Biggest Offseason Priority for Every NHL Team in the 2024 Offseason
The Florida Panthers are the 2023-24 Stanley Cup champions thanks to their 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, finally bringing a conclusion to the longest NHL season ever.
Now that it's over, the league's 32 teams have almost no time to get ready for a frantic offseason week that includes the opening of the buyout window on Thursday, the 2024 NHL draft on Friday and Saturday, and the start of the free-agency signing period on Monday.
The NHL offseason is typically very condensed, but this is extreme even for this league.
It does not give anybody much time to prepare, especially Florida and Edmonton.
So, let's take a quick trip around the NHL and put together a little to-do list for every team to try to help them out.
Anaheim Ducks: Don't Trade Trevor Zegras
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Rather than telling the Ducks what to do, I am going to tell them what not to do.
And what they should not do is trade forward Trevor Zegras.
At least not yet.
They shouldn't even consider it. At least not seriously.
Maybe in time the Ducks will reach a point where a trade is necessary or desirable. They might soon come to realize he isn't a true cornerstone player, or that he's not worth his next contract demands. That is fine. But they are not at that point yet, and even worse, this is not the time to trade Zegras if your goal is maximizing his value as a trade asset.
He is coming off a disappointing and forgettable season that was marred by injury and inconsistency, as well as a stunning lack of production.
His value currently is probably at an all-time low, and if you trade him now, you are selling him for pennies on the dollar.
His contract is not that expensive, the salary cap is not yet a problem for them, and it would make way more sense to give him a fresh start and let him reboost his value back up, or even better, prove he is the building block the Ducks need and want him to be.
Boston Bruins: Improve Center Depth
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The Bruins already made one blockbuster move this offseason by trading goalie Linus Ullmark to Ottawa. It was almost certainly a difficult, but also necessary, move given the salary-cap situation and the pending raise for Jeremy Swayman.
Next on the list of necessary moves is trying to find some sort of impact player at center.
Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha are fine players, and they did a solid job taking over for the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. But solid is not going to get the Bruins to a Stanley Cup and take advantage of what is left of their window to compete.
Stanley Cup-winning teams have bona fide top-line centers who can control the pace of the game and score at a high rate. It is one of the common denominators every championship team has. The Bruins are lacking that, and it is going to be one of their biggest issues until they fix it.
The question is going to be how do they address it?
Sam Reinhart? A trade? Whatever it ends up being, they need something.
Buffalo Sabres: Trade the No. 11 Pick
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I have been pushing this every time I talk about the Sabres offseason, but it really is something they should be aggressively exploring.
The odds of them finding a cornerstone player with the No. 11 pick are relatively low, and they should be feeling immense pressure as an organization to make the playoffs after missing for an NHL record 13th year in a row.
That pick might not have much value to them right now, but it might have value to another team earlier in the stages of a rebuild or a contender that needs to dump some salary-cap space and maybe trade a productive player.
The Sabres need to be going all-in to make the playoffs, and their first-round pick has way more value to them as a trade chip than it does as an actual draft selection.
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Calgary Flames: See If There's a Taker for Jonathan Huberdeau
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Do not let anybody ever tell you that an NHL contract cannot be traded. There is always a way.
We were reminded of that again this week when the Los Angeles Kings found a way to dump Pierre-Luc Dubois' contract.
The No. 1 priority for the Flames this season has to be seeing if there is a way to do the same with Jonathan Huberdeau's contract.
They are clearly on the early stages of a rebuild, and the $10.5 million salary-cap hit for a 31-year-old, one-dimensional forward who is no longer good at that one dimension (offense) is a complete albatross on their cap.
There was maybe some reason to believe Huberdeau might bounce back this season with a new coach, a new system and a fresh start, but it simply did not happen and this might be what they have to expect from him in the coming years.
If they have to eat some salary, if they have to take on another bad contract, if they have to get creative and get other teams involved, they have to figure out a way to move on from this and give everybody involved a fresh start.
Carolina Hurricanes: Find Another Goal Scorer
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The 2023-24 Hurricanes looked an awful lot like every other recent Hurricanes team.
No glaring weaknesses, a relentless forecheck, strong defensively, dominant possession numbers and a wildly successful regular season in which they won a lot of games.
They even won another playoff series and were able to advance to at least the second round.
But they still ran out of steam in the playoffs, and they still need to figure out a way to get more finishers who can turn their territorial edge into goals come playoff time.
