Skip to content

Dear Santa: What each NHL team hoped to find on Christmas morning

Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / Getty

'Tis the season to ask and hopefully receive.

As NHL teams arose Sunday morning, here's what each hoped to find under its figurative tree. Merry Christmas!

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

Montreal Canadiens: While the Habs could use some help down the middle, the club can't be greedy, and Alex Galchenyuk and David Desharnais will be back for the playoffs. It's Carey Price's continued good health Montreal is hoping for most.

Ottawa Senators: The best Christmas gift of all would be for Nicholle Anderson's cancer to enter remission.

Boston Bruins: A backup goalie, please.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Some sort of remedy to reverse the club's injury curse.

Florida Panthers: Some puck luck. Jaromir Jagr is shooting 6.8 percent, Vincent Trochek 8.5 percent, Keith Yandle 2.4 percent, and Jussi Jokinen and Nick Bjugstad 4.5 percent.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A top-four defenseman and the kids could actually have Toronto in playoff contention come spring.

Detroit Red Wings: The Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar of 2014-15.

Buffalo Sabres: Goals. Buffalo is one of only three teams without a 10-goal scorer.

Metropolitan Division

Columbus Blue Jackets: For Sam Gagner's dream season - and the club's, really - to continue.

Pittsburgh Penguins: A home for Marc-Andre Fleury.

New York Rangers: Some help on the blue line for Henrik Lundqvist. He's earned it.

Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin is averaging 0.75 points per game, the fewest in his remarkable career, but Evgeny Kuznetsov's startling drop in production is more concerning. He has to get it going.

Philadelphia Flyers: For Steve Mason to keep doing what he's doing, especially after his nightmare October.

Carolina Hurricanes: A winger to play with Victor Rask and Jeff Skinner.

New Jersey Devils: Another team without a 10-goal scorer, but the Devils never fill the net, so what New Jersey needs most is for Cory Schneider's .905 save percentage to rise - and fast.

New York Islanders: A time machine to go back and re-sign Kyle Okposo and not sign Andrew Ladd.

Western Conference

Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks: Another team that can't be greedy, especially after the contributions of Artem Anisimov and Marian Hossa through a quarter of the season - massive considering Jonathan Toews' struggles. But another defenseman wouldn't hurt.

Minnesota Wild: Devan Dubnyk is something else, and it's hard not to ask for his out-of-this-world play to continue, but a healthy Zach Parise, if that's possible, would be very nice.

St. Louis Blues: Perennial road warriors, the Blues desperately need better efforts away from home, where they've won only five of 16 games.

Nashville Predators: Filip Forsberg's scoring touch. Please.

Dallas Stars: For the love of everything holy, some goaltending.

Winnipeg Jets: Less of a gap between the top six and bottom six forwards.

Colorado Avalanche: The first overall pick in 2017.

Pacific Division

San Jose Sharks: Offense from someone not named Brent Burns, Joe Pavelski, Joe Thornton, or Logan Couture.

Edmonton Oilers: Anything at all from Benoit Pouliot.

Anaheim Ducks: Last season's John Gibson.

Los Angeles Kings: Some help from the hockey gods for Anze Kopitar, a career 12.2 percent shooter who's somehow at 4.9 through 29 games.

Calgary Flames: The Brian Elliott the Flames thought they traded for.

Vancouver Canucks: A rebuild.

Arizona Coyotes: A mulligan.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox