What the fuck was that trade?  Is that all he got back? Hahaha!  Can't believe Junya called Bryce giving up!  You got raped in that deal!

With the trade deadline basically done, it's time to forget this season and look into the next one.  I think this is a great time to look into the future state of each division to see who has something to look forward to.  

DALLAS STARS - Stars will be returning with a full lineup already in tact for next year.  This team's DF should be going down with their forwards, but will have the best rated goalie.  GM Kato had bolstered their defense ahead of the deadline, with the acquisition of Fowler and Orlov.  He was able to get 2 defensemen with term at a very low AAV, to help replace Ryan Ellis, who will most likely not be rated due to injury.  It did cost them 2023 1,2,3, but he was never the best drafter anyways.  The forwards are doing well thus far with the points per game, so scoring should not be an issue.  At this point, 5 of the top 6 forwards are on a 60 point pace.  Couturier being out for the rest of the NHL season hurts his chances to be used a lot next year, so that will have to be addressed.  Let's see if this team can be strong next year, as much as they were this year.

Estimated Cap Room - $10+mil

WWJD - Get a top 6 center 

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Excellent

2023 Roster Depth Chart

ST LOUIS BLUES - GM Catman has done pretty well getting guys from FA and getting the players he likes through trades.  His top 6 are good, except he could stand to upgrade Backlund at 2C.  His bottom 6 are just defensive players, so his 5 scorers are going to have to carry the team.  The Blues do have a subpar defense and he will have to make a move, as he has too many that need to be up with the pro team.  He does have some cap space to make a move, but you can't always rely on that shit show called free agency to make that upgrade.  Jarry is a top 10 goalie and will definately help the Blues be relevant again.  As we saw this year, he somehow made it work with a similar team.  I have changed my tune with his team and will make the playoffs again next year.  The division is going to be tough again, so I can't lock him into the top 3.

Estimated Cap Room - $12+mil

WWJD - 1. Get a #1 dman 2. upgrade 2C

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS - GM Yee will have to make some decisions this offseason.  They are on the brink of being a good team, but don't have the depth that the others in this division have.  Brodin and Weegar are both 27-1 players.  Weegar is an easy max contract resign, but Yee will most likely be doing a sign and trade for Brodin, as he is not worth the $7+mil that he will command on a max contract extension.  There is a small chance that he does the max contract with the cap room he has, but that will not look good at the tail end of the deal for a mostly DF dman.  He also loses Henrique and Eberle to free agency, who have been key contributors to the team.  A slight raise for Kyrou will be required, but nothing to worry about there.  Something that the Hawks will have to watch is the Miles Wood situation.  He may come back and suck after being out all year with an injury.  He's going to cost a few mil that could be put somewhere else.  The Hawks will need the cap space to get some scoring on their wing, as most are average.  Also, the Hawks have a terrible goalie situation.  Both are barely able to keep it above the .900sv% mark.  Luckily they are both cheap, but this means that he will have to find a goalie to be competitive next season.  He has some cap space, but may have to use it all on a tender.  If GM Yee cannot get a tender, will he go into the season trying to tank?  Kopitar, Foligno, and Ryno would give him some nice returns.  I will be watching this situation play out. closely.

Estimated Cap Room - $10+mil*

WWJD - 1. Buyout Radulov 2. get a tender 3. get some scoring from the wing

2022-2023 Cup Chances: Not Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

MINNESOTA WILD - This is going to be tricky for GM Big Al to navigate.  The team has no goalie for next year and there is a lot of other teams going for one.  According to Genius Junya, there will only be about 3 goalies worth going after in FA.  This is barring a miracle that another 1 or 2 start killing it or Raanta hits the 35 game mark.  Without a tender, the Wild are up the creek without a paddle.  They seem to be deep on the wing and have one center.  On top of all that, they have 2 defensemen.  This team is on the brink of collapse.  They have $26+mil in cap space, so he has room to do something, but I don't have high hopes for GM Big Al as his idea of a plan was to pay Stammer $18mil.  We will see where he goes with this.  I cannot see this team making the playoffs next year.

Estimated Cap Room - $26+mil

WWJD - 1. get a tender 2. get at least 2 centers 3. defensive depth

2022-2023 Cup Chances: Not Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

COLORADO AVALANCHE - Here is my favorite for the 2022-2023 season.  This is an incredibly top heavy team that will have to fill out the bottom 6.  They boast one of the highest points per game, but will go down while filling out the roster.  GM Bryce was savvy enough to get Freddy Andersen before the trade rush, giving him a top 5 goalie.   I suspect that he will do a sign and trade with Trouba as his AAV will be close to $9mil and he is nowhere near that level.  If you take him out of the equation, the Avs will have close to $20mil in cap to put into the rest of the roster.  That will probably get him a very high end forward and enough room to fill out the rest of his roster.  GM Bryce has many feeder teams around he league that will gift him a few players along the way, so his team will definately get a boost at some point.  I have no doubt that this team will be near the top all year.

Estimated Cap Room - $12+mil*

WWJD - 1. get another top forward 2. fill out the roster 3. rape another feeder team

2022-2023 Cup Chances: Excellent

2023 Roster Depth Chart

SEATTLE KRAKEN - This team will compete...compete for the ugliest roster.  The top 4 defensemen and goalie look great, along with the ONE forward in Pettersson.  The rest of the roster would barely make an AHL team.  Yama is underacheiving and Kupari is just getting started.  Besides that none of his kids have gotten any time.  He will literally have a roster of AHL rated players.  Nothing much to say here, except it needs more time.  BRHLLGBTQ is still winning, no matter how much Rex tries to justify his roster.  This guy is going to have to grab another couple trade targets.  Maybe he will figure out how to do the math this time, so he can actually retain the max...but I doubt it.

Estimated Cap Room - $41+mil

WWJD - get a whole new team

2022-2023 Cup Chances: HAHAHAHA!

2023 Roster Depth Chart

NASHVILLE PREDATORS - GM Sheds has sold off his best asset in Hertl putting him further into purgatory.  I know the Preds GM doesn't llike to tank and has not been able to get his team to perform as he expects.  He is very indecisive these days and it shows in his team.  Next season, his team will once again be just outside the playoff bubble and he will be hoping for better NHL seasons.  He can make a big buyout in Alec Martinez this coming offseason to open up $6.8mil to go along with the other $16+mil space he has.  He can also sell of Holtby for a hefty price as he has top 15ish goalie rates in his final year.  I know this will be new to him, but he may have to tank next year and get some players in FA to trade away for assets.  Let's see if GM Sheds in engaged enough to make some good moves this offseason.

Estimated Cap Room - $16+mil

WWJD - 1. buyout Martinez 2. buy to sell for picks 3. trade Holtby, Benn, and Stepan

2022-2023 Cup Chances: Not Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

WINNIPEG JETS - Doc is still in a rebuild and is still waiting on his young players to show up.  Marchment, Andersson, and Bellows have become useful, but he is still a ways away from having enough to become relevant in this tough division.  GM Doc doesn't join in the buy to trade parade, so he will go slower as well.  Nothing much here yet.  More years of Marner and Nylander wasted.

Estimated Cap Room - $42+mil

WWJD - 1. buy to sell for picks 2. trade Skinner and Getzlaf for assets

2022-2023 Cup Chances: Zero

2023 Roster Depth Chart