Mighty winds are blowin in Carolina, must be another hurricane a comin'
Carolina Hurricanes
2017-18 Finish: 36-35-11, 10th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Calvin de Haan, Petr Mrazek
Noteworthy Losses: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Cam Ward
Biggest Strength: The Hurricanes have a gifted bunch of blueliners on their roster. The group includes: Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Justin Faulk. They also have solid depth defenders with de Haan, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Not many teams can say that they have that kind of depth at one position. What makes their depth even more impressive is that each of those players is 27 years old or younger.
Biggest Weakness: Mrazek was brought in during the summer to push Scott Darling, who had a horrible first year in Carolina. Even with that addition, the ‘Canes still don’t have a clear-cut number one netminder that that they can rely on night in and night out. Darling might be more comfortable heading into this year, but he still has a lot to prove. For the Hurricanes to make the playoffs, they’ll need one of their netminders to step up in a big way.
Player to Watch: Rookie Andrei Svechnikov will have every opportunity to make the team out of training camp. The second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has great offensive instincts, which should benefit the Hurricanes starting this season. Carolina has been lacking an elite scoring threat, so they have to be thrilled that they were able to add Svechnikov through the draft.
New York Islanders
2017-18 Finish: 35-37-10, 11th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Leo Komarov, Valtteri Filppula, Robin Lehner
Noteworthy Losses: John Tavares, Jaroslav Halak, Calvin de Haan
Biggest Strength: Despite losing Tavares to the Maple Leafs in free agency, the Islanders still have a decent group of forwards. Mathew Barzal, Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey will lead the charge for the Isles this season. They also have some complimentary pieces like Andrew Ladd, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Komarov and Anthony Beauvillier. It’s tough to envision the them making the playoffs, but it won’t be because of this group of forwards.
Biggest Weakness: Goaltending has been the Islanders’ biggest weakness for the last few years. In the off-season, they allowed Halak to walk in free agency (he signed with Boston), but they brought in Lehner from the Sabres. Even with Lehner in the fold, the Islanders still don’t have a true number one goaltender. A duo of Thomas Greiss and Lehner is far from great. In order to become a good team, they’ll have to address their hole between the pipes.
Player to Watch: Bailey was one of the biggest surprises of the 2017-18 season, as he accumulated 71 points in 76 games last season. With Tavares no longer in the fold, will Bailey be able to reach those numbers again this season? Many will be inclined to say no, which is fair, but Bailey will have to deliver now that the organization lost one of their top offensive weapons in free agency.
New York Rangers
2017-18 Finish: 34-39-9, 12th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Fredrik Claesson, Cody McLeod
Noteworthy Losses: David Desharnais, Ondrej Pavelec
Biggest Strength: The Rangers are going through a bit of a transition, so they don’t really have an abundance of anything, but they have a respectable group of wingers on the team. Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Spooner, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich are all capable of chipping in offensively. Add top prospects like Lias Anderson and Filip Chytil and you have a pretty intriguing group. And some of those players can be moved to center.
Biggest Weakness: The blue line is still a question mark for the Rangers. Injuries limited Kevin Shattenkirk to just 46 games last season. He’s capable of providing offense from the back end, but he has his issues in the defensive zone. Brady Skjei is a reliable defender, but Marc Staal and Brendan Smith have seen better days. Rob O’Gara, Anthony DeAngelo and Claesson are all still relatively unproven.
Player to Watch: Kevin Hayes and the Rangers avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $5.175 million contract this summer. Agreeing to a short-term contract just means that they’ll have to revisit negotiations in the new year. The 26-year-old now has a full season to prove that he’s capable of being a top-line player at the NHL level. He had 25 goals and 44 points in 76 games last season. If he’s capable of improving those numbers, he’ll likely get himself a massive contract before or during free agency.
Vegas Golden Knights
2017-18 Finish: 51-24-7, Lost in Stanley Cup Final
Noteworthy Gains: Paul Stastny, Nick Holden
Noteworthy Losses: James Neal, David Perron
Biggest Strength: For a team entering their second year in the NHL, the Golden Knights have a pretty impressive group of centers. William Karlsson, Stastny and Cody Eakin make up one of the better groups in the Western Conference. They were good enough to help the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final, but they ultimately fell a little short of their goal of winning it all. If Karlsson and Stastny can provide solid production, again, in 2018-19, Vegas should go on another long playoff run.
