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With the 2024-25 NHL season simply days from getting underway, all 32 groups will start with a clean slate. Some will enhance their respective efficiency leaps and bounds from what they completed a season in the past.
Nevertheless, many groups might be candidates to see some type of regression throughout the upcoming season primarily based on the offseason that they’ve had. The Florida Panthers are recent off of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the primary time in franchise historical past, and that may positively be a tricky job to duplicate throughout the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
Let’s check out just a few franchises that would take a step again this season.
The Canucks started their preparation for the 2023-24 season after they employed head coach Rick Tocchet to switch Bruce Boudreau within the second half of the 2022-23 marketing campaign. After Tocchet took over, he led the Canucks to a 20-12-4 document to complete off that season. The Canucks adopted up that efficiency with a 50-23-9 document (109 factors) and received the Western Convention’s Pacific Division in 2023-24.
Whereas the Canucks had a stellar season, it is a workforce that noticed heart Elias Lindholm and defenseman Nikita Zadorov, who had been each acquired throughout the season, depart in free company. Whereas the Canucks will doubtless be a playoff workforce in 2024-25, it is exhausting to think about a repeat efficiency after surrendering some high-caliber expertise. As well as, one of many largest query marks is goaltender Thatcher Demko. He suffered a knee damage in Recreation 1 of the workforce’s opening spherical playoff sequence towards the Nashville Predators. If Demko is 100% wholesome, then there’s not a lot to fret about. Nevertheless, that is one thing that may should be seen earlier than trusting the veteran netminder over an 82-game common season.
Florida Panthers
Repeating a championship season is likely one of the hardest duties in all of sports activities, and the NHL isn’t any totally different. The Panthers put collectively a magical run to a Stanley Cup and finally defeated the Oilers with a view to win all of it. It additionally marked the primary Stanley Cup in franchise historical past after falling brief towards the Golden Knights within the earlier yr.
Until the Panthers are capable of win a second consecutive Stanley Cup, they will definitely have regressed. Florida did lose veteran Brandon Montour in free company, who supplied an enormous offensive increase from the blue line lately. As well as, veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko additionally departed as he signed with the Red Wings on the open market. The Panthers’ high six forwards are nonetheless extraordinarily elite, particularly after signing star winger Sam Reinhart to an enormous contract extension. Even on the subject of Reinhart, it will not be an enormous shock if he takes a step again after scoring a career-high 57 targets a season in the past. On high of that, Florida may also want veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to proceed to play at an elite stage at 36 years outdated.
The Hurricanes had been a preferred decide to make a deep Stanley Cup run, particularly after buying star ahead Jake Guentzel in a commerce with the Penguins. The addition of Guentzel did not catapult the Hurricanes like many imagined because the Hurricanes had been eradicated by the Rangers within the second spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Guentzel additionally did not stay with the Hurricanes, and ended up signing with the Lightning this previous summer season.
After a 111-point marketing campaign, that is fairly a lofty bar to clear for the Hurricanes. Carolina did signal winger Jack Roslovic in free company, which is a strong depth transfer. Nevertheless, changing Guentzel with Roslovic within the high six is definitely considered as a downgrade. The workforce was capable of retain defenseman Jaccob Slavin and top-line winger Seth Jarvis on lofty contract extensions, so the expertise is certainly nonetheless there. It simply won’t be on the similar stage as final season.
After the Maple Leafs received a playoff sequence in 2022-23, the workforce reverted again to their conventional habits as they had been eradicated within the opening spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs throughout the 2023-24 marketing campaign. The Maple Leafs nonetheless managed to high the 100-point mark and completed in third place within the Atlantic Division, so it was a reasonably profitable marketing campaign.
The Maple Leafs made a splash final summer season by signing winger Tyler Bertuzzi to a one-year deal, however Bertuzzi ended up leaving through free company to signal with the Blackhawks. Whereas Bertuzzi tallied simply 43 factors (21 targets & 22 assists) final season, his manufacturing will certainly be missed on the second line. As well as, the Maple Leafs have the contract scenario of Mitch Marner hanging over their heads as his deal expires following the 2024-25 season. If the Marner contract state of affairs does not turn out to be a distraction, this may very well be a playoff workforce, nevertheless it will not be a shock if the offense takes a step again.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights have by no means been afraid so as to add high-profile expertise and half with draft capital and younger gamers with a view to purchase mentioned expertise. That turned the case as soon as once more when the Golden Knights acquired heart Tomas Hertl from the Sharks on the 2024 commerce deadline. Vegas ended up sneaking into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, however had been ousted by the Stars in seven video games.
Whereas the Golden Knights do have a deep group of forwards, that depth took an enormous hit over the summer season. Star winger Jonathan Marchessault — who was chosen by the franchise of their enlargement draft again in 2017 — left the Golden Knights with a view to signal with the Predators in free company. Marchessault loved an abundance of success that included serving to lead Vegas to a Stanley Cup in 2023, in addition to successful the Conn Smythe Trophy because the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The star ahead is coming off of a 42-goal season in 2023-24, and his manufacturing will certainly be missed. Marchessault additionally was the heartbeat of this Golden Knights roster, so it will not be a shock if he is severely missed this coming season.
