CarterHud

From NHL.com

              It is not a normal thing, in any league, where a team trades way a star player, just so they can sign another star player. But the Nashville Predators did just that, trading away PK Subban so they could have the cap space to sign Matt Duchene, hoping that would improve their league worst 12.9 powerplay percentage in 2018-19. Beside that, it was a quiet offseason in Nashville, as they look to get back to beyond the first round of the playoffs.

            Additions: Matt Duchene, Daniel Carr, Steven Santini, Connor Ingram, Jeremy Davies

            Subtractions: PK Subban, Wayne Simmonds, Brian Boyle, Cody McLeod

            Forwards
After the Predators had just one 30 goal scorer and three fifty point players, and two 50 point forwards, they brought in Duchene, who did both last year. His 31 goals were a career high, and his 70 points were tied with 2013-14 for a career high. He also played in just 73 games last year. His 70 points would have led Nashville. Duchene is an improvement from Ryan Johansen, whose 64 points, led by a career high 50 assists, led the team. Johansen scored just 14 goals, and hasn\’t scored 20 since 2014-15, his last full season before joining the Preds. Despite playing in just 64 games, Filip Forsberg scored 28 goals with 50 points. Since his rookie season of 2014-15, Forsberg has scored 144 goals, for an average of 28.8 goals a season. But he may not be the team\’s best goal scorer. Viktor Arvidsson scored a career high 34 goals, and in just 58 games, for an 82 game pace of over 48 goals. He set the record for most single season goals in franchise history. He is also signed for the next five years, with a steal of a $4.25 million cap hit. Kyle Turris had a very disappointing season. Acquired for now top pairing defenseman Sam Girard, Turris had just 23 points in 55 games in 2018-19. He is getting paid $6 million for the next five seasons, and he\’s also 30 years old. It is a make or break season for Turris. Mikael Granlund had 69 and 67 points in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively. He wasn\’t on pace to hit 60 points when the Wild traded him to Nashville at the trade deadline. With Nashville, Granlund scored just one goals with five points in 16 games. Craig Smith scored 20 goals for the fifth time over the last six seasons, with 21. His 17 assists were tied for the second lowest over that stretch. Nick Bonino might have had his best season since 2013-14. He scored 17 goals with 35 points and a +27 rating, finishing 13th in Selke voting. Colton Sissons signed an odd seven year, $20 million extension in the offseason. He is coming off career highs in goals (15), points (30) and plus/minus (+20). Calle Jarnkrok had at least 15 goals with 30 points in three consecutive seasons leading up to 2018-19, but he scored just 10 goals with 26 points instead. Austin Watson was suspended for the first 27 games of the season for domestic violence, then he was suspended indefinitely in January (it ended up being 27 games) for alcohol abuse, leaving his career in jeopardy. The former first rounder had 16 points and a +11 rating in 37 games. 5\’6\’\’ forward Rocco Grimaldi played in a career high 53 games, with a career high 13 points, and scored some highlight reel goals along the way. Reigning AHL MVP Daniel Carr signs with Nashville. He scored 30 goals with 71 points in 52 games. In his 100 game NHL career, Carr has 15 goals and 35 points. Frederick Gaudreau played in 55 games, and scored his first three NHL goals (his three in the 2016-17 playoffs not included). He had just four points overall. Depth forward Miikka Salomaki scored seven points in 37 games.

               Defensemen
Even without Subban, the Predators have some good defensemen. Captain Roman Josi is entering a contract season. He is a consistent Norris contender. He scored 15 goals with 56 points in 2018-19, finishing 7th in Norris voting for the 7th consecutive season. Mattias Ekholm finished 10th in Norris voting, with a career high 44 points and +27 rating. Coming off a career 2017-18 season where he scored 32 points in 44 games, Ryan Ellis had a career high 41 points, with a +21 rating. To take Subban\’s spot in the top four, the Predators are leaning on 2016 first rounder Dante Fabbro. Fabbro had 33 points in 38 games at Boston University, then came to the NHL. He scored his first career goal, playing in four games. 15 year veteran Dan Hamhuis returned to Nashville as a 36 year old. In 57 games, he had five assists, and a -2 rating. Steven Santini, acquired for Subban, is a defensive defenseman with 21 points in 114 career games. Yannick Weber has never lived up to his 11 goal 2014-15 season, with just five goals in the four seasons since. His +7 rating in 2018-19 was a career best. In three seasons in Nashville, Matt Irwin has 29 points in 168 games, with a +22 rating.

