not take this team lightly. The goaltending duo of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger is the backbone of this team. They should be one of the best goalie tandems in the league moving forward. Mark Giordano, the first captain in franchise history, will set the tone with his experience and leadership. Vince Dunn has the most potential to be a star on defense. The Kraken emphasized on defense in the Expansion Draft, as the D-core is absolutely loaded. The team is absolutely loaded and has tons of hard workers across the board that will be tough to play against, even on the forwards. The offense has a lot of good pieces and has a relatively deep lineup, but they lack star power at that core. Jordan Eberle is expected to be the primary goal scorer, while Jared McCann is expected to break out in an expanded role and continue his upward trajectory. Don’t expect a Vegas-like playoff push in the Kraken’s inaugural season, but at the same time, don’t be surprised to see the Kraken succeed in a weak Pacific division.
HOT TAKE: Jamie Oleksiak and Brandon Tanev finish as the top 2 players in hits this season.
TEAM MVP: Jordan Eberle
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Vince Dunn
#17: St. Louis Blues
2021 Finish: 4th West | 27-20-9 (63 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in West Semifinals to Avalanche (4 games)
GM: Doug Armstrong | HC: Craig Berube | Capt.: Ryan O’Reilly
The Blues are nowhere near a top team in the NHL as they were when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019. But they had a great offseason, as they have improved their forward core with the additions of Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich. Also expect this lineup to improve even more when Vladimir Tarasenko gets traded. While the Blues are a fringe playoff team, they have a lot up upside. They have one of the best two-way centers in the league in Ryan O’Reilly. The offense still lies around the middle of the pack despite the improvements. There is a lot of room for the young talent to grow and develop, which can benefit them. While Jordan Kyrou broke out last season, there is still room for improvement in a full season, while Robert Thomas is another player who can break out. The wings are decent, as Buchnevich, Saad, David Perron, and Kyrou are reliable point producers. Torey Krug had a disappointing first year in St. Louis, and they will need more from him to get back to form if they want to be defensively sound. Justin Faulk actually looked good with a change of scenery. Colton Parayko has not looked the same, but is still a solid piece. The goaltending, though, is in the middle of the pack. Jordan Binnington hasn’t played the best hockey in his career as of late, but is still a reliable starter. Ville Husso showed promise, but his stats were not the greatest. Don’t be surprised if this team is a wild card team, but it all depends on if guys like Krug, Thomas, and Binnington show up.
HOT TAKE: Vladimir Tarasenko remains a Blue by the trade deadline.
TEAM MVP: Ryan O’Reilly
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Jordan Kyrou
#16: Dallas Stars
2021 Finish: 5th Central | 23-19-14 (60 pts)
GM: Jim Nill | HC: Rick Bowness | Capt.: Jamie Benn
The Stars were hampered with injuries and COVID all of last season. Now that they are fully healthy, look for them to surprise some people. While they aren’t as good as the 2020 team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final, they’re not as bad as the 2021 team that missed the playoffs. They fly under the radar, but they have solid players all over the roster. Roope Hintz is the most underrated player in the NHL and Jason Robertson could have won the Calder if it weren’t for a certain player up in Minnesota. That’s two U24 players who will only get better moving forward. The top six also features Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, and Alexander Radulov, which is not bad, but it will be interesting to see how Seguin does coming off his most recent injury, which will determine how successful the Stars will be. The bottom six is decent, and it can be intriguing to see guys like Ty Dellandrea and Riley Damiani make the jump. The defensive core is still good, with Ryan Suter being brought in. He still has gas left in the tank and is a reliable defender. John Klingberg and Miro Heiskanen had a bit of a down season last year, but expect this to change. The season is all going to come down to goaltending. It’s not known who exactly the clear-cut starter is. Trades are going to be made, as they have four NHL-level goalies, but this isn’t exactly a bad issue. Jake Oettinger has the tools in him to become a starting goalie, and Anton Khudobin, Braden Holtby, and Ben Bishop are all good netminders to have in a goalie tandem situation. This team, realistically, can go no higher than 2nd or 3rd in the Central, but it’s more likely that they take the Western Conference’s first wild card spot.
