2016-17 Smythe Division Preview:
BETTBOT
Where to begin? Bettbot spent last season turning losing into weird art and then spent the off-season trying to build a playoff team. Time will tell if the pain the fanbase endured last season will be worth it.
The team acquired center Derick Brassard, Ondrej Palat and a first-round pick in the 2017 draft from Aviators in exchange for winger Nikolaj Ehlers, prospects Dmytro Timashov and Tom Novak, and a fourth-round pick in 2018. Brassard, 28, had 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points in 10 playoff games for Aviators last season.
In a blockbuster, Bettbot traded a 2017 first, second and third-round pick, along with a 2018 first-rounder to Nokians for Joe Pavelski.
Brassard, Pavelski and Palat weren't the only solid additions up front. Bettbot acquired Jeff Skinner from Philly in exchange for first and third-round picks in the 2017 draft.
For the bottom 6, Marcus Kruger was acquired in the off-season in exchange for backup goaltender Marek Mazanek. The 26-year-old will be relied upon for his shutdown and penalty-killing abilities.
Is this the season Mikael Granlund takes it to another level? He put up 6 points (1-5) last season in 9 playoff games with Alpacas, which is below what I think his potential should be delivering. He and TJ Oshie were acquired for Johnny Gaudreau and will be relied upon to provide secondary scoring come playoff time.
Defense should be the biggest strength of the club, thanks to the recently acquired Should-Be-A-Norris-Candidate-Someday Oliver Ekman-Larsson and likely #1 Alex Pietrangelo. Can the remade blue line, which will rely heavily on Ekman-Larsson, Pietrangelo, new arrivals Oscar Klefbom and Niklas Hjalmarsson, move the puck quickly and smartly enough in transition to key the offense? Which Morgan Rielly will show up? This is a big season for the developing 22-year-old defenseman. It will be his third full season in the BFHL, and he needs to contribute more offensively, especially on the power play.
Bettbot has turned to Brian Elliott in goal, after acquiring him from Honey Badgers for prospects and a pick. He is unlikely to be the long-term solution in goal, but he spent last season in a championship locker room, so the team hopes some of that will rub off on the group of losers working at Bettbot HQ.
THN's Prediction: The grand experiment that was the off-season for Bettbot could turn out to be a big success, or an unmitigated disaster: There’s no actual proof this management group knows what it’s doing. 1st in Smythe
2015-16 Result: Did not qualify for playoffs
Bettbot will have a successful season if… They win something.
Bettbot will have an unsuccessful season if… They don’t win anything- the GM talked a lot of trash whenever possible last year and may end up eating a lot of it come next spring.
Key additions: Joe Pavelski, C/LW/RW; Oliver Ekman-Larsson, D; Alex Pietrangelo, D; Ondrej Palat, LW; Derick Brassard, C; Oscar Klefbom, D; Calvin de Haan; Niklas Hjalmarsson, D; TJ Oshie, RW; Leo Komarov, LW/RW; Nino Niederreiter, LW/RW; Brian Elliott, G; Michal Neuvirth, G; Marcus Kruger, C; Jeff Skinner, LW; PA Parenteau, LW/RW; Mikael Granlund, C/LW/RW; Mikkel Boedker, LW/RW
Key departures: Elias Lindholm, RW/C; Cam Fowler, D; Karl Alzner, D; Cam Ward, G
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: Joe Thornton
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: Alex Pietrangelo and Oliver Ekman-Larsson
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: Morgan Rielly; Oscar Klefbom
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Thornton line; Brassard line
5. A mobile defense: Pietrangelo; OEL
6. A franchise forward: Joe Pavelski
7. A franchise goalie: Brian Elliott?
Rookies to Watch: Not this year
KENOBIJason Spezza might be on the wrong side of thirty, but he looks like a legit 1C going into the 2016-17 season, If he works out, Kenobi will be as good as they've ever been down the middle (dating back to the franchise’s previous incarnations), and behind him are Ryan O’Reilly, Artem Anisimov and Evgeny Kuznetsov with Jay Beagle handling fourth-line pivot duties.
The recently acquired Henrik Zetterberg also missed the World Cup because of a knee injury but is expected to be ready for the start of the season, providing veteran leadership to a group that plans to make some noise in the post season.
Dion Phaneuf: The 31-year-old blueliner signed as a UFA for Kenobi and For them to have success this season, they'll need a lot from Phaneuf; and he needs to remain healthy.
Burning questions: Will Kuznetsov continue his arc toward stardom after an up-and-down World Cup of Hockey? The 24-year-old center is entering his prime and has the vision and skills to pile up points, but some questionable cap management means he will likely spend the season playing for Kenobi’s farm team, Skywalker.
