A flurry of activity has already been seen around the NHL this summer, but teams still have a long way to go before they’re ready to drop the puck in 2016-17. The PDL team is going to take a look around the league and examine each team to see where they’re coming from and what they need to do to take the next step.
This series begins with a look at the Pacific Division.
Anaheim Ducks
What happened in 2015-16?
The Ducks started the season with a surprisingly-horrific 1-7-2 record before bouncing back to win the Pacific Division. However, a quick exit in the playoffs landed Bruce Boudreau a pink slip.
How do they take the next step?
Well, hiring someone as mired in the past as Randy Carlyle as the new coach seems like a bad first step. There’s essentially nothing wrong with the roster, but the key guys – Getzlaf, Perry and Kesler – are all on the wrong side of 30. Plus, the team loaded up with some high draft picks while trading goalie Frederik Andersen to Toronto. Rolling with John Gibson seems to be a wise move.
There are still some decisions to be made on defense, where there are almost too many young, talented guys. Cam Fowler seems like he might be the odd man out. Getting a solid return on a trade could help replenish depth.
Of course, none of this will matter if Carlyle is as incapable as he was in Toronto.
Arizona Coyotes
What happened in 2015-16?
The Coyotes had a good start to the season before falling back down to earth. Max Domi and Anthony Duclair had very solid rookie years. The team finished with 78 points.
How do they take the next step?
This sounds vague, but just keep making good decisions. Domi, Duclair, Dylan Strome, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and another top-10 pick are already on board. The franchise is trending in the right direction. Stripping the team down in 2014-15 netted a good amount of picks and prospects. Next season should be about letting the young guys grow.
Calgary Flames
What happened in 2015-16?
The Flames took the slide that everyone outside of Southwestern Alberta expected them to take, finishing with 77 points.
How do they take the next step?
The Flames need goaltending and that’s not exactly an easy problem to solve. The latest rumor connects them to Marc-Andre Fleury, which considering his age, seems like a bad idea. There are examples all around the Pacific Division on how to handle this issue. The Canucks gave a long-term deal to 33-year-old Ryan Miller. The early returns are not terrible, but not good either. San Jose traded for Martin Jones last offseason and made out pretty well. The Oilers traded for Cam Talbot, who was just OK. The lessons seem to be: don’t commit to someone over 30, don’t give up too much and look for someone who hasn’t been given a real chance yet.
Obviously, the team has other issues. Johnny Hockey, Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett, Dougie Hamilton, Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie are all good pieces to build on (although Giordano isn’t exactly young). But there’s basically nothing beyond that. There’s a lot of work to be done.
Edmonton Oilers
What happened in 2015-16?
More of the same. Bad defense, bad goaltending, not enough depth and bad injury luck. The Oilers were the second-worst team in the league.
How do they take the next step?
The Oilers are the NHL’s biggest trade rumor manufacturer this offseason. Whether it’s Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Jordan Eberle or the fourth overall pick, the hockey world seems to think someone has to go. And considering the amount of talented, young forwards and the dearth of capable defensemen, a trade could be beneficial. There are too many possibilities list here, but there are a few additions the team needs to make to take just a small step. Two more capable defensemen, a backup goalie and some third/fourth line types with some offensive upside. A full season of Connor McDavid wouldn’t hurt either.
Los Angeles Kings
What happened in 2015-16?
The Kings had a solid enough regular season, slowed down a bit at the end and lost in the first round to San Jose. The team was once again at the top of the league in Fenwick Close, but continued to put up poor shooting numbers.
How do they take the next step?
This is really a matter of reloading. With the amount of big contracts on the books, that won’t be an easy task. The first step is to avoid resigning Lucic. Someone is going to overpay for him and you don’t want that someone to be you. Giving a long-term deal to a 28-year-old who plays as physical a game as Lucic seems unwise. It’d also be wise to try to pawn off one of these big contracts on someone. Dustin Brown’s contract might be too much of an albatross to move. But, Jeff Carter and Marian Gaborik both still have value. I’m not sure if General Manager Dean Lombardi would consider moving Jonathan Quick, but he should. Either way, the team has to be on the bargain hunt. So long as Vince Lecavalier is definitely hanging up the skates for good, there should be money around to sign 2-3 depth players. The best days of this era might be behind the Kings, but the team really has no better choice than to ride this thing out.
San Jose Sharks
What happened in 2015-16?
Solid goaltending, a potent offense and a couple of excellent defensemen led the Sharks to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance. A lack of depth and a difficult opponent led the team to a six-game defeat.
How do they take the next step?
There aren’t many improvements to make to a team that’s coming off a Western Conference Championship. The Sharks just need to pay Tomas Hertl (he’s a restricted free agent), find a backup goalie (resigning Reimer is probably fine) and remake the fourth line. Focus on getting guys who have some skill, speed and youth. The fourth line is no longer a place for grinders, fighters or guys just looking to hold on for one more year.
Vancouver Canucks
What happened in 2015-16?
The Canucks were terrible and finished with 75 points. The offense was inept, the goaltending mediocre and the roster construction questionable. Somehow, they’re picking fifth, which seems unnecessarily cruel.
How do they take the next step?
Fire Jim Benning immediately. There are no quick fixes here. No franchise is in worse shape than Vancouver. It’s time for a total rebuild. The drastic, but wise move here would be to look into trading the Sedins. The twins have no-trade clauses so it would be up to them if they want to move. Additionally, the Canucks would have to find a team who could create $14 million worth of cap space (depending on how much salary Vancouver would want to hold onto). It’s a longshot, but it’s worth a try. The duo will turn 36 before next season and is on the books for two more years.
Beyond that, there’s not much to do but tear it down and pray for lottery luck.
