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Season Previews

2016-17 Season Preview: New York Islanders

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With the start of the regular season today, we continue our look at every team in the NHL. Today, we look at the New York Islanders.

Last Season: 45-27-10 (100 points), Finished 4th in the Metropolitan Division. Defeated Florida 4-2 in first round; Lost to Tampa Bay 4-1 in the second round.

Remaining Cap Space: $1.39MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: Andrew Ladd (free agent), Jason Chimera (free agent), Dennis Seidenberg (free agent).

Key Departures: Kyle Okposo (signed with Buffalo), Frans Nielsen (signed with Detroit), Matt Martin (signed with Toronto).

[Related: New York Islanders Depth Chart at Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: Mathew Barzal. There are a number of players to watch, but Barzal is exciting to watch and the 16th overall pick from 2015 will be counted on to help replace the quality of players lost to free agency. Barzal had 88 points (27-61) with Seattle in the WHL last season and added 26 points (5-21) in just 18 playoff games. He’s only 19, but Barzal has a chance to make an early mark on the Islanders’ season.

Key Storyline: Can the Isles make up all that they lost in the offseason? Losing Okposo, and Nielsen will test the Isles, who though driven by captain John Tavares, will certainly miss the production from both players and especially the two-way play from Nielsen, who will fill the same role in Detroit. The Islanders broke through the first round by stunning Florida, but were dispatched quickly by Tampa Bay. Ladd will certainly help, but his numbers fell a bit last season. Chimera will also chip in and Seidenberg will help shore up an already strong defensive corps. Another question mark is in net: what will they get out of Jaroslav Halak? Thomas Greiss was terrific last season, and it’s almost a 1A-1B argument with the netminders. Regardless, a step back wouldn’t be shocking as the Islanders lost a lot in the offseason but another playoff appearance shouldn’t be discounted with a team that has a lot of positives.

2016-17 Season Preview: Florida Panthers

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With the start of the regular season just one day away, we continue to look at each team’s off-season and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Florida Panthers.

Last Season: 47-26-9 (103 points), Finished 1st in the Atlantic Division. Lost 4-2 to the New York Islanders in the first round.

Remaining Cap Space: $9.71MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: Keith Yandle (Acquired from New York Rangers), Jonathan Marchessault (free agent), Colton Sceviour (free agent), Jared McCann (Acquired from Vancouver), Jason Demers (free agent), Mark Pysyk (Acquired from Buffalo), James Reimer (free agent).

Key Departures: Jiri Hudler (signed with Dallas), Brian Campbell (signed with Chicago), Teddy Purcell (signed with Los Angeles), Al Montoya (signed with Montreal), Dmitry Kulikov (traded to Buffal0).

[Related: Florida Panthers Depth Chart at Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: Keith Yandle: The Panthers acquired him from New York and then signed him to a monster seven-year deal worth $44.45MM. So now the question is if the Panthers will get the return on investment. Yandle had a great season with New York in 2015-16, and is still only thirty years of age. Though the length of the term and a cap hit of $6.35MM will hurt in latter years, it’s right now that matters. Yandle will quarterback the power play, a place where the Panthers needed help. Further, he gives a tremendous 1-2 punch with Aaron Ekblad.

Key Storyline: How will the Panthers fare knowing that Jonathan Huberdeau is out for the next three to four months? This is a team that was busy in the offseason after a disappointing postseason result, and bolstered their blue line significantly with the additions of Demers, Yandle, and Pysyk. Huberdeau’s injury, however, could be a tough hole to fill as he accounted for 59 points (20-39) last season and was third on the team in points and goals. The loss is huge, and how the Panthers respond for the first half of the season should dictate their season. However, depth is not a weakness for the Florida, and should they be able to tread water during Huberdeau’s absence, his return will only bolster an already strong team on paper.

2016-17 Season Preview: Philadelphia Flyers

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With just days remaining before the NHL gets back to playing meaningful games, Pro Hockey Rumors is starting to wrap up their Season Preview series. This evening we move on to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Last Season: 41 – 27 – 14, 96 points, fifth in the Metro. Lost to Washington in round one of the playoffs.

