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NHL PREVIEW: Oilers, Hawks, Jets among intriguing teams to watch this season

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Hours before they were to host their very first NHL draft, the Chicago Blackhawks turned their team upside down.

Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman, still dismayed at how the 2016-17 campaign went down, swapped then-reigning Calder trophy winner Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad, traded long-time defensive stalwart Niklas Hjalmarsson, and later, brought back Patrick Sharp.

It was the kind of noisy off-season which makes the Blackhawks an especially interesting team to watch in the coming NHL season.

Here a few other squads to keep an eye on:

CAROLINA HURRICANES

Ron Francis's squad probably would have made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2009 were it not for porous goaltending. Enter former Blackhawk Scott Darling as the club's new hope between the pipes.

Darling has never been an NHL starter before, but he's shown well in backup duty and could be the next Cam Talbot — a backup who gets his own crease and rises to prominence.

The Hurricanes also re-acquired Justin Williams, a member of the franchise's only Stanley Cup team, for a helpful veteran presence up front and another Blackhawk, Trevor van Riemsdyk, to further bolster one of the league's more effective groups on defence.

Carolina also boasts some rising forwards like 20-year-old Finn Sebastian Aho (49 points) and 25-year-old Jeff Skinner, who had a career-best 37 goals last season. Add in one of the NHL's most underrated coaches, Bill Peters, and you have a team poised to make a jump this season.

EDMONTON OILERS

The playoff drought is over and the Oilers look now like they might be ready for Stanley Cup contention. Edmonton nearly pushed into the Western Conference final last year, downed in seven games in the conference semis by Anaheim.

Expectations for this team obviously start with Connor McDavid, the emerging best player in the world who won the Art Ross and Hart trophies and Ted Lindsay award last year. His talent alone is reason to watch the Oilers and potent enough to make Edmonton a threat out west.

But for the Oilers to take the next step and contend for their first Cup since 1990, they'll need another season of sterling stability from Cam Talbot, the No. 1 goaltender who played 73 games last season, and an effective season from a modest defence. Leon Draisaitl will need to prove his big raise ($8.5 million cap hit) was worthwhile too. 

Edmonton would be gleeful if 19-year-old Jesse Puljujarvi proved himself ready for the NHL.

DALLAS STARS

While Chicago went big this off-season, Dallas went biggest.

The Stars netted a new No. 1 goaltender (Ben Bishop), two top-nine forwards (Alex Radulov and Martin Hanzal), a potential top-pairing defenceman (Marc Methot), and a new head coach (Ken Hitchcock). All that action demands results and a start for GM Jim Nill's squad would be a return to the post-season and perhaps a round or two after that.

Any number of Stars will be closely dissected, beginning with Radulov, who left Montreal for a five-year, $31.25 million deal with Dallas, and Bishop, coming off an uncharacteristically poor season. Dropping 30 points in the standings from a year earlier, the Stars were felled by injuries, woeful goaltending and defence last season — all points of promise now following the organizational changes.

The Hitchcock effect, which should raise Tyler Seguin's game another level, could help the Stars deliver on all the hope.

WINNIPEG JETS

In six seasons back in Winnipeg, the Jets have made the post-season once — missing in each of the past two seasons. So much talent — and young talent especially with Patrik Laine still 19, Mark Scheifele only 24 and Nikolaj Ehlers just 21 — is nice, but at some point the narrative around Manitoba's hockey team needs to change, and that means playoffs.

Putting it all together probably starts in the crease with new No. 1 Steve Mason. Even average goaltending from the 29-year-old might be enough to help the Jets get over the hump and into the post-season following inconsistent campaigns from Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson. Add in continued improvements from the youngsters, perhaps an NHL leap from Kyle Connor and continued productivity from Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little, and the Jets would seem to have all the parts for success.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

The Kings won two Cups with Darryl Sutter behind the bench and Dean Lombardi as GM, but after three disappointing seasons — including two playoff misses — the organization changed course, installing Luc Robitaille as president, Rob Blake as GM, and John Stevens as head coach. 

Change of that magnitude demands results and it starts with Stevens, long an assistant to Sutter. The former Flyers head coach will be tasked with igniting an offence which sank to 24th last season. Can he make that happen without sacrificing the club's notoriously stingy defensive stance?

Anze Kopitar will be under pressure to lead the offensive resurrection after a lowly 12-goal campaign. His return to form would help get the Kings back into Cup conversation, as should the return of goalie Jonathan Quick for a full season.

Ultimately, the revamped L.A. regime will try to alter the process of a roster with Cup pedigree. There's potential for rebirth here.

Jonas Siegel, The Canadian Press


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