The excitement level is starting to ramp up now that we are potentially a month and some change away from the season getting started.

With how the NHL handled the bubble and protocols for this nagging Corona Virus, I am confident we will be under the way on January 1st.

In my opinion, the NHL was unrivaled in comparison to other major sports in terms of player safety and lowest positive cases. I am ready for the puck to drop for yet another successful and competitive season amidst the pandemic.
We had many big name free agent signings and trades during this offseason but, who will thrive best in their new home? Who are the winners and losers? Which Rookies do we expect to make an immediate impact? There is much to discuss.

Tyler Toffoli, as he lands in Montreal for a 4 year deal with a young team with talent buzzing around him. Toffoli, only 28, still has plenty of gas in the tank. Can he continue his 20+ goal and 20+ assist performance from last year? Or, could this team around him bring Toffoli back to a 50 point season for the first time since 2015-2016 with the LA Kings? I think it's very possible. Following a great Playoff performance, Montreal is proving their decisions are paying off. Let's be real here, at times against the Flyers they were skating circles around them. They are a very may I say? Gritty team. The Canadiens are on track for another playoff entrance if you ask me. Whether Toffoli finds himself on the 2nd or 3rd line having Jonathan Drouin or Jesperi Kotkaniemi as a line mate is very solid. Be on the look out for Tyler Toffoli to forget about his short stay in Vancouver and show Montreal what he's got.

Taylor Hall, goes to Buffalo. On a 1 year deal, can we call this home? Or is it yet another temporary stay?

Much like Toffoli, Hall had a brief stint with a team last year. With 27 points in 35 games for the Coyotes he proved you can plug him anywhere and he will perform. Lets not forget Hall is only 29, a former 1st overall pick in 2010 by Edmonton and a 93 point scorer just 3 seasons ago with the Devils. This is a big move and the City of Buffalo is expecting the best. How will Hall perform with his new team? Being on the 1st line with Victor Olofsson who finished 7th in the Calder Trophy race for Rookie of the year, and being Centered by Jack Eichel? Say no more. Buffalo also added some depth on center by adding Eric Staal and are looking to fight for a Playoff spot in the Atlantic. I think this can be a really good fit and worth a 55+ point season for Hall. However I still have the thought in the back of my head, will there be a year 2 in Buffalo? Or is this once again a temp job. Will be very interesting to find out.

The St Louis Blues, via Free Agency lose Alex Pietrangelo to Vegas, but sign Torey Krug from Boston. Can Krug fill the shoes left behind the Blues former team Captain? Well with a 5 inch size difference the Blues are hoping his speed and gap control make up for it.

On the Blues behalf I do think it's a loss however I've watched Kruger year in and year out since his Michigan State days that he can play with the big boys. Pietrangelo packs his bags for Las Vegas in what appears to be a replacement for Nate Schmidt. Signing a 7 year hefty deal, the Golden Knights are in position to mold their Defence around this 30 year old former 4th overall Draft Pick and Team Captain. Does Vegas have a biased opinion or do Alex Pietrangelo and the Knights have a shot of winning the Cup? They open ranked 2nd in the betting world at +800 trailing only the early favorites in the Colorado Avalanche. I do think Pietrangelo's Golden Knights make a deep run in the Playoffs but will not be hoisting Lord Stanley over their heads. For Torey Krug in St Louis, what can we expect? Also with a 7 year deal only time will tell for the 29 year old Defenceman. I think the Blues take 3rd in the Central and Krugs 40+ Assists can be a big contribution to that. Although a slight disadvantage to Pietrangelo in goal scoring aspects, look for Torey Krug to utilize his speed and vision to enhance the Blues and their Power Play. For his size, he's a hard nosed player and was one of Boston's key components to recent success in the past few years. It is a big hole left behind for Boston to fill, especially with Toronto and Montreal ready to come at them with a fight for 2nd place in the Atlantic. I am looking forward to comparing how both Pietrangelo and Krug perform with their new teams, however I give a slight advantage to Pietrangelo.

Henrik Lundqvist vs. Braden Holtby, will it happen? We all want to see it.

However if they do end up playing each other this year, it will not be a battle of the Metropolitan like we're used to. Will Holtby continue his dominance in Vancouver? Will Lundqvist prove he has got enough gas in the tank for one last Cup run? Hank stays in the Division on a 1 year deal to Holtby's former team, the Washington Capitals. Man oh man... is that going to be weird to see. At 38 years old it is tough to tell how much we will see the 15 year Vet in action. Washington can still find themselves in a top spot in the Metro which gives Lundqvist a better chance to finally win a Cup. Unfortunately, I do not think that is going to happen.

Hard to say how many games we will get to see the King play with Ilya Samsonov primed to take the Starter Job. At this point let's just appreciate what he has left to show us before he hangs up the skates and returns to the Big Apple to work within the Rangers Organization. Henrik Lundqvist is a Hall of Famer, enjoy it while it lasts. Braden Holtby, on a 2 year deal in Vancouver is a much better deal in terms of what to expect. At 31, Holtby is far from done and is still on a team that will make the Playoffs.

With the Canucks solidifying their back end by signing Nate Schmidt from Las Vegas, it finally gives Quinn Hughes some help. I think Braden is set to continue being a top Goalie in the Bigs. Can he hit the 40 Win mark for the first time since 2017? I think yes, but it will be tough. Luckily for him, it must be nice to know Vancouver has several guys up front to help out by putting the puck in the net. I expect the Golden Knight to take the Pacific Division but be on the lookout for Calgary to compete with Vancouver for that 2nd spot. I'm very excited to see if this move pays off for Holtby and the Canucks.

Max Domi, what do we expect results wise of this trade bringing Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets?

I think it’s pretty apparent that Columbus did win this trade by receiving Domi and a 3rd pick in return for Josh Anderson. Following his short stay in Montreal, Domi posted 116 points in 153 games. Can this type of play continue in the Blue Jackets system? Domi made his thoughts pretty clear on what he thought of Claude Julien and Montreal soon after his exit. It will be interesting to see if Columbus is a better fit for Domi but will we see a 70 point performance like we did 2 seasons ago in Montreal? I don’t believe so but, it’s still a solid depth move bolstering up the Center position in Columbus. If he can avoid locker room issues and just play the game there is a high upside to Domi’s potential. Stick with us for our upcoming What The Puck Podcasts!

We will be discussing some of these moves and the winners and losers of this crazy offseason. Also, we will debate what to expect from the top Rookies this season. January 1st, please hurry the hell up.

Written By Shawn Price

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