The Hockey Writers Daily - September 4, 2023
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In today’s edition, we have reasons why the Matthews extension is a franchise-defining moment for the Leafs, the Blackhawks tank narrative, early trade targets for Vegas, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
3 Sabres That Need to Impress Right Away This Season
September 3, 2023 by Jacob D. Strozyk
With the regular season just around a month away, the Buffalo Sabres have a small logjam on their roster that they need to solve as soon as possible. Some players like Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, and Dylan Cozens have their spots set in the lineup, but on the flip side, there are a few players who need to do more than last season and impress right out of the gate. This does not necessarily mean that they need to score more, but rather it simply means that their overall play needs to be better than last season if they plan on retaining a roster spot long-term.
Maple Leafs Signing Matthews a Franchise-Defining Moment
September 3, 2023 by The Old Prof
On Aug. 23 a momentous occasion happened that will play a profound role in the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise. That is when Auston Matthews signed a four-year extension to remain a Maple Leaf. The signing was reported as pretty much a done deal before it actually happened and it appears many Maple Leafs’ fans took the whole thing for granted. “Hey, Matthews signed; great, what’s for supper?”
Blackhawks Need to Move On From Tank Narrative
September 3, 2023 by Brooke LoFurno
With rebuilding teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, debates surround the team like white on rice. In their case, the discourse primarily covers first overall pick Connor Bedard and what his impact will be, but there is one debate that refuses to fizzle: Should the Blackhawks be bad again to secure another top draft pick in 2024 to help move their rebuild timeline further along? After all, their “tanking” plan worked last season and secured Bedard. What’s to say it can’t happen again? Although the idea makes sense, it must be revised for 2023-24.
3 Early Golden Knights Trade Targets for 2023-24
September 3, 2023 by Eric Cruikshank
The Vegas Golden Knights have always been an organization that looks to thrive in the present, finding ways to make their team as competitive as possible each season without worrying about mortgaging their assets. It’s a strategy that the Golden Knights have prioritized since they joined the NHL in 2017, and it led them to building a historically dominant team that took home the Stanley Cup quicker than any franchise in the post-expansion era (starting in 1967).
Let’s take a look at some of the early candidates that could help this Golden Knights team make another deep playoff run.
Senators Playoff Hopes Hinge on Staying Healthy
September 3, 2023 by Dayton Reimer
One of the biggest questions heading into the 2023-24 season is whether the Ottawa Senators will make the playoffs. It’s a debate that fans are all too familiar with, but there’s some real optimism around the team this season. NHL Network’s Mike Kelly definitively stated that the team is going to do it, ending the franchise’s six-year playoff drought, and TSN’s Craig Button agrees.
This isn’t just blind optimism, either. Last season, the Senators finished just six points out of a playoff spot despite putting up one of the worst Novembers in the league, which forced them to claw their way back into contention, and they nearly did it.
2 Hurricanes Candidates to Succeed Staal as Captain
September 3, 2023 by Tommy Bennett
The current captain for the Carolina Hurricanes is Jordan Staal, and after being given a four-year contract extension, it will remain that way. However, with him creeping up in age, the time will come for the torch to be passed. It does not have to be the best player on the roster to wear the “C”, but the right player to lead the way. Two current players on the Hurricanes roster would be captain material and should succeed Staal.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Edmonton Oilers - Former Oilers Still Looking for New Homes in 2023-24
Detroit Red Wings - Who Wore It Best: Red Wings’ Best Players By Number
NHL News & Rumors - Oilers, Capitals, Maple Leafs, Blues
From TSN - Flyers G Fedotov playing in KHL, defying IIHF ruling
From Sportsnet - Q&A: Tocchet on Canucks’ off-season moves, leadership and Pettersson’s future
From the NHL - O'Neill, late NHL executive, 'was everything to the League'
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!