Can Boone Jenner become a 30-goal scorer?
Can Victor Hedman win the Norris Trophy? He certainly can. Hedman will have plenty of opportunity to put up points (always a voting factor) on a high-powered Kenobi team, but he also has the defensive chops to justify a win. Hedman will face the toughest competition of any blueliner on this team and it says here he will still come out with excellent possession numbers. If he stays healthy, he’s a strong candidate to win it all.
Whatever happened to Jonas Brodin? His play has regressed since he was one of the game's most promising young defensemen. He's only 23, so there's plenty of time to recapture that form, but this season he needs to prove he can be a consistent force on the blue line.
A goalie quagmire: With Jonathan Quick ebbing closer to an inevitable decline, one netminder had to go. Quick outperformed Jake Allen last season, but Kenobi wisely invested in the younger Allen long term- probably the right decision in the long run, but the wrong one for the present. Goalies are fickle and he can prove otherwise this season, but Allen hasn’t been anything special in the BFHL yet.
THN's Prediction: Expect Nikita Kucherov (one of the best wingers in the league), Spezza, Ryan O'Reilly and Boone Jenner to lead the charge offensively. O'Reilly, 25, helped Team Canada to a World Cup championship, and that experience also should help him get off to a strong start. 2nd in Smythe
2015-16 Result: Did not qualify for playoffs
KENOBI will have a successful season if… they reach the second round of the playoffs.
KENOBI will have an unsuccessful season if… they miss the playoffs.
Key additions: Frederik Andersen, G; Henrik Zetterberg C/LW/RW; Marion Hossa, RW; Reilly Smith, LW/RW
Key departures: Jonathan Quick, G; Cody Ceci, D
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: Spezza; O’Reilly; Kuznetsov
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: Victor Hedman
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: Boone Jenner; Nkita Kucherov
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Spezza line; O’Reilly line; add Kuznetsov once the playoffs roll around
5. A mobile defense: Hedman; Phaneuf
6. A franchise forward: Kucherov and, possibly, Boone Jenner
7. A franchise goalie: No, Allen might be one next year
Rookies to Watch: Not this year
THRASHERSIt’s never a good thing when you’re the team trading away Patrice Bergeron, but it’s also always a good thing when you’re the team acquiring Hampus Lindholm. He is a star in the making and is due for a big season.
While there are injury concerns, Tyler Seguin has been sensationally productive over the years for Thrashers and will look to build upon his awesome performance last season. He should finish in the top 5 for scoring this season and has the skill to carry this team into the conference finals.
Mark Scheifele looks like a sure thing as a bona fide No. 1 center. The fact that Team North America trusted him to join Connor McDavid on the top line in the World Cup of Hockey is telling, too.
Mike Hoffman, 26, finished with 4 goals in 9 playoff games last spring. He'll also need another impressive offensive performance during the regular season to help Thrashers return to the playoffs and make a deep run.
Free agent acquisition Victor Rask gives Thrashers unparalleled depth up the middle in the Campbell Conference. Coyotes’ inexplicable fax-machine gaffe left the promising Swede unprotected once free agency began and Thrashers wisely offered the young pivot a $6+ million contract for one year just to get a first crack at his negotiating rights next summer.
Zach Parise will do what Zach Parise does: Score 30+ goals and look like a 32 year-old trapped in a 52 year-old’s body.
Adam Larsson provides Thrashers with a defenseman capable of taking on the tough assignment every single night. Recently acquired Zach Bogosian won’t bring the fans out of their seats with any end-to-end rushes, but he’s a good bet to keep the front of the net clear so Bobrovsky can do his job.
Mike Green will provide offense and absolutely no defense from the blueline. Sami Vatanen will provide both offense and defense from the backend and is Thrashers’ most versatile defenseman.
Thrashers has two of the best centres in the BFHL and Mike ‘Jesus’ Hoffman to go along with Zach Parise’s almost-corpse, so the offense should continue humming along, despite the departures of Mike Fisher and Patrice Bergeron. The defense is more than good enough to see this team make the conference finals. The questions are in goal for this team.
THN's Prediction: Can Sergei Bobrovsky stay healthy? Having pushed through a plethora of groin-related injuries, Bobrovsky started his season early thanks to World Cup duty with Russia. That’s not ideal. And while it’s nearly impossible to predict a player getting hurt, it’s for the best that Thrashers has Joonas Korpisalo coming up the pipe. On top of his body, Bobrovsky has also struggled with the mental part of the game recently. He needs some positive results early. To be fair, he looked like a different player or, more to the point, like the old Bobrovsky of Vezina Trophy fame at the World Cup of Hockey. If he's that player, Thrashers will be right in the mix. It's that simple. 3rd in Smythe
2015-16 Result: Lost in the Campbell Conference Finals to Honey Badgers
THRASHERS will have a successful season if… they stay competitive and make the playoffs while #retooling for next season.