HOT TAKE: Jake Oettinger emerges as the starting goalie and leads the Stars to a surprise Western Conference Finals appearance.
TEAM MVP: Jason Robertson
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Denis Gurianov
#15: Minnesota Wild
2021 Finish: 3rd West | 35-16-5 (75 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in West Semifinals to Golden Knights (7 games)
GM: Bill Guerin | HC: Dean Evason | Capt.: Jared Spurgeon
The Wild might not be a dangerous team on paper, but it’s hard to bet against them making the playoffs after what they did last season. They are coming off an underdog success story, which will be hard to replicate in a full 82-game regular season, but have good enough depth to find success. They are a well-built defensive-structured team with solid offensive pieces. Kirill Kaprizov and Kevin Fiala are two blossoming studs, and they have a great shutdown line in Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Marcus Foligno. Greenway and Foligno bring skill and grit to the ice, while Eriksson Ek is a great two-way center. Mats Zuccarello can produce at a solid amount, and you can also expect to see NHL action from Matthew Boldy. The defense, despite the losses of Ryan Suter and Carson Soucy, is still strong. The trio of Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, and Matt Dumba is outstanding, with Brodin being among the best shutdown defensemen in the league. The goaltending situation is solid. Cam Talbot is still the starting goalie of this team, but expect Kaapo Kahkonen to take the next step. This team is one of the more underrated teams in the league, as they are built with enough depth to succeed.
HOT TAKE: Marco Rossi finishes top 5 in the Calder voting.
TEAM MVP: Kirill Kaprizov
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Kaapo Kahkonen
#14: Edmonton Oilers
2021 Finish: 2nd North | 35-19-2 (72 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in North Semifinals to Jets (4 games)
GM: Ken Holland | HC: Dave Tippett | Capt.: Connor McDavid
This was the biggest offseason in Oilers history, as they had tons of cap space, and DESPERATELY needing to improve the team for Connor McDavid. What does Ken Holland do? Make the team worse. While the forward core has improved, the defense is just not good whatsoever to where it’s hard to imagine Mike Smith having another Vezina-caliber season, considering he will turn 40 next March. They will need another outstanding season from him if they want to win a lot of games. They’re going to have to get a new backup goalie, as Mikko Koskinen is Mikko Koskinen—absolutely horrific. Failing to fix the goalie situation has been brutal for them, and trading away Ethan Bear for Warren Foegele was a move that improved the offense at the expense of the defense. The forward core saw the addition of Zach Hyman, a hard-working and skilled top six forward who will complement Connor McDavid for the foreseeable future. Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto will continue to grow and develop, which will only make the forward core better. On the defensive side, the Duncan Keith trade was an absolute disaster, as the Oilers chose to acquire the entirety of his $5.5M/year contract for the next two years. Handing out $9M per year for 8 years to Darnell Nurse is another terrible move, and bringing in Cody Ceci to a $3.25M/year deal for the next four years is a bad move despite the fact that he did well in sheltered minutes last season. The offense will be the Oilers’ biggest strength, but the defense and goaltending will be the team’s downfall. They’re still a playoff team, but not one that does damage come playoff time.
HOT TAKE: Connor McDavid becomes the first player in the salary cap era to record 150 points in a season.
