Most Improved Teams of the Off-Season – A Recap.

With the trade deadline has passed us and the playoffs just around the corner I thought it would be a good idea to revisit my predictions of which teams I thought would be the most improved, or not.  I picked four teams originally, two from each conference, along with two honorable mentions.  If you’d like a refresher on those picks you can check it out right here.  Otherwise let’s dive into it, in the same order we went last time.

Toronto Maple Leafs: 

This was basically a no brainer pick as their only real move was bringing in John Tavares, and he has led the way.  Tavares leads the team in goals and is 2^nd in points.  Combining his play with the play of Auston Matthews (2^nd in goals) early on, the team started the season completely on fire.  And as a result, they currently sit in 3^rd place in the Atlantic Division.  And after a very long contract dispute, they finally signed William Nylander to a contract extension and immediately inserted him into the lineup, though it has taken him some time to get up to speed with the rest of the team.

John Tavares Celebrates Scoring a goal

The Leafs will likely finish this season in 3^rd place, just as they did last year, but they’ll be in the playoffs.  Their 1^st round matchup will likely be the Boston Bruins once again who seem to be their kryptonite when push comes to shove.  Many people think, and I am included in this line of thinking, that the Leafs are not strong enough mentally and physically to battle deep into the playoffs.  But with their high-flying offense, the have a punchers chance to say the least.

Buffalo Sabres:

Buffalo is another team from the Atlantic Division, but unlike Toronto, they shocked a lot of people early in the season.  By the end of October, they had a 6-4-2 record.  In November they went 11-3-1, with 10 wins in a row as well, improving their overall record to 17-7-3.  That was good enough to put them right in line for a spot in the playoffs.  But in December the wheels feel off as they only won 4 out of 13 games.  And with that their dreams of the playoffs were shattered.  

Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart Celebrate a goal against the Red Wings

But that is not to say it has not been a successful season for them.  Captain Jack Eichel has finally stepped up to the plate and is emerging as the team’s true leader on and off the ice.  And they integrated a lot of new faces into the line up successfully and have built a great foundation going into next season.   1^st overall pick Rasmus Dahlin has proved to be a true NHL talent and is currently 5^th in team scoring.  Other key additions like Sheary and Skinner have pulled their own weight.  I personally had high hopes for Tage Thompson coming into this season, but it is important to remember that he is still a young and developing player who is in his 1^st full season.  Once he finds he game he will be a dominant force up front for Buffalo.

Though Buffalo will miss the playoffs once again this season, I consider them a win in my predictions. The surprised early on and gave the real contenders a major scare, and even after they fell out of the playoffs, they still have been battling and been a hard team to play against.  As if the Eastern Conference wasn’t tight enough, look for the Sabres to build on the successes of this season sooner rather than later.

Arizona Coyotes:

Talk about teams who have had a hard year!  Arizona, a team people expect players to go to and just disappear, has been an upset special pick all season long!  Though it hasn’t come easy at all.  A key factor I talked about that was crucial for Arizona success this season was their goaltender, Antti Raanta (as if a goalie isn’t crucial for every team).  Their true starter in net, has been out of action since American Thanksgiving basically.  Not only that but they have lost over 400 man-games to injured players this season as well, 2^nd to the Ducks.  But some how this team has fought through it and is currently sitting just 3 points back of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.  And they have two games in hand compared to two of the teams sitting above them in the standings.

Clayton Keller and Alex Galchenyuk Celebrate a goal

So how have they managed to overcome all these obstacles and be pushing for a playoff spot?  By buying in and playing as a team for starters.  They don’t have much in the way of fire power when it comes to offense, their leading scorer (Clayton Keller, formerly of the USA NTDP) only has 42 total points.  So, when I say they bought in, I’m talking in the manner of playing a defense first style of play.  They have one of the lowest GA/G in the league at 2.8 and they have the 2^nd best PK in the league, a killer 85%.  Combine that with some timely goaltending and you have a team that is working for the upset every night.  I don’t know about you, but I sure am rooting for the Yotes to make it into the playoffs this season.

St. Louis Blues:

The Blues are a team that have been considered contenders in recent years and haven’t missed the playoffs in some time.  But they made enough changes to their roster this past year that I had to include them as an improved team.  On paper they looked very different yet still good.  But that is not how the season started for them.

