Next Step Forward

CAROLINA HURRICANES

2016-17 record: 36-31-15 (87 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA

The good news for the Carolina Hurricanes is that they're building a very good team stocked with defensive prospects. The bad news is almost everything else, as they still didn't have enough offense to overcome their deficiencies in goal and that was reflected in the fact that they finished dead last in attendance. It should be noted that General Manager Ron Francis and coach Bill Peters are making the most of the hand they are dealt, and while it's resulted in a pipeline that is rich in talent, there hasn't been a top player that can put the team on their shoulders, though that too, is being resolved slowly.

Offensively, they could use some help scoring, as only Jeff Skinner and Sebastian Aho broke the 20-goal barrier, with Skinner almost hitting 40 goals. Down the middle is where things get dicey, as Jordan Staal is better suited to centering the second line while Victor Rask didn't take the step the Hurricanes hoped he would take. Getting increased production from Teuvo Teravainen would help, but it appears that Elias Lindholm may have hit his ceiling. From the time Francis took over as General Manager, one of his missions was to improve a blue line that had been short on homegrown talent. Consider that done, as Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, and Noah Hanifin are all regular contributors, and all still have room to grow. Adding Trevor van Riemsdyk in a trade secures part of the third pairing, but there will be competition to be his partner, as no less than three players are in the running. Goaltending was a major issue, and with no imminent help in the pipeline, that was why they went out and got Scott Darling from Chicago. This will be his first time as full-time starter for an NHL team, so it remains to be seen how well he can handle that pressure. Cam Ward remains, though as a backup.

Prediction: 5th in the Atlantic Division

Carolina badly needs to make the playoffs if they hope to see some semblance of a spike in attendance numbers. At worst, the Hurricanes have improved in most areas, while at best, they may just become the playoff team that they've wanted to be since the rebuild. It's been painful for them, but the light at the end of the tunnel may be fast approaching.

Stopping the Merry-Go Round

CALGARY FLAMES

2016-17 record: 45-33-4 (94 points)
Lost to Anaheim in the Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Mark Giordano

Despite making the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, the fatal flaw in the Calgary Flames' gameplan has been the same ever since Miikka Kiprusoff retired: goaltending. That flaw, along with a lack of scoring punch, was a big reason they were swept aside in the first round last season. Now, the names in goal have changed once again, but the goal remains the same.

Starting in goal, Mike Smith and Eddie Lack are the new tandem, and they are the seventh and eight goaltenders to get regular playing time since the end of the 2013 season. Combined with very little in the way of goaltending prospects developing in that time, something that the Flames hope finally ends soon, it is why the Flames have been middle of the pack for so long. On the blue line, they should be great on paper, as they are five deep as far as quality players go. Finding the sixth and seventh guys will be a challenge, but not one that should be of major concern. Up front, most of the players had down years on the stat sheet, but the emergence of Mikael Backlund as a Selke candidate has given the Flames peace of mind on who to slot behind Sean Monahan. Dougie Hamilton showed what he is capable of, starting the offense from the back end at least 50 times (the number of points he put up). If there is someone that needs to step up, it's Sam Bennett, who fell victim to the sophmore slump.

Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division

The Flames are even better on the blue line, but until the goaltending finally solidifies itself, it may not matter who's in front. Getting the offensive bite back to the team would also go a long way in helping the overall team take the next step forward.

Dulled Blades

BUFFALO SABRES

2016-17 record: 33-37-12 (78 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA

Another season of missing the playoffs was nothing new for the Buffalo Sabres. However, constant infighting, failure to take that next step forward, and overall poor play led to Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray losing their jobs and in their place, Phil Housley will be the new man behind the bench and Jason Botterill as General Manager. Their task will be not only to get back to the playoffs, but also get Jack Eichel to buy into their system.

Eichel missed the first portion of the season to injury, but still managed to lead the team in scoring while only playing 61 games. Given that he's being perceived (fair or unfairly) by some as the guy that got Bylsma fired, however, he is definitely in the hot seat. It didn't help that Kyle Okposo missed the last part of the season due to his own injury issues, which exposed a major lack of scoring depth. The closest thing they have to a pure goal scorer is Evander Kane, and it remains questionable if that ability outweighs his off-ice issues. To add to the front lines, they picked up an old favorite in Jason Pominville, who should at least provide 50 points for a team that needs any scoring they can get. Defensively, Rasmus Ristolainen has become the team's best defender, but badly needs help, as depth remains an issue. That was why the Sabres picked up Nathan Beaulieu and Marco Scandella in separate trades. In goal, things weren't that much better, as Robin Lehner has yet to prove that he's a capable starter. Chad Johnson was brought back after a year in Calgary to push Lehner.

Prediction: 8th in the Atlantic Division

The Sabres will struggle again, and it remains to be seen if Eichel and Housley will get on the same page quickly. Whiat is certain is that the Sabres are starting over, and need a lot to go right just to contend for the playoffs.

The Search for Stability

BOSTON BRUINS

2016-17 record: 44-31-7 (95 points)
Lost to Ottawa in Conference quarrterfinals
Captain: Zdeno Chara

The Boston Bruins have been a team in transition for the last few years, and despite being inconsistent again, they did have more hot streaks and managed to give Ottawa a run for their money in the first round of the playoffs. However, the Bruins did little in the way of free agency, and are banking on their youth to make meaningful contributions.