TEAM MVP: Connor McDavid
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Kailer Yamamoto
#13: New York Rangers
2021 Finish: 5th East | 27-23-6 (60 pts)
GM: Chris Drury | HC: Gerard Gallant | Capt.: Vacant
In hindsight, the Rangers should be lower, but they have a group of talented young forwards. While they went a little too hard on adding physicality to the lineup, such as trading Pavel Buchnevich for Sammy Blais, it will make them much harder to play against. The offense has a high ceiling but also a low floor. Its success will depend greatly by the play of the young guys, primarily Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere. If they develop as they should, the offense is going to be one of the most exciting to watch in the league. If they don’t, it will be entirely up to Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, and Chris Kreider to put up the points. But what is going to help them greatly is that they have a great coach in Gerard Gallant, which will help them tremendously. The addition of Barclay Goodrow helps the offense as well, and they can use him on the penalty kill and to shut down opposing teams’ best players. On defense, they have the reigning Norris winner in Adam Fox and an up-and-coming defenseman in K’Andre Miller. They also have a variety of other players on the D-core, which includes Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba, and look for Nils Lundkvist to get some NHL action. The Rangers are strong in net, with Igor Shesterkin having a great rookie season. Expect him to continue to grow into one of the better goalies in the league. Alexandar Georgiev is a solid backup. The Rangers are just on the cusp of being a top team in the NHL. Just give them a few years for their young guys to head into their primes.
HOT TAKE: Igor Shesterkin’s stellar goaltending leads the Rangers to overcoming a 10-point deficit in the standings to making the playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Artemi Panarin
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Alexis Lafrenière
#12: Pittsburgh Penguins
2021 Finish: 1st East | 37-16-3 (29 RWs, 34 ROWs)
Playoff Finish: Lost in East Semifinals to Islanders (6 games)
GM: Ron Hextall | HC: Mike Sullivan | Capt.: Sidney Crosby
Unfortunately, because of how stacked the Eastern Conference is, one team is going to have to miss the playoffs. The Metro Division is going to be a bloodbath and it’s possible that that division takes both wild card spots, but the Atlantic Division has four powerhouses of their own. This leaves the Penguins as the odd man out. Even if they finished 1st in the division last season and even if they have most of the core together, they lost key bottom six forwards in Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev, and are without their three best forwards—Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jake Guentzel—to begin the season. Every game matters in the East, and with the absences of their three best forwards to start the season, the Pens will likely come out of the gates slower than the other teams. It will take a few weeks for the superstars to hit their stride, which will end up being a huge factor at the end of the season. While they are projected to be in the high-90s in the point total, it might not be enough. The offense is still in good hands though, with Crosby, Guentzel, Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Kasperi Kapanen, but Crosby and Malkin are coming off surgeries and might not be as impactful as they normally are right away. The defense is decent. Kris Letang is still a great offensive defenseman and is average defensively, while everyone else is reliable. The goaltending is what it comes down to. Tristan Jarry is coming off a horrendous playoff performance against the Islanders and has to prove he is worthy of being a starter in the NHL for the Pens to take a playoff spot. But knowing this team, this prediction can be completely wrong, and they end up being a playoff team again. All eyes are on this team, as we will see if this is the year they falter.
HOT TAKE: The goaltending in Pittsburgh will be just fine; everyone is overreacting.
TEAM MVP: Sidney Crosby
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: John Marino
#11: Washington Capitals
2021 Finish: 2nd East | 36-15-5 (77 pts, 29 RWs, 33 ROWs)
Playoff Finish: Lost in East Semifinals to Bruins (5 games)
GM: Brian MacLellan | HC: Peter Laviolette | Capt.: Alex Ovechkin
Every year, people ask if the Capitals will fall off a cliff, and this year is no different. While the Caps aren’t a team built for playoff success, they are a great regular season team. Don’t expect this to change this season. They have skill up and down the lineup, a dominant power play, and talented forwards on the team. While Alex Ovechkin might not be what he once was, the offense is still loaded with talent. They have a good balance of size and skill, which is evident in guys like Anthony Mantha and Tom Wilson. Nicklas Backstrom is still an elite playmaker while Evgeny Kuznetsov isn’t that far removed from being a high-end point producer. However, Kuznetsov will have to have a bounce-back season if he wants to stay in DC. This offseason, the Caps were wanting to add youth to the aging lineup, so expect Daniel Sprong, Connor McMichael, Martin Fehervary, and Alex Alexeyev to get consistent roles. Sprong is an underrated player, as he produced goals on sheltered minutes last season. The defense has question marks. The top pairing is good with John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov, but everything else is relatively weak. The odds that Michal Kempny revitalizes his career after all of his injuries is not that high, but we will see. The goaltending is just average, but as long as it does well to win them games, they are good. Vitek Vanecek proved to be a reliable starter in the NHL and Ilya Samsonov should perform better this season. People are going to say that the Pens and Caps are going to regress and be bad for the past few seasons, but they have been saying that since after the 2019 season, and every season, they still are in contention. Only time will tell when they will both fall off.
