Ottawa Senators Declare Goals
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News: Yes, teams get tired of missing the playoffs. It is something heard every summer every NHL season. This time, the Ottawa Senators are that underachieving team with their own declaration.
Naturally, Ottawa is tired of underachieving. Last year saw more of the same old inconsistencies and that can be said for several teams. Look at Detroit who probably should have made the playoffs but did not.
Shane Pinto, David Perron, and others have pounded out the same message. Can Ottawa finally turn the message into action? Okay, a better way of saying it is this. Do the Senators finally accomplish the goal of making the playoffs?
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Ottawa believes they have their goalie in Linus Ullmark (acquired from Boston). A full season of Pinto and some upgrades could indeed mean a playoff spot. However, several teams may be competing again for the same thing.
Rubber meets the road is all we hear. At some point Ottawa has to win or else.
New York Islanders Banking Internally
New York Post: The New York Islanders made some moves to upgrade the offense via trades and free agency. However, they are banking on health from their beleaguered defensive corps.
Keep in mind, players like Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock were far from 100%. Even Scott Mayfield was far from the same. Simply, the Islanders hope that bringing back their top five defensemen lead to a better fate in 2024-25.
Toronto Making Improvements Of Sorts?
The Hockey News: When it comes to progress, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made progress. How that translates to playoff success remains a question mark. Brad Treliving has been on the job for a little over a year. In that time, Toronto has a more practical goalie duo in Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz.
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Now, that is just one position. The defense has been slightly upgraded as well while Treliving is counting on internal options to improve the Forwards. There will be more moves as the General Manager has options he never had before.