Cap Space: $40.834K (According to Cap Friendly)

Key Additions: RW Dale Weise (free agent – Chicago); C Boyd Gordon (free agent – Arizona); Roman Lyubimov (free agent – KHL)

Key Departures: C Sam Gagner (free agent – Columbus); C Ryan White (free agent – Arizona); D Evgeny Medvedev (free agent – KHL); C R.J. Umberger (buyout – unsigned)

[Related: Flyers Depth Chart]

Players to Watch: Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth. Philadelphia should be just fine up front with Claude Giroux (67 points), Jakub Voracek (55 points), Brayden Schenn (26 goals, 59 points) and Wayne Simmonds (32 goals, 60 points) leading the way offensively. The Flyers boast a tremendous crop of young blue liners led by Shayne Gostisbehere, who is set to be joined this season by 19-year-old Ivan Provorov. Not far behind is Robert Hagg and Samuel Morin. The key for the Flyers will be to once again get quality goaltending out of Mason and Neuvirth.

Last season when the Flyers surprised some by making the postseason, Mason and Neuvirth combined to stop 91.7% of shots against which was good enough to tie them with two other teams for fifth best in the NHL. The Flyers also allowed 2.56 goals-per-game, a rate bested by 11 clubs in the league. The goaltending was indeed good last season and it was a big reason why the Flyers made it to the playoffs.

The questions is: can they again be that good or better? Since joining Philadelphia, Mason, a former Calder Trophy winner, has stopped 92.2% of the shots he has faced. But that rate is inflated by a 92.8 save percentage in 2014-15. If we remove that season, Mason has a 91.9% save percentage with the Flyers, which is still a solid number.

The bigger question is Neuvirth, who prior to 2015-16 had never recorded a save percentage better than 91.4% in any season in which he appeared in more than 13 games. Over the last three seasons, Mason has started 161 games for the Flyers, which means in all probability Neuvirth will get close to 30 starts. The Flyers need Neuvirth to be at least league-average in those starts to give them a good chance to contend in the highly competitive Metro Division.

Key Storylines: Can the Flyers take the next step? They improved by 12 points over their 2014-15 season total and while it’s not likely they’ll experience another double-figure leap in points, the next step in their progression is passing some of the teams that finished above them . This past season the Flyers finished 8th in the conference, grabbing the second wild card spot and a guaranteed reservation with the regular season’s best team, the Washington Capitals, in the playoffs. Earning a higher playoff seed and a playoff series win would constitute a successful campaign.

It wouldn’t necessarily be the end of the world if the Flyers took a marginal step back. They still have a ton of young talent getting closer to the NHL and with Mark Streit ($5.25MM AAV) and Michael Del Zotto ($3.875MM AAV) both set for free agency, the Flyers might have a little bit of money to spend next summer, assuming they rely on prospects to fill those openings. Then again, Gostisbehere is likely going to eat up much of that available cash on his next deal, presuming he has another productive campaign in 2016-17.

GM Ron Hextall and head coach Dave Hakstol have the Flyers on the right track. Hextall has extricated the club from some, not all, but some of their onerous contractual obligations. At the same time the franchise has added a lot of young talent to the organization that will begin to bear fruit as soon as this season.

2016-17 Season Preview: Washington Capitals

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As the NHL season is now just days away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year.  Next up is the Washington Capitals.

Last Season: 56-18-8 record (120 points), 1st in the Metropolitan Division and Presidents Trophy winners for the most points in the NHL.  Defeated Philadelphia 4-2 in Round 1.  Lost to Pittsburgh 4-2 in Round 2.

Remaining Cap Space: $1.45MM as per Cap Friendly

Key Newcomers: RW Brett Connolly (free agency, Boston), C Lars Eller (trade, Montreal)

Key Departures: LW Jason Chimera (free agency, NY Islanders), C/RW Michael Latta (free agency, Los Angeles), C Mike Richards (free agency, unsigned), D Ryan Stanton (free agency, Colorado), D Mike Weber (free agency – unsigned)

[Related: Capitals Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players to Watch: LW Andre Burakovsky – The 21 year old had a productive sophomore season despite not getting a lot of playing time (17 goals and 21 assists in 79 games while logging just 13:01 per night).  There is potentially a top six spot up for grabs depending on what the plans are for Marcus Johansson and it’s likely that Burakovsky will get a look in that role at some point.  If the 2013 first round pick can continue his progression, he’ll have a shot at making an already potent lineup that much deeper.

