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The National Hockey League offseason has come and almost gone, with teams set to report to training camps in the next two weeks. As the dog days of summer drag on, hockey players are staring to return to the ice and prepare for the 2023-24 season. Although the paper test almost never holds up to the real world, there are a few teams that got noticeably better on paper this offseason.
A couple of teams on this list swung for the fences by completing blockbuster deals, while some looked to free agency to improve their rosters ahead of another campaign. Each of these five franchises absolutely got better over the summer, and it will be intriguing to see if the moves lead to better results when a new hockey season gets underway in early October.
5) Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs finally won a playoff round in 2023, defeating their arch-nemesis Tampa Bay Lightning in six games after being beaten two straight years. It was their first postseason triumph since 2004, and although the glory was short-lived after a surprising five-game loss to the Florida Panthers, the future is still bright in Toronto.
That's especially true after Auston Matthews broke his own four-year, $53 million contract, becoming the highest-paid player in the NHL. But the Leafs undoubtedly got better this offseason, adding Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi to the top-six. Along with Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, it's a scary set of forwards.
New GM Brad Treliving also gave John Klingberg a show-me deal, and the Swedish defenseman should thrive offensively on a team that scores a ton of goals. It was relief for Leafs fans to get a postseason win, and all eyes are on the Stanley Cup next year.
4) Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets were awful in 2022-23, finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference. But they added two top-four defensemen this offseason, acquiring Ivan Provorov from the Philadelphia Flyers and Damon Saverson from the New Jersey Devils. If Zach Werenski can stay healthy next year, they will probably be the most improved defensive team in the NHL.
The Jackets also now boast an elite prospect after reigning Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli was selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He figures to play a prominent role as a rookie next season, as does top prospect David Jiricek, who also figures to make the team. A postseason berth is still unlikely in 2023-24, but Columbus got a ton better this summer.
3) Detroit Red Wings
Alex DeBrincat is headed back to his home state after Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings made a huge blockbuster deal to pry the sniper out of Ottawa. The 25-year-old is the best winger that star Dylan Larkin has ever played with, and those two should be an electric combo next season.
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Also joining the ranks are top-six forward JT Compher, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, along with solid D-men Jeff Petry and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Atlantic Division is getting better and better, and should be the best division in the league next season. Expect the Red Wings to compete for a playoff spot after completely revamping the roster this summer.
2) Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes didn't need to make any trades to get even better this summer. They won the Dmitry Orlov sweepstakes, signing the best defensemen available in NHL Free Agency to a two-year deal. Tony DeAngelo is also back in Raleigh after being signed by GM Don Waddell, and together, the two figure to make up the best third pairing in the game of hockey.
It's Stanley Cup or bust for the Hurricanes at this point, after finishing with the second-best record last season. And they added a perfect playoff player in Michael Bunting, who adds a dependable scoring touch after delivering back-to-back 23-goal seasons. The Canes were elite before this offseason, but now they genuinely look like the team to beat in a stacked Eastern Conference next year.
1) Pittsburgh Penguins
It was an interesting offseason for Kyle Dubas, who was let go by the Leafs and ended up as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins just moments after. And he immediately made an impact, doing his part to give Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang the supporting cast they deserve for their final few NHL seasons.
Erik Karlsson is a Penguin, and that alone is enough to make them one of the most-improved teams this offseason. The reigning Norris Trophy winner just put up an astounding 101 points with the lowly San Jose Sharks, and will now be playing with much better players in Pennsylvania. Dubas also traded for Stanley Cup champion Reilly Smith, and added solid D-man Ryan Graves and depth forwards Lars Eller, Noel Acciari and Andreas Johnsson.
Pittsburgh missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 seasons in 2022-23, but do not expect that to happen again after a lights out offseason from Kyle Dubas. The Penguins will be as tough an out as any team when they return to the dance next April.
