Ottawa
Notable UFA’s: Chris Tierney, Tyler Ennis
Notable RFA’s: Josh Norris, Alex Formenton, Mathieu Joseph, Dylan Gambrell, Adam Gaudette, Erik Brannstrom, Victor Mete,
Draft Picks: OTT 1RD, OTT 2RD, TB 2RD, OTT 3RD, BOS 3RD, OTT 5RD, BOS 5RD, WIN 5RD, OTT 6RD*, NYI 7RD.
Why did they miss the playoffs
The Senators has a few things that stoped them from making bigger strides this year then prior years. First it was yet another season where the goaltending started out rough before finding their feet. Murray has been in and out of the lineup due to injuries and started awfully, then in January and February he started to play better and while he was losing games towards the end his play was a lot better but then went down with injury and Murray’s inconsistency in Ottawa has been one of their downfalls. Now the upside is that Anton Forsberg is playing great right now and has sort of levelled out the bad play and that earned him a new deal, but young goalies Gustavsson and Sogard haven’t played particularly well either in the lineup so they both need to play better in my opinion and the goaltending needs to be better if they want to make the playoffs. Another problem that had been stated a few times this year and I agree with and that is that the veteran players in Ottawa have not played particularly well. Players like Michael Del Zotto, Nikita Zaitsev, Victor Mete, Chris Tierney, maybe not as much but also Tyler Ennis, as well as Zach Sanford and Josh Brown before they were traded were all not living up to expectations and taking roster spots from some of the younger players like a Brannstrom or a Lassi Thomson who could have been playing more prominent roles this year but a definite need for Ottawa to get better next year is better play of veterans. And one last thing I would say is that need a better offense. They have had a bad offense this year and their goals for are 6th lowest in the NHL. Now some of this has got to do with the fact that some of the veterans that I mentioned who played in the bottom 6 didn’t play up to expectations this year, but a bigger reason as to why there off offense didn’t do to well was injuries. They did have injury and COVID trouble this year but the biggest problem was losing Batherson and Norris for a extended period of time. Norris only missed 16 games but given that he leads the Senators in goals with 32, not having him for those 16 games was a huge hurdle for Ottawa, while Batherson who just got back missed a astounding 36 games and given the fact that these two players make up 2/3 of their top line it was very hard to get points, and on top of that the supporting cast didn’t do well as Batherson and Norris are 4 and 2 respectively in Ottawa scoring so they will need to have a better offense over the next few years to make the playoffs.
How do they improve in the offseason.
#1) Signing important RFA’s like Alex Formenton, Josh Norris and Mathieu Joseph to new deals.
The Senators have a good young core and they need to keep that core intact while adding this year but some of their available cap space has to go to signing Joseph, Formenton and Norris. Joseph (who was recently acquired in a trade from Tampa) has been a dominant forward putting up 11 point in 10 games after he had 18 in 58 in Tampa and the bigger opportunity seems to be fulling a better performance it of him and he is playing top 6 minutes, and Formenton who has 28 points in 69 games this year has been a consistently productive middle six forward and his good season is something worth noting. These two forwards are both middle 6 forwards in my opinion probably more 3rd liners and they definitely need to be signed. And I think both could ask for between $2.5 and $3.5 Million dollars per year and between 3-5 years on their new deals and I think that should pay them nicely as I think they are big pieces of Ottawa’s future. But the big guy who needs a contract is Norris, who has puts up over 30 goals and 48 points this year and is playing as Ottawa’s top Center. Now I think he will get a substantial raise and he is the guy who should be top priority, and I think he will sign for 6-8 years at more then Batherson but less then Tkachuk, so I would say between $5.5 and $7 Million dollars per year and I think these three as well as guys like Mete and Brannstrom need to be signed to continue with Ottawa.
#2) Move out some veteran D-Men, and make their NHL D-Corp younger.
The defence needs to be altered after the bad play from a lot of defensive guys this year. Now they Sens have Chabot, Zub, and newly signed Jake Sanderson locked in for next year they will need to do some moving on the other three spots. Now they will move or buy out one of Zaitsev or Hamonic due to the fact that both make over $3 Million for next year and they will want to be giving a roster spot to a young defensemen. Hamonic was acquired at the deadline and is a cheaper defensemen then Zaitsev by $1.5 Million, his contract has one less year, and while he is a older player he plays a better well rounded game and has experience playing with elite young talent as he played alongside Hughes in Vancouver so if I was Ottawa I would keep Hamonic. Then they have Holden and Del Zotto who play well and both only have a year left on their contracts for less then $2 Million dollars, but with Del Zotto’s lack of a defensive game I would keep Holden as he is definitely more well rounded and moving Del Zotto to a team who needs defensive scoring would be helpful, and having Thomson or Bernard-Docker play a full time role next year would be good as they could learn how to play a full time NHL role and Ottawa could get younger and while I think Brannstrom could fight for a spot next year I think he could be dealt after he was in the rumour mill this year but if he stays I think he fights for a spot to but I expect major changes to Ottawa’s blue lineup the offseason.
