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Thankful Series 2020-21

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Ottawa Senators

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We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, things are just getting underway. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Senators most thankful for?

Their very promising young core.

There has been pain – plenty of it – in recent years but the rewards are coming.  Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle give them two top wingers to build around while Josh Norris is a key piece down the middle.  Thomas Chabot is already a star on the back end while they have several prospects that are a little further away.  Is there a true superstar among the bunch?  They’re hopeful Stutzle can get there but even not, there is enough high-quality prospect talent to do some damage.  If they’re able to spread out their arrival to the NHL over a few years, it will help them be able to afford to keep their core in place as well.

Who are the Senators most thankful for?

A franchise center and a franchise defenseman are hard to come by.  Ottawa doesn’t have the former just yet but they do have the latter in Chabot.  The 18th-overall pick in 2015 took a couple of years to get to the NHL but since then, he has taken off.  There is still room for growth and as their prospect core graduates to Ottawa and upgrades their back end, it can only be good for Chabot.

He’s also the first player out of their new young core to sign a long-term deal.  Instead of taking a bridge contract, he made a max-term eight-year commitment back in 2019 for an $8MM AAV.  He has been a fixture on their back end since 2017 and will be through 2028 at least.  On the franchise building scorecard, the number one defender spot can be checked off for a long time.

What would the Senators be even more thankful for?

A return to form for Colin White.

Two seasons ago, it appeared as if he was going to be part of that young core up front to build around.  He was coming off of a 41-point effort in 2018-19 and signed a six-year, $28.5MM contract that summer, buying up his remaining RFA years plus two years of UFA eligibility.  Even if he wasn’t their future number one center, he was on his way to being a good second-liner.

Last year, however, he struggled considerably and it has been even worse this season as he has already been scratched twice.  All of a sudden, his contract looks like a considerable overpay.  With their self-imposed financial limitations, they can’t afford to have long-term contracts that they’re not getting any sort of return on.  If White can first work his way back into the lineup and then back into a role of some significance, it would at least allow them to get some value out of this deal and make trading him a somewhat-viable option.

What should be on the Senators’ wish list?

As things stand, Ottawa at least on paper looks to be a team that’s probably going to be selling again.  They have several expiring contracts that they’ve absorbed in recent trades including Derek Stepan, Erik Gudbranson, and Artem Anisimov (acquired back in 2019).  If they wind up going that route, adding more picks and prospects to an already-deep cupboard will be on GM Pierre Dorion’s wish list.  Not every prospect pans out and there will come a time where some will need to be moved for win-now players (similar to what they did with the Matt Murray acquisition).  They’re close to being at a spot where they can transition out of the rebuild but while they’re still in it, they may as well keep adding young assets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Rangers

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We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Rangers most thankful for?

The first-overall pick in the 2020 draft.

The New York Rangers hadn’t picked in the top three since 1966 when they received the second-overall pick in 2019 and drafted Kaapo Kakko. Then suddenly (a team that did get to appear in the opening round of the playoffs this year) found a way to beat the odds and win the first-overall pick in the 2020 draft in Alexis Lafreniere, giving the team two superstar youngsters who they can form their team around.

Like Kaapo, Lafreniere immediately made the team and should develop nicely over the next few years, giving that rebuild quite a boost — and probably making the franchise one of the luckiest in the league in the last couple of years.

Who are the Rangers most thankful for?

Two core players posting big numbers.

The team was able to sign Artemi Panarin last offseason and what a difference he made. Not only did Panarin put up career highs in his first year in New York — 32 goals and 95 points — the forward boosted everyone else around him as well. Mika Zibanejad had a breakout year as well, posting 41 goals and 75 points last year and showing that he was a top-line center when many were beginning to doubt he was. That core made it much easier to slowly integrate Kappo into the lineup and not needing to thrust him into the top six right away, allowing him the time he needed to earn his way there. The same will happen to Lafreniere as well this year. Having some top veterans only will make things easier for the team’s youth movement.

What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?

Continued development of their youngsters.

The team got some impressive performances last year from players like Anthony DeAngelo, Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Filip Chytil and Brett Howden in which they all made significant contributions to the team. That development, including Kakko, must continue to improve this year. The team has to hope that many of their young players can take that next step and become highly productive players this year.