Especially since Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen are set to be unrestricted free agents, and Martin Necas appears to be on the trade block as a restricted free agent.
All of that only adds to the urgency to add more offense.
The Hurricanes have a pretty good chunk of salary-cap space entering the offseason (more than $23 million) and need to take advantage of it by adding somebody who can finish.
Re-signing Jake Guentzel is the easiest—and most obvious—option, but whether it is him or somebody else, they need to add somebody who can be an impact scorer.
Chicago Blackhawks: Take an Impact Forward in the Draft
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The Chicago Blackhawks have their franchise cornerstone in Connor Bedard, and he looks like he is going to match the hype based on what we saw from his rookie season.
Now they need to give him somebody to ride shotgun with on the top line for the next decade.
They have an opportunity to do that with the No. 2 overall pick where they should run to the stage and select forward Ivan Demidov.
There is going to be some concern because he is coming from Russia and how long it will take. But as we just saw with the Philadelphia Flyers and Matvei Michkov, those concerns can sometimes be overstated and he could be in North America far sooner than anybody expected.
There is going to be a temptation to take one of the top defensemen in the draft and build your defense around them.
But finding top-line, star-level scorers is a far more difficult task than finding good defensemen, and when you have a chance to take the former, you need to take advantage of it.
The Blackhawks have that opportunity. Take it and run with it and do not make the same mistake teams like Montreal made when it came to passing on Michkov.
Colorado Avalanche: More Forward Depth
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It might sound crazy to suggest the highest-scoring team in the regular season (and playoffs) needs more scoring help, but they could really use a bit more depth around the edges of the roster.
They also don't have a ton of holes they need to address beyond that.
Maybe some goaltending depth, but they seem set with Alexandar Georgiev despite his down year, and perhaps Justus Annunen can make a case for playing time.
The defense remains mostly set with Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Sam Girard leading the top of it, and they have the franchise forwards in Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
But Jonathan Drouin is set to be a free agent after being a steal, nobody knows when or if Valeri Nichushkin will play for the team again, and Gabriel Landeskog's future remains very much in doubt.
The Avalanche did already re-sign Casey Mittelstadt to be their second-line center, but they have some depth questions on the wings that need to be addressed.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Do Not Screw Up Head Coaching Hire
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After another wasted season that was full of disappointment and embarrassment, the Blue Jackets are starting a whole new chapter that will hopefully produce better results.
Don Waddell has taken over as general manager, and one of his first moves was to fire head coach Pascal Vincent after just one season.
It's hard to blame Vincent for all of the issues in Columbus this past year, but he was thrown into a bad spot having to unexpectedly step in on almost no notice at the start of the season.
Columbus' previous head coaching search ended in embarrassment when they tried to give Mike Babcock a second chance, and he blew it so badly that he didn't even get a chance to coach a single practice.
The Blue Jackets need to get this hire right and bring in somebody who can not only help put a competitive team on the ice but also bring some credibility to an organization that desperately needs it.
Dallas Stars: Replenish Forward Depth
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The Dallas Stars had one of the best and deepest teams in the NHL during the 2023-24 season, and even though they could not quite get through to the Stanley Cup Final, they still have an incredibly talented core to build around.
Their window is still very much open, and with as close as they keep getting, they have to like their chances to break through.
That is the good news.
The bad news is they could be losing a lot of that depth this offseason.
Veteran Joe Pavelski has already retired, while Matt Duchene and Craig Smith are set to be unrestricted free agents.
That is potentially a lot of goals walking out the door, and they will need to find a way to replenish that.
They have the core pieces with Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston. Now they just need to work on replacing what they could be losing on the edges.
Detroit Red Wings: Goal Prevention
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The Red Wings are reaching a point where they need to start showing some real progress or there is going to be some serious concern about the plan general manager Steve Yzerman has here.
They scored a lot of goals in 2023-24, but a lot of that was shooting percentage driven and may not repeat itself next season.
Even more concerning is they did not do enough defensively to stop teams, and they have some real issues to address on the blue line and in goal.
The offseason is not off a promising start after they traded defenseman Jake Walman on Tuesday in a pure salary-dump trade.
It's bizarre because Walman was one of the few defenders they could rely on this past season. They still have Jeff Petry and Ben Chiarot on the roster taking up big money, and not enough people to take the load off of Moritz Seider.
