NHL Overtime Team Rankings: Cup Finalists Both Elite
By Adam Savard
Apr 11, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle (14) and forward Benoit Pouliot (67) celebrate forward Taylor Hall (4) goal against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller (30) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
#24) Buffalo Sabres – another team with questions between the pipes as young but injured Robin Lehner gets his chance to claim a starting role. In front of Lehner the Sabres won’t look anything like the team that didn’t seem they could score 100 goals for a season at times the last two years.
The Sabres will have speed to burn up front with Ryan O’Reilly, Tyler Ennis and Evander Kane. Take your pick with two of those three players and watch them fly and create. On defense Zach Bogosian will likely lead those extra minutes in NHL overtime but Rasmus Ristolainen is also ready for the challenge.
If Lehner is healthy and the player GM Tim Murray thinks he is, the Buffalo Sabres could rocket into the top ten.
#23) Florida Panthers – most of the Florida Panthers guns are young and fast and Jaromir Jagr is still terrifying in open space. Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad round out the skaters while a healthy Roberto Luongo will make a difference over last years tough NHL overtime results.
The growth of Huberdeau and Ekblad, which very good last year, will have the Panthers thinking and expecting a playoff spot. Healthy goaltending will help that cause. The Panthers will be fun to watch and are also capable of moving up here depending on how many young players continue to improve.
#22) San José Sharks – it feels like a decade or more that the Sharks have been good but should have been better. Last season missing the playoffs should have signaled transition (see Bruins, Boston) but doesn’t. Doug Wilson and Joe Thornton may still not like each other yet they continue to coexist.
Thornton and Logan Couture will lead the offense and Brent Burns acts as a third forward playing the blue line. But what’s going on in goal? Is Alex Stalock getting the nod over newly acquired Martin Jones? Will they split? As usual there are more questions than answers around the talented yet underperforming San José Sharks.
#21) Ottawa Senators – The Ottawa Senators will put as much talent on the ice three-on-three as most teams in the new NHL overtime format. Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson will feel like three forwards offensively. Karlsson had 23 more points last season than the leading scorer on the New Jersey Devils as a defenseman.
The logjam in the Senators crease was resolve and Craig Anderson appears the clear starter now. Anderson has played well in stretches and struggled in others. The offensive ability should take over for Ottawa and cover some of the defensive questions.
#20) Detroit Red Wings – the loss of Pavel Datsyuk hurts the Red Wings and could create an offensive hole they will spend the season digging out of. Even without Datsyuk, Detroit will be strong again as young forwards Tomas Tatar and Gustav Nyquist have creativity made for the new NHL overtime rules. Niklas Kronwell can put up points on defense but who is in goal?
After Petr Mrazek took the crease over Jimmy Howard for the Stanley Cup playoffs, Howard’s future is surrounded with questions. With head coach Mike Babcock in Toronto now, Howard may get a second chance to take the starting job back. If Mrazek were the clear starter going into the season and Datsyuk were healthy, the Red Wings are a few spots higher on this list.
#19) Edmonton Oilers – too many questions for me to put them higher. The Oilers are much improved up and down the roster under new GM Peter Chiarelli and should be very exciting to watch there-on-three. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall seem likely to start up front but all that open ice will be inviting to rookie Connor McDavid. Will he be far along enough on the learning curve? Will the Oilers care and just put him on the ice anyway?
Defense was the sore spot last year but is much improved. The Oilers will rotate several smooth-skating defenseman during NHL overtime but Andrej Sekera and Justin Schultz are likely to split starting honors. Cam Talbot could be the anchor the Oilers have looked for in the crease and the benefactor of a much improved defense. Will the Oilers speed and skill in NHL overtime earn enough extra points to contend for the playoffs?
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