Every NHL Team's Biggest Storyline Entering Training Camp in 2015-16
There were some mammoth, franchise-altering changes made in the NHL this summer. We'll look back on coaching changes, trades of franchise players, the draft that included at least two generational talents and a free-agent frenzy that delivered more drama than expected during July.
Some of these bold moves will fizzle or be surpassed by another story from inside each of the 30 teams, but there are compelling reasons for fans to return to the rink this fall and cheer for their favorite teams.
Here is the biggest storyline for each of the NHL's 30 teams.
Anaheim Ducks: Have They Done Enough to Win the Stanley Cup?
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The Lead Story: The Anaheim Ducks were aggressive in the offseason, turning a strong roster into one that has the potential to win the Stanley Cup. Major additions include Carl Hagelin, Kevin Bieksa, Shawn Horcoff and Chris Stewart.
The Hope: The Ducks—and every other Western Conference team—are trying to get past the twin powers that are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings. Losing to Chicago over a full seven games in last season's Conference Final should serve as inspiration for the team this term.
The Bottom Line: Anaheim looks very good for a long run and would have to be considered one of the strong contenders to win it all in 2016. There are still some questions—young goaltending can crumble in heartbreaking fashion—but it's clear the Ducks are locked in on winning the Stanley Cup.
Arizona Coyotes: Where Are the Goals?
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The Lead Story: The Arizona Coyotes were a poor scoring bunch in 2014-15 and the draft lottery robbed them of an impact franchise player. They are left with a roster of aging forwards such as Shane Doan and a group that can't shoot straight.
The Hope: We'll see this fall about several young forwards and how close they are to helping the big-league club. Max Domi, Dylan Strome, Henrik Samuelsson and Jordan Martinook are all going to get an opportunity to show their stuff, and there's a good chance at least one of them is in the opening-night lineup.
The Bottom Line: Arizona is in trouble this season. Despite some nice potential and the quality of players such as Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Martin Hanzal, they simply do not enough to compete in the difficult Western Conference. There's every chance the Coyotes will be in the Auston Matthews race by New Year's Day. He's a Scottsdale, Arizona boy, and the franchise lost out on the lottery in 2015, so there's some justice to that outcome.
Boston Bruins: What's the Plan?
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The Lead Story: The Boston Bruins began the summer with cap issues and took care of them by trading two big assets in Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton. The return—and the entire summer—looked more like a rebuild, and as we enter September, there's still some question about the team's direction.
The Hope: The Bruins could sign Cody Franson tomorrow and improve their defense, but as it stands, there's an issue at the position. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are quality NHL veterans but age and injury have been in the conversation over the last two years.
The Bottom Line: Boston doesn't have the kind of depth required over an 82-game schedule, and it's very likely going to bite them. Signing Cody Franson or trading for an additional veteran on defense is going to be an issue now or later because there's no evidence the Bruins have enough to get through 2015-16 successfully.
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Buffalo Sabres: Playoffs?
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The Lead Story: The Buffalo Sabres had a massive offseason, adding No. 2 overall pick Jack Eichel, quality two-way center Ryan O'Reilly and goalie Robin Lehner during draft week. The club will also employ Evander Kane this fall, giving themselves a completely new look from their final game in the spring.
The Hope: These are substantial additions, and the team is much improved up the middle. Question marks remain—Lehner has had concussion issues and difficulty with consistency—but Sabres fans can at least discuss the idea of making the playoffs without embarrassment.
The Bottom Line: Buffalo is probably two years away from the playoffs, but its improvements in important areas are real and substantial. The addition of Dan Byslma as head coach gives them a massive boost, and there's a chance the team reaches the trade deadline with decisions to make beyond offloading free agents.
Calgary Flames: Can They Do It Again?
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The Lead Story: The Calgary Flames enjoyed a fantastic season in 2014-15, becoming one of the best counterpunchers in recent memory. Despite being a poor possession team—44.5 per cent Corsi for five-by-five, according to HockeyAnalysis.com—the Flames' goaltending and scoring got them through.
The Hope: The Flames made two astute moves this summer, adding Dougie Hamilton in a deal with the Boston Bruins and acquiring solid possession forward Michael Frolik. Their weaknesses of one season ago may not go away completely, but there's good work being done by the front office.
The Bottom Line: Calgary is a franchise on the upswing, and the addition of Hamilton is a perfect fit for a team that already had a solid blue line. The Flames may fall back some and miss the playoffs, but betting against this group long term is a bad idea.
Carolina Hurricanes: Can They Be the Surprise Team in the East?
