Where'd Larry go?  Can't keep up, eh?  Anthony still relevant, guess it wasn't just a fluke?!  Someone is going to be unhappy missing the playoffs...*cough, cough* Rich

I had this division written off as the worst division next year.  I was completely wrong.  With 4 strong teams competing in the Atlantic and 5 strong teams in the Metro, someone is not going to be happy.  Right now, the Canes and Leafs seem to be the weakest, but there is a lot of offseason still to go.  With the rosters as they are, a goalie aquisition or a change to defensive depth could really change a teams' chances.  It will be interesting to see if a borderline playoff team will decide to tank early on to maximize their assets.  Either way, it's good to see some new faces near the top.  You will all hear it from me if Anthony wins the conference.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS - This old man just won't go away.  Go take a walk and go get some of that ice you like from the corner store.  The BRHLGBTQ is going to be relevant for 2 years in a row!  Hazza!  He just needs the NHL year to end asap, as Campbell has been terrible since December, posting only a handful of good games in his last 20 starts.  His offense has 2 good lines +.  Let's see if he listens to his fellow GM this time and doesn't go for the $19mil backup goalie and get's some elite scoring.  If you guys didn't know, that was I, who told him to go get the stud scorer and not the goalie.  His defense is very good and a small move can boost it to the top.  He will be competitive, but let's see what moves he makes to bring him to the elite level.

Estimated Cap Room - $21+mil

WWJD - Get an elite scorer

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Very Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

NEW YORK ISLANDERS - When is GM Blueballs going to stop riding the coattails of the Legandary Dan Lifshatz?  Yawn...this team will near the top again.  He has done very well with the crazy forward depth, but his Achilles heel (I use that loosely) is his defense.  Dan was working on his defense before his "departure" by getting McAvoy and Pulock, but nothing really has been added since.  Blueballs is going to have to make a move to get some quality defense, but as I previously stated, not much out there.  Vasi will be a top 10 goalie, so he will be able to cover up some of the defensive issues, but tough to do that against the top teams.  As usual, the Isles will stand pat and make it far, but not all the way.

Estimated Cap Room - $13+mil

WWJD - 1. Trade a forward for a defenseman

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Excellent

2023 Roster Depth Chart

CAROLINA HURRICANES - There are only 3 guarantees in life, death, taxes, and Rich selling all his picks for players.  This is not a bad idea, but he hasn't been very successful doing this.  He has been smooshing shit around for years and he just cannot get it right.  His team will be right in the middle, as always and will not be good enough to compete with the elite teams.  GM Rich has deployed the same strategy and assessments every year and he gets the same results, mediocrity.  I think he will need to get a fresh prospective on players from someone else and stop reading his son's scouting reports.  Two words Beau Bennett.  He did make a great deal for Vanecek, who is outplaying Samsonov at this point.  He lucked into Stephenson's career season, which will help him out a lot.  He will need to upgrade his defense, as usual or he will be out in the first round of the playoffs again next year.  He actually has a couple picks, but I am not sure if this is a new strategy or he's just not that engaged this year.  Do I have to start talking shit to him again, when he gets drunk?  Come on Rich, you old fuck!

Estimated Cap Room - $22+mil

WWJD - (Scenario 1)  1. Trade the rest of the picks for some defense 2. Find someone else to scout players

      (Scenario 2) Trade away everyone over 25...this would be my choice

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Good

2023 Roster Depth Chart

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS - Damn it's cold!  Democrats are agreeing with Republicans about Russia, Matthew Stafford won a Super Bowl, and Anthony being competitive two years in a row...wtf is going on?!  Hell has frozen over!  GM Beerman has a VERY good team, that I didn't even realize until now.  He has one of the deepest teams offensively, defenseively, and had a stud goalie.  He has everything he really needs and just needs to fill out the roster.  This is good because he doesn't have much cap space left to get an impact player.  He doesn't have the studs at the top, like the Bruins or some of the other top teams, but his team is DEEP.  If he can somehow unload Gallagher and possibly JGP, he can use that cap space to get a top dman.  This is easier said than done, but we've seen crazier.  Tony's Flyers should be near the top with the other elite teams this year.  He is my dark horse to win the East.

