Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Season Previews 2018-19

2018-19 Season Primer: Detroit Red Wings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Detroit Red Wings.

Last Season: 30-39-13 record (73 points), fifth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $0 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: G Jonathan Bernier (free agent, Colorado), D Jake Chelios (free agent, Carolina), F Wade Megan (free agent, St. Louis), G Harri Sateri (free agent, Florida), F Chris Terry (free agent, Montreal), F Thomas Vanek (free agent, Columbus).

Key Subtractions: G Jared Coreau (free agent, Anaheim), F Matthew Lorito (free agent, New York Islanders), G Thomas McCollum (free agent, Milwaukee, AHL), D Xavier Ouellet (free agent, Montreal), D Dan Renouf (free agent, Carolina), D Robbie Russo (trade, Arizona), F Ben Street (free agent, Anaheim), Eric Tangradi (free agent, New Jersey).

[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Dylan Larkin — The Red Wings finally have the star player they have been looking for after the 22-year-old posted a career-high 63 points last season and could be poised to take that next step this year after signing a five year, $30.5MM contract over the summer. A couple things that could fall in his favor are the fact that Larkin had a low shooting percentage last season, which should improve, while he also saw little power play time, which will obviously change this season.

The best case scenario for Larkin would be to take his game up another notch and perhaps reach the point-per-game plateau, which he is more than capable of. A worst-case scenario might see him struggle to stand out amongst a stable of improving, but hardly amazing crop of forwards. The team can only hope that Larkin can prove he was worth the contract he received and can help lead Detroit move up in the standings. His elite speed makes him one of the best to enter the offensive zone with the puck on his stick, but he must prove that he can put the puck away as well.

Key Storyline: The youth movement is truly beginning this year as several young players look to have legitimate chances to make the roster, including 2017 first-rounder Michael Rasmussen and 2018 first-rounder Filip Zadina. While there has been no guarantee they will make the NHL roster, both have shown their offensive talents off and even if Zadina gets sent down, the 18-year-old can play in the AHL instead. Regardless, a team that was (and still is) an older, veteran team is starting to change its look.

The team is also expected to make some changes on the defensive end of the ice as several young defensemen are challenging for an NHL roster spot, including Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts, Dennis Cholowski and Libor Sulak. The goal is the team should slowly build its way to a young, rebuilt roster.

Overall Outlook: The Red Wings are in a tough transition phase that should keep them near the bottom of the NHL for another season and perhaps give them a shot at consensus No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes next season. With so many aging players that are clogging up their cap, the best fans of the franchise can do is hope that their young players develop as fast as they can to give the team a hope for the future.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

Last Season: 36-40-6 record (78 points), sixth in the Pacific Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.48MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Kyle Brodziak (free agent, St. Louis), D Jakub Jerabek (free agent, Washington), G Mikko Koskinen (free agent, St. Petersburg, KHL), F Tobias Rieder (free agent, Los Angeles)

Key Subtractions: D/F Yohann Auvitu (free agent, Sochi, KHL), G Laurent Brossoit (free agent, Winnipeg), F Mike Cammalleri (free agent, unsigned), D Eric Gryba (buyout, New Jersey), F Iiro Pakarinen (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL)

[Related: Oilers Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Milan Lucic – To put it lightly, Lucic’s performance last season was well below expectations.  After a respectable 23-goal and 50-point campaign in his first year with the team, those dropped to 10 and 34, respectively.  That’s not the type of production they were expecting from someone that’s signed for $6MM for another half a decade.

This contract also played a significant role in limiting their ability to add to the lineup this offseason.  They didn’t want to pay to move the 30-year-old and considering the year he just had, they probably would have had to cough up a notable premium so giving him another chance certainly isn’t the worst idea in the world.

Early indications are that Lucic is in better shape and not as slow as he was last season which will come in handy given Edmonton’s up-tempo system.  They’re certainly hopeful that he will be able to rebound and considering how limited they were over the offseason, Edmonton is going to be counting on Lucic to be a lot more productive in 2018-19 to provide them with some important secondary scoring.  If he provides a repeat of last year though, questions about his future with the team are only going to intensify.