Basically, there are still a lot of holes here and a lot of spots that need addressed. But preventing goals has to be high on the list.
Edmonton Oilers: Find More Depth
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You can't really call the 2023-24 season a failure or a disappointment for the Edmonton Oilers.
They were fantastic for most of the regular season, went to the Stanley Cup Final, overcame a 3-0 series deficit and pushed the series to a winner-take-all seventh game where they lost by a single goal.
It was a great year.
But they still fell just a little short, and they have some pretty significant holes that are going to make it difficult to get back here and finish the job.
Depth remains the biggest issue. The Oilers were outscored 21-12 during 5-on-5 play in the playoffs when neither McDavid or Draisaitl were on the ice, and still only have one consistent defense pairing (Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm) they can count on.
Sometimes the playoffs are not about your strengths, but instead all about your weaknesses. The Oilers have to improve their second defense pairing and do more to give McDavid and Draisaitl some more scoring help while they still have them in their prime years.
Florida Panthers: Figure Out How to Keep Sam Reinhart
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This is going to be easier said than done given the salary cap, the number of free agents the Panthers have to deal with, and the fact that Sam Reinhart is coming off a career year.
But if the Panthers can find a way to keep him, they need to explore every possible avenue to make it happen.
From the moment Reinhart arrived in Florida, he reached the potential the Buffalo Sabres thought he had, and everything clicked this season in a magical way that saw him score more than 50 goals and play a central role in a championship team.
He is also a perfect fit for the Panthers' system given his offense, defensive play and all-around two-way ability.
Maybe his success here and the possibility for a Stanley Cup repeat could produce a hometown discount.
Even if it doesn't, the Panthers should want to keep him if it is even remotely possible.
Los Angeles Kings: Get More Goal Scoring
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The Los Angeles Kings are a well-established playoff team at this point, but they have been unable to breakthrough the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.
That has to change, and they are going to need more offense to make it happen.
The Kings' offense completely went in the tank over the second half of the regular season, and they clearly did not have the firepower to keep up with the Edmonton Oilers who eliminated them for the third straight year.
There is a strong foundation here and a good defensive structure in place, and there might even be some hope Darcy Kuemper can rebound in goal with a fresh start and help fill that spot. But if they are going to go from "playoff team" to "contender," they are going to need to add another potential difference-maker at forward.
Jake Guentzel? Steven Stamkos? Sam Reinhart? A trade?
They need something to improve their offense.
Minnesota Wild: Shop Filip Gustavsson
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During the 2022-23 season Gustavsson turned out to be a season-saver for the Wild as he took over the starting goalie job and helped lead them to a playoff spot.
He took a step backward in 2023-24, though, and he could now be a potential trade chip going into the offseason.
And it would make sense.
While Gustavsson's contract ($3.75 million per season over the next two years) is extremely reasonable for a good goalie, the Wild are still in a situation where they need to trim some money due to the salary-cap situation, while they also have some actual goaltending depth that could make a move here sensible.
The Wild are still dealing with more than $15 million in dead money due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts, and that creates a lot of headaches in trying to build a competitive team. Every extra dollar they can find counts, and they need a lot of help elsewhere on the roster.
They also still have veteran Marc-Andre Fleury and a top prospect in Jesper Wallstedt who is getting closer to being NHL-ready.
Montreal Canadiens: Go After Martin Necas
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With the Hurricanes reportedly listening to trade offers on Necas, the Canadiens should be one of the teams making the most aggressive push to acquire him.
Whether it be via trade or continuing their ongoing restricted free-agent feud with the Hurricanes.
Montreal is at a point where it needs to start adding some more significant talent, and Necas would be an ideal fit within the rebuild.
He is the right age (25) to match up with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, and he is also a bona fide top-six winger who would make any team better.
If he truly is available, this is the perfect player for the Canadiens to target. Especially given their draft capital that includes multiple first-round picks over the next two years.
Nashville Predators: Swing for the Fences
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The Predators took a pretty big step forward during the 2023-24 season, and even though it ended with a first-round loss to the Vancouver Canucks, there is reason to believe they might be able to compete with the right moves.
They were a really strong 5-on-5 team this past season (11th in 5-on-5 goal differential and sixth in expected goal share) and still have a couple of high-level players in Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi. They also found Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist still have something left in the tank.
They are entering an offseason in which they have some serious salary-cap flexibility (more than $26 million; and that is before a potential Juuse Saros trade or any other move) and have a ton of draft pick capital to deal from.
