With the NHL Playoffs set to begin tonight, the focus of the hockey world shifts onto 16 teams looking to make it to the month of June and emerge victorious with the Stanley Cup. But what about the other 14 teams? Well, for one short half an hour last night, five of the non-playoff teams were in the spotlight, as the NHL Draft Lottery took place, with Edmonton emerging victorious (is it really a victory though?) for the third year in a row with the first overall pick.
Since these 14 other teams will be getting absolutely no love over the next two months, it’s time to pay them a little respect by looking at what went wrong, how they can be improved, and early (really early) expectations.
Here are my thoughts on the 14 non-playoff teams, arranged in order from worst to, well, least-worst.
Columbus Blue Jackets
What went wrong: Their off-season acquisitions didn’t pan out. James Wisniewski wasn’t what they thought he’d be on the blueline, and Jeff Carter was traded at the deadline. And there was that whole thing with Rick Nash asking to be traded, and the GM leaving him out to dry by telling everyone that after the trade deadline. Nash is still a Blue Jacket for the time being, but it is widely expected that he will be traded in the summer months.
How they can be improved: More depth up front. If Nash stays in Columbus, he needs someone else who can score. They improved themselves on the back end by acquiring defenceman Jack Johnson in the Carter trade, but help up front is the big issue.
Expectations for 2012-13: Steve Mason, who struggled in net for the Jackets this season, should have a bounce-back season, but with the imminent departure of Nash, it might be another long season for Columbus. Expect to see them near the bottom of the West once again.
Edmonton Oilers
What went wrong: It’s tough to pinpoint one thing that went wrong, but inconsistency sure cost the Oil kids a bunch. They’re also a really young team, which might lead to some fans calling this year an “experience year” for the Oilers.
How they can be improved: Trading the first pick would be the smart thing to do; every young core needs that veteran piece to the puzzle. Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff can be that, but they still need an established scorer. Jaromir Jagr is one potential free agent to keep in mind.
Expectations for 2012-13: Devan Dubnyk emerged late in the season as a more confident goalie than he’s been in the past. He might unseat Nikolai Khabibulin as the perennial starter, and the Oilers could actually make a run at the playoffs next year instead of find themselves in the draft lottery again.
Montreal Canadiens
What went wrong: Oh boy, where to begin. The fact that Carey Price, in a hugely underachieving season, was their only All-Star, speaks volumes to how bad a season it was in Montreal. A lack of scoring depth for much of the season, and little to no depth on the blueline at times were the weaknesses.
How they can be improved: Scoring depth at forward and a couple of solid blueliners in front of Price would be good to add. Sounds easy, right? Well when the team is looking for a new GM (preferably bilingual) and a new Head Coach (also preferably bilingual) things might be a little tougher than they seem in Montreal. Oh, and ditching Scott Gomez and his ludicrous contract would be a good place to start.
Expectations for 2012-13: Unfortunately, unless Price absolutely stands on his head all season, I anticipate much of the same next season for the Habs.
New York Islanders
What went wrong: Again, like Edmonton, it’s hard to find something that really went wrong with New York; maybe it’s because we’re just so accustomed to seeing them fail that we don’t really watch for anything.
How they can be improved: With some of the best young forwards in the league, John Tavares being the leader, a stronger defensive unit might be in order for the Isles.
Expectations for 2012-13: I think they’ll do better than this year for sure; maybe even a top-ten finish in the East?
Toronto Maple Leafs
What went wrong: They completely collapsed when the calendar turned from 2011 to 2012. Goaltending became a huge problem which was highlighted late in the season when the Leafs were losing games with scores like 6-5 and 7-4.
How they can be improved: Goaltending goaltending goaltending. Brian Burke, the team’s GM, has already said goaltending and team size are the two main issues to be addressed in the off-season, something many thought they’d do at the deadline, but didn’t.
Expectations for 2012-13: Unless they can sign a stud goaltender through free agency, they’re in for another unsuccessful season. Unfortunately for them, the only big-name starting goalie free agent under the age of 35 is their own Jonas Gustavsson. Good luck with the lottery next year, Toronto.
Anaheim Ducks
What went wrong: A really slow start to the season. They basically pulled an anti-Leafs, because as soon as 2012 came around they were on a tear. They were actually in the playoff race briefly before the rest of the Pacific Division took off, but that slow start to the season really set them back.
How they can be improved: Consistency, especially between the pipes from Jonas Hiller, and from their blueline as well. Their top forwards, namely Ryan Getzlaf, need to play to their full potential as well.
Expectations for 2012-13: Their players who had down seasons (Getzlaf, Hiller) will bounce back. If they can reel Teemu Selanne back for another kick at the can, they’ll definitely make a push for the playoffs under Bruce Boudreau.
Minnesota Wild
What went wrong: A collapse of Leaf-like proportions. In November-December 2011, the Wild were on top of the league standings. An injury to goaltender Nicklas Backstrom derailed their season, as their defensive strategy wasn’t as successful.