Biggest Weakness: It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness on an expansion team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. If there’s the one thing the Golden Knights are missing, it’s a true number one defenseman. They managed to make a long run without one, but they were strong contenders for Erik Karlsson’s services right before the trade deadline, so they clearly feel like they could use a top end blueliner.
Player to Watch: Instead of acquiring Karlsson, the Golden Knights traded for forward Tomas Tatar, who ended up being a disappointment and a healthy scratch in the playoffs. The 27-year-old finished with 20 goals in 82 games last year, but he had just four goals and two assists in 20 games with his new team. Vegas paid a steep price to get him from Detroit, so they’ll need him to step up. With Neal and Perron now gone, Tatar will have to find a way to get the job done.
Anaheim Ducks
2017-18 Finish: 44-25-13, first round loss to San Jose (4-0)
Noteworthy Gains: Luke Schenn, Andrej Sustr, Brian Gibbons
Noteworthy Losses: Francois Beauchemin, Antoine Vermette
Biggest Strength: The Ducks have a number of quality defensemen like Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Brandon Montour, and they also have a solid number-one goaltender in John Gibson and a good backup in veteran Ryan Miller. The fact that they have that kind of depth at their disposal means that they’ll probably be able to make at least one more playoff run this season.
Biggest Weakness: The Ducks are a little light when it comes to high-end forwards. Ryan Getzlaf is still an elite center, but Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler are getting up there in age. Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Ondrej Kase are solid options, but their scoring depth could be better. They’re still one of the better teams in the Western Conference heading into the season.
Player to Watch: Nick Ritchie is currently a restricted free agent, which means he and the Ducks still need to agree on a new contract. The 22-year-old had just 10 goals and 27 points in 76 games last season. That’s disappointing considering Anaheim used the 10th overall pick to select in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. If he’s going to develop into an effective offensive forward, he’s going to have to do it soon.
2017-18 Finish: 36-35-11, 10th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Calvin de Haan, Petr Mrazek
Noteworthy Losses: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Cam Ward
Biggest Strength: The Hurricanes have a gifted bunch of blueliners on their roster. The group includes: Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin and Justin Faulk. They also have solid depth defenders with de Haan, Brett Pesce and Trevor van Riemsdyk. Not many teams can say that they have that kind of depth at one position. What makes their depth even more impressive is that each of those players is 27 years old or younger.
Biggest Weakness: Mrazek was brought in during the summer to push Scott Darling, who had a horrible first year in Carolina. Even with that addition, the ‘Canes still don’t have a clear-cut number one netminder that that they can rely on night in and night out. Darling might be more comfortable heading into this year, but he still has a lot to prove. For the Hurricanes to make the playoffs, they’ll need one of their netminders to step up in a big way.
Player to Watch: Rookie Andrei Svechnikov will have every opportunity to make the team out of training camp. The second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has great offensive instincts, which should benefit the Hurricanes starting this season. Carolina has been lacking an elite scoring threat, so they have to be thrilled that they were able to add Svechnikov through the draft.
New York Islanders
2017-18 Finish: 35-37-10, 11th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Leo Komarov, Valtteri Filppula, Robin Lehner
Noteworthy Losses: John Tavares, Jaroslav Halak, Calvin de Haan
Biggest Strength: Despite losing Tavares to the Maple Leafs in free agency, the Islanders still have a decent group of forwards. Mathew Barzal, Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey will lead the charge for the Isles this season. They also have some complimentary pieces like Andrew Ladd, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Komarov and Anthony Beauvillier. It’s tough to envision the them making the playoffs, but it won’t be because of this group of forwards.
Biggest Weakness: Goaltending has been the Islanders’ biggest weakness for the last few years. In the off-season, they allowed Halak to walk in free agency (he signed with Boston), but they brought in Lehner from the Sabres. Even with Lehner in the fold, the Islanders still don’t have a true number one goaltender. A duo of Thomas Greiss and Lehner is far from great. In order to become a good team, they’ll have to address their hole between the pipes.
Player to Watch: Bailey was one of the biggest surprises of the 2017-18 season, as he accumulated 71 points in 76 games last season. With Tavares no longer in the fold, will Bailey be able to reach those numbers again this season? Many will be inclined to say no, which is fair, but Bailey will have to deliver now that the organization lost one of their top offensive weapons in free agency.
