We are kind of in a holding pattern right now so here are some questions you had with my answers
I'm going to go with Montreal in the East just because Carey Price will be coming back. I hate the Subban trade for them but signing Alex Radulov should help them score more goals. I believe Detroit's impressive playoff streak is in jeopardy and will allow Montreal to take that spot.
I think the West might have the same teams in the playoffs again but in keeping with the spirit of your question I will pick Calgary. They won't be getting 30th ranked goaltending from Brian Elliott which is what they received in 2015-16. It is still a tall order to bump one of the playoff teams out in the West.
I think the Fleury move was the one to make at the draft to clear out cap space, but that ship has sailed. There really aren't any big roster moves to be made unless they go the trade route with other players. Anything else would be low key signings which could include Matt Cullen and/or Justin Schultz.
If Jason Botterill moves on because of it I would consider it to be a bad extension. Jim Rutherford had a great 2015-16 and that goes without saying. However, the things that Jason Botterill does behind the scenes cannot and will not be replaced in-house. I don't want to diminish anything Rutherford did because it led to a championship, but GM's that don't have to chase after a #1 center (Penguins have 2), a legit #1 defenseman, and goaltending are in a great spot for success. They don't have to chase that high end talent and subject themselves to as much risk as other teams chasing those pieces. Rutherford made excellent moves to fill in the roster depth (Kessel, Hagelin, Daley). I do think there are other GM's capable of doing that as well including the aforementioned Botterill. Jason Botterill's future with the Penguins is how I will gauge this extension.
Let's assume that they are a trio the entire season and will not be broken up due to injury or coach's decision. My prediction is based on the offensive numbers that these three players put up from December 13th to the end of the regular season (Mike Sullivan sample).
Phil Kessel 26 goals and 64 points
Carl Hagelin 22 goals and 60 points.
Nick Bonino 15 goals and 52 points.
Tough to pick against Dustin Johnson for anything right now so I'll take him for the British Open. Jason Day for the PGA Championship and the United States for the Ryder Cup. Picking golf is next to impossible and why the majors are so fun.
Last year for stretches of the playoffs the team had Derrick Pouliot and Justin Schultz sitting in the press box together on any given night. As of this moment they don't really have a 7th defenseman that can come close to that. One injury to Pittsburgh's top four defense and they will be more exposed than they've been recently. If Schultz moves on perhaps they could look into a player like Marek Zidlicky on a cheap one year deal. There really aren't a lot of cost feasible options out there if Schultz moves on. Leaning on an unknown like Ethan Prow is a risky proposition.
I think it is possible Colorado lets go of any number of their talented players. There have been rumors of Tyson Barrie, Gabriel Landeskog, and also Matt Duchene. I think packaging Hornqvist, Pouliot, and Fehr together would come close but it is a moot point. Without Fleury traded and assets back for him moving out that much for one of Colorado's forwards will end up leaving more holes than it is worth. Barrie would still be worth it to me because the value of what he brings is higher and tougher to come about. The Avs said they won't be trading Barrie yet rumors continue to surface about them and Edmonton. They also said they weren't trading Ryan O'Reilly who was in a similar contract squabble. A top four of Letang, Barrie, Dumoulin, and Maatta for years to come would provide a foundation for success as Crosby and Malkin continue to age.
They will be just as good as they were last year. There is nothing to indicate that they will be taking a step back. Adding Brett Connolly on the cheap and trading for Lars Eller helps. However, 2016-17 might be their last great look at things. The following year Kuznetsov, Oshie, Williams, Burakovsky, and Alzner all need new deals. The Brooks Orpik contract will likely come back to bite them during the next offseason.
I'll start with Sidney Crosby. He plays fast. He loves to burst through the neutral zone with speed. He loves playing with players that can get him the puck so he doesn't have to break stride. He also loves getting support down low in the offensive zone on a cycle. Getting Crosby the puck in great areas is the role that Chris Kunitz has played for years. For Crosby's right winger I am going to upgrade to the super human version of Chris Kunitz and that is Marian Hossa. Hossa wouldn't be a long term choice considering his age but we all saw what Sid and Hossa could do together the short time they were able to play together. Hossa does literally everything right. He is not only able to physically execute the kinds of skills that can maximize Sidney Crosby but he is also able to think the game on the same level. On the left side I am going to give Crosby a player that he has spoken glowingly about in the past
Jamie Benn has led the NHL in 5v5 points per 60 from 2013-2016 (2.65) including winning the Art Ross Trophy in 2014-15. I gave Taylor Hall some serious consideration but ultimately Jamie Benn was somebody I couldn't walk away from.
For Evgeni Malkin I would give him the best east west winger in the sport in Patrick Kane. The time and space those two would create would be absurd and they would know what to do with it.
I realize I would be asking the other winger to switch sides but I think it would work out just fine. I would give Malkin Vladimir Tarasenko on the left wing. Tarasenko has rapidly become one of the greatest offensive players on the planet. He has size, hands, shot, and also thinks the game at a high level. What makes him even more dangerous is that he is willing to press the issue and force defenders to defend. Playing with Malkin and Kane there might not be any defenders left to defend him.
The Fancy Cats had themselves an offseason. They seem to be pressing all the right buttons as they look to take the next step as a franchise. Will they surpass Tampa Bay this year? They might not because Tampa Bay is locked and loaded to be one of the Eastern Conference favorites again. This much I am sure of, hockey fans in Florida have plenty to smile about these days.
Thanks for reading!
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