Next year’s Devils: Which bottom-dwelling NHL team will break out in 2023-24?
As the 2022-23 NHL stretch run nears its close, teams are starting to clinch playoff berths. That includes the New Jersey Devils, who’ve enjoyed one of their best seasons in franchise history after finishing eighth, eighth, seventh and seventh in the Metro Division the previous four years.
Few prognosticators predicted such a dramatic jump in the standings, year over year.
It begs the question: Which lottery team is your favorite bet to make a sudden surge into relevance next season?
MATT LARKIN: I can’t BELIEVE I’m typing these words, you guys, but I have a feeling about the Arizona Coyotes. Hear me out. They enjoyed some meaningful strides from Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton and Lawson Crouse up front, while Juuso Valimaki has broken out on defense. They have an underrated goaltender in Karel Vejmelka. They should get a full season of Dylan Guenther and the top NHL affiliated prospect in the world right now, Logan Cooley, in their top-nine forward group next season. And that’s before we even factor in the epic 2023 draft class, in which they have two first-round picks. The sky’s the limit whether it’s Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson or someone else joining the fray. As a bonus: they play in arguably the NHL’s weakest division. Watch out for the Yotes!
MIKE MCKENNA: I’m going with the Montreal Canadiens. I think with health and the further development of their defensive core, the Habs could make big strides next season. And within three-to-four years, they might be downright scary. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are already a handful for opponents. And with Josh Anderson and Brandon Gallagher most likely hanging around, the leadership is in place to guide this club. They have a nice mix of veterans still there. Guys like David Savard and Jake Allen especially come to mind. Juraj Slafkovsky will improve. Logan Mailloux has had a monster season in the OHL with London and might crack the Habs blueline as early as next year. I could easily go down the list of quality prospects that Montreal has aggregated – and with two first-round picks in the 2023 Draft, the Canadiens aren’t finished stocking the cupboard. And remember: Martin St. Louis is still learning how to be an NHL coach. He’s going to improve. I could see the Canadiens pushing for a Wildcard spot in the 2023-24 Stanley Cup playoffs.
STEVEN ELLIS: There’s a ton of good options, and I feel like some might undervalue the Columbus Blue Jackets. My pick, though, are the Anaheim Ducks. I’ve been high on their youth for a bit, and, ideally, Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish will be ready to take the next step in their games next year. They have one of the best prospect pools, already have some talented youngish players in the lineup and and I don’t think they’re as bad as their results might suggest. John Gibson is nowhere near the talent he used to be, but Lukas Dostal could come in and steal a ton of the starts in net – and potentially even take over the No. 1 role. They’ve got deep defensive depth, and it’ll be exciting to see which – if any – take the next step. Add in a high pick this year and I think the Ducks could do some damage in the standings next year.
NICK ALBERGA: I’ll go with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In their wildest dreams, no one in Columbus could have predicted this train-wreck of a season when they came out of nowhere to sign Johnny Gaudreau last summer. That team has some good pieces, but obviously, they’re a few shy of being legitimate again. Personally, I think the Zach Werenski injury crippled them. Furthermore, I actually think they’re in decent standing with an established nucleus of Werenski, Gaudreau, Patrik Laine, Boone Jenner, and Adam Boqvist to go along with some of their kids like Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. Long story short, regardless of whether they land Connor Bedard, I think they can turn things around relatively quickly.
FRANK SERAVALLI: I agree with Mike, I don’t think enough people are talking about what the Canadiens are putting together. Their forward core is very close to being a legitimately dangerous group, it needs a little more depth but it has the right pieces in the right places. Lane Hutson looks like an incredible draft pick on the back-end. I think it might be one more tougher year before the Habs get set to launch, but they aren’t incredibly far off. Plus, with the culture that Marty St. Louis is creating in the locker room and on the bench, the upbeat nature of the Montreal market amid the rebuild and the sense of what playing for a winner in Montreal is like, it’s going to be a premier destination again for players.
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