Off-season questions facing the NHL's 16 non-playoff teams

All the bottom-feeders have the same big question: Will we get Connor Bedard?

It will certainly be a game-changing moment for some team, in the way Sidney Crosby to Pittsburgh or Connor McDavid to Edmonton was. Every team that has a chance to end up with the first-overall pick has some glaring question or uncertainty, but adding a talent like Bedard would make the outlook much sweeter.

For all the other non-playoff teams that don't have a generational scorer fall into their lap, their off-seasons will be defined by other actions. Work begins now to re-install optimism and hope, so that when the 2023-24 training camp season rolls around it won't be hard to find positivity in the wake of missing the playoffs.

What do each of the 16 non-playoff teams have to consider this summer? Let's take a look...

Columbus Blue Jackets: What can they do to pull up into the playoff race next season?

Jarmo Kekalainen must have expected better than a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference this season. First there was his blockbuster trade for Patrik Laine in 2021. In the summer of 2022, Kekalainen went big again to sign UFA Johnny Gaudreau. All this season they were rumoured to be around Jakob Chychrun when he was being shopped. Big star-player adds occur when you want to start moving out of — or prevent falling into — a rebuild phase, but the Blue Jackets fell even harder in 2022-23. They have made five first-round picks in the past two years and hold two more this summer, so the youth is still coming. But will Kekalainen take any other steps to pull his team closer to the playoff competition? Connor Bedard might help if Columbus is lucky enough to move up a spot in the lottery.

Chicago Blackhawks: Who starts to form the next core?

Jonathan Toews' last game as a Chicago Blackhawk officially closed the book on an era that brought three Stanley Cups to town, and came just weeks after they traded Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers. Next season could be another long one as player development remains the focus, but as opportunities come to the next generation, who will be the players that step into the leadership roles? Will Seth Jones, one of the few players signed with any term, be named the new captain?

Anaheim Ducks: Can Dallas Eakins' replacement build stability?

We knew this rebuild was going to take some time, but 2023 was the bottom of the barrel. Finishing last in the NHL, Anaheim had the worst team plus-minus (-128) and allowed more shots per game (39.1) than any team in history. Team defence must improve from that or else it won't matter which prospects are coming through the system. So who is the best candidate to install that sort of consistency, and what type of coach will GM Pat Verbeek target? This will be his first head coaching hire as GM of the Ducks, and it can't continue to be this bad.

San Jose Sharks: Is Erik Karlsson a serious off-season trade candidate?

As the 32-year-old Karlsson's Norris comeback season was unfolding, trade rumours followed him at every stop. He spoke of a desire to play in the post-season and with the Sharks so far away from that, it seemed about time to cash in on a trade return. Now, after posting the first 100-plus point season by a defenceman in 31 years and staying healthy all the way through, will there be a buyer who'll pay the price? The same complications remain about how you move an $11.5 million AAV that counts another four years ahead, and how you factor age into that (Karlsson turns 33 next month). But there is more time and space to work with in the summer months, when you can exceed the cap by 10 per cent and operate within an active transaction market.

Montreal Canadiens: Will the Gorton/Hughes front office have another off-season of fireworks?

Last year's Kirby Dach acquisition was a smashing success for the Canadiens, and it's clear the path from here depends on the young core we've seen to keep improving. What's different in the summer of 2023 is that Montreal has some cap space to use, even after the eventual re-signing of Cole Caufield. At his end-of-season press conference, GM Kent Hughes didn't guarantee playoffs next season but suggested he expected to be in the picture. This year came with a pass, and an understanding it was a transition season. But that won't be the case much longer, especially if the front office sets the tone with another active summer.

Arizona Coyotes: What will become of the Tempe Arena proposal?

If the Coyotes have a long-term future in Arizona, the first hurdle is a May 16 referendum when locals will vote on the Tempe development project. A loss there may very well lead to relocation. If the vote passes, however, there still could be issues to deal with. The City of Phoenix filed a lawsuit against Tempe last month over housing in the district, and then the Coyotes countersued for $2.3 billion. Drama seems to follow the Coyotes all over the desert. For now, the Coyotes' off-seasons will be spent saving money, taking on non-active cap hits and acquiring draft pick and prospect capital they hope pays off in the long run. Whether or not the team eventually turns the corner in Arizona or elsewhere, we'll hopefully get some clarity on the direction soon.

Philadelphia Flyers: Who's the general manager and what are the expectations?

Daniel Brière has held the interim GM tag since Chuck Fletcher was dismissed and he's the favourite to be the official replacement here. Without any experience in the big chair, and just one year as a special assistant, Brière steps into a pressure situation with the Flyers having missed the playoffs three years in a row for the first time since the early 1990s. They have a variety of "name" players, a mix of young and old, and a few expensive contracts with multiple years remaining. Whether it does end up being Brière or someone else, will the expectation from above be to re-tool the roster quickly on the fly to try and rush a playoff push, or step back and accept perhaps a couple more playoff-less years for a better long-term payoff?

Washington Capitals: Is this the start of the decline, or a brief blip?

What's important to consider when looking back at Washington's season is the John Carlson effect. Prior to his injury in late December, the Capitals were a wild-card team in the East, hanging with the Rangers and well ahead of the Islanders or any Atlantic team outside of the top three. With Carlson in the lineup, Washington was 18-10-2 — in the two months after he was hurt, the Caps went 8-14-1 and had the league's worst points percentage in January and February combined. Getting back to full health should help immensely, but much of the core is still hitting its mid-30s and some of their veteran depth players were dealt at the deadline. A bounce-back is no guarantee.

