Speculation: Which veteran teams could blow it up and start a rebuild/retool?

[KingsFan7824]

Nobody really blows things up these days. Rebuilding is a very slow process, that evolves over multiple seasons, because of the cap. The process also usually starts when there is no other option. When a star player chooses to leave, or when ownership is finished throwing good money into a hole for a while.

Some of that sounds like St.Louis, but they have an entire roster they've already invested in for the next few years, independent of Pietrangelo. He would be a huge hole to fill, probably impossible to do, but they'll try for at least 1 more year. Then you see what the goalie situation is, plus another $16m coming off the cap with 3 UFA's up front.

But the bottom has to fall out for a team to start over. You need an avenue to go down too. If you have 5 guys on long term contracts who are all at or over 30, you're just going to be bad with those guys. Which, is sort of rebuilding, but it's not the traditional rebuilding of the pre-cap era. Where you would sell off all your vets, and all the other good stuff. The cap makes that next to impossible. You suck it up, and have some old guys just collecting a paycheck while you build for when they're finally gone. So a team like SJ, if they're going to be a bottom 7 team or whatever for the next few years(which they shouldn't be, we'll see if this year was a fluke), they're going to be that with Couture, Kane, Burns, Karlsson, Vlasic, and Jones. Not only do they all have 3 team NTC's, some are in their mid 30's, they all have 5+ years remaining on their deals, taking up a decent amount of space in a flat cap, etc.

Minnesota should, but they probably won't.

 

[AKL]

Minnesota should, but they probably won't.

This is a really tired, uneducated narrative.

 

[Byrddog]

Pittsburgh - retool
Nashville - retool
Toronto - retool
St.Louis - retool(if Pietrangelo walks) use the cap to strength the roster.


Arizona - blow it up

Calgary - blow it up(only in the sense that about half their defense is UFAs and probably go to market. They are actually talking about dismantling the core which is a lot with the defense almost gone and Tkachuk and Giordano are the only untouchables.

Buffalo - blow it up(seems like the effect in management will trickle down to the roster. Eichel seems like the only safe piece along with Cozens.

Florida I have no idea, they were on track to potentially make the playoffs before the outbreak. Now because of the outbreak rumors are that the owners want $10mill shedded off the roster. Now that could be a big name and another player or gutting a majority of the team.

I will just address the two teams I follow close.
The Predators. Well on paper they have a good looking roster in reality they have not had a 70 point player since 2008. They are now filled with overpaid underproducing forwards. At some point you just have to pull the trigger and go a different direction, so yes it needs to be blown up. That does not mean it will be. There are no GM's out there willing to take on the contracts of Johansen, Duchene or Turris too much term even if the Preds retained salary for the numbers they have produced. Another big failure has been not preparing for Rinne's decline and coming retirement. This team will not rebound for a number of years especially the Cap crunch all teams are in another dark cloud looming is recapture when Shea Weber retires. This is going to be the first painful period since year 5 of the franchise.

The Sabres ownership has bungled and misused this team since they bought the franchise. No stability in the front office and on ice coaching staff. The youth movment has bit them in the ass again and again. They have not developed the young players in a system just threw them out to the wolves this includes Eichel and Dahlin who are generational players who have been forced into situations at 18 over there head. Reinhart who now has turned the corner should have been in the AHL for a couple seasons instead of struggling for three years. They got lucky with Olofsson who is now a NHL ready stud. The blueline depth has been horrid for years and needs attention and the goaltending has been a disaster since Hasak yeas this includes Ryan Headcase Miller. They need to Cut loose Okoposo, Vesy, Johansan, Bring in some veteran leadership better than Skinner and Simmons and sign a real NHL goalie While Ullmark did ok Hutton is a joke a heck of a nice guy but not a NHL starter by any metric. Hire a coach and stick with them thru a build instead of firing them every year or two. All this has done is keep the organization from moving forward by putting in place a new system over and over where the talent is not matched with the coaches system. There are some good pieces in Buffalo and some big holes.

