The time is drawing nigh.
As the summer slowly transitions into the fall, the photos and video clips have begun to flood social media feeds.
There was Connor McDavid working out with Connor Bedard. In another outpost, Matt Martin and Ilya Sorokin were on the ice at the New York Islanders’ practice facility, teaching Long Island youngsters hockey. Elsewhere, Filip Chytil was doing lunges while raising a kettlebell over his head.
Yes, the eve of the 2023-24 NHL season is upon us. Players and coaches and executives are finishing their off-seasons and preparing to report to their respective teams for training camps.
And we, your friends at OSDBSports.com, are going to spend the next five weeks analyzing each division before culminating with a league preview.
We hope you find it informative and enjoyable.
Without any further ado:
THE METROPOLITAN DIVISION:
NO. 1: CAROLINA HURRICANES:
OVERVIEW: Did one suboptimal week overshadow eight terrific months? Not in Raleigh. The Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division and their 113 points were second-most in the NHL, and eliminated the New York Islanders in six games and New Jersey Devils in five before being swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, losing all four games by a single goal. Instead of tearing down one of the league’s preeminent teams, general manager Don Waddell added grit and skill in Michael Bunting, Brendan Lemieux, Dmitry Orlov, and Tony DeAngelo. Will the additions be enough for the Hurricanes to advance to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final berth since 2006?
FORWARDS: One of the criticisms of the Hurricanes was their lack of on-ice jerks. The acquisitions of Bunting and Lemieux should solve that problem. Both are known for their ability to annoy opponents and should mesh well with a skilled forward group which includes Sebastian Aho (team-leading 36 goals), Martin Necas (led the Hurricanes 71 points and 43 assists), and Andrei Svechnikov (who missed the playoffs with a torn ACL). Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast are terrific two-way forwards.
DEFENSEMEN: Arguably the deepest defense corps in the NHL. Jaccob Slavin might be the most underrated defenseman in the game. He gets overshadowed by Cale Makar and Adam Fox, amongst others, due in part to not being a monstrous offensive producer. Enter DeAngelo, who recorded 42 points (11 goals and 31 assists) with the Flyers last season. The remaining quartet –Orlov, Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce – add skill, skating, defending, and physicality.
GOALTENDING: The decision to bring back goalkeepers Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta can be justified when one remembers Vegas won the Cup with Adin Hill as the No. 1 netminder. Andersen and Raanta are more than serviceable, but are one or both good enough to steal a series against an elite team?
KEY TO THE SEASON: The power play. Despite Carolina’s skill, the Hurricanes finished last season with a power play which ranked 20th in the NHL with a 19.8% conversion rate.
NO. 2: NEW JERSEY DEVILS:
OVERVIEW: Years of painstaking drafting and development began to bear fruit in 2022-23 for the go-go-go Devils. New Jersey finished the regular season with 52 wins, 112 points, and a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division, then eliminated their cross-river rival Rangers in a seven-game, first-round series before falling to Carolina in the second round. More is expected in 2023-24.
FORWARDS: Arguably the most explosive forward corps in the NHL. The Devils finished fifth in the NHL with a 3.52 goals per game average, spearheaded by Jack Hughes, who recorded a single-season franchise record with 99 points. GM Tom Fitzgerald’s trade deadline acquisition of Timo Meier–who was subsequently signed to an extension and the off-season pilfering of Tyler Toffoli–were masterstrokes, and gave Hughes running mates for the foreseeable future. That trio is followed by a second line of Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer, which combined for more than 80 goals.
DEFENSEMEN: An intriguing group. The top pairing of Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton complement each other perfectly. Siegenthaler is a terrific shutdown defenseman while Hamilton is the proverbial puck-moving, point-producing blueliner every team covet. The biggest question about New Jersey’s defense corps is whether prospects Luke Hughes – Jack’s younger brother – and Simon Nemec will make the team. During the off-season, head coach Lindy Ruff said the idea of two rookie defensemen on the NHL roster is concerning to him.
GOALTENDING: The great unknown. No. 1 goaltender Vitek Vanecek was terrific in the regular season, winning 33 games and compiling a 2.45 goals-against average. That did not carry over into the playoffs, where he recorded an .825 save percentage and 4.64 goals against average. Prospect Akira Schmid, who replaced Vanecek as the starter in net after Game 2 of the series against the Rangers, compiled a .921 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average in nine playoff games. The question is whether one or both members of the tandem are ready to take the next step, or if Fitzgerald has to make a trade for Connor Hellebuyck.
KEY TO THE SEASON: The Devils will not catch anyone by surprise in the new season, so the question is how will they respond to being the hunted instead of the hunter?