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The Lead Story: The Carolina Hurricanes were among the 10 best teams in possession last season but couldn't buy a goal. One of the main problems came in shooting percentage, as the Hurricanes finished No. 29 overall in the category during 2014-15.
The Hope: Carolina made some nice additions during the offseason, including goalie Eddie Lack, defenseman James Wisniewski and college player Noah Hanifin. They were not grand moves but shored up areas of weakness.
The Bottom Line: The Hurricanes are reaching a crossroads with franchise center Eric Staal and could trade him in the next few months. If he stays, and the club can support their best players—including Justin Faulk and Nathan Gerbe—and fans may be surprised by this Carolina squad in 2015-16.
Chicago Blackhawks: Can They Win It Again?
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The Lead Story: The Chicago Blackhawks won it all again in 2015 and, as is their practice, began sending big pieces away in an effort to get cap compliant. This season's movements were complicated by the developing story surrounding Patrick Kane—Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times has the story and some possible implications—which may have a massive impact on the Chicago organization.
The Hope: Chicago's best players—Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Corey Crawford—represent the best veteran cluster in the game. The Hawks made bets this time that Artem Anisimov, Viktor Tikhonov and Trevor Daley can plug holes and help the heart of the team win again. It doesn't look sufficient, but at this point, management has built up enough goodwill to receive the benefit of the doubt.
The Bottom Line: It's become their story: Win the cup, replace much of the roster. This is a very difficult way to win consistently, but it's been working in Chicago. The developing Patrick Kane situation may impact the season. The Blackhawks' on-ice product remains top quality.
Colorado Avalanche: Shored-Up Defense Offers New Hope
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The Lead Story: The Colorado Avalanche added some legitimate help on defense over the summer, including veteran Francois Beauchemin and emerging talent Nikita Zadorov.
The Hope: Colorado should be better defensively, and these two men should help Erik Johnson and goalie Semyon Varlamov in cutting down on goals against this year. This remains a team in transition, but its summer improvements appear to be top quality.
The Bottom Line: The Avalanche should be a better team based on the exceptional talents at forward, including Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Consistency has been a real problem, and a lot of that has to do with spending a lot of their time defending. More structure and better defensemen should improve the situation in Denver this year.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Good Health and a Saad Addition!
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The Lead Story: The Columbus Blue Jackets have a good hockey team—they just can't get enough of the players on the ice to win hockey games. The club lost over 500 man games to injury, as this report from Aaron Portzline outlined in the Columbus Dispatch.
The Hope: Columbus did make some moves this summer, notably adding quality winger Brandon Saad in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Most of the improvement for next season will come from the healthy and impressive group of young veterans already on the roster.
The Bottom Line: Men such as Brandon Dubinsky, Boone Jenner and Ryan Murray are important players for the Blue Jackets, and their availability every night completely changes the look and quality of the Columbus depth chart. It's frustrating for fans, but the fact remains this is a top-flight team with a good future if they can stay healthy.
Dallas Stars: Major Shakeup Should Bring Better Results
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The Lead Story: The Dallas Stars continue to aggressively build a strong contender, and this summer's additions are bona fide mentors. Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya came over from the Chicago Blackhawks, and Antti Niemi was signed from the San Jose Sharks to help in goal.
The Hope: Dallas has tremendous talent across the roster, but there seemed to be something missing. The summer procurement suggests management feels leadership was badly needed, and that arrived in large quantities over the offseason.
The Bottom Line: The Stars are a playoff team, they just didn't make it last season despite 41 wins and 92 points. That's likely to change in 2015-16, and once this team is in the playoffs, they could do significant damage.
Detroit Red Wings: A Period of Transition
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The Lead Story: The Detroit Red Wings hired Mike Babcock in time for the 2005-06 season. His first team in Detroit was ousted early in the 2006 playoffs, but after that, success came in abundance to Babcock's teams. A Stanley Cup win in 2008 was the highlight, but his time in Michigan was very successful. Babcock and Detroit parted ways this summer, and it's going to be different for some time.
The Hope: Jeff Blashill is the new man in charge, and GM Ken Holland tweaked very little of the roster over the summer. Detroit will rely on their young players—most of whom Blashill coached in the AHL—and the signing of veteran Mike Green to shore up the power play and overall defense.
The Bottom Line: Detroit has had only three head coaches since the beginning of the 1993-94 season: Scotty Bowman, Dave Lewis and Mike Babcock. They are a mature management group offering support and a great deal of patience. Blashill couldn't have chosen a better spot to debut as an NHL head coach.
Edmonton Oilers: What a Difference a McDavid Makes!