On top of that, the team will have a number of new players ready to step in, including Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller and Julien Gauthier, who all need to take that next step as well.

What should be on the Rangers’ wish list?

Another top-four defenseman.

Of course cap space could keep that from happening, but the team is relying quite a bit on a young defense. Jacob Trouba is solid, while Lindgren and Fox are developing, but what the Rangers really need is a reliable veteran that can help solidify the team’s defense. Whether the team can find a way to pick up a player at the trade deadline (assuming they are playoff bound), the team could use more help on their blueline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New York Islanders

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We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the calendar having now flipped to 2021.

What are the Islanders most thankful for?

Some goaltending stability.

When Jaroslav Halak started to falter towards the end of his tenure with New York (one that had him buried in the minors at one point), there were some patchwork replacements added in Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner (for one year) but neither were viewed as long-term starting options.  Then came Semyon Varlamov in the 2019 offseason on a four-year deal, providing some stability at the position.

They’re certainly also thankful that they were finally able to lure Ilya Sorokin to North America, using the ability to burn his one-year entry-level deal in the bubble to do so.  The 25-year-old has long been viewed as one of the best goalies outside the league and if he lives up to his potential, he could be pushing Varlamov for playing time before long.  All of a sudden, things appear to be set between the pipes.

Who are the Islanders most thankful for?

Center Mathew Barzal.  How could it not be him?  He has been in the league for three years and has led the team in points all three times.  The 23-year-old has quickly become one of the better playmakers in the league despite playing for a team that isn’t exactly an offensive juggernaut.  Getting a player like that in the middle of the first round is a great return on their investment, one that hasn’t cost them a lot financially so far.  That will soon change whenever his next contract gets signed.  While a long-term deal would be desirable from GM Lou Lamoriello’s standpoint, their cap situation would make doing so quite difficult.  Nevertheless, even a bridge deal will cost a pretty penny but the price will be well worth it.

What would the Islanders be even more thankful for?

Beyond getting a contract for Barzal in place?  The Islanders would be thrilled if they could get a similar performance from their back end this season as they did last year but that will be tricky without Devon Toews (a cap casualty that was traded to Colorado) and the injured Johnny Boychuk.  That will put a lot of pressure on youngster Noah Dobson, in particular, for the upcoming season.  He was certainly eased in last year but that is a luxury they can’t afford now; instead, they’re likely hoping for top-four minutes from him most nights.  Barzal adapted quickly to the NHL and became a star almost overnight.  Dobson is taking the slower approach but they’d be quite thankful for Dobson taking more than a step or two forward in his development in 2020-21.

What should be on the Islanders’ wish list?

Cap space.  They need some flexibility even with Boychuk’s eventual LTIR placement and with many teams either capped out or facing budgetary restrictions, this is hardly an ideal market to try and shed salary.  The Isles have several higher-priced veterans that have underperformed since signing their contracts so Lamoriello is going to have to be creative in order to make that happen.  There are plenty of dominoes to fall still (including Barzal’s contract and several PTOs being converted into NHL contracts) so this is certainly something that needs to be addressed quickly.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: New Jersey Devils

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and are firmly in the holiday season. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for as the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Devils most thankful for?

The future down the middle.

While they don’t have the best of rosters on paper and are faced with playing a season in the extremely deep East Division, there is cause for optimism in New Jersey.  Nico Hischier has had some ups and downs but the 2017 top pick is a core piece that’s locked up for the long haul.  Jack Hughes’ rookie season wasn’t the greatest but the expectation remains that he’ll rebound and give them a potent one-two punch that many teams would love to have if they can both reach their potential.  Pavel Zacha continues to show gradual improvement while Michael McLeod has shown flashes of upside in his first NHL stints.  An entirely homegrown center group (all of first-round picks, no less) is something that is rare to see but

Who are the Devils most thankful for?

Given that Hischier and Hughes are their building blocks of the future, either one of them would be a logical choice but that’s too simple.  Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was a full-time NHL player for the first time last season and the results were certainly encouraging.  He posted a goals against average (2.77) and save percentage (.915) that were above the NHL average despite the fact that the Devils allowed the third-most goals in the league and finished in last in the Metropolitan Division by a notable margin.  With Cory Schneider not panning out (and ultimately being bought out), Blackwood gives New Jersey hope that he can be the long-term goalie of the present and future and be another of those core building blocks.