They could be an under-the-radar player for some of the NHL's big fish this offseason, and if they have a chance to trade for a Mitch Marner or perhaps sign a Sam Reinhart or Jake Guentzel, they should be all over it.
New Jersey Devils: Sure Up Depth
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Up until about a week the only thing the Devils should have had on their to-do list would have been to upgrade their goaltending.
They did in a potentially significant way by acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames.
With that out of the way, the Devils have already addressed their biggest on-ice need for the 2024-25 season.
That doesn't mean they can sit back and be content with their roster as is. As big of an issue as goaltending was this past season, it was not their only issue.
The Devils have the cornerstone players in place, but they still need to sure up some depth around them, especially after injuries sabotaged a significant part of their season.
They could use more depth at both forward and defense, and they actually still have more than $16 million in salary-cap space to address it.
As disappointing as the 2023-24 season was, their championship window should still be wide open.
New York Islanders: Figure Out What You Are
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The New York Islanders are stuck in the worst possible situation any NHL team (or any professional sports team) can be in.
They are competitive enough that it is going to make ownership and management think the playoffs are within reach, but they have so many flaws and weaknesses that they are not really all that close to being a serious championship team.
They are old. They have some expensive contracts. They can't score.
It's time to figure out what you are as a team and choose a meaningful direction on where you want to go.
If that means starting to tear it down a little and retooling, so be it.
If that means deciding to try to compete, then figure out a way to find some offense that can help you keep up with the true contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Whatever it is, pick it and commit to it. No more half-measures.
New York Rangers: Overhaul the Defense
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This offseason, and how the New York Rangers front office approaches it, will be a great barometer for if they truly understand what they are lacking and what they need to get over the hump for a Stanley Cup.
If they sign a flashy name they can put in lights (like, say, Patrick Kane) that doesn't actually address their needs, then it will be more of the same and the Stanley Cup drought will probably continue.
What they need to do is overhaul a defense that lacks mobility, lacks puck-movers and still does not do a good enough job taking some of the pressure off of their goalie during 5-on-5 play.
It has to start by finding a way to get out from under Jacob Trouba's contract.
He might be their captain, he might be popular among the fanbase for his thunderous hits and personality, but he is simply no longer a productive hockey player and is a major weakness on their defense.
If they go into next season expecting him to play a major role, that flaw will again get exposed against the league's elite teams in the playoffs.
Fix. The. Defense.
Ottawa Senators: Trade from Surplus of Defense
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The Ottawa Senators already took care of perhaps their biggest need this offseason by landing goalie Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins, while also dumping the remaining contract of Joonas Korpisalo after his disappointing debut season with the team.
Improving the goaltending should be a huge boost to a team that was one of the most disappointing in the league.
Next on the list should be trying to improve their forward depth, and they might be able to do that by dealing from their surplus of left-side defenseman that includes Jakob Chychrun, Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson.
Chychrun is the most likely player to be moved, especially as he enters the final year of his contract and might not be likely to re-sign. Coming off one of his best seasons (and his healthiest season) should give his trade value a boost, especially since he still has one more season on a very team-friendly contract (under $5 million per season against the salary cap).
Philadelphia Flyers: Recognize the Window Is Now Open
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The unexpected arrival of Matvei Michkov is the sign that the Flyers' window is now open, and they need to act accordingly.
Their rebuild accelerated enough this past season that they unexpectedly competed for a playoff spot, and now they have a potential star (maybe a superstar) set to make his debut.
The years they have him on an entry-level contract could be significant, and they should try to take advantage of that opportunity by being aggressive this offseason.
One potential trade chip that should be thrown out there is the second of their first-round picks (previously belonging to Florida).
They need to shed some salary (Ryan Johansen is almost certainly gone; find a taker for Cam Atkinson) and when they do, they should be open for business.
Michkov's arrival is the big step. Now go build around him.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Overhaul Forwards and Fix Power Play
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This is kind of a two birds-one stone situation, but the Penguins have some serious work to do with fixing their forward depth and their power play.
Even after missing the playoffs two years in a row, it's pretty clear they are not ready to start a full-scale rebuild, especially with Sidney Crosby still playing at an incredibly high level, but they need to make some changes to get back to the postseason.
The power play, which was one of the NHL's worst during the 2023-24 season, has to be one of the top fixes.