HOT TAKE: Vitek Vanecek emerges as the full-time starting goalie in Washington.
TEAM MVP: John Carlson
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Daniel Sprong
#10: Philadelphia Flyers
2021 Finish: 6th East | 25-23-8 (58 pts)
GM: Chuck Fletcher | HC: Alain Vigneault | Capt.: Claude Giroux
The Flyers have improved mightily this offseason. While they are going to be overrated by people saying that they will finish at the top of the Metro Division, they are a playoff team. The retooled roster is going to be infinitely better than last season’s team. Acquiring Ryan Ellis is huge for them. Nolan Patrick needed a change of scenery, and the Flyers got a 1st-pairing defenseman in return. Another new piece is Rasmus Ristolainen, who could be a solid defender in Philly. He was playing uninspired hockey in Buffalo, so don’t be surprised if he turns things around. He and Keith Yandle can do better in a lesser role. Trading away Jakub Voracek for Cam Atkinson is a big trade for the Flyers. Atkinson plays with heart and is a player ever team wants. All of these players can add value to a team where the talent on the roster is already impressive. Joel Farabee had an outstanding year last season and can be a stud in the future. Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, and the rest of the top six are really solid players. The biggest question comes in net. They brought in Martin Jones as a security blanket behind Carter Hart, and Jones should do better as a backup goalie than how he did his past three seasons as a starter. There is no way Hart performs as poorly as he did last season, as he should regain his confidence with the revamped defense in front of him. It would be surprising if the Flyers don’t make the playoffs this season.
HOT TAKE: Despite the additions made during the offseason, the Flyers still miss the playoffs.
TEAM MVP: Sean Couturier
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Joel Farabee
#9: Carolina Hurricanes
2021 Finish: 1st Central | 36-12-8 (80 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Central Final to Lightning (5 games)
GM: Don Waddell | HC: Rod Brind’Amour | Capt.: Jordan Staal
Yes, the Hurricanes had a disastrous offseason. Losing Dougie Hamilton and then trading away Alex Nedeljkovic for a bag of pucks attests to that. No, the disastrous offseason does not revoke their status of being a playoff contender. There is still an abundance of talent on the team. The offense is still elite. Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are potential point-per-game players, and Teuvo Teravainen isn’t that far behind. While many people have already began to think that Martin Necas broke out, he can be a star in the NHL. Jesperi Kotkaniemi has tons of potential, and he can thrive in Carolina where he is put on the wing and has a lot less pressure on him. Even with the loss of Hamilton, the Canes still have a decent defensive unit. Jaccob Slavin is a top 10 defenseman, while Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei are also reliable options. Outside of those three, it gets kind of weird. Tony DeAngelo comes in with a lot of controversy surrounding him and hasn’t played in the NHL since the first six games of last season, while Ethan Bear, who was brought in at the expense of Warren Foegele, is still a young and developing defenseman. The goaltending tandem is decent, even with the losses of Nedeljkovic and Petr Mrazek. Frederik Andersen is an above average starting goalie in the NHL when healthy, while Antti Raanta can be a solid goalie when healthy. Don’t be surprised to see the Canes near the top of the Metro Division standings when the playoffs come in.
HOT TAKE: The Hurricanes make the Eastern Conference Finals.