What would the Devils be even more thankful for?

A contract extension for Kyle Palmieri.

While the focus is justifiably on the future, the present still matters and the veteran is one of the more consistent scoring wingers in the league, ranging from 24 to 30 goals in each of the last five seasons.  While the UFA market wasn’t too kind to wingers this year, consistency still matters which will certainly bolster his value if he happens to make it there.  The 29-year-old is in the final season of his deal which carries a $4.65MM AAV and while it’s doubtful that he could command a max-term extension of eight years, he should still be in line for a decent-sized raise.  If this isn’t at the top of the priority list for GM Tom Fitzgerald, it will need to be as if they can’t come to terms on a new deal in the next few months, Palmieri will almost certainly be among the most sought-after players by the trade deadline.

What should be on the Devils’ holiday wish list?

Everything but goaltending which is set with Blackwood and veteran Corey Crawford.  Fitzgerald has added to his back end over the offseason with the pickups of Ryan Murray and Dmitry Kulikov but it’s still a group that could stand to be improved both in terms of adding a top-four option and overall depth.

Up front, New Jersey was just outside of the bottom five in goals scored last season and haven’t done much to improve on that front with the addition of middle-six winger Andreas Johnsson in a cap dump from Toronto.  While this is shaping up to be a season to evaluate some of their younger players, adding a veteran or two to help ease the prospects into those regular roles certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and are firmly in the holiday season. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Predators most thankful for? 

A depressed free agent market.

When the offseason began, it seemed clear that the Predators would be saying goodbye to Mikael Granlund, one of the best forwards available. The team grabbed a few depth players like Brad Richardson, Nick Cousins, and Mark Borowiecki, but looked like they would be mostly relying on internal growth for any improvement next season. Instead, over the last few weeks, the team has been able to re-sign Granlund and add Erik Haula for a grand total of $5.5MM. The no-risk one-year deals are excellent assets for the club whether they have success or not this season. The fact that both players will be motivated to improve their stock is even better.

Who are the Predators most thankful for?

Mattias Ekholm.

A year ago, when he was still earning just $4MM per season, this answer was easily Roman Josi. The Predators captain had one of the most team-friendly deals in the entire league, but that has now disappeared as Josi will carry a cap hit just over $9MM through 2027-28. Sure, he’s still one of the best two-way defensemen in the league and just took home the Norris Trophy after an incredible season, but the excess value he provides has now been slashed dramatically, if not removed entirely.

Ryan Ellis may still provide some with his $6.25MM hit, but it’s Ekholm that really makes the Predators’ cap work at this point. The 30-year-old defenseman will earn just $3.75MM for each of the next two seasons despite still being an upper-echelon option on the back end. Ekholm recorded 33 points in 68 games last season, an 82-game pace that would have given him a shot at his second straight 40+ point season to go along with strong play in his own end. There isn’t a team in the league who wouldn’t take him at his current price, especially given the deal will expire just after he turns 32 and the decline phase really kicks in. Whether the Predators decide to extend Ekholm is a decision for down the line, but right now his might be the most important contract on the books.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

A few more goals from the top of the roster.

13 goals. 14 goals. 15 goals. Those are the 2019-20 totals for Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson, three players that need to be better for the Predators this season. The first two are both carrying long-term cap hits of $8MM per season, making them some of the most expensive forwards in the entire league. 27 goals and 78 points between them is unacceptable and must change for the team to have any real chance of competing for a Stanley Cup. Arvidsson on the other hand is a bit cheaper at $4.25MM, but that’s what made him so valuable in the past when he was posting goal totals of 31, 29, and 34 (in just 58 games!) prior to last year. Now 27, Arvidsson’s return to the 30-goal mark would be a huge boost in Nashville’s quest for a playoff spot in the new Central Division.

What should be on the Predators’ holiday wish list?

Another depth defenseman.

Honestly, even with the top three soaking up so many minutes and Dante Fabbro taking many of the rest, there should be some concern in Nashville about the Predators’ defensive depth. Borowiecki is a beloved teammate and a warrior on the penalty kill, but he’s proven before that he can’t step into a top-four role with any sort of real effectiveness. Matt Benning and Jarred Tinordi don’t offer much upside either, meaning the Predators are just one injury (or, in today’s world, illness) away from having a problem.

