In the run-up to the 2023-24 NHL season, teams that did not make the playoffs will surely draw inspiration from the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, who missed the cut last year for the first time in their brief history.
Which non-playoff clubs this past season could be primed for a Vegas-esque bounce-back? Here are three possibilities:
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
For the first time since 2006, the Penguins were left out of the playoffs after face-planting down the stretch. That is despite finishing second in the league in expected goals (273.1). Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who combined for 60 goals and 176 points, remain dynamic forces in their mid 30s.
New president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas’ primary tasks are to surround his elite centres with more talent up front and address the defence, which ranked 15th in expected goals against. Perhaps most importantly, Dubas must decide what to do with Tristan Jarry, an unrestricted free agent who allowed an extra 5.46 goals in 2022-23 — 31st among 66 goaltenders who played at least 1,000 minutes.
In his former life as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dubas was calculated when it came to making roster changes. With a few tweaks, the Penguins should be back in the mix next season.
CALGARY FLAMES
The Flames, who missed the playoffs by two points, are under new management, promoting Craig Conroy to GM and Ryan Huska to head coach. For starters, the Flames need to be much better in overtime, where they lost a league-worst 17 times last season, 12 of which came at 3-on-3.
Several Flames players took a step back offensively in 2022-23, but none more than Jonathan Huberdeau, whose point total plummeted from 115 to 55 in his first season in Calgary. His eight-year contract,
which carries a $10.5 million cap hit that ranks eighth among forwards, kicks in next season.
Huberdeau clashed with former coach Darryl Sutter, whose style of play did not suit the playmaking winger. Huberdeau made 527 offence-generating plays in 79 games under Sutter (6.67 per game), compared to 812 in 80 games with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22 (10.2 per game). Offence-generating plays are those that lead to scoring chances, such as passes to and shots from the slot.
If Huska can help Huberdeau get back to being the player who finished fifth in Hart Trophy voting before being traded last summer, the Flames could be a threat in the Western Conference.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Injuries were the main reason that the Golden Knights did not reach the playoffs in 2021-22, and the same can be said for the Capitals. Core players Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson did not appear in the same game until March 23. Their season was effectively over by then.
New coach Spencer Carbery’s previous experience in the organization will be an asset, as will his power-play prowess. During his two seasons in charge of the Maple Leafs’ power play, Toronto scored on 26.6 per cent of its opportunities, which was the second-best mark in the league over that span. Washington, meanwhile, was 16th in power-play efficiency last season and 23rd the season before — a dramatic drop-off for a once-dominant unit.
Under Carbery, the Maple Leafs’ power play ranked second and tied for seventh, respectively, in expected goals per two minutes.
The Capitals, whose power play continues to revolve around Ovechkin, would benefit from some fresh ideas on the man advantage.
