The Biggest Looming Decision for Every NHL Team Before 2021 Offseason Begins

It's official. The chase is on.

Again.

Now that the Tampa Bay Lightning have flexed their postseason muscles and maintained their status as the class of the NHL, the remaining 30 teams—plus newcomers the Seattle Kraken—are back in catch-up mode.

They have got 95 days until the scheduled puck-drop on the 2021-22 season and myriad issues to address and questions to answer before they can advance toward the Lightning's parade-planning level.

Transactions. Hires. Protected lists. Buyouts. That is the language of the summertime.

Naturally, such a scenario piques the interest of the B/R hockey team and prompted the writing types to take a look at the biggest decision on the agenda in each NHL city as the offseason commences.

Click through to take a look at what we came up with, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Nos. 1-6: Ducks, Coyotes, Bruins, Sabres, Flames, Hurricanes

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Anaheim Ducks: Decide on Ryan Getzlaf

Getzlaf is a Stanley Cup winner and one of the greatest players in Ducks history. But he's also 36 and no longer worth the $8.25 million he made for each of the past eight seasons. Now that he's an unrestricted free agent, the Ducks can bring him back for money more befitting his 2021 status or symbolically cut the cord. It's a crucial step to the team's evolution.

Arizona Coyotes: Decide if Conor Garland is Your Guy

Garland is a 25-year-old winger who's gotten better statistically in each of his three years with the Coyotes. He's also a restricted free agent who's going to command better money than the $775,000 he made last season. GM Bill Armstrong can pay him and make him one of the pieces the team rebuilds around or deal him for a worthwhile return.

Boston Bruins: Assess Your Free-Agent Crop

Goalie Tuukka Rask is a perennial Vezina Trophy contender. Taylor Hall is a past winner of the Hart Trophy. David Krejci has played nearly 1,000 games and scored more than 200 goals. All are unrestricted free agents for a team that bowed out in the second round of the playoffs. Do some or all of them come back for another run in 2021-22? Stay tuned.

Buffalo Sabres: Fish or Cut Bait on Jack Eichel

It's been the hottest off-ice topic in the league since the No. 2 pick from 2015 went public with his disconnect with the team, leaving GM Kevyn Adams to field phone calls and answer questions about Eichel's availability. Whether it's resolved in-house or ended with a press conference trade announcement, get it done before October.

Calgary Flames: Take a Long Look at the Core

The Flames are not hurting for high-profile players. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom signed for big money last offseason, and both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk have been high-end performers in their careers. But the performances didn't match the paychecks in 2020-21. Gaudreau is a free agent after 2021-22, and Tkachuk will be restricted. Are they the future?

Carolina Hurricanes: Make a Call on Dougie Hamilton

Hamilton is 28 and has evolved into one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league. He's scored double-digit goals for seven straight seasons and is an unrestricted free agent after making $5.75 million for each of the past six years. A big raise is coming, and the Hurricanes need to decide whether they want to pay him or maybe trade his rights and get something before he walks.

Nos. 7-12: Blackhawks, Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Stars, Red Wings, Oilers

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Chicago Blackhawks: Formulate an Expansion Draft Strategy

The rules for exposing players to the prying transactional eyes of the Seattle Kraken are simple: Each team can deem seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender as protected or eight skaters and one goaltender. The Blackhawks have promising young talent at forward who will need to be considered, as will the future of defenseman Duncan Keith, who's reportedly asked for a trade.

Colorado Avalanche: Determine Brandon Saad's Worth

Saad is a 28-year-old winger with multiple Stanley Cups on his resume who scored 15 goals in 44 games with the Avalanche after arriving in a trade from Chicago. He scored seven more goals in 10 playoff games and is an unrestricted free agent coming off a six-year, $36 million deal. The Avs have several other impending free agents, and GM Joe Sakic has to make the call on whether Saad is worth it.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Settle the Seth Jones Situation

With one season remaining on a six-year deal worth better than $32 million, Jones has apparently made it clear he wants to try his hand at free agency rather than making a long-term commitment to the Blue Jackets. If they can't find a common ground with the player's representatives, it'll be the task of GM Jarmo Kekalainen to get something for Jones before he walks for free.

Dallas Stars: Make a Play for the Right Free Agent(s)

Coming off a berth in the Stanley Cup Final, the 2020-21 Stars fell off precipitously. And while much of that can be traced back to injuries and the effects of COVID-19, some of it was also thanks to the team's standing as the 18th-best scoring team in a 31-team league. Adding someone on the level of Taylor Hall, for example, could make an immediate positive impact on those numbers.

