- Feb 23, 2010
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21. Calgary Flames
Last season: 26-27-3, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +4000
Key players added: C Blake Coleman, D Nikita Zadorov, D Andy Welinski, C Trevor Lewis, G Dan Vladar, RW Tyler Pitlick
Key players lost: D Mark Giordano (expansion draft), G Louis Domingue, C Derek Ryan, LW Josh Leivo, D Michael Stone, LW Joakim Nordstrom, C Dominik Simon, RW Buddy Robinson, C Zac Rinaldo
Most fascinating player: Let's make it "players" for the Flames. The most interesting aspect of the team is its top line, with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk flanking Elias Lindholm. This line was put together last season, and it absolutely rolled: 59.37% expected goals percentage, getting over 56% of the shot attempts and averaging 4.71 goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5. Hopefully coach Darryl Sutter has the good sense to keep this trio intact. Gaudreau was reinvigorated, and now he's in the last year of his contract, looking to end on a statistical high note. As for Tkachuk, he's reached the next stage of his evolution: agitating other teams during their offseason contract talks with his sibling.
Best case: The Flames do as average NHL teams do every season. They play well enough to position themselves around the playoff bubble and get in by virtue of playing in arguably the weakest division in the league, creating just enough offense with their forward group and getting above-average goaltending from Jacob Markstrom, who starts 60 games.
Worst case: The defensive corps and dressing room feel the loss of captain Giordano, Markstrom is middling and the Flames see their playoff bubble burst by finishing outside the top three in the Pacific and having both wild cards come from the Central.
X factor: Sutter coached 30 games for the Flames last season, after a stunning return to the bench to replace Geoff Ward. They were decidedly average, going 15-15-0 with him at the helm. They didn't really look or play like a Darryl Sutter team as we've come to know them, so it'll be interesting to see whether that has changed in his first full season in Calgary. His L.A. Kings teams had the lowest goals-per-game average (2.2
of any team in the NHL during his six seasons there. A better team defense in Calgary would be better news for Markstrom, who had a ho-hum first season with the Flames after being the 2020 offseason's free-agent goalie prize.Fantasy outlook: There's reason to consider shying away from going all-in on Markstrom with new backup Vladar lurking about. Despite playing in only five regular-season games last spring, Vlader is attracting a fair bit of in-the-know praise this preseason, and there is potential for him stealing starts in net from Markstrom. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Gaudreau is playing in the Metropolitan Division at some point in 2022.
22. Los Angeles Kings
Last season: 21-28-7, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +8000
Key players added: C Phillip Danault, D Alexander Edler, RW Viktor Arvidsson, G Garret Sparks
Key players lost: RW Matt Luff, D Mark Alt
Most fascinating player: Drew Doughty is fed up. He's tired of the rebuild in Los Angeles, and he's encouraged that there seems to be some light at the end of that tunnel. He's tired of being a legacy, rather than being an elite player in the present. While his offensive output remains solid, he's a minus-64 combined in the past three seasons. "Everything I've done has been in the past. I'm not happy with where I'm at in my present. So I need to get back to that," Doughty told ESPN this preseason.
Best case: The Kings start really turning the corner in their rebuild. Players such as Gabriel Vilardi and Michael Anderson take the next step. Newcomers, like former Canadien Danault (signed as a free agent), winger Arvidsson (acquired from Nashville) and KHL import Vladimir Tkachev make an immediate difference. Their top prospects hit the roster with positive impact. Oh, and Calvin Petersen rewards the Kings for their faith in him, having signed the goalie to an extension.
Worst case: The Kings are still clearly a year away from turning the corner and don't contend for a playoff spot. Trust us when we tell you that the majority of the league would kill to have the Kings' problem, which amounts to waiting a little longer for the best and deepest collection of prospects in the NHL to mature.
X factor: The broken ankle suffered by Quinton Byfield, the No. 2 overall pick in 2020, in a preseason game was a real bummer. Not because it dramatically impacts the Kings' opening night roster, but because it impacts his continuing maturation as a top prospect. The X factor for the Kings is how many of those prospects can hit their roster this season and contribute to their success. Byfield still needs some seasoning. So do forwards Arthur Kaliyev, Tyler Madden and Alex Turcotte, who are all currently tabbed for the AHL. (Rasmus Kupari was still in the mix for an NHL spot late in training camp.) This is the next wave. These are the names that will help define the Kings for the next several seasons. When will they be ready?
