Bringing back one beloved veteran for every Eastern Conference team

Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The NHL preseason is underway, and all 32 teams are scrambling to finalize their roster before the puck drops on the 2024-25 campaign.

Any new additions will invariably come to camp on PTOs or as bargain-basement veteran free agents, but what if each club could shop from the top shelf and bring back a star player from its history?

For the sake of competition, our time machine will exclude Hall-of-Famers. That counts shoo-ins (looking at you, Jaromir Jagr). Additionally, active NHL players are off the board, and our returning legends must have been at the peak of their powers for whichever franchise picks them.

This week, we’ll break down what fan favorites and All-Stars would most benefit their old teams in the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins: David Krejci, C (2006-21, 2022-23)

The B’s still need another center even after signing Elias Lindholm, but Patrice Bergeron, Joe Thornton, and Phil Esposito are either in the Hall-of-Fame or will be soon. That opens the door for Krejci to return after just a season away. The Czech would push Charlie Coyle out to the wing, rounding out the top-six, while forming a shutdown 1-2 punch with Lindholm. There’s an obvious appeal to pairing Brad Marchand with the original “Rat” Ken Linseman, but the most obvious answer to fixing the Bruins’ thin center depth is also the correct one. Krejci’s clutch gene (2x postseason scoring leader) and 70-point ceiling could help the Bruins get over the hump for the first time since 2011.

Buffalo Sabres: Chris Drury, C (2003-07)

Between Danny Briere, should-be Hall-of-Famer Alexander Mogilny, and French Connection wingers Renee Robert and Rick Martin, the Sabres have plenty of talent to draw from. Talent is not the issue for this group. Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson have talent. What this team needs is an indomitable personality that can drag it into the fight. Maybe franchise defenseman Rasmus Dahlin can be that guy, but Drury was that guy. As co-captain with Briere, he led Buffalo from the brink of financial ruin to consecutive Eastern Conference Finals with his 30-goal scoring pop and peerless leadership. It’s been almost 20 years, and the Sabres still haven’t recovered from losing Drury and Briere in the same offseason.

Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal, C (2003-2016)

Here’s an easy one. Eric Staal officially retired over the summer and is the franchise’s leader in games (909), goals (322), and points (775) since it moved from Hartford to Raleigh. Bench boss Rod Brind’Amour is a bigger icon, but his strength, defense, and leadership are covered by another Staal, current captain Jordan. The Hurricanes could use some production from a center not named Sebastian Aho, and the elder Staal’s steady 35-goal ouput would give their depth a serious boost. He’d also fix some of their playoff scoring woes; though he only went to the postseason twice with Carolina, Staal posted 43 points in 43 games and collected a ring for his troubles.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Rick Nash, LW (2002-2012)

Could it have been anyone else? The stars of Columbus’s best-ever era under John Tortorella are still active, and Nash has a better CV than any of them save for perhaps Artemi Panarin. Drafting the big man first overall in 2002 didn’t turn around the club like it was supposed to, but it was still a high point for an organization that has so often been beset by on-ice failure and off-ice tragedy; he’s the franchise leader in goals (289) and points (547). A monster on the puck who fired 250+ shots per season, Nash would add even more muscle to a forward group where just about everyone tips the scales at 190+ lbs.

Detroit Red Wings: Niklas Kronwall, D (2003-19)

The second Original Six team to jump back in time has several options to fix its uninspiring blueline. Vladimir Konstantinov might have ended up in the Hall if not for the limousine accident that cut him down in his prime. Reed Larson was a lock for 20 goals a season and is one of the most underrated offensive D-men ever. Both are right-handed, though, as is Mo Seider, the foundational piece of the Red Wings’ defense. Kronwall made his living with a devastating hip check on Nick Lidstrom’s left, and, later, as top dog himself. He and Seider would provide the modern Wings with a true top pair to build around.

Florida Panthers: Robert Svehla, D (1995-2002)

Throwing former captain Scott Mellanby on the same line as the scrappy duo of Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk would add to Florida’s gritty identity, but they need more help on defense. With Brandon Montour and Oliver Ekman-Larson gone, the champs will bring back Robert Svehla, whose combination of physicality and skill perfectly replaces Montour in the top four. Svehla isn’t remembered quite as fondly as ‘96 teammates Mellanby, Ed Jovanoski, or John Vanbiesbrouck, but he was an absolute horse on the right side who was good for 25 minutes a game and 40 points a season. The Cats could use his take-no-prisoners attitude on a suddenly thin blue line.

Montreal Canadiens: Vincent Damphousse, C/LW (1992-1999)

Montreal has too many developing defensemen to make P.K. Subban a worthwhile selection, but they do need help down the middle. Captain Nick Suzuki is a worthy top-six option, but behind him, neither Kirby Dach nor Christian Dvorak has been able to stay healthy in Quebec. Saku Koivu, Kirk Muller, and Bobby Smith are all potential fixes, but the Canadiens go with Damphousse, a 1,200-point player and the top scorer on their last Cup team. Damphousse wore the ‘C’ during some lean years in Montreal, but only after collecting more than 90 points in three of his first four seasons with the team. The Quebecer will tee up plenty of Patrik Laine one-timers as the Canadiens work to improve their 26th-ranked offense.

New Jersey Devils: Kirk Muller, LW/C (1984-1991)

Speak of the Devil! Sorry, couldn’t help it. The Canadiens passed on Captain Kirk with their pick, and that’s just fine with the Devils. New Jersey spent all summer patching up its blueline and crease, so their last real hole is on the left wing, where crafty veteran Ondrej Palat’s scoring touch has gone cold. Though Muller was gone by the time the Devils turned the corner, he was still an excellent defensive forward for his first club and scored at a 27-goal, 77-point pace over seven seasons in Newark. Patrik Elias will be eliminated by a Hall-of-Fame induction at some point, so Muller draws in to provide some leadership and snarl to a talented young team.