                Goalies
Pekka Rinne, who at age 35 won the Vezina Trophy in 2017-18, would have been a UFA after 2018-19, but signed a two year extension on November 3, his 36th birthday. He finished 7th in Vezina voting, with a .918 SV% and 2.42 GAA. When Rinne leaves, the Predators have their goalie of the future in Juuse Saros. Saros had a .915 SV% and 2.62 GAA. In his career, he has a .920 SV%.

                Deep Depths
Matt Donovan, who played in the NHL from 2011-12 to 2014-15, returned to the NHL, playing in two games. In the AHL, he scored 11 goals with 35 points in 64 games. Jarred Tinordi, a former first rounder with 53 games of NHL experience, hasn\’t played in the NHL since 2015-16. He had 22 points in 75 AHL games. Laurent Dauphin had 35 points in 61 AHL games.
  
                Up and Coming
Eeli Tolvanen was a top prospect entering 2018-19. He still is, even after a disappointing season. He had two points in four NHL games, and 35 points in 58 AHL games. Rem Pitlick, whose brother Rhett was just drafted, cousin Tyler plays for the Flyers and father Lance was a former NHLer, He had 45 points in 38 games at the University of Minnesota. Defenseman Alexandre Carrier has two games of NHL experience, from 2016-17. In the AHL, he had 37 points in 76 games.

               2019 draft class
Round 1, 24th overall: Philip Tomasino
Round 2, 45th overall: Egor Afanasyev
Round 3, 65th overall: Alexander Campbell
Round 4, 109th overall: Marc Del Gaizo
Round 4, 117th overall: Semyon Chystyakov
Round 5, 148th overall: Ethan Haider
Round 6, 179th overall: Isak Walther
Round 7, 210th overall: Juuso Parssinen

                Management
Stanley Cup winning coach Peter Laviolette is entering his 6th year as Predators Head Coach. As a Head Coach for the Predators, Flyers, Hurricanes and Islanders, Laviolette has a .589 winning percentage. The GM throughout Nashville\’s entire history, David Poile has been known to make some gutsy trades, and the Subban for Duchene cap space is one of them.

               Projected Lineup
Filip Forsberg – Ryan Johansen – Viktor Arvidsson
Mikael Granlund – Matt Duchene – Kyle Turris
Calle Jarnkork – Nick Bonino – Craig Smith
Daniel Carr – Colton Sissons – Austin Watson
Extras: Rocco Grimaldi, Miika Salomaki, Frederick Gaudreau

               Roman Josi – Ryan Ellis
               Mattias Ekholm – Dante Fabbro
               Dan Hamhuis – Yannick Weber
Extras: Steven Santini, Matt Irwin

                          Pekka Rinne
                          Juuse Saros

                 Prediction
The Predators are obviously a good team, as a team that has made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons has to be. But every year, there is always one surprise team that doesn\’t make the playoffs. This year, I think it\’s Nashville. I think they are a fifth place team, not good enough for the playoffs in 2019-20.

From Sportsnet

          There\’s always one team that misses the playoffs by a game in the NHL, and they normally come from the East. It was the Islanders in 2016-17, the Panthers in 2017-18, and the Canadiens in 2018-19. It always hurts to miss the playoffs, then get a middle round draft as compensation. It also doesn\’t help that both the Islanders and Panthers missed the playoffs the following season, both times by a much more significant margin. The Canadiens are trying to fend that off, and while they had a ton of cap space, their big move in the offseason ended up as an offer sheet to Sebastian Aho of the Hurricanes, which was matched. Their other offseason moves didn\’t amount to much, and their departures were replaced.

          Additions: Ben Chiarot, Nick Cousins, Keith Kinkaid, Phillip Varone, Riley Barber