NO. 3: NEW YORK RANGERS:
OVERVIEW: The curtain is rising on a new Broadway show. Following the first-round series loss to the Devils, GM Chris Drury fired head coach Gerard Gallant and subsequently hired Peter Laviolette. Drury then gifted Laviolette with gritty, experienced depth in the persons of Blake Wheeler, Nick Bonino, Tyler Pitlick, Erik Gustafsson, and Jonathan Quick before signing K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere to RFA extensions.
FORWARDS: At the trade deadline, Drury made splashes by acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane to add to a skilled group which includes top-line center Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin. However, the problems with three scoring lines meant Gallant struggled to dole out ice time and power play time for the forwards. He also did not have enough grit, which the Devils exposed.
DEFENSEMEN: For all intents and purposes, there will not be a job opening on the Midtown blueline. The top pair is set with Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. Jacob Trouba may be the most feared hitter in the NHL, and Miller, his partner, boasts the kind of skill set that makes coaches and executives drool. Braden Schneider would be a second-pairing defenseman on most teams, and it is likely he will be partnered with either Gustafsson or prospect Zac Jones.
GOALTENDING: An unquestioned strength due to the presence of Igor Shesterkin. The Rangers’ No. 1 goaltender, who authored a historic 2021-22 campaign, “dropped” to a .916 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average. Quick, who backstopped the 2013-14 Kings to a Stanley Cup over the Rangers, provides a veteran voice with championship pedigree.
KEY TO THE SEASON: All eyes are going to be on Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko. The first and second overall picks in the 2020 and 2019 drafts, respectively, have been criticized for not having yet developed into franchise cornerstones. A not-insignificant part of Laviolette’s job will be to help Lafreniere and Kakko show growth.
NO. 4: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:
OVERVIEW: Rebuild? What rebuild? Pittsburgh’s response to missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 was to trade for Reilly Smith, sign Ryan Graves in free agency, and, oh yeah, acquire Erik Karlsson in a deal spearheaded by new president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas.
FORWARDS: One of the main reasons the Penguins missed the playoffs last season was a bottom-six that was oftentimes ineffective. Dubas brought in Matt Nieto, Lars Eller, Noel Acciari, Rem Pitlick, and Andreas Johnsson in an attempt to overhaul the third and fourth lines. The top two lines, with the exception of Smith, remain intact. Which makes sense when you have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Rickard Rakell, amongst others.
DEFENSEMEN: The acquisition of Karlsson likely means Kris Letang slides to the second pairing, which should give Mike Sullivan two puck-moving, skilled defensemen on the ice for more than 20 minutes in any game. Graves, Marcus Pettersson, P.O. Joseph, Ty Smith, and Will Butcher round out the rest of the defense corps with varied skill sets.
GOALTENDING: Whether this season is a success or something less will be determined by the Penguins’ netminding. Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 goaltender, was limited to 47 games due to injuries. When Jarry did play, he underwhelmed as shown by his .909 save percentage. There is also something of an open question as to who will back up Jarry, with Alex Nedeljkovic and Magnus Hellberg are likely to compete for the No. 2 role.
KEY TO THE SEASON: See goaltending.
NO. 5: NEW YORK ISLANDERS:
OVERVIEW: There’s no truth to the rumor that the phrase ‘Run It Back’ is the official mantra for the 2023-24 New York Islanders. But it might as well be, as the group which will congregate at Northwell Health Ice Center in a few weeks for training will essentially be the same as the one that was eliminated in a six-game first round series by Carolina.
FORWARDS: The Islanders identity is comprised by the heavy, physical fourth line of veterans Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck. But the question is whether there will be enough offensive production in the top three lines. Mathew Barzal, who was shifted from his natural center position to right wing after Bo Horvat was acquired from Vancouver in January, compiled a slash line of 15 goals and 25 assists for 40 points in 55 games. Horvat, who became Barzal’scenterman, had seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 30 games with the Islanders, after being more than a point-a-game player in Vancouver (31-23-54 in 49 games). Second line center Brock Nelson led New York with 39 goals and 75 points.
DEFENSEMEN: The Islanders go into the season with five of the seven jobs already accounted for. Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech are set as the shutdown pair. Alexander Romanov and Scott Mayfield provide physicality. Following a breakout 2021-22 campaign, Noah Dobson struggled last season–particularly running the power play. It is likely that there will be a battle for the sixth and seventh defenseman between Sebastian Aho and Samuel Bolduc.
GOALTENDING: An unquestioned strength. Ilya Sorokin is a top-five goaltender in the NHL, and reserve Semyon Varlamov could start for 20 teams.