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The Lead Story: The Edmonton Oilers were going to turn over a lot of their roster anyway, but winning the draft lottery supercharged the entire process. The club added a lot over the summer, and there's excitement in Edmonton that hasn't been seen in a decade.
The Hope: Edmonton's management finally has more to sell than hope. Cam Talbot, Andrej Sekera and Mark Letestu are quality additions, and the Taylor Hall cluster—which includes Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—is a year older and, in some cases, entering their prime.
The Bottom Line: This is still a rebuild, and expectations need to be held in check. It's reasonable to expect a major spike in goals and wins, plus a substantial reduction in goals against. Expecting the playoffs or 100 points from Connor McDavid is beyond the pale.
Florida Panthers: Start as You Mean to Go
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The Lead Story: The Florida Panthers hired Dale Tallon in May of 2010, and he's been true to his drafting template since that day. Over the last six drafts, Tallon and company have added substantial talents such as Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad. It's plodding work, but the payoff is enormous.
The Hope: Fans got a fantastic look at the future last season, as the youngsters played major roles and had terrific success. This is a very big deal: Tallon laid the groundwork for the dynasty that is the Chicago Blackhawks during the early part of this century.
The Bottom Line: Florida could still regress in the short term, but the template for a long period of deep playoff runs is in place. If the Panthers stay the course and refuse to trade off men such as Ekblad, Huberdeau, Barkov and Bjugstad, they will become a power in the NHL over the next few years.
Los Angeles Kings: Things Have to Go Better
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The Lead Story: The Los Angeles Kings had all kinds of problems on and off the ice last season and missed the playoffs in a year many felt they could win it all. GM Dean Lombardi accomplished a lot this summer, but there remains a cloud over the team on several fronts.
The Hope: Milan Lucic and Christian Ehrhoff are major additions, and the Ehrhoff addition may be vital depending on what happens with Slava Voynov. Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider covered all of these stories in an item posted in late August.
The Bottom Line: The Kings are a strong team, and last season's performance hangs heavy over the heads of several impact players—Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jonathan Quick—as they ready themselves for the new season. These are veterans who will answer the challenge, meaning playing the Kings just got a lot harder for the rest of the NHL.
BREAKING NEWS: Slava Voynov was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on September 3. The story is covered in more detail by Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times.
Minnesota Wild: Can Devan Dubnyk Do It Again?
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The Lead Story: The Minnesota Wild are a very good team with average goaltending, and they were something else again after trading for Devan Dubnyk during the 2014-15 season. If he can do it again, the Wild could go deep into the postseason.
The Hope: There's balance and great talent throughout the lineup, led by Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Ryan Suter. They have emerging talents such as Matt Dumba and Nino Niederreiter, and a strong goalie might be the final touch.
The Bottom Line: The Wild made a fantastic trade for Dubnyk and now have him signed long term. The resume is a little shaky—Dubnyk's time in Edmonton had a horrible ending—but the big goalie should be quality for Minnesota, and they could go deep into the 2016 playoffs.
Montreal Canadiens: Big Risk, Big Reward with Alexander Semin
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The Lead Story: The Montreal Canadiens are a strong team in goal and receive significant offense from their defense. The club's forwards badly need a sniper if they're going to find a Stanley Cup this decade.
The Hope: The acquisition of Alexander Semin is the major move in this area over the summer. The veteran sniper once scored 40 goals in an NHL season and notched 22 for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2013-14.
The Bottom Line: The Canadiens have a substantial player in Semin, and this could be one of the truly brilliant moves of summer. There is risk: Semin was so poor last season Carolina bought him out of his contract, reported by the league's official website. A less confident management group might have aimed higher or acquired a secondary option, but Montreal has settled on Semin. He'll be a feature player in 2015-16.
Nashville Predators: Getting out of the Central Division in 2015-16
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The Lead Story: The Nashville Predators got back into the playoffs in 2014-15 but couldn't get past the Chicago Blackhawks. The Predators are a veteran team with balance and lots of talent. Fans are restless for a deep playoff run.
The Hope: Nashville got a lot of it right last season and, given another shot, may be able to get past Chicago and out of the Central Division. The Predators brought back their restricted and unrestricted free agents, including Mike Ribeiro, Craig Smith and Colin Wilson, which seems to endorse the idea the club has the right balance and chemistry.
The Bottom Line: A very young franchise has arrived at the point where they have a mature roster that is ready to climb higher in the standings. For many NHL fans, Nashville remains a team without a strong presence or reputation. This could be the year all that changes.
New Jersey Devils: Life Without Lou
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The Lead Story: The New Jersey Devils are changing in a lot of areas, including new coach John Hynes. Trades, retirements and high-profile draft picks have fans wondering about the new roster and life without Lou Lamoriello.
