With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, theScore's John Matisz and Josh Wegman offer their takes on four hot topics captivating the hockey world.
Which East team has the best chance of beating the Bruins in a best-of-7 series?
Wegman: The Eastern Conference is stacked with five strong teams after the 49-8-5 Boston Bruins, so there are plenty of options. The Carolina Hurricanes are as well-rounded as anyone, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils really loaded up, and heck, if the Toronto Maple Leafs finally get out of Round 1, would anyone be surprised if they went on a deep run once the dam breaks?
But the Tampa Bay Lightning are my choice. Why doubt them? No team in the East has beaten them in a playoff series since the Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off a massive upset in 2019.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is the X-factor. Igor Shesterkin might have the same series-stealing ability between the pipes, and Linus Ullmark is enjoying a fantastic season, but we've seen Vasilevskiy step up time and time again in the biggest moments. He authored a ridiculous .928 save percentage and seven shutouts in 71 games over Tampa's last three playoff runs. If he gets in the zone again, look out.
Matisz: The Bruins are a near perfect squad. Barring injuries to key pieces, Boston will be a massive favorite against anyone in the conference. Luckily, this question asks for the East team with the best (not a good) chance.
I'll go with the Rangers, who have yet to find their groove after acquiring four everyday NHLers during a hectic February but boast a very high ceiling.
History tells us world-class goaltending can outduel a juggernaut, and Shesterkin fits the description. What's more, the Rangers' forward group is downright scary with a star-studded top six of Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Vincent Trocheck plus an above-average bottom six. Last but not least, the blue line - led by perennial Norris Trophy contender Adam Fox - is stocked with big and/or physical defensemen, from K'Andre Miller, Jacob Trouba, and Ryan Lindgren, to third-pair guys Niko Mikkola, Braden Schneider, and Ben Harpur.
The Rangers' cocktail is made for playoff hockey. They're dangerous.
Which deadline seller put itself on the best track to contention?
Wegman: The Blue Jackets. They made only one significant move ahead of the deadline, sending Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov to the Los Angeles Kings for a first-round pick, a third-rounder, and Jonathan Quick. (They then did right by Quick, shipping him to the Vegas Golden Knights.)
It's the foundation already laid that has me optimistic that the Blue Jackets can turn this thing around in an efficient time frame. They're already the NHL's second-youngest team, and there's more on the way, as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has built one of the league's deepest prospect pipelines.
The 2022-23 campaign has been an unmitigated disaster, but injuries have played a significant role. Several key players have missed extended time, including cornerstone defenseman Zach Werenski, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in November.
But the lost season could wind up a blessing in disguise. Sitting last in the NHL standings has them situated as favorites to win the draft lottery and land Connor Bedard. Adding a potential generational player to the mix could make this a quick turnaround. Columbus also has the cap flexibility and trade bait to make big moves this offseason - which we know Kekalainen isn't afraid of doing.
Matisz: The Detroit Red Wings - and, in my mind, it's not particularly close.
In the lead-up to the deadline, GM Steve Yzerman studied the standings and his NHL roster, circled four players he didn't see as part of Detroit's future, and then flipped them for six draft picks. It was a sensible, decisive approach.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Filip Hronek, Oskar Sundqvist, and Jakub Vrana yielded two first-round picks, a second, two fourths, and a seventh. Owning a combined four firsts and four seconds over the next two drafts, Detroit can bolster its fourth-ranked prospect pool (according to The Athletic), switch into buyer mode and trade picks for NHLers, or do a little of both.
Yzerman's deadline activity also cleared up future salary-cap space. The club has eight pending UFAs, including forwards Pius Suter and Adam Erne and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, and most of them won't be back. The Wings dined out during 2022's free-agency frenzy, and with only $51.1 million committed to 13 players next year, they're in a position to shop again this summer.
Overall, the Wings being on the periphery of the fight for the East wild-card spots in March suggests the rebuild is trending in the right direction. Playoff berths in 2023-24 and 2024-25, then contending in 2025-26 - I can see it.
