The 2021-22 NHL Japanese Convention preview

Purpose to imagine within the Bruins: They nonetheless have the very best high line in hockey with Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, and Brad Marchand main the best way, and have the potential for an important second line with Taylor Corridor and Craig Smith. They’re an older workforce, they don’t have an important farm system, however they nonetheless have six or seven actually high-end gamers which might be going to hold them. Charlie McAvoy can also be going to be a constant Norris Trophy contender for years. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Bruins:  Until Tuukka Rask returns I’m not certain how a lot confidence you must have in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. It’s not that it’s a dangerous duo. It’s only a query mark. David Krejci’s absence goes to be important on the second line if Charlie Coyle or Jason Studnicka don’t step ahead to fill that spot. 

Playoff workforce: Sure. Fringe Stanley Cup contender. 

Purpose to imagine within the Sabres:  There usually are not many causes for optimism right here. In any respect. Rasmus Dahlin may lastly get away, and Owen Energy is providing some hope sooner or later. Apart from that, this can be a dismal state of affairs that’s going to lead to a tenth consecutive season exterior of the playoffs.

Purpose to not imagine within the Sabres: The roster is awful. Sam Reinhart has already been traded, Jack Eichel will quickly be traded for pennies on the greenback, and the franchise is heading for one more rebuild to try to repair the newest rebuild that flopped (which is an effort to repair the rebuild that flopped earlier than that). 

Playoff workforce: No. They may be selecting No. 1 general once more. Or at the very least have the very best lottery odds for it. 

Purpose to imagine within the Hurricanes:  Only a ton of expertise right here at ahead and protection. Andrei Svechnikov is able to get away, Sebastian Aho is a star, Teuvo Teravainen is an underrated monster, and even with out Dougie Hamilton they nonetheless have a wonderful protection. They’re a legit Stanley Cup contender and may be the very best workforce in the very best division.

Purpose to not imagine within the Hurricanes: Whereas the protection continues to be excellent, shedding Hamilton IS a giant loss, and their goalie state of affairs is a little bit of a query mark. Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen have the power to be a very good duo, however their age and up to date harm historical past are a priority.

Playoff workforce: Sure. Prime-tier Stanley Cup contender.  

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Purpose to imagine within the Blue Jackets: Goaltending is the last word X-factor in hockey, and Columbus thinks it has a fairly good one in Elvis Merzlikins. They usually may be proper. He has the potential to maintain them aggressive on most nights. In addition they have Patrik Laine who desperately wants a bounce-back 12 months. If he does (and the power and monitor report is definitely there) he might give the Blue Jackets an elite aim scorer to vary some video games. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Blue Jackets: The remainder of the roster simply just isn’t that good and has loads of weaknesses and query marks. In addition they play in a brutal division that has at the very least six potential playoff groups. At the least one good workforce right here goes to overlook the playoffs. Possibly two of them.

Playoff workforce: No. In the event that they keep away from final place it ought to be a optimistic 12 months. 

Purpose to imagine within the Pink Wings: Moritz Seider brings some enormous potential on protection, and if Alex Nedeljkovic can repeat his 2020-21 efficiency in Carolina they may have the goalie place set for the foreseeable future. They aren’t able to compete but, however if you happen to squint you may see some progress right here.

Purpose to not imagine within the Pink Wings: Only a very skinny roster with out many influence gamers. Jakub Vrana might have been one, however he’s going to overlook many of the season resulting from harm which is a disappointment for everyone. He may need scored 35 targets along with his top-line alternative right here.

Playoff workforce: No. Not with this roster fairly but, and positively not on this division with this competitors round them. 

Purpose to imagine within the Panthers: The 2020-21 season was the very best in franchise historical past, they usually spent the offseason including Sam Reinhart and Joe Thornton to that roster. Aleksander Barkov is a bonafide star, Jonathan Huberdeau is an elite offensive participant, they usually have a very robust supporting solid round them. This workforce is for actual. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Panthers: Sergei Bobrovsky has not been the goalie they anticipated him to be, they usually may want Spencer Knight — a rookie, however in all probability the highest goalie prospect in hockey — to emerge earlier than they’ll take the subsequent step.

