NHL Eastern Conference team-by-team previews
ATLANTIC DIVISION
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
2015-16 record: 46-31-5, 97 points, 2nd place
Key newcomers: F Jeremy Morin
Key departures: D Matt Carle
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 7-1
The Skinny: The Lightning are getting really close to winning a second Stanley Cup and the team spent a lot of money to keep its most valuable assets locked up for a while. Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman were the two biggest to re-up and Tampa Bay is strong up the middle, starting in goal with the tandem of Andrei Vasilesvskiy and Ben Bishop. A healthy Tyler Johnson will be critical and it appears Jonathan Drouin is happy to be with the Bolts and that will make coach John Cooper’s job easier. Don’t be surprised if GM Steve Yzerman ships one of the goalies, most likely Bishop, at some point to avoid losing either of them to Las Vegas in the expansion draft.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
2015-16 record: 47-26-9, 103 points, 1st place
Key newcomers: G James Reimer, D Keith Yandle, F Jared McCann
Key departures: D Erik Gudbranson, D Bryan Campbell, F Teddy Purcell
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 20-1
The Skinny: The Florida Comeback was one of the NHL’s best stories last year as then-GM Dale Tallon built a team with skill, speed and grit and coach Gerard Gallant handled things beautifully, starting with the way he used future Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr, who led the team in scoring with 66 points despite being 43 years old. Jagr’s back. So are center Alexsander Barkov, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and veteran goalie Roberto Luongo. Home attendance was up by 4,000 a game and the team isn’t going anywhere after agreeing to an extension with Broward County. But will the front office shakeup that saw Tallon kicked upstairs and Tom Rowe taking on the new GM duties have a trickle-down negative impact? Probably not but the Panthers, despite their new-look logo, won’t be surprising people anymore. Teams will be ready for them.
BOSTON BRUINS
2015-16 record: 42-31-9, 93 points, Tie 3rd place
Key newcomers: C David Backes, D Alex Grant, F Riley Nash
Key departures: F Loui Eriksson, D Dennis Seidenberg, F Le Stempniak
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 30-1
The Skinny: The pressure’s on for the Bruins to return to the postseason after missing out the last two seasons. Coach Claude Julien shook up his staff in the off-season and he knows his head will be next if his players fail to deliver. Bringing in David Backes and resigning forward Brad Marchand to a long-term deal were positive steps and if Marchand can carry his play from the World Cup of Hockey into the regular season, Boston will be better position to make plans for the playoffs. Tuuka Rask has a good defense in front of him with veteran Zdeno Chara still serviceable and Torey Krug a rising star. Up front, David Krejci, Patrice Bergeron, Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak join Marchand and Backes to give the Bruins enough scoring to get back to the playoffs and keep Julien employed.
DETROIT RED WINGS
2015-16 record: 41-30-11, 93 points, Tie 3rd place
Key newcomers: C Frans Neilsen, F Thomas Vanek
Key departures: C Pavel Datsyuk, C Brad Richards
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 40-1
The Skinny: It’s going to be an interesting year in Motown. It’s the final season playing at Joe Louis Arena as the Red Wings will move into the Little Ceasars Arena next season. The youngsters who were on the roster last year gained valuable experience and Jimmy Howard will look to reclaim the net from Petr Mrazek. But Detroit needs to find more scoring after finishing 23rd in offense (2.55 GPG). Acquiring Frans Neilsen from the Islanders can help there. Neilsen is an excellent two-way player and adding him to Justin Abdelkader, Henrik Zetterberg, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar and Niklas Kronwell should give the attack some more firepower. If not, look for GM Ken Holland, one of the best in the business, to make a couple of moves to find more scoring.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
2015-16 record: 38-38-6, 82 points, 6th place
Key newcomers: D Shea Weber, F Andrew Shaw, F Alexander Radulov
Key departures: D P.K. Subban, C Lars Eller
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 16-1
The Skinny: If you thought there’s pressure on the Bruins to make it back to the playoffs, magnify that by, oh, 100 times, and you have the Canadiens, who shipped popular defenseman P.K. Subban to Nashville for all-star D Shea Weber. How that trade works out along with the health of G Carey Price’s knees will likely determine Montreal’s fate and that of GM Marc Bergevin and coach Michel Therrien. Price looked strong for Team Canada in leading it to the gold medal at the World Cup and if he is all the way back, that’s huge. There’s room on the roster for some of the Canadiens’ top young players and that may mean the fans will have to be a little bit patient. Good luck with that.