D Dmitry Orlov – Orlov was rumored to be seeking a long-term deal this offseason after an improved 2015-16 campaign.  However, he had to settle for a one year, $2.57MM pact late last month instead.  He has shown glimpses of becoming an impact blueliner in the past but consistency and injuries have held him back.  At age 25, this is Orlov’s chance to prove he can be part of the core moving forward and earn the big term, big money contract he has been coveting.

Key Storyline: After leading the league in points last season, it’s all about getting over the playoff hurdle.  The team has made the postseason in eight of the last nine years but has failed to advance past the second round in any of those.  Despite routinely being one of the higher scoring teams in the league, the Caps have struggled to score consistently when the playoffs get underway; Braden Holtby’s elite level goaltending hasn’t been enough to carry them to victory on his own.

The core of the team is unchanged from last year and has been together for a while now.  As long as they stay healthy, they should pretty much be a lock for the postseason so the main question will be how do they get over the hump this time?  In particular, what can they do differently to avoid the repeat struggles of recent years?  Will this core get another kick at the can or will GM Brian MacLellan change it up between now and the trade deadline in early March?  The measure of success in Washington this season will be determined by their play in May (and possibly June) meaning that it will be quite a while before their key storyline this season gets to play itself out.

2016-17 Season Preview: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the NHL season finally about to start this Tuesday, PHR makes its way towards finishing up our 2016-17 team previews. Next up: the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Last season: 34-40-8 (76 points), 8th in the Metropolitan Division, 15th in the Eastern Conference

Cap Space Remaining: $3.8MM according to Cap Friendly

Key Newcomers: C Pierre-Luc Dubois (draft, 3rd overall), C Sam Gagner (free agency, Philadelphia Flyers), D Scott Harrington (trade, Toronto Maple Leafs)

Key Departures: RW Jared Boll (free agency, Anaheim Ducks), LW Rene Bourque (PTO, Colorado Avalanche), C Michael Chaput (free agency, Vancouver Canucks), D Justin Falk (free agency, Buffalo Sabres), D Michael Paliotta (free agency, New York Rangers), RW Kerby Rychel (trade, Toronto Maple Leafs), D Fedor Tyutin (free agency, Colorado Avalanche)

Player to Watch: Sam Gagner – A once-promising career took an ugly turn after Gagner signed his last contract – a three-year, $14.4MM pact that led to a frustrating end in Edmonton and spanned disappointing stints in Arizona and Philadelphia – and now he looks to right the ship in Columbus with a new contract. The one-year, $650K deal has the makings of an absolute bargain for the Blue Jackets if Gagner can return to his career average of about 40 points. They may need him to do just that too. After trading Ryan Johansen and Artem Anisimov last year, an undeniable void was created at center for the Jackets. While they have high hopes for 2016 first round pick Pierre-Luc Dubois, as well as 2013 first-rounder Alexander Wennberg, Columbus has only Greg Campbell as a veteran option down the middle behind Brandon Dubinsky. Gagner could be asked to center the second or third line this season for the Blue Jackets, and will surely have a top nine role to start the season at least. A career resurgence would be beneficial long and short-term for both sides, but a repeat of his 16-point performance last season will greatly limit what Columbus is able to do on offense this year. Gagner’s contract is low-risk and high-reward, but his role carries far more weight than his contract would indicate. How it all plays out will be key.

Key Storylines: The Blue Jackets are set to begin the season with four former first-rounders on defense. While Jack Johnson has certainly established himself as an NHL star and the leader of the blue line in Columbus, it is the three more recent top picks that will make the difference this year and for years to come. Beginning his first full season with the team is young stud Seth Jones, who signed a six-year extension worth over $30MM this summer and will look to continue his ascent to NHL stardom. His teammate in Columbus and with Team North America is Ryan Murray, Columbus’ 2012 first-round pick. Murray led all Blue Jackets defenseman in points last season, but is still working on developing a complete defensive game. As of now, it looks like 2014 top pick Zach Werenski is set to join the team this season as well, and he too will bring great offensive talent, but will have his fair share of struggles in his own end. If the trio of young defenseman all play to their potential, then the Blue Jackets could have the best young defensive core in the league. However, if they hit a developmental wall, the result would be some major difficulties on the back end this season.