Playoff workforce: Sure, however perhaps a Wild Card workforce in a tricky division. In the event that they do make the playoffs it is going to be simply the second time in franchise historical past they’ve made the playoffs in back-to-back years. 

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Purpose to imagine within the Canadiens: Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are younger stars, and in the event that they go off and develop into influence gamers that can assist. So much. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Canadiens:  They misplaced rather a lot. Phillip Danault is in Los Angeles, Tomas Tatar is in New Jersey, Jesperi Kotkaniemi is in Carolina, Shea Weber is finished for the season, and Carey Worth is taking a private go away of absence from the workforce and it’s not but recognized when he’ll make his season debut. These are some key contributors to that magical Stanley Cup Ultimate run. In lots of instances the largest contributors. Plus they’re out of the all-Canadian North Division and again in with a bunch of Stanley Cup contenders in Tampa Bay, Boston, Toronto, and Florida. Robust break.

Playoff workforce: No. It simply doesn’t appear seemingly with the roster as it’s and the division they’re again on this season. 

Purpose to imagine within the Devils:  Jack Hughes goes to be a famous person they usually made some nice offseason additions in Dougie Hamilton, Tomas Tatar, and Jonathan Bernier. There’s some good, younger expertise right here with some robust veteran additions. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Devils: Depth continues to be a little bit of a query mark they usually need to leapfrog at the very least a few the Islanders, Penguins, Capitals, Rangers, and Flyers. That’s not going to be simple. 

Playoff workforce: Not going, however undoubtedly a greater workforce that won’t be simple to play in opposition to. 

Purpose to imagine within the Islanders:  They’ve two No. 1 caliber goalies in Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin, an elite protection pairing in Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, an important coach, and a ahead group that doesn’t have many weaknesses, even when it lacks influence gamers past Mathew Barzal. They’ve been within the Japanese Convention Ultimate two years in a row.

Purpose to not imagine within the Islanders:  Wish to see any individual else aside from Barzal have the ability to step ahead and make an influence. Shedding Jordan Eberle hurts. They’ll typically be liable to lengthy stretches within the common season the place they don’t win many video games, and they won’t have a lot margin for error on this division. 

Playoff workforce: Sure, and one that can in all probability beat a “extra proficient” workforce or two on their strategy to one other deep playoff run. Possibly even a Stanley Cup Ultimate look. 

Purpose to imagine within the Rangers:  Artemi Panarin is a legit MVP candidate, Adam Fox is a literal Norris Trophy winner, and they’re oozing with proficient excessive draft picks which have famous person potential. In addition they have an impressive younger goaltending duo with Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev. If all the pieces clicks collectively on the proper time the sky is the restrict right here for this workforce.

Purpose to not imagine within the Rangers: Possession is somewhat nuts and made wholesale modifications, rising the strain. In addition they may need fallen sufferer to the identical entice another Metropolitan Division groups have fallen into and let Tom Wilson dictate how they construct their roster. By no means do this. In addition they really want these excessive draft picks and high prospects to pan out and develop into star gamers.

Playoff workforce: Possibly. They want some issues to go proper. However they’re one among six groups within the Metropolitan Division that would end anyplace between first and sixth place and it could not be a lot of a shock. 

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Purpose to imagine within the Senators: There’s loads of younger expertise right here, particularly once they get Brady Tkachuk signed. They might make this work long-term if possession makes the fitting investments.

Purpose to not imagine within the Senators: Why would you belief this possession group? They cannot even get Tkachuk, their greatest participant and franchise constructing block, signed on time for the beginning of the 2021-22 season. 

Playoff workforce: No. The roster just isn’t but adequate and the division is brutal. 