TEAM MVP: Sebastian Aho
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Martin Necas
#8: Winnipeg Jets
2021 Finish: 3rd West | 30-23-3 (63 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in North Final to Canadiens (4 games)
GM: Kevin Cheveldayoff | HC: Paul Maurice | Capt.: Blake Wheeler
The Jets doubled down on improving their defense, adding to their blueline with Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon, two much-needed pieces to the core. It’s still a bit of a question mark, however, and Josh Morrissey had a poor season last year. His play will be vital to the team’s success. He, along with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Kristian Vesalainen will be key players to watch. Dubois never quite found his footing after getting traded to Winnipeg, but expect him to be more comfortable in the system this year. Vesalainen, once a highly-touted prospect, has yet to perform up to expectations, so it will be interesting to see him perform on the 3rd line. The top six is an elite and scary. The worries don’t come from the offense or the goaltending, but the Jets are going to have to get a strong outing from the defensive core if they are going to contend for a Stanley Cup. It’s also going to be interesting to see how the decision to go with Eric Comrie as the backup goalie pans out. In addition, they have Cole Perfetti, Ville Heinola, and Chaz Lucius on the prospect pool, all of whom are going to play a key role in the near future. This team is going to be exciting to watch.
HOT TAKE: Connor Hellebuyck carries the Jets to a Stanley Cup as he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
TEAM MVP: Connor Hellebuyck
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Kristian Vesalainen
#7: New York Islanders
2021 Finish: 4th East | 32-17-7 (71 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Final Four to Lightning (7 games)
GM: Lou Lamoriello | HC: Barry Trotz | Capt.: Anders Lee
The Islanders are a team that everyone loves to hate. They are very annoying to play against as they are very well coached by Barry Trotz. They might not look like the best team on paper, and they never seem to make any great offseason moves, but it’s impossible to bet against them. They might not score much, but with the system employed by Trotz, they might not need to. There are no holes on this lineup. Mathew Barzal is the closest player the Isles have to a superstar, Anthony Beauvillier is an underrated scorer, and Zach Parise was a great depth addition. It will be intriguing to see whether Anders Lee comes back to form after his ACL injury, and all eyes are on Oliver Wahlstrom to see if he breaks out. Defensively, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock are as elite of a defensive pairing as they can be, and Zdeno Chara is, surprisingly, still an efficient defender. The tandem of Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin is one of the best in the league, and the defensive system in front of them makes their jobs easier. Trotz is one of the best coaches of all time and is the best in the league. Look for the Isles to be at the top of the Metro Division and keep an eye for a Stanley Cup push from them.
HOT TAKE: Mathew Barzal puts up a 90-point season.
TEAM MVP: Semyon Varlamov
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Oliver Wahlstrom
#6: Boston Bruins
2021 Finish: 3rd East | 33-16-7 (73 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in East Final to Islanders (6 games)
GM: Don Sweeney | HC: Bruce Cassidy | Capt.: Patrice Bergeron
The Bruins still have most of the forward core intact. The Perfection Line will still be incredible as always, and there is lots of depth around. Despite the loss of David Krejci, expect Taylor Hall to have a great season, and the additions of Nick Foligno, Erik Haula, and Tomas Nosek should really help the bottom six. While Charlie Coyle had a disappointing season last year, he should benefit playing with Hall and Craig Smith. This will be important for him to get back to form so that the B’s are strong down the middle. The defense is still good, but it’s nothing special. Charlie McAvoy will likely solidify his status as a top 3-4 defenseman in the NHL, while Brandon Carlo should have a breakout season. Mike Reilly should continue to show he is one of the more underrated acquisitions of last season’s trade deadline as well. In net, the addition of Linus Ullmark is huge. He found success in Buffalo, so it’s realistic if he has a career year in Boston. If not, the Bruins have Jeremy Swayman as a very reliable backup with starter potential. Also, don’t rule out the possibility of Tuukka Rask returning to the team on a cheaper deal. This team is going to be hard to play against and score a ton of goals. They will easily make the playoffs and has a realistic shot at the Stanley Cup.
HOT TAKE: Jeremy Swayman emerges as the starter in Boston as he wins the Calder Trophy.