Vancouver Canucks: When will Elias Pettersson sign?

There's a lot brewing in Vancouver. Will they move J.T. Miller before his big extension and no-trade clause kick in? Is Thatcher Demko the goalie to lead them still, or will a franchise a little further along that needs an upgrade at the position pay up for him? Will there be any buyouts and how the heck will they create more cap space? But nothing is more important than Pettersson, who became the first Canuck to record 100 points in a season since a Sedin did it. Pettersson has one season left on his contract, paying $7.35 million against the cap, after which he'll be an RFA one year out from becoming UFA eligible. He's eligible to sign an extension as of July 1 and that number — considering the cap will shoot up whenever a new deal kicks in — could be massive.

Detroit Red Wings: Will Steve Yzerman find a big trade?

It was an 'OK' year for the Red Wings, and though the plan has been to build from within, Steve Yzerman was one of the more active GMs last summer adding the likes of David Perron, Ben Chiarot and Andrew Copp. They stayed in the race longer this season and were one point out of the wild card a week before the trade deadline, then fell well off the pace over a 7-16-2 finish. Detroit had better depth this season, but lacked much in the way of high-end, game-breakers. Yzerman will still expect some of the younger Wings to grow into more impactful players, but as other rebuilders Buffalo and Ottawa hung around the playoff race longer, we wonder if Yzerman could think about doing something bold to push ahead. "I'll be active," he said at the end of the season. "How much I can actually accomplish, I don't know."

St. Louis Blues: How will GM Doug Armstrong use his three first-round picks?

It was a disappointing season in St. Louis, where they decided to sell off some players at the deadline — but you know this isn't going to be a rebuild. Rather, the Blues will be trying to re-position for a quick comeback in 2023-24, when brand new, long-term contracts kick in for Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. St. Louis holds their own 2023 first-round pick, Toronto's, and whichever is lower between Dallas' and the Rangers'. We'd wager that Armstrong will flip at least one, if not more, of those selections for more immediate help.

Ottawa Senators: Who will be the next owner and how will that impact the front office?

Though they missed the playoffs for a sixth year in a row, it's hard not to call 2022-23 a success for the Senators, and acknowledge how well GM Pierre Dorion has done directing this franchise out of its rebuild. But the biggest story to follow through the off-season in Ottawa is around the sale of the team, and how a new owner may impact the direction from here. Will whoever buys the team share Dorion's vision and buy into the GM from here, or will they want to install their own hockey operations department? And what does any of this mean for D.J. Smith and the coaching staff? If a new GM is brought in, they may very well want their own choice behind the bench.

Buffalo Sabres: Can they get Rasmus Dahlin signed long-term and what's his number?

In signing Tage Thompson ($7.142 million) and Dylan Cozens ($7.1 million) to seven-year extensions this season, the Sabres have cost certainty in their top two centre spots, right as the cap begins to turn up again. They may have missed the boat on signing Dahlin to a comparative potential steal, opting to bridge him first instead, but this is a very important contract to figure out. Dahlin will start next season with one year left on his deal, and is two years away from being UFA eligible. Like Vancouver's Pettersson, Dahlin can sign an extension as of July 1 and that AAV ain't going to get any cheaper. After a near point-per-game season, Dahlin could push to $9-9.5 million like Charlie McAvoy or Adam Fox. But, don't forget, one year from now Owen Power also will be an RFA.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Will expectation match reality?

Even with a healthy Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby for all 82 games this season, the Penguins' run of 16 straight playoff appearances still came to an end. Their stable of prospects is thin, their trade deadline plan face-planted and the competition is getting stronger around them. The Pens have to figure out if Tristan Jarry is their goalie, or what the plan is, and have to fix a bottom-six forward collection that rarely carried its weight. This team will never rebuild with Crosby and Co., still around, especially since the front office re-signed all the core players just a year ago. The Penguins see themselves as should-be Cup contenders, but haven't won a series since 2018. Can they be fixed? And who will be tasked with the job of replacing Ron Hextall in the GM chair?

Nashville Predators: How will Barry Trotz fare as a GM?

Across 23 seasons as an NHL head coach with Nashville, Washington, and the N.Y. Islanders, Barry Trotz was known for his ability to squeeze more from his teams than the roster seemed capable of. He was the one who put Nashville on the map. He was the one who got the Capitals over the hump to win their first Cup, and he was the one who shockingly took an uninspiring Islanders roster to back-to-back conference finals. Now, though, he's stepping into the GM chair and replacing David Poile, who sold off pieces at this deadline and left behind 13 draft picks in 2023, including a couple of first-rounders. The Predators still managed to put together a playoff push until the final days, mostly thanks to Juuse Saros. Trotz has worked magic before, but can he re-position the Preds from the front office?

Calgary Flames: What becomes of Darryl Sutter and Brad Treliving?

On the one hand, you have a team that lost 17 times in overtime/shootout, and 30 times in one-goal games, so perhaps they really can be better next season as is. On the other, you have a team that consistently struggled to beat bottom-feeders and depth netminders, and with a couple core veterans questioning their future with the team. Returning the same is just not an option. This will start at the top, with questions about GM Brad Treliving's future hanging out there as his contract expires. Will the designer of this team, who managed well out of a few sticky situations over the years, depart? How about the coach, Darryl Sutter, who balks at using young players and grinds his veterans? Every roster-shaping decision to come will be influenced by what happens next to these two men.