          Subtractions: Andrew Shaw, Jordie Benn, David Schlemko, Nicolas Deslauriers

          Forwards
 After two consecutive underwhelming nine goal seasons, Max Domi was traded to the Habs from Arizona in what was perceived as a bad trade. But Domi broke out in a big way, with career highs in goals (28), assists (44), points (72) and plus/minus (+20). He also shot a career high 203 times. Tomas Tatar had a bad run in Vegas, with six points in 20 games, after being acquired for a first, second and third round pick. He was traded to Montreal with top prospect Nick Suzuki for captain Max Pacioretty. He rebounded with 25 goals and a career high 58 points and +21 rating. Brendan Gallagher proved to be arguably the most underrated player in the league. He scored 30 goals for the second consecutive season, with a career high 33, plus 52 points. Jonathan Drouin scored 53 points, led by a career high 35 assists. Phillip Danault broke out in a big way. He had a career high 41 assists, 53 points and +17 rating. His average ice time of 17:47 led Montreal forwards. He also finished 7th in Selke voting. Third overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored 11 goals with 34 points in his rookie season, and while it doesn\’t live up to the seasons by the players picked above him, and even 4th overall pick Brady Tkachuk, but it is still promising. He looks to jump from the third line center spot. Paul Byron failed to score 20 goals for a third straight season, but his 15 goals and +16 rating aren\’t bad. In his first season in Montreal, Joel Armia scored a career high 13 goals, and he did it in just 57 games. 24 year old Artturi Lehkonen had career highs in assists (20), points (31) and plus/minus (+10). Nick Cousins comes from Arizona on a one year deal. He is coming off a season where he recorded career highs in assists (20) and points (27). Jordan Weal eyes a fourth line spot after scoring 10 points in 16 games with Montreal after a trade deadline trade last year. Matthew Peca scored a career high 10 points in a career high 39 games. Nate Thompson was re-signed after seven points in 25 games for Montreal.

            Defensemen
In his first year as a captain, Shea Weber scored 14 goals in 58 games, for a 20 goal pace. He isn\’t the player he once was, but he now could be underrated. At age 31, Jeff Petry scored a career high 13 goals and 46 points. He got Norris votes for the first time. Ben Chiarot signs a three year deal after a career season in Winnipeg playing with Dustin Byfuglien. His five goals and 20 points were career highs. Now 21, Victor Mete was a +17. In his 120 career games, he still hasn\’t scored his first goal. After being acquired for two depth players, Brett Kulak had career highs in goals (6), assists (11), points (17), plus/minus (+12), and pretty much every significant stat, and in just 57 games. The sixth, and maybe even fifth spot, are up for grabs. Mike Reilly, like Kulak, played in 57 games. He has 19 points in 76 games over two years for Montreal. Christian Folin is a righty, which could benefit him. He had four assists in 19 games for Montreal last year.

            Goalies
Carey Price isn\’t the same goalie he was in 2014-15, when he won the Hart and Vezina award. He is still a starter, but he\’s not worth the $10.5 million he earns annually. He had a .918 SV% and a 2.49 GAA in 2018-19. Former Devils backup Keith Kinkaid joins the Habs in the same role he had in New Jersey. He is coming off a career worst season, with a .891 SV% and 3.36 GAA.

           Deep Depths
It\’s never a good thing when two players in this section combine for $7 million in cap space. But Dale Weise and Karl Alzner are likely to be buried in the AHL this year. In his return to Montreal, Weise had no points in nine games. He played in three AHL games for Laval, and scored two goals. Alzner hadn\’t missed a game since 2009-10, but after a bad year one in Montreal, Alzner played in just nine games. He was waived, and played in 34 AHL games. After scoring 10 goals with 30 points in 2017-18, Charles Hudon played in just 32 NHL games, and scored five points. He needs to earn back a fourth line spot, but that looks unlikely. Philip Varone returned to the NHL last year, playing in 47 games for Philly. Former first rounder Michael McCarron has failed to impress, with just eight points in 69 career games. He had 21 points in 32 AHL games.

            Up and Coming
Ryan Poehling looks like the favorite for the fourth line center job. His NHL debut, which came in game 82 last year, will be impossible to match. He scored a hat trick. He had 31 points in 36 games at St. Cloud State previously. Noah Juulsen could be the favorite for the sixth defenseman spot. Over the past two seasons, Juulsen has eight points in 44 games. He was a first rounder in 2015. A first rounder by Vegas in 2017, Nick Suzuki eyes his NHL debut. He had 94 points in 59 OHL games, and 42 more in 24 playoff games. Charlie Lindgren looks to compete with Kinkaid for the backup job. In 18 career NHL games, He has a 2.89 GAA and .912 SV%.