New York Rangers
2017-18 Finish: 34-39-9, 12th in Eastern Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Fredrik Claesson, Cody McLeod
Noteworthy Losses: David Desharnais, Ondrej Pavelec
Biggest Strength: The Rangers are going through a bit of a transition, so they don’t really have an abundance of anything, but they have a respectable group of wingers on the team. Chris Kreider, Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Spooner, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich are all capable of chipping in offensively. Add top prospects like Lias Anderson and Filip Chytil and you have a pretty intriguing group. And some of those players can be moved to center.
Biggest Weakness: The blue line is still a question mark for the Rangers. Injuries limited Kevin Shattenkirk to just 46 games last season. He’s capable of providing offense from the back end, but he has his issues in the defensive zone. Brady Skjei is a reliable defender, but Marc Staal and Brendan Smith have seen better days. Rob O’Gara, Anthony DeAngelo and Claesson are all still relatively unproven.
Player to Watch: Kevin Hayes and the Rangers avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $5.175 million contract this summer. Agreeing to a short-term contract just means that they’ll have to revisit negotiations in the new year. The 26-year-old now has a full season to prove that he’s capable of being a top-line player at the NHL level. He had 25 goals and 44 points in 76 games last season. If he’s capable of improving those numbers, he’ll likely get himself a massive contract before or during free agency.
Vegas Golden Knights
2017-18 Finish: 51-24-7, Lost in Stanley Cup Final
Noteworthy Gains: Paul Stastny, Nick Holden
Noteworthy Losses: James Neal, David Perron
Biggest Strength: For a team entering their second year in the NHL, the Golden Knights have a pretty impressive group of centers. William Karlsson, Stastny and Cody Eakin make up one of the better groups in the Western Conference. They were good enough to help the Golden Knights reach the Stanley Cup Final, but they ultimately fell a little short of their goal of winning it all. If Karlsson and Stastny can provide solid production, again, in 2018-19, Vegas should go on another long playoff run.
Biggest Weakness: It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness on an expansion team that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. If there’s the one thing the Golden Knights are missing, it’s a true number one defenseman. They managed to make a long run without one, but they were strong contenders for Erik Karlsson’s services right before the trade deadline, so they clearly feel like they could use a top end blueliner.
Player to Watch: Instead of acquiring Karlsson, the Golden Knights traded for forward Tomas Tatar, who ended up being a disappointment and a healthy scratch in the playoffs. The 27-year-old finished with 20 goals in 82 games last year, but he had just four goals and two assists in 20 games with his new team. Vegas paid a steep price to get him from Detroit, so they’ll need him to step up. With Neal and Perron now gone, Tatar will have to find a way to get the job done.
Anaheim Ducks
2017-18 Finish: 44-25-13, first round loss to San Jose (4-0)
Noteworthy Gains: Luke Schenn, Andrej Sustr, Brian Gibbons
Noteworthy Losses: Francois Beauchemin, Antoine Vermette
Biggest Strength: The Ducks have a number of quality defensemen like Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson and Brandon Montour, and they also have a solid number-one goaltender in John Gibson and a good backup in veteran Ryan Miller. The fact that they have that kind of depth at their disposal means that they’ll probably be able to make at least one more playoff run this season.
Biggest Weakness: The Ducks are a little light when it comes to high-end forwards. Ryan Getzlaf is still an elite center, but Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler are getting up there in age. Rickard Rakell, Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg and Ondrej Kase are solid options, but their scoring depth could be better. They’re still one of the better teams in the Western Conference heading into the season.
Player to Watch: Nick Ritchie is currently a restricted free agent, which means he and the Ducks still need to agree on a new contract. The 22-year-old had just 10 goals and 27 points in 76 games last season. That’s disappointing considering Anaheim used the 10th overall pick to select in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. If he’s going to develop into an effective offensive forward, he’s going to have to do it soon.
San Jose Sharks
2017-18 Finish: 45-27-10, second round loss to Vegas (4-2)
Noteworthy Gains: None
Noteworthy Losses: Joel Ward, Eric Fehr, Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Boedker
Biggest Strength: The Sharks have a solid group of forwards led by Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski, Thomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. They may not have made a huge splash in free agency, but their big acquisition came in the form of a deadline-day deal involving Kane. This group is getting older, but they should get enough offence from their key players to be competitive in the Western Conference again in 2018-19.