Should the Blue Jackets struggle this season, watch for several big names to potentially hit the trade block. The most predictable deal would obviously be Scott Hartnell, a player that Columbus has been looking to move for a while now. However, with a full re-build in progress, Hartnell is not the only veteran who could bring back some valuable picks and prospects. The aforementioned Johnson is now surrounded by up-and-coming young defensemen and may be seen as expendable for the right price. Cam Atkinson’s name seems to come up at the trade deadline every year, and this could finally be the season that he’s moved. Same goes for Matt Calvert and a potentially-resurgent Sam Gagner. The Blue Jackets are unlikely to be a playoff team this year, so some tough calls await GM Jarmo Kekalainen in 2016-17 about how to move forward with his re-build.

Blue Jackets Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the NHL season finally about to start this Tuesday, PHR continues to finish up our in-depth looks at each team and the focus now turns to a team that people are greatly under-rating in 2016-17, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Last season: 35-31-16 (86 points), 6th in the Metropolitan Division, 10th in the Eastern Conference

Cap Space Remaining: $16.9MM according to Cap Friendly 

Key Newcomers: LW Bryan Bickell (trade, Chicago Blackhawks), G Michael Leighton (free agency, Chicago Blackhawks), RW Viktor Stalberg (free agency, New York Rangers), LW Lee Stempniak (free agency, Boston Bruins), D Matt Tennyson (free agency, San Jose Sharks), LW Teuvo Teravainen (trade, Chicago Blackhawks

Key Departures: LW Nathan Gerbe (free agency, New York Rangers), D Michal Jordan (free agency, KHL), RW Brad Malone (free agency, Washington Capitals), RW Riley Nash (free agency, Boston Bruins), LW Chris Terry (free agency, Montreal Canadiens), D James Wisniewski (free agency, unsigned)

Player to Watch: Victor Rask – The 22-year-old Rask finished just three points behind Jeff Skinner for the team lead in points in 2015-16, and ended up tied with veteran center Jordan Staal. The Hurricanes rewarded him with a six-year, $24MM contract. If Rask continues to trend upward, then that deal will be one of the best bargains in hockey. If not, it could stymie a re-building franchise. All signs point to the former though, as Rask has played big minutes and put up solid numbers in each of his first two NHL seasons. Now expected to center the top line in Carolina, the pressure will be on for Rask to live up to role and lead his fellow young skill players. The Hurricanes have put together a great, young roster, and with Eric Staal gone, Victor Rask has the chance to be the young center that steps in to become the face of the franchise and lead the team to playoff success, just as Staal did over a decade ago.

Key Storylines: No one is expecting much of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015-16. In fact, Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada has the ’Canes finishing last in the Eastern Conference, tied for the worst Stanley Cup odds in the league. So really, Carolina has nothing to lose. With few expectations, the pressure is off of the league’s youngest team. But should we really expect them to be bottom-dwellers?

In 2015-16, the Hurricanes finished tenth in the Eastern Conference, just seven points out of a playoff spot. They led the league in overtime losses with 16, meaning that if the goal had gone the other way in even half of those games, Carolina would have been a postseason team. They accomplished all of that while ditching veterans Eric Staal, John-Michael Liles, and Kris Versteeg along the way. Granted, those players helped them get to where they ended up, but the Hurricanes only lost five games in regulation out of the eighteen games following the NHL Trade Deadline. This goes to show that the young players in Carolina are willing and able to win.

Since the end of the season, it’s hard to find any way to say that the Hurricanes have gotten worse. Riley Nash was their only impact player lost in free agency, while they added consummate veteran Lee Stempniak on the open market and made a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to bring in the young, skilled Teuvo Teravainen, as well as Bryan Bickell, who could get back to his better ways with the change of scenery. Add those difference makers to a top nine that features proven scorers Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner, great young centerpieces Victor Rask and Elias Lindholm and a potential Calder candidate in Sebastian Aho, and Carolina seems far from a team that will struggle to put up points. On the back end, Justin Faulk leads a young defensive core that features Noah Hanifin, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Ryan Murphy, and likely at least one of top prospects Haydn Fleury and Roland McKeown, while the Hurricanes boast one of the strongest goalie duos in the league in Cam Ward and Eddie Lack.