Fantasy outlook: Up front, Anze Kopitar endures as a steady and reliable fantasy presence (2018-19 was somewhat of a blip) that we've grown to appreciate. Above and beyond scoring, the Kings' captain ticks other fantasy boxes, such as faceoffs won, shifts and average time on ice. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: With two years left on Jonathan Quick's contract, but only $5.5 million in salary, the Kings finally find a trade partner for the veteran goalie.
23. New Jersey Devils
Last season: 19-30-7, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Key players added: D Dougie Hamilton, D Ryan Graves, G Jonathan Bernier, F Tomas Tatar
Key players lost: D Will Butcher, D Connor Carrick, D Ryan Murray
Most fascinating player: Hamilton's free-agent availability didn't exactly sync up with the Devils' timeline as a rebuilding team. But he agreed to join them anyway for seven years and $63 million, and it's going to be enthralling to see what kind of impact he can have on them. There's no way their power play finishes 28th (14.2%) in the NHL again. Watching Hamilton feed the team's collection of fast, young skaters at 5-on-5 will be fun.
Best case: The Devils locate enough goal-scoring on their roster from Tatar, Yegor Sharangovich, Miles Wood, Jesper Bratt and the totality of their defense corps. They pair that with above-average goaltending and improved special teams, and sneak through a crowded pack of teams in the Metro into their first playoff appearance since 2018.
Worst case: The Devils see continued improvement from franchise standard-bearers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, get another year of experience for a talented supporting cast, then really make that sharp turn back toward contention next season with top prospect Alexander Holtz and oodles of cap space with which to play.
X factor: The Devils had the second-lowest team save percentage in the NHL last season (.891) because Mackenzie Blackwood's season was derailed by COVID-19, and GM Tom Fitzgerald's plan to pair him with a veteran goalie was subverted by free-agent pickup Corey Crawford's decision to retire. So Fitzgerald is running it back with another veteran goalie: Bernier, late of the Red Wings. If the Devils are to contend for a playoff spot, this tandem will have to excel at an above-replacement level -- and they could. But there's an X factor within the X factor: Blackwood has chosen not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as of time of publishing, so his availability for games in Canada remains in question.
Fantasy outlook: Jack Hughes remains packed with potential to be among the superstars of the game, but will come at a massively discounted cost after having failed to erupt during his first two seasons. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Hughes scores the winning goal in Team USA's gold-medal victory in men's hockey at the 2022 Beijing Games. Hey, you wanted bold, right?
24. Vancouver Canucks
Last season: 23-29-4, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +6000
Key players added: G Jaroslav Halak, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, RW Conor Garland, F Jason Dickinson, D Tucker Poolman, C Justin Dowling, D Luke Schenn, D Brad Hunt
Key players lost: D Alexander Edler, D Nate Schmidt, G Braden Holtby, RW Jake Virtanen, LW Jimmy Vesey, C Travis Boyd, LW Antoine Roussel, LW Loui Eriksson, C Jay Beagle
Most fascinating player: For two years, Elias Pettersson was tracking toward mega-star status. The 2019 rookie of the year had 132 points in his first 139 NHL games, with no less than Wayne Gretzky endorsing his offensive game. But last season was a struggle with injuries, and Pettersson was limited to 21 points in 26 games. He has a big, new bridge contract -- three years and $22.05 million -- that carries with it the expectation that a healthy Pettersson can get back on track to MVP status and lead the Canucks' turnaround.
Best case: The Canucks are healthy and use a combination of their dynamic top two lines and strong goaltending to paper over shortcomings in their lineup to return to the playoffs after last season's hiccup. Pettersson is a point-per-game player. Garland meshes with Bo Horvat to create a strong secondary scoring line.
Worst case: Injuries befall key offensive players, and the team's offensively promising but defensively challenged defense corps gets cratered by conference opponents. Thatcher Demko can't save the day, and Vancouver finishes out of the playoffs -- which could mean both its GM and coach are finished, too.
X factor: The Canucks were the worst defensive team in the NHL at 5-on-5 last season based on expected goals against (2.65). Even with the addition of Ekman-Larsson, their defense corps leaves much to be desired. So it falls to Demko to be the last line of defense and the difference-maker on many nights for Vancouver. He's up to the task: Demko had 23.7 goals saved above average last season, and added around four wins to the Canucks.
Fantasy outlook: Look for J.T. Miller to return to his previous point-per-game pace, including a solid tally garnered on the power play. And while second-line center Bo Horvat won't wow you in the production department, he outshines most in fantasy leagues that count faceoffs won, average time on-ice or shifts. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Garland leads the Canucks in goals.
