I am starting a new series of blog posts where I go in-depth to see how each team can possibly improve this offseason, for some trying to get back to the playoffs after missing this year for others how can they have a deeper playoff run after a early exit and for the four teams who get to the final four how can keep their team intact.
Here is the schedule
June 3rd: the 4 East teams who missed the playoffs.
June 4th: the 4 Central teams who missed the playoffs.
June 6th: the 4 West teams who missed the playoffs.
June 8th the 3 North teams who missed the playoffs.
June 12th: the 4 teams who were eliminated from round 1 from the West and East.
June 14th: the 4 teams who were eliminated from round 1 from the North and Central.
June 18th: the 4 teams who were eliminated from round 2.
June 22nd: the final four teams this year.
So we start today and here you are Sabres,Flyers,Rangers, and Devil fans.
How each team who missed the playoffs in the East can get back to the playoffs.
4th New York Islanders 0 32-17-7 71 24 28 156-128+28
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5th New York Rangers 0 27-23-6 60 24 26 177-157+20
6th Philadelphia Flyers 0 25-23-8 58 17 22 163-201-38
7th New Jersey Devils 0 19-30-7 45 15 19 145-194-49
8th Buffalo Sabres 0 15-34-7 37 11 11 138-199-61
New York Rangers
So the Rangers only missed a playoff spot by 11 points so they do have to make up some points but they did finish above .500 by two games and will have the #15 overall pick at the Draft. So they have some important things that they need to do this offseason and one of them is to re-sign goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is New York’s number one goalie and is a pending RFA this season and should be looking at a significant raise I would say somewhere between 3.5 and 5.5 million dollars for between 3-6 years. Some other key RFA’s that need to be signed are third line center Filip Chytil, top six winger Pavel Buchnevich, and fourth line center Brett Howden. If they can sign all those RFA’s they have to figure out the second line center position. Ryan Strome will have 1 year left on his contract and they could go one of three ways 1:) they keep Ryan Strome 2:) they would develop one of their young center’s like Chytil to take the position from Strome or 3:) trade him for another Center as their have been Rumors that NYR could try and pry Jack Eichel out of Buffalo and he could replaced Ryan Strome. On the Defensive end I see them having two holes one a top 4 Left side defensemen and a top 6 Right side defensemen. Those positions heading into last season were Jack Johnson on the Left (injured most of the year and a pending UFA) and Tony Deangelo on the Right ( got into a Altercation with a teammate and was told he will never be apart of the Rangers organization) who will most likely be bought out in the offseason. If the Rangers fix these problems they should make the playoffs next year.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers were unable to make the playoffs as they missed by 13 points but were 1 game above .500 and have the #13 overall pick at the draft and now go into the season needing to fix the defense that gave up the most goals this season. Travis Sanhiem is a pending RFA and needs a new deal and should be a top priority. Now here is where they fix the defense Shayne Gostisbehere has kept on going down in production every year since starting to play with the Flyers and finding a trade for him or hoping Seattle takes him getting rid of him should help because on the right side Philippe Myers and Justin Braun are souls defenders but should not play on the top pair so et heir in free agency or via trade they should try to get a top pairing right side defender to help defensively. Carter Hart needs to reset from a bad season and as a RFA should get short term contract to prove he is a number one goalie and just in case get a veteran backup to give Hart some time off just in case he doesn’t play well again. On Offense they are okay but I think they could do better but have to much cap space in to little players so possibly moving one of Van Riemsdyk, Couturier, or Konecny to get cap space and maybe a defensemen and possibly clearing a roster spot for a young player. If they can do all of this they should be able to contend for a playoff spot next year.
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey missed the playoffs by 26 points and were 5.5 games below .500 this year and will have the #4 overall pick at the draft and started really good but after falling in the last 3/4 of the season the biggest need will be experience for what Is the youngest roster entering the off-season. Mackenzie Blackwood is their goalie going forward but one of the problems this past year was that their was no proven backup as they signed Corey Crawford in the offseason and he retired before the season started so they should try to sign a vetran backup who can play a couple of games behind Blackwood. On their blue line they need a experienced Top 4 and Top 6 D-Men. I would keep P.K Subban and get a right shot D-Men who can play behind Ty Smith and maybe with Subban and a Defensemen who could play with a young Defensemen (maybe Kevin Bahl) on the left side. Up Front they need to resign pending RFA Yegor Sharangovich and Michael McLeod as well as acquire a winger who can do what Kyle Palmeri did for them this season. They traded a lot of their Veterans at the deadline including Kyle Palmeri who was doing okay with the Devils so getting a top six forward should be pretty high on the to do list and I think they would benefit from getting 1 or 2 bottom six forwards who have playoff experience to help push their chance for a playoff spot next year.
Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres finished last in the league and missed the playoffs by 34 points this year, and were 9.5 games under .500 and will have the #1 overall pick at the draft but the question everyone in the league is asking is What will happen with Jack Eichel and where will he go. I will start in net where I think in time Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen can and will be the starter but I think he needs to be backup next year and maybe the year after so signing a starting goalie or a 1A option for the next couple of years and maybe they resign Linus Ullmark (a pending UFA) or they get another goalie. On defense Rasmus Ristolainen has requested a trade and I think he will be traded but they have to get sufficient return for their best right side defender. Resigning Dahlin and Jokiharju are a priority as well as getting at least one top 4 defensemen and a top 6 defensemen and let the young D-Men get a chance. On the Offense they’ve got to let the young guys take the helm. It sounds like Reinhart and Eichel will both be traded and they will need to reconstruct their offense by getting pieces back for now to compete and in the future from the trades of Eichel, Reinhart, and Ristolainen. I can’t narrow down what they need in the offense because their are to many holes in their lineup so my praires with the Sabres because even if they upgraded it would be difficult to make the playoffs.
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