Even if the Red Wings only start their season on Friday (home game vs. New York Rangers), will the last few days truly bring positive changes when none materialized over the entire summer?
One of the biggest question marks: Who is going to score the goals this year? Of the new additions, only winger Viktor Arvidsson can look back on solid offensive output from his previous four NHL stops. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat remain the biggest, most trusted hopes. The once-proud organization faces the threat of an eleventh consecutive season without playoffs...
Marco Kasper's Role
Without Dylan Larkin (who left camp due to injury) or a potential replacement, it is very difficult to predict.
One thing is clear: The current center depth, featuring Kasper, Andrew Copp, J. T. Compher, and the up-and-coming Nate Danielson, is certainly among the weakest in the league.
With Kasper, one thing needs to be considered: In his successful rookie season, he scored 19 goals thanks to a shooting percentage of 13.1 percent. This halved to 6.9 percent last season, and his goal tally also dropped to 9.
Which Marco Kasper will we see this year? There is never any doubt about his attitude, but can he put up numbers on a scoring line?
The Klagenfurt native certainly has no significant competition to fear at the center position, so he should remain at center and not on the wing. He could start the season with Emmitt Finnie and Arvidsson on his flanks.
Vancouver Canucks
The new GM/Head Coach duo – with Ryan Johnson and Manny Malhotra as two internal solutions – is tasked with continuing the finally acknowledged rebuild. In other words: The foreseeable future will continue to bring many losses and, consequently, high draft picks.
Over the summer, Johnson brought in defensemen Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn, along with forward Brendan Gallagher – three highly respected veterans known for their character, but whose best days on the ice are behind them.
Especially in goal (Thatcher Demko is once again starting the season on the injury list) and offensively, things look grim.
Marco Rossi's Role
The Vorarlberg native has no overwhelming competition to fear; no one will stand in his way. Elias Pettersson also showed no signs in camp of emerging from his long-standing slump.
He will continue to be listed as the No. 1 center, but Rossi will get enough chances in front of, alongside, and behind him to pad his personal point total. That would also greatly help him in his contract year (27/28).
Other centers: Max Sasson, Paul Cotter, Aatu Räty, and Filip Chytil, who managed to sustain his umpteenth injury in a collision with a referee during preparation. Behind Pettersson and Rossi, there is therefore a gaping void by NHL standards.
Possible linemates for Rossi in the opening game on Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oilers: Brock Boeser, with whom he developed good chemistry last season, and Liam Öhgren, for whom the move from Minnesota has been beneficial.
Montreal Canadiens
Things look quite different here compared to the Red Wings and Canucks, of course.
The goal must be to build on last season's incredibly strong performance (ending only in the Conference Final), with a number of world-class youngsters (Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky) still having a lot of upside potential.
That doesn't always progress linearly from one year to the next; nevertheless, GM Kent Hughes almost completely refrained from outside reinforcements. Only winger Chris Kreider came from the Anaheim Ducks due to their cap problems. The former public enemy in Montreal (who injured star goalie Carey Price) will be the only new addition to the lineup on today's Opening Day in Toronto.
One question mark: Who will prevail in the goalie trio of Jakub Dobes, Sam Montembeault, and the rising Jacob Fowler?
David Reinbacher's Role
After Vinzenz Rohrer opted against a return to Laval, David Reinbacher remains the only Austrian in the Canadiens organization.
Following Kaiden Guhle's injury (though he should be fit again soon) and a good, and crucially injury-free, camp, he could have expected a chance to be on the roster for the start of the season.
However, the Canadiens management opted for Adam Engström as the seventh defenseman. Reinbacher is intended to be the leader in a very young Laval defensive corps, and a recall can, of course, happen at any time. With Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier, there are only two right-shot defensemen on the NHL roster; he would have this advantage.
Reinbacher, who will turn 22 in just under a month, is entering his penultimate contract year in Montreal. This season is also the last in which he can be sent to the AHL without waivers.
Due to his numerous injuries, he has only played 95 AHL and 2 NHL games so far. Further game experience is certainly better for him than the seventh defenseman spot in the NHL. Going into the season healthy is, at least, something he hasn't known lately...