There are still some names on the free agent market that could help. Even beyond Sami Vatanen and Travis Hamonic, who seem unlikely fits for one reason or another, veterans like Ron Hainsey or Ben Hutton could make sense. There are certainly others on the trade market that could be acquired, depending on price, but the Predators are toeing a thin line with the group they have right now, even if it is loaded at the top.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is now upon us. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Canadiens most thankful for?

An outlook of a team that is ready to compete for the playoffs for the next few years.

Montreal has been a team that has struggled for the last few years, looking like a team in the middle of a rebuild with struggling players and few young players to put into their lineup. Fast forward to today and the team suddenly is loaded with young talent and suddenly looks like a team ready to compete day in and day out with an eye on the playoffs. The team added some offensive talent in the offseason with the acquisitions of Tyler Toffoli and Josh Anderson to bolster their forward lines.

On top of all of that, the Canadiens showed fans some hope with a solid playoff performance in the bubble during the summer, which included wiping out the Pittsburgh Penguins in the qualifying round and giving the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers a solid run in the first round. All that adds to the belief that the Canadiens are on their way back.

Who are the Canadiens most thankful for?

One of Montreal’s biggest weaknesses was up the middle with little to no quality at the center position with much of the brunt of the load falling on the shoulders of Phillip Danault and now departed Max Domi to control the middle of the ice. However, one reason for optimism was the play of youngsters Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the playoffs. Suzuki had a solid rookie campaign in 2019-20, scoring 13 goals and 41 points, but took his game up a notch during their 10-game playoff run with four goals and seven points, showing he is ready for a full-time role in the top-six next season.

On the other hand, Kotkaniemi, who struggled during the regular season and even found himself demoted to Laval at one point, looked like a different player in the playoffs. The 20-year-old scored just eight points in 36 regular season contests, but scored four goals in the 10-game playoff and showed more confidence and skill. After dominating the Liiga while on loan this season, the center might be ready to take a permanent step into the top-six as well.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

A return to form of Jonathan Drouin.

It’s been three years now since the 25-year-old was brought in at great cost (Mikhail Sergachev) as Drouin was billed as the future of the team, a first-line scorer who would hopefully become the face of the franchise. The then 22-year-old was coming off a 21-goal, 53-point performance and ready to breakout into one of the league’s top players.

Instead, Drouin has struggled in Montreal. While his numbers have been slightly down with a 46-point performance in 2017-18 and a 53-point showing in 2018-19, Drouin hasn’t been able to build on his former success. Last year, things only got worse with wrist and ankle injuries that held him to just 27 games last season. He did return for the playoffs with a goal and seven points in 10 games. The team has to hope that Drouin, who is still young enough, can find his game and become the top-line player the team was hoping for when they traded for him in the first place.

What should be on the Canadiens’ holiday wish list?

Offense.

The team is positioned to have a much-improved season this year and did acquire players like Toffoli and Anderson in the offseason, but the team still has to hope that their offense can prove to be productive. In fact, the offense has quite a few questions.

Can Anderson, who scored just one goal in 26 games last year due to injury, return to form? Can Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher keep posting solid numbers? Can Drouin take the next step? Will Toffoli fit into the Canadiens’ offense easily? Can Kotkaniemi and Suzuki become top-six players immediately? If all that happens, will the third line become more dangerous now?

Montreal looks ready to compete, but despite solid goaltending and an improving blueline, the offense will be the determining factor on how far they can go.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Minnesota Wild

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is now upon us. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Wild most thankful for?

Their talented and deep defense corps.

While Mathew Dumba has been in trade speculation dating back to before the entry draft in large part to the looming expansion draft, he remains with Minnesota.  Ryan Suter remains a top-pairing blueliner while Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin round out their top four.  With the exception of Dumba, they’re all signed for at least the next five years as well.  Carson Soucy established himself as a regular last season as well while Greg Pateryn and Brad Hunt have had successful stints in the NHL in recent years as well.

