After missing the playoffs in 2022-2023, the regular season was a great success for the Winnipeg Jets this season. Their season came to a stop with a thud against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round, though. Are the Jets back?
Roster Ruminations: Los Angeles Kings – May 2024
The Los Angeles Kings dropped their third straight first round series to the Edmonton Oilers last week. What looked like a very promising young team a few seasons ago has stalled out. Is the rebuild still on track?
Roster Ruminations: Philadelphia Flyers – May 2024
The Philadelphia Flyers looked to be headed back to the post season for much of the 2023-2024 season. Sure, it was a bit of a surprise for a team that recently committed to taking a step back to rebuild their roster but they put in a valiant effort at making the postseason. Are they really that close after a quick re-tool?
Roster Ruminations: Buffalo Sabres – May 2024
The Buffalo Sabres playoff drought hit 13 seasons this year. The vibes have come and gone through the past couple of seasons, but it hasn’t been enough to put together a serious run at ending the playoff drought. Head Coach Don Granato paid the price this week, as he was let go. What will it take for the Sabres to find their way back into the postseason?
Roster Ruminations: Utah – April 2024
A new owner, new city and an organizational profile that leaves the door open for strategic decision making on the team building front. The possibility that this team resembles the Coyotes of recent seasons seems remote.
Roster Ruminations: Calgary Flames – April 2024
When Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames decided to part ways following the 2022-2023 season, it opened the door for former fan favorite Craig Conroy to move to the big chair. Conroy stepped into a tenuous situation, with the team having just fallen flat in the first season of the post Gaudreau/Tkachuk era and he inherited a roster with seven notable pending UFAs.
Roster Ruminations: Nashville Predators – April 2024
The Predators have been one of the more intriguing success stories of the 2023-2024 season. Former Preds player Andrew Brunnette returned to the Music City as head coach last summer and he’s led a plucky young group to a wildcard playoff berth. It looks like a similar story could play out next season based on the current model projection as the Predators are projected to be roughly league average again.
Roster Ruminations: Vegas Golden Knights – April 2024
The Vegas Golden Knights burst onto the NHL scene in 2017-2018, going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. They’re very close to clinching their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons and won their first Stanley Cup last June. The Golden Knights have operated differently too, building their contending roster through less conventional means.
Roster Ruminations: Tampa Bay Lightning – April 2024
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the closest we’ve seen to a dynasty in the salary cap era. Back to back Stanley Cups and a Stanley Cup Finals loss away from a three-peat, they Lightning went on a dominant run for a few seasons. Cracks are starting to show, however, with a first round loss to the Maple Leafs last spring and a likely wild card berth on tap this season. How long can the Lightning hang on as a contender?
Roster Ruminations: Pittsburgh Penguins – April 2024
The possibility that the Penguins are ready to throw in the towel on the Crosby era just yet seems remote, however. It seems much more likely that they’ll continue to try to add pieces around the core to give the Crosby group one more shot at a long playoff run. The trio is not as dominant as they were at their peak, but they are still very impactful players. Crosby remains as one of the NHL’s best all-around 5v5 forwards and Malkin and Letang can still have a large influence on a game as well.