The Hockey Writers Daily - August 22, 2023
A daily Substack newsletter with all the best content from The Hockey Writers
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Daily
In today’s edition, we have bold predictions for the Canucks, a potential surprise addition for the Bruins, keys to success for the Canadiens, and much more.
It would be great if you’d share the THW Daily with your friends and family so that they can subscribe and enjoy every day.
Here’s the good stuff:.
Vancouver Canucks: 3 Bold Predictions for 2023-24
August 21, 2023 by Matthew Zator
The Vancouver Canucks are coming off yet another season where they missed the playoffs and switched head coaches. In 2021-22 it was Travis Green to Bruce Boudreau and in 2022-23, it was the aforementioned Boudreau to current bench boss Rick Tocchet. Fans are hoping that this latest change behind the bench will finally bring the white towels back to Rogers Arena and not another draft lottery. So, as we continue to count down the days to training camp, let’s have some fun with a few bold predictions for the 2023-24 season.
Canadiens’ 3 Keys to Success in 2023-24
August 21, 2023 by Trege Wilson
The Montreal Canadiens go into this upcoming season with no expectations. General manager (GM) Kent Hughes has already stated that he doesn’t think this team is a playoff team, so with that in mind, what is considered a successful season for the Canadiens? Is it making the playoffs? Finishing in the bottom 15? Or tanking again to finish in the bottom of the league for a high draft pick?
Well, that will depend on whether you are pro-tank; I, for one, am not pro-tank, so that will not be a success in my books. Here is what I think are the keys to Montreal’s success next season.
Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 Opening Roster Better Than Last Season’s
August 21, 2023 by The Old Prof
Toronto Maple Leafs fans are just over three weeks away from the opening of training camp and seven weeks away from the Maple Leafs’ opening game of the 2023-24 season. There is still lots of time for the team to make player personnel changes between now and then. We would be very surprised if there were not some changes to the roster between now and Oct. 11, when the Maple Leafs play their home and season opener versus the Montreal Canadiens.
But, what if there aren’t any changes? What if the Maple Leafs were to start the season with the roster as it exists today? What if we compared the present roster to the team the Maple Leafs iced in their season opener last season, a game in which they lost 4-3 to the Canadiens in Montreal? Would this roster be better or worse?
Bruins’ Kevin Shattenkirk Might Be a Nice Suprise Addition
August 21, 2023 by Scott Roche
Following their stunning elimination at the hands of the Florida Panthers, it was widely known that there were going to be changes coming to the Boston Bruins roster. Some of the expected changes were going to come as no surprise and one of them was defenseman Connor Clifton.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, the former Quinnipiac University standout was in and out of the lineup, but he found a consistent role under first-year coach Jim Montgomery. In fact, he raised his value in a contract season from the $1 million average annual value (AAV) with a career season offensively and defensively. It led to him getting a new deal with the Buffalo Sabres when he signed a three-year, $10 million contract.
Boston’s loss is Buffalo’s gain, but it didn’t take long for Bruins’ general manager (GM) to sign a replacement in veteran Kevin Shattenkirk and it’s a move that can be a low-risk, high-reward move.
Rangers Need Zibanejad To Find His Game Again
August 21, 2023 by Lucas Standel
The New York Rangers were shocked in the first round of the 2023 Playoffs when they were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in seven games. After winning and dominating the first two games, the entire Rangers team completely fell apart. One player, in particular, was Mika Zibanejad. He scored only one goal in the series and was a non-factor for most of the games. Going into the 2023-24 season, the Rangers are going to need him to find his game again and remain the elite number-one center he has been over the past few seasons.
Sharks Began Their Rebuild Far Too Late
August 21, 2023 by Andrew Stille
The San Jose Sharks have missed the playoffs for the past four years straight. While some teams are capable of missing the postseason and finding a way to rebound, the Sharks were not one of those teams. With their backs against the wall and hiring Mike Grier as the new general manager, they finally decided to begin their long-awaited rebuild. However, this decision was made far too late.
It can be difficult to determine at what point a team needs to fold and begin rebuilding, but it is safe to say the Sharks missed their chance. They are finally working towards creating a bright future for themselves, but the future could have been much better for them if they had started a rebuild even a few months earlier. As a result, the Sharks may have put themselves in a tough situation for the next few seasons.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Detroit Red Wings - 3 Bounce Back Candidates for 2023-24
New York Islanders - 3 Islanders Who Need To Take On Different Roles This Year
NHL News & Rumors - Jets, Bruins, Coyotes, Senators
From TSN - Former Maple Leafs, Kings G Bernier retires after 14-year career
From Sportsnet - Top candidates to don the ‘C’ for NHL’s 10 captainless clubs
From the NHL - Bonk signs 3-year, entry-level contract with Flyers
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!