How they can be improved: Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Devin Setoguchi and Mikko Koivu all had bad seasons, so their bouncing back is huge. Backstrom staying healthy is obviously a big factor too, but the acquisition of defenceman Tom Gilbert shored up their blueline.
Expectations for 2012-13: In an always-competitive Northwest Division, it’s going to be tough for the Wild, especially against young up-and-comers like Edmonton and Colorado. Expect them to be at the basement of the division, but not quite at the conference’s bottom.
Carolina Hurricanes
What went wrong: Their stars weren’t their stars until late in the season. Eric Staal had a nightmarish start, with a plus-minus rating lower than the top five scores at the Masters combined. Cam Ward didn’t find his groove until February, and Jeff Skinner, last year’s Rookie of the Year, was out for about two months with a concussion.
How they can be improved: In all honesty, if the Hurricanes can add one piece on the blueline, and stay healthy, they’ll be more than alright in a lacklustre Southeast Division.
Expectations for 2012-13: The Hurricanes have a great chance of winning their division. Not joking.
Winnipeg Jets
What went wrong: After a surprising start to the season, the Jets faltered. They were in a playoff spot until late February, and a disappointing March led to their demise. Having the 24th-ranked penalty kill didn’t help very much, and though Ondrej Pavelec played well down the stretch, he did struggle in December and January, and didn’t get a lot of help in front of him at times.
How they can be improved: More consistency from their blueline; picking up someone like Brad Stuart or Dennis Wideman through free agency would be beneficial. Another solid scoring threat like Zach Parise would help, or maybe they’ll do the unthinkable and bring Shane Doan back to the Peg. With around 20 million in spending money at their disposal, the Jets aren’t in a bad position.
Expectations for 2012-13: While Jets fans will look at my comment of their division as “lacklustre” with disgust, they will be happier when I say I think they could challenge for the division title in 2012-13.
Tampa Bay Lightning
What went wrong: Our third Southeast team in a row, and just like the Hurricanes, found their groove too late in the season. Questionable goaltending and anemic defensive play plagued the Lightning for much of the season.
How they can be improved: Easy, they need a goalie and a healthy defence corps. They’ve got the scoring up front with Steven Stamkos scoring 60 times this season, and Teddy Purcell emerging at the season’s end with Ryan Malone. Some support behind these stellar forwards is much-needed.
Expectations for 2012-13: Like the Canes and Jets, they have a shot at winning the division. Which by my math makes five teams who have great chances at winning the Southeast division. The division has five teams. Hmmm
Colorado Avalanche
What went wrong: Another team which found itself in a slow start to the season, but again it’s hard to pinpoint where they really went wrong. The ninth best powerplay was complemented by the twelfth best penalty kill, spearheaded by rookie Gabriel Landeskog. Failure to beat the teams higher in the standings can be credited to their not making the playoffs.
How they can be improved: Experience; the Avalanche are a young team with lots of players who emerged from the woodwork this season. And they still almost made the playoffs.
Expectations for 2012-13: The Avalanche will be fine next season, but in the competitive Western Conference it might be tough for them to crack the top eight again.
Buffalo Sabres
What went wrong: A terrible start to the season set the Sabres way back, and although they staged a late comeback in the season, it was way too late to make up for Ryan Miller’s slow start. Also, paying Ville Leino a lot of money seemed to spook him, as he underachieved big time.
How they can be improved: They just need their scoring forwards to score, and they’ll be fine in a weakening Northeast Division.
Expectations for 2012-13: Ryan Miller will have a bounce-back season for sure; one of the best goalies in the world won’t just curl up and fade away that easily. Watch for the Sabres to be their normal playoff selves again next season.
Dallas Stars
What went wrong: Chalk this one up to being in the best overall division in hockey. Let’s face it, you could be a really good team but it won’t matter if you’re in a division with Anaheim, Phoenix, San Jose and Los Angeles.
How they can be improved: They have to be better against their own division. A .500 record against their fellow Pacific Division isn’t going to cut it.
Expectations for 2012-13: This season the Pacific Division title went all the way down to the final day of the regular season; as of a week before the season ended, the Stars still had a shot at the spot before being eliminated during the last week. Next year, they’ll be right back in that mix once again.
Calgary Flames
What went wrong: A lack of real offence hurt the Flames, as Jarome Iginla once again put the team’s scoring on his back and was a major percentage of the team’s offence. Miikka Kiprusoff did his best sieve impression at times as well in goal, not helping the Flames’ cause.
How they can be improved: Secondary offence is going to be crucial if the Flames want to make the playoffs next season.
Expectations for 2012-13: I expect the Flames to make a big splash in free agency, and make a push for that elusive eighth spot. And to be honest, it would be nice to see a Northwest team other than Vancouver make the playoffs…
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