25. Seattle Kraken
Stanley Cup odds: +5000
Most fascinating player: In the unending comparisons to their recent brothers of expansion, the Vegas Golden Knights, many have wondered which member of the Seattle Kraken will be their version of William Karlsson, who went from being a depth player with the Blue Jackets to a 43-goal revelation in the Knights' inaugural season.
The current favorite is Jared McCann, a six-year NHL veteran with the Canucks, Panthers and Penguins (and, although he didn't play a game there, Toronto). He's an analytics darling who is expected to be the team's top-line center between Jaden Schwartz and Jordan Eberle. Now he just needs a nickname as awesome as "Wild Bill" is for Karlsson.
Best case: The Kraken use the NHL's generous expansion draft rules to create a playoff-bound roster, getting enough goal-scoring up front and from defensemen Mark Giordano and Vince Dunn to win games in front of an outstanding goaltending tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger.
Worst case: The initial reactions to the Kraken roster prove accurate, as a team that left a considerable number of "name" players swimming in the expansion draft pool can't generate enough goals and falls short of the postseason. Which, in the end, might be part of the long-term plan anyway.
X factor: The Golden Knights were a sensation in Year 1 because they drafted stronger players than we anticipated, and leveraged the draft to acquire even more of them. The Kraken had to go in a different direction as teams prepared better for their expansion draft, instead going after some unrestricted free agents -- including Grubauer, whom they obviously hope can be their Marc-Andre Fleury.
But the secret to the Knights was their chemistry. Whatever motivated it -- their bond with the community after the tragic shootings on The Strip in Oct. 2017 or the "Golden Misfits" rebellious vibe -- they jelled in a way no one thought a first-year team could. Can the Kraken all get on the same page to create a cohesive, playoff-caliber team?
Fantasy outlook: The Kraken's most enticing fantasy commodity to start is the ever-consistent Grubauer. He boasts an impressive résumé dating back to his first real season in Washington (2013-14), and this Kraken team is built to keep pucks out of the net. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: The first All-Star representatives in Kraken history are Giordano and Grubauer.
26. Columbus Blue Jackets
Last season: 18-26-12, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +12500
Key players added: LW Jakub Voracek, C Sean Kuraly, D Jake Bean, D Adam Boqvist
Key players lost: D Seth Jones, LW/RW Cam Atkinson
Most fascinating player: Patrik Laine is the definition of "fascinating." (OK, and also "frustrating" and "vexing" and "perplexing." He contains multitudes.) Laine scored the sixth-most goals in the NHL (110) during the first three seasons of his career from 2016-17 to 2018-19. He's 50th in that category over the past two seasons. The Blue Jackets traded Pierre-Luc Dubois for him last season, in the hopes that the 23-year-old winger could recapture the magic. They've now added Jakub Voracek to his line, in the hopes the veteran playmaker can help get Laine there. It's a critical season for the player and the team, as Laine is in the last year of his contract, with a $7.5 million cap hit.
Best case: The Jackets get a mix of strong goaltending from Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo, and unexpectedly great rookie seasons from the likes of Yegor Chinakhov and Cole Sillinger, to push near the playoff bubble this season. That might not serve them well from a draft perspective, but it would at least indicate that they're on the right path.
Worst case: The team finishes last in the Metro because the kids aren't ready, the veterans are ineffective and the franchise is much more "rebuild" than "reload," which is GM Jarmo Kekalainen's preferred description.
X factor: This is the first time since 2014-15 that someone other than John Tortorella has coached the Blue Jackets. In that time, they made the playoffs in four straight seasons, challenged for a playoff spot in every campaign, and embodied the blue-collar aesthetic preached by their head coach. What is a Brad Larsen team? We're about to find out.
Fantasy outlook: Can you find the fortitude to take Laine ahead of your fantasy competition? It's a risk, but one that could pay off in spades if a new coach helps unleash his offense. More than fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Bean has one of the NHL's biggest breakout seasons as Zach Werenski's new defense partner.
27. Ottawa Senators
Last season: 23-28-5, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +12500
Key players added: D Nick Holden, D Michael Del Zotto
Key players lost: G Joey Daccord (expansion draft), C Derek Stepan, LW Ryan Dzingel, LW/RW Evgenii Dadonov
Most fascinating player: Tim Stützle was eased into his first NHL season by the Senators, and responded with a campaign that wasn't Calder-worthy (29 points in 53 games) but showed flashes of the ability that made him the third overall pick in 2020. It's hard to believe Ottawa isn't going to throw him into the deep end of the pool and see how he swims in his second NHL season: Somewhere around 18 minutes per game sounds right. They need more from him on the power play (nine points last season), and one assumes Stützle can provide it.