They can do that by addressing some of their forward depth issues, especially as it relates to trying to move on from Reilly Smith and Rickard Rakell and building a deeper, more balanced lineup.
San Jose Sharks: Try to Be Competitive
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That is a very generic and vague objective, but the 2023-24 Sharks were about as bad as an NHL can possibly be.
They can't have a repeat of that.
The good news is all of that losing and embarrassing hockey resulted in them landing the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL draft, which they will almost certainly use to select Macklin Celebrini. They also have the No. 14 overall pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Erik Karlsson trade.
But those are long-term pieces that are still very much unknowns.
The one thing the Sharks have going for them this offseason is a significant amount of salary-cap space, and they can put that to good use to not only try to add talent, but they can also use it to try and buy some draft picks or prospects.
They already did that this week by taking a second-round pick from Detroit to take on the remainder of Jake Walman's contract. It's a win-win for the Sharks because it not only adds to their draft pick haul, but it also gives them a really good NHL player.
They need to make more trades like that.
Seattle Kraken: Find More Goal Scoring
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The Kraken have a pretty big to-do list this offseason, with one of the most important tasks being to figure out what sort of contract extension to give restricted free agent Matty Beniers.
After winning the 2022-23 Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie, and also leading the Kraken to a playoff spot, he hit a big regression this past season and saw his production take a huge step backward.
That was also a common trend across the board for the Kraken as they went from sixth in the NHL all the way down to 29th.
That is obviously not good enough to compete.
Goal scoring and offense has to be the top priority.
A bounce-back year from Beniers will help, but that alone isn't going to be enough to get the Kraken scoring at a playoff level again. They do still have $23 million in salary-cap space and should be able to make some upgrades with that money available.
St. Louis Blues: Do Something About the Defense
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Ever since they lost Alex Pietrangelo and Vince Dunn off of their blue line, the Blues have been one of the worst defensive teams in hockey.
It is a problem.
It has been a problem.
It will continue to be a problem until they shed some of these bad contracts, whether it is Torey Krug, Justin Faulk or Colton Parayko. They have to change something here.
Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Blues have consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in expected goals against during 5-on-5 play, including a 29th ranking during the 2023-24 season.
The only thing that kept their season from being a complete disaster this season was the fact that they received a shockingly strong performance from goalie Jordan Binnington. History indicates that is not likely to repeat itself next season.
The Blues have too much money tied up in defensemen who are not making a difference. And after failing to make changes for the past three years, they have to figure out a way to start making them this offseason.
No contract in the NHL is unmovable.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Upgrade Backup Goalie
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Focusing on the backup goalie might seem weird given the contract status of franchise icon Steven Stamkos, but hear me out on this.
If the Lightning want to keep Stamkos, they will find a way.
I also suspect if they truly wanted to they would have done it by now, so it is possible they have already decided to move on.
Whatever they do there, though, the Lightning are still going to have a strong offense with a number of star players who can carry the scoring.
They also already addressed defensive depth by reacquiring Ryan McDonagh from the Nashville Predators. That is a big need already addressed.
The reason I'm suggesting goalie depth is because they need to give Andrei Vasilevskiy more of a break throughout the season. He has played a ton of hockey over the past five years given all of Tampa Bay's deep playoff runs, as well as the fact that he has been one of the most durable goalies in the league.
But that workload is going to take its toll, especially as he gets older each season. If the Lightning have a more competent backup goalie who can spell him a little more often during the regular season, he might be fresher for the playoffs and not be as worn down.
He had two of the worst playoff showings of his career the past two postseasons, and fatigue might have played a role in that.
Give him some help. Give him a bit of a break.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Find Your Matthew Tkachuk Trade
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This is obviously oversimplifying it, and this suggestion is way easier said than done. There is not always a Matthew Tkachuk floating around out there on the trade market, and certainly not in free agency.
The point here, though, is that the Maple Leafs need to shake something up and make some sort of a bold move.
Two years ago, the Florida Panthers were a Presidents' Trophy-winning team that fell short of its goal and traded a wildly productive member of its core (Jonathan Huberdeau) who was set to enter the final year of his contract for a better, more impactful player who completely changed the core of the team.
The result was back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final and now a championship.
After eight years of postseason underachieving (and, if we are being honest here, regular-season underachieving as well) it is pretty clear this Maple Leafs core is not the answer as currently constructed.
