Quoting: NHLfan10506
Nice. Good list.
(harder question....who is getting these picks?)
Wayyyy too early guess:
-Arizona
-Seattle: Floor probably raises a bit, but that d-core and the lack of depth on the roster is a big 'ol yikes.
-Buffalo: *Should* improve with their young guys coming in, but there's a lotta holes in that roster, and I don't know if they'll be ready to overpay for a couple of UFA's yet.
-Ottawa: Hard to imagine with all of the young talent that they won't be better, but Florida, Tampa, Boston and Toronto will beat the heck out of them for a bit.
-Chicago: It's gonna be bad.
-San Jose: They're doing pretty well right now, but their goal diff/aging D-core/questionable goaltending probably makes them a lotto team again, especially if Hertl is gone.
-Montreal: They had below average goaltending *before* Price was out. Being a year older isn't going to help.
-Anaheim (F**K!): If they can't wrap up Hampus, and lose those 3 (Rakell/Manson) for nothing while chasing down a wildcard spot, it's gonna be trouble. Lots of cap space, but not really a lot of UFA's that actually fit the bill.
-Philly: Could lose 5 of 8 d-men currently on their roster to free agency (Which probably isn't a bad thing...). Some good prospects, but it's a shame that they're not helping Carter Hart.
-Vancouver: Too much money tied up into a $hit D-core. With them, Anaheim and San Jose all coming from the Pacific, I'm guessing 1 will overachieve, and the other two will $hit the bed.
Wildcard lotto team: Dallas Stars. Good farm, aging lineup. Boom or bust in a tough division.