TEAM MVP: Brad Marchand
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Jeremy Swayman
#5: Toronto Maple Leafs
2021 Finish: 1st North | 35-14-7 (77 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in North Semifinals to Canadiens (7 games)
GM: Kyle Dubas | HC: Sheldon Keefe | Capt.: John Tavares
The Maple Leafs are a cursed franchise. No matter what they do, things just don’t seem to work out for them in the playoffs. They are a skilled team, but time is running out for this core. While everyone is going to look at their past playoff failures, but this is a team that is more motivated than before. They possess the best goal scorer in the NHL and one of the best young wingers in the league. They also have John Tavares and William Nylander, who are outstanding 2nd line players. The bottom six isn’t all that bad, even if Nick Robertson can crack the lineup. And although they lost Zach Hyman in the offseason, they improved the depth with the additions of Nick Ritchie, Michael Bunting, and Ondrej Kase. The defense remains above average. They have a reliable top four on defense, and Rasmus Sandin, Travis Dermott, and Timothy Liljegren have a lot of potential as good NHLers. They aren’t any worse now than they were last season in net. Frederik Andersen and Petr Mrazek are pretty much interchangeable as backups while Jack Campbell has looked great last season. This team looks deeper than in seasons past, and expect another great regular season from them. The real question is if they will win a playoff series this time around.
HOT TAKE: The Leafs FINALLY win a playoff series for the first time in the Auston Matthews era.
TEAM MVP: Auston Matthews
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Michael Bunting
#4: Florida Panthers
2021 Finish: 2nd Central | 37-14-5 (79 pts)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Central Semifinals to Lightning (6 games)
GM: Bill Zito | HC: Joel Quenneville | Capt.: Aleksander Barkov
This could be the best Florida Panthers team to step foot on the ice. They head into the season as a real Stanley Cup favorite. Aleksander Barkov is a criminally underrated center and is easily top 10 in the league. Jonathan Huberdeau is an elite winger as well. They hardly lost anyone from last season and gained a ton. Guys like Carter Verhaeghe, Anthony Duclair, and Sam Bennett found their potential in Florida and look like they can all have career years. Adding Sam Reinhart is massive. He was the lone bright spot for the Sabres last season, and he is going to have a breakout season playing alongside Barkov. Anton Lundell and Grigori Denisenko should be great additions to the lineup. Lundell looks like he will be able to make an instant impact and has Calder potential, while Denisenko looks like he will be solid. The offense runs so deep. Defensively, Florida is a bit weaker but they still have good players. MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad make up one of the best and most underrated pairings in the league, while the rest of the defensive core is average, with Gustav Forsling being the most intriguing defenseman last season. Goaltending is a bit of a question mark, but it should be good. Spencer Knight played great in limited time last season, so it will be interesting to see if he can take the starting job from Sergei Bobrovsky. While Bobrovsky has one of the worst contracts in the league, he should still be able to win games for this team. This team has serious Stanley Cup potential, and it would be surprising to not see them be competitive.
HOT TAKE: Aleksander Barkov wins both the Selke Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy.
TEAM MVP: Aleksander Barkov
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Sam Bennett
#3: Vegas Golden Knights
2021 Finish: 2nd West | 40-14-2 (82 pts, 30 RWs)
Playoff Finish: Lost in Final Four to Canadiens (6 games)
GM: Kelly McCrimmon | HC: Peter DeBoer | Capt.: Mark Stone
Despite back-to-back losses in the Final Four, the Golden Knights head into the season as a top 3 favorite to win the Stanley Cup. They are a deep team that is going to be very, very hard to beat. The offense has arguably the best two-way forward in the league in Mark Stone and they have reliable scoring options up and down the lineup. Every offensive line has the capability to put the puck in the back of the net at a high rate. The additions of Evgenii Dadonov and Nolan Patrick are going to come with question marks, but they can work well for Vegas. Patrick was in desperate need of a change of scenery, and expect him to evolve into a great middle six center. Dadonov was a reliable point producer in Florida, but not so much in Ottawa. Now that he is in Vegas, he has the opportunity to regain his form. This team is loaded defensively as well. Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore are both top 15 defensemen in the league, while Alec Martinez, Zach Whitecloud, Nic Hague, and Brayden McNabb are great depth pieces. In net, Robin Lehner is a stud. He is going to be the full-time starter with Marc-Andre Fleury traded away, so he is going to have a lot more responsibility this season. Laurent Brossoit is a decent backup, though. This team is loaded and they should easily take the Pacific Division.
