One Major Problem Each NHL Team Still Must Address This Summer

Once the offseason begins for each team, general managers have to come up with a game plan that a team can use to address its situation throughout the summer.

The draft represents one avenue to infuse a team with youth and talent, but it almost always takes significant time for draftees to develop. Free agency also represents a key method of improvement, but if your team does not add one or two game-changing stars, its impact may be small.

Here’s a look at one problem each team still need to address before the start of the season

Anaheim Ducks

While not quite as infamous as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ desire to trade Rick Nash, the Ducks have been looking to trade high-scoring forward Bobby Ryan for most of the summer.

The Ducks have several areas of need, and while Ryan is unhappy with Ducks management for mentioning his name on the trade market, trading him will create additional problems. Ryan can put the puck in the net and if he goes, the Ducks are likely going to need another goal scorer.

The Ducks got good news when they re-signed Teemu Selanne, but his presence along with Saku Koivu means that the Ducks can use an infusion of young talent and depth.

Boston Bruins

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli is relatively happy with the state of the Bruins’ roster. The Bruins have been among the least active teams in free agency in the offseason and they have had little free-agent activity.

The team took a blow when goalie Tim Thomas shockingly decided to take a year off from hockey and turn the goaltending chores over to Tuukka Rask. While Rask performed very well in playing for an injured Thomas during the 2009-10 season, he struggled during his opportunities during the past two seasons.

Rask’s backup Anton Khudobin may or may not be able to do the job. Keep your eye on the Bruins goaltending situation.

Buffalo Sabres

One of the issues that the Sabres have tried to address in the offseason is a lack of grit and toughness. They have addressed that need—at least somewhat—with the trade of skilled center Derek Roy to Dallas for hard-edged Steve Ott.

The Sabres are no longer the highly skilled team they have been for many years, but if they are going to get back to a place where they can compete with the better teams in the Eastern Conference, they are going to need higher-quality players at the center position.

Calgary Flames

The Flames have failed to make the playoffs for the last three seasons and have not won a playoff series since the 2003-04 season when they reached the Stanley Cup Finals.

Since then, the Flames have become just another team with few distinguishing characteristics. They have a solid and classy superstar in Jarome Iginla, but the Flames lack fire and depth.

They are good enough to compete for a bottom-tier playoff spot in the West, but it’s unlikely they could rise above seventh or eighth place—and that’s in a best-case scenario.

The Flames need a new philosophy and a complete makeover. General manager Jay Feaster has been hesitant to make major changes and the team appears to be stuck in a “Ground Hog’s Day” scenario.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes made a bold and startling move when they acquired Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Penguins on the eve of the draft to play with brother Eric Staal. The move gives the Hurricanes far more strength at center, and that position was solidified when the former Penguins signed a 10-year, $60 million contract.

The Hurricanes still can use quite a bit of help on the goal-scoring front. They scored 213 goals last year and only two Eastern Conference teams scored fewer goals. Bringing in a high-scoring winger would help the Hurricanes climb the ladder and make a legitimate attempt at a playoff spot.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have all but run out of good will following their 2010 Stanley Cup run. General manager Stan Bowman knows the fans want more after two consecutive first-round playoff defeats.

The biggest thing the Blackhawks need is total dedication from potential superstar and former No. 1 draft pick Patrick Kane.

While Kane has scored 30 goals in his career, he has only done it once and the Blackhawks need more consistency from him. Kane has embarrassed the team with a drunken episode earlier this offseason and he has apologized for it.

The Blackhawks also need much improved play in goal. Corey Crawford plays with effort and may be a strong No. 2 goalie, but there are questions about his ability to be a No. 1 goalie.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche brought in solid P.A. Parenteau from the New York Islanders to improve their offense in general and the power play in particular. He understands how to get open and how to get his shot away quickly.

However, the offense still needs to improve quite a bit and the Avs need a bounce-back season from Matt Duchene. The Avs play hard and were close to a playoff spot, but they appear to be a long way from competing with Western Conference elite. In addition to scoring, they could use toughness and more of an edge.

Columbus Blue Jackets

There is no one area of need for the Blue Jackets. They were the worst team in hockey last season and they are desperately trying to trade Rick Nash so they can get in a serious rebuilding mode.

However, general manager Scott Howson wants to get as much value for Nash as possible. That’s understandable, but the length of the time it’s taking for this move to happen—and it hasn’t occurred yet—creates the impression of incompetence in the Blue Jackets’ front office.

Even though the Blue Jackets acquired Sergei Bobrovsky from Philadelphia, there’s no reason to think that the team has addressed its goaltending needs. The Blue Jackets need help on defense after giving up a league-worst 262 goals in 2011-12.

