Category: Hockey History 1917-2023

New York Islanders {15^th overall} Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division

The Islanders had won 42 games for 93 points and the first wild card seeding in the Eastern Conference compiled 25 wins to 13 losses at home and earned a plus-21 goal differential which placed them in the first round versus the second-best team in 2023.

The Islanders goaltender IIya Sorokin has been locked in for eight seasons and his back-up Semyon Varlamov to four-year contract which is great news for a team that finished 5^th out of 32 teams in goals against last year.

New York was one overtime win from game seven last year and going into his second year as Head Coach for the Islanders Lane Lambert (1 Stanley Cup as a coach, 1 Calder, and Turner Cup as a player) will no doubt have his team returning to the playoffs.

Calgary Flames {16^th overall} Western Conference, Pacific Division

The Flames did not qualify for the playoffs last season after winning 11 more games than they lost and had a league-leading 17 OT losses adding as many points to their overall total of 93 which was two points shy of a wild card seeding.

Calgary fired their head coach and promoted their assistant head coach for the last four seasons Ryan Huska who brought in three assistant coaches for their first season coaching the Flames, Marc Savard, Dan Lambert, and Cail MacLean.

In the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft Calgary selected Slovakian native Samuel Honzek at 6’ 4”, 200 lbs., this 18-year-old scored 56 points in 43 games in the WHL last season and is a promising prospect for the Flames’ future.

Although Calgary had a positive goal differential [+8] last season it is tied to their low goals against highlighting the team’s need to score more goals and win some of those overtime losses that they could accomplish with their new coaching staff.

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.