The Avalanche will soon turn their focus to the offseason but let them have their fun first. The Lightning will too, but a few days to decompress is required after losing their bid for a three-peat in a 2-1 loss in Game 6 at home.
The rest of the NHL has already been preparing for the offseason, which is now here.
The 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft is at Bell Centre in Montreal on July 7-8. The NHL’s free agent market opens July 13. There are still three teams without a head coach and one without a general manager.
Opening night for next season is Oct. 11.
There’s a lot to get done in the next few weeks. Here are 10 questions that will be answered:
1. Will Shane Wright be the No. 1 pick?
Wright, a center from Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League, is the No. 1 North American skater in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings. The Montreal Canadiens are projected to take him with the No. 1 pick in the draft, but it’s not a lock.
Juraj Slafkovsky, a forward from TPS in Liiga, Finland’s top professional men’s league, is a possibility for the Canadiens. The Slovak is No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of International skaters after being No. 2 behind forward Joakim Kemell of JYP in Liiga in the midterm rankings.
The New Jersey Devils have the No. 2 pick, and the Arizona Coyotes will select at No. 3.
2. Will the Devils trade the No. 2 pick?
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald left the door open to this possibility when he addressed the media May 5, saying if trading their first-round pick will help the team improve immediately he’d do it.
Fitzgerald did not move off that stance five days later, when the Devils got the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery, but it’s fair to wonder if his mind changed when he realized they could get Wright or Slafkovsky.
If it’s Slafkovsky, he might be the perfect fit for the Devils to play on the wing next to center Jack Hughes, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
3. Will Filip Forsberg sign with the Predators?
Forsberg has been offered an eight-year contract by the Nashville Predators, general manager David Poile said June 23.
The Predators are the only team that can offer Forsberg an eight-year contract. He can sign with another team for a maximum of seven years if he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Forsberg has played his entire 10-season career in Nashville. He set career highs in goals (42), assists (42) and points (84) in 69 games this season. The Predators were swept by the Avalanche in the Western Conference First Round.
He’s 27 years old and he’s the Predators’ all-time leader with 220 goals. But Forsberg just completed the final season of a six-year, $36 million contract and is expected to sign what will likely be the most lucrative contract of his NHL playing career.
The Predators have the offer out, making it known that they want him. They can offer the extra year that no other team can. There is also no state tax in Tennessee. But Forsberg has yet to sign, so there is still a chance he hits the open market July 13.
Video: Pagnotta dishes on Forsberg, Fleury, and Flyers
4. Is Gaudreau going to re-sign with the Flames?
Johnny Gaudreau will cash in on the best season of his nine-year career. The question is will it be with the Calgary Flames, the only team the forward has played for since they selected him in the fourth round (No. 104) in the 2011 NHL Draft?
Gaudreau finished the regular season tied for second in the NHL in points with a career-best 115 (40 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games. He can become a UFA on July 13.
The Flames have said they want him back, with general manager Brad Treliving saying May 28 that Gaudreau has a chance to be one of the all-time greats in team history. Gaudreau also said he wants to return to the Flames and win the Stanley Cup in Calgary.
But Gaudreau also left open the possibility he would leave, saying “Whether I’m here for next year or not, who knows what happens?”
5. Have the Penguins reached the end of an era?
Evgeni Malkin and Kris…
Read More: NHL offseason filled with plenty of intrigue, questions