So where does the doubt come from? The fact of the matter is that only six skaters on the roster are over the age of 25 (Staal, Stempniak, Stalberg, Bickell, Jay McClement, Ron Hainsey) and a lot is riding on players without much NHL experience. Without the same level of veteran leadership throughout the season, that responsibility may show more in the stats and standings. However, the point still stands that this young team has proven they can win. They seem much more capable than the likes of New Jersey and Columbus in the Metropolitan anyway. There is no disputing that the future is bright for the Hurricanes. The question in 2016-17 is simply how close can they get to that success this early in the re-building process. The answer may surprise many. Stay tuned.

Hurricanes Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: New York Rangers

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After back-to-back Eastern Conference Final berths and a trip to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, the New York Rangers stumbled this past season, dropping their first-round playoff series to the eventual Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins in five games. The Blueshirts embarked on a summer of retooling with the hope the remaining core has enough gas left in the tank to propel the team on another long playoff run. With the season set to start in less than a week, we’ll soon how the changes made play out on the ice.

Last Season: 46 – 27 – 9, 101 points, third in the Metro Division. Lost in the first-round of the playoffs.

Remaining Cap Space: $2.95MM per Cap Friendly.

Key Newcomers: Mika Zibanejad (Trade – Ottawa); Jimmy Vesey (UFA – Harvard); Josh Jooris (UFA – Calgary); Michael Grabner (UFA – Toronto); Brandon Pirri (UFA – Anaheim); Nick Holden (Trade – Colorado)

Key Departures: Derick Brassard (Trade – Ottawa); Eric Staal (UFA – Minnesota); Dominic Moore (UFA – Boston); Keith Yandle (Trade – Florida); Dan Boyle (Retirement)

[Related: New York Rangers depth chart via Roster Resource]

Players to Watch: Dan Girardi and Marc Staal. The Rangers have for years relied on Girardi and Staal to provide steady play from the back end but last season was a tough one for both blue liners. Henrik Lundqvist faced more High Danger Shots Against (HDSA) than any other goalie in the league, averaging better than one additional HDSA-per-game than Braden Holtby, who was #2. At least part of that was due to the lackluster play of Girardi and Staal and in particular, their struggles in the puck possession department.

While Girardi has never been a strong possession player, not finishing with a CF% above 50% in eight seasons, Staal posted a CF% of 54.3% as recently as 2013-14. It’s possible the wear and tear from years of blocking shots and playing 20-plus minutes every night against the opposition’s best players has simply caught up to the 32-year-old Girardi but there is at least a chance Staal can again be a reliable defender.

It’s fair to note that Girardi battled injuries for much of the 2015-16 campaign, including a cracked knee cap which he played with through the second half of the season. He’s said to be fully healthy – perhaps for the first time in several seasons – and with a long offseason of rest and recuperation, Girardi feels he can again be a solid shutdown blue liner.

The Blue Shirts have $11.2MM tied up annually in the two defensemen and much of the reason the team avoided big money free agent deals was the lack of flexibility due to the Staal and Girardi contracts. Those deals also make it practically impossible for GM Jeff Gorton to move either player, likely meaning that barring a contract buyout, the Rangers will be forced to sink or swim with the two defenders playing big minutes. For the team to have a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup, they need much better performances from Girardi and Staal.

Key Storyline: Defense, defense and again, defense. Gorton did a tremendous job with limited resources injecting youth and speed into the lineup but was unable to upgrade the talent on defense. Henrik Lundqvist is still playing at an elite level and the offense figures again to be a top-10 unit – they finished seventh overall in goals scored in 2015-16. But if the defense continues to allow the opposition too many high quality scoring chances on a nightly basis, none of that will matter. Partially due to salary cap constraints, the Rangers were unable to land a defensive upgrade on the free agent market and in fact were forced to trade Yandle, who many felt was the team’s best defenseman last season, because they could not afford to re-sign him.

Perhaps a healthy Girardi and a rested Staal will be better in 2016-17. Maybe head coach Alain Vigneault and new assistant Jeff Beukeboom can tweak the defensive system to provide additional help to his blue liners. But without major improvements in the play on the back end, it’s likely the Rangers will again come up short in their quest for the Stanley Cup.

2016-17 Season Preview: Buffalo Sabres

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With the start of the regular season less than a week away, we continue to look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Buffalo Sabres.