             2019 draft class
Round 1, 15th overall: Cole Caufield
Round 2, 46th overall: Jayden Struble
Round 3, 64th overall: Mattias Norlinder
Round 3, 77th overall: Gianni Fairbrother
Round 5, 126th overall: Jacob Leguerrier
Round 5, 131st overall: Rhett Pitlick
Round 5, 138th overall: Frederik Nissen Dichow
Round 6, 170th overall: Arsen Khisamutdinov
Round 7, 201st overall: Rafael Harvey-Pinard
Round 7, 206th overall: Kieran Ruscheinski

              Management
Claude Julien returns as Head Coach for the third full season in his second stint as Montreal Head Coach. A Head Coach in the NHL every season since 2002-03, Julien\’s teams have a .592 winning percentage. Marc Bergevin has always been criticized, but that criticism seemed to vanish last year, when the Domi trade worked out great, Drouin rebounded and Weber outplayed PK Subban, whom he was traded for. Those three players were part of Bergevin\’s last three blockbuster trades.

             Projected Lineup.
Tomas Tatar – Max Domi – Brendan Gallagher
Jonathan Drouin – Phillip Danault – Paul Byron
Arttuti Lehkonen – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Joel Armia
Nick Cousins – Ryan Poehling – Jordan Weal
Extras: Nate Thompson, Matthew Peca, Nick Suzuki

              Victor Mete – Shea Weber
              Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
              Brett Kulak – Noah Juulsen
Extras: Mike Reilly, Christian Folin, Karl Alzner

                            Carey Price
                            Keith Kinkaid
Extras: Charlie Lindgren

                Prediction
The Canadiens were a good team last year, but they saw career seasons from Domi, Danault and Petry, and surprise seasons from Weber, Tatar and Drouin, plus the traded Andrew Shaw. If the returning players continue from their 2018-19 production, then Montreal could make the playoffs. But with Florida\’s big offseason, and Toronto, Tampa and Boston continuing to be powerhouses, plus a strong Metropolitan Division, the Habs will finish 5th and miss the playoffs in 2019-20.

From Getty Images

             After three consecutive first round exits from 2016 to 2018, Wild owner Craig Leipold had enough. GM Chuck Fletcher\’s contract was not renewed, ending his almost nine year tenure as general manager. After a thorough month long search, longtime Predators assistant GM Paul Fenton was hired. If avoiding a first round exit was what Leipold wanted, then the good news is that the Wild were not eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2018-19. The bad news was that the Wild didn\’t make the playoffs in the first place. Fenton traded core players Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter, and tried to trade another one, Jason Zucker, twice, but both deals fell apart. After one season, Fenton was relieved of duties in August, after the draft and free agency. Those three trades left the Wild with one terrible contract, and two young middle six forwards. It could be a year or two until new GM Bill Guerin gets the team back to the playoffs.

               Additions: Mats Zuccarello, Ryan Hartman

               Subtractions: Pontus Aberg, Nate Prosser, Matt Read, Anthony Bitetto, Andrew Hammond

               Forwards
Probably the best news all season for the Wild was that Zach Parise was healthy, though he did have a knee injury at the tail end of the season. He played in 74 games for the first time since 2014-15, and his 28 goals and 61 points were also his most since \’14-15. He led the team in both categories. But now 35 and with six more years left on his contract at over $7.5 million, the Parise contract still looms over the Wild. Eric Staal surprised with 42 goals in 2017-18, his most 2005-06, but he followed it with his second to worst season. He scored 22 goals with 52 points, but that\’s not bad for a 34 year old. The third and final Wild member with 20 goals, Jason Zucker went from a career high 33 in 2017-18 to 21 in 2018-19, and he won the King Clancy Trophy for leadership on and off the ice. To help with scoring, the Wild signed the only other player in NHL history who\’s last name starts with \”Zuc\”, Mats Zuccarello. Zuccarello scored 40 points in just 48 games, for a career high .83 points per game. He had 11 points in 13 playoff games. Captain Mikko Koivu tore his ACL, and played in just 48 games. His eight goals and 29 points were his lowest since his rookie 2005-06 season. Ryan Donato played in 22 games after being part of the Charlie Coyle trade. He was promising, with 16 points. Kevin Fiala, acquired for Mikael Granlund, played in more games than there are in an NHL season (83), and was an awful -12 with seven points in 19 games post trade. 6\’6\’\’ forward Jordan Greenway scored 12 goals in his rookie season. Former first rounder Luke Kunin failed to impress, 17 points in 49 games. He was the only former first rounder to have a weak season. Joel Eriksson Ek, part of the star studded 2015 draft, had just 14 points in 58 games. Ryan Hartman enters on a two year deal after scoring 12 goals for Nashville and Philly. Marcus Foligno\’s three year streak of 23 points ended when he had just 19. Despite playing in all 82 games, his spot in the lineup could be in jeopardy. Former 20 goal scorer Victor Rask had just three points in 23 games after being acquired for Nino Niederreiter. He is trying to win back the fourth line center spot from Kunin or Eriksson Ek. JT Brown scored eight points in 56 games. He figures as the backup winger.