New York Islanders: Ziggy Palffy, LW (1994-1999)

Though Cup winners Brent Sutter and Bob Nystrom would bring grit and winning DNA to any team, the Isles already have plenty of gumption. What they need is high-end skill outside of Mat Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Noah Dobson. With the stars of the fourpeat in the Hall-of-Fame and off limits, they go back to the Dark Ages of Mike Milbury and the Gorton’s Fisherman to get it. Palffy is unlucky to be associated with bad teams and worse jerseys, but he had legit skill. The speedy Slovak averaged 42.6 goals and 82 points per 82 games for a noncompetitive squad at the height of the Dead Puck era.

New York Rangers: Adam Graves, LW (1992-2001)

The Rangers have been looking for a suitable linemate for Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider since they traded Pavel Buchnevich, and their fans aren’t too keen on the latest candidate, aging 20-goal scorer Reilly Smith. They’d prefer Adam Graves, who erupted for 52 tallies while flanking Mark Messier on the 1994 Stanley Cup team. Graves wasn’t a consistent 50-goal guy, otherwise he’d be in the Hall-of-Fame, but his motor and two-way grit made him one of the most beloved Rangers ever. Most New Yorkers would settle for a mulligan on Buchnevich, let alone the opportunity to couple Graves’s tireless work rate with Kreider’s speed on the rush and Zibanejad’s big one-timer.

Ottawa Senators: Jason Spezza, C (2002-2015)

The Sens’ biggest need is either another top-six winger or a right-sided defenseman, and that doesn’t leave them with a ton of options. Daniel Alfredsson and Marian Hossa are in the Hall, Zdeno Chara will join him there soon, and Dany Heatley isn’t invited back to Ottawa. Instead, they’ll go for the best player available, center Jason Spezza. Josh Norris and his big shot will shift to the wing to accommodate the crafty playmaker, who scored at a 102-point pace during Ottawa’s glory years from 2005-08. Spezza is too similar to Claude Giroux to fit an exact need for his old club, but they’ll happily make room for one of the greatest forwards they’ve ever had next to Alfredsson.

Philadelphia Flyers: Rick MacLeish, C (1970-1981, 1983)

It’s never too early in a rebuild to land a franchise goalie like the late great Pelle Lindbergh or a blue-line workhorse like Eric Desjardins, but the Flyers like what they have in the pipeline at those positions. Instead, they’ll opt for a center to pair with rookie Matvei Michkov, forgoing two-way monsters Rod Brind’Amour, Dave Poulin, and Mike Richards for the dynamic offense of MacLeish. ‘The Hawk’ was never the 1C with Bobby Clarke around, but he posted seven 30-goal seasons and a pair of 97-point campaigns for the Orange and Black. MacLeish, who died in 2016, was even better when the weather turned warm: he scored 53 goals in 107 postseason contests for Philadelphia, none bigger than the Cup-winning tally in 1974.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Kevin Stevens, LW (1988-1995, 2001-02)

For a Penguins team that needs help everywhere, taking the best player on the board is an easy decision. Stevens potted 190 goals in the four seasons before a facial injury derailed his career, virtually all of them from the low slot. No year better exemplifies what a bull the 230-pounder was on Mario Lemeuix’s wing than his 123-point, 254-penalty minute 1991-92 campaign. How many enforcers finish on MVP ballots in the modern game? Instead of pairing Stevens with Lemieux successor Sidney Crosby, coach Mike Sullivan will stick him next to another legend, Evgeni Malkin. ‘Geno’ needs more help driving play than Crosby at this stage, so it’s Stevens’s job to squeeze some extra productivity out of the Russian’s twilight years.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Vincent Lecavalier, C (1998-2013)

The Lightning would love to recover some of the depth they’ve lost in recent seasons, but the problem is that the likes of Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde are scattered throughout the NHL. Alas, they’ll “settle” for Lecavalier, the second-greatest player of the pre-Jon Cooper era. Vinny was more sniper than matchup forward, but he does add some much-needed muscle to an undersized top-six. The longtime captain might not have cashed in on all of his immense potential, but Tampa is nonetheless excited to welcome a reliable 30-goal scorer back to their lineup. If Cooper chooses to add Lecavalier’s physicality to the top line, Brayden Point can form a monster two-way unit with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Wendel Clark, LW (1985-1994, 1996-98, 2000)

When I polled my colleagues from the Greater Toronto Area on whether they’d take lefty puck mover Ian Turnbull, power forward Wendel Clark, or goaltender Felix Potvin back into the Leafs’ lineup, they answered Clark unanimously. The team could use all three, but the informal vote spoke to the enduring love Torontonians have for Clark. ‘Wendy’ was emblematic of the Maple Leafs’ recovery from the Ballard era during his career, and he has become emblematic of the lack of fight the modern team has shown during his retirement; the modern Leafs are unfavorably compared to the former No.1 pick whenever they come up short. Even if the former captain can’t fix the Maple Leafs’ character in his fourth tour, he’ll still score 35 goals and win 10 fights.

Washington Capitals: Peter Bondra, RW (1990-2004)

As much as they’d love to stick Dale Hunter opposite Tom Wilson and make the whole league cry, the Caps need goals. Alex Ovechkin just turned 39, and he’s still their biggest threat in that department. His predecessor Bondra can fix that. If you think the Great Eight is selfish, you haven’t seen Bondra’s strike-shortened 1994-95 season, when he canned a league-high 34 goals while recording just nine assists in 47 games. The man was a pure sniper, and Washington could use another one of those even after a major offseason overhaul. A two-time 50-goal scorer would be a welcome addition; only two of their players managed even 20 tallies last season.

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