Key Storyline: Defense was an issue for the Oilers last season as they ranked 25th in goals allowed.  Largely due to their cap situation, GM Peter Chiarelli opted to keep their defense corps intact, hoping that full seasons from Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, and Andrej Sekera would make things better.  That strategy made sense but then Sekera tore his Achilles tendon in training in August, meaning that he’s once again out for the long haul.

With there being limited options left in free agency, Edmonton locked up Jerabek while giving Jason Garrison a tryout deal.  They also may consider starting off first-round pick Evan Bouchard in the NHL but none of these players will be able to log the type of minutes that Sekera can when healthy.

At some point, the Oilers are going to have to make a move.  With Sekera being eligible to start the year on LTIR, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them swing a trade early on.  If not, they’ll have to hope that they can outscore their in-zone struggles until either Sekera returns (which is in question) or when they can find a trade partner to shore up their defensive unit.  The belief is that missing the playoffs won’t be an option if Chiarelli wants to keep his job.  Accordingly, expect him to be aggressive trying to get help for their back end.

Overall Outlook: While Edmonton is returning basically the same roster as last year, there is cause for optimism.  Cam Talbot is expected to rebound from a down season while they should be able to get some more secondary scoring to help support Connor McDavid.  The postseason isn’t a guarantee given how tough the Pacific is shaping up to be but after being an afterthought last year, they’ll be right in the mix this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Florida Panthers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Florida Panthers.

Last Season: 44-30-8 record (96 points), fourth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.9MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Troy Brouwer (free agent, Calgary), F Mike Hoffman (trade with San Jose, via Ottawa), G Michael Hutchinson (free agent, Winnipeg), D Bogdan Kiselevich (free agent, CSKA, KHL)

Key Subtractions: F Connor Brickley (free agent, Nashville), F Radim Vrbata (retirement)

[Related: Panthers Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Mike Hoffman – Aside from the unusual circumstances that saw him dealt twice on the same day (the second of which resulted in a unique protection going into the Erik Karlsson trade), Hoffman landing in Florida was certainly one of the more intriguing offseason additions in terms of overall fit.

The Panthers were already a little above average in terms of their offense and adding a player who has scored over 20 goals in four straight years really gives them an under the radar attack heading into the season.

However, there are a couple of looming questions when it comes to Hoffman as well.  For starters, with Evgeni Dadonov and Jonathan Huberdeau on the left side, the 28-year-old will probably have to shift to the right wing to stay in the top six.  With that in mind, how will he handle the position change?  On top of that, how will he handle going from a focal point of the offense in Ottawa to someone that’s in more of a supporting cast role now?

Assuming he adapts just fine, Hoffman’s addition could very well be what pushes them back into a playoff spot.

Key Storyline: Florida made headlines a couple of years back when they handed James Reimer a five-year contract to serve as an insurance policy behind veteran starter Roberto Luongo.  As it turns out, that wasn’t quite enough insurance which is why they’re going to pay Hutchinson $1.3MM to play in the minors this season.

The Panthers now have three NHL-quality goaltenders at their disposal but will that be enough to patch their way through the season?  Luongo is coming off a campaign in which he posted his best save percentage (.929) since 2003-04 but also only saw action in 35 games.  Considering he only played in 40 the year before and the fact that he’s 39, it’s fair to question if he can carry the load much longer.

That’s where Reimer is supposed to help out but he’s not coming off of the greatest of years, allowing nearly three goals per game (a 2.99 GAA) with a save percentage hovering around the league average (.913).  That’s an okay stat line for a backup but Reimer is supposed to be more than that.  If Luongo gets injured again, can Florida afford to run with Reimer as the starter for more than a short-term basis?

The Panthers have made a lot of moves regarding their goaltending in recent years as they’ve rightfully recognized that Luongo (who still has four years left on his deal) can’t be the 60-game starter he once was.  However, it’s certainly fair to wonder if they’ve done enough to shore up that position.  If not, don’t be surprised if they pursue a rental at some point in the year if the status quo isn’t getting the job done as they won’t want their play between the pipes to hold them back from getting to the postseason.

