NHL Season Preview: Boom or Bust?

With the 2015-2016 season nearly just a week away, we continue with our NHL season preview. We saw a lot of movement this past offseason through free-agency and trades that leave with us wondering how certain new faces will fit in with their new respective clubs.

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Today’s focus in our NHL season preview is highlighting the biggest boom or bust candidates. These are guys that maybe were in need of a new scenery (sometimes that’s all a player needs to explode back onto the scene).

Others were bought out, or just free agent signings. So which of the following do you think are the biggest boom or bust candidates?

*any stats used were obtained from www.hockeydb.com

RW Chris Stewart, Anaheim Ducks

Coming off a decent season in Minnesota/Buffalo where he scored 36 points in 81 games, Stewart hopes to build off of that. The years after being traded from Colorado to St.Louis got pretty ugly, and consistency was a major knock.

This could go either way. Less risk with a 1 yr deal at least. He’s likely to slot in on the third line alongside Andrew Cogliano. Rikard Rakell could center that third line, but we’ll see.

LW Matt Beleskey, Boston Bruins

Sep 28, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Matt Beleskey (39) controls the puck while Detroit Red Wings center

Joakim Andersson

(18) defends during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

After being signed to a reasonable contract compared to the big money people thought he’d get. The Bruins still paid him like a lower end 2nd liner.

Last year in Anaheim, he produced 32 points in 65 games. He also has the ability to play on a second unit powerplay. Problem is, he’s a great 3rd li

ner who can fill in temporarily in to the top 6 role. Lack of depth will force him to play in the top 6 likely all season long, so we’ll see how that goes.

D James Wisniewski, Carolina Hurricanes

After tallying 34 points in 69 games between Anaheim and Columbus, the Hurricanes are certainly hoping they’ve found their top pair partner for Justin Faulk.

To be fair, James Wisniewski has the capabilities of being a top pair shut d-man. It’s his health and inconsistencies that have found him bounce from team to team over the years. Whether he’s found his long-term home is yet to be seen, but it seems like a really good fit for both parties.

LW Artemi Panarin, Chicago Blackhawks

KHL offensive star who’s seen his number multiply the past few years is making the move to North America to suit up for the Blackhawks. You’re really rolling the dice with these KHL guys as you can’t be too sure what they’ll bring.

Which line will he play on? Will he be on his way back to Russia? Rumblings early on into preseason are that Panarin has looked really good. Starting to sound more and more like he could get a peak at the top six.

C Mikhail Grigorenko, Colorado Avalanche

One of the key pieces coming back in the Ryan O’Reilly deal. Grigorenko was a high-end draft pick, but he was having struggles to stay in a lousy Sabres lineup. The talent potential is there, but so far he’s struggling with the big boys.

Keep an eye on him because he only had 6 points in 25 games with the Sabres last year. Early rumours suggest Grigorenko could slot in to the third line to open the season. The Avs could definitely use more scoring from their bottom six.

G Cam Talbot, Edmonton Oilers

Sep 23, 2015; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goalie Cam Talbot (33) battles for the puck with Oilers left winger Braden Christoffer (61) and Winnipeg Jets center Ryan Olsen (68) during the second period at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-USA TODAY Sports

He certainly looked like a starter in his short fill-in tenure to replace Henrik Lundqvist. But let’s be honest, MacKenzie Skapski looked good in his few appearances and that’s a guy who didn’t even look so good in the AHL. I think it’s more a product of a strong Rangers team.

So whether or not Cam Talbot can carry the load for a defensively weak team, is going to be interesting to see. The Oilers also have Anders Nilsson fighting for playing time, with Ben Scrivens and Laurent Broissoit still in the mix as well.

RW Alex Semin, Montreal Canadiens

After his disgustingly large buy-out, it took a little time for the market to heat up for Semin. The Habs took a low risk chance with a 1 yr deal so how he plays is rather irrelevant.

Hopefully his dedication and character concerns that have been much publisized don’t blow up into a storm of media non-sense in Montreal. Canadiens fans and media will not tolerate players who don’t show up to play.

RW Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils

It’s nothing against the kid. He has some good talent and potential. But he’s about to be immersed into a 1st line role that he is neither capable of playing nor prepared to play that type of minutes.

While he should produce career highs based on the mins alone, it doesn’t necessarily mean the production will be that great. We are talking about a guy who put up 29 points in 57 games, who now joins an offensively challenged team. Major boom or bust guy right here.

LW Viktor Stalberg, New York Rangers

A player who’s battled with consistency issues since day 1. He was bought out by the Nashville Predators and the Rangers took a risk on this young man. He has a chance to be in the top 6 if he plays well enough.

His talent upside is higher than most people give him credit for, but tends to battle inconsistencies. Has an opportunity for a solid bounce back season.

D Yevgeny Medvedev, Philadelphia Flyers

Another KHL transfer from this offseason. He was actually a Thrashers draft pick back in 2000. I imagine KHL defense would have an easier transition to the NHL game than forwards.

With question marks surrounding guys like Schenn, Del Zotto, and whether or not Provorov will make this squad, the Flyers hope Medvedev will be a mainstay on the back-end this season.

RW Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins

He was the prized piece of the off-season. Pittsburgh fans are already proclaiming themselves cup winners and nothing but praise for this acquisition. Fact is this, Jim Rutherford made the 1st round pick conditional. You don’t make a draft pick conditional unless you’re worried you could be a lottery team.

While Kessel brings a top scorer to either Crosby or Malkin like they’ve never had (Crosby to start the season obviously). Kessel is a serious defensive liability, and it’s a bit of a “careful what you wish for” type situation.

I expect neither Crosby or Malkin have ever played with this much offensive talent that has such defensive deficiencies. At the same time, I’m wondering who’s picking up those defensive deficiencies left by Kessel, and how does that hurt their production?

C Mark Arcobello, Toronto Maple Leafs

This young man played for 4 different teams last season. It was a tale of two diff players. When Edmonton and Arizona gave him 13+ mins a game, he produced at over a 0.5ppg avg.

For PIT and NAS where he got 10 mins/game, he did absolutely nothing. So we really have no idea what to expect from this guy. It could very well depend upon how Leafs brass decide to use him.

C Brandon Sutter, Vancouver Canucks

A guy who truly never fit in Pittsburgh, finally got some relief when the Pens flipped him for Nick Bonino. You ask Pens fans and they’ll give you a very different opinion from that of the opinion of a Carolina Hurricanes fan.

The Canucks look like they’re gonna plug him into the 2c spot which is probably the best spot for him in a lineup. Whether or not he can regain his form from Carolina is the question. But I’m willing to bet he find himself again and shows the hockey world he is a legitimate top six forward.

Next: NHL CSS Preliminary Rankings Released

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