                 Defensemen
Ryan Suter has the same terrible contract as Parise, but at least he\’s always healthy. He averaged over 26 and a half minutes a game again, and scored 47 points, and earned Norris votes for the 10th consecutive season. Entering a contract season, Jared Spurgeon is coming off a career high 14 goals and 43 points, while finishing top 10 in Lady Byng voting for the second consecutive season, and finished 11th in Norris voting. A chest injury sustained in a fight with Matthew Tkachuk cost Matt Dumba 50 games. He scored 12 goals, and was leading defensemen in scoring at the time of the injury. He was on an 82 game pace of 30.75 goals. Normally a defensive defenseman, Jonas Brodin had a career worst -15 rating, with 18 points. Another defensive defenseman with a career worst plus/minus, Greg Pateryn was a -11 in his first season in Minnesota. Tough Nick Seeler had 64 penalty minutes in 71 games, averaging just over 12 minutes a night. He also had seven points. Brad Hunt played in 29 games with the team after being acquired from Vegas. He had five points and a -5 rating.

                  Goalies
Devan Dubnyk has declined since his magical 2014-15 season. He has been healthy, though. In a league leading 67 games, Dubnyk had a .913 SV% with a 2.54 GAA, while leading the league with 28 losses. Dubnyk might have been overworked because of how bad his backup, Alex Stalock, was. Stalock had a .899 SV% and 2.99 GAA.

                   Deep Depths
Kyle Rau played in six NHL games in 2018-19. In the AHL, he scored 26 goals with 53 points in 69 games. German forward Nico Sturm scored 45 points in 39 games at Clarkson University, then played in two games for the Wild. Louis Belpedio could be the first defenseman to be called up. He had 21 points in 70 AHL games in 2018-19, and two assists in three career NHL games. Veteran defenseman Matt Bartkowski played in two games for the Wild, making them his fourth NHL team. He scored a goal, and owned a +2 rating.

                   Up and Coming
Top prospect Kirill Kaprizov is one year away from likely coming to the NHL. When he does, he is looking at a top six, maybe even top line role. Last KHL season (2019-20 just started), Kaprizov scored 30 goals with 51 points in 57 games. He was also very impressive for OAR (Russia) at the 2018 Olympics. Top goalie prospect Kaapo Kahkonen came to North America for the first time, and ended up winning the AHL starting job. In 39 games, Kahkonen had a 2.78 GAA and .908 SV%. Kahkonen looks to be the starter when Dubnyk is out of the picture, but the Wild did just draft goalie Hunter Jones in the second round. He is years away. The last two Wild first rounders, Matt Boldy and Filip Johansson, are at least two years away.

                     2019 draft class
Round 1, 12th overall: Matt Boldy
Round 2, 42nd overall: Vladislav Firstov
Round 2, 59th overall: Hunter Jones
Round 3, 75th overall: Adam Beckman
Round 5, 149th overall: Matvey Guskov
Round 6, 166th overall: Marshall Warren
Round 6, 172nd overall: Nikita Nesterenko
Round 7, 197th overall: Filip Lindberg

                     Management
Bruce Boudreau could be in his last year as Wild Head Coach. He has now been Wild coach under three GMs, after Guerin was hired. An NHL Head Coach for three teams in every season since 2007-08, Boudreau teams have never endured a losing season, and they have a .641 regular season winning percentage. He\’s missed the postseason only twice, but he has a .478 winning percentage in the playoffs. An assistant GM with Pittsburgh since June of 2014, Guerin gets his first GM opportunity. He was a 18 year veteran player with over 1,250 games played.

