Where hockey and data unite.
The Calgary Flames have underperformed expectations this season. The loss of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in the offseason certainly hurt, but they came out of the summer with a roster that was widely expected to be playoff worthy and possibly even a contender. They haven’t lived up to that billing though and, with 13 games left on the schedule, they sit outside the playoffs chasing a wild card spot.
What’s behind the Calgary Flames struggles this season?
I’ve been digging into the ‘Yzerplan’, looking at both the current state of the Red Wings and where they might be headed over the next few seasons. Part 1 looked at the current roster, while Part 2 started to lay out a possible road map for the future with a focus on defense and goaltending. Next, we’ll look at the forward group and put it all together.
In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the current state of the Red Wings including their current NHL roster, future cap and roster flexibility and prospect pipeline. With a good understanding of where the Red Wings are currently at, we’ll start laying out a strategy that Steve Yzerman could use to build them back into a contender in Part 2. Today’s focus is on the defense corps and goaltending.
Is it time to worry about the lack of results, or does the “Yzerplan” simply need more time to come to fruition? Over the next few posts, I’ll dig into that question. We’ll look at the state of the team and what the next steps may be to return the Red Wings to glory.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Nashville Predators sat 10th in the Western Conference. They appeared to be a longshot to make the playoffs and decided to move out a handful of roster players in exchange for futures. It’s a strategy fans of borderline playoff teams might like to see more often, so let’s take a closer look at how the 2023 trade deadline re-shaped the Nashville Predators.
The New Jersey Devils added Timo Meier to their roster on Monday, via a trade with the San Jose Sharks that involved 13 players and picks. A 26 year old pending RFA, Meier was the the prized target of the trade deadline and his addition to the Devils roster is clearly a boon for their playoff aspirations this season. When we scratch below the surface, however, it’s clear Meier’s addition fits well within a longer term vision.
The Winnipeg Jets acquired Nino Niederreiter from the Nashville Predators earlier today, sending a 2024 2nd round pick in exchange. Let’s take a closer look at the deal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals yesterday. The Bruins sent Craig Smith and a package of draft picks to Washington in return, while the Minnesota Wild also got involved with some salary retention. Let’s take a closer look at the deal.
The New York Rangers acquired Tyler Motte from the Ottawa Senators yesterday. In exchange, they sent Julian Gauthier and a conditional 7th round pick to the Senators. Let’s take a look at the deal.
The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St Louis Blues yesterday, with the Minnesota Wild acting as a third party broker to retain salary and also sending Josh Pillar to Toronto. The Blues retained 50% of O’Reilly’s cap hit and the Wild retained another 25%, landing O’Reilly in Toronto with only 25% of his total cap hit. The Blues received Adam Gaudette, Mikhail Abramov, a 2023 1st round pick (TOR), 2023 3rd round pick (OTT), and 2024 2nd round pick (TOR) while the Wild received a 2025 4th round pick (MIN).