What's your favorite under-the-radar deadline pickup?
Wegman: If we eliminate all players who cost first-round picks, my choice is Nino Niederreiter, whom the Winnipeg Jets grabbed from the Nashville Predators for just a 2024 second-rounder.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pound winger is a near lock for at least 20 goals and 100 hits every season, and he's already at 20 and 126 through 61 games so far this campaign. What team wouldn't want a combination of goal-scoring and physicality as the postseason nears? Niederreiter also routinely posts strong underlying numbers, making him a favorite of both old-school fans and modern-day analytics junkies.
Niederreiter is playing on Winnipeg's top line and No. 1 power-play unit, and he's already contributing, with four points in five games for his new club. Plus, the 30-year-old is signed for an additional year at a fair $4-million cap hit. What's not to like about this move?
Matisz: Jesse Puljujarvi.
Unfortunately, the so-called "Bison King" hasn't made his Hurricanes debut due to visa issues. Once he does, it's likely we see a seamless fit between Puljujarvi, a 6-foot-4, 201-pound power winger, and his new team. Puljujarvi is similar to most forwards deployed by Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour - he's relentless on the forecheck, unafraid of crashing the net, and a plus defender.
Puljujarvi needed a ticket out of Edmonton (he was one of our eight change-of-scenery candidates prior to the deadline), and Carolina provides a soft landing. Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Antti Raanta are fellow Finns in a dressing room filled with well-respected and welcoming veterans, including Jordan Staal, Jaccob Slavin, and Brent Burns.
Also of note: The Hurricanes bought low on Puljujarvi, a pending RFA, because the Oilers craved cap relief. Patrik Puistola, a 22-year-old forward playing in Finland's top pro league, was the return. Puljujarvi's scored just five times on 88 shots on goal this season for a career-low shooting rate of 5.7%. Carolina is banking on his puck luck turning around down the stretch.
There's no guarantee this works out for the Hurricanes. But it was a savvy bet.
Who's your pick for the Jack Adams Award?
Wegman: Jim Montgomery. He's the betting favorite for good reason. His Bruins are enjoying a historic campaign in his first year at the helm, as they recently became the fastest team ever to 100 points. Sure, the roster is as deep and talented as it gets, but Montgomery is pushing all the right buttons.
Voters love a good narrative, too. Montgomery entered rehab for alcohol abuse in January 2020, a month after he was dismissed as head coach of the Dallas Stars. In September 2020, he joined the St. Louis Blues' staff as an assistant before landing the Bruins gig before this season. And now, he's coaching one of the best teams of all time. It's a great story.
Matisz: This is Montgomery's trophy to lose, and he's wholly deserving of the honor.
But, for fun, I'm going off the board with my pick and tapping Dave Hakstol of the Seattle Kraken, a true coach-of-the-year dark horse. Hakstol may seem like an odd choice - because he is - but hear me out.
The Kraken trail only the Devils in year-over-year points percentage improvement, jumping from .366 in their debut season to .625 in Year 2. Improbably, they've gone from 30th to 10th in the league standings.
Hakstol's lineup was injected with more talent thanks to the offseason acquisitions of Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand plus Matty Beniers graduating to full-time status. Seattle has also endured few major injuries this year, while the goaltending has gone from horrendously bad (.880 team save percentage) to just bad (.888 team SV%). So, Hakstol's had some help.
But those developments haven't been the only driving forces behind Seattle's breakout. Hakstol has adjusted the offense so it relies far less on point shots and far more on shots from the slot area. This change in philosophy, coupled with better puck management in the neutral zone, has led to night-and-day differences in five-on-five and power-play goal-scoring.
The hockey world tends to underestimate the impact of good coaching when a team lacks high-end finishers and/or strong goaltending. The Kraken lack both and yet find themselves in a playoff spot with a plus-23 goal differential.
