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Season Previews

2016-17 Season Preview: Edmonton Oilers

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With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is taking an in-depth look at each team. Today: the Edmonton Oilers.

Last Season: 31-43-8 (70 points), 7th place in the Pacific Division. Did not qualify for the playoffs.

Cap Space Remaining: $8.92MM  via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: Adam Larsson (RHD) – trade (New Jersey); Milan Lucic (LW) – free agency (Los Angeles); Jesse Puljujärvi (RW) – NHL Draft (4th overall)

Key Departures: Taylor Hall (LW) – trade (New Jersey); Lauri Korpikoski (LW) – buyout

Professional Tryouts: Kris Versteeg (RW)

Player to Watch: Connor McDavid – Who else? The most hotly anticipated prospect since Sidney Crosby didn’t disappoint on the ice, scoring 48 points in 45 games. Unfortunately for McDavid and the Oilers, a broken collarbone kept him out of the lineup from November to February, and when he returned the Oilers were too far out of the playoffs for him to make a real difference in the standings. His effect on his line-mates is remarkable; Patrick Maroon scored 14 points in 16 games with McDavid, surpassing his 56-game total with the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid has had a transcendent effect on the organization, and is widely expected to be one of the top scorers in the NHL this season.

Key Storylines: Will GM Peter Chiarelli’s bold summer pay off? Trading the third-best left winger in the NHL for Larsson represents a major overpayment, but it also gives the Oilers a long-term fix with a young top pairing of Oscar Klefbom and Larsson playing 24 minutes per night. Adding Larsson and a healthy Klefbom allows Andrej Sekera, Brandon Davidson, Darnell Nurse, and Mark Fayne to play more effective minutes. Chiarelli is also heavily rumored to be looking at adding an offensive-minded defenseman, like Cody Franson, to the mix.

Can McDavid play 70-plus games? McDavid’s health will be a major factor in how the Oilers do this season. He’s already one of the top players in the league, so he’ll be counted on to take the next step and lead the Oilers to the playoffs. Look for him to boost the offensive numbers of Lucic and Jordan Eberle on the top line, and allow Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and rookie Puljujärvi to see less of other team’s top pairings.

Oilers’ Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: Winnipeg Jets

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With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is looking at each team, in-depth. Today: the Winnipeg Jets.

Last Season: 35-39-8 (78 points), 7th place in the Central Division. Did not qualify for the playoffs.

Cap Space Remaining: $9.37MM  via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: Patrik Laine (LW/ RW) – NHL Draft (2nd overall in 2016); Shawn Matthias(LW) – free agency (Colorado); Kyle Connor (C/ LW) – NHL Draft (17th overall in 2015)

Key Departures: none

Key RFAs: Jacob Trouba – The two sides appear far apart on everything: money, term, and usage. Right now, Trouba is blocked on the right side by Dustin Byfuglien (who is set to begin a new five-year extension worth $7.6MM per season) and Tyler Myers. It will be interesting to see how the Jets proceed; they have the salary space to sign him but also have depth at the position, which gives them the upper hand. There has been some trade rumors surrounding Trouba, but those have been repeatedly shot down by those who cover the team.

Player to Watch: Patrik Laine – The Jets lucked out at the draft lottery, jumping for 6th overall to second and the chance to take Laine. There was even talk of the Maple Leafs selecting Laine over Auston Matthews, but that never materialized. Laine has been compared to Alex Ovechkin for his explosive release. Laine should be able to step in immediately and give the Jets a great second line. Expect 20+ goals and plenty of flash.

Key Storyline: Can the Jets young core avoid growing pains? With Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Laine, and Trouba all expected to play big roles this season, will they be able to use their skill to overcome relative inexperience? And in net, can one of Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, or Connor Hellebuyck step up and take over the number one job? The three netminders split the net pretty evenly last season, so the door is open for one to grab the reigns and run with it.

Jets’ Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: St. Louis Blues

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With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is looking at each team, in-depth. Today: the St. Louis Blues.

Last Season: 49-24-9 (107 points), 2nd place in the Central Division. Lost 4-2 to San Jose Sharks in Western Conference Finals.

Cap Space Remaining:  $3.96MM via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: David Perron (signed as a free agent from Anaheim); Carter Hutton (signed as a free agent from Nashville); Landon Ferraro (signed as free agent from Boston).

Key Departures: David Backes (signed with Boston); Troy Brouwer (signed with Calgary); Brian Elliott (traded to Calgary).