Best case: With a pesky young forward group that features Stützle, Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris, improved special teams and goaltending that's at least competent, the Senators are a surprise wild-card contender.
Worst case: The goaltending is below average, the team's depth issues are glaring -- losing Colin White for four to six months with a dislocation in his shoulder certainly doesn't help -- and the Senators are ground up by the top five teams in the Atlantic Division, unfortunately proving GM Pierre Dorion's "the rebuild is done" proclamation was a fallacy.
X factor: The Senators are going to go as far as Matt Murray will allow them. He's in the second campaign of a four-year contract that Dorion handed him as the team's primary goaltender. His first season was an abject disaster: 10-13-1, .893 save percentage and a 3.38 goals-against average, to go along with a negative-3.5 goals saved above average. The last stat is the key for Ottawa. They don't need Murray to be Dominik Hasek. They just need goaltending that isn't going to be a below-replacement-level liability. The question is whether Murray can still provide that after back-to-back clunkers with Pittsburgh and the Senators; among goalies who have played at least 60 games over the past two seasons, Murray has the fourth-worst save percentage (.896).
Fantasy outlook: Aside from Tkachuk, there aren't any must-haves among the Senators. Norris and Drake Batherson have the potential to be fantasy contributors this season, but neither is a lock yet. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: The Senators finish better than their .455 points percentage last season in the North Division and place sixth in the Atlantic.
28. San Jose Sharks
Last season: 21-28-7, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +8000
Key players added: G James Reimer, C Nick Bonino, C Andrew Cogliano, F Nicholas Merkley, G Adin Hill
Key players lost: G Martin Jones, D Greg Pateryn, RW Kurtis Gabriel, C Patrick Marleau, RW Marcus Sorensen, C Ryan Donato, D Christian Jaros
Most fascinating player: The Sharks would like to keep Tomas Hertl around. He's a consistent offensive performer, with 43 points in 50 games last season, and is only two years removed from a 35-goal campaign. He's the kind of big-bodied center you build around, and he's entering his prime, turning 28 this season. Also, he's the human embodiment of a puppy playing on a sunny afternoon. But Hertl is an unrestricted free agent after the season and is taking a wait-and-see approach with the Sharks. If it looks like he'll walk, San Jose has to move him. And the Sharks will get a nice bit of value coming back for a game-changing center.
Best case: The Sharks' infusion of young talent in players like William Eklund and Jonathan Dahlen pairs with healthy, resurgent seasons from the team's returning veterans like Logan Couture, Timo Meier, Hertl, Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns to make the Sharks much better than expected. They find a way to remedy their porous team defense in front of improved goaltending.
Worst case: The Sharks remain a team well past its expiration date as a contender, a collection of bloated and immovable contracts handed to players on the downside of their primes. The goaltending improvements from offseason acquisitions Reimer and Hill are minimal, and the team struggles to keep pace in the Pacific Division while stubbornly refusing to totally rebuild.
X factor: Evander Kane is one of the Sharks' best offensive players, two years removed from a 35-goal season and having posted 43 points in 50 games last season. He was also just cleared in an investigation regarding allegations he bet on NHL games; continues to be investigated by the NHL on the domestic assault allegations made by his estranged wife in a recent divorce filing; and is also being investigated for allegedly submitting a fake vaccination card to the Sharks and the league. There's also continuing bankruptcy litigation involving Kane that could end with his NHL contract being voided. The 30-year-old was absent from Sharks camp while all of this was ongoing, and there's no indication yet when he'll rejoin the team.
Fantasy outlook: Veteran defender Erik Karlsson is both a shadow of his former self and still better than his 22-point haul in 2020-21 suggests. Don't reach for Karlsson, but if he's available later in drafts, the gamble makes sense. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Hertl is traded to the Bruins as a David Krejci replacement. Now that's bold and specific.