Last Season: 35-36-11 record (81 points), 7th in the Atlantic Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $7.6MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: RW Kyle Okposo (UFA, NY Islanders), D Dmitry Kulikov (trade, Florida), G Anders Nilsson (trade, St. Louis)

Key Departures: C David Legwand (UFA), Carlo Colaiacovo (UFA), G Chad Johnson (UFA, Calgary)

[Related: Sabres Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: C Jack Eichel – Last year’s 2nd overall draft pick lived up to expectations by potting 24G and 32A in 81 games. The Sabres are hoping that Eichel does not suffer from the dreaded sophomore jinx, but the young center’s World Cup performance has to make Buffalo nervous. While he managed 1G and 1A in three games, he did not display the elite playmaking he was known for last year. He’ll be expected to carry a bigger load this season, and those expectations could have a detrimental effect on a young player.

Buffalo will need Eichel to improve upon his rookie season if they hope to challenge for a playoff spot this season. He’ll most likely center the second line as Ryan O’Reilly will take first line duties. As the 2nd overall pick, Eichel will also be constantly compared to Connor McDavid, the same way former Sabres David Legwand was compared to Vincent Lecavalier throughout his career. He’ll have to handle more scrutiny than any other Sabre, despite his young age.

RW Kyle Okposo – Kyle Okposo was the Sabres’ prize free agent signing this summer, inking a seven-year, $6MM a year contract. This is an opportunity for Okposo to escape John Tavares’s shadow, and silence critics who consider him solely a beneficiary of Tavares’s skill. Last year Okposo racked up 22G and 42A in 79 games, and another 2G and 6A in 11 playoff games. He’s scored more than 50 points in each of the last three years, so he should produce even if he doesn’t wow. Playing with Eichel, O’Reilly, and Evander Kane, however, may be enough to treat fans to some world-class highlights.

Key Storyline: The Buffalo Sabres are poised to break free from their rebuild and reap the benefits of prospect development. Last season saw a 27 point jump in the standings, a welcome sign after years of bottom-dwelling. Despite the improvement, however, the Sabres face the toughest part of any rebuild: the shift to a competitive team. This next step stymies rebuilding teams all the time because drafting elite talent with lottery picks is easy—constructing a competitive cap-compliant team and surrounding them with skilled veterans is much more difficult.

A playoff spot may not be attainable yet, but they have to be in the mix until the end for this upcoming season to feel like progress. Anything less would be a setback. Luckily, the Sabres have made strides to improve. They brought in the hottest free agent this year in Kyle Okposo, and traded for an above-average defenseman in Dmitry Kulikov. Couple that with a healthy Robin Lehner and you should see an improved Sabres squad. It may not be enough to challenge in the Atlantic Division, but it will makes things a lot closer than last season.

 

2016-17 Season Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the start of the regular season less than a week away, we continue to look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last Season: 29-42-11 record (69 points), 8th in the Atlantic Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $2.03MM as per Cap Friendly (Roster Size of 23), expected to increase to by ~$14MM when Stephane Robidas, Nathan Horton, Joffrey Lupul are placed on LTIR.

Key Newcomers: W Matt Martin (UFA, NY Islanders), C Auston Matthews (draft, NLA), RW Mitch Marner (draft, OHL), D Roman Polak (UFA, San Jose), G Frederik Andersen (trade, Anaheim), G Jhonas Enroth (UFA, Los Angeles), D Nikita Zaitzev (UFA, KHL), W Kerby Rychel (trade, Columbus)

Key Departures: RW P.A. Parenteau (UFA, NY Islanders), RW Brad Boyes (UFA, unsigned), RW Michael Grabner (UFA, NY Rangers), C Shawn Matthias (UFA, Winnipeg), C Mark Arcobello (UFA, NLA), G Jonathan Bernier (trade, Anaheim)

[Related: Leafs Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: C Mitch Marner – Obviously, one of the biggest storylines this year will be first-overall draft pick Auston Matthews and his ascension to the number-one center position on the Maple Leafs. Not to be forgotten however, is the other top-five draft pick that the Leafs have yet to unveil: Mitch Marner. Marner is coming off a season where he basically won every team and individual trophy possible, leading the OHL’s London Knights to the Memorial Cup and scoring 160 points in 75 total games (regular and post-season).

The diminutive forward played some center in junior, and was once expected to take that position on the Maple Leafs. Now that Matthews is in the fold though, the Leafs have been playing Marner on the wing to fully utilize his elite offensive skills. In fact, for the last two days at least, Marner has been skating beside Matthews on what would be one of the youngest lines in the NHL regardless of the third player.