BUFFALO SABRES
2015-16 record: 35-36-11, 81 points, 7th place
Key newcomers: F Kyle Okposo, G Anders Nilsson, D Dmitry Kulikov
Key departures: C David Legwand, C Cody McCormick, G Chad Johnson
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 60-1
The Skinny: The young Sabres are moving in the right direction as GM Tim Murray continues to draft well along with making smart trades and convincing free agents to look at playing in Buffalo. Getting FA winger Kyle Okposo and his hard-nosed edge and ability to find the net was huge and Jack Eichel proved he was worthy of the hype. Ryan O’Reilly led the team with 60 points last season and he is only going to get better. The net is the big question mark and is Robin Lehner over his ankle surgery which limited him to just 21 games last year? If he can’t stand tall, it could impede Buffalo’s progress.
OTTAWA SENATORS
2015-16 record: 38-35-9, 85 points, 5th place
Key newcomers: C Derick Brassard
Key departures: D Chris Phillips, F Alex Chiasson
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 60-1
The Skinny: For a team that has good goaltending in Craig Anderson and Andrew Hammond, the Senators sure give up a lot of goals. Ottawa was 26th in defense last year, giving up nearly three goals a game. That needs to improve if it wants to make the playoffs. It means getting the rest of the defense corps to raise their game and join all-star and three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who is a marvelous player. Guy Boucher, who used to coach Tampa Bay and most recently was in Europe, is the Sens’ new boss and perhaps he can light a fire under some of his underachieving guys, like D Dion Phaneuf.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
2015-16 record: 29-42-11, 69 points, 8th place
Key newcomers: C Auston Matthews, G Frederik Andersen
Key departures: F P.A. Parenteau, G Jonathan Bernier
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 60-1
The Skinny: The rebuild continues as president Brendan Shanahan, G.M. Lou Lamoriello and coach Mike Babcock put their brilliant hockey minds together to restore the Leafs to their former glory, or, at least, make them competitive. Landing Matthews with the first overall pick looks like it’s going to be a winner as he performed great for team North America at the World Cup. He’s the real deal. Morgan Rielly is a rising star on the blueline and if Babcock can continue to shave the number of goals his team gives up, Toronto will move forward. The hope is Frederik Andersen, who was acquired from Anaheim and will be the Leafs’ No. 1 goalie, can keep the puck out of the net.
METROPOLITAN DIVISION
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
2015-16 record: 56-18-8, 120 points, 1st place
Key newcomers: C Lars Eller, F Brett Connolly
Key departures: F Jason Chimera, C Mike Richards
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 8-1
The Skinny: Just because you dominated in the regular season doesn’t mean you can do it in the postseason. The Caps found that out the hard way as they were ousted in the Eastern Conference semifinals by eventual Stanley Cup champ Pittsburgh. Coach Barry Trotz, who won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach last year, will have virtually the same lineup that posted 120 points in winning the Presidents Trophy. But can Alex Ovechkin reach 50 goals again when every team is trying to stop him? Can defenseman John Carlson stay healthy after an ankle injury limited him to just 56 games a year ago? Braden Holtby won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender and he will be the man in the net. For the Caps, it’s about playing into late June and winning a Stanley Cup. That’s a lot of pressure.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
2015-16 record: 48-26-8, 104 points, 2nd place
Key newcomers: None
Key departures: D Ben Lovejoy
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 8-1
The Skinny: What a story the Penguins wrote last year, going from struggling to make the playoffs in December to raising the Stanley Cup in June. When Sidney Crosby started to find his mojo in mid-January, the Penguins took off. Crosby was MVP of the recent World Cup of Hockey and he’s the game’s top player. All the usual suspects are back with Evgeni Malkin, the HBK Line of Carl Hagelin, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel, defenseman Kris Letang and goalie Matt Murray, who was in net when the Penguins won the Cup but will miss the first couple of weeks after breaking his finger during the World Cup. But veteran Marc-Andre Fleury will fill in with no problem and it keeps Pittsburgh strong up the middle. Coach Mike Sullivan who was hired in December, had the entire offseason to strategize and get ready to defend the Cup. They figure to be in the Cup conversation when the playoffs begin in April and it wouldn’t be a shock to see Crosby get the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman again in June.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
2015-16 record: 45-27-10, 100 points, 4th place
Key newcomers: F Andrew Ladd, D Dennis Seitenberg
Key departures: F Kyle Okposo, F Frans Nielsen, F Matt Martin
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 30-1
The Skinny: Having won a playoff series for the first time since 1993 and having adjusted to their new home in Brooklyn, it’s time for the Islanders to take the next logical step. It all revolves around all-star center John Tavares who has proven to be one of the top players in the NHL and the cornerstone for the franchise. The question marks are whether goalie Jaroslav Halak can stay healthy, can Ladd be the sidekick Tavares has been looking for and can some of the young talent the team has been nurturing in its AHL affiliate in Bridgeport step up and contribute. They will miss Nielsen’s two-way play, Okposo’s knack for scoring dirty goals and Martin’s toughness playing with Casey Cizekas and Cal Clutterbuck in what was the best fourth line in hockey.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
2015-16 record: 41-27-14, 96 points, 5th place
Key newcomers: D Ivan Provorov, C Travis Konecny
Key departures: D Evgeny Medvedev
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 30-1
The Skinny: The Flyers didn’t know their playoff fate until the final days of the season. But they got in and it should provide plenty of incentive to return. Dave Hakstol came from the college ranks at North Dakota and did an exceptional job in his first year as an NHL coach. Defensively, there’s a nice blend of veterans (Mark Streit and Andrew MacDonald) and youth (Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov) while Claude Giroux (22 goals, 67 points), Wayne Simmonds (32 goals, 60 points) and Brayden Schenn (26 goals, 59 points) will be the main offensive threats. Philadelphia has the talent to move forward and maybe win a first-round playoff series.
