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

[Love]

I’m thinking mostly of teams who underperformed and got knocked out of the playoffs.

Some teams I thought of:

Blues:
- If Petro leaves I could see them retooling.
- Essentially all of their top players are in their late 20s and early 30s
- Robert Thomas looks like a star to me and is only 21.

Capitals:
- Like the Blues, still good but getting old.
- Backstrom (almost 33) has a 5 year contract extension about to kick in ($9.2 aav. Yikes).
- Ovechkin (almost 35) only has one more year left before he’s a UFA.
- Young core of Vrana, Samsonov, Wilson.

Flames:
- Calgary has some young guns but it feels stale.
- Gio is old and it seems like he hit a wall.
- Goaltending sucks.
- People are questioning if Gaudreau can produce in the playoffs.
- Still has a young core of Tkachuk, Hanifin, Monahan, Lindholm, Mangiapane, Andersson, Dube.




So will any of these teams retool or rebuild? Any other teams that fit the bill?

And which players could be on the move?

Click to read more...

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Nashville they feel like they need a shakeup

 

[Love]

Nashville they feel like they need a shakeup

That’s a good one too. Not a lot of young talent there either.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

A little different than what was set out in the OP, but Anaheim may be in the process of tearing down the core group. Perry was bought out last Summer. Getzlaf is a UFA next Summer; he seems like a good bet to stick around, but you never know. Rakell, Manson and Lindholm are all 2022 UFAs. There are some decisions looming on that front between this Summer, next deadline and next Summer.

 

[Djp]

I’m thinking mostly of teams who underperformed and got knocked out of the playoffs.

Some teams I thought of:

Blues:
- If Petro leaves I could see them retooling.
- Essentially all of their top players are in their late 20s and early 30s
- Robert Thomas looks like a star to me and is only 21.

Capitals:
- Like the Blues, still good but getting old.
- Backstrom (almost 33) has a 5 year contract extension about to kick in ($9.2 aav. Yikes).
- Ovechkin (almost 35) only has one more year left before he’s a UFA.
- Young core of Vrana, Samsonov, Wilson.

Flames:
- Calgary has some young guns but it feels stale.
- Gio is old and it seems like he hit a wall.
- Goaltending sucks.
- People are questioning if Gaudreau can produce in the playoffs.
- Still has a young core of Tkachuk, Hanifin, Monahan, Lindholm, Mangiapane, Andersson, Dube.




So will any of these teams retool or rebuild? Any other teams that fit the bill?

And which players could be on the move?

People on here think that means trading the high cost players for picks and prospects

You have

St Louis
Washington
Calgary

There is also

San Jose
Toronto

Then there are teams cap constrained

Columbus
Tampa Bay
Winnipeg
Edmonton

Thrn there are other teams that have stars with 1-3 yrs left on a contract so thry font see how they keep thrm do sell them for Nhl ready youth.

 

[Sam Pollock]

The Flames will try to retool that will eventually turn into a rebuild

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

People on here think that means trading the high cost players for picks and prospects

You have

St Louis
Washington
Calgary

There is also

San Jose
Toronto

Then there are teams cap constrained

Columbus
Tampa Bay
Winnipeg
Edmonton

Thrn there are other teams that have stars with 1-3 yrs left on a contract so thry font see how they keep thrm do sell them for Nhl ready youth.

Toronto is not going to blow it up.

 

[Viqsi]

People on here think that means trading the high cost players for picks and prospects

You have

St Louis
Washington
Calgary

There is also

San Jose
Toronto

Then there are teams cap constrained

Columbus
Tampa Bay
Winnipeg
Edmonton

Thrn there are other teams that have stars with 1-3 yrs left on a contract so thry font see how they keep thrm do sell them for Nhl ready youth.

...I really do not get why people keep assuming the Jackets are cap constrained. Dubinsky is LTIRetired and his contract is insured. I could've sworn that was common knowledge.

 

[Djp]

...I really do not get why people keep assuming the Jackets are cap constrained. Dubinsky is LTIRetired and his contract is insured. I could've sworn that was common knowledge.

Um you have PLD snd Anderson plus other RFAs and have limited cap space with only about $7M

LTIR...It’s on a team having waiver exempt players you can send down then call up against the ltir.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Toronto is not going to blow it up.

True. More like implode

 

[Charlie Conway]

Um you have PLD snd Anderson plus other RFAs and have limited cap space with only about $7M

LTIR...It’s on a team having waiver exempt players you can send down then call up against the ltir.

PLD is the only one due for a big raise. Bit of a bump for Gavrikov. Anderson's injury may have hurt his negotiation, as this year was a rough one.