Detroit Red Wings: Decide How to Make a Splash at the Draft

No, they won't draft first overall. Or even in the top five. But the Red Wings do have the ability to alter their look this summer with the sheer number of picks they possess. Detroit will pick at slot Nos. 6 and 22 in the first round, supplement with another seven picks in the subsequent three rounds and make 12 picks overall. Using them to select new Red Wings or as trade sweeteners is a big opportunity.

Edmonton Oilers: Pull the Trigger on Contract Buyouts?

The Oilers have the best player in the NHL and another guy who was the MVP in 2019-20. They have got a defenseman who was seventh in Norris Trophy voting too. But it amounted to zero playoff wins, and the fans are restless in Edmonton. Clearing cap room—James Neal, Mikko Koskinen and/or Kyle Turris, perhaps—would enable acquisitions to improve both defense and depth scoring.

Nos. 13-17: Panthers, Kings, Wild, Canadiens, Predators

David Becker/Associated Press

Florida Panthers: Assemble a Goaltending Depth Chart

Florida GM Bill Zito has a proven NHL goaltending commodity in Sergei Bobrovsky, a capable journeyman in Chris Driedger and an emerging star in 20-year-old Spencer Knight. OK, now the hard part: Bobrovsky is due $10 million annually for the next five seasons, Driedger is an unrestricted free agent this summer and Knight has played precisely six games, including the playoffs. Discerning a long-term direction is a priority.

Los Angeles Kings: To Eichel or Not to Eichel

Ever since news broke of the disconnect heard 'round the hockey world, the Kings have been on lists of teams deemed most likely to take a run at the Sabres' No. 1 center. So it's up to GM Rob Blake this summer, probably in the next several days before the draft, to decide whether a cadre that includes a top prospect, multiple secondary prospects and a pick or two is worth it. The decision will shape the future in L.A.

Minnesota Wild: How Many Zeroes to Put on Kaprizov's Contract

Here's a memory test. Without looking, try to recall the last time there was this much buzz around the Minnesota Wild regarding the team and its chance to win a Stanley Cup. Let's just say it's been a while. But thanks to Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov, the Wild are in the 2021-22 mix. He's a restricted free agent, and getting a deal done for an agreeable number is mandatory to prolonging the momentum.

Montreal Canadiens: What to Do with Jonathan Drouin

He's 26. He was picked third overall in 2013. He's due $5.5 million for each of the next two seasons. So Drouin's got legit NHL street cred. But he's scored just nine goals in 71 games the past two seasons, which makes him a dicey proposition when it comes to an expansion draft. Losing him for nothing would be a blow, but there's a case to be made that protecting him could be too.

Nashville Predators: Figuring a Number for Mikael Granlund

Now 29, Granlund was in a similar situation last season. He was an unrestricted free agent who wound up agreeing to a one-year deal that paid him $3.75 million. He responded by tying for the team lead in goals and placing fourth in points. It's contract time again, and it would behoove the Preds to find enough wiggle room within their $22.5 million in cap space to get him re-signed for multiple years.

Nos. 18-22: Devils, Islanders, Rangers, Senators, Flyers

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

New Jersey Devils: Get a Goalie Partner for Mackenzie Blackwood

Here's another flashback to last season. The Devils though they had the veteran mentor to a young goalie question answered when they signed multi-Cup winner Corey Crawford from Chicago. But then Crawford retired and the No. 2 slot behind Blackwood became the domain of one Scott Wedgewood. Wedgewood was no embarrassment, but he was not Martin Brodeur, either. An upgrade could be useful.

New York Islanders: What to Do with the Free Agents

The Islanders got as close as a team can come—a one-goal loss in Game 7 of a conference final—to playing for the Stanley Cup without making the step. So while the summer on Long Island will be long on heartbreak, it'll be short on time for Lou Lamoriello to decide on a roster for 2021-22. There's not a lot of cap space as it is, and calls on trade-deadline arrivals Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac are needed.

New York Rangers: Gallant Needs to Sell His Style

Gerard Gallant took a first-year expansion team to the brink of a Stanley Cup and had success with a young team in Florida as well. In New York, he's got a roster filled to the brim with recently drafted prospects and holdover stars with productive resumes. His first order of business is getting the players to buy into his particularly relentless brand of play. If he can, the Rangers are a team to watch.

Ottawa Senators: How to Help the Blue Line

The Senators allowed the fifth-most shots on goal per game last season and were tied for fourth when it came to the most goals allowed per game. And while much of the blame is placed at the feet of starting goalie Matt Murray, there's plenty to be spread to an inconsistent defensive group as well. How much priority is given to upgrading the D will be a tough call for GM Pierre Dorion.