29. Detroit Red Wings
Last season: 19-27-10, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
Key players added: C Pius Suter, C Mitchell Stephens, D Nick Leddy, G Alex Nedeljkovic
Key players lost: G Jonathan Bernier, C Luke Glendening, C Darren Helm, D Dennis Cholowski (expansion draft)
Most fascinating player: We're going to disqualify Jakub Vrana from this category because he'll miss around four months thanks to shoulder surgery. Otherwise, watching Jake the Snake slither around the offensive zone for the Wings would have been the pick. Instead, we'll go in the other direction: Moritz Seider, the team's 20-year-old rookie defenseman. The German-born sixth overall pick in 2019, Seider got a professional season under his belt in 2020-21 while playing for Rogle in the Swedish Hockey League. He's been paired with Nick Leddy in the preseason, giving him a solid veteran on whom to rely. One of those Red Wings prospects whose arrival on the main roster portends the eventual end of this rebuild.
Best case: The slow, steady pace of GM Steve Yzerman's rebuild extends for another season, one that sees Detroit's younger players show sparks of potential and the Red Wings get a top-three pick for the first time since drafting Keith Primeau at third overall in 1990.
Worst case: The Red Wings somehow generate more offense than last season (2.23 goals per game, 30th in the NHL) with Vrana out of the lineup, get solid goaltending and are a shock contender for a wild-card spot -- thus delaying the progress of their build.
X factor: The Hurricanes felt that Nedeljkovic hadn't shown enough beyond three great months -- great enough to earn him a Calder Trophy nomination, mind you -- to warrant an investment as their goaltender. The Red Wings swooped in, traded for him and handed the restricted free agent a two-year deal. Detroit has gotten incrementally better defensively in the past couple of seasons, which will benefit Nedeljkovic. But it's on him to show that months like April 2021 (5-1-1, .941 save percentage and a 1.72 GAA!) weren't notes from a one-hit wonder.
Fantasy outlook: Keep an eye on rookie defenseman Seider. He has the skill -- and the Red Wings will present him the opportunity -- to become a fantasy factor on the blue line. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: 2020 first-rounder Lucas Raymond hits the Red Wings' roster sooner than later, and makes absolute magic with Dylan Larkin.
30. Anaheim Ducks
Last season: 17-30-9, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +15000
Key players added: D Greg Pateryn, D Brogan Rafferty, LW Danny O'Regan, RW Buddy Robinson
Key players lost: C David Backes, RW Carter Rowney, D Andy Welinski, D Haydn Fleury (expansion draft), LW Danton Heinen
Most fascinating player: Jamie Drysdale is 19 years old and technically still a rookie, having played 24 games last season. He had eight points and was a minus-12, but it's the kind of first-season teeth-cutting that you want for a young defenseman discovering the subtle difference between defending for the OHL's Erie Otters and an NHL team. He's the latest on the conveyor belt of young offensive defensemen entering the league. (Remember when Cam Fowler rolled off the line?) Hopefully the preseason pairing with Hampus Lindholm carries over into the regular season.
Best case: The Ducks hit that sweet spot where the kids -- led by Drysdale and Trevor Zegras -- and the veterans on the roster all perform at an exceptional rate. That means bounce-back seasons from players like Jakob Silfverberg and Josh Manson, along with the expected performances from players like Lindholm and Rickard Rakell -- two players who, like Manson, are currently headed toward unrestricted free agency next summer.
Worst case: The Ducks remain a year from really turning the corner, and GM Bob Murray finally wises up and trades away some of his valuable veterans in their walk years to get even younger.
X factor: John Gibson has made mediocre Ducks teams win more games than they had any right to win. He has 17 goals saved above average over the past two seasons (86 games), which weren't nearly among his best campaigns in the NHL. On paper, Anaheim appears primed for another season near the bottom of the division and counting its lottery odds. But 60 above-average games from Gibson could certainly change that math.
Fantasy outlook: The only question that should concern fantasy managers about future top center Zegras and defender Drysdale, the potential No. 1 power play anchor, is whether the two young skaters are ready to sparkle at the NHL level now or in a few months time. Either way, both dynasty/keeper gems should be monitored in all but the shallowest of redraft leagues. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Ryan Getzlaf is a member of the Vegas Golden Knights by season's end.
