Ben Shelley Articles - Page 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins were officially eliminated from playoff contention over the weekend. It marks the third season in a row in which the team has failed to reach the playoffs. The Penguins hold a 31-35-12 record and sit 14th in the Eastern Conference in points percentage. As a result, it seems like the team is […]

In the 2022-23 season, the Boston Bruins put together one of the most impressive regular seasons in NHL history. Their incredible 65 wins ranked as the most in regular season history. So their decline to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings just two years later comes as a bit of a shock. As of […]

The Anaheim Ducks were officially eliminated from playoff contention this week, following a loss to the Calgary Flames. It marks the seventh straight year in which the Ducks have failed to reach the postseason. The Ducks are clearly building long-term, but have struggled to really take a step out of their rebuild. A lot of […]

With the Seattle Kraken being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, their focus will soon shift to the offseason. Seattle has seen one playoff berth in their four years as an organization. But with the team still well outside of playoff contention, questions remain as to where they’ll go from here. Below is a list of […]

After a busy 2024 offseason, the Nashville Predators looked set to be a contender in the Western Conference this year. The Predators made three key additions in free agency, who looked poised to be impact players in Nashville. Notably, the team brought in Steven Stamkos on a four-year contract, while also adding Jonathan Marchessault. The […]

After missing the playoffs in 2023-24, the Seattle Kraken made their intentions of being competitive again clear last summer. The team fired head coach Dake Hakstol, who had spent three years with the team. Seattle then made two major splashes in free agency, signing both Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson. However, the Kraken weren’t able […]

Over the last few seasons, the San Jose Sharks have been firmly in the midst of a rebuild. We’ve seen them sell off the majority of their old core, dealing away the likes of Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier and Tomas Hertl. That continued this year, with San Jose once again selling before the […]

A couple weeks removed from the NHL trade deadline, and the New York Rangers haven’t seen great results. The Rangers were perhaps the most active team this season, trading away the likes of Jacob Trouba and Kaapo Kakko, before acquiring J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. In the week leading up to the trade deadline, […]

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves in an interesting spot heading towards the NHL trade deadline. Riding a five-game win streak, the Canadiens are seemingly back in the playoff mix. As a result, the organization is faced with a dilemma. They could look to move veterans and stockpile future assets, but it could come at the […]

With the 4 Nations Face-Off now in the rearview mirror, all focus around the NHL turns towards the trade deadline. Less than two weeks away, fans will quickly get confirmation of who’s buying and who’s selling. With that being said, it’s safe to assume that the Philadelphia Flyers will be one of the teams who […]

Sitting at just a .500 points percentage with 28 games remaining, the Anaheim Ducks are likely to be sellers at the NHL trade deadline once again in 2024-25. It follows a similar trend to the past few years, with the Ducks still trying to climb out of their rebuild. In 2022, we saw the team […]

With 25 games remaining in the 2024-25 NHL season, the San Jose Sharks are poised to miss the playoffs yet again. The team has been in a full-scale rebuild since Mike Grier took over as general manager in 2022. The sell-off has seen the team move key pieces, such as Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Timo […]

In some ways, drafting Trevor Zegras marked the beginning of the Anaheim Ducks’ new era. After reaching the playoffs in six straight years between 2013 and 2018 (and 11 times in the last 13 years), the Ducks found themselves on the outside looking in by the end of the 2018-19 season. The team’s core was […]

With the St. Louis Blues likely to miss the playoffs again this season, fans could see the team sell roster players before the NHL trade deadline. One name that’s emerged as a possible trade candidate recently is Blues captain Brayden Schenn. Schenn has been with St. Louis for eight seasons, winning a Stanley Cup with […]

With the NHL’s trade deadline still nearly a month away, we’ve already seen a few major deals. The Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche swapped stars in Mikko Rantanen and Martin Necas, while the New York Rangers finally acquired J.T. Miller. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks acquired Marcus Pettersson, and the Dallas Stars added pending free agent […]

Heading towards the NHL trade deadline, there likely won’t be a ton of goaltenders available. But, Karel Vejmelka may be one of them. Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson remains an option, but his contract could still be a concern for interested teams. Meanwhile, Mackenzie Blackwood was already moved and subsequently signed to a big extension […]

With the Chicago Blackhawks near the bottom of the NHL standings, the team is expected to sell at the trade deadline. The issue the Blackhawks will face is that they don’t have many pieces who are likely to bring back big returns. Taylor Hall was just dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes at a low cost, […]

Nearing the NHL trade deadline, the Buffalo Sabres once again find themselves in a position to sell. Jason Zucker is arguably the most likely player to be traded by the Sabres. The winger was signed to a one-year deal last offseason and has put together a really strong season, scoring 18 goals and 38 points in […]

Early into the 2024-25 NHL season, the Montreal Canadiens seemed destined to sell at the trade deadline. The Canadiens sat near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, still just looking to come out of their rebuild. However, the club has turned things around, emerging as one of the league’s hottest teams since mid-December. Montreal has […]

Approaching the midway mark of the season, the St. Louis Blues have seen pretty mixed results. Through 34 games, the Blues hold a 15-16-3 record and just a .485 points percentage. As of now, St. Louis sits 11th in the Western Conference in points percentage. So below, we take a look at the biggest reasons […]