NEW YORK RANGERS
2015-16 record: 46-27-9, 101 points, 3rd place
Key newcomers: F Jimmy Vesey, C Mika Zibenejad, F Michael Grabner
Key departures: C Derick Brassard, D Keith Yandle, C Eric Staal
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 25-1
The Skinny: The clock is ticking on this veteran team and general manager Jeff Gorton is trying to make his roster younger. The Rangers won the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes over the summer and the rookie forward looks like he can play at the NHL level right now. Zibenejad, who the Rangers acquired from Ottawa for Brassard, is only 23. But it’s the older players’ productivity that should be of concern to Ranger fans. Henrik Lundqvist will be 35 in March and he may not be able to shoulder the load as in previous seaons. Perhaps backup Antti Raanta will be able to give King Henrik more breaks during the regular season. Forward Rick Nash has to be better than just 15 goals and the 31-year-old needs a bounce-back year. Look for center Derek Stepan and forward J.T. Miller to both to have a big year after each scored 22 goals in 2015-16.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
2015-16 record: 38-36-8, 84 points, 7th place
Key newcomers: F Taylor Hall, D Ben Lovejoy
Key departures: D Adam Larsson
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 80-1
The Skinny: Devils GM Ray Shero may have pulled off one of the biggest heists of the offseason when he acquired Hall from Edmonton for Larsson in June. Hall is extremely talented and an all-star. He gives New Jersey a go-to guy on offense. Adam Henrique scored 30 goals last season as did Kyle Palmieri. So the offense, which was last in the NHL a year ago, should improve. The Devils are solid in goal with veteran Corey Schneider and if they can tighten things up defensively and get the puck quicker to their forwards, things should improve at the Prudential Center.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
2015-16 record: 34-40-8, 76 points, 8th place
Key newcomers: C Pierre-Luc Dubois, D Scott Harrington
Key departures: F Jared Boll. D Fedor Tyutin
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 40-1
The Skinny: The Jackets were next to last in defense last season, allowing more than three goals a game. Only Calgary was worse. So if coach John Tortorella hopes to move this team forward, he better find a way to tighten things up on his blueline. Having the young and talented Seth Jones is a good start and along with Ryan Murray and Zach Werenski, should provide a good nucleus. Up front, Pierre-Luc Dubois, the team’s No. 1 pick in last June’s draft, will have every opportunity to make the team. He would join a group of snipers that includes Brandon Saad, Boone Jenner and Cam Atkinson, who combined for 88 goals. Columbus has to hope goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky regains the form that won him the Vezina Trophy in 2013. He struggled last year with a save percentage of just .908.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
2015-16 record: 35-21-16, 86 points, 6th place
Key newcomers: F Lee Stempniak, F Teuvo Teravainen, F Bryan Bickell
Key departures: C Riley Nash
Odds to win Stanley Cup: 200-1
The Skinny: There’s not a lack of talent in Raleigh, but more like a lack of depth. If someone key goes down, there’s a noticeable dropoff with his replacement. So second-year coach Bill Peters better hope his top guys stay healthy. Cam Ward remains solid in goal, and the addition of Stempniak and Teravainen should boost the offense, which was 27th in the NHL last year. But while GM Ron Francis was given an extension, time may be running out for owner Peter Karmanos to keep the team or sell to the Quebecor group which will move it to Quebec City. That kind of uncertainty is not healthy for any franchise, particuarly one that is struggling on the ice at the moment.
Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj.