31. Arizona Coyotes
Last season: 24-26-6, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +15000
Key players added: D Conor Timmins, D Shayne Gostisbehere, LW Andrew Ladd, LW Antoine Roussel, LW Loui Eriksson, C Jay Beagle, C Travis Boyd, G Carter Hutton, D Ben Hutton, LW Dmitrij Jaskin, LW Ryan Dzingel, D Anton Stralman
Key players lost: G Darcy Kuemper, D Oliver Ekman-Larsson, RW Conor Garland, D Niklas Hjalmarsson, D Alex Goligoski, G Antti Raanta, LW Michael Bunting, C Frederik Gauthier, C Michael Chaput, LW Dryden Hunt, C John Hayden, D Jordan Oesterle, D Tyler Pitlick (expansion draft), F Christian Dvorak
Most fascinating player: Shane Wright. Just kidding! Even so, it's undeniable that the most fascinating aspect of the Coyotes' season is going to involve lottery balls and the chance to draft the Canadian phenom. Failing that, it's Jakob Chychrun. The 23-year-old defenseman has quickly become the face of the franchise in many ways, thanks to an outstanding 41 points in 56 games last season that put him in the Norris Trophy conversation for the first time. He's the new "best thing about a bad team," a seemingly annual tradition in Arizona.
Best case: Carter Hutton and Josef Korenar are multitudes better than expectations, which currently have them as the worst goalie tandem in the NHL entering the season. The offense produces better than the 2.68 goals per game it did last season. New head coach André Tourigny unlocks something in this roster that isn't evident at the moment, finding a chemistry that exceeds its potential on paper. But even then, the Coyotes' move to the Central Division means a logjam of better teams ahead of them.
Worst case: The Coyotes finish last and then have to move into their parents' basement because Glendale evicted them.
X factor: This roster is basically a neighborhood hardware store for the rest of the league. The Coyotes have -- and this is not a typo -- seven players under contract for the 2022-23 season. You want a veteran offensive player on the decline? How about pending UFAs Phil Kessel or Loui Eriksson, assuming they'd waive their trade protection? How about a veteran for your fourth line? Pending UFAs Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel and Ryan Dzingel are here for you. Need a veteran defenseman on the right side? May we interest you in Anton Stralman and his expiring contract? The X factor here is when, not if, some of these players are shipped out to help restock the draft coffers.
Fantasy outlook: Boiling over with draft picks for a hefty rebuild, the Coyotes aren't endearing themselves to fantasy managers competing in the now. But the one true fantasy star, ranked 33rd overall, is Chychrun. He'll shoot a ton, he'll score a bunch, he'll play a pile of minutes, he'll block a good number of shots. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: Gostisbehere is given a chance to cook and puts up his best offensive numbers in three seasons.
32. Buffalo Sabres
Last season: 15-34-7, missed playoffs
Stanley Cup odds: +20000
Key players added: F Vinnie Hinostroza, D Will Butcher, D Mark Pysyk, D Robert Hagg, G Craig Anderson, G Devon Levi
Key players lost: D Rasmus Ristolainen, F Sam Reinhart, D Matt Irwin, D Jake McCabe, D William Borgen (expansion draft), G Linus Ullmark, G Carter Hutton
Most fascinating player: Casey Mittelstadt. The eighth overall pick in 2017 finally showed potential as a breakout offensive player for the Sabres, with 22 points in 41 games last season. The 22-year-old center excelled playing with linemates who are still in Buffalo -- Rasmus Asplund, Tage Thompson, Jeff Skinner -- rather than having his numbers juiced by those who have been traded or remain in limbo. In fact, the departures of those players from the lineup will give him the best opportunity he's had to produce offensively: He could open in between Skinner and Victor Olofsson.
Best case: An offensively gutted team with aggressively mediocre goaltending finishes last in the Atlantic Division, Buffalo wins the draft lottery and the start of the Shane Wright era is a balm that soothes the end of the Jack Eichel era.
Worst case: New head coach Don Granato grinds enough wins out of this roster to hurt its draft position while keeping it a country mile from the wild card. The Eichel soap opera moves from the court of public opinion to the court of contract law.
X factor: The Eichel situation looms over everything, from the Sabres' season to the franchise's future. The abridged version: Eichel injured his neck last season. The team wants him to get a traditional fusion surgery. Eichel wants artificial disk replacement, which he believes will be beneficial later in life. Already dissatisfied with the team's lack of success, Eichel requested a trade because of the impasse, and the Sabres have been shopping him. Given his $10 million annual salary-cap hit, any Eichel trade will bring NHL-rostered players back to Buffalo. His absence defines their season. His departure will reshape the team in the short and long term.
Fantasy outlook: If you go through your whole draft without selecting a member of the Sabres, that is arguably a good move. If I'm throwing darts at the end of a deep draft, one or two might hit Dylan Cozens or Skinner. More on fantasy outlook
Bold prediction: The Sabres deal away half their defense corps by the trade deadline, with Colin Miller getting the most attention from suitors.
