The Hockey Writers Daily - August 19, 2023
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In today’s edition, we have a possible reunion for Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, predictions for the Canucks’ new additions, the Islanders’ most expendable players, a young stud in Chicago, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff:.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane May Eye Oilers for NHL Reunion
August 18, 2023 by Jim Parsons
After saying goodbye to Chicago Blackhawks fans, but then posting a note on his Instagram page that he is not retiring, Jonathan Toews became a player to watch this season. Will he sit out the entire year? Will he get his health back to a point he feels comfortable and then sign with a contender? No one knows that quite yet, perhaps not even Toews.
Meanwhile, Patrick Kane has said through his reps that he’s in no rush to sign with an NHL club this summer. He’s focused on rehabbing from off-season surgery and when he’s ready, he’ll make his decision. No doubt, a few teams will be looking at Kane, especially once they know where their clubs are headed part way into the 2023-24 campaign. For the Edmonton Oilers, both are players worth keeping an eye on, and it will be intriguing to see if the Oilers become frontrunners for a reunion.
Canucks Season Predictions for New Additions
August 18, 2023 by Matthew Zator
Every offseason, the Vancouver Canucks add new faces to their roster in the hopes of improving enough to host playoff games at Rogers Arena for the first time since 2015. This offseason was no different as they have added (so far) forwards Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger and defencemen Carson Soucy, Ian Cole, and Matt Irwin. Now comes the fun part, my annual predictions for how they will do with the team this season.
Islanders 3 Most Expendable Players
August 18, 2023 by Mike Fink
The 2023-24 season is just around the corner with the offseason moves all but wrapped up. The New York Islanders re-signed their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and extended goaltender Ilya Sorokin for the next eight years and are hoping to take a step forward this season. After making the playoffs last year, the hope is that the same group can go make a run in 2024.
The Islanders have a deep roster led notably by a strong defensive unit and elite goaltending. With that depth, however, comes expendability. Specifically, there are only 20 roster spots available, and a player that doesn’t make the cut can be moved by general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello. If the Islanders are going to make a splash this season, they will trade away a few skaters in a blockbuster deal that puts them over the top. Likewise, if things go downhill and they need to retool on the fly, they can start with their most expendable players or likely trade candidates.
5 Dallas Stars Prospects That Could Make NHL Roster in 2023-24
August 18, 2023 by Devin Little
The Dallas Stars are the envy of many teams across the NHL – and if they aren’t, they should be. Not only do they have a championship-caliber roster heading into the 2023-24 season, but they also have more than a handful of prospects that should be knocking on the NHL’s door this season. Because of this, they are set up to be a problem in the Western Conference for the foreseeable future.
While the Stars simply have too many bodies in place for all of their top prospects to join the team right out of the gate, the roster is always a fluid situation as players come and go for various reasons. When opportunities present themselves, these are the prospects that could step in and fill a role in the NHL.
Blackhawks Prospect Frank Nazar’s Ongoing Journey to the NHL
August 18, 2023 by Gail Kauchak
The Chicago Blackhawks have a plethora of intriguing prospects in their pipeline, one of them being the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Frank Nazar. While this 19-year-old has had some setbacks, namely hip surgery in Oct. 2022, he’s overcome them and is impressing all over again. The Blackhawks and their fans should be excited about Nazar. Here’s more on his ongoing journey to the pros.
Maple Leafs Offseason Shows Organization’s Dysfunction
August 18, 2023 by The Old Prof
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in the NHL. With so many seasons now in the past, there have been many ups and downs not only in how the team has played but also in how the team’s leadership has acted.
Fans love their Maple Leafs. For decades, the team has been a source of excitement for hockey fans across the globe. However, recent events, such as how the team’s former general manager (GM) was let go, the prolonged contract negotiations involving Auston Matthews and William Nylander, and the team’s recently-reported lack of communication with Michael Bunting, have left me wondering if there is something wrong within the organization. It seems so dysfunctional.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Pittsburgh Penguins - 6 PTO Candidates to Consider for the 2023-24 Season
Boston Bruins - 3 Burning Questions for 2023-24 Season
NHL News & Rumors - Senators, Oilers, Maple Leafs, Blackhawks
From TSN - Ducks acquire D Lyubushkin from Sabres for 2025 4th-round pick
From Sportsnet - Sharks add Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek to hockey operations staff
From the NHL - Brisson has tools to play pivotal future role for Golden Knights
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Daily, and we hope to expand our daily offerings as we develop and experiment with this new platform. Cheers!