Biggest Weakness: Their depth on defense isn’t the greatest. Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun make up the top end of the group, but they’re followed by Brenden Dillon, Dylan DeMelo, Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed. Dillon has seen better days, while the rest of those options on the blueline are unproven. They shouldn’t rule out acquiring another defender before next year’s trade deadline.
Player to Watch: Timo Meier scored 21 goals in his first full NHL season, but the former ninth overall pick could be even better this year. He’s a big body that can skate, shoot and score, and with the rest of the key forwards getting older, he’s part of the next wave of players that will have to carry the torch once Pavelski, Thornton and company are all gone.
Los Angeles Kings
2017-18 Finish: 45-29-8, first round loss to Vegas (4-0)
Noteworthy Gains: Ilya Kovalchuk
Noteworthy Losses: Torrey Mitchell, Tobias Rieder
Biggest Strength: The Kings are rock-solid when it comes to keeping the puck out of their net. They have a solid goaltender in Jonathan Quick, forwards that are responsible defensively (Anze Kopitar is one of the best two-way players in the game), and a blueline that is more than capable of shutting down the opposition (re-signing Drew Doughty was huge for the future of the team).
Biggest Weakness: GM Rob Blake was able to land Kovalchuk via free agency, but his team is still light when it comes to scoring. Kovalchuk is 35 and he’s been out of the league for five years. How many goals can they count on him to score? Kopitar had a great bounce-back season, but he can’t do it alone. Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter will have to prove that they can still be valuable contributors.
Player to Watch: Adrian Kempe had some very good moments with the Kings last year. He finished the season with 16 goals and 37 points in 81 games. The 21-year-old showed that he has serious upside. Now, it’s up to him to prove that he can get his offensive numbers to climb even higher.
Calgary Flames
2017-18 Finish: 37-35-10, 11th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, James Neal, Austin Czarnik
Noteworthy Losses: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Troy Brouwer
Biggest Strength: For the last few years, the Flames have been known for the depth they possessed on defense. They still have a solid group of defenders, but the talent they’ve accumulated up front can’t be ignored. Adding Lindholm and James Neal to a group that already includes Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk is pretty impressive. Calgary should have no problem scoring goals in 2018-19.
Biggest Weakness: Mike Smith is a huge question mark between the pipes. The 36-year-old is getting up there in age, so it’s normal that people have started doubting his abilities. He played 55 games last season, which is a fair number. But can he do that again? And can he play that many games at a high level. If Smith falters, there’s no veteran backup to pick up the pieces.
Player to Watch: It’ll be interesting to see how being traded affects Lindholm’s confidence. Will a chance of scenery give him the boost he’s been looking for, or will it take him time to adapt to his new surroundings (this is the first time he’s been traded). Regardless, he’s going to be a big part of this team, and he should get every opportunity to improve on his career-high of 45 points.
Edmonton Oilers
2017-18 Finish: 36-40-6, 12th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Tobias Rieder, Kyle Brodziak, Jakub Jerabek
Noteworthy Losses: Iiro Pakarinen, Laurent Brossoit
Biggest Strength: The Oilers have incredible depth down the middle of the ice. On paper, their top three centers are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. But their lack of talent on the wings may lead to either Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins playing on McDavid’s wing. That’s okay, this is still a very talented group. If they’re going to get back to the playoffs, it’ll be on the shoulders of these three players (especially McDavid).
Biggest Weakness: For years, the Oilers have failed to address their need on defense. To make matters even worse, the club has lost Andrej Sekera to an Achilles injury, so they’re even thinner than they imagined. This edition of the Oilers will find ways to score, but can they keep the puck out of the net? Cam Talbot is also a huge question mark, after he had a horrible season last year.
Player to Watch: Tobias Rieder is still relatively young at 25 years old. The speedy winger managed to score 16 goals with Arizona just two seasons ago, and it’s entirely possible that he could earn a regular role on Edmonton’s top two lines. Rieder doesn’t have high-end offensive talent, but he could definitely hit the 20-goal mark if all goes well.
Vancouver Canucks
2017-18 Finish: 31-40-11, 14th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller
Noteworthy Losses: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin
Biggest Strength: The Canucks have some solid young talent on their roster. Players like Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser should be leading the Canucks for the next decade. That may not translate into wins right away, but the two forwards are great building blocks for a team that is a few pieces away from being competitive, again.
Biggest Weakness: Their defense isn’t great, they don’t have many goals in their lineup and their goaltending is inconsistent. That should tell you everything you need to know about this edition of the Canucks. This team has finished near the bottom of the league in each of the last three seasons. Don’t be surprised if that happens again in 2018-19.