They started the season with just 3 wins in their 1^st 10 games, far from a promising start.  Which they promptly followed up with four wins in their next 10 games.  Then over the next 20 games, they hung in there by having a .500 winning %.  Luckily for them the Western Conference is filled with teams that don’t want to play in the playoffs. That has helped them stay in the chase for the playoffs.

Jordan Binnington with a save on Nick Bonino

Then in the next set of 20 games, a switch was flipped, and a new gear was found.  They went on to win 15 games, 11 of those all in a row!  That winning streak propelled them to where they sit at this moment, 3^rd in the Central Division Standings.  The emergence of goaltender Jordan Binnington directly correlates with the Blues going on their impressive winning streak as well.  And since he has taken over as the team’s starter, he has gone 16-3-1 with a .933 SV% and a 1.7 GAA.

Very impressive numbers and far superior to Jake Allen’s.  With a goaltender playing at this level the whole team can relax and play their game to its highest level.  And with Ryan O’Reilly stepping in and becoming the team’s number one center, we could be looking at a major 1^st round upset.  If nothing changes in the next month, the Blues will be in the playoffs against the division rival Predators.  Battling how they have had to and will continue to do until the regular season ends gives the Blues all the ingredients necessary for a 1^st round upset.

Honorable Mentions – Calgary Flames:

I originally included two honorable mentions in my original post that I didn’t talk about much.  Looking at Calgary, they are a team who missed the playoffs last season after making it two years ago.  That was a memorable year as well as they were swept in the 1^st round by the Anaheim Ducks.  But that doesn’t look like it will be the outcome this year. 

They’re a very completely team who an incredible defense core and highly talented forwards.  They have been sitting at the table with all the big dogs in the West all season long and have been leading the Pacific Division for most of the year. They’ve been led by their youth up front and their captain on defense. 

David Rittich hoists Matthew Tkachuk in celebration

Though their goaltending has been questionable throughout the year, they have been getting it done and making it work.  And they have been on a bit of a slump lately as they have lost four straight games.  But that could be a good thing, making them go through a bit of a reality check before the playoffs begin.

Honorable Mentions – Carolina Hurricanes:

They Canes are a team that has been in the middle of the Metropolitan Division battle all season long!  A division that is normally ruled by the Capitals and Penguins has seen a bit of a shake up this year. Though the Capitals sit in 1^st place at this time, the New York Islanders were at the top for what seemed to be about two months.  And currently the Hurricanes are sitting pretty in the 3^rd spot in the division, with 81 points. 

Sitting pretty is probably an overstatement though as they point totals range from 85 (the 1^st place Capitals) to 79, which gives you a two-way tie for the final wild card spot in the east.  Both Wild Card spots are held by Metro Division rivals as well.  These point gaps mean there is little room for error these last 14 games. 

The Hurricanes celebrate after a big win

But good things are happening in Carolina.  They have a nice goaltending tandem in Petr Mrazek (YEAH BOY!) and Curtis McElhinney.  Though their numbers aren’t the best, they’re completely respectable and as a team they have a +14 Goal Differential.  Sebastian Aho has been playing like a man possessed and leads the team with 77 points.  They’re getting plenty of offense from the defense as well and will likely finish the season with three defensemen having over 30 points.

They have a rough schedule coming up to close out the year and a few very important head to head matchups.  They control their own destiny.  But I’m pulling for them.  They’re having fun and it shows.  Attendance is even up!  I’d hope that they can lock up a playoff spot in their final home game against the Devils, because I want to see what that post game Storm Surge celly will be like!

Honorable Mentions – San Jose Sharks:

I suppose I should mention them, though not much needs to be said.  I included them because they had a major offseason acquisition in Erik Karlsson.  But it was not a smooth transition at all.  It took him about two months to find his game, but once he did, he has been as dynamic as ever.  He is currently on the IR though, but the team is so good they’re just rolling without him.

Captain Joe Pavelski acknowledges the fans after a goal

They made a trade deadline move as well by adding Gustav Nyquist to the lineup, though it doesn’t seem to be paying dividends just yet, but it’s only been five games.  He has one goal and is a minus two.  But like I said, this team is just steam rolling almost everything in their way and they have only lost one game since he joined the roster.  They currently are sitting in 1^st place in the Pacific Division and will be battling with Calgary to the end to hold on to that top spot.