Estimated Cap Room - $4+mil

WWJD - 1. Trade Gallagher, JGP 2. Get a top pairing defenseman

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Excellent

2023 Roster Depth Chart

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS - GM Jessiah the Messiah has the team in a decent position next season.  First his goalie situation is great.  Markstrom has finally come through and is a top 5 goalie.  He will not have any issues next season with this position.  The only thing is that it's Markstrom...he could shit the bed at any point.  He has 9 fricken shutouts, but he's still only at .928sv%.  Jesse should be worried that he could blow up at anytime.  It's pretty obvious that he will be buying out Smith.  He will also have one of the best assets to trade in Lindell in a sign & trade.  The CBJ GM may want to consider keeping Lindell on a max deal which would cost him $7.3mil x5.  The lack of available defensemen may cause these contenders to overpay their own assets, instead of trading them away to pinch some pennies.  The issue with Lindell is that his offensive rates could disappear at any point, making the $7.3mil year an overpay.  The Blue Jackets offense is not a concern and he will have firepower for years to come.  He should be able to get a forward or 2 in FA to fill out the roster.  CBJ will be a team to worry about next year.  East is becoming a tough conference.

Estimated Cap Room - $4+mil ($21+mil after Smith buyout)

WWJD - 1. Resign Lindell 2. buyout Smith 3. get at least one top forward

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Excellent

2023 Roster Depth Chart

NEW JERSEY DEVILS - Here is a team that has a bunch of assets to trade.  GM Ken's assets have good value since there are a bunch of guys with multiple years left, so he should be sellling aggressively like a used car salesman.  He's got a long way to go on his rebuild, as his team is basically Bjorkstrand, Jimmy Stu, and Durzi.  With the defensemen scarcity, GM Ken has a huge asset to trade in Parayko.  He isn't a complete stud offensively, but .4 points per game is not bad at all and his DF is going to be mid to high 90s.  If that was me, I would trade him this coming offseason and get the most out of the term he has.  The more he waits, the less he will get and he's just wasting Parayko.  Two of the biggest forward assets he has are Okposo and Reilly Smith to trade to those who miss out in FA.  Okposo has an awesome contract to go along with his decent rates, so he will get some attention.  As for the goalie situation, the Devils lucked into Ville Husso.  This is the biggest asset he has, which he can capitalize on the rates he will most likely get (pending if he hits 35 games).  If Husso hits the games he needs, he will be a top 10 goalie and command a ton.  I have a feeling Ken will be too stubborn to move this max 6 year asset.  GM Ken is still new and I can see it in the way he is managing his team.  He can really accelerate his rebuild, but he will have to move players that he seems to be holding for some reason.  Let's see which way he goes.

Estimated Cap Room - $34+mil

WWJD - 1. Trade Husso and Parayko for a haul along with Okposo, Reilly. 2.  TRADE! TRADE! TRADE! 3. buy to sell at the dealine

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Zero

2023 Roster Depth Chart

NEW YORK RANGERS - GM PJ is slowly working his way back to relavency.  Very slowly.  Besides that giant Makar/Matthews trade, PJ has been very quiet.  For some reason, he has not been adding to sell for assets.  I am not sure if PJ is just inactive or he's still too new to do what needs to be done, buy to trade.  He has a few great assets and some young guys coming up.  At this point, he should probably trade anyone over 24 for picks.  He's just that far away from having any chance at the title.  Hopefully he is active this offseason and helps surround Makar with players, before he's 32 and is moved off the team.  What will he do?

Estimated Cap Room - $44+mil

WWJD - 1. Trade AA, Morrissey, Murphy 2. buy to sell at deadline

2022-2023 Cup Chance: Zero

2023 Roster Depth Chart

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS - Well this team wins the worst chances to win the cup in 2022-23!  Congrats Toby!  Let's take a deeper look than just the players on the depth chart.  He has two 1sts and five 2nds for this coming draft and also two 1sts the following draft.  This is the way a tanker is supposed to look after the trade deadline.  The only issue is that he has been doing this for years, so we would expect him to have more than he does.  Hopefully he knows what he is doing with the picks, as I can't see a team in there any time soon.  Let's wait till after this upcoming draft.

Estimated Cap Room - $50+mil

WWJD - 1. Trade Domi 2. buy to sell at deadline

2022-2023 Cup Chance: HAHAHAHA

2023 Roster Depth Chart