Dallas Stars

The Stars have been trying to improve their skill level during the offseason since they had a dreadful power play last year. They traded for Derek Roy and they have added Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney. These moves should make the power play far more explosive than it was a year ago.

However, they have also gotten significantly older. Nagging injuries to Jagr or Whitney could create havoc for the team. Does the loss of Steve Ott mean this team is vulnerable to physical play? That’s a distinct possibility.

Detroit Red Wings

It’s been a difficult offseason for Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. The inevitable happened shortly after the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Nashville Predators when future Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom finally retired.

The Red Wings thought they had a chance to replace Lidstrom by signing free-agent Ryan Suter, but the Nashville defenseman inked a deal with the Minnesota Wild. The Red Wings need a big-time, front-line defenseman who can mitigate the loss of Lidstrom.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton Oilers

The pressure is palpable in Edmonton. This is a team that is going to have to make a jump up in the standings because they have done nothing but stockpile explosive offensive talent in recent years.

With names like Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and now Nail Yakupov coming in the draft, the Oilers have a chance to create something of an offensive juggernaut.

The Oilers have some veteran leadership thanks to Ryan Smyth, but they need more of it. Bringing in another veteran forward along with veteran skilled players on defense are a necessity.

Florida Panthers

In general, Dale Tallon has the Panthers on the upswing after the team won the Southeast Division title last year.

In addition to making the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Panthers have solid young talent in Jonathan Huberdeau, Jakub Markstrom and Nick Bjugstad. So the future looks good as well.

For the short term, the Panthers can use quite a bit of help on defense. The loss of Jason Garrison to the Vancouver Canucks hurts and they need more skill level on the blue line.

Los Angeles Kings

The defending Stanley Cup champions earned the final spot in the Western Conference playoff and then put on a memorable run to defeat the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes and New Jersey Devils to take the first championship in team history.

However, this is not a perfect team. The defense looks strong for the present and foreseeable future. The acquisition of Jeff Carter gave them a more productive offense, but the Kings could still use help up front and adding one more scorer will help them in their goal to repeat their championship.

Minnesota Wild

Give the Wild the best grade in the class for their offseason activity. Bringing in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter makes this team significantly stronger and they should be a playoff team as a result.

However, the goal is not to make the playoffs. The goal is much more than that. In order to become a formidable team, the Wild need more offense. They were the lowest scoring team in the league with 177 goals.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens have new leadership in the front with Marc Bergevin and new/old leadership behind the bench in Michel Therrien. This is Therrien’s second stint as the Canadiens’ head coach.

The Canadiens were the Eastern Conference’s last place team a year ago, so there is much work to do. They have added some toughness and hustle with the acquisitions of Brandon Prust and Francis Bouillon, but the skill level is not that high.

The Canadiens could use help in a lot of areas, but finding a big-time goal scorer would help re-ignite the team’s passionate fans.

Nashville Predators

How about an infusion of confidence. Is any team more depressed than the Preds right now? They lost elite defenseman Ryan Suter to the Minnesota Wild and Shea Weber has signed a huge offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. General manager David Poile’s self-pity following the Suter departure has been pathetic.

The feeling one gets regarding the Preds is that the stars are now leaving a sinking ship. They need a big signing or trade to stop the “woe is me” attitude.

New Jersey Devils

It’s been a rough offseason for the Eastern Conference champions. After beating the Rangers in six games to earn a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals, they got beaten by a better team in the Los Angeles Kings.

As soon as the sixth and final game was played in that series, the drum beat regarding Zach Parise’s future got louder and louder. While he initially said he did not want to play for the rival New York Rangers, the damage was done when he signed to play with the Minnesota Wild.

The Devils have to make up for his goal scoring, hustle, drive and skating. That’s not going to happen overnight and New Jersey seems destined to sink in the standings.

New York Islanders

The Islanders have formidable competition to overcome in the Atlantic Division and while they have young leadership and talent in John Tavares and a solid contributor in Matt Moulson, there really doesn’t seem to be enough to make the Islanders a playoff team.

The Islanders lost P.A. Parenteau to the Avalanche and he gave them power play credibility. They need another scorer and they need better goaltending.

New York Rangers

When the Rangers fell short of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, it was easy to see that the team did not have the goal scoring options to make them a viable championship team.

That may have changed when Glen Sather pulled the trigger on a trade for Rick Nash. According to Darren Dreger of TSN.ca, the Rangers acquired Nash for Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, defenseman Tim Erixon and a first-round pick.

The Rangers needed another goal scorer to help Marian Gaborik and Brad Richards. The acquisition of , Nash should help out the power play. He has scored as many as 19 power play goals and never fewer than six in a season.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators were one of the feel-good stories of the year in 2011-12, because they were expected to be one of the worst teams in the league and they finished the season as a playoff team. They pushed the New York Rangers to seven games before bowing out, but the future looks good under head coach Paul MacLean.