KEY TO THE SEASON: New York finished 2022-23 ranked 22nd in the NHL in goals per game average (2.95) and 30th in power play efficiency (15.8%). Can president of hockey operations and GM Lou Lamoriello make a trade to bring in a speedy, skilled, scoring winger, and can power play coach John MacLean fix what went wrong with the man-up units?
NO. 6: WASHINGTON CAPITALS:
OVERVIEW: The window is closing. Washington missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013-14, snapping a streak of eight straight playoff appearances.
FORWARDS: The Capitals have made no bones about it: The organization wants Alex Ovechkin to break Wayne Gretzky’s record for goals scored in a NHL career. Ovechkin enters this season with 822 goals, 72 behind Gretzky. Top line right wing Tom Wilson was signed to an eight-year extension in August. The extension kicks in beginning with the 2024-25 season for the 29-year-old.
DEFENSEMEN: A mixed bag. No. 1 defenseman John Carlson, who was limited to 40 games with a fractured skull, and Rasmus Sandin–acquired in a trade deadline deal with Toronto–provide puck-moving, offensive elements. Trevor van Riemsdyk set a career high with 23 points. Those were the positives. The negative was that Washington allowed 3.18 goals per game.
GOALTENDING: Washington is bringing back the duo of Darcy Kuemper and Charlie Lindgren. Kuemper, the No. 1, was 22-26-7 in 57 games with a .909 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average. Lindgren compiled a .899 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average in 31 games.
KEY TO THE SEASON: Odds are that Ovechkin will not score 73 goals this season. But another 40-goal campaign, which would be his 14th, would set him up perfectly to break Gretzky’s record in 2024-25.
NO. 7: COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS:
OVERVIEW: What are the Blue Jackets doing? Columbus compiled a 25-48-9 record for a .360 winning percentage, which allowed them to earn the second overall pick that was used on Adam Fantilli. Which would presuppose a rebuild. But presumably organizational decision-makers think the team is close to competing for a playoff berth with the hiring of Mike Babcock as head coach.
FORWARDS: The nucleus of Columbus’ future Fantilli and second-year wingers Kent Johnson (16-24-40 in 79 games) and Kirill Marchenko (21-4-25 in 59 games). It’s likely that the trio will comprise the Blue Jackets’ second line, after Johnny Gaudreau (21-53-74), Boone Jenner (26-19-45), and Patrik Laine (22-30-52).
DEFENSEMEN: General manager Jarmo Kekalainen began rebuilding the Columbus blue line by acquiring Damon Severson from New Jersey in early June, then signing the defenseman to an eight-year, $50 million contract. Kekalainen also traded for Ivan Provorov. The former Flyer made headlines last season for not wearing Pride warmup jerseys, citing religious beliefs. Should
veteran Zach Werenski–who played only 13 games due to injury last season–return, the Blue Jackets have a passable top three.
GOALTENDING: It’s tough to play goal when your teammates rank 30th in goals per game (2.60), 26th in power play efficiency (18.3 percent), 25th in penalty killing (75.1 percent), and 31st in goals against average (4.01). Just ask Elvis Merzlikins (7-18-2 with a 4.23 goals against average and .876 save percentage in 30 games) and Daniil Tarasov (4-11-1 in 17 games with a 3.91 goals against average and .892 save percentage).
KEY TO THE SEASON: The development of Fantilli, Johnson,and Kirill Marchenko.
NO. 8: PHILADELPHIA FLYERS:
OVERVIEW: The rebuild is officially underway. Nothing more needs to be said.
FORWARDS: The Flyers enter the upcoming season with Travis Konecny who led the team in goals (31) and points (61). Chances are he will not don the orange and black after the trade deadline. Look for head coach John Tortorella to experiment with youngsters Owen Tippett, Morgan Frost, Noah Cates, and Joel Farabee at even strength and on the power play and penalty kill.
DEFENSEMEN: By purging the roster of Tony DeAngelo and Ivan Provorov, general manager Danny Briere signaled the organization is open to having youngster Cam York take on extended responsibilities. Veteran Marc Staal has played for Tortorella in the past and can serve as a mentor for the organization’s young players.
GOALTENDING: Who or what is Carter Hart? That is a question without a clear answer. Hart finished 2022-23 with a 22-23-10 record, as well as a 2.94 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. But was that due to his performance or the team around him? Felix Sandstrom and Samuel Ersson should compete to be Hart’s backup.
KEY TO THE SEASON: Since it is not likely that there won’t be too many on-ice wins, Philadelphia should be in a season-long neck-and-neck race with San Jose to be in the best position to win the draft lottery.