The Hope: The Devils have a fantastic group of young defensemen and that—along with top flight goalie Cory Schneider—will be the strength of Hynes' first team. The young forwards are developing, and we could well see some of them in 2015-16.
The Bottom Line: Lamoriello is in Toronto, and Ray Shero's Devils are out to find their identity. Chances are the strong defensive play will remain, but this is definitely a season of transition. New Jersey's fans may suffer a tough year in 2015-16, but there are better days ahead for the organization.
New York Islanders: How Far Can They Go?
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The Lead Story: The New York Islanders have been building their franchise around John Tavares since the 2009 draft. The team made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons last term but haven't been out of the first round since 1993. Is this the year they do it?
The Hope: The Islanders are a young, balanced team, and that youth has matured a little. Tavares is entering the prime of his career with a strong support roster, and the Islanders are increasingly strong up the middle.
The Bottom Line: It's important for Garth Snow to be ready when a need arises, while goaltending depth may be the next area of concern. New York's roster has quality players at every position, and the cluster is young enough to enjoy a long run.
New York Rangers: One Final Shot at the Stanley Cup?
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The Lead Story: The New York Rangers are a veteran group, and their window to win is now. Henrik Lundqvist's brilliant goaltending, a strong defensive group and a balanced set of forwards give the Rangers a chance to win every night.
The Hope: New York hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1994, but they got close—with most of this group—in 2014 when they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the final. Impatient fans were disappointed last season, but there's a quality team at Madison Square Garden.
The Bottom Line: The Rangers will remain in this window of opportunity as long as Lundqvist can play at a high level and the minor leagues keep producing high-end talent. As has been the case for some time, this could be the year in Manhattan.
Ottawa Senators: Playoffs Again, but This Time a Little More
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The Lead Story: The Ottawa Senators had an exciting late-season run that saw them make the playoffs when the clock ran out. The best part of the story came via the youth movement that inspired the run. Can these young players do it again?
The Hope: All those youngsters—including Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Curtis Lazar, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Andrew Hammond—could repeat or improve their 2014-15 seasons. If that happens, Ottawa should be able to make the postseason.
The Bottom Line: The Senators received exceptional contributions from their young players last year and should once again get quality performances. Curtis Lazar in particular might improve his output if he plays a more prominent role. However, expecting all of them to deliver as they did last season is stretching things. It's going to go right down to the wire again in Ottawa.
Philadelphia Flyers: Time to Turn North
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The Lead Story: The Philadelphia Flyers haven't won a playoff series since 2012, and there's a lot of dead weight on the roster. The team has built up a strong defense via the draft and have a nice veteran group at the NHL level.
The Hope: Philadelphia's defense needs a miracle, but if they can identify someone behind Mark Streit and Andrew MacDonald—and if Michael Del Zotto can fill a hole—there might be enough talent on the blue line to be competitive. After that, it's a matter of Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek leading the offense.
The Bottom Line: The Flyers are one of the most resourceful organizations in the league, and if they can hang around long enough, a trade or emerging prospect might get them into the playoffs. Predicting the Flyers is a difficult thing to do, but their impressive draft in 2015 suggests a more mature course for the organization.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Can Phil Kessel Score 50 Goals?
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The Lead Story: The Pittsburgh Penguins made a massive trade this summer, bringing in one of the finest pure snipers in Phil Kessel. The team finally has an elite winger to cash the passes of either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin—this could be a massive season for Kessel.
The Hope: Chemistry remains a question, but this is close to the ultimate perfect fit for Crosby on paper. The top-end stick-handling and passing skills of Pittsburgh's captain haven't had an elite sniper such as Kessel on the other end in years—if ever.
The Bottom Line: The risk is low, as Crosby can always rotate to another line with Patric Hornqvist, leaving Kessel and Evgeni Malkin as a stunning duo on another line. The possible rewards are mind-boggling, as both men are elite talents and in their prime. The rest of the Eastern Conference is no doubt nervous about this new marriage.
San Jose Sharks: Life Without Todd McLellan
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The Lead Story: The San Jose Sharks parted ways with Todd McLellan this summer after seven successful seasons. The club reached the third round twice during his time as coach but couldn't get into the Stanley Cup Final. New coach Peter DeBoer inherits a strong, veteran team with some issues in terms of depth.
The Hope: DeBoer's Sharks have made some solid additions—among them Martin Jones, Joel Ward and Paul Martin—and feature the cast of regulars most NHL fans regard as the best team never to land the Cup. Getting out of California remains a monstrous task, but a fresh view from behind the bench could make all the difference.
