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NHL players, teams, and coaches ready to make a big jump forward this season

NHL players, teams, and coaches ready to make a big jump forward this season

By Bryant Harper

There were some teams and players that took massive leaps forward a year ago, from the Los Angeles Kings on a team level to Andrew Mangiapane and J.T. Miller on an individual level. Here we take a look at some teams and players that should be ready to do the same for the 2022-23 NHL season. 

Steve Yzerman era as the team’s general manager. It is time for real progress. They have an outstanding young core led by defenseman Moritz Seider and forwards Lucas Raymond, Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, and Jakub Vrana, and they complemented them this offseason with some significant free-agent additions. Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik, and David Perron should really help round out what is now a very formidable and deep forward group, but the play of new goalie Ville Husso might make-or-break their progress. The playoffs might be a reach for this season, but they need to get closer and show that real progress is being made. 

Vincent Trocheck in free agency was a solid addition, they also lost some pretty essential players over the offseason that are going to put a dent in their depth. The best way to make up for that? Their young players taking a big step forward and becoming impact players. That starts with Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft. It is time for him and Kaapo Kakko (the No. 2 overall pick the year before) to play like franchise cornerstones. If they do, the Rangers should be very good. If they do not show progress? It could be a disappointing step backward for the Rangers. 

Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson, and Josh Norris) and had a very busy offseason adding some potential impact players. Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux were the significant additions, but a lot will ride on Cam Talbot in goal. They would have to make a huge jump to make the playoffs, and the defense is still a little shaky, but like the Red Wings they at least need to get close and show their fans that they are going in the right direction. 

Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson) produced a playoff spot, they have one of the best young collections of talent in the NHL, and then added to it this offseason with the blockbuster trade for Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild. The big X-factor for the Kings will be Byfield’s development. He is the top prospect in the system and has superstar potential. He is entering year two in the NHL and if he can take a step forward the Kings’ center depth with him, Danault, and Anze Kopitar would be one of the best groups in the entire NHL. 

Martin St. Louis. Caufield has a chance to be a top goal scorer in the league and an entire season under St. Louis should be a great fit for him. A lot of the Canadiens’ success (both short-term and long-term) rests with him, Nick Suzuki, and No. 1 overall pick in 2022, Juraj Slafkovsky. 

Calgary Flames, standing on his head for seven games and giving what was a rather punchless offense a chance to compete against a clearly superior team. He has not played much hockey in the NHL at this point, but when he has played, he has been sensational. He looks like the type of goalie that can make a massive swing in a team’s success. This will be his first full season as the Stars’ starter and it is going to be a big test for him. 

Johnny Gaudreau) in free agency. Combined with the re-signing of Patrik Laine to a long-term deal, they have some potentially elite scorers at the top of the lineup and a pretty good collection of young talent led by Cole Sillinger, Zach Werenski, and Adam Boqvist. With better goaltending, this could be an under-the-radar playoff team. If nothing else, Gaudreau and Laine should bring some excitement the team has been lacking in recent years. Give credit where it is due: In a league where general managers are afraid to be bold and make big splashes at the trade deadline and free agency, Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen is never shy about going for it. 

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. It already cost them Kevin Fiala and Cam Talbot this offseason and prevented them from going out and making significant additions from outside the organization. That is going to put a premium on developing talent from within. They have some excellent young prospects coming through the pipeline, and Boldy is one of the most exciting right now. He had an outstanding debut this past season (15 goals, 24 points, 39 points in 47 games) as a 20-year-old rookie. Players that are that good, that quickly, and at that age tend to go on to have very successful careers. The Wild need that from him right away. 

Lou Lamoriello never feels the need to tell anybody who he signed or acquired. The roster itself right now looks mostly unchanged, meaning any improvement is going to have to come from within. The defense is actually looking really good with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock at the top. But Dobson is the player to really watch here as a potential game-changer. He had a breakout season for the Islanders in 2021-22 and looks like he is well on his way to becoming a bonafide top-pairing NHL defender. 

Matthew Tkachuk. Lundell was also a fascinating development for the Panthers as the rookie showed top-line offense and an advanced defensive game for his age. The 2020 first-round pick (No. 12 overall) has big-time potential and should be a core building block for the team for years. 

Troy Terry had a breakout year and Trevor Zegras became a superstar and one of the league’s must-see talents. This year they need the same to happen for Drysdale on the blue line. He showed a ton of promise this past season and if the Ducks are going to progress in their rebuild (that is not really a rebuild), they are going to need a young defenseman to step forward and lead the blue line. Drysdale is the player with that potential and ability. If he does, the Ducks’ core suddenly looks much, much stronger. 

Marc-Andre Fleury now playing for the Minnesota Wild and Robin Lehner out for the season, the goalie spot now rests with the second-year Thompson. There is always a chance the Golden Knights could add somebody from outside the organization, but the options are very limited as is the team’s salary cap space. As of now, Thompson is going to have to be the guy. He showed promise a year ago in his limited action, but this is now a team with many question marks and goalie is at the top of the list. 

Tage Thompson, Kyle Okposo, and Jeff Skinner to repeat their big performances from a year ago, and they really need their young defenders to take a huge step forward. That includes their No. 1 overall picks, Dahlin and Owen Power. Dahlin is entering his fifth season in the NHL, and while he has shown flashes of the potential and ability that made him a top pick and prized prospect in the draft, he has not performed at a consistently high level yet. The time has come for him to perform at that level if the Sabres are ever going to have a chance of showing real improvement as a team. 

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