THRASHERS will have an unsuccessful season if… they barely make the playoffs and get a draft pick outside the top 10.
Key additions: Hampus Lindholm, D; Victor Rask, C; Zach Bogosian, D; Joonas Korpisalo, G
Key departures: Mikael Backlund, C; Kevan Miller, D; Johnny Boychuk, D; Niklas Kronwall, D; Mike Fisher, C
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: Tyler Seguin; Mark Scheifele
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: Hampus Lindholm is close
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: Adam Larsson; Joonas Korpisalo
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Seguin Line; Scheifele line
5. A mobile defense: Vatanen; Green
6. A franchise forward: Parise
7. A franchise goalie: No
Rookies to Watch: Joonas Korpisalo, Noah Hanifin
PHILLYAfter failing to reach the conference finals last season, Philly’s management group decided a change was in order. Gone is all-world two-way centreman Anze Kopitar. Brought in to take his place is eyes-in-the-back-of-his-head assist-machine Nicklas Backstrom.
With Backstrom and David Krejci, Philly have two of the best pass-first centremen in the BFHL and hope they will facilitate the offense by getting the puck to the team’s speedy and skilled wingers.
In Taylor Hall, Philly have one of the top left wingers in the game. And, at age 24, he should be the centerpiece of Philly's offense for years to come.
Forward Dylan Larkin looks like a good candidate for a breakout rookie season. He played for Team North America during the World Cup and that experience should help him with Philly, but how he adjusts to playing up the middle in the pros is worth watching. What can we expect from Dylan Larkin? Continued ascent, for sure. The combination of Larkin and Taylor Hall should develop into one of the better partnerships in the Campbell Conference. Expect big numbers from Hall this year. Playing with Nicklas Backstrom should see a spike in his production.
Tomas Tatar had an outstanding season last year and could take a step back this season. However, even if he does, he’s still got the hands to be an outstanding top-six player; he was amazing at the World Cup for Team Europe.
Sean Couturier should continue his ascent to being the league’s premier two-way centreman. He played for Team North America this summer and didn’t look out of place on a team loaded with the best under-24s the continent has to offer.
Free agent signing William Karlsson was great pickup for Philly. He’ll take Couturier’s spot in the bottom six and will provide steady, if unspectacular two-way play.
They have a mobile defense group led by Kris Letang that gets the puck on the skill forwards’ sticks in motion. Matt Niskanen is an underrated top-pairing defenseman whose presence will allow Letang to do what he does best: Create offense in transition and act as a fourth forward on the ice.
Ryan Murray looks like he’s finally arrived and is Letang’s heir-apparent as the team’s #1 defenseman going forward, though he’ll likely continue to play on the team’s second pairing this season with Braydon Coburn.
What happened to Olli Maatta?
THN's Prediction: Rask will be Rask. He'll play his 60+ games and be solid in the majority of them. He has been durable since becoming a No. 1 goalie a few years ago and should keep Philly competetive into the spring. 4th in Smythe
2015-16 Result: Lost in the first round to Alpacas
PHILLY will have a successful season if… they reach the second round of the playoffs.
PHILLY will have an unsuccessful season if… they miss the playoffs.
Key additions: Nicklas Backstrom, C; Paul Gaustad, C; William Karlsson, LW/C
Key departures: Anze Kopitar, C; Marcus Johansson, LW/RW
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: Nicklas Backstrom
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: Kris Letang
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: Dylan Larkin
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Backstom line; Krejci line
5. A mobile defense: Letang; Murray; Niskanen
6. A franchise forward: Taylor Hall
7. A franchise goalie: It doesn’t look like it, but Rask is capable.
Rookies to Watch: Larkin; Mattias Janmark; Alexey Marchenko
SAMURAICan the youthful defense handle the pressure of being a franchise’s foundation? Trevor Carrick, Jaccob Slavin and Michael Paliotta look to form half of Samurai’s back end of the future. All are big and skilled with upside. In fact, Slavin may yet turn out to be the best of the bunch. "Jaccob is every underrated, I think, outside our team," said Samurai’s GM.
The plan, however, is to play the heck out of the group, says the GM. "We don't hide them," he said. "If they make a mistake, we’ll put them right back out there."