Player to Watch: Kevin Shattenkirk. Rumors swirled that Shattenkirk was on his way out and then in mid-July, general manager Doug Armstrong told Craig Custance that he expects Shattenkirk to spend the season in St. Louis. When Custance pushed him on what he meant,  Armstrong clarified that Shattenkirk would stay in St. Louis. However, with the Blues weaker than last season, it will be interesting to see what happens should Shattenkirk’s stock rise more by the trade deadline. If negotiations don’t go well for a new contract, it’s not crazy to think Shattenkirk will be shipped somewhere else for a king’s ransom.

Key Storyline: The Blues finally pushed through the Blackhawks in the playoffs and survived through the Conference Finals, where they were dispatched by the Sharks in six games. Then started the purge. Elliott was dealt to Calgary, Brouwer packed up and followed his former teammate there, and Backes went east to Boston. Though they still have talent on the roster, this is a weaker St. Louis team than last season. Nashville certainly improved with the addition of P.K. Subban and the Western Conference improved almost everywhere. Playing the always competitive Central Division will be more perilous than usual.  Ken Hitchcock will be handing the reins over to Mike Yeo, and after an up and down tenure in Minnesota, what will Yeo do differently with the Blues? While the team is still strong with the likes of Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo to name a few, they may be a step back from what St. Louis has been accustomed to.

St. Louis Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

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With the NHL season just weeks away, PHR is looking at each team, in-depth. Today: the Colorado Avalanche.

Last Season: 39-39-4 (82 points), 6th place in the Central. Did not qualify for the playoffs.

Cap Space Remaining: $1.53MM  via CapFriendly.

Key Newcomers: Joe Colborne (LW) – free agent signing (Calgary); Patrick Wiercioch (D) – free agent signing (Ottawa); Fedor Tyutin (D) – free agent signing (Columbus)

Key Departures: Mikkel Boedker (LW) – free agency (San Jose); Shawn Matthias (LW) – free agency (Winnipeg); Zach Redmond (D) – free agency (Montreal)

Player to Watch: Mikko Rantanen – After going scoreless in 9 NHL games to start the year, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft was sent down to the San Antonio Rampage, where he dominated, posting 24 goals and 60 points in 52 games. The Avalanche hope he will be able to continue his upward trajectory and make an impact at the NHL level. They’ll need the offensive help.

Key Storyline: After the sudden departure of coach Patrick Roy in August, the Avalanche will have a new coach, Jared Bednar. Can the new coach boost the club? Of the three notable additions, two players were cut by their previous teams: Tyutin was bought out and Wiercioch was not qualified as an RFA. Offensively, Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene will shoulder the load, but will need captain Gabriel Landeskog, veteran Jarome Iginla, and Rantanen to step up. Newly-signed Tyson Barrie and former first overall pick Eric Johnson will anchor a blue line with little else guaranteed beyond them. Can Semyon Varlamov return to form after a year of league-average goaltending, or will young Calvin Pickard take over the net?

The Avalanche’s season depends on several players having career years under their new coach. Playing in a tough division also won’t help, so the team needs to get on the winning side of the ledger early and often to have a chance at the playoffs.

Avalanche Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: Minnesota Wild

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As the NHL season is now less than a month away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Minnesota Wild.

Last Season: 38-33-11 record (87 points), 5th in the Central Division.  Lost 4-2 to Dallas in Round 1.

Remaining Cap Space: $2.1MM as per Cap Friendly

Key Newcomers: D Victor Bartley (free agency, Montreal), Head Coach Bruce Boudreau, W Chris Stewart (free agency, Anaheim), C Eric Staal (free agency, NY Rangers)

Key Departures: RW Justin Fontaine (PTO, Florida), RW David Jones (free agency, unsigned), C Chris Porter (PTO, St. Louis), C Jarret Stoll (PTO, Columbus), Head Coach John Torchetti (was the interim coach last season), RW Thomas Vanek (buyout, Detroit)

[Related: Wild Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Player to Watch: C Mikael Granlund: Over the last three seasons, Granlund has been a quality secondary player but has yet to take that next big step forward into a true core piece for the franchise.  On the international stage, he is routinely one of Finland’s go-to players but he hasn’t been consistent enough to be one regularly in Minnesota.

With a new coach and system (more on that momentarily), the chance is there for Granlund to take those next steps and become a core player up front.  If he needs any more motivation, he’s heading into the second and final year of a bridge deal that carries a salary of $3.2MM and a cap hit of $3MM.  This is his big chance to prove that he’s worthy of a long-term, big money contract, not to mention a bigger role on the team.

