Which team has been the biggest surprise for you this season and which team the biggest disappointment? — @DoverDiscGolf
For biggest surprise it’s a toss-up between the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks. For biggest disappointment, it’s a toss-up between the New Jersey Devils and Golden Knights, though Vegas can change that narrative if it goes on a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It wasn’t the talent that prevented the Sabres from having a season like they’re having. They have had the talent for a while, though the additions the past few seasons of forwards Ryan McLeod, Josh Doan and Josh Norris have helped. What kept them down always seemed to be the lack of attention to detail and the inconsistency in their play and approach. There were no indications earlier this season that any of that would change, but it clicked for them in mid-December because they started winning. They properly analyzed the why’s and how’s. They discovered how to repeat it more often than not. They’ve never done that before in this era of Sabres hockey, which is why it’s surprising.
They have already clinched a playoff spot and enter their game at the New York Rangers on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, truTV, TNT, MSG) in a three-way tie for first in the Atlantic Division.
For the Sharks it is simpler. They were not supposed to be near a playoff spot this late into the season. Not yet. They lost their first six games (0-4-2) and seven of their first eight (1-5-2). They were 8-8-3 on Nov. 15 and that was only because they had a 6-0-1 stretch from Oct. 30-Nov. 11. But as inconsistent as they’ve been, they have found a way to recover from losing streaks and they have a superstar leading them in Macklin Celebrini. It helps that they’re in the Western Conference, but the fact that they can be a playoff team this season is shocking. They are three points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the West with two games in hand. It’s at least a season earlier than expected.
My preseason prediction for the Stanley Cup Final was New Jersey against Vegas, with the Golden Knights winning. So, clearly, the Devils have been a disappointment because they were eliminated from postseason contention on Tuesday. They were picked to make the postseason by all 15 staff writers and editors that participated in NHL.com’s preseason predictions on Oct. 5. Vegas has been disappointing because it hasn’t dominated in the way I thought it would. The Golden Knights will make the playoffs and have won four in a row since Tortorella was named coach, but they have the Pacific Division and the Western Conference to thank for being in a playoff spot because they have been wildly inconsistent, especially at the start of games. However, that all changes if Vegas puts together a strong finish to the regular season and start to the postseason.
How does Chris Drury handle Adam Fox and others (Vladislav Gavrikov and Igor Shesterkin) to be sure they don’t want out this summer? — @JGtradingcycles
Drury, the New York Rangers president and general manager, will have 1-on-1 meetings with each player after the season ends. They’ll likely have questions about the plan and what the future looks like. Drury needs to provide some answers. He doesn’t have to say everything he is going to do, but he should be able to lay out the plan to the core players such as Fox, Gavrikov, Shesterkin, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. If the plan is to try to move Trocheck, as it was before the trade deadline, Drury should communicate that to him so there are no surprises. Then it’s up to him to execute the plan.
Most of the Rangers players are under contract for next season. Goalie Jonathan Quick and forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Conor Sheary can be unrestricted free agents after the season, and defensemen Braden Schneider and Vincent Iorio will be restricted free agents. Rookie forwards Gabe Perreault, Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora are carving out roles on next season’s team right now. Tye Kartye is too, in a bottom-six depth forward role. Rookie goalie Dylan Garand might be doing the same, meaning Quick’s time in New York could be coming to an end. The Rangers need more speed and skill at the top of their depth chart up front and on the back end. They have some of that in-house, especially with Perreault in a top-six role. They have to go outside to get more. That’s Drury’s objective for the offseason. That has to be part of the plan. If he executes on it, Fox, Gavrikov, Shesterkin and everyone else should be ready to return as Rangers next season.