The Bottom Line: The Sharks management went a little off the rails after a devastating series loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the spring of 2014. San Jose won the first three games but couldn't close it, and things have never been the same since. The roster changes and the new coach could exorcise the demons of the past and allow this veteran team to finally win the day.
St. Louis Blues: Is This the Year They Win the Stanley Cup?
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The Lead Story: The St. Louis Blues were the first of the 1967 expansion teams to make the Stanley Cup Final—and they did it three years in a row. Unfortunately, they haven't been back since 1970. Is this their year?
The Hope: The Blues didn't change much during the summer but should get more help from their incumbents. Paul Stastny will have a greater impact in his second season with the team and goalie Jake Allen is a year older and more experienced.
The Bottom Line: St. Louis is close, but the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings seem to have one more impact player and a slight edge every spring. Stastny can help in a big way if he can establish himself offensively, and their belief in Allen may or may not pay off in the 2016 playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lighting: This Must Be the Year!
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The Lead Story: The Tampa Bay Lightning came close to winning it all in 2015 and worked hard over the summer to improve the team. They're the most balanced team in the Eastern Conference, but can they beat the best of the west?
The Hope: The Lightning want to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and change the script from 2015. Their leading playoff scorers were Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, so maybe it's as simple as finding a line on which Steven Stamkos can increase his scoring to their levels.
The Bottom Line: Tampa Bay is a formidable team, absolutely the class of the east. They are now at a point where veterans are going to get pushed by impressive youth, so for some of the older players, the time is now. There's a good chance the Stanley Cup will summer in Florida in 2016.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Mike Babcock and the Rebuild
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The Lead Story: The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Phil Kessel this summer, signaling a rebuild. They also hired Mike Babcock over the offseason, which suggests they're going to be very competitive every game despite a distinct lack of scoring. How do these two things make sense together?
The Hope: The Leafs are in a rebuild for sure, but Babcock's presence may mean it's a shorter downturn than first anticipated. If Toronto gets off to a good start and remains competitive, there could be a temptation to help the current team find the playoffs. The hope is Toronto remains committed to a long-term rebuild no matter the standings.
The Bottom Line: Mike Babcock is an outstanding coach and could get more out of this team than most anticipate. It would be an incredibly short-sighted move to do anything but trade off veterans at the deadline and await the results of the draft lottery. The Leafs have done so much right in the last 12 months, it's imperative they stay the course.
Vancouver Canucks: Can They Make the Playoffs Again?
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The Lead Story: The Vancouver Canucks made the playoffs last season under new coach Willie Desjardins. Offseason additions such as Brandon Sutter and Brandon Prust, and the trade of Kevin Bieksa mean there's a younger, new-look team for this season.
The Hope: The Canucks are an aging team and need to bring in young players this fall. On the other hand, their veterans—Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Ryan Miller, Radim Vrbata—are exceptional players who may have a season or more left at a high level of performance.
The Bottom Line: It's only a matter of time for the Canucks. They have a very short window to replace their aging veterans before their Pacific Division cousins the Edmonton Oilers surpass them. This will be an uneasy season in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington Capitals: Is There Enough Support for Ovechkin?
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The Lead Story: The Washington Capitals were aggressive this summer, adding substantial help up front in men such as T.J Oshie and Justin Williams and getting fine young goalie Braden Holtby under contract long term. Is it enough to get Washington back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1998?
The Hope: The Capitals have Alexander Ovechkin, who is the best scorer of his time. Ovechkin is still scoring goals with tremendous frequency, and the time to win in Washington is now.
The Bottom Line: Ovechkin will turn 30 on September 17, and history tells us elite scorers begin to erode in the window the big Russian winger is about to enter. This isn't suggesting we should expect him to fall off a cliff offensively, but there is some urgency for Washington to win soon with their generational player.
Winnipeg Jets: Does the Sleeping Giant Awaken This Season?
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The Lead Story: The Winnipeg Jets made the playoffs for the first time since the Atlanta Thrashers flew north, and that's only the start of things to come. This is a team that has been built through the draft with painstaking care and patience, and the results are going to get better as the prospects mature to impact NHL players.
The Hope: The Jets have a superb mixture of veteran talent and emerging youngsters, and that combination gives the club one of the finest rosters in the NHL. Fans should see a spike in points and perhaps their first series victory since the club arrived from Georgia in 2011.
The Bottom Line: Winnipeg's build has been clinical and reflects the textbook rebuild template invented by Bill Torrey and the New York Islanders 40 years ago. Winning the Stanley Cup is no longer a matter of if but rather when in relation to Winnipeg.
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