#3) Move Matt Murray, and if you think Filip Gustavsson or Mads Sogard are ready for full NHL action then bring one up, if not sign a goalie to tandem with Forsberg.
The goaltending position has a bright future but they must do some things this offseason in order to make it better. Now they signed Forsberg before the deadline and given the way he’s played and how he has stabilized that position I think he is their 1A for next year in net. But I believe the team would be better of without Matt Murray. Murray has not been a great goalie in Ottawa and while he has finished seasons well his starts have been shaky and he is prone to injury and definitely not living up to his contract so whether they move the final two years of his contract elsewhere or they buy him out I don’t see a scenario where Murray is with Ottawa next year. Now as for the tandem with Forsberg they will have to decide if Mads Sogard or Filip Gustavsson are ready to take on a full time role as backup, because Gustavsson has looked shaky this year and Sogard barely has NHL experience so if they believe one of those two are good to play as backup then that is settled, but if there now then I could see them putting those two in the minors for more development and they sign or trade for a veteran goalie who can tandem with Forsberg for the next year or two but I feel that Ottawa’s goaltending will change before next year.
#4) Get the right veterans in the mix for the upcoming year.
Quite a simple one here but I do believe they need a better group of veterans for next year. Now some of them like Ennis or Tierney are UFA’s and quite simply Ottawa doesn’t have to re-sign them but there are others especially on the defensive side and in the net who need to be moved as I have mentioned. Guys like Zaitsev, Hamonic, Holden, Del Zotto, or Murray all have multiple years on their deals and I do think that at least three of these players have to be moved as they are trying to get younger and faster. And if they do move some of them they will need the remaining veterans to play well and mesh well with the younger players, and with some of these guys gone they could still need a bottom 6 forward, 3rd pair defensemen and a backup goalie so if they are to get more veterans whether via free agency or trade these guys will need to fit in well to have a chance to improve this team.
#5) Move some prospects and picks to get immediate help in their top 6 or sign a player in free agency.
A lot of people believe that the Sens could be just a few pieces away from contending for a playoff spot and I would agree that they need a couple pieces mainly a top 6 forward and a top 4 defensemen. Now they will have young superstar Jake Sanderson in their D-Corp next year and while he will be a rookie and have ups and downs, I believed can be their top 4 defensemen especially with the veterans they have but I definitely see them needing to go out and get a top 6 forward. Now the two main guys linked to the Senators are Panthers pending UFA Claude Giroux or Wild RFA Kevin Fiala. Now both are interesting and I can see the fit for both guys and I don’t think there is a clear cut option here. Giroux is from the area and would definitely implement a better veteran core and with him being a UFA it wouldn’t cost them anything to acquire him, they could sign him to a 2-4 year deal worth around $6-$7 Million per year and with Giroux growing up there I could definitely see him coming in and playing with Stutzle on the 2nd line. While Fiala is definitely younger then Giroux and could be more of a piece that can be a top 6 forward for years to come, he is a RFA and with Minnesota’s cap problems could become a cap casualty but even though it would cost Ottawa a couple pieces probably a 2RD pick a young prospect like Brannstrom or Greig and probably another asset if it gets them Fiala who is showing how good of a goal scorer he is and getting a young top 6 forward who they can sign for 7-8 years at a cap hit between $6-$7.5 Million who can play with Stutzle and make him a better would be great for the organization. So whether it is one of these forwards or someone completely different I think they will get a top 6 forward in the offseason.
New Jersey
Notable UFA’s: Jimmy Vesey, P.K Subban, Mason Geertsen, Colton White, Andrew Hammond
Notable RFA’s: Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha, Miles Wood, Jesper Boqvist.
Draft Picks: NJ 1RD, NJ 2RD, NJ 3RD, NJ 4RD, EDM 4RD, NYI 4RD, COLU 5RD, NJ 6RD, NJ 7RD.
Why did they miss the playoffs
Thé Devils had a couple of reasons why they failed to make the playoffs this year. One is probably their youth as they were one of the youngest teams in the Devils and just as I thought with a lot of players in their second full season and with the entire team relatively young, they were prone to making all sorts of costly mistakes so they would be one of my reasons. Another is that for what feels like happens every season for New Jersey recently is that they once again had bad goalie play again and that is something that needs to be resolved. Jonathan Bernier who still has a year left on his contract played well in the backup role in all 10 games he played before getting injured, as he hasn’t played since DEC 3rd and losing a solid backup goalie really hurt them this year but on top of that Mackenzie Blackwood didn’t play like the starting goalie like New Jersey hoped for this year. The injury prone goalie who hasn’t played since JAN 19th due to injury is definitely testing New Jersey’s patience’s as he always seemed injured but this year his numbers weren’t good as his numbers have slowly declined over the past three years and I think Blackwood is at best a 1B goalie, but with young goalies Akira Schmid and Nico Daws, as well as veterans Andrew Hammond and Jon Gillies have all not played well with the best of them being Daws, the bad goaltending has lead them to being the 4th worst team in goals against this season and that is another reason they missed the playoffs. And lastly I would say they did have some injury trouble as like I said before Blackwood and Bernier both have missed signifiant time due to injury, and also Jack Hughes, Miles Wood, Nico Hischier, Pavel Zacha, Dougie Hamilton and Ty Smith all missed time due to injury so while their injuries definitely aren’t as signifiant as the other teams who I gave my opinion on, I do think that the injuries did play a big role in New Jersey not developing like they wanted to.
