As each team in the NHL does at the end of their season, it’s now time for us to take a look at the questions that burn in the hearts of every GM in the Eastern Conference, and that question is not “What time is my tee time tomorrow?”
Here’s a quick guide to what we think each team needs to do to improve their roster and get themselves over the proverbial hump:
- Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres need to hole up at the bottom of the standings and completely rebuild. They’ve already started this process, amassing draft picks and prospects at the trade deadline in exchange for some of their better veteran players. Provided Ryan Miller becomes the next traded casualty, the Sabres look to be doing their rebuild the right way. Buying out the epic fail that is Ville Leino might not be a bad idea, either.
- Florida Panthers: Drafting Jonathan Huberdeau will amount to nothing unless the Panthers can put a team around him. They could use an improvement at every position, and their problems will not be solved by a quick fix. They own the 2nd overall pick in this year’s draft and they should not trade it, using it only to take the best player available. Seth Jones might look good in a Panthers uniform.
- Tampa Bay Lightning: This team continues to under-perform. GM Stevie Y will not stand for that. He rolled the dice, snagging former Preds backup Anders Lindback, but that move never provided the steady hand that the Lightning needed. Now the Lightning must hope that late season addition Ben Bishop can continue his good play through a full year as the starter. With Guy Boucher’s exit, we’re interested to see what rookie NHL coach John Collins can do with his talented roster, and scoring uber-machine Steven Stamkos. If Yzerman can add some pieces on defense, it could be enough to get TB back in the post season.
- Carolina Hurricanes: It was a shame that stud goalie Cam Ward got injured when he did. The Canes could have made a good run at the Southeast Division lead, but a hot Washington Capitals team, and an upstart Winnipeg Jets squad, along with defensive struggles, doomed this Canes team in the stretch run toward the end of the season. Upgrades on defense are the name of the game, so they don’t repeat as the team with the second worst amount of goals allowed.
- New Jersey Devils: Guess what, Devils fans. Marty Brodeur will not actually play forever, and your back-up isn’t in much better shape. The Devils’ streak of success was more about being in better shape coming out of the lockout than their seemingly dominant play. The two biggest questions that the Devils have are about goals: who will put them in, and who will keep them out? Aside form their franchise and player-for-life, Ilya Kovalchuk, no one seemed able to put the puck in the net after the first few weeks of the season were over. As far as the goaltending situation, backup Johan Hedberg tried hard to anchor his squad in net when legend Marty Brodeur went down with injury. As valiant an effort as it was, he just was not able to perform well enough. That leaves Hall of Fame GM Lou Lammeriello in a major pickle. Devils fans say “In Lou We Trust”, but trust doesn’t stop pucks, and the Devils are going to need someone to do that. I heard Ilya Bryzgalov is available – ha.
- Philadelphia Flyers: GM Paul Holmgren has already burned both of his escape clause amnesty buyouts, releasing cerebral goaltender Bryzgalov and diminutive forward Daniel Briere into the great wide open. Both were admirable moves, but does anyone on staff with the Flyers really expect under-achiever Steve Mason to provide stability in net for a team that changes goalies like many people change their underwear? *Please insert Roberto Luongo trade rumor here.* Not only that, their defensive corps was extremely depleted with Chris Pronger still struggling with post-concussion syndrome, and the departure of Matt Carle. With that said, Holmgren added Mark Streit to their backline, but the changes should not stop there. With free agency coming up, it might be in Holmgren’s best interest to add some depth pieces this summer to shore up a blueline that seems gutted and gutless last year.
- Winnipeg Jets: The Jets surprised a lot of people this season, including this writer. Their hectic travel schedule allowed the team to bond together, and for a few minutes it looked like they were going to walk away with the Southeast Division belt. As great a jump start as they had, they just couldn’t get over the proverbial hump. Secondary scoring is the name of the game here. They may try to move up via trade in the draft, as they currently pick 13th overall. Also of note, the Jets will no longer be a fish out of geographic water after moving to the Western Conference. This could play a big factor on their continued development, as they push towards returning to the post season. Stay tuned, Jets fans. Like many teams, the Jets lack a true franchise defining Centre. They hope Mark Scheifele can be that guy, but finding a stop gap until then should be priority number 1.
- New York Islanders: The Isles surprised everyone in the league, except coach Jack Capuano, by making the playoffs for the first time in years on an amazingly cheap budget. If GM Garth Snow intends to continue this success, the Isles are going to need better goaltending than can be provided by Evgeni Nabokov. His lack of performance at times during their first round series versus the Pittsburgh Penguins went unnoticed because the guy on the other side of the ice was even worse. Will a keeper upgrade bring them the Stanley Cup? Probably not, but the Isles have a better shot at post-season success if Nabokov is not their guy, and an upgrade is acquired. Just ask the San Jose Sharks.