Overall Outlook: The bad news for Florida is that they’re probably not ready to be in the battle for a top-three spot in the Atlantic.  The good news is that there’s a good chance that no one else in the division beyond that top group is likely to really push for a playoff spot.  They’re in a tier of their own which will place them squarely in the Wild Card race.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Los Angeles Kings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Los Angeles Kings.

Last Season: 45-29-8 record (98 points), fourth in the Pacific Division (lost to Vegas in the first round of the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $4.1MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Ilya Kovalchuk (free agent, SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Key Subtractions: F Andy Andreoff (trade with Tampa Bay), D Christian Folin (free agent, Philadelphia), D Kevin Gravel (free agent, Edmonton), F Torrey Mitchell (free agent, Lausanne, NLA), F Tobias Rieder (free agent, Edmonton)

[Related: Kings Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Dustin Brown – This time one year ago, Brown had lost the captaincy and was viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league.  He was coming off of his fourth straight season where he failed to surpass the 15-goal and 35-point mark which is poor value for someone with a $5.875MM cap hit.

Then last season happened and everything turned for the better.  He went from being a middle-six forward to averaging the second-most ice time for any Los Angeles forward while setting a new career high in points with 61.  Now, even though there are still four years left on his deal, it certainly doesn’t look too bad now.

Is his boost in production a sign of things to come or a one-year aberration?  If it’s the former, the Kings should be able to really bolster their offense with the addition of Kovalchuk and the expected return to health of Jeff Carter.  If he goes back to his previous output though, suddenly there’s an opening on their top line that needs to be filled while they will go back to being a middle of the pack attack.  While his performance last season was a pleasant surprise, it also means that the spotlight is back on him once again.

Key Storyline: Kovalchuk’s NHL retirement that wasn’t really a retirement has come to an end as he has made the jump back to the NHL.  Despite the fact that he’s 35 and hasn’t played an NHL game since 2013, the Kings wasted little time locking him up to a three-year, $18.75MM contract, beating out several other teams in the process.

Clearly, Los Angeles is banking on Kovalchuk stepping in and playing a top role right away.  However, will an adjustment period be required for him to get re-acclimated to playing on the smaller surface?  Early indications are that he should be a key contributor on the power play but as an older player, can he keep up with five-on-five play?  Fortunately, he won’t be counted on to carry a line which should afford him the opportunity to ease into things if he needs to.

Instead of trying to bring in a few players to shore up various parts of their team, the Kings put almost all of their cap space into signing Kovalchuk.  (The $4.1MM figure cited above is with a roster size below the minimum; they’ll be closer to around $2MM once it fills out.)  Did they make the right call by opting to put all of their eggs in one basket?  If not, don’t be surprised to see GM Rob Blake looking for more scoring help as the season progresses.

Overall Outlook: The Pacific Division projects to be quite a tough battle and as a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see that division land both Wild Card spots.  That should bode well for the Kings who likely won’t contend for the division title but should fall squarely into that second tier.  Assuming they stay relatively healthy, they’re in decent shape to make the postseason once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Minnesota Wild

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than a week away, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Minnesota Wild.

Last Season: 45-26-11 record (101 points), third in the Central Division (lost to Winnipeg in the first round of the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $1.77MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Matt Bartkowski (free agent, Calgary), F J.T. Brown (free agent, Anaheim), F Eric Fehr (free agent, San Jose), F Matt Hendricks (free agent, Winnipeg), F Matt Read (free agent, Philadelphia), D Greg Pateryn (free agent, Dallas)

Key Subtractions: F Matt Cullen (free agent, Pittsburgh), F Tyler Ennis (buyout, Toronto), D Kyle Quincey (free agent, HIFK, SM-liiga), F Daniel Winnik (free agent, PTO with Boston)

[Related: Wild Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Eric Staal – Two years ago, Staal’s decision to join Minnesota largely flew under the radar.  His first season in Minnesota was stronger than most expected with 65 points but his follow up was even more surprising; last year, he led the team in scoring with 42 goals and 76 points.