However, the Senators could probably use some help on the offensive end. Erik Karlsson is the best offensive defenseman in the league and Sergei Gonchar has offensive skills, but the top six forwards can use an upgrade if they want to remain in playoff contention.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers appeared to be ready for a memorable Stanley Cup spring when they dispatched the favored Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. However, they fell apart in the second round and that disappointed Paul Holmgren and Peter Laviolette.

The Flyers have been active in the offseason and the biggest move has been the signing of Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber to an offer sheet (source: Deadspin). If the Preds don’t match the contract, it will be a huge pickup for the Flyers, who may not have Chris Pronger next season (concussion-related problems).

The Flyers have the explosive offense, but keeping the puck out of the net will still be an issue. Picking up Luke Schenn from the Maple Leafs for James van Riemsdyk may not be enough.

Phoenix Coyotes

This team needs a lot. Start off with a solid home. The Coyotes have been looking for solid ownership for years and whether their long-term home will remain in Phoenix still seems highly debatable.

In addition to that issue, the Coyotes have lost high-scoring veteran Ray Whitney (source: CBS Sports) and Shane Doan may follow. If they lose Doan, a lost season seems likely. If he remains in the desert, they still need goal-scoring help if they are going to be a playoff team.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Ray Shero did an outstanding job of making a proactive move the moment Jordan Staal turned down a big contract extension. He knew he could hold on to Staal for another year before losing him completely or make a deal prior to the draft and extract maximum value. Shero made a quick move and the Penguins added a solid young center in Brandon Sutter.

The Penguins need to get some help on the defensive end to make up for the loss of Zbynek Michalek. It’s not that Michalek was that effective (source: The Sporting News), but he ate a lot of minutes and the Penguins seem to be deficient on the defensive end.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks have been among the top teams in the Western Conference for years, but the window appears to be closing. Sooner or later, Doug Wilson is going to have to make a decision on the leadership of the team. Is Joe Thornton really the type of player who can get this team out of the Western Conference playoffs?

That’s going to take quite a bit of analytic work and some serious soul searching. The Sharks also need some help in goal. They cast their lot with Antti Niemi, but he is not good enough to get the job done. Better goaltending is required.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues’ improvement last year was remarkable under Ken Hitchcock. They are on the right track and should be an excellent team for years to come. They have sensational goaltending with Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott in the nets and an active and effective defense.

The Blues could use a little more help in the goal-scoring department. A solid veteran who can help out on the power play and score late goals in the clutch would make this team an even more legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning fell backwards in 2011-12 after getting to the Eastern Conference Finals the year before. The Lightning still have a strong core of offensive players with Steven Stamkos, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. They also have a good supporting cast on offense as well.

General manager Steve Yzerman is hoping Anders Lindback is the answer in goal. Substandard goaltending was the Lightning’s biggest problem last year. If Lindback is not the answer, Tampa Bay may not make it back to the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs

For a team that is studied as much as any team in the NHL, it’s not always easy to figure out what ails the Maple Leafs. For the first 2/3 of the season, they appeared to be on track for a playoff berth, before an embarrassing run in the final two months of the season.

The Maple Leafs need defense, goaltending and toughness. As of this writing, they are scheduled to go with James Reimer and Ben Scrivens in goal, and that appears to be a major issue. Burke needs to find some a more dependable goaltender if the Leafs are going to end their long playoff dry spell.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are still one of the strongest teams in the league on paper. They appeared to identify their biggest flaw during the 2011-12 regular season and playoffs when they came to the conclusion that Roberto Luongo is just not the right man between the pipes.

Cory Schneider is the new No. 1 in goal and Mike Gillis needs to confirm this by trading Luongo (source: CBC.ca) to a team like the Florida Panthers and closing that chapter. When that happens, the Canucks should once again be formidable.

Washington Capitals

The Capitals have been quite active in the offseason, with the biggest moves being the resignation of head coach Dale Hunter and the hiring of Hall of Famer Adam Oates.

It seems likely that Oates will try to keep the defensive emphasis that Hunter was able to implement, but he would also like to see Alex Ovechkin get back to the form when he was scoring 50-plus goals per season.

The big issue for the Caps was a No. 2 center behind Nicklas Backstrom and they appeared to address that by acquiring Mike Ribeiro. If the Caps don’t bring back Alex Semin, they need more goal scoring.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets made a couple of nice signings in the offseason when they brought in Olli Jokinen and Alexei Ponikarovsky to upgrade the offense. Those signings make the Jets a more formidable offensive opponent.

However, the Jets have a weakness in goal. Ondrej Pavelec and Al Montoya (source: Winnipeg Free Press) may not be good enough to get the job done if the Jets want to become a playoff team.