5 Offseason Predictions Around the NHL Heading Into the 2022-23 Season

The 2021/22 NHL regular season has been completed and we head to round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

General managers of teams out of the playoffs have begun their offseason with the NHL Entry Draft and free agency right around the corner. This is also the time when fans get their predictions ready to determine what their teams will do this offseason.

Here are five predictions for the NHL offseason:

The Kings will add forward Filip Forsberg and Defenseman Jakob Chychrun to their roster

The Los Angeles Kings have cap space and assets in their pipeline to add two high-quality pieces to their organization to make a serious run in the playoffs next season. Filip Forsberg and Jakob Chychrun have both been linked to the Kings this season but no movement yet.

Forsberg, a Nashville Predators UFA who is free to sign anywhere, and Chychrun, who still has term but the Arizona Coyotes are rebuilding, can make the Kings a deadly team and fill some serious holes in the roster.

Here are some potential offseason moves involving big names.

Barry Trotz will be announced as the new coach of the Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights relieved coach Pete DeBoer of his coaching duties after a surprisingly poor performance by the Golden Knights this season. Vegas could see some serious changes to the roster because of cap issues, which could result in some big-name players moving on.

With the anticipated moves that could be made, Vegas could use a coach like Barry Trotz to shape this team back into a Stanley Cup contender again. He has a knack for taking teams who struggled and forming them into defensive specialists, so this would be perfect for Trotz and the Golden Knights as he comes with a lot of coaching experience and has done more with less.

Could be a big move for Vegas in what certainly will be a big offseason for the Golden Knights.

Fleury Goes back to Pittsburgh

There comes a time when all good things come to an end. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury both do not have many years left to compete for a Stanley Cup.

With Fleury getting older and the Penguins’ core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang not knowing their futures, it would be a perfect ending to have Fleury reunite with the Penguins for one last playoff push.

Due to Fleury and his age, do not expect the Wild to get much in return, enough to cover some roster posts.

Red Wings sign Trocheck 

The Detroit Red Wings are turning the corner in their rebuild and could look to some assets for help in that process. The biggest problem for the Red Wings is center depth and could have an answer in Carolina Hurricanes center Vincent Trocheck.

Trocheck is a UFA and comes with a cheap price tag, which comes in handy for Detroit.  He is a good two-way center to help Detroit immediately and slot in the second-line center position as well as play all special teams.

He could be the asset  Detroit is looking for not only to add depth and offense but to mentor the young players coming in over the next couple of seasons.

Maple Leafs trade Nylander to Nashville

With the Toronto Maple Leafs enduring another first-round playoff exit, general manager Kyle Dubas may look to shake things up and make some changes.

One of those transactions could be moving forward William Nylander, who has been rumored to be on the move over the past few seasons. The Maple Leafs are in cap trouble and the Nashville Predators could be a willing party to take on Nylander.

The Predators could use another scorer like Nylander, plus they have the cap space and assets to do such a move. Could be something to keep an eye on.

The NHL offseason will begin following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.