He may have to spend some time on the wing this season (with Mikko Koivu and newcomer Eric Staal also at center) but if he does, he should at least still be in a top six role on a regular basis.  The opportunity is there for Granlund; can he take advantage of it?

Key Storyline: The Wild have historically been known as a defense-first team dating back to the days of Jacques Lemaire as head coach.  Even in recent years with different coaches behind the bench, that still has been the case as the team has finished in the top half in NHL scoring just once since Lemaire left following the 2008-09 campaign.

Expect things to be different with Bruce Boudreau behind the bench.  His teams have a penchant for being in the top-10 in goals scored and he preaches more of an up-tempo system, something Minnesota hasn’t utilized much in recent years.  Will that style of play help get veteran players like Staal, Zach Parise, and Jason Pominville back to the numbers they have shown themselves to be capable of producing?  If that happens without hurting the team too much at the defensive end while youngsters like Granlund and Nino Niederreiter continue to improve, this is a team capable of surprising in the West.

2016-17 Season Preview: Dallas Stars

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With the NHL season just weeks away, we continue to look around the league and analyze each team’s off-season moves and look ahead to 2016-17. Today, we focus on the Dallas Stars.

Last season: 50-23-9 (109 points), 1st place in the Central Division. Defeated the Minnesota Wild in the first round (4-2), but lost in the second round vs. the St. Louis Blues (4-3)

Cap Space Remaining: $5.98MM according to CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: D Andrew Bodnarchuk (free agency, Colorado Avalanche), LW Adam Cracknell (free agency, Edmonton Oilers), D Dan Hamhuis (free agency, Vancouver Canucks), LW Jiri Hudler (free agency, Florida Panthers)

Key Departures: D Jason Demers (free agency, Florida Panthers), C Vernon Fiddler (free agency, New Jersey Devils), D Alex Goligoski (trade, Arizona Coyotes), LW Travis Moen (unsigned), D Kris Russell (unsigned), RW Colton Sceviour (free agency, Florida Panthers)

Player to Watch: Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi – If there was a clear leader in goal, then just that player would be the one to watch. Unfortunately for Stars fans, both Lehtonen and Niemi played equally poorly in 2015-16 and thus share the blame and the spotlight heading into a new season. The duo almost single-handedly eliminated Dallas from the playoffs last season, as neither could quite figure it out in the postseason.  At a combined cap hit of $10.4MM and a league-low .904 save percentage, many thought that something had to change for the Star’s net-minding situation this off-season. However, neither goalie was bought out or (to this point) traded. GM Jim Nill has little that he can do. There is no market for a goalie upgrade without shedding one of the two, and no one is looking to acquire either of the goalies. It appears as if Lehtonen and Niemi will be given a second chance in 2016-17, at least until they force Nill’s hand into making a move. With a depleted defensive unit now playing in front of them, one of the pair will have to step up and claim the starter job with his strong, consistent play, or a potent Dallas offense could be rendered meaningless this season. The ship that is the Stars’ 2016-17 season is about to depart, and whether it will sink or float depends on the play in net.

Key Storyline: No team in recent memory has lost more talent from their blue line in one fell swoop than the Dallas Stars did this summer. Dallas perhaps overestimated their potential salary cap crunch, as they first traded elite puck-mover Alex Goligoski to the Arizona Coyotes, where he signed a long-term extension worth $5.475MM per year. They then sat back and watched as solid two-way defenseman Jason Demers capitalized on his free agency and signed with the Florida Panthers at a $4.5MM clip. With almost $6MM remaining in cap space (having not yet re-signed RFA winger Valeri Nichushkin), the Stars likely could have found a way to bring back one of the pair. They did go out and sign veteran blue liner Dan Hamhuis though. Hamhuis was first targeted by the Stars at the 2016 Trade Deadline, but a deal could not be worked out and the team instead acquired the stay-at-home shot blocker Kris Russell. The addition of Hamhuis will help to make up for the loss of Goligoski and Demers, though the 33-year-old has had durability concerns and a drop-off in production over the past few years and will not be able to totally replace either of the two departed top defenseman. Assuming that a reunion with the still-unsigned Russell is also unlikely, the Stars will enter 2016-17 with three of their postseason top four now gone. Young stud John Klingberg will have to carry even more weight for the defense this year, while inexperienced players like Stephen Johns, Esa Lindell, and Patrik Nemeth will also be expected to step up their games. Look for veteran defenseman Johnny Oduya to play a bigger role with the Stars in his second season in Dallas as well. If the Stars want to win the Central Division again, and even attempt to reach the Stanley Cup Final, they need their defense to do it’s best to play up to their championship-caliber offense.