                     Projected Lineup
Zach Parise – Eric Staal – Mats Zuccarello
Jason Zucker – Luke Kunin – Ryan Donato
Jordan Greenway – Mikko Koivu – Kevin Fiala
Marcus Foligno – Joel Eriksson Ek – Ryan Hartman
Extras: Victor Rask, JT Brown

                     Ryan Suter – Jared Spurgeon
                     Jonas Brodin – Matt Dumba
                     Nick Seeler – Greg Pateryn
Extras: Brad Hunt

                               Devan Dubnyk
                               Alex Stalock
Extras: Kaapo Kahkonen

                       Prediction
The Wild are just one year removed from three consecutive playoff appearances. But they traded away some of their core players, and they are depending on aging players and young, unproven talent. If three of Greenway, Fiala, Donato, Kunin and Eriksson Ek breakout, then the Wild can make the playoffs, especially if the latter two are the ones to breakout. But even then, it is hard to see the Wild make the playoffs in a tough Central Division. I still see them as a last place team.

From Getty Images

        The story of the Kings can be told be just one stat. Only two returning players had a plus/minus over zero in 2018-19. Those two players, Austin Wagner and Kyle Clifford (Nate Thompson and Jake Muzzin were traded midseason), are fourth liners. A quiet offseason that really only saw the Kings get a new coach looks to be the start of a rebuild.

         Additions: Joakim Ryan, Mario Kempe, Martin Frk

         Subtractions: Dion Phaneuf, Brendan Leipsic, Jonny Brodzinski, Peter Budaj, Nikita Scherbak

         Forwards
A two time Selke winner, Anze Kopitar had a career season in 2017-18, but he fell in 2018-19. His -20 rating was a career worst, and while his 22 goals and 60 points weren\’t as bad as his 2016-17 season, it\’s still disappointing for a player getting paid $10 million. Dustin Brown has actually gotten better as he has aged, with 50 goals and 112 points over the last two seasons. Ilya Kovalchuk\’s return to the NHL was a dud, as the former Rocket Richard winner scored just 16 goals with 34 points in 64 games. Kovalchuk is now 36, and earning $6.25 million a season. In his prime, Tyler Toffoli has been more inconsistent than ever. After scoring 31 goals as a 23 year old in 2015-16, Toffoli has scored 16. 24 and 13 goals in the three seasons since. His 13 goals in 2018-19 and 34 points, plus a -16 rating was very disappointing, and he is a trade target. Jeff Carter had the worst season of his career, with career worsts in plus/minus (-20), goals per game (.17) and points per game (.43). Alex Iafallo had a nice 15 goal season, but like everyone else, his plus/minus was terrible (-17). Adrian Kempe had a promising 2017-18 season, but fell a little bit in 2018-19, with 12 goals and 28 points. He is currently an RFA. Austin Wagner had a good rookie season, with 12 goals, even though he averaged less than nine minutes a game. Kyle Clifford\’s previous career high in goals was seven entering 2018-19, then he scored 11 goals. Trevor Lewis played in just 44 games, and scored 12 points. Over the last two seasons, Michael Amadio has 21 points in 80 games. Nikolai Prokhorkin comes to North America after scoring 20 goals and 41 points in 41 KHL games.

           Defensemen
The Kings had just two defensemen with 70 games played, and just three returning defensemen with more than 40. Just after signing an $11 million deal, Drew Doughty had a terrible season. His points went from 60 in 2017-18 to 45 in 2018-19, and for the third time, he was a minus player. His -34 rating was the second worst in the league. Alec Martinez missed 22 games, leading to just 18 points, his lowest total since 2012-13, when he played in just 27 games. Former first rounder Derek Forbort saw his plus/minus drop by 31 points. He averaged 20 minutes a night for the third consecutive season. Paul LaDue played in a career high 33 games, and had five points. Joakim Ryan signed after playing in 106 games for the Sharks over the last two years, with 19 points. Sean Walker had 17 points in 22 AHL games, and 10 points in 39 NHL games. Matt Roy and Kurtis MacDermid combined for seven points in 36 games.

            Goalies
Jonathan Quick had his worst season in 2018-19, and it is not up for discussion. His previous career lows were a 2.54 GAA and .902 SV%. In 2018-19, he had a 3.38 GAA with a .888 SV%. If the Kings want to be relevant, Quick needs to be better. While Quick was inconsistent and battling injuries, Jack Campbell stepped up. Drafted 11th overall in 2010, Campbell played in his first full season, and had an impressive 2.30 GAA and .928 SV%. Cal Peterson had a .924 SV% in 11 games.

            Deep Depths
Martin Frk signs with the Kings after scoring six points in 30 games for Detroit in 2018-19. He was good in 2017-18, with 11 goals and 25 points in 68 games. Adrian Kempe\’s brother, Mario, comes to L.A. after scoring 13 points in 70 games over two seasons in Arizona. Matt Luff scored eight goals in 33 games, which is a 20 goal pace. He will fight for an NHL starting job.

