June 2017 ended the same way as it did 12 months ago. The Pittsburgh Penguins finished on top for the second straight season as Sidney Crosby continues to build his inevitable Hall of Fame resume. Now the offseason is set to begin, and there is plenty to talk about.
The Vegas Golden Knights are days away from building their roster, and that will impact the other teams. Also, the Canadiens and Lightning pulled off a blockbuster trade with a player who had been in trade talks for two seasons.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
Despite another unpredictable playoff scene, the Stanley Cup is not going anywhere. For the first time in nearly two decades, a team has won the cup in back-to-back seasons. Despite Matt Murray not starting a postseason game in 2017 until the Conference Finals, the equation to another championship was similar: let Sidney Crosby bring the Pens to the promised land. As more newfound prospects continue to file into the roster, there is certainly a possibility that Pittsburgh could be a constant Stanley Cup threat even after the Crosby era ends. There are two concerns, however. Can Crosby remain effective despite his handful of concussions? Also, will the Oilers, or any other team, for that matter, figure out how to solve their ways? Three in a row is certainly hard to achieve.
2. Edmonton Oilers
Nashville may have won the Western Conference, but the next true Stanley Cup contender in the Western Conference is in the northern frontier. It took just one year after Connor McDavid was named captain to end the playoff drought and fall one win short of the Western Conference Finals. They will be back. For the first time in a while, the Oilers will focus less on the draft and more on the free agent period.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets
The inevitable happened for Columbus after finishing third in the Metropolitan Division and facing Pittsburgh in the first round. It was a disappointing end to an unexpected start to the season, but they should remain a threat to the Eastern Conference with most of its core returning next season and Pierre-Luc Dubois on rookie watch.
4. Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks finally won a Game 7! Unfortunately, they faltered with the Western Conference Finals tied at two, and the Ducks still have not returned to the Stanley Cup Finals since winning it in 2007. That could change quickly if Rickard Rakell can build off of this season and enter Hart Trophy conversations.
5. Chicago Blackhawks
Last year was tolerable, but this year’s playoff exit was unfathomable. They were swept by the second wild card in the Western Conference and scored just three times in those games. Scott Darling is the most notable loss at the moment, and it is hard to believe this team will drop off next season. After breaking out with 22 goals and 22 assists this season, Richard Panik received a two-year deal to remain with the Blackhawks.
6. Nashville Predators
Welcome to the NHL spotlight, Nashville! The Predators made the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history after an outstanding playoff run. Unfortunately, they fell to the superior Penguins in six. Pekka Rinne, P.K. Subban and Filip Forsberg will get plenty of credit for their leadership, but it may be time to notice Viktor Arvidsson and Colton Sissons. They are the newest forwards to make a heavy impact in both the regular season and the postseason.
7. Ottawa Senators
Like Nashville, Ottawa made plenty of surprises in the playoffs. For those who actually paid attention to them, there were plenty of memories during their run. Erik Karlsson was one of the most dominant players after April, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau has a crazy four-goal game against the Rangers. A lot of questions will revolve around whether they can remain consistent. Also, should the Canadian capital worry about its poor attendance despite the team’s success?
8. Washington Capitals
This year’s postseason may be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Once again, the Capitals have yet to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, and it may be time to figure out how to switch things up so that they can end their curse. That may require trading away Alex Ovechkin for a huge load. If someone bites, then Washington may be considered a top team again, but this team cannot be taken seriously if they cannot follow through on consecutive Presidents Trophy seasons.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
After finishing in the bottom of the league last season, Toronto may be well on their way toward becoming the most threatening market in the NHL. They were unable to solve Washington in the first round of the playoffs, but the future core looks like it is all but concrete, and there should be plenty of free agents looking for a job in Canada’s largest city. Toronto’s Stanley Cup drought could be in danger over the next few seasons.
10. New York Rangers
The Rangers reloaded on younger talent this season, and it resulted in another series win over the Canadiens. It is worth mentioning, however, that Henrik Lundqvist showed signs of declining, and the Rangers may need more than just Antti Raanta to replace the future Hall of Famer.
11. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks wanted to return to the Stanley Cup Final, but the Oilers really wanted to make their presence felt. The veteran-heavy Sharks need to figure out how to remain competitive without blowing the team up. On the bright side, they will now have three division rivals that could help them win, and there are still questions about whether Calgary and Los Angeles are legitimate contenders in the Pacific Division. The direction this team goes in the long run may depend on whether Timo Meier can break out into the top scoring option.
12. Montreal Canadiens
Montreal is once again making headlines with offseason trades. A year after trading away P.K. Subban for Shea Weber, they have now traded away Mikhail Sergachev, the team’s first round selection last season, for Jonathan Drouin. They nearly watched the Subban trade fall apart in front of their own eyes during the postseason, but they are fortunate the Penguins stopped Subban and the Preds in the Stanley Cup Final. Can the Habs capitalize on a player who shook off the bust status just in time?
13. St. Louis Blues
The Blues have solved the first round in consecutive seasons, but they took a step back after becoming the second victim of Nashville’s runaway train. After the season nearly got away from them following Ken Hitchcock’s firing, the pressure is on for the Blues to end their Stanley Cup Finals drought. The question is whether they can find the perfect balance between winning now and building for the future. The Kevin Shattenkirk trade was certainly a step in the right direction.
14. Minnesota Wild
The Wild ripped off the second-longest winning streak of the season, which was only broken because of Columbus’s 16-game winning streak, but that meant nothing in the playoffs. In fact, none of the four teams with at least 10 straight wins this season made it past the first round of the playoffs, but Wild may be in the worst position of them all. They crippled themselves with the Martin Hanzal trade, and it would be asking Devan Dubnyk a lot to repeat his performance from this season.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning
This could turn out to be a fantastic trade for the Lightning. They just gave away Jonathan Drouin, who had been considered a horrible bust until the 2016 postseason, for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev and a conditional second round pick in 2018. This team underachieved mightily as they suffered one too many injuries in 2016-2017. However, Tampa Bay still has the leadership and young talent to remain a constant threat for a long time.
16. Boston Bruins
Bruce Cassidy passed the interim coach test with flying colors, but now he will be relied on to build on this season. The Bruins have perhaps the most mysterious offseason of any team. Do they try grab some more key free agents, or do they trade for younger talent in the hopes of giving David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand a safety net behind them when they are not stuffing four or five points a game? At least the Bruins can feel good knowing they no longer have that “blowing the playoff spot” cloud over their heads.
17. Calgary Flames
If the Calgary fans have anything to say about the continuous rumors of a relocation, then the Flames should have no problems being supported since they have no problems selling out games. President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke, however, did not help the situation when he said they will “just leave” if there is no official arena plan set in motion. In fairness, there is no proof that the rest of the front office agrees with that notion, but Seattle’s recent plan for a renovation of KeyArena does not help the cause. It is time for finalize the Saddledome’s replacement, especially if the Flames can get on the same level as Edmonton.
18. New York Islanders
Another team that is trying to figure out where its future home will be. The Nassau Coliseum is going to be the host of one of the Isles’s preseason games, but the renovated arena now holds just 13,000 fans. That is not nearly big enough to suffice for an NHL franchise. The Belmont Park option is still alive, however. Thomas Greiss got some heavy criticism for liking sensitive, political material on Instagram.
19. Dallas Stars
Las Vegas is about to become very busy, but the Stars have been the busiest out of all the non-playoff teams thus far. Defense was the main reason why Dallas was so bad, so they signed Ben Bishop to be their starting goalie. Add in the fact that the Stars have the third overall pick and can either draft another centerpiece or trade for a star, and their 2015-2016 magic may be returning very soon. Expect them to be much more competitive next season.
20. Philadelphia Flyers
Dallas is in great shape, but so are the Flyers. This season was about as productive as last season minus the late rally for a playoff spot, but they somehow picked up the second pick of the draft following a dreamy lottery. If this year’s draft is anything like the last two, then the Flyers, which already have players that can carry the team to the playoffs, then Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier are primed for a massive year with Philly. That should be more than enough to jump a few teams in the Eastern Conference.
21. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets are getting really close to returning to the postseason, but Patrik Laine will also need to avoid a sophomore slump after an excellent rookie campaign. The focus this offseason will be on defense, especially in between the pipes. Is Connor Hellebuyck really the long term option in goal? If not, then the Jets should probably looks for better options besides Brian Elliott. Elliott showed flashes of greatness late last season, but he crumbled in the playoffs.
22. Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles officially pulled off the dumbest trade in the NHL last season after picking up Ben Bishop at the deadline. They really did not need a backup, and he was mediocre in that role anyway. After two Stanley Cup victories earlier in the decade, the end could be near for the current core.
23. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have slowly inched closer to returning to the playoffs, but the pressure will start to mount now that they have the longest playoff drought in the NHL. With Jake Bean and another draft pick coming up in June, it may be time for Carolina to lock up a playoff spot in 2018. Will Jordan Staal‘s leadership and new goalie Scott Darling be enough?
24. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings are preparing for their first offseason as “rebuilders” since the 1980s, which could be concerning for other teams because of the team’s success in the draft despite no ideal lottery pick. Add in the fact that Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha could be in for huge seasons in 2017-2018, and the Red Wings might not have a very long playoff drought.
25. Florida Panthers
If there is any bright side to a severe drop-off, it is that the Panthers have been wildly inconsistent in recent years. Unfortunately, the unpredictability could work against them in more ways than one. With no likely Florida draft pick expected to be ready by October, it will come down to all the draft picks which were relied on to become superstars. Jonathan Huberdeau, Aaron Ekblad, and Nick Bjugstad have a lot to prove next year, and Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck need to continue their All-Star capabilities in order to make Florida a contender again.
26. Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo gets another top 10 pick in the draft after an underwhelming 2016-2017, and the team has become frustrated with not really coming close to the playoffs. Perhaps the team would have been closer had it not been for Jack Eichel‘s preseason injury, but the team needs to make some sort of progress if they want the former second overall pick to stay. I made a bold prediction in the preseason power rankings for the Sabres, and I may do something similar in October barring a terrible offseason.
27. Arizona Coyotes
Arizona officially hurt their draft position after their hot finish, but the seventh pick of the draft might not be a bust. How much longer does this team experiment with their “young talent” before someone demands success? This team has been one of the more unstable franchises in the NHL since moving to Glendale in 2004, and it is hard to believe things could improve without an official replacement for Gila River Arena.
28. New Jersey Devils
New Jersey struck gold in the lottery. After finishing with the worst point total in the Eastern Conference, the Devils will now pick first in the NHL draft. Obviously they will look for more scoring, but will they follow a similar script if they trade Cory Schneider during the offseason? New Jersey probably should have gotten something from him last season.
29. Colorado Avalanche
Colorado did not trade many players away despite being as far from the playoff picture as Denver is from sea level. If the defense can do anything that resembles a recovery next season, then they might not be as horrible as the predictions unpredictably will portray. The lottery went about as poorly as any team could have imagined. They needed a star after 46 points in 2016-2017, but they will have to wait until three players are off the board.
30. Vancouver Canucks
Colorado has goal scorers, but the defense demolished them. Vancouver is just depressing all-around, and this has been the case for two seasons. Their meltdown helped them move two spots up…because they would have had the seventh pick had Arizona not passed them in April. They had to settle for the fifth pick of the draft for the second straight season after no luck in the lottery. So…when will the Sedins be traded to gain some sort of value in the rebuilding process? Never?
31. Vegas Golden Knights
I hate to break it to the new expansion franchise, but it is hard to find success when you are being prevented from taking eight players from each team in the expansion draft. If they get lucky, they can pick off a surprising goaltender such as Peter Budaj or Michael Hutchinson. They also have the sixth pick in the draft, but it will be hard to find another Matthew Tkachuk and prevent the inaugural season from turning into a “little brother” feeling. At least they do not have to worry about any Stanley Cup curse.