Stars Depth Chart

2016-17 Season Preview: Nashville Predators

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As the NHL season is now less than a month away, we continue our look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Nashville Predators.

Last Season: 41-27-14 record (96 points), 4th in the Central Division.  Defeated Anaheim 4-3 in Round 1, lost 4-3 to San Jose in Round 2.

Remaining Cap Space: $5.4MM as per Cap Friendly

Key Newcomers: D Matt Carle (free agency, Tampa Bay), D P.K. Subban (trade, Montreal), D Yannick Weber (free agency, Vancouver)

Key Departures: LW Gabriel Bourque (PTO, Colorado), C Paul Gaustad (Retirement), C Cody Hodgson (free agency, unsigned), G Carter Hutton (free agency, St. Louis), D Barret Jackman (buyout, unsigned), rights to LW Jimmy Vesey (trade, Buffalo), D Shea Weber (trade, Montreal)

[Related: Predators Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Player to Watch: G Pekka Rinne: The Predators were quietly an effective offensive team last season and they have a strong blueline now anchored by Subban and Roman Josi.  If they get high level goaltending, this is a team that can really make a run, even through the highly difficult Central Division.

However, while Rinne’s reputation has been that of a high level goalie, he hasn’t been that as much in recent years with his save percentage being below the NHL average in three of the last four seasons.  There’s a case to be made that the team downgraded at the backup position from Hutton to Marek Mazanec which puts even more pressure on Rinne.  If he can get back to his pre-lockout form (or even his 2014-15 effort), the Predators should be a force to be reckoned with.  If not, they could find themselves in a dog fight for the final divisional or wild card spot again this season.

Key Storyline: With the Subban-Shea Weber trade and the additions of Carle and Yannick Weber over Jackman, Nashville has really shifted towards a mobile defense corps, more than arguably any other team in the league.  While analytics suggest teams should move more towards this type of player, most have been hesitant to make the type of jump that Nashville has.  How will that play out over the course of the season?

Still with the defense, how will Subban replace the long-time Predator captain?  Can he and Josi play on the same pairing or are the Preds better off splitting them up?  Head coach Peter Laviolette has a few options at his disposal now and it will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out.  If things go as planned, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more teams follow Nashville’s lead in building their back ends down the road.

2016-17 Season Preview: Chicago Blackhawks

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As the NHL season is just weeks away, PHR begins to look at each team in-depth. Today, we focus on the Chicago Blackhawks.

Last season: 47-26-9 (103 points), 3rd place in the Central. Lost in the first round to St. Louis, 4-3.

Cap Space Remaining: $2.49MM  via CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: Brian Campbell (D) – free agent signing (Florida), Michal Kempny (D) – free agent signing (KHL);  Jordin Tootoo (F) – free agent signing (New Jersey).

Key Departures: Bryan Bickell (LW) – traded to Carolina; David Rundblad (D) – contract termination; Andrew Shaw (RW) – traded to Montreal; Teuvo Teravainen (LW) – traded to Carolina.

Player to Watch: Nick Schmaltz – Head coach Joel Quenneville has been known to keep his young players on a short leash and it will be interesting to see how much freedom Q will give the dynamic young forward. Schmaltz has been mentioned in the same breath as former Blackhawk Brandon Saad, who was a huge piece of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015. Schmaltz turned heads during the World Juniors and has an opportunity to log significant ice time as the Hawks depth isn’t what it once was.

Key Storyline: After an early exit last Spring, do the Hawks have it in them to make another run at the Cup? They had a couple months of extra rest, but still have some holes up front. Marcus Kruger is already fighting an injury and Marian Hossa has slowed a bit from the form that made him a key part of the Hawks’ three Cups. The real question is can the Hawks find talent from the youngsters they’re now counting on, specifically Schmaltz, Tyler Motte, and Vinnie Hinostroza. Corey Crawford has shown he is the man between the pipes and bringing Campbell back will shore up a defensive corps that suffered with consistency last season. Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin should continue to pace the team offensively while Jonathan Toews will be his usual steady self. For the Blackhawks, health and depth will ultimately determine their season and postseason success. Duncan Keith’s knee should hold up and ease some fan concern that something more serious is afoot following last year’s surgery.

General manager Stan Bowman may need to tinker a bit more at the trade deadline, but the assets to deal are dwindling. Then again, should Chicago’s “kids” step in, they could find themselves adding another Cup to its already impressive haul.

Blackhawks Depth Chart

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