Purpose to imagine within the Flyers: This isn’t a foul roster by any means. There’s loads of expertise right here they usually made some nice pickups this offseason by including Cam Atkinson, Ryan Ellis, and Keith Yandle. Rasmus Ristolainen doesn’t make a lot sense, however it does match the Flyers team-building operation by being a wildly daring and probably reckless transfer that grabs headlines. Even so, there may be loads of expertise right here that may win. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Flyers:  It looks like all the season is using on the shoulders of Carter Hart. If he’s good and performs like he did his first two years within the NHL they are going to be a playoff workforce, perhaps even an excellent playoff workforce. If he doesn’t, they may in all probability be a disappointment and return to in search of one other franchise goalie to lastly repair that place. 

Playoff workforce: Possibly. Allow us to see how Carter Hart performs. 

Purpose to imagine within the Penguins: When wholesome, they nonetheless have Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Jake Guentzel. A few of them may be getting older and declining, however they’ll nonetheless be influence gamers. Don’t wager in opposition to these guys. Jeff Carter, Bryan Rust, Kasperi Kapanen, and Brian Dumoulin are additionally robust complementary gamers to that core. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Penguins: They misplaced some ahead depth and didn’t actually do an important job changing it, they usually nonetheless have the large query of whether or not or not Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith are adequate goaltenders to assist them compete for a Stanley Cup. Goaltending fully modified their playoff sequence in opposition to the New York Islanders. 

Playoff workforce: Most likely. This would be the 12 months lots of people choose them to overlook the playoffs, they usually may finally be right, however this core and this teaching employees led by Mike Sullivan usually are not going to be counted out simply. 

Purpose to imagine within the Lighting:  They’ve been the NHL’s greatest workforce for seven years now and received back-to-back Stanley Cups. They’ve superstars at each degree of the roster, together with the very best goalie within the league (Andrei Vasilevskiy) enjoying behind a ahead and protection group of All-Stars. It’s virtually unfair.

Purpose to not imagine within the Lightning:  They did lose 4 crucial complementary items this offseason as Tyler Johnson, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, and Yanni Gourde all exited in trades, free company or the enlargement draft. Finally, the wage cap will get you. The latter three gamers (Coleman, Goodrow, and Gourde) fashioned one of many NHL’s greatest, most dominant, and only traces the previous two years and performed a key function of their two Stanley Cup wins. They want their inside pipeline of expertise by the farm system to assist change them. 

Playoff workforce: Sure. Possibly the NHL’s first three-peat for the reason that early Nineteen Eighties New York Islanders dynasty. 

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Purpose to imagine within the Maple Leafs:  They nonetheless have an important core of expertise with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly on the high of the lineup. For all the criticism and flaws, this can be a good hockey workforce. Additionally it is a really thrilling hockey workforce. It ought to be a Stanley Cup contending hockey workforce. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Maple Leafs. The present roster initially of the season might be somewhat bit worse than the roster that was not adequate to win a playoff spherical a 12 months in the past, shedding its fifth consecutive First Spherical sequence. So why ought to issues be totally different this season? They’re additionally relying on Jack Campbell to repeat his 2020-21 efficiency in aim, which may be asking rather a lot.

Playoff workforce: Sure. However no one cares if this workforce makes the playoffs. The one motive folks will care is that if they really win a playoff sequence and do one thing once they get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Till then, it’s only a workforce that finishes in third place and cannot get out of the First Spherical.

Purpose to imagine within the Capitals: They’ve been a continuing within the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a decade and a half now. They nonetheless have Alex Ovechkin. They nonetheless have an important core of veteran expertise. Additionally, Anthony Mantha goes to have a monster season on this workforce. 

Purpose to not imagine within the Capitals: Nicklas Backstrom‘s hip is a priority, they usually want large bounce-back seasons from Evgeny Kuznetsov and particularly beginning goaltender Ilya Samsonov. These three issues might actually influence how this season goes for the Capitals. They’re additionally one of many oldest groups within the NHL with their forwards and protection each averaging greater than 30 years of age. 

Playoff workforce: Most likely. Similar to the Penguins in that lots of people will in all probability count on this to be the season they miss the playoffs. Additionally similar to the Penguins in that they nonetheless have a ton of expertise you in all probability shouldn’t wager in opposition to. 

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