            Up and Coming
Carl Grundstrom, a part of the Jake Muzzin trade, had 39 points in 55 AHL games, and scored five goals in his first 15 career NHL games. Blake Lizotte made his NHL debut after 42 points in 37 games at St. Cloud State. Gabe Vilardi made his pro debut in the AHL last year, playing in four contests. He missed the rest of the season with a back injury. Jaret Anderson-Dolan played in five NHL games. He had 43 points in 32 games in the WHL. Defenseman Kale Clague had 29 points in 52 games in the AHL.

            2019 draft class
Round 1, 5th overall: Alex Turcotte
Round 1, 22nd overall: Tobias Bjornfot
Round 2, 33rd overall: Arthur Kaliyev
Round 2, 50th overall: Sam Fagemo
Round 3, 87th overall: Lukas Parik
Round 4, 95th overall: Jordan Spence
Round 4, 119th overall: Kim Nousianinen
Round 6, 157th overall: Braden Doyle
Round 7, 188th overall: Andre Lee

             Management
Just 13 games into the season, the Kings fired John Stevens, in Stevens\’ second season as coach. They hired Willie Desjardins, who had a rough track record in Vancouver. The new coach is former Oilers bench boss Todd McLellan. With the Sharks and Oilers, McLellan teams have a .594 winning percentage. An NHL hall of famer and a King for 14 seasons, Rob Blake remains as GM, but he may not for long if the Kings continue to go downward. The third coach over the last two years that Blake has hired, Blake played under McLellan in San Jose in Blake\’s last two NHL seasons.

              Projected Lineup
Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Tyler Toffoli
Alex Iafallo – Jeff Carter – Carl Grundstrom
Nikolai Prokhorkin – Adrian Kempe – Ilya Kovalchuk
Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Austin Wagner
Extras: Michael Amadio, Matt Luff, Jaret Anderson-Dolan

              Alec Martinez – Drew Doughty
              Derek Forbort – Paul LaDue
              Joakim Ryan – Sean Walker
Extras: Matt Roy, Kurtis MacDermid

                            Jonathan Quick
                            Jack Campbell
Extras: Cal Peterson

               Prediction
The Kings aren\’t a good team. Their core has aged, and their young players are still a year away from being regulars. The Kings will have an L.A./Anaheim rivalry with the Ducks, but that rivalry will be for last place in the Pacific Division.

From NHL.com

         With a lot of cap space and no state tax, it seemed like the 2019 off-season would be the one where the Panthers spent a lot. And they did. They got themselves a goalie, a top four defenseman, a scoring winger and a fourth line forward, using all but $781k of their cap space. With a new legendary Head Coach, 2019-20 could be the Panthers\’ year.

         Additions: Sergei Bobrovsky, Anton Stralman, Brett Connolly, Noel Acciari, Dominic Toninato

         Subtractions: Roberto Luongo, Troy Brouwer, James Reimer, Riley Sheahan, Jamie McGinn, Jacob MacDonald

         Forwards
The long underrated Aleksander Barkov finally got recognition as a top 10 player in the league. He scored a career high 35 goals and 61 assists for 96 points in his first career 82 game season. He got Hart votes, finished top 5 in Selke voting again, and won his first trophy, the Lady Byng. He was named captain before the season started. Former Calder winner Jonathan Huberdeau scored 30 goals for the first time, and a team leading 62 assists led to 92 points. Mike Hoffman had a great first season in Florida, with a career high 36 goals and 70 points. He is a free agent after 2019-20. In his second season since returning to the NHL from Russia, Evgenii Dadonov scored 28 goals again, this time with 70 points. Vincent Trocheck scored 31 goals and 75 points in 2017-18, but an ankle injury cost him 27 games, and he scored just 10 goals with 34 points. But Frank Vatrano helped fill in for Trocheck\’s offense. In his first full season in Florida, Vatrano scored 24 goals. Former sixth overall pick Brett Connolly finally broke out. In his last season in Washington, Connolly had career highs in goals (22), assists (24), and points (46). The offense gets a little murky after that. Henrik Borgstrom, a former first rounder, had 18 points in 50 NHL games, and 22 more in 24 AHL games. He is aiming to be a third line center. Noel Acciari was a part of the fourth line that was amazing in the playoffs in Boston\’s run to the Stanley Cup final. He had a career high 14 points, and scored two goals in the playoffs, while playing on the penalty kill. Denis Malgin had a bad season, with 16 points and a -10 rating in 50 games, after a promising 11 goal 2017-18 season. He is still just 22. After being a point per game player in the AHL, Jayce Hawryluk made his NHL debut, with seven goals in 42 games. Colton Sceviour took a step back, with just five goals in 59 games. Dryden Hunt scored 23 goals in 51 AHL games, and had 10 points in 31 NHL games.