Of course, having as strong of a back end as they do comes at a price as their $30.98MM combined cap hit is the highest of any defense corps in the league.  But it’s high-priced for a reason as very quietly, Minnesota’s blueline group is among the strongest in the league and will be a big factor in whether they make the playoffs in the West Division.

Who are the Wild most thankful for?

Kirill Kaprizov.

Yes, he hasn’t even played a single game for them yet but he’s listed here for two reasons.  First, they’re likely thrilled that the courting to lure him to North America (a process that began before this site even launched which was back in the 2016 offseason) is finally done after he signed his entry-level deal just before the playoffs began back in the summer.  Second, he has the potential to become one of their top players right away.  Kaprizov has been one of the top players in the KHL the last four years and could very well slide onto Minnesota’s top line almost immediately.  They’ll only get the one cheap year out of him having burned the first season of his entry-level deal in the bubble but at this point, they’re just thankful that after years of waiting, he’s under contract and will be able to make an immediate impact when the season starts next month.

What would the Wild be even more thankful for?

Cam Talbot retaining his form from last season.  After struggling in Edmonton as the starter, he was much better in Calgary as the 1B option behind David Rittich; he remained in that role for most of the year despite outperforming Rittich during the year.  But when it mattered most, the Flames turned to him in the playoffs where he continued to play well, helping to land him a three-year deal back in October.

After Devan Dubnyk’s recent struggles, Wild GM Bill Guerin clearly believes that Talbot is the short-term solution to get things back on track between the pipes.  Unfortunately, the pressure will be a little higher at the beginning of the year with Alex Stalock (who quietly had a strong season as Minnesota’s backup in 2019-20) out indefinitely due to an upper-body injury.  That pushes youngster Kaapo Kahkonen into the backup role but he has a total of five NHL games under his belt.  As a result, a lot will be riding on Talbot’s shoulders early and they will need him to play like he did for Calgary last season.

What should be on the Wild’s holiday wish list?

More scoring help.  While Minnesota was a middle of the pack team in terms of scoring last season, three of their top-eight scorers aren’t there anymore (Eric Staal, Kevin Fiala, and Jason Zucker) while Ryan Donato, who was tied for sixth in goals, is now in San Jose.  In terms of newcomers being added to fold, Marcus Johansson, Nick Bonino, and Nick Bjugstad are all coming off of underwhelming seasons offensively.  On paper, even if Kaprizov lives up to the hype, getting consistent goal production could be a challenge.

The good news for Guerin and the Wild is that they’re one of the few teams that still has some cap room to work with.  While it may not be enough to make a splash (such as going after Mike Hoffman) right away, if they’re able to bank that space early on, they’ll be well-positioned to afford to add a higher-priced addition midseason.  That’s something that can’t be said for many of their divisional counterparts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Los Angeles Kings

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Kings most thankful for?

The draft lottery.

Everyone was obviously focused on the New York Rangers at the 2020 draft lottery, who moved up from the qualification round group all the way to first overall and earned the right to pick Alexis Lafreniere. But there was another winner that night (well, multiple nights), and that was the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings had just the fourth-highest chance at the top pick going into the lottery but managed to move up a few spots into the second slot and had their choice of the field. Though there were some last-minute rumors that they may choose German forward Tim Stuetzle, the Kings eventually settled on the other top Canadian prospect, Quinton Byfield.

Sure, there are still questions that the 6’4″ center needs to answer—he’ll get the chance at the upcoming World Junior tournament—but there is no one that doubts his raw ability. Powerful, dynamic, and with a nose for the back of the net, Byfield reminds many of a player like Evgeni Malkin when he is at his best. While asking for a future Hall of Famer may be a bit much, the Kings are obviously leaping for joy at the thought of penciling Byfield into the lineup for the next decade-plus.

Who are the Kings most thankful for?

Mark Yannetti.

Who? Casual fans may not have heard Yannetti’s name very often (if at all), but he’s been one of the most important people in the Kings organization the last several years. The director of amateur scouting, he has been responsible for turning the Kings prospect pipeline into one of the league’s best, loaded with blue-chippers that will be impact players in the NHL for years to come. Sure, it may be easy to select someone like Byfield with the second pick, but the Kings look like they’ve hit on several other picks further down the draft board.