Player to Watch: Elias Pettersson was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Since being taken by the Canucks, all the 19-year-old did was put up 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games in the Swedish Hockey League. Pettersson should get every opportunity to make the Canucks roster this year. Assuming he sticks for the entire season, he’ll likely be in the race for the Calder Trophy.
Arizona Coyotes
2017-18 Finish: 29-41-12, 15th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Alex Galchenyuk, Vinnie Hinostroza
Noteworthy Losses: Max Domi
Biggest Strength: The Coyotes have a lot of young talent up front like Clayton Keller, Galchenyuk, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer and Dylan Strome, but their real strength is on defense. Arizona will go into the season with a top-four of: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Unlike the forwards, all four of these guys are proven at the NHL level. Ekman-Larsson, who signed an extension with the ‘Yotes this summer, is one of the top defenders in the league.
Biggest Weakness: They still have a lot of question marks all over the roster, but that’s especially true in goal. Antti Raanta ended the season on a positive note last year and they added Darcy Kuemper in a trade with the Kings. Both netminders are unproven starters. One of them will have to emerge as a true number one goalie if the Coyotes are going to go from worst in the West to competing for a playoff spot.
Player to Watch: The Galchenyuk-for-Domi swap was one of the bigger trades of the off-season. Galchenyuk is a proven commodity in the NHL (he has a 30-goal season under his belt), but he hasn’t never been a consistent threat since coming into the NHL. His former team, the Montreal Canadiens, never wanted to stick him at center, but the Coyotes have already committed to him playing down the middle. How much will that open things up for him offensively? We’ll find out soon.
2017-18 Finish: 45-27-10, second round loss to Vegas (4-2)
Noteworthy Gains: None
Noteworthy Losses: Joel Ward, Eric Fehr, Jannik Hansen, Mikkel Boedker
Biggest Strength: The Sharks have a solid group of forwards led by Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Joe Pavelski, Thomas Hertl and Joe Thornton. They may not have made a huge splash in free agency, but their big acquisition came in the form of a deadline-day deal involving Kane. This group is getting older, but they should get enough offence from their key players to be competitive in the Western Conference again in 2018-19.
Biggest Weakness: Their depth on defense isn’t the greatest. Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun make up the top end of the group, but they’re followed by Brenden Dillon, Dylan DeMelo, Joakim Ryan and Tim Heed. Dillon has seen better days, while the rest of those options on the blueline are unproven. They shouldn’t rule out acquiring another defender before next year’s trade deadline.
Player to Watch: Timo Meier scored 21 goals in his first full NHL season, but the former ninth overall pick could be even better this year. He’s a big body that can skate, shoot and score, and with the rest of the key forwards getting older, he’s part of the next wave of players that will have to carry the torch once Pavelski, Thornton and company are all gone.
Los Angeles Kings
2017-18 Finish: 45-29-8, first round loss to Vegas (4-0)
Noteworthy Gains: Ilya Kovalchuk
Noteworthy Losses: Torrey Mitchell, Tobias Rieder
Biggest Strength: The Kings are rock-solid when it comes to keeping the puck out of their net. They have a solid goaltender in Jonathan Quick, forwards that are responsible defensively (Anze Kopitar is one of the best two-way players in the game), and a blueline that is more than capable of shutting down the opposition (re-signing Drew Doughty was huge for the future of the team).
Biggest Weakness: GM Rob Blake was able to land Kovalchuk via free agency, but his team is still light when it comes to scoring. Kovalchuk is 35 and he’s been out of the league for five years. How many goals can they count on him to score? Kopitar had a great bounce-back season, but he can’t do it alone. Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter will have to prove that they can still be valuable contributors.
Player to Watch: Adrian Kempe had some very good moments with the Kings last year. He finished the season with 16 goals and 37 points in 81 games. The 21-year-old showed that he has serious upside. Now, it’s up to him to prove that he can get his offensive numbers to climb even higher.
Calgary Flames
2017-18 Finish: 37-35-10, 11th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, James Neal, Austin Czarnik
Noteworthy Losses: Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, Troy Brouwer
Biggest Strength: For the last few years, the Flames have been known for the depth they possessed on defense. They still have a solid group of defenders, but the talent they’ve accumulated up front can’t be ignored. Adding Lindholm and James Neal to a group that already includes Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk is pretty impressive. Calgary should have no problem scoring goals in 2018-19.