Offensively, this is Brad Marchand's team, and though he has ramped up his offensive output, he also remains a pest, which puts the Bruins in trouble if he heads to the box. Having David Pastrnak step up is not only helpful, but also takes some of the pressure off of Marchand. The drawback here is Pastrnak is a RFA, which could be problematic if he misses any time to start the season. They could use another offensive defender to go along with Torey Krug, and that is where Charlie McAvoy has the potential to step in, as they Bruins are looking to go younger with Zdeno Chara about to hit 40 and Adam MacQuaid being a perpetual injury risk. Without any major free agent additions, it will be up to McAvoy, Pastrnak, and Brandon Carlo, among others to seize the opportunities afforded to them. In goal, Tuukka Rask had a good enough season, but was overused again, and unless the Bruins can figure out the backup situation, as Anton Khudobin didn't answer the question well enough, the Bruins could be one and done again.

Prediction: 5th in the Atlantic Division

The Bruins will be in tough to make the playoffs once again, with Tampa Bay unlikely to crater again after injuries decimated their unit and Florida having a sense of stability once again, but their core is still intact, and if the youth steps up in a major way, they could surprise.

A New Era

ARIZONA COYOTES

2016-17 record: 30-42-10 (70 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: TBA

It was no surprise that the Arizona Coyotes were not very good last season. What was surprising was that the young players failed to take a step forward in their development. That was why Dave Tippett was replaced by Rick Tocchet as head coach and Shane Doan was not resigned. Now, with new faces in goal and veteran experience on the blue line and up front added, the Coyotes hope to take the long awaited step forward.

The offense was rather abysmal, with players such as Max Domi and Anthony Duclair failing to take that step forward. Part of the problem was that outside of Doan, there wasn't much in the way of veteran leadership helping to guide them when things got rough. Derek Stepan was added to provide some semblance of a number one canter, a sore spot for years. On the blue line, Oliver Ekman-Larsson had his worst year, but he should be in line to have a bounce back season. Having Niklas Hjalmarsson to help on the blue line should be a step forward, as will another year of experience for Jakob Chychrun. In goal, Mike Smith was traded and Anttii Rantaa will be the starter, though it remains to be seen if his time learning from Henrik Lundqvist the last two seasons is time well spent. Clayton Keller is expected to make the leap into NHL duty, and it is hoped that Dylan Strome can do the same.

Prediction: 7th in the Pacific Division

The Coyotes are in full transition mode, as it may take some time for the new pieces to gel, but one thing that the Coyotes won't be is boring, something that characterized Tippett's teams the last few seasons. They might be closer to the first overall pick than the playoffs, given the teams in front of them, though.

Taking That Final Step

ANAHEIM DUCKS

2016-17 record: 46-23-13 (105 points)
Lost to Nashville in Conference Finals
Captain: Ryan Getzlaf

For the second time in three seasons, the Anaheim Ducks made the Conference Finals and for the second time in three seasons, that's where their season ended. The difference this time around is that there is no feeling of never getting over the hump, but rather what could have been had they stayed healthy. That is why the majority of the Ducks' roster remains intact.

The only changes to the roster are the losses of both Clayton Stoner and Shea Theodore to Vegas and swapping out Jonathan Bernier for Ryan Miller as the backup goaltender. They were able to re-sign Patrick Eaves to a new deal, which should help their power play, as his absence during the Nashville series was a big reason for the power play failure. Miller should provide a more established presence to push incumbent starter John Gibson, who also had an impact during the Nashville series thanks to injuries that knocked him out for the last two games of that series. Barring that, it's the same Ducks squad from last year, one that will need Corey Perry to rediscover his scoring touch and a defense that should be better for having fewer distractions (see: Hamphus Lindholm's contract dispute at the beginning of the season). As for who to look for to step in from within, Brandon Montour's emergence helped make parting with Theodore a little easier, as he appears to be ready for full-time NHL duty while they will need Nick Ritchie to step up and know when to show restraint during play, as he's cost the Ducks a game or two due to reckless play.

Prediction: 1st in the Pecific Division

Until the Edmonton Oilers show that their defense is at least average, it is the Ducks' division to lose. However, they will face stiff competition and will need to show that they can win no matter who's on the ice.

History of Hockey: Dixieland Edition

With NHL hockey coming soon to Las Vegas, this is a good opportunity to look at how hockey has flourished in a non-traditional market. Today, it is about what may very well become the future home of this writer, that being Nashville, TN.  Long before the Predators started play in 1998, they had a few iterations in lower level leagues, to greatly varying degrees of success.

Prior to both the Predators and the then-named Nashville Arena (now Bridgestone Arena), the hockey teams in Nashville played in the old Nashville Municipal Auditorium, which still stands today and hosts events. Hockey in Nashville dates back to 1962, when the Dixie Flyers hit the ice in the EHL. That franchise was the longest iteration of the pre-NHL days, as they lasted from 1962 until 1971. After that franchise folded, Nashville went without hockey for 10 years before the South Stars hit the ice with the CHL for the 1981-82 season. That franchise lasted just one season before going under. However, Nashville would resurrect the team name for the following season, this time, in the ACHL. They would last a season and a half before they picked up stakes to Salem, VA and became the Lancers, leaving Nashville without a team for five and a half years.

In 1989, the Knights entered the fray and played in the ECHL, back when it was the East Coast Hockey League. They had a seven year run and drew fairly well in their first four years. and notable players to have come through Nashville in that time included Harry York, Link Gaetz, and Glen Metropolit. After that franchise relocated to Pensacola after the 1995-96 season, Nashville had two different teams in the CHL in the Nighthawks for the 1996-97 season and the Ice Flyers in the 1997-98 season before the NHL came calling, and the Predators began play in 1998 in the newly built Nashville Arena (now known as Bridgestone Arena).

There you have it, the history of hockey in Nashville. While the early days have seen varying degrees of success on the ice, the roots of what would become the Predators and the city's hockey fascination were laid with those teams, and now coming off of a Stanley Cup Finals run, the future looks even brighter for hockey in Nashville.