The Seattle Kraken’s start to the 2024-25 season has seen mixed results. After missing the playoffs last season, it’s clear through the Kraken’s offseason moves that there was an emphasis on immediate improvement. However, the team holds a 14-14-1 record through 29 games, ranking 10th in the Western Conference in points percentage. So below, we […]

Early into the 2024-25 NHL season, the Ottawa Senators’ season hasn’t gone according to plan. Coming off seven straight years without a postseason appearance, there’s some pressure for progress in Ottawa. But through 25 games, the Senators carry a 12-12-2 record, sitting 10th in the East in points percentage. With a lot of season left, […]

It’s been four years since the Philadelphia Flyers reached the postseason. Turning over a portion of their roster over the last few years, the Flyers opted to build for the future. However, the team looks to be on the upswing. The Flyers hold a 12-10-3 record thus far and find themselves in the playoff mix […]

Entering the season, expectations for the Los Angeles Kings weren’t wildly high. The team was coming off three straight playoff eliminations at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, and the Kings didn’t accomplish a ton in the offseason. The subtractions outweighed the additions, and it was tough to view the team as a contender. But […]

There were high hopes for the Nashville Predators coming into the 2024-25 NHL season. The Predators had gotten back to the playoffs last year, for a bit of a surprise success. Then this summer, Nashville made huge additions in free agency, seemingly setting them up to be a contender in the Western Conference. However, the […]

The Carolina Hurricanes once again find themselves near the top of the Metropolitan Division early on, opening their season with a 10-3-0 record. Despite Carolina having a lot of regular season success over the Rod Brind’Amour era, they also suffered some major offseason losses. Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen and others departed, […]

In early November 2021, the Buffalo Sabres traded franchise center Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights. Selected second overall in 2015, Eichel was seen as the player who could help lead the team back to relevancy. But while he arguably did his part, the pieces weren’t put in place around him. The Sabres cycled […]

The Winnipeg Jets sit atop the NHL through 12 games, holding an 11-1-0 record so far this season. The hot start probably shouldn’t come as a giant surprise, given the team’s success last year. They posted 110 points in the 2023-24 season, good enough for second in the Western Conference. But an early, five-game first […]

The Seattle Kraken signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a five-year contract extension on Wednesday. The deal carries a $5 million cap hit as well as a partial no-trade clause, and will kick in for the 2025-26 season. Below, we take a look at how the Daccord’s new contract looks for the Kraken. Joey Daccord’s Success […]

Once again, the Colorado Avalanche enter the 2024-25 season as one of the Western Conference’s top teams. Only two years removed from a Stanley Cup win, the Avalanche roster features some of the game’s top stars. There’s an argument to be made that Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen represent three of the NHL’s […]

In just three seasons since entering the league, the Seattle Kraken have already seen their share of ups and downs. After an expectedly tough inaugural season, the Kraken managed to reach the playoffs in just their second season. However, eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche and reaching the second round may have resulted […]

Over the last couple of seasons, the Calgary Flames have entered a new era. The Flames captured the Pacific Division title during the 2021-22 season. However, departures followed, with the team losing a chunk of its core after that point. The Matthew Tkachuk-for-Jonathan Huberdeau blockbuster ended up being a massive bust for Calgary, while the […]

For a team in the midst of a rebuild, the Philadelphia Flyers were surprisingly competitive last season. Ultimately, they still missed the playoffs, but they hung around longer than anyone would’ve predicted. Coming off a couple of tough seasons, simply finishing with a record above .500 was a surprise. By the time the season ended, […]

In 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights managed to capture their first Stanley Cup in just their sixth year as an NHL franchise. As a result, with the team running back a very similar roster last season, it seemed as though a rare back-to-back Stanley Cup run was possible. However, Vegas struggled as the year went […]

Over the last half-decade, the Carolina Hurricanes have established themselves as a contender in the East. Building through the draft and seeing improved results under Rod Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes have at times looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup favorite. But after an offseason highlighted by key departures, Carolina may be looking at a bit of […]

After missing the playoffs for the first time in several years, the Minnesota Wild stayed fairly quiet in NHL free agency. The Wild made a few minor additions, but overall, there wasn’t a ton of turnover. Of course, their hands have really been tied by the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts. The total cap […]

The Winnipeg Jets are coming off somewhat of a surprisingly strong 2023-24 campaign. Just one year ago, the organization’s direction seemed to be up in the air, with the futures of two franchise cornerstones in Mark Scheifele  and Connor Hellebuyck unclear. However, not only did the duo ink matching seven-year contracts, but the Jets went […]

The New York Islanders once again suffered from a lack of cap space, heading into the offseason. Perpetually in a cap crunch over the last few seasons, the Islanders have struggled to add. As a result, the organization finds themselves in a bit of a stale spot right now. Much of the team’s core, in […]

Riding a 13-year playoff drought, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves still struggling to make meaningful progress. This past season, the Sabres finished 12th in the East. With a young core established though and an abundance of cap space, free agency seemed like a good opportunity to make improvements to their roster. However, Buffalo stayed relatively […]