NHL Teams Needing Offseason Moves

The new NHL season is coming up, and some teams still need to make changes.

Detroit Red Wings have re-signed Patrick Kane and added Vladimir Tarasenko. Kane will help with the power play, while Tarasenko remains a strong winger. However, the Red Wings were already good at scoring last season but struggled defensively. They ended 24th in goals against, which they haven’t addressed yet. Without fixing their defense, ending their eight-season playoff drought seems tough in the competitive Atlantic Division. They do have salary cap space to improve their defense.

New York Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final twice in three years but need better defensive zone play. They aim to become more mobile on defense to support Igor Shesterkin better and tried trading Jacob Trouba due to his decline . His $8M per year contract with a no-trade clause makes it tricky though. With the same roster next season, they might win many games but won’t likely become a Stanley Cup team without defensive changes.

Winnipeg Jets:

The Jets have been quiet this offseason, losing talent from their 52-win team. Like Detroit and New York, they lack impact players on defense. Their success last season was due to forward depth and Connor Hellebuyck’s MVP-level goaltending. But expecting Hellebuyck to maintain a .920 save percentage is asking a lot without adding more defensive strength.

Fans may wonder if these teams can fix their issues before the season starts.

Vegas Golden Knights:

Known for big moves, Vegas has been unusually quiet this offseason after losing Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson and trading Logan Thompson. Despite having a strong roster still, their inactivity raises questions about potential big plans like acquiring Toronto’s Mitch Marner since they missed out on Steven Stamkos.

What do you think? Can these teams make necessary changes before the puck drops?