You don't want to give anybody away. You don't want to make a trade for the sake of just making a trade and get back poor value. But you have to at least seriously explore what is out there to change the look and makeup of a core that has mostly accomplished nothing in nearly a decade.
You changed general managers. The head coach has changed. Now you need to make some serious changes to the roster.
Utah Hockey Club: Do Something Bold
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After finally escaping the nightmare that was the Alex Meruelo reign of error in Arizona, Utah has a chance to build a real NHL team.
It has a real ownership situation, a boatload of salary-cap space and some intriguing trade assets that might be able to land them a major piece.
It also has the pressure of trying to win now and build a new fanbase from the ground up.
All of that should be the perfect recipe to try to land a big fish this offseason.
With Logan Cooley and Clayton Keller there is an intriguing core already in place, and now it has an opportunity to build around them.
Vancouver Canucks: Let Nikita Zadorov Walk
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Zadorov was a huge surprise for the Canucks this season, especially in the playoffs, and it could not have been more perfectly timed for him as he was set to enter unrestricted free agency.
And that is kind of why the Canucks should be willing to say, "Thanks for your service, and good luck with your next team."
Zadorov just seems like the type of player who is going to sign a larger contract than everybody expects on the open market, with the team that hands it out then having serious buyer's remorse within the next couple of years.
The Canucks have had a tendency over the years to give out too many of those deals, and after re-signing Filip Hronek to a long-term extension they are probably not in a position to overpay Zadorov.
He provided them a lot. He played well. The Canucks should leave it at that.
Vegas Golden Knights: Consider Trading Shea Theodore
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This is a tricky one because Theodore is an outstanding player and a significant part of the Golden Knights core. He has been there from the beginning, helped win a Stanley Cup and is a bona fide top-pairing defender who does everything well.
But there are a few other things here to consider.
The Golden Knights have almost no salary-cap room and still need to fill out a roster and make some improvements.
He is also entering the final year of his contract and a long-term extension may not be in the cards. Dealing him in the offseason could not only help clear some salary-cap headaches, but it could also bring back a significant return.
The Golden Knights are no strangers to tough moves and blockbuster trades, and they might need to make another big one this offseason.
If not Theodore, William Karlsson is still a player they should look into dealing given his value is probably at an all-time high, he is probably not going to repeat the same shooting percentage he had in 2023-24, and the Golden Knights' center depth chart is already loaded with Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl on the roster.
Some kind of big move is coming here this offseason. It's just a matter of who it involves.
Washington Capitals: More Goaltending
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This might be a literal necessity following the Darcy Kuemper for Pierre-Luc Dubois trade.
As of this writing, the only goalie on the NHL roster is Charlie Lindgren, and while he was a pleasant surprise in 2023-24, he remains an unknown as a full-time starter going into the season.
They have a couple of intriguing goalie prospects in the system (Clay Stevenson, Mitchell Gibson), but they are also very much unknowns.
After making the playoffs in 2023-24, and while Alex Ovechkin is still playing well and chasing Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, there's no way the Capitals are going to throw in the towel on this season.
The playoffs are going to be the goal, if not the expectation, and it's worth wondering if the current goaltending situation is going to be good enough to get them back there.
Preparing to go in with Lindgren as the starter is fine, but a capable backup and strong safety net would be a good thing to have.
Winnipeg Jets: Get Connor Hellebuyck Some Help
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The Winnipeg Jets were one of the bigger surprises in the NHL this season, finishing with 110 points and narrowly missing out on the top spot in the Central Division.
As successful as the season was, there was a smoke-and-mirrors element to it. That was starting goalie Connor Hellebuyck playing like the best goalie in hockey (and also playing a ton of hockey again) and masking a lot of their flaws.
The Jets need to do more to help him because there is no guarantee he plays at that same level again throughout the course of a full season and playoff run.
It is not that the Jets were a bad team in front of him, because that would be overstating it. They were pretty decent. But they did not finish higher than 10th in any major category other than goals against, and that again was primarily due to Hellebuyck's play.
They were 16th in goals scored, 21st on the penalty kill, 22nd on the power play, 10th in expected goals against per 60 minutes and 12th in expected goals share.
Decent. Solid. But not the type of rankings that would lead you to believe this is a 110-point team.
The Jets need more scoring depth, some stronger defense in front of Hellebuyck, and they need to account for the fact that maybe his save percentage might regress next season and he might not stop as many pucks.
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