The Hockey Writers Daily - September 14, 2023
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In today’s edition, we have four bold player predictions for the Oilers, grades for the Sharks’ biggest offseason moves, preseason battles that will determine the Devils’ roster, players to draft in fantasy hockey from the Senators, and much more.
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Here’s the good stuff…
4 Bold Player Predictions for Oilers During the 2023-24 Season
September 13, 2023 by Jim Parsons
As the 2023-24 NHL season approaches for the Edmonton Oilers, the same roster is at camp, with a handful of PTO players and Connor Brown joining them. This team knows what it is and what it’s capable of. Now it’s simply of matter of executing and having each member of the roster pull their individual weight and come together as a team.
In a two-part bold prediction series, the first part will look at four individual performances. These will be players I’ll either be watching to have big seasons or could be players I believe may be on the hot seat as the Oilers try to maximize their use of assets in this season’s window to win.
3 Preseason Battles That Will Determine the Devils’ Roster
September 13, 2023 by Josh Reinitz
In a sign that the New Jersey Devils are ready to compete for a Stanley Cup, this offseason was more tempered than the last few. General manager Tom Fitzgerald prioritized locking up his core for the long term and retaining internal free agents rather than going shopping in the lean free agency market. He supplemented his core with trades for veterans Tyler Toffoli and Colin Miller and finished his to-do list with the signing of Tomas Nosek to a one-year deal.
These additions leave few openings in a lineup bursting with young talent. The one spot fully up for grabs is a third-line wing. Ondrej Palat’s ability to play either the right or left side allows head coach Lindy Ruff several options on that line. Competition for ice time will also be fierce on the fourth line where five players are battling for three spots. The final major battle is in the net. Will the team turn the starter’s net back to Vitek Vanecek or will upstart, playoff hero Akira Schmid wrestle away the crease? Here’s a preview of the main internal competitions.
Canadiens’ Prospect Pool Much Improved Over the Past 5 Years
September 13, 2023 by Blain Potvin
Before the start of the 2017-18 season, the Montreal Canadiens’ prospect pool was one of the worst in the NHL. The season prior, 2016-17, was the season that saw the team win the Atlantic division in the regular season, only to be eliminated in the first round by the New York Rangers.
Former general manager (GM) Marc Bergevin had the 25th overall pick in the 2017 Draft and used it to select Ryan Poehling. The first half of this exercise is a look back five years, to the prospect pool as it was in 2017, then, compare it to the prospect pool as it stands in 2023. It was decided to go back five years as that is the time frame most scouts believe that a player will have had enough time to develop to reach their potential. We can see where the prospect pool sat, and how these players fared.
Grading the Sharks’ 5 Biggest Offseason Moves
September 13, 2023 by Alex Hutton
The NHL offseason can feel like a chaotic rush. Teams are constantly making signings and trades, deciding where to send key prospects, and getting their rosters into focus for the upcoming season. Even a team that did not make tons of moves, such as the San Jose Sharks, can be difficult to analyze.
The 2023-24 lineup looks very different from last season’s, and individual transactions can disappear from view as a result. But now that the offseason is winding down, and San Jose seems to be done making moves, we can all take a breath and break them down one by one. Here are five key decisions they made in the offseason, analyzed and graded.
Top 10 Senators Players to Draft in Fantasy Hockey 2023-24
September 13, 2023 by Jacob Billington
Now that the Ottawa Senators have grown into a much better team than in recent seasons, there are many names worth taking a look at to select for your fantasy hockey team. Whether it’s a points league or head-to-head, these players bring plenty of value to the table and should be on a roster by the end of your draft. Here, I will justify why each player is ranked where they are, my thoughts on their projected season, and where I would suggest drafting them.
Goals, assists, points, hits, shots, shots blocked, and faceoffs won are the main stats utilized for skaters, while wins, goals-against average (GAA), save percentage (SV%), and shutouts are the goaltending stats we’ll refer to.
Maple Leafs Prospects to Watch at Rookie Tournament
September 13, 2023 by Peter Baracchini
The annual Rookie Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan is always a great way for fans to get a look at what the future stars of tomorrow have to offer. The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again attending the tournament to go head-to-head with the likes of top prospects from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings.
Maple Leafs top prospect Matthew Knies headlines the list of prospects heading to the tournament as all eyes will be on him. The Maple Leafs prospect pool isn’t as strong as the teams listed, it’s a great way for players to stand out and catch the eye of both management and the coaching staff. With a standout performance they can be key pieces that can play a big part in the NHL. The Maple Leafs will be boasting some strong names as the tournament kicks off this week. Here are a handful of names to keep an eye on during the tournament.
More stuff from THW and around the NHL:
Florida Panthers - Panthers Should Benefit With Return of Sports Betting
Winnipeg Jets - Jets Make Right Choice Naming Lowry Captain
NHL News & Rumors - Blue Jackets, Blackhawks, Flames, Canadiens
From TSN - Dzingel, Juolevi among 11 PTOs offered by Coyotes
From Sportsnet - Flames' future remains clouded as key pieces stay noncommittal to re-signing
From the NHL - Tkachuk to be full participant at start of Panthers training camp
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