Philadelphia Flyers: How to Help the Blue Line, Part II

The Flyers experienced as precipitous a fall as one can imagine from 2019-20 to 2020-21, going from a No. 1 playoff seed to a non-playoff participant amid a flood of individual on-ice disappointments. Among the glaringly dubious stats: Philadelphia allowed more goals per game than any team. With a host of prominent defensemen in free agency or possibly available by trade, it's time to make a big move.

Nos. 23-27: Penguins, Sharks, Kraken, Blues, Lightning

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Pittsburgh Penguins: Is Tristan Jarry the One

The Penguins were sold enough on Tristan Jarry to give him a three-year deal worth $10.5 million and send a Stanley Cup winner in Matt Murray to Ottawa to make room between the pipes. Jarry rewarded them with a 2.75 goals-against average in the regular season. But that number ballooned to 3.18 in the playoffs and left fans wondering whether a high-profile option would be better. It's Ron Hextall's decision to make.

San Jose Sharks: Make the Right Call at the Draft

It's been a while since the Sharks had a pick as high as No. 7 in the draft. That's a good thing because it means they have been better than they were in 2020-21. But now that they are at that spot and facing a flat salary cap for the time being, maximizing the value of the choice is important. San Jose was 25th in both overall goals and goals per game, so finding a future difference-maker would be ideal.

Seattle Kraken: Getting the Right Expansion Mix

The Kraken are going to field a worthwhile NHL team this fall. There are too many good players who ought to be available, both young and old, to guarantee that. But to go beyond simple respectability, it's going to take a series of sound moves. GM Ron Francis can get a lot done with a full complement of cap room, especially with so many teams trying to create space of their own.   

St. Louis Blues: Make Tarasenko Available to Seattle?

It's the hot news of the week: Winger Vladimir Tarasenko has asked to be dealt away from St. Louis. He won't be an easy sell to a lot of teams given his recent history of injuries and a $7.5 million cap hit for the next two seasons. But that problem goes away quickly if the Blues leave him exposed for the expansion draft and the Kraken take the bait. Stay tuned. 

Tampa Bay Lightning: How to Keep it Together—Again

File this one under good problems to have. How does a Stanley Cup championship team, in this case a repeat championship team, keep the core together given both the perils of free agency and an imminent expansion draft? That's why GM Julien BriseBois makes the big money. He'll no doubt lose some key parts, but replacing them with value is what will determine whether a three-peat is likely.

Nos. 28-32: Maple Leafs, Canucks, Golden Knights, Capitals, Jets

John Locher/Associated Press

Toronto Maple Leafs: Respond to the Playoff Collapse

Where the Lightning have a good problem to deal with, the Maple Leafs, well, not so much. Blowing a 3-1 lead in a first-round series as a top division seed will do that, particularly when it prolongs the longest active championship drought in the league. So what Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas need to decide on—if they're still employed—is whether the core stays through the trauma or is splintered because of it.

Vancouver Canucks: Determine a Rebuilding Approach

The Canucks have been irrelevant for a prolonged stretch, including just one playoff appearance in the past six seasons. But the annual tasks don't change, namely re-signing free agents and acquiring new talent. Two homegrown stars, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes are restricted free agents this summer, and it'll be interesting to see whether they're locked up for prolonged stretches or signed to bridge deals. 

Vegas Golden Knights: Is $12M Too Much in Goal?

It's the same question the Vegas brass faced heading into the 2020-21 season, with goalies Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury accounting for $12 million in salary between them. Then Fleury won the Vezina Trophy, and goaltending was a strength all season in a compressed schedule. But with a more normal schedule in 2021-22, is that money better spent on keeping/acquiring other talent?

Washington Capitals: Determine Ovechkin's Late-Stage Value

OK, let's be honest. There seems to be no chance that Alex Ovechkin—free agency or not—is going to suit up in any uniform besides Washington's next season. But exactly how much money he's worth in a flat-cap world is a question GM Brian MacLellan has to ask himself. Given that No. 8's goals-per-game rate dropped to 0.53 in 2020-21, it's no guarantee he's a $13 million man.

Winnipeg Jets: Choose Which Defenseman is Worthy of Big Money

Ask anyone. The Jets have a forward corps that's the envy of much of the NHL. Yet they were bounced in four games in the second round of the playoffs and were in the bottom half of the league when it came to shots on goal allowed per game. So defense is a priority. With aforementioned talent like Hamilton, Jones, Matt Dumba and David Savard potentially gettable, there's a choice to be made.