Let's make this section a Marc-Edouard Vlasic appreciation. He got some love during the playoffs and occasionally his game was highlighted during the World Cup, but he gets nowhere near the level of appreciation he deserves for his play. Vlasic is a sure thing. Samurai know what they’re getting every night from Vlasic, so they send him out on the hardest assignments every game. Vlasic and Justin Braun will face the toughest competition and still control the play a majority of the time. Vlasic's presence frees up Alex Goligoski to play against slightly easier competition, where he will most likely end up starting in the offensive zone more often than not, in order to take advantage of his offensive skill. In a nutshell, Vlasic is invaluable to Samurai.
"He's, in my mind, the best shutdown guy in our conference and I think the BFHL," Storm’s Loga Couture said. "He's just a quiet player and he plays that effortless quiet game."
Nespresso made Thomas Vanek, 32, available in the expansion draft, and while his career is in obvious decline, he has proven in the past to be able to score. His biggest strength could be what he brings to Samurai’s power play.
Kyle Okposo, 28, had 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in 9 playoff games for Thrashers last season. The addition of his offense will be a significant upgrade for Samurai.
Teddy Purcell was a nice depth signing and has shown an ability to play up and down the lineup in his career.
THN's Prediction: Samurai have some nice forwards (especially Marcus Johansson, who was acquired in a game of backgammon between Philly and Samurai- welcome to the WHA), and a fantastic group of defensemen, but one has to wonder where the goals will come from and if Kari Lehtonen will be able to find his mojo often enough to keep this expansion franchise competitive night in and night out. 5th in Smythe
2015-16 Result: NA
SAMURAI will have a successful season if… they reach the playoffs.
SAMURAI will have an unsuccessful season if… they finish in the bottom three and lose out in the draft lottery, getting the 6th overall pick.
Key additions: Mikko Koivu, C; Marcus Johansson, LW/RW; Kyle Okposo, RW; Marc-Edouard Vlasic; Alex Goligoski, D; Justin Braun, D; Joonas Donskoi, LW/RW
Key departures:
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: No
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: Marc-Edouard Vlasic
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: No
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Koivu line
5. A mobile defense: Vlasic; Goligoski
6. A franchise forward: No
7. A franchise goalie: No
Rookies to Watch: Viktor Arvidsson; Jaccob Slavin
COYOTES
Which Semyon Varlamov shows up this season? The Russian goalie regressed last year since putting up a career-best save percentage two years ago. Now, Varlamov could certainly use better defensive play in front of him, no question. But it's the chicken and the egg here. If he's better this season, everything else flows from there.
It's a pretty strong bet that Jordan Eberle and Sean Monahan will get every opportunity to play together and form a duo that could be a match for years. They both love playing with each other and have skill sets that complement each other. "As a linemate, you have to be able to think the game quick and get the puck to him with speed," Eberle said. "You have to be ready for the puck at all times."
The question is whether or not coach Autoline Function will play them together, or, as has been the case in the past, play them on all four lines, out of position on two of those lines and running them to the point of exhaustion. If the preseason is any indicator, it’s going to be a long, punishing grind for these guys. He’s an old-school throwback in coaching, living and dying by the idea that a team wins, or loses, with its best players. Coyotes’ bench boss takes that philosophy to its absurd extreme and is both stubborn and crazy enough to never change.
The team boasts a group of centres including Monahan, Ryan Getzlaf, Mika Zibanejad, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and maybe that’s why Victor Rask was allowed to walk for free, but industry insiders say an office fax machine was ‘broken’ and FedEx was ‘closed,’ resulting in Rask no receiving a qualifying offer in time.
THN's Prediction: This is a roster that has scoring, skilled puck-distributing centres (that, if used properly, would rival Thrashers as the best collection of pivots in the conference), and a group of defensemen that includes Aaron Ekblad, but is being led by a madman coach who belongs in a movie about hockey and not behind the bench of a real-life fantasy hockey team. 6th in the Smythe Division.
2015-16 Result: Did not qualify for playoffs
Coyotes will have a successful season if… they win the draft lottery.
Coyotes will have an unsuccessful season if… they finish in the bottom three, but end up with the 6th overall pick in the 2017 draft.
Key additions: Clayton Stoner, D; Jordie Benn, D; Kris Versteeg, RW
Key departures: Victor Rask, C
The 7 Keys to Success
1. A franchise centerman: Ryan Getzlaf; Sean Monahan
2. A franchise defenseman who can play 30 minutes if necessary: No- Ekblad is a year away
3. Major contributions from players on cheap contracts: Aaron Ekblad is still on his ELC; Vince Trochek; Sean Monahan; Darnell Nurse; Matt Greene
4. Three skilled scoring lines: Getzlaf line; Monahan line
5. A mobile defense: Ekblad
6. A franchise forward: Is Jordan Eberle?
7. A franchise goalie: Varlamov has done it before
Rookies to Watch: Darnell Nurse; Shea Theodore