How do they improve in the offseason.
#1) Figure out their complicated goalie situation.
The Devils have a tricky situation in net and they need to figure out it before the start of next year. Now they obviously need a starting goalie or at least a 1A goalie as none that they have have played at a starting goalie level yet and getting rid of one of their NHL level goalies would be a start. Blackwood has been injury prone throughout his career and is a year away from becoming a RFA and Bernier who played better then Blackwood this year is a year away from being a UFA but either can play a backup or 1B goalie so whether it is Blackwood who is younger and a soon to be RFA or Bernier who will be a UFA soon but did play better I think they have to move one in the offseason and I would lead toward Bernier as he is a UFA and older, they will need to find a starting goalie. They could use trading their backup they decide to trade with a young prospect or higher level pick to acquire a goalie who is better conditioned to be a 1A goalie or they could get a starting goalie in free agency but I do believe a major upgrade is needed here to make this team better for not only next year but for the next few seasons as they could definitely make the playoffs with better goaltending.
#2) Figure out how to sign RFA Jesper Bratt, move RFA Pavel Zacha.
The Devils have a couple of high talent RFA’s that they need to get signed for the next couple years and these two are probably the most prominent. First Jesper Bratt who has been the leading force of the Devils offense this year especially when Hughes has been out as he lead the Devils in points with 67 and assists with 44 but is a RFA and needs a new contract. Now given his point production and him being a top 6 forward if I was New Jersey I would sign beat to either a shorter 2-3 year deal or a long term 7-8 year deal and give him somewhere between $5 and $7 Million dollars per year and have him keep on being a productive forward for years to come but he should be their number 1 priority in the offseason. And as for Zacha he has been a versatile forward for the Devils in recent seasons and has a respectable 29 points this year and could probably get a 3-5 year deal for between $3 and $4 Million but I don’t think it will come from New Jersey as the Devils were heavily rumoured to maybe moving Zacha before the deadline and I think they will move him in the offseason and should get something for a versatile bottom 6 forward who can put up points but there are other forward like Wood who are interesting but that is where I stand on those two forwards.
#3) Retool the defence, as they probably move on from Damon Severson, P.K Subban.
The Devils have been a awful defensive team this year and while most of that has to do with a young team and bad goaltending their defence is also to blame so they will need a little bit of a retool. Subban is a UFA in the offseason and the Devils said they wouldn’t bring him back so that is one player that will be gone and I think Severson will also move on. Severson will be a year away from being a UFA and sort of like Sanheim with Philadelphia it’s not that they don’t like him as he has been their most productive defensemen this season but it’s more the fact that they could lose him for nothing in a year so getting assets would be higher on my list as least. And with Hamilton, Graves, Smith and Siegenthaler all probably there next year I think Jersey will sign or trade for a left side top 4 defensemen and a top 6 defensemen as they could use a player who can put up points on the left side in their top 4 and could use a more veteran player to play on the 3rd pair but a little retool on the defensive would be good for New Jersey.
#4) Sign a high end top 6 winger to play with Hischier or Hughes, move one of Johnsson or Tatar.
The Devils could use some help in their forward group with another top 6 forward and could say bye to one of two veterans. The Devils have two great Centers with Hughes and Hischier and need a supporting cast on the wings and while Bratt has fit well with Hischier and Sharangovich has developed some great chemistry with Hughes they could definitely use another high level forward who can play on the wing. Guys like Gaudreau, Forsberg and Rust come to mind if they are looking for a free agent forward or they could use a young prospect and one of their other forwards to trade for a player who can play in their top 6 but whichever way the go I feel like they will ass a impact forward. And to make some salary cap room they will move one of Tatar or Johnsson who are both middle 6 wingers and can put up a decent amount of points but if the Devils upgrade there is no need for both especially with being a year away from being a UFA so a couple of moving prices but they need to upgrade a lot.
#5) Draft well as they don’t have many high end picks this year.
Just like Philadelphia the Devils don’t have to many picks this year as they have 9 picks in total for this years draft but there only extra picks are 4th rounders so with the lack of top end picks I think they got to use them wisely. Now they could move a couple of players like a goalie, Severson, Zacha, Johnsson or Tatar and get some more picks by moving players and that is certainly a possibility I would not rule out the fact is that at this point they don’t have top picks so they must make do for now with what they have. They are heading toward a top 5 pick or at least close to it and if they can get a versatile middle six forward like a Brad Lambert, Joachim Kemell or Danila Yurov that could be a useful winger for years to come that would be great, and if they use there other two picks one in the 2nd and 3rd round and draft some more good talent they could be coming out of the offseason with a group full of young bright talent of the future.
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