With the NHL preseason now underway, our view of the 2021-2022 season is getting more clear. While opening night lineups are still fuzzy, there were some notable developments over the first few days of the preseason.
Unsigned RFAs
The majority of this summer’s restricted free agents have signed new deals but there are a few notable exceptions. While there is still time to get a deal done before the regular season, fans of the affected teams are getting understandably nervous. Let’s take a look at the impact to opening night rosters if the high profile RFAs aren’t back in the fold before opening night.
Vancouver Canucks – Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes
Two of the Canucks key skaters remain unsigned. With the Canucks in a tight spot in terms of the cap, their options are limited to get both Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes locked up. The Canucks clearly think they have a shot at the playoffs based on their offseason acquisitions. In my model, it looks like an outside shot and Vancouver will need both Pettersson and Hughes in the lineup to stay in the race in the Pacific Division.
Ottawa Senators – Brady Tkachuk
There continue to be conflicting reports out of Ottawa on how close the Senators are to a deal with Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk is by far the Senators’ most impactful forward heading into the 21/22 season and it would be a big loss to have him sit out to start the season. Note that the roster profiles below are after the Senators acquired Zach Sanford from St Louis, which we’ll look at next.
Trades
Ottawa Senators / St Louis Blues
In the first trade since the start of the preseason, the Ottawa Senators acquired Zach Sanford from the St Louis Blues in exchange for Logan Brown and a fourth round pick. Sanford projects as a capable second line forward in my model, while Logan Brown has seen very limited NHL action in his career to date. The Senators get an immediate boost to their lineup, while the Blues forward depth means the impact to their 21/22 roster projection is very limited.
Injuries
Pittsburgh Penguins – Evgeni Malkin
With Sidney Crosby already out to start the regular season, the Penguins announced that Evgeni Malkin would be out for two months to start the season as well. The Penguins will be significantly shorthanded as the regular season gets underway and could find them behind the 8-ball in the Metropolitan Division race by the time their two superstars are both back healthy.
Philadelphia Flyers – Kevin Hayes
As training camp got underway, the Flyers announced that Kevin Hayes would be out for two months following surgery. Hayes projects as a high end second line forward for the 21/22 season and is a significant loss for the Flyers. However, with good forward depth they have some players who are capable of stepping up in Hayes’ absence and they should be able to weather the loss with minimal impact.
Other Player Impacts
Detroit Red Wings – Tyler Bertuzzi
The Red Wings announced that Tyler Bertuzzi chose not to get vaccinated and will be subject to the leagues protocols for non-vaccinated players. It also means he will not be able to cross the border for games in Canada due to the quarantine requirements. With Bertuzzi out of the lineup, the Canadian teams will see a weaker Red Wings team than the rest of the league will.
San Jose Sharks – Evander Kane
Finding himself the subject of yet another investigation by the league, Evander Kane will not participate in the Sharks training camp. It remains to be seen how the situation will play out into the regular season. There have been many reports about the off-ice impact Kane has had in San Jose and perhaps the loss will not be as substantial as it looks on paper if it results in a significant change to team chemistry.
2021-2022 Season Projections
I will continue to update my season projections periodically as the 21/22 season progresses. Subscribe to the blog for more in-season updates and check out the latest season projections here.