 

[sh724]

If Petro leaves and the Tarasenko injury is a real concern I could see the Blues needing to retool, thats not to say they will just that it would be smart to consider.

Tarasenko had surgery on the same shoulder a few years ago and it took over a year for him to really be back to playing at his expected level. After the most recent surgery I wasnt expecting much from him in the POs but if its reinjured and needs a third surgery he might not be a top line player anymore. They already lack high end offensive talent compared to other cup contending teams.

There is cap space opening in a couple years but until then its going to be super tight, unless other moves are made.

The prospect pool is nothing special with no high end offensive players. There is Kostin but his AHL numbers arent impressive and Kyrou who could be on the team full time next season but still has a lot to prove. The Blues drafted zero impact forwards between Tarasenko/Schwartz and Robert Thomas. There are a couple intriguing D prospects but not anyone that could replace Petro any time soon

 

[StreetHawk]

Ducks have made it clear they are rebuilding and focusing on building up their young talent. A full tear down shouldn't be necessary, already a bottom five team and don't need to get any worse. Should be considering Gibson and Lindholm as building blocks and listen on just about any other vets though.

If the Ducks feel the 20-21 season is a non playoff year, then their focus this off-season should be about how they get past the Seattle ED with as little loss as possible unlike the LV one where they lost Theodore and given how Vats has performed since the LV ED (injured a lot), hindsight is that they should have just let him get taken. But, it is what it is. Teams were handing out NTC and NMC like candy to veterans and once the rules about the NMC and ED came out, they were stuck.

Whether Anaheim goes 7-3-1 or 4-4-1, they have to decide who they truly wish to protect. The wildcard for them is the young Dmen in Larsson, Mahura, Guhle, as all 3 are eligible for the ED. As are the vets in Fowler, Lindholm, and Manson. So, on paper it appears they will lose another Dman. They have to decide which 3/4 are the most important to them and whether it makes sense to move out one of the veteran Dmen for an ED exempt asset if they can't compete for the PO until after Seattle arrives.

Issue for a lot of teams is that there are limited teams with cap space. NJ, Det, Ott conceivably can take on like 3 contracts worth $5 million in cap space. But, Ott is a team that watches actual cash and likely is not interested in spending to the cap. They hit the floor this season with like $15 million plus on LTIR. LA I think can absorb 2 contracts like that. Most of the other teams at the bottom can absorb maybe 1 more. Again, depends on whether they wish to actually spend money as we are hearing more than a couple of teams would actually like to shed payroll.

 

[Soundgarden]

I will just address the two teams I follow close.
The Predators. Well on paper they have a good looking roster in reality they have not had a 70 point player since 2008. They are now filled with overpaid underproducing forwards. At some point you just have to pull the trigger and go a different direction, so yes it needs to be blown up. That does not mean it will be. There are no GM's out there willing to take on the contracts of Johansen, Duchene or Turris too much term even if the Preds retained salary for the numbers they have produced. Another big failure has been not preparing for Rinne's decline and coming retirement. This team will not rebound for a number of years especially the Cap crunch all teams are in another dark cloud looming is recapture when Shea Weber retires. This is going to be the first painful period since year 5 of the franchise.

Shouldn't a Tampa fan know more about Ingram?

 

[DarthProbert]

St. Louis doesn't need massive changes just because the coach started the wrong goalie AND EVERYONE KNEW IT. Washington is all-in as long as Ovechkin is there.

Arizona either blows it all up, or admits Tocchet is clueless and the team needs a 1C desperately(and frankly, a 2C. Stepan's a 3C and so is Dvorak. At best).

Nashville needs to do something drastic but are handcuffed to Duchene and Johansen(and Turris). Too many 2C and 3Cs, no real 1C. Wrong coach, too.

Calgary will probably attempt a retool that will likely fail and they'll be rebuilding in 2 or 3 years instead of now(2 or 3 years ago?)