D Nikita Zaitsev – One of the most underrated signings of the offseason may come in Leafland, as Nikita Zaitsev will make his NHL debut this year after a number of successful seasons in the KHL. The 24-year old has already completed seven seasons in the Russian professional league, starred internationally for Russia and even made his Toronto debut in the recent World Cup. His right-handed shot fits in nicely with a group sorely lacking them, and should immediately jump to the Leafs top two pairings (depending on if Morgan Rielly moves back to his natural left side or not).

Zaitsev is an all-around blueliner who can work in both ends of the rink, and contribute on both special teams. While he may not possess any one elite skill, he’s proven that he can compete at the highest level. Already turning heads at Maple Leafs camp, Zaitsev scored his first preseason goal against Montreal on Sunday night and, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, should already be considered part of the Leafs’ core.

Key Storyline:

While the Maple Leafs were clearly headed for the basement of the league last year (some would say on purpose), this year has a slightly different feeling in Toronto.  While they’re not expected to make the playoffs or contend for any trophies, the youth injection is exciting enough to hope for a much improved club. With head coach Mike Babcock in no danger of losing his seat, the team can take a slow approach to development and shelter their young prospects.

In truth, the Leafs brass are just hoping for a slightly improved season, but will hope for another high draft pick to continue the rebuild. If they were to select in the top-10 once again, they could add another top prospect to their stocked cupboard, and focus on the free agent market next summer. With cap room, a hugely experienced front office and youth at all positions, the team is poised to succeed in the near future; whether that means contention for the Stanley Cup remains to be seen.

2016-17 Season Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning

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With the NHL preseason underway, PHR continues to look at every team prior to the regular season. Today, we look at the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Last season: 46-31-5 (97 points), Finished 2nd in NHL Atlantic Division. Defeated Detroit 4-1 in the first round; Defeated New York Islanders 4-1 in the second round; Lost to Pittsburgh 4-3 in Eastern Conference Finals.

Cap Space Remaining: $5.55MM via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: None

Key Departures: None

Player to Watch: Ben Bishop. There are so many players to keep an eye on (namely Nikita Kucherov), but Bishop is intriguing because of what general manager Steve Yzerman will do as the netminder enters the final year of his contract. With Andrei Vasilevskiy waiting patiently behind him, Bishop has become a valuable commodity. Does Yzerman hold onto him for insurance purposes and unbelievable goaltending depth? Will he peddle him at the trade deadline or even before that, trying to pick up additional depth for a deep Stanley Cup run? While many wonder what he’ll do, Yzerman has proven to be the master negotiator and a front office executive who will do whatever it takes to strengthen the team. With Bishop coming off of a stellar season, it will be interesting to see if Bishop can replicate the performance, and if so, whether it will be with the Bolts or another team starved for a great goaltender.

Key Storylines: Is this the season Tampa Bay puts it all together and wins the Cup? Tampa is one of the deepest, if not the deepest team in the NHL, and a major contributor to that is Yzerman. As problem after problem faced the team, Yzerman barely broke a sweat navigating every issue. Jonathan Drouin demands a trade? No problem. Yzerman remained firm, let the situation blow over, and when trouble brewed in the way of injuries, Drouin was brought back to the big club and amazingly, peace was restored. Drouin also went on to be a major factor in the Bolts’ return to the conference final.

Steve Stamkos had a number of suitors lining up for what could have been the biggest free agency bonanza since Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, and Yzerman locked him up before free agency could even begin. He then re-upped with Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, J.T. Brown, Cedric Paquette, Victor Hedman, and Vasilevskiy. While they didn’t add or subtract any major players, Yzerman locked up significant pieces with the exception of Kucherov, who is holding out for a new contract. If there’s anything to be said, it’s that Yzerman will find a way to solve the problem, be it through a trade (think the Martin St. Louis deal that Yzerman won) or a new contract–though the latter will be more difficult to maneuver. If Yzerman does trade Bishop down the road, expect him to find a defenseman to help shore up the blueline.

Should the Lightning stay healthy, there are few teams that could rival them in the regular season or playoffs. This could be the season that Yzerman, Jon Cooper and company bring a second Stanley Cup back to Tampa.

Tampa Bay Depth Chart

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