- Ottawa Senators: The Sens are one amazing franchise, and coach Paul MacLean deserves every single laud he can get for guiding his squad to play at top level after being completely decimated by injuries to what seemed like every key player on their roster. Even when all seemed lost when Erik Karlsson went down with an Achilles tendon injury, this squad came together and made the playoffs, even getting passed the Canadiens in a bloodbath of a series. With the impending return of captain Daniel Alfredsson, one of their biggest questions is answered. Will it be enough to make one more run at Lord Stanley’s promised land? Not if they don’t fix their inconsistent scoring. Even with Alfie back, a top 6 winger is the need du jour in Ottawa.
- New York Rangers: A close friend of mine who is new to hockey, made the following observation after watching the Rangers for the first time this season; she said that the game seemed to be mostly played in the Rangers’ end of the ice and Henrik Lundvist is a god. I laughed and said that was pretty much the reason coach John Tortorella got fired. The more we think about it, the more it seems that Alain Vigneault is the better fit for this squad. How will this Rangers squad react? Will Glen Sather be able to get all his RFAs (Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, and Mats Zuccarello)? Will the King relinquish his New York crown and bolt on July 1st, 2014? Will center Brad Richards bounce back under Vigneault? The Rangers may have answered the coaching question, but Sather still has some work to do and many questions to answer.
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Leafs Nation celebrated their squad finally making the playoffs after a decade of basically meaningless hockey. Of course now come the real question; can they build on the taste of the post season they got, taking the Cup finalist Bruins to a game 7? In this writer’s eyes, their biggest question was in their net. It seems that GM Dave Nonis already solved that issue, trading Matt Frattin, a low-end back up (Sorry, Ben Scrivens, but the truth hurts) and a draft pick, for Jonathan Bernier. Whereas most the Leafs-related media has been hanging on to James Reimer’s on-again, off-again heroics, I predict that Bernier not only will win the starting position in net, but he will do it in a way that will make Reimer curl up in a corner and cry, while his uber-hot wife leaves him for Bernier. Look for the Leafs upward trend to continue, especially if they can get some upgrades on defense.
- Boston Bruins: I don’t envy the Bruins position, right now. Sure, they have a promising young defensive corps, but they also have a tremendous list of players who are without contracts. Obviously Tukka Rask will be resigned, and that is GM Peter Chiarelli’s top priority. The Bruins may be able to get through without using their buyouts, though. The biggest issue for the Bruins right now is deciding who stays and who goes. The status of Nathan Horton is one particularly big question as he becomes an unrest
- Washington Capitals: As soon as Alex Ovechkin figured out how to play on the off wing, and Braden Holtby returned to dominance, the Capitals were able to get some sustained success, lofting themselves into the playoffs. A lot of that scoring dried up, and Holtby ended up looking positively arrogantly aggressive in net at times, during their first round series against the Rangers. Holtby is young, though, and it seems that Ovechkin has regained some of his joy for the game. The Caps, however, need some depth pieces at defense, and possibly some more locker room leadership, if they are going to finally bring home a Stanley Cup.
- Montreal Canadiens: The Habs have already jettisoned one of their biggest issues by buying out Scott Gomez. However, one must question whether Carey Price can backstop the Canadiens to post season success. His play has been inconsistent at times, but he’s their guy, and I get that. The blame for the Habs post-season failure should not be solely his responsibility, though. The team defense seemed to crap the proverbial bed during the first round. Scoring is not an issue, as it seems that the young forward corps, anchored by Alex Galchenyuk, has been growing into its own. However, these are not the days of the 90s Penguins, where scoring won championships. In today’s game, it’s defense that is king. The Habs must add a shutdown defender if they are to take the next step as PK Subban can not do it alone.
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Speaking of team wide defensive failures, the Penguins seem to be pretenders rather than contenders. Their team defense after Brooks Orpik and Kris Letang, left a lot to be desired in the playoffs. GM Ray Shero stacked his team offensively, adding rental players Jarome Iginla and Brenden Morrow at the deadline. I will be very surprised if either is re-signed, since neither one was able to push the Pens back to the finals. Also, the goaltending situation in Pittsburgh is more of train wreck than anyone is willing to admit. Headcase netminder Marc-Andre Fleury nearly caused a first round ouster to the upstart Islanders. Tomas Vokoun provided a steady hand through the second round, but simply could not make up for the entire Pens defense making mistake after mistake against a high octane Bruins side. Fleury should be bought out, but won’t be, leaving the biggest questions being goaltending (which Fleury will show up next year?) and defense (how will the Pens upgrade their defensive corps, when they look to be riding close to the cap?). These are not questions a contender should have.
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