San Jose is too trapped by bad contracts to do what needs to be done. If management is anything like their most vocal fans YOU CAN'T TRADE ANYBODY GOOD!!!! Well then, you can't acquire anybody good.

Florida's ownership will keep that team from being competitive. Trochek, Dadonov, Hoffman all gone for a couple of spare parts. Regression imminent.

Buffalo could just trade a RHD(+) for a 2C and immediately be a better team. But they've refused to do that for so long, while acquiring more RHDs, so who knows. Monahan and Dylan Strome should be on their radar big time.

 

[Byrddog]

Shouldn't a Tampa fan know more about Ingram?

Ingram is not a proven NHL starter. Could be be in time sure he will be getting a chance in Nashville pretty soon IMO. I am sure your aware of my prediction that one of two things will happen. 1 Rinne retires Poile holds on to Saro's and Imgram both platoon and 20 games in he wins the job. 2 Pekka does stay his last year with Ingram on the roster and Ingram becomes the starter sometime in the next season. Either way I can not see Saro's in the plan after Ingram is given a chance. At worst he is no better than Saro's at best he settles in and becomes a solid NHL goalie. There is no way to predict young players success in the league but Ingram has had 90 games in the AHL so it is time for a good look.

 

[KaprizovEntitlelist]

Nobody really blows things up these days. Rebuilding is a very slow process, that evolves over multiple seasons, because of the cap. The process also usually starts when there is no other option. When a star player chooses to leave, or when ownership is finished throwing good money into a hole for a while.

Some of that sounds like St.Louis, but they have an entire roster they've already invested in for the next few years, independent of Pietrangelo. He would be a huge hole to fill, probably impossible to do, but they'll try for at least 1 more year. Then you see what the goalie situation is, plus another $16m coming off the cap with 3 UFA's up front.

But the bottom has to fall out for a team to start over. You need an avenue to go down too. If you have 5 guys on long term contracts who are all at or over 30, you're just going to be bad with those guys. Which, is sort of rebuilding, but it's not the traditional rebuilding of the pre-cap era. Where you would sell off all your vets, and all the other good stuff. The cap makes that next to impossible. You suck it up, and have some old guys just collecting a paycheck while you build for when they're finally gone. So a team like SJ, if they're going to be a bottom 7 team or whatever for the next few years(which they shouldn't be, we'll see if this year was a fluke), they're going to be that with Couture, Kane, Burns, Karlsson, Vlasic, and Jones. Not only do they all have 3 team NTC's, some are in their mid 30's, they all have 5+ years remaining on their deals, taking up a decent amount of space in a flat cap, etc.

Minnesota should, but they probably won't.

Tired & lazy; uneducated comments. For so many reasons wild can't rebuild:
Wild owner hadhnever been interested in rebuilding. He's an owner who wants to win; & will spend
Wild have one of the best D in the league
As long as Suter, & Parise are under contract, Zero Chance wild rebuilds
Re-signing Spurgeon to 7 years Contract also a perfect example of wild having one of the league underrated, but Good D they can't rebuild
With Fiala, & Kaprizov entering their Prime & needing new contract before / end of next year NHL 20-21 season are one of many reasons wild can't rebuild

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

I don’t see anyone blowing it this offseason. The cap is going to be tight so you probably won’t get full value for the players you are looking to move out

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Ingram is not a proven NHL starter. Could be be in time sure he will be getting a chance in Nashville pretty soon IMO. I am sure your aware of my prediction that one of two things will happen. 1 Rinne retires Poile holds on to Saro's and Imgram both platoon and 20 games in he wins the job. 2 Pekka does stay his last year with Ingram on the roster and Ingram becomes the starter sometime in the next season. Either way I can not see Saro's in the plan after Ingram is given a chance. At worst he is no better than Saro's at best he settles in and becomes a solid NHL goalie. There is no way to predict young players success in the league but Ingram has had 90 games in the AHL so it is time for a good look.

Who is Saro's?