What does he have in store for an encore?  His camp along with new GM Paul Fenton have agreed to put off discussions regarding a possible extension until sometime during the season so it’s clear that Fenton wants to see if this jump in production is at least somewhat sustainable or if he’s going to revert to his level of production towards the end of his time in Carolina.

From the perspective of the Wild, the 33-year-old is a key cog of their attack and they will be counting on him to provide a lot of offense, even if a dip in production is likely.  Around the league, however, eyes will be on Staal to see if he shows that he could still be a top-six producer for a little while yet.  If he plays well again this season, he’ll be one of the top centers eligible to hit the open market if no in-season extension is reached.  Given the demand for quality pivots, a strong showing would put him in line for a nice raise on his current $3.5MM deal.

Key Storyline: When Fenton was brought in to replace Chuck Fletcher as GM, it was expected that he’d quickly put his stamp on a team that, for the most part, has stayed together over the last few years.  Instead, the new manager locked up the core restricted free agents and didn’t do much to the roster outside of adding some more grit in depth roles.

When will that change?  How quickly will Fenton look to make a move to change up the core if the team comes out of the gate slowly?  Minnesota has been viewed as an underachiever over the last couple of years which played a role in Fletcher’s ouster so it’s reasonable to expect that Fenton’s directive is to not be quite as patient.

Their limited cap space may be a factor if they want to make a move early on but Minnesota will be worth watching as they are a team that appears to be a candidate to make a notable in-season trade that shakes up their core group.

Overall Outlook: While Nashville and Winnipeg are the early favorites for the top spots in the Central, the final guaranteed playoff spot appears to be up for grabs.  St. Louis has made some improvements but the rest of the division (the Wild included) stayed fairly quiet over the summer.  Accordingly, Minnesota should contend for that final division spot and if they don’t land it, they will be in the mix for a Wild Card spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Montreal Canadiens

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the NHL season now less than two weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Montreal Canadiens.

Last Season: 29-40-13 record (71 points), sixth in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $7.06MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Joel Armia (trade with Jets), F Max Domi (trade with Coyotes), D Xavier Ouellet (free agency, Detroit), F Matthew Peca (free agency, Tampa Bay), F Tomas Plekanec (free agency, Toronto), F Tomas Tatar (trade with Vegas)

Key Subtractions: F Daniel Carr (free agency, Vegas), F Alex Galchenyuk (trade with Coyotes), F Ales Hemsky (free agency, unsigned), F Max Pacioretty (trade with Vegas), F Logan Shaw (free agent, PTO with Calgary)

[Related: Canadiens Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Carey Price – To put it lightly, last year was not a good one for Price.  He dealt with fatigue issues, a lower-body injury, and a concussion which resulted in him playing in just 49 games.  In those contests, he posted the highest goals-against average and lowest save percentage of his career.

Needless to say, that’s not what the Canadiens were expecting when they inked him to an eight-year, $10.5MM extension back in July, the richest contract given to a goalie in league history.  Montreal committed to Price as their franchise player and instead, he provided a performance comparable to a mediocre backup netminder.

Despite the poor season and Montreal’s anticipated place in the standings this coming season, expectations remain high.  If Price can rebound, the Canadiens should at the very least be out of the basement in the Atlantic but if he falters again, they’ll likely be a cellar-dweller and his contract could become among the worst in the league in a hurry.  Montreal is a pressure-filled market and Price is really going to be under the microscope since the team goes as he goes.

Key Storyline: Montreal’s problems down the middle have been well-documented.  Their short-term solution was to take the winger that they acquired last summer and converted to center and move him back to the wing (Jonathan Drouin) to take another winger that they picked up this summer and convert him to center (Domi).  They also added Peca who has all of 20 games of NHL experience and Plekanec, a capable checker that was in the lineup for most of the season but whose role is likely to be lessened.  That’s not the significant improvement that they needed.