Kale Clague. Gabriel Vilardi. Jaret Anderson-Dolan. Michael Anderson. Aidan Dudas. Akil Thomas. Rasmus Kupari. Alex Turcotte. Tobias Bjornfot. Arthur Kaliyev. Samuel Fagemo. The list of players that have either already made their NHL debut or look poised to do so before long goes on and on for the Kings. Yannetti—especially now that the Kings parted ways with former AGM Mike Futa, who was also a considerable part of the draft process—is behind it all and will need to continue his work to get Los Angeles back to contender status.

What would the Kings be even more thankful for?

A desperate contender.

There’s a ton of talent coming for the Kings, but the NHL roster is still littered with aging, expensive veterans. In particular, the cap hits of Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, and Jonathan Quick, which each extend past the upcoming season (Quick through 2022-23), are tough pills to work around even if they are all some of the most celebrated players the franchise has known. All three have been thrown around in trade speculation the last few years, but at this point it would likely take a desperate contender to actually eat one of the deals. The asset they’d need to include for another rebuilding team wouldn’t be worth the cap relief at this point, meaning the Kings might just have to wait it out.

Even those three may not be the worst of the worst. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, even for all that they’ve meant to the franchise, are set to carry a combined cap hit of $21MM through the 2023-24 season, with Doughty’s contract extending three more years after that. They’re both legends, but you have to wonder if at some point the team will try to get out from under those contracts and hand the reins to their next wave of talent.

What should be on the Kings’ holiday wish list?

2022 draft picks.

The Kings could surprise some this season, but it’s hard to name them a contender at this point. That means they could be destined for a middling draft pick slot, reducing the chance for another real franchise-changing talent. By 2022, when the draft is absolutely loaded at the top, they could very well be out of the basement entirely. Getting some 2022 picks now might be an interesting strategy for a team that is still several years away from real contention. Like we’ve seen with the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators in recent years, sometimes giving up a future pick can come back to really bite you when it ends up in the lottery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Panthers most thankful for?

The Pittsburgh Penguins front office.

Getting Patric Hornqvist is nice, but the real magic this offseason for Florida was ridding themselves of Mike Matheson’s contract without having to really sweeten the pot. The team moved Matheson and his huge contract up to Pittsburgh after his play had fallen off a cliff, meaning their salary commitments past the 2022-23 season now lie only with Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky. Sure, Matheson might somehow turn his career around, but he is still set to carry a cap hit of $4.875MM through the 2025-26 season, one of the worst anchors in the league at the moment. Even at his best, that deal provides no room for excess value, meaning it’s deadly for a team like the Panthers who are still trying to push into a contention window.

Who are the Panthers most thankful for?

GM Bill Zito.

So far, so good for the new general manager, who has rid the books of some unhealthy cap and landed a few nice short-term bargains over the last few months. Alexander Wennberg agreed to sign a one-year deal in Florida while the team also landed Markus Nutivaara for almost nothing in a trade with his old team. There is certainly a lot more work to be done, but Zito appears to be turning things in the right direction.

The next big test for the executive will come quickly, as after this season Aleksander Barkov is eligible for an extension. With his bargain deal coming to an end after the 2021-22 season, leaving him an unrestricted free agent, Zito has to get to work on a new contract as soon as possible. The face of the franchise, Barkov will still be only 26 when he could potentially hit the market and a target for every team in the league.

What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?

The return of Bobrovsky.

There is not a single thing that could help the Panthers more than a return to form for Bobrovsky, who posted just a .900 in 50 appearances last season. That’s completely unacceptable for a goaltender making $10MM per season, even if the defense in front of him was not up to snuff. That defense should be improved (somewhat), so the excuses will start to run out for the 32-year-old superstar this season if he can’t get back to at least acceptable levels. One of only 22 goaltenders to ever win the Vezina Trophy more than once, Bobrovsky only has himself to blame if that save percentage doesn’t rebound.

If it does though and Bobrovsky can get anywhere close to the .931 that won him the award in 2017, the Panthers would suddenly become a real contender in the new makeshift divisions. Sure, they still have to deal with their state rival in the Tampa Bay Lightning, but perhaps getting away from the other top Atlantic Division teams for a few months will do them some good.

What should be on the Panthers’ holiday wish list?

Goal scoring.

