NHL Predictions: Which teams will be the best and the worst in the 2022-23 NHL season?
The 2022-23 NHL regular season has finally arrived after a lot of offseason movement, and here’s a look at how some of the teams are likely to fare.
There was a flurry of movement during the NHL offseason, with quite a number of players switching loyalties in blockbuster trades. Now that the 2022-23 NHL regular season has begun, it’s time to look at which teams are likely to be at the top and which ones are bound to dwell at the bottom.
Colorado Avalanche
The defending champions are in a good position to win a second consecutive Stanley Cup, and they are one of the favorites to win the championship. Although the Avalanche lost Nazem Kadri, Alex Newhook could be the one to fill in his shoes as second-line center. The team’s defense looks rock solid, if a fully healthy Bowen Byram could join Samuel Girard, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews to form one of the league’s best defensive units.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are also favored to win the Stanley Cup this season. Their back end is topnotch, and general manager Don Waddell was busy in the offseason acquiring Brent Burns, Dylan Coghlan, Ondrej Kase, Paul Stastny, and Max Pacioretty (who will unfortunately be sidelined for the first half of the year). The only noteworthy player they lost was free agent Vincent Trochek.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ letdown in last season’s playoffs is a great motivator for them to stand out this year. They have just invested in Spencer Knight, their 2019 draft pick goaltender, whom with whom they signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension to make him part of the league’s highest-paid goalie duo together with Sergei Bobrovsky. With their offseason hires, they have come up with a more well-rounded team compared with last year’s lineup which was heavy on the offense.
Teams with an uphill climb
On the other end of the spectrum are teams who face an uphill climb this season. These include the Chicago Blackhawks, who missed the playoffs last year and who have lost some key players including Kirby Dach, Alex Debrincat, Calvin de Haan, and Kevin Lankinen.
Another team that didn’t make it to the postseason last year and might be struggling this season are the Arizona Coyotes. They are trying to build a better team that will help them achieve better standings in the future, but they are still working on this process. The Coyotes hope to win the draft lottery to be able to get more high-quality talent.
The Philadelphia Flyers are missing key players Ryan Ellis and Sean Coutourier which might hobble them and cause them to lag further behind. Incoming coach John Tortorella could potentially put off his players with his tough approach, though it could also transform their play.