The Canadiens were near the bottom of the league in scoring last season and dealt away arguably their two top pure scoring threats in Galchenyuk and Pacioretty which has left them with a dearth of natural scoring on the wing.  Long story short, how is this team going to score on a regular basis?  There’s a case to be made that they haven’t improved their attack which is going to put even more pressure on Price.

However, this is a young forward group.  Plekanec is the lone one over the age of 29 so they are clearly banking on some internal improvement.  Will some players take a step forward to help replace Galchenyuk and Pacioretty?  If not, two of the biggest issues the team had last season (center play and scoring) will likely hold them back again.

Overall Outlook: Assuming Price rebounds even a little bit, Montreal shouldn’t be battling it out with Ottawa to stay out of the basement in the Atlantic.  However, they will need a lot to go right for them to really get into the mix for a Wild Card spot.  It’s looking like another non-playoff season for the Canadiens although their record shouldn’t be as bad as it was last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: Nashville Predators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now less than two weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the Nashville Predators.

Last Season: 53-18-11 record (117 points), first in the Central Division (lost in the second round of the playoffs to Winnipeg, beat Colorado in the first round)

Remaining Cap Space: $8.73MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Dan Hamhuis (free agent, Dallas)

Key Subtractions: D Alexei Emelin (free agent, Avangard Omsk, KHL), F Mike Fisher (retirement), F Scott Hartnell (free agent, unsigned)

[Related: Predators Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Ryan Johansen – There has justifiably been plenty of talk about all of the team-friendly deals that the Predators have on the books that Johansen’s struggles have largely gone under the radar.  They acquired him midway through 2015-16 with the hope that he would become their number one center.  He hasn’t played poorly but he hasn’t lived up to expectations either.

Johansen is coming off of his lowest output since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, posting 15 goals and 39 assists in 79 games.  Those numbers aren’t terrible but not comparable to many other first line centers in the league and it’s certainly not great value for an $8MM contract.

His play last season also continued what has to be a somewhat concerning trend when it comes to his goal scoring.  In his final two full years in Columbus, he had 59 goals.  In the three seasons since then, he has just 43.  It’s safe to say that they were hoping for closer to 30 per year when they moved core blueliner Seth Jones for him.

With Nashville returning the majority of the roster from last season, they’ll be banking on internal improvements to help them take that next step forward.  Johansen is certainly going to be a key part of that.  Their attack is already pretty strong and if he can return to his form from just a few years ago (at 26, it’s still a realistic possibility), the Preds would become a much tougher team to beat.

Key Storyline: A changing of the guard is coming between the pipes in Nashville.  Pekka Rinne turns 36 in November and is entering the final year of his contract meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in July.  Given his age and higher cost, he’s not going to be part of their long-term plans, even if he does ultimately re-up for another year or two.

Jusse Saros is viewed as their potential goalie of the future and really made a name for himself in the playoffs when Rinne struggled.  Nashville gave him a three-year deal over the summer (another one of those team-friendly contracts) and they may want to see if he’s ready to take on a larger workload.

With that in mind, will they bring their workloads closer to even and make a platoon situation?  Or will they run with Rinne as the lead goalie for one more year?  The Predators don’t have a whole lot of things to watch for this season but whether or not they start to up Saros’ workload in an effort to see if he can be their starter of the future (as early as 2019-20) is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Overall Outlook: Nashville was one of the top teams in the West last season and they’ve given no reason to think they won’t be in 2018-19 with every single core player returning.  So far, they’ve been a popular choice to contend for the Stanley Cup although there’s a pretty good chance they’ll have to get through Winnipeg in the second round to make it that far.  Either way, they’re a contender.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: New Jersey Devils

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the New Jersey Devils.

Last Season: 44-29-9 record (77 points), fourth in the Metropolitan Division (lost in the first round of playoffs to Tampa Bay)

Remaining Cap Space: $18.16MM per CapFriendly (still need to re-sign F Miles Wood)

Key Additions: D Eric Gryba (free agent, Edmonton)

Key Subtractions: F Brian Gibbons (free agent, Anaheim), F Michael Grabner (free agent, Arizona), F Jimmy Hayes (free agent, Pittsburgh), F Patrick Maroon (free agent, St. Louis), D John Moore (free agent, Boston)

[Related: Devils Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Nico Hischier – While winger Taylor Hall will garner most of the attention following his Hart Trophy campaign, Hischier’s progression in his sophomore year will go a long way towards making or breaking New Jersey’s fortunes this coming season.  They’re counting on some of their younger players taking steps forward and the center is certainly at the center of that plan.

