Month: August 2023

Florida Panthers {17^th overall} Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division

Wild Card seeded Florida had one of the most exciting playoff runs in recent history, to watch the Panthers go down 3-1 in the opening round versus the greatest NHL regular season team ever and to come back and win the series then march to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Defense will be different for Florida as key injuries and three well-known free agents, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niko Mikkola, and Dmitry Kulikov will create a new look, and in net, the Panthers still have one of the best goaltenders in the league with Sergei Bobrovsky.

Florida fought hard in the Eastern Conference last season to earn the last wild card seeding that was literally between three teams as HC Maurice begins his second season at the helm and he can expect another close battle to the end of the regular season.

Nashville Predators {18^th overall} Western Conference, Central Division

The first General Manager of the Nashville “Smashville” Predators Mr. David Poile after 26 years retired on June 30^th and on July 1^st Barry Trotz the Predators’ first and winningest head coach became the second general manager in Nashville’s history on July 1^st.

Head Coach Andrew Burnette a former Nashville player of their inaugural 1998-99 season and assistant, associate, and head coach with Minnesota, Florida, and New Jersey steps behind the Nashville bench for the first time as their head coach for the 2023-24 season.

Nashville brought in experienced veterans most notably Ryan O’Reilly and in the first round of the NHL 2023 Entry Draft 15^th overall the Predators drafted impressive 18 years old 6’ 4” winger/center Matthew Wood who plays {34 pts in 35 games last season} with the University of Connecticut.

The Predators won over 40 games, earned over 90 points, and have winning percentages at home and on the road, an improved goal differential and a couple more wins would put Nashville right back into the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins {19^th overall} Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division

GM Dubas allowed his contract to expire after his former team was eliminated from the playoffs last season in May and by June 1^st was hired as President of Operations by the Pittsburgh Penguins and by August 3^rd made himself General Manager.

The three-team trade that brought Erik Karlsson to Pittsburgh will have an immediate impact on the Kris Letang-led defense and their goal differential which was only -2 as the Penguins were literally one win away from earning a wild card seeding last season.

In net last season, the Penguins had close to an even split in games played by both goaltenders Tristan Jarry {47} and Casey DeSmith {38, traded to Montreal} and each had earned .909 and .905 save percentages respectively.

Mike Sullivan is going into his ninth season as Head Coach of the Penguins after missing the playoffs last season but twice Cup Champion with Pittsburgh now has a new enthusiastic general manager and stud on defense which affords him an opportunity to return to the playoffs.

Buffalo Sabres {20^th overall} Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division

The Sabres last year won over 40 games and accumulated over 90 points in the regular season for the first time since 2010-11 which coincidentally is the last time Buffalo earned a playoff seeding but last season fell short of a wild card by one point.

Buffalo has a dominant offense, their two Number One first-round NHL Entry Draft picks on defense, and now with the launching of Devon Levi as the Sabres’s number one goaltender all under the guidance of HC Granato and his staff looking to march Buffalo into the playoffs.

The Sabres were the youngest team in the NHL with the oldest active player in the NHL last season and now Buffalo’s young corps of talented players gaining even more experience/confidence is fast becoming one of the most exciting teams in the NHL.

Ottawa Senators {21^st overall} Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division

Finishing the season with four more wins than losses the Senators played very well at home but not so much on the road coupled with a double-digit goal differential and accumulating 86 points for the regular season was short of earning a wild card seeding.

GM Dorion signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and Russian winger Vladimir Tarasenko while trading Alex DeBrincat for Dominik Kubalik and a prospect defenseman, with conditional draft picks, along with resigning defensemen Erik Brannstrom and Jacob Bernard-Docker endeavoring to earn a playoff seeding.

Ottawa will play Florida in their last preseason game on October 1^st in Nova Scotia for the 2022 Kraft Hockeyville winner that benefits the Cape Breton Canada Games Complex a 35-year-old building that had hosted the 1987 Canada Winter Games but has had to cease hockey operations.

HC Smith in his fifth season with the Senators appears to be guiding them in the direction of the playoffs and with the moves and resigned contracts it appears Ottawa is possibly ready to win over 40 games and make the playoffs in 2024.