And that wraps it up, seven teams predicted to be improved compared to the previous season, seven teams that are clearly better than they were before.  I don’t think it can be debated that I got these ones right, though some were easier to see than others, Toronto being one.  But it has been a fun and fascinating season with plenty of highs and lows.  These last few weeks are going to be make or break as well for some of these teams as they make their final push towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Trade Deadline Recap

Finally, the day has come where we get to breakdown and analyze all the trades that took place on the NHL trade deadline day.  As usual it was a slow morning, but around 1 o'clock with less than 2 hours to go things really started to pick up and bodies started to move.  And after the 3 PM deadline the trades kept rolling in as they get announced in sent into the NHL offices at the last minute.   Now obviously I can't talk about every single trade especially in this manner so I've grouped up couple of the major ones and will kind of go from least important to most important as we break these down. 

Let's start with the Boston Bruins shall we.  Boston is one of those teams in the Atlantic that just won't die and I don't understand it completely.  They have always had some solid pieces but they’re aging and most of their youth seems to be average at best (clearly this does not apply to Pastrnak or McAvoy).  But they’re still battling for a top spot in their division, so they went and made a nice depth move here.  Johansson is a player that can play in any forward role and usually is a mid-40’s point producer through the regular season, so he can be dependable as a depth scorer. He has proven capable at scoring in the playoffs as well putting up 30pts in his career. 

Currently it looks like he will be playing on the second line as a winger, but he has the capability of playing at center.  Johansson’s diversity is likely a big reason the Bruins went out and picked him up.  Their no. 2 center, David Krejci, has a long history of being injured. Adding Marcus is a great insurance move here just incase something happens.  All in all, they did not pay much to bring him in either, a 2^nd seems to be the going rate for a lot of players and the 4^th rounder is basically a throw in.

Moving on from Boston we head all the way out west to San Jose.  The Sharks made a nice little addition by bringing in Gustav Nyquist. The Goose was a hard one to move for Detroit as he had a full No-Trade Clause in his contract, so he basically got to pick and choose where he went if anywhere at all.  I am of the belief that a post-game chat between some fellow Swedes the evening before the deadline is what led to Nyquist going to San Jose.

So, what does he bring to the Sharks?  They’re a team that has been rolling all season long.  They’re 2^nd in GF/G and their Powerplay is at 25.3%, good for 4^th in the league.  Adding Nyquist here can only help these numbers get better, he is also having a career best season as well when it comes to scoring.  He is playing on the 3^rd line which is being centered by future hall of famer, Jumbo Joe Thornton, and on the other wing is Kevin LaBanc who is a grittier player down low and a bit more of a shoot 1^st type.

Personally, he is not the player I would have targeted if I was the Sharks, but that’s not to say he won’t produce there.  They’re getting a player who has speed, skill, and can pass with the best of them.  But they’re missing that true grit that is needed for a deep playoff run which I feel Nyquist lacks.  But playing on the 3^rd line he should be able to take advantage of some mismatches.  They didn’t pay an outlandish price either, like I said, a 2^nd rounder seems to be the going rate this year.

Back in the great American Midwest, the Columbus Blue Jackets were not done making moves.  After going all in and selling most of the farm they came back towards the end of the day and brought in Adam McQuaid to solidify their defense. He fits right into this team based on his size, but more importantly he will bring playoff experience to a younger core of players.

McQuaid is a hard nosed and mean defenseman known for his play in front of the net.  His best years are likely behind him as he is 32 years old now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play either.  He missed a lot of time to injury this season which may be a blessing in disguise as he will have played less games heading into the playoffs therefore making him a bit more well rested.  He should also be more ready and able to dish out punishment to the opposing forwards in front of the net.

From the Blue Jackets we take a short trip to the South West and visit the contending Nashville Predators, who made two key moves at the deadline.  First, they picked-up Mikael Granlund from the Wild in one of the rare, straight up, true hockey trades.  Then they looked to the East and brought in Wayne Simmonds from the Flyers right near the buzzer as the deadline was fast approaching. 