            Defensemen
At age 32, offensive defenseman Keith Yandle scored a career high 62 points, aided by a 53 assist campaign. But he was a terrible -17. The first overall pick in 2014, Aaron Ekblad has regressed from two good seasons to start his career. Sure, he has double digit goals in each of his five seasons, but he is yet to take his game to the level of other recent first overall picks. In the first year of an eight year deal, Mike Matheson struggled. He had 27 points again, but his -24 rating was a career worst. Anton Stralman enters on a questionable three year deal. Playing on a powerhouse Tampa Bay team, Stralman is a +41 over the last two seasons, with 35 points combined. Mark Pysyk had his worst season in Florida, with 11 points in 70 games and a -1 rating. MacKenzie Weegar had a career high 15 points and 64 games in 2018-19. Josh Brown played in 37 games, with two points. Ian McCoshen took a step back, playing in just 19 NHL games, with two points.

             Goalies
After not having a goalie with a GAA under 3 and James Reimer\’s .900 SV% leading the team in 2018-19, the Panthers went into the offseason looking to spend big on a goalie. Even after drafting top goalie prospect Spencer Knight in the first round, the Panthers signed Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven year, $70 million deal. The two time Vezina winner struggled early on with Columbus in 2018-19, but finished strong,with a .913 SV% and 2.58 GAA, and he led the league with nine shutouts. His .925 playoff SV% was lethal. Rookie Sam Montembeault figures to be the backup. He had a .894 SV% and 3.04 GAA in 11 NHL games last year.

              Deep Depths
Speedy winger Anthony Greco had a better fastest skater competition time in the AHL than NHL champion Connor McDavid. He made his NHL debut, and scored 30 goals in the AHL. Dominic Toninato has played in 39 NHL games over the last two seasons, but only two of them came last year.

              Up and Coming
Owen Tippett has a great chance of making the team after scoring 33 goals and 74 points in 54 OHL games. Grigori Denisenko is in the KHL, and scored four goals in 25 games. Aleksi Heponiemi dominated in the Finnish league, with 46 points in 50 games. Brady Keeper played in one NHL game after signing from the University of Maine.

             2019 draft class
Round 1, 13th overall: Spencer Knight
Round 2, 52nd overall: Vladislav Kolyachonok
Round 3, 69th overall: John Ludvig
Round 3, 81st overall: Cole Schwindt
Round 4, 106th overall: Carter Berger
Round 5, 136th overall: Henrik Rybinski
Round 5, 137th overall: Owen Lindmark
Round 6, 168th overall: Greg Meireles
Round 7, 199th overall: Matthew Wedman

             Management
Bob Boughner didn\’t seem to be the right fit as Head Coach, and after two seasons, he was dismissed, and went back to being an assistant in San Jose, where he was before getting the Panthers job. In comes legendary Head Coach Joel Quenneville, who has won three Stanley Cups with Chicago. One of those Cups was with Dale Tallon, the GM of the Panthers. Unless all of this offseason\’s acquisitions fail in their first year, Tallon\’s job should be safe.

              Projected Lineup
Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov
Mike Hoffman – Vincent Trocheck – Owen Tippett
Frank Vatrano – Henrik Borgstrom – Brett Connolly
Jayce Hawryluk – Noel Acciari – Denis Malgin
Extras: Dryden Hunt, Colton Sceviour

              Keith Yandle – Aaron Ekblad
              Mike Matheson – Anton Stralman
              Mark Pysyk – MacKenzie Weegar
Extras: Ian McCoshen, Josh Brown

                        Segrei Bobrovsky
                        Sam Montembeault
Extras: Chris Dreidger

              Prediction
The Panthers are a good team, but they have had trouble historically getting over the hump and into the second round. They haven\’t won a playoff series since 2011-12. But this could be the year they get into the playoffs. I think they\’ll finish fourth in the Atlantic Division, and make the playoffs.