Wennberg is a fine player to bring in as a reclamation project, and Hornqvist will likely improve their net-front powerplay presence, but it’s hard to really expect either player to fill the shoes of Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. The team’s two top goal scorers in 2019-20 became unrestricted free agents and though Hoffman hasn’t actually signed yet, Dadonov inked a deal in Ottawa already. Pulling ~60 goals out of the lineup all at once can be devastating and the Panthers will need to find them elsewhere if they want to compete. Remember the team also traded away Vincent Trocheck at the deadline, removing another one of their best offensive weapons.

Perhaps they can still look outside the organization for a mercenary or two, but the offensive development may have to come from internal sources. There will be more than enough opportunity for a young player like Owen Tippett to show he can fill that goal-scoring role, but nothing is guaranteed at this point. Henrik Borgstrom, another top Panthers prospect, doesn’t even have a contract for the upcoming season yet and is currently in Finland playing with HIFK (or, waiting for the Liiga season to resume, more accurately). If the team doesn’t add firepower and doesn’t get a return to form from Bobrovsky, it could be a long season even with the additions on defense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Who Your Team Is Thankful For: Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 4 Comments

We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Oilers most thankful for?

A team that looks to be deep enough to compete near the top.

The team may have two of the best players in the league (see below), but the biggest problem the team has dealt with over the past few years was their lack of top-six and even top-nine depth to assist those two players. However, while the the Oilers have always had Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, he has finally found a place next to Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto on the second line. That trio was dominant in the second half of the season once the line was put together.

Edmonton also added several veterans to the roster, adding James Neal a year ago, who showed he wasn’t done yet. They then added Tyler Ennis at the trade deadline and signed Kyle Turris this offseason, giving the team quite a bit of veteran depth to fill in gaps in the middle six.

Perhaps the most interesting player to keep an eye on will be former top prospect Jesse Puljujarvi, who finally returned to Edmonton after playing last year in the Liiga after he left the team due to his lack of playing time. The fourth-overall pick from the 2016 draft hasn’t panned out yet, but is only 22 years old and returns to the NHL with plenty of confidence after being one of the top scorers in Finland’s top pro league.

Who are the Oilers most thankful for?

Two Hart Trophy winners in Connor McDavid and now Draisaitl.

Few teams can boast they have one Hart Trophy winner, let alone two and both McDavid and Draisaitl are still so young that they can still get better. McDavid had put together three straight 100-point seasons and would have done that last year (he had 97 points), but the pandemic stopped that streak. Nevertheless, he is one of the best, if not the best player in the NHL.

Now Draisaitl, who dominated in 2018-19 with a 50-goal, 105-point season, posted another impressive year, scoring 45 and leading the league with 110 points in just 71 games. The two finally were split onto separate lines on even strength, but still dominated together on the power play, giving the team the top-ranked power play in the league by a whopping 29.5 percent, more than four percent better than the second place power play team.

Those two players only make it easier for general manager Ken Holland to build a solid team around sooner than later.

What would the Oilers be even more thankful for?

A return to form of Tyson Barrie.

With an injury to Oscar Klefbom that could keep him out for the entirety of the 2020-21 season, Holland went out and inked Barrie to a one-year deal after the once highly-touted blueliner suffered through a disastrous season with the Toronto Maple Leafs a year ago. Toronto brought in Barrie via trade in hopes of shoring up their deficient defense, but the offensive-minded defenseman never fit into the Maple Leafs’ system and even saw his offensive numbers drop like a stone. Barrie was coming off  two straight 14-goal, 50+ point seasons in Colorado, but managed just five goals and 39 points.

However, in Edmonton with a prove-it deal in hand (as well as no Klefbom to take away power play minutes), Barrie should get every opportunity to find his game and return his status as a top offensive defenseman.

What should be on the Oilers holiday wish list?

A goalie upgrade.

If there is one area of weakness in Edmonton, it’s in net. The team is hamstrung under Mikko Koskinen, who is being paid as a starter, but is a tandem goalie at best. The team had hoped to pry Jacob Markstrom away from Vancouver in free agency, but were outbid by the Calgary Flames. Instead of grabbing at another free-agent, the team opted to sign Mike Smith to another one-year deal. However, the team might be better off searching the trade market at some point and fixing that goaltending situation later in the season, depending on the team’s success this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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