Granlund is a high-end skill player who can do just about everything.  He is an elite passer with a great shot, did I mention he has some great puck control and can deke with some of the best.  He plays in all situations as well, killing penalties and most important for the Preds, he produces on the PP.  As a team Nashville has the 2^nd worst PP in the entire league with a 12.5% success rate.  If Granlund can help them improve that over the short term and into the playoffs, then this trade will be viewed as a win for Nashville.

Speaking of helping the powerplay, who better to get than Wayne Simmonds.  Simmonds has solidified his career by being one of the best net front players in the entire league.  In 8 years with the Flyers, Simmonds scored 203 goals, 91 of those goals were on the PP!!!  If adding Simmonds to your powerplay can’t fix it, then nothing will.  And if they don’t get this one aspect of their game figured out, they will be out of the playoffs before they realize what happened.

Now we can’t talk trades without talking about the biggest “prize” of the day and that would be Mark Stone heading out to Vegas just minutes before the 3 pm deadline hit. With all the talk about Ottawa demanding multiple picks and players for Stone, it seems Vegas got him at a nice percent off, like old produce from a grocery store.  But that is not to say that Stone is getting old and rotten at all, just the Senators trying to salvage anything they can.

By adding Stone, the Golden Knights become a deeper and deeper team offensively.  And though they’re underperforming this season compared to how last season went, they’re still racking up wins and the whole team is scoring by committee.  But once again this is considered one of the elite teams in the league, with a horrendous PP.  The have the 22^nd ranked PP in the league this year, and Stone, who is a proven scorer, should help them climb the rankings and have a much more respectable PP heading into the playoffs.

While the price that Vegas paid wasn’t as high as what was originally expected, they did give up one elite (and I mean ELITE) prospect in Erik Brannstrom.  Brannstrom is one of the best up and coming Swedish defenseman in all of hockey. He will step right into the NHL next season in a 2^nd pairing role for the Sens with Chabot likely on the 1^st pairing.  There is no better place to start for Ottawa’s rebuild than on defense, lets just hope they don’t squander what could be an amazing career. 

And lastly the team that seemed to do the most work on Deadline Day, the Winnipeg Jets.  They made a plethora of moves compared to most other teams.  One major trade, and a few smaller ones which will likely pay the biggest dividends in the long haul. 

Starting on the back end the Jets went out and added some depth.  They have had a few players banged up here and there, but they also lost Josh Morrisey for about a month now leading into the playoffs making these depth moves even more important.  The addition of Nathan Beaulieu is the most important player added here. He is a smooth skater who can make a good 1^st pass. He is also still young and developing his game.  Things just didn’t work in Buffalo for him, perhaps the Jets will give him a fresh start and chance to play some meaningful minutes, but he’ll have to perform well if he wants to stay in the lineup.

At forward the Jets brought in a depth center in Matt Hendricks.  Hendricks isn’t a guy who is going to score and put up points for any team.  But what he will do is win you important face offs late in games in the defensive zone.  He will clear the puck out across your blue line.  He will battle hard in the corners against the opposition’s best players.  And he’ll block shots for you without hesitation.  He is one of the glue guys on a team that bonds them and motivates everyone to work that much harder by doing the little things that add up to victory. 

And the big splash of the day that was made early by the Jets was the addition of the giant forward Kevin Hayes.  Hayes was likely the most expensive player acquired all day costing a 1^st round pick and a young NHL player in Brendan Lemieux.  

Hayes has slid right into the No.2 center role for the Jets giving them some much needed depth at the position.  He also makes them even bigger than they already were as he is their 6^th player who is over 6’5” in height.  Not to mention he can skate like a guy who is only 5’10” and he drives the net like a true power forward should.  He can play on the power play as well as the penalty kill, which the Jets really need some help with.  He will be a key addition and should fit in nicely with how the Jets play and make a large impact in this year’s playoffs. 

Now like I said in the open I can’t talk about every player and every trade in this manner, my hands would fall off and your eyes would rot out, and nobody wants that.  But these are the biggest names moved and most competitive teams, who all just got that much better.  If you notice, most teams that made moves to improve right now were the ones out west.  It is no surprise as the Western standings are so tight that every team is looking for any and every edge they can find.  How these moves pan out will be seen in the next two months as teams shuffle for their spots in the playoffs and look to play for a chance to win the ultimate prize, The Stanley Cup.