NHL 2024-2025

[von Rantala]

Washington

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 4

Defence: 6

Goalies: 6

Special Teams: 2PP 3,5PK (Total 5,5)

GM/Coach: 0,5GM 2,5Coach (Total 3)

Total:

 

Worst Contract: Tom Wilson (RW)

Best Contract: Dylan Strome ( C )

Most underrated: Charlie Lindgren (G)

MVP: Charlie Lindgren (G)

Biggest talent: Ryan Leonard ( C )

 

Project Line-ups

 

Ovechkin - Strome - Mangiapane

McMichael - Dubois - Wilson

Miroshnichenko - Lapierre - Milano

Duhaime - Dowd - Raddysh

 

Chychrun - Carlson

Sandin - Roy

Fehervary - Iorio

 

Lindgren

Thompson

 

Key Words:

 

Washington uses less than 2M for two goalies who both can handle starter roles. Lindgren had positive surprises and stories last season. He was the biggest reason why Washington did take the playoff spot last season. Washington became the worst Goal difference team to take the playoff place in NHL history. Washington bought CapFriendly in the offseason and added one more reason why so many fans hate Washington especially in Europe. Signing Wilson and adding Dubois long contract to salary cap, has been very strange moves and the team is going towards a long re-build. Wilson contract is untradeable, Dubois contract you might be able to trade if he became a 60 point man again, but Dubois has full no movement clause through to 2027-2028 season. I did put Dylan Strome as the best contract for the team, even that Logan Thompson and Lindgren both probably have top 3 best cap hits in the NHL. Thompson and Lindgren contracts do end after the season, and they get hefty cap raises in new contracts, when Dylan Strome still has 4 seasons left on his 5,0M cap hit contract and he has potential to be a point per game player through contract.

 

Interesting player: Charlie Lindgren (G)

 

Lindgren was one of the biggest surprises last season and was the main reason why Washington was playing the playoffs. After a strong college career he signed a contract with Montréal in 2016. In the 2017-2018 season he played 14 games for Montréal, but never got a chance after that.  He played a couple games now and then in Monréal. 2021 he signed a contract with Blues and played 5 games in NHL winning them all with great stats .958% and 1.22GA. He was playing behind Binnington and Husso and after the season, Lindgren and Husso left St. Louis as free agents. Lindgren was signed to Washington where he was meant to be back up for Kuemper, but he out played Cup winner Kuemper out of city just in two seasons. Now Lindgren starts the season as number one goalie, and will get a huge challenge to lead the team to playoffs again. Thompson will give him a good challenge also.

 

Playoff prediction:

 

Maybe in reporters and in fans papers Washington is stronger this season they should go to playoffs. In my papers I put them seventh or last in the division. Last season their goal difference was -37. If Washington would have played in the West, they wouldn't have gotten into the playoffs. St. Louis Blues got one more point than Washington. Empty net in the last game did also help them to the playoffs. Last or second last in the division.

[von Rantala]

Winnipeg

 

Ratings (1-10)

Offence: 6

Defence: 7

Goalies: 9

Special Teams: 3,5PP 3PK (Total 6,5)

GM/Coach: 3,5GM 1,5Coach (Total 5)

Total: 33,5

 

Worst Contract: Alex Iafallo (LW/C)

Best Contract: Gabriel Vilardi ( C )

Most underrated: Nino Niederreiter (RW/LW)

MVP: Connor Hellebuyck (G)

Biggest talent: Brayden Yager ( C )

 

Project Line-ups

 

Connor - Scheifele - Vilardi

Ehlers - Perfetti - Niederreiter

Appleton - Lowry - Lambert

Iafalo - Barron - Johnsson Fjällby

 

Morrissey - Pionk

Heinola - DeMelo

Samberg - Miller

 

Hellebuyck

Kähkönen

 

Key Words:

 

Winnipeg has been a prospect graveyard lately. Either they have been drafting poorly, or they don't know how to raise talents, so it wasnt so big surprise that McGroarty asked for a trade. Latest prospect who is struggling or who is treated peculiarly is 2020 tenth overall pick Cole Perfetti. He has potential to be a first line center, but he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. When he got more ice time his production was good. List of young prospects who were drafted by the team, but never got a real chance is long. Hellebuyck won Vezina, and he said that he played his career best hockey in the playoffs, where he recorded .870% and 5.23GA. That tells how much defense in front of you does affect the goalie numbers too. Hellebuyck is a great goalie, but as every goalie, you need a good team in front of you. For me it was ironic that the goalie who was voted goalie of the year, did give at least 5 goals in every playoff game and was the worst goalie of the playoffs. I do think that playoffs should have a factor on individual trophies too. Anyway he was the best goalie of the regular season. Rick Bowness coached 38 years in the NHL. It's a long and great career. The Dallas team wasn't so suitable for his coaching style, but in Winnipeg he did a very good job and was one of the main reasons why Winnipeg was in the playoffs. Before Bowness came behind the bench, it looked like the team was going to rebuild. Now the team roster looks a bit thin, the team have star lvl winger on Connor and on defender Morrisey. Vilardi is on the verge of becoming a star player and could push Scheifele to second line center. Role which is more suitable to him. I did hear rumors that the locker room in Winnipeg was toxic and that's why Wheeler was stripped from Captaincy. Was Scheifele part of the group that was causing issues in the locker room? How will he react if Vilardi and Perfetti go ahead of him on ice time and role? Morrissey is an underrated defender as Pionk too, but then the defense group raises questions? When Bowness was absent and break from coaching,  Arniel had good results, so it was a natural choice to name Arniel new head coach. It's his second head coach role in the NHL. He was Columbus Blue Jackets head coach one and half season and was fired in the middle of 2011-2012 season having a bad record in 123 games he was 45-60-18. What I have hear is that he wasn't the best communicator. In AHL he has more success.

 

Interesting player: Gabriel Vilaradi ( C )

 

Vilardi was part of the Dubois trade last summer. Vilardi has had  injury problems through his NHL career.. He has yet to play a full 82 game season. 63 games from the 2022-2023 season is his highest so far. How good a player Vilardi can be if he is able to stay healthy? He might be a 100 point player. There is no questions who was winner on LAK-WPG trade. It was a huge win for Winnipeg who got best player of trade and they got Kupari and Iafallo also, plus a second round pick of 2024 draft. Lak got fleeced. Vilardi's 3,4M contract ends after the season and the next contract might be over 8M. Depent how Winnipeg seasons go, Vilardi might be a trade asset too in the Trade Deadline. I hope he can stay healthy and play his first full season.

 

Playoff prediction:

 

Winnipeg is fully dependent on their goalie Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck has to play the Hart trophy season so that Winnipeg can go to the playoffs. Team offense and defense groups are just too thin in the central division. Coach is a huge question mark. I see it's possible that the team will drop to last place in the division. Winnipeg reminds me a lot of Minnesota who I followed closely in the past. They are on the verge of rebuilding, but denied facts and just made minor re-tools. That keeps them in the playoff run, but also keeps them higher in the draft lotteries. Will miss the playoffs and start rebuilding.