Biggest Weakness: Mike Smith is a huge question mark between the pipes. The 36-year-old is getting up there in age, so it’s normal that people have started doubting his abilities. He played 55 games last season, which is a fair number. But can he do that again? And can he play that many games at a high level. If Smith falters, there’s no veteran backup to pick up the pieces.
Player to Watch: It’ll be interesting to see how being traded affects Lindholm’s confidence. Will a chance of scenery give him the boost he’s been looking for, or will it take him time to adapt to his new surroundings (this is the first time he’s been traded). Regardless, he’s going to be a big part of this team, and he should get every opportunity to improve on his career-high of 45 points.
Edmonton Oilers
2017-18 Finish: 36-40-6, 12th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Tobias Rieder, Kyle Brodziak, Jakub Jerabek
Noteworthy Losses: Iiro Pakarinen, Laurent Brossoit
Biggest Strength: The Oilers have incredible depth down the middle of the ice. On paper, their top three centers are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. But their lack of talent on the wings may lead to either Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins playing on McDavid’s wing. That’s okay, this is still a very talented group. If they’re going to get back to the playoffs, it’ll be on the shoulders of these three players (especially McDavid).
Biggest Weakness: For years, the Oilers have failed to address their need on defense. To make matters even worse, the club has lost Andrej Sekera to an Achilles injury, so they’re even thinner than they imagined. This edition of the Oilers will find ways to score, but can they keep the puck out of the net? Cam Talbot is also a huge question mark, after he had a horrible season last year.
Player to Watch: Tobias Rieder is still relatively young at 25 years old. The speedy winger managed to score 16 goals with Arizona just two seasons ago, and it’s entirely possible that he could earn a regular role on Edmonton’s top two lines. Rieder doesn’t have high-end offensive talent, but he could definitely hit the 20-goal mark if all goes well.
Vancouver Canucks
2017-18 Finish: 31-40-11, 14th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Antoine Roussel, Jay Beagle, Tim Schaller
Noteworthy Losses: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin
Biggest Strength: The Canucks have some solid young talent on their roster. Players like Bo Horvat and Brock Boeser should be leading the Canucks for the next decade. That may not translate into wins right away, but the two forwards are great building blocks for a team that is a few pieces away from being competitive, again.
Biggest Weakness: Their defense isn’t great, they don’t have many goals in their lineup and their goaltending is inconsistent. That should tell you everything you need to know about this edition of the Canucks. This team has finished near the bottom of the league in each of the last three seasons. Don’t be surprised if that happens again in 2018-19.
Player to Watch: Elias Pettersson was the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Since being taken by the Canucks, all the 19-year-old did was put up 24 goals and 56 points in 44 games in the Swedish Hockey League. Pettersson should get every opportunity to make the Canucks roster this year. Assuming he sticks for the entire season, he’ll likely be in the race for the Calder Trophy.
Arizona Coyotes
2017-18 Finish: 29-41-12, 15th in the Western Conference
Noteworthy Gains: Alex Galchenyuk, Vinnie Hinostroza
Noteworthy Losses: Max Domi
Biggest Strength: The Coyotes have a lot of young talent up front like Clayton Keller, Galchenyuk, Christian Dvorak, Brendan Perlini, Christian Fischer and Dylan Strome, but their real strength is on defense. Arizona will go into the season with a top-four of: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jason Demers and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Unlike the forwards, all four of these guys are proven at the NHL level. Ekman-Larsson, who signed an extension with the ‘Yotes this summer, is one of the top defenders in the league.
Biggest Weakness: They still have a lot of question marks all over the roster, but that’s especially true in goal. Antti Raanta ended the season on a positive note last year and they added Darcy Kuemper in a trade with the Kings. Both netminders are unproven starters. One of them will have to emerge as a true number one goalie if the Coyotes are going to go from worst in the West to competing for a playoff spot.
Player to Watch: The Galchenyuk-for-Domi swap was one of the bigger trades of the off-season. Galchenyuk is a proven commodity in the NHL (he has a 30-goal season under his belt), but he hasn’t never been a consistent threat since coming into the NHL. His former team, the Montreal Canadiens, never wanted to stick him at center, but the Coyotes have already committed to him playing down the middle. How much will that open things up for him offensively? We’ll find out soon.
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