The top pick in 2017 held his own down the middle and it wasn’t very long before he was a focal point of their attack.  With Kyle Palmieri missing 20 games due to injury, Hischier actually wound up finishing second on the Devils in scoring with 52 points.

Now with a year of experience under his belt, how will he fare in his sophomore campaign?  While jumping to a point-per-game average may be too much to ask after one season, New Jersey will undoubtedly be hoping that he can get close to the production of a lot of number one pivots around the league (65-70 points).  Expectations are certainly going to be high, especially since they’re coming off a playoff appearance.

Hischier will also be eligible to sign a contract extension in July and a strong showing would go a long way towards bolstering his case if the Devils decide to try to lock him up early.  He has a lot to play for, that’s for sure.

Key Storyline: For the last two years, the Devils have tried to go after a prominent free agent, only to be rebuffed.  Last summer was defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and this past offseason was winger James van Riemsdyk but both opted to join a division rival instead.  This is notable as their decision to stick with their current core wasn’t necessarily their ‘Plan A’ but rather a fall-back option.

It’s clear that there is a desire to add a core contributor to the roster.  They have more than enough salary cap room to add any player around the league without having to match money; that type of flexibility will come in handy especially early in the year.

Will they be able to land the big fish they’ve been seeking?  If so, they could really make things interesting in the division.  If not, they’re going to be right on the borderline of the postseason.

Overall Outlook: New Jersey was one of the bigger surprises last season as not many were expecting them to make it to the playoffs.  The majority of the core remains intact but they are going to be counting on internal growth to improve.  Hischier should be counted on to take on a bigger chunk of the workload but how many others will?  And will Hall pick up where he left off or take a step back?  The answers to those questions will likely determine whether or not the Devils are playing come mid-April.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: New York Islanders

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the New York Islanders.

Last Season: 35-37-10 record (77 points), seventh in the Metropolitan Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $10.56MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Valtteri Filppula (free agent, Philadelphia), F Leo Komarov (free agent, Toronto), F Jan Kovar (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL), F Tom Kuhnhackl (free agent, Pittsburgh), G Robin Lehner (free agent, Buffalo), F Matt Martin (trade with Toronto)

Key Departures: D Brandon Davidson (free agent, PTO with Chicago), D Calvin de Haan (free agent, Carolina), G Jaroslav Halak (free agent, Boston), F Nikolai Kulemin (free agent, Magnitogorsk, KHL), F Shane Prince (free agent, Davos, NLA), F Alan Quine (free agent, Calgary), F John Tavares (free agent, Toronto), F Chris Wagner (free agent, Boston)

[Related: Islanders Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Anders Lee – It’s rare that a 40-goal scorer largely goes under the radar but that’s the case here with Lee.  He potted 40 for the first time in his career and since his name didn’t start with John and end with Tavares, not many people seemed to notice as the focus was squarely on their now-former captain.

Lee also spent a lot of time playing alongside Tavares so with him out of the picture, how might that affect his production?  Sophomore center Mathew Barzal is no slouch and he will likely ascend to the top line now but there’s no guarantee that the duo will be able to find that same level of chemistry.

The 28-year-old also happens to be entering the final year of his contract so teams around the league will be quite intrigued to see if he can repeat that type of output (or at least come close).  A strong season would cement him as one of the top forwards in the 2019 free agent class but if he falters, his value will take a significant dip, especially considering how some other former Tavares linemates have fared since going elsewhere.  These next few months will have a considerable impact on his value which makes him a player to keep an eye on.

Key Storyline: Most teams around the league have tried to gear their rosters towards more speed and skill.  New Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello went a different route this summer, making an already gritty team a lot more physical with the additions of Komarov and Martin while handing tough guy Ross Johnston, a veteran of all of 25 NHL games, a four-year, $4MM contract.