HOT TAKE: Peter DeBoer gets fired midway through the season.
TEAM MVP: Mark Stone
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Nolan Patrick
#2: Tampa Bay Lightning
2021 Finish: 3rd Central | 36-17-3 (75 pts)
Playoff Finish: Stanley Cup Champions—Beat Canadiens (5 games)
GM: Julien BriseBois | HC: Jon Cooper | Capt.: Steven Stamkos
No team in the salary cap era has completed a three-peat, which attests to how hard it is to do. The Penguins did a back-to-back run while facing tons of injuries in the 2017 season, while the Lightning did it in shortened seasons because of the COVID pandemic, even playing the 2020 playoffs in bubbles and the 2021 regular season with limited capacity arenas, which, in a way, made it mentally harder. The Lightning have played a bunch of big games recently, especially in the playoffs. As a result of them being $18 million over the cap, largely because of Nikita Kucherov’s injury situation at the start of the 2021 season, they had to suffer a cap crunch which saw them losing their shutdown line, Tyler Johnson, and David Savard. They are still loaded with talent up and down the lineup, though, and keep an eye on Mathieu Joseph and Ross Colton as they take on bigger roles with the team this season. The bottom six sees the additions of Corey Perry and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, two aging forwards who can play a bottom six role on the lineup. The defense is mostly intact, with Norris caliber defenseman Victor Hedman leading the charge, along with other reliable options in Mikhail Sergachev, Ryan McDonagh, and Erik Cernak. McDonagh is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league, and look for Cal Foote, Taylor Raddysh, and Boris Katchouk to see more NHL action. They also have the best goalie in the world and the reigning Conn Smythe winner in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who needs no introduction. A three-peat is possible.
HOT TAKE: The Lightning lose a playoff series before the Stanley Cup Final.
TEAM MVP: Andrei Vasilevskiy
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Ross Colton
#1: Colorado Avalanche
2021 Finish: 1st West | 39-13-4 (82 pts, 35 RWs)
Playoff Finish: Lost in West Final to Golden Knights (6 games)
GM: Joe Sakic | HC: Jared Bednar | Capt.: Gabriel Landeskog
Following back-to-back-to-back second round exits, the Avalanche are looking to avoid a 4th straight second round exit. They are one of the better regular season teams in the league and have the talent to get it done. Re-signing Gabriel Landeskog to an 8-year deal following an offseason full of uncertainty on if he will return to the team is huge. They also have the 2nd-best player in the league in Nathan MacKinnon and a top right winger in the league in Mikko Rantanen. Andre Burakovsky is only going to get better as he can potentially have a near-point-per-game pace this season. Even though they lost Joonas Donskoi, they still have Tyson Jost and JT Compher, two defensive-minded forwards who can shut down opportunities from the opposing teams’ best players. Expect to see more NHL opportunities for Alex Newhook, Logan O’Connor, Bowen Byram, Sampo Ranta and Martin Kaut. Defensively, they have three top 25 defensemen in the league. Cale Makar, fresh off a 6-year extension, is primed for a Norris Trophy season. They also have Devon Toews and Sam Girard, two very solid defensemen on the offensive side, with Toews also being solid defensively. Trading for Darcy Kuemper is huge to make up for the loss of Philipp Grubauer. While Kuemper statistically had a down season last year, he was playing behind a mediocre Coyotes team. He should keep the stability in the net for the Avs. Pavel Francouz is a solid 1B option. This team has what it takes to get a Stanley Cup run going, but the question is if they can get it going this time around.
HOT TAKE: Despite the retooling, the Avalanche find another way to lose in the 2nd round.
TEAM MVP: Nathan MacKinnon
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Bowen Byram
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