Hello and welcome to another HockeyBuzz Hotstove. Today we will be looking around the NHL and which team has had the best off-season. Today I am joined by Karine Hains, Jacob Billington, Zak MacMillan, and Dan Wallace
Dan Wallace My take in the tram that has done the most this off-season it is absolutely the Colorado Avalanche.
They pick up Ryan Johansson, while Nashville eats half the contract. They get the number two center that they missed last season with the departure of Nazim Kadri. The slick addition of Jonathan Drouin on a one year deal could be a diamond in the rough.
The deal that brought in Ross Colton adds a key piece with a winning pedigree. Combine that move with the Miles Wood signing and the Avalanche not only have the top end talent but they bring superior depth and in your face character with these two gems.
The resigning of Andrew Cogliano and Jack Johnson should solidify the Avalanche as the Stanley Cup frontrunners.
Zak MacMillan The most improved offseason team I would have to say is Carolina. Keeping the trio of Raanta, Andersen and Kochetkov in net was an excellent start but it was the additions that I believe will push this team to the next level.
One of the biggest detriments of the Hurricanes of the past few years has been that they have plenty of skill but not enough physicality. Adding Bunting and Lemieux for toughness up front was a great start but the big move of Orlov on a high but short term deal really helps to round out the whole roster. The main core remains but if they can find a way to bring in one more piece like DeAngelo or a blockbuster deal for Karlsson? Scary
Jacob Billington
This is a tough one. I don't think any team stands far and away from the rest of the league, a lot of teams made great acquisitions this summer. I like what Carolina did, adding Bunting and Orlov, and they may not be done yet. The Ducks also made some significant improvements adding Killorn and Gudas to the team, on top of Leo Carlsson, and I have to give a shoutout the the Winnipeg Jets for acquiring Vilardi, Kupari and Iafallo.
For me the biggest team improvement has to be the Chicago Blackhawks. The addition of Connor Bedard is the first and most important. Getting Taylor Hall, even if it is just to flip him at the deadline, as well as veterans Nick Foligno, Ryan Donato and Corey Perry. The improvements the team has made are going to reflect in the standings, and they are surely going to have a better year than last year.
Karine Hains
It’s been a busy offseason for many teams in the NHL but picking which one has improved the most is no easy task. Do I go for one of the contenders that got nearer to the Cup or for a bottom feeder who has made good moves to accelerate its rebuild? I decided to opt for the latter, since the Chicago Blackhawks went from a full tank job to drafting a generational talent and making the right moves to ensure he develops properly.
Adding Connor Bedard to any roster is already a huge improvement, but bringing in Corey Perry to help him learn the ropes as a pro was a brilliant move. If Perry has never played on your favorite team, you probably hate him but if he has, you’ve heard his teammates rave about him. His stay with the Montreal Canadiens was short, a single season, but the Habs’ young core spoke really highly of him. Some may think the Hawks overpaid by trading for his rights and throwing a two-year $4 million AAV contract at him, but if he had hit free agency, he would have found work elsewhere and Chicago didn’t want to risk it.
The Hawks also made a trade with the Bruins to acquire Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno. Hall is a former 1st overall pick and knows just what Bedard is going through right now and as an added bonus, he’s kind of a draft lottery lucky charm, five times in his career, his team won the draft lottery out of 12 participations, a pretty good success rate. As for Foligno, he’ll add a physical side to the Hawks’ game as well as some physical presence.
They also signed Ryan Donato to a two-year contract on July first, the forward put up 27 points in 71 games with the Seattle Kraken. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the Hawks will make the playoffs this year, far from it, but they went from full tank mode to putting in place a solid base for their rebuild and surrounded their prized jewel with real veteran leadership.
Sean Maloughney
Chicago is an excellent pick for most improved; any time you go from a bottom dwelling team to adding a potential generational talent is going to mean your roster has improved. Instead I am going to pick the Detroit Red Wings for the flurry of moves to the roster.
In Free Agency the team made a number of solid depth signings to the roster in Sprong, Gostisbhere, Reimer, Compher, Holl, and Christian Fischer. That is a collection of forwards and defenders that are not elite by any stretch but can provide secondary scoring and strong 5 on 5 play to bolster the existing core group. The trade of signing Klim Kostin is another decent bet that not only adds some toughness to the bottom six but a player that has the ability to score some goals as well.
The big move though was the trade for Alex DeBrincat and the subsequent signing as well. While DeBrincat had somewhat of a down year in Ottawa, the winger has shown an ability to score goals in bunches and will have the opportunity to do such, likely next to Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
Last season the Red Wings spent a ton of money in the off-season and still came up short. It remains to be seen whether or not these changes will help push the team to the next level but by the sheer volume of moves the Red Wings are my most improved team.
What are your thoughts? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.