Team: 2023-24 Custom Team

Initial Creation Date: Jul. 21, 2023

Published: Jul. 21, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Atlantic:

Leafs:
- lost a lot, but gained a lot. Probably a better team that addressed big needs (puck moving from the blue line, forwards that are hard to play against). A 111 point team just got even better. I think they’re the best team in the division.

Bruins:

- Bergeron and krejci likely retiring will hurt, but they always find a way to do well. It’s time to stop betting against the bruins. I think they fall off a bit but still come second

Sabres:

- they’re gonna surprise a lot of people man. Improved defence and Devon Levi looks like the answer. The two biggest issues coming into this season look much improved, but still need some work imo (defence mostly). The offence is elite. This team will pop off and make the playoffs for the first time in like what, 14 years?

Tampa:

- Killorn and Colton gone is another dent in this team’s armour, but their resilience is unmatched. Their core is still intact, and there will be someone to fill in those holes (think Jeannot, eyesimmont) I think they’re gonna be a little worse though, but a good 4th and a wildcard spot.

Panthers:

- “But they went to the Stanley cup final!!??” So did the 2021 Habs. It doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be good next year. They were a penguins win away from missing. Now, do I think they’ll suck? No. I think they can still even make the playoffs. But this team lost gudas, their defence is still kinda bad, montour and ekglass are out for the beginning of the year, I don’t think the offence can outscore these problems. I wouldn’t be surprised if they squeak in again, but there’s too many questions regarding defence and goaltending.

Red Wings:

- man, this division is stacked. I think if the red wings were in the pacific or central they would make it, but the rest of the teams are too good. I like the debrincat trade, but the defence is just, what?? Ghost, holl, chiarot?? This is not a playoff top 4. Wallman and seider are good though. They ain’t there yet.

Sens:

- the debrincat trade was rough. I do like the improvements on d with a full year of chychrun, and the korpisalo acquisition. Honestly, the sens and red wings are interchangeable.

Habs:

- rebuilding young and fun team. It hurts to say but this team’s got a good future. They ain’t there yet though.

Metro:

Canes:

The best team in the division last year lost nothing and added orlov and bunting. I think they’re not just the best in the division or the conference, they’re the best in the league. Oh and Svech is back lol.

Devils:

- Man what a squad. Defence and offence is immaculate, the toffoli trade made it even better. The only question is goaltending, but man the rest of the team makes up for it. Speed and skill. These guys and the canes will be fighting for the pres trophy.

** MIND THE GAP **

Rangers:

- I still think they’re a playoff team for sure. Shesty, fox, Panarin, zibanejad, but lafreniere hasn’t taken that next step nor has kakko. I like chytil but they really didn’t add anything of significance this off-season. I think they stay third though because of their star power at every position.

Penguins:

- now, IF they get karlsson (which could happen as your reading this), they could take third over the rangers. However as of now I think they’re improved from last year but not by a ton. Graves is a great add. Zucker leaving is a bit of a loss. They’ve improved a bit but their stars are aging another year. But they’re the penguins and should find a way.

Islanders:

- they did nothing but sign weird extenstions to players. A mid team stays mid. Watch them still make it lol. I can’t count out a team with sorokin. I think horvat has potential to be better though.

Columbus:

- watch out for these guys man. I think you’re gonna see a bounce back season from this team. I like the additions on defence, fantilli will definitely make them better now, along with improvements from Johnson, gaudreau, and sillinger. Werenski coming back is also huge. This could be a fun season for them, but I don’t think they’re there yet.

Capitals:

- their window is shut. I get Carlson coming back is huge, but they lost orlov, sheary, Eller, and didn’t really replace them. The team’s getting even older and I just don’t think they’re there anymore.

Philly:

-rebuilding, finally in a stable direction. I like the moves so far. This team has potential in the future with Danny briere at the helm. Not this year tho.

Central:

Avs:

- still the avs. I like the johansen add, and I just think they’re gonna be fine like they were last year. Should top the division.

Stars:

- really solid off-season. I like the duchene add a lot. $2M for a guy who was ppg just two years ago? Sign me up. He’s playing with some talented guys as well. Robertson should get even better along with hintz, oettinger, and heiskanen. Mi piace.

Wild:

- Still solid. The cap structure though… They didn’t really lose much outside of dumba, but they can do without him. I still think they’re a solid team.

Blues:

- Injuries and uncharacteristic play from a lot of these guys was the reason they were so bad last year. I think this team is still in good hands with the core they got though. The defence is still solid, binner can be better as well. They should make the playoffs through the WC.

Preds:

- Underrated horrible direction they’re going in. What exactly are they trying to be? A perennial wildcard team? I get trying to stay competitive but for what? A potential wildcard spot and getting mopped by the 1 seed? (2022). You buy out duchene and trade johansen. Good, maybe a rebuild is on the horizon. Then you sign aging Ryan o Reilly and Luke Schenn…

Jets:

- this team is finished lol. Hellebuyck will be traded soon along with likely schieffele. I like them trying to stay competitive with the excellent Dubois deal tho, but I still think this team will be mid especially without hellebuyck.

Coyotes:

- rebuilding, but they’ll be better this year. Idk if Cooley is playing but if he is that’ll be awesome. The first line of Hayton Keller and schmaltz was dynamite to end the season. Have some more development up front in net and on the blue line from their prospects and they’ll be a sneaky team once again, likely better than last year.

Blackhawks:

- Bad, for sure, but not as bad as last year. Hall and Bedard are huge additions but this team will still suck with their lack of, well, everything outside of them lol. They’re rebuilding though so I like their direction

Pacific:

Oilers:

- A full year with ekholm on the blue line should solidify this team. They were unreal to end the season and who knows what mcdavid and them will be able to accomplish this season. They should top the division.

Golden Knights:

- Stanley cup champs. Not many expected it but I think they should’ve. A solid deep team with virtually no weaknesses. We’ll see if hill will keep up what he did, but he should still be a very good goaltender. Losing Reilly smith sucks but they should still be fine.

Kings:

- All their young players just keep getting better and I expect that to continue. Dubois is a big add. Did they give up a lot? Of course, but they needed to trade some of those guys. They had too many forwards to not make a move like this and cash in on their value. They should be comfortably in third but their goaltending definitely worries me.

Canucks:

- This team has improved a lot. The defence is MUCH better. Soucy Cole and hronek are great adds. The offence will be fine with pettersson performing at his incredible level again, and they actually finished the season off well once demko came back healthy. They could shock some people and.. maybe overtake CGY. We’ll see tho!

Flames:

- this team got incredibly unlucky last year with their shooting percentage and save percentage being insanely low. They lost like 15 OT/SO games lmao. These are major anomalies imo and should come up. However, they could not finish because they don’t have many goal scorers, and they lost their top one in a horrible trade (Toffoli). I still do like their team though. Their defence is excellent and huberdeau should have a bounce back. There’s a lot up in the air though so I don’t think an incredible season is on the horizon.

Kraken:

- I know, bold. The advanced stats on this team were remarkable in the sense that they were so incredibly lucky with their shooting percentage and Goals scored above expected. This team will decline. Maybe not that much, but their lack of starpower still worries me. I just don’t think what they did last year was sustainable.

Anaheim:

- Rebuilding. Carlson is excellent, I am excited about him. They did add a considerable amount, yet they just seem like veterans who were overpaid to come here and mentor some young guys and make the team slightly more competitive I guess.

Sharks:

- I am treating this as EK65 being gone. Without him, they’re finished. Dead in the water AWFUL. Hertl and couture and no one else. The defence, shocking. Goaltending non existent. This team will be a stinking pile of trash next year, probably last.