Cap-wise, they're fine. RFAs to sign, but the cap hits on the roster players are very tradable (if even needed), never mind AHL-eligible players give the team a ton of flexibility even before Dubi hits LTIR.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Penguins are going to attempt to re-tool on the fly. Their stated goal this offseason is to get younger while preserving the core of Crosby, Malkin and Letang in order to make one or two more runs before their wheels fall off. Look for Murray and some of the midrange guys to be moved out in hockey trades or in moves for futures in order to free up space for the prospects we do have: Poulin, Legare, Oliver Joseph. They will also look to cut bait on guys like Bjugstad, Johnson and maybe Hornqvist, even if some of those moves cost assets to complete. The youth movement will likely hurt them in the short term, but the hope is that the young guys get baptized by fire and look good enough to push for the playoffs and make a run, if not next year then the year after. Given that they chose to keep 15OA, management has no intention of tanking next year though.

 

[trick9]

No way the Capitals won't be all-in every year Ovechkin keeps playing. They will tweak the roster a bit but will try to remain a contender. They are likely to head towards a longer rebuild when Ovechkin retires but the only way to accelerate it is they fail in the regular season and are near the bottom around the deadline.

 

[BigHabs]

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.

 

[eco's bones]

With three years (maybe more) of flat cap it's going to be tough moving large long term contracts for players who are already in their 30's. I don't think there are many teams that are going to be able to absorb all that much. I'm kind of waiting for the NHL to open up another buyout.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

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.

Buffalo hasn't made the playoffs in 9 years they can't blow it up you do that they might not see the playoffs until 2030, I'm not joking about that either

 

[WhatTheDuck]

A little different than what was set out in the OP, but Anaheim may be in the process of tearing down the core group. Perry was bought out last Summer. Getzlaf is a UFA next Summer; he seems like a good bet to stick around, but you never know. Rakell, Manson and Lindholm are all 2022 UFAs. There are some decisions looming on that front between this Summer, next deadline and next Summer.

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.

 

[Leafmealone11]

The sharks

 

[Groo]

The sharks

Not as long as Wilson is running things

 

[Kraken Jokes]

I feel like the Bruins and Stars could be up against it soon too. Both have good young players to build around but are against the cap and being lead by aging vets.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

Thinking the Ducks should trade Cam Fowler.

I think Winnipeg in 1-2 seasons if no progress is being shown.

 

[Dion TheFluff]

 

[quityerwhinin]

I’m thinking mostly of teams who underperformed and got knocked out of the playoffs.

Some teams I thought of:

Blues:
- If Petro leaves I could see them retooling.
- Essentially all of their top players are in their late 20s and early 30s
- Robert Thomas looks like a star to me and is only 21.

Capitals:
- Like the Blues, still good but getting old.
- Backstrom (almost 33) has a 5 year contract extension about to kick in ($9.2 aav. Yikes).
- Ovechkin (almost 35) only has one more year left before he’s a UFA.
- Young core of Vrana, Samsonov, Wilson.

Flames:
- Calgary has some young guns but it feels stale.
- Gio is old and it seems like he hit a wall.
- Goaltending sucks.
- People are questioning if Gaudreau can produce in the playoffs.
- Still has a young core of Tkachuk, Hanifin, Monahan, Lindholm, Mangiapane, Andersson, Dube.




So will any of these teams retool or rebuild? Any other teams that fit the bill?

And which players could be on the move?

The Blues aren't blowing anything up. If Pietrangelo leaves, they'll have a little cap space to work with to enhance the roster, but they aren't going to be making wholesale changes. Steen and Tarasenko's injuries add some intrigue, but at most it will be moves to supplement what they have in-house in an effort to make another run now.

 

[KingsFan7824]

The Canes don't have 3 guys with 8 digit cap hits. They've actually won a playoff series against a non-Boston team. They have 180 points over the last 2 years, Toronto has 181. Not that it matters to the Leafs, but they spent $114m this year, and played 5 playoff games, while Carolina spent $88m, and played 8. The Canes have 1 more year of Svechnikov's ELC, and can spend some money to improve the roster if they so choose. The Leafs don't have a ton of room to move around in. Carolina has Toronto's 1st round pick.

Plus, and most importantly, Carolina is not Toronto when it comes to hockey pressure. The Leafs will get scrutinized, fairly or not, much more harshly than the Canes.

 

[HuGo Sham]

the leafs are an interesting case. Some great, young building blocks, but will need to move on from Nylander or maybe even Tavares to find some critical pieces. with matthews, marner and reilly they have additional great stuff. But they need to build depth and maybe draft a goalie. As a habs fan i'm not going to crap on the leafs, there are several good pieces there, it's a question of fitting them