How is that approach going to work?  They’ve lost a lot of skill with Tavares heading to Toronto and have basically brought in depth players to fill their vacancies so it’s clear that they’re hoping that their extra toughness is going to help compensate for that.

It has been a while since a team has had this much physicality in their bottom six group of forwards so how they fare will be worth watching.  If they exceed expectations, other teams will take notice and perhaps there will be a shift towards more physicality.  If not, will their struggles give pause to other teams who may be pondering this strategy?

Overall Outlook: It’s hard to see the Islanders really being in the hunt for the postseason.  They have significant questions in goal and replacing Tavares with more grit probably isn’t going to work out too well for them.  This is a team that’s probably going to be a seller at the trade deadline and as a result, will have some interesting decisions to make with their pending UFAs (a list that includes Lee, Brock Nelson, and Jordan Eberle).  New York already looks fairly different after their offseason activity but there could be many more changes in the next few months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2018-19 Season Primer: New York Rangers

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With the NHL season now just a few weeks away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Next up is a look at the New York Rangers.

Last Season: 34-39-9 record (77 points), eighth in the Metropolitan Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $3.58MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: D Fredrik Claesson (free agent, Ottawa), D Adam McQuaid (trade with Boston)

Key Departures: F David Desharnais (free agent, Omsk, KHL), D Steven Kampfer (trade with Boston), G Ondrej Pavelec (retirement)

[Related: Rangers Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: F Vladislav Namestnikov – It was a tale of two seasons for Namestnikov last year.  He got off to a strong start with Tampa Bay and spent some time on their front line.  It was looking as if he was finally going to establish himself as a legitimate top-six forward and he was positioning himself for a nice long-term deal in the summer.

And then he got traded to New York where that momentum went in the completely opposite direction.  He struggled considerably with his new team and his production plummeted as a result; his 0.21 point-per-game average with the Rangers (in 19 games) was lower than any of his averages with the Lightning.  Instead of securing that long-term pact, Namestnikov wound up having to settle for a second bridge contract.

How will the 25-year-old fare in his first full season in New York?  If he can show that the dip was merely a blip and not a sign of things to come, he can quickly rebuild his value and could very become enticing to other teams around the league as the Rangers continue their rebuild.  If his struggles continue though, he could be dropped down the lineup fairly quickly which will certainly hurt his value around the rest of the NHL and limit his potential for a raise when he hits unrestricted free agency in 2020.  Needless to say, this is a pivotal year for Namestnikov.

Key Storyline: The youth movement appears to be in full effect for New York based on the moves they made towards the trade deadline last season and their inactivity this summer.  As a result, some spots appear to be open for some of their more promising youngsters to push for a full-time spot.  However, there will still be some on the outside looking in.

How will those players be integrated into the lineup?  Are 2017 first rounders Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson going to land top-nine spots right away?  If not, would they be better served off getting top minutes in the minors?  They face a similar question with young netminder Alexander Georgiev.  He’s capable of being the backup to Henrik Lundqvist but with his waiver exemption, he may be better served spending time in the minors where he could see more game action.

They also have some decisions to make on their back end.  Neal Pionk had a big impact after being a late-season recall while Rob O’Gara also fared well.  Tony DeAngelo is only 22 but already is waiver-eligible so he will likely make the roster by default.  Can they find room for the others to play a regular role or will one (or both) of O’Gara and Pionk find themselves back with AHL Hartford?

Although GM Jeff Gorton freed up some roster space through his dealings last season, they’re still facing a situation where some will be starting in the minors.  Accordingly, even though the youth movement will be in effect to start the season, it wouldn’t be surprising if more veterans are moved out leading up to the deadline once again.

Overall Outlook: By punting on last season the way they did when they were still technically in the playoff mix, the Rangers are clearly prepared for some short-term pain and that will be the case in 2018-19.  They have enough talent to be competitive most nights but they’ll still be among the lower teams in the Metropolitan Division this season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top