Which first-round playoff loser needs the biggest summer shakeup?
As we near the three-week mark of the 2021-22 Stanley Cup playoffs, eight teams have been sent home: the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Washington Capitals.
It goes without saying that any team eliminated in the first round has room for improvement next season. But which of these teams needs to blow it up the most?
The Daily Faceoff Roundtable members make their picks.
MATT LARKIN: For me, it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s time to stop trying to run it back for one last ride. The Pens since winning the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017: second-round exit, first-round exit, first-round exit, first-round exit, first-round exit. Their core has gotten a bit too old, their depth has thinned out, and they have one of the league’s most barren farm systems after sacrificing so many picks and prospects to (successfully) chase championships half a decade ago. With Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang’s contracts up, Penguins management should view the situation as an opportunity to start fresh. If not a full rebuild, this team at least needs a significant retool. Sidney Crosby has indicated he has at least a few years left. Isn’t it worth taking a step backward for a season or two in hopes of getting him one more actual shot at glory rather than burning away more seasons in mediocrity? The Detroit Red Wings’ 25-year playoff streak became a curse. It created a constant need to limp on as pseudo-contenders and it set the franchise back years. The Pens, who have the NHL’s longest active postseason streak at 16 years, can’t make the same mistake. Time for the them to start collecting picks and prospects. Maybe they can even use their newfound cap space as an asset to take on money in exchange for draft capital.
SCOTT BURNSIDE: Matt, I would suggest to you that perhaps outside the emerging Los Angeles Kings, who might have been the surprise participant in the playoff tournament from the Western Conference, each of the seven other squads that failed to get out of the first round has some real soul searching to do before next season. But I’ll go with the Dallas Stars for whom this summer looms as one of great change. First, with Rick Bowness stepping down, there will be a new head coach behind the Dallas bench come training camp, and don’t snooze on Rick Tocchet being the pick. And it’s hard to imagine how GM Jim Nill can fit pending UFA John Klingberg into the mix with Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter chewing up almost $18 million in cap space through at least 2023-24. And the Stars will be poorer for Klingberg’s absence. But what really ails this team is its notable lack of team offense. The Stars scored 14 goals in seven games against Calgary in the first round, eight at even strength, or a touch over one per game. And what continues to crush the Stars is the almost $20 million in cap space swallowed up by captain Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. The two combined for three goals, three assists in their seven-game first-round loss to Calgary and had one power-play point between the two of them. What has to be of grave concern to Nill is that he has such a promising core starting with a franchise goaltender in Jake Oettinger, 23. Heiskanen is 22, Jason Robertson is 22, Roope Hintz 25. But the ability to properly flush out this lineup is crippled by the Benn and Seguin contracts. Hard to imagine this team and its popgun offense being anything more than a bubble team and first-round fodder to more balanced, offensively gifted teams like Calgary until something happens to address the salary-cap gridlock. Unless the plan is just to wait until Benn and Seguin come off the books, which seems like a colossal waste of time and talented young assets.
MIKE MCKENNA: I have to wonder about the Boston Bruins. To me, it’s not if they make changes, it’s when. Boston gave Carolina everything it could handle in the first round, but it still wasn’t enough. I think so much of the Bruins offseason will revolve around the decision of Patrice Bergeron on whether he wants to continue his storied NHL career. He’s a lock to win the Selke trophy (again) this season and the rock of the Bruins franchise. I’m confident that Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak will continue to produce without Bergeron. But what will the effect be down the lineup should Bergeron choose to retire? Taylor Hall needs wingmen. The third line was effective at times. The fourth line was alright. And then you have Jake DeBrusk situation. He requested a trade early in the year yet ended up playing first-line minutes. Where does he factor in? How do the Bruins move on from him when negotiating from a compromised position? Does GM Don Sweeney get a new contract? I think there’s a lot of questions in Boston. Historically, the Bruins have been able to pull through and remain competitive. But now they’re facing down the possibility of having lost Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Torey Krug, Tuukka Rask, and more in short succession. And they haven’t really done much to fill the void left behind. One area that I think Boston is set: goaltending. Jeremy Swayman had an outstanding rookie campaign and there’s still room to grow. And I think Linus Ullmark, despite not having gaudy numbers, was pretty consistent. But the B’s have lots of work to do this summer if they want to contend. Because right now, they’re just okay.
FRANK SERAVALLI: I’m going to go with the Nashville Predators. They seem to be a team that is at a crossroads. By almost everyone’s account, probably even their front office, the Preds exceeded expectations this season. Part of the reason for that is they have an all-world goaltender in Juuse Saros, who will keep them in just about any season. They surely missed him in that first-round series against Colorado. But it was also an important reminder of just how far away the Predators are in general from being truly competitive. Roman Josi is a machine and the engine for their offense. Can they get the same type of production out of Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen and Mikael Granlund again? All three players were either at career highs in production or certainly enjoyed their best seasons in the last handful of years. Then add in Filip Forsberg and his pending UFA status. Knowing what we know now, it probably would have made sense to trade Forsberg at the deadline to jumpstart where they’re trying to get to next. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that. Punting on the season isn’t in David Poile’s DNA, though. But as much as the Preds can’t afford to lose a 40-goal-scoring play driver, they really don’t need another long-term, expensive contract. This is going to be an interesting offseason in Nashville.
CHRIS GEAR: I would have to say the Washington Capitals. They are now four seasons removed from the Stanley Cup championship team, and yet the core of that team has changed little. Alex Ovechkin continues to do Alex Ovechkin things, but even he will have to start succumbing to his age at some point. Production from the core of the championship team remains strong, with Evgeny Kuznetsov, T.J Oshie, John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov all continuing to provide consistently solid play. We have seen injuries and a decline in the play of Nicklas Backstrom, and that has led the gifted playmaker to hint that his playing future is uncertain. That may be the sign Washington needs that it is time to start tearing this down and building it back up. Apart from Anthony Mantha, there hasn’t been a significant injection of new talent since the Cup victory, and it doesn’t appear that the cavalry is coming from the AHL any time soon. The Caps had a good run and could still eke out some more playoff appearances in the next few years, but an overhaul may be needed to get them back to the summit.
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