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Three Best and Worst NHL Teams Off-Seasons of 2026 · Jablam Sports Hockey

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Jlamed Sports Hockey, your home for everything happening around the NHL.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Peter Bojarinov, and every episode we break down the biggest stories, topics every hockey fan is talking about with writers, TV, and radio experts from all 32 teams around the NHL.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: I want to give a shout out this week to Big T, aka Tyler, and Barry.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know he's a big 47 fan.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Praise my brothers.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to say who's the best 47 player ever in the NHL.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's ever been a huge star.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Tori Krug was really good, and I think off the top of my head, 47, he's probably the one.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite, of course, childhood team Toronto Maple Leafs.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Gotta give them a love to my boy Leo Komarov, speaks many languages like I can.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Those Vidania, brother.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I know for you goaltender fans, James Reimer's gotta be up there.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're talking about three best and worst NHL teams of the offseason 2026.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: And in trending down, we've got some Ivan Halenka cup.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Big win for Canada.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Let's drop the buck.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so for best off seasons, I forgot.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: I forgot the the sound.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Alright.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: So for best off seasons, oh man, in the East, I I would have to say that the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins kind of backed into the playoffs.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And the Ottawa Senators, they were pretty good, but they also just barely made the playoffs, and they lost a cornerstone player.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, in my opinion, the East is wide open for a few teams to jump back into the playoffs, and those were some major teams that really improved this offseason.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, Toronto Mate Bleefs.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: They had the most impactful offseason.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they made huge changes in management, including bringing back the franchise, the icon.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Matt Sundine is in a presidential role.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: And new general manager, John Chaika, he really focused on those big deficiencies that they had last year and he improved on them.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Can't say he's not trying.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: They went and added Darren Radish, big move to get him, big contract.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: They went and added two-time Stanley Cup, champion, Vesna winner, Sergei Bobrowski, and if they can get a healthy Chris Taniff, that should all be big improvements.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: They overspent on the bottom six, but they're all defensive-minded, strong players with some good acumen there.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: And they're all two-year contracts, so it won't be too hard to unload.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: And uh to top all of that off, they won the draft lottery and got the talented Gavin McKenna.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Huge additions there.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: Out, of course, Brandon Carlo and Robertson for picks, and both Joseph and Dennis Hill to be in different trades.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, the Washington Capitals, 15th in scoring last year, and that weakness they addressed, and I think that should get them back in the playoffs as well.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Alex Tuck is in with that big contract, made the trade for Jordan Cairo, and they even added a solid center in Boone Jenner.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Out is Connor McMichael, but you have to think they have to have one of the better top nine four groups in the East now going into this season.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, the New York Rangers.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: General manager Chris Dreary needed to bring more offense because they were awful in scoring, and he filled that hole.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: The Rangers added back-to-back 30 goal score, Pavel Dorfev, getting big money.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: It was 11 million per year.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Whoo! And he bolsted their depth.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think they were a bit of a mid-defensive team.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: So they added Sean Derzy and Marcus Peterson, that jet up that, Gonner, Vincent Trochik, Will Borgan, and Jonathan Quick.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: If you want more deeper analysis, you can go to my Substack article.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: I include also some honorable mentions for the best and the worst.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Alright, so moving on to the worst.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: The Ottawa Senators.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: They lost Brady Kacak.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's a huge blow to that team.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: I know fans in Ottawa are like they're past it.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: They've had enough of the podcast and everything.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And they think it might improve them, but man, how can you improve by moving that emotional leader, that physical force?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: So outside of losing a top power forward, which is rare in today's NHL, the team was 30th.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: 30th in goaltending last year in save percentage.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Did they improve?
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: They added Samuel Earson.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: He's not that good, in my opinion.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't know how that moves the needle.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: With some of the picks, they added William Eklund, and they've also brought in Andre Berkovsky.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: The Buffalo Sabres, number two, they just lost too much core talent and didn't bring in much.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the yes, they added Owen Zellweger, and he's a nice cheaper addition to losing Bowen Bynum and also Alex Tuck.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like they were fifth in goal scoring last year, but you're losing those two pieces, and that takes away a big chunk of that offense.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: And third, the Anaheim Ducks.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they didn't have a disastrous offseason, but it's hard to argue they improved much.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Adding AJ Greer, Nick Jensen, but out are Radio Gudis, Mason McTavish, and Jacob Truba.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: They spent a lot of cap space on Leo Carlson, which is great to have them, but again, 18 million.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: Woo! And they added complimentary season players, but again, losing McTavish and some of those other guys, it's not good.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think this is progress.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: Especially with Cutter Goche still unsigned, and Benett Seneca is gonna need a big contract extension too soon.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's tough.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then trending, trending, trending now.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: Can obliterates Team USA 8-1 in the 2026 Ivan Halenka tournament, gold medal match.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: After the first period, it was 3-1, and they were just dominating in shots.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: They never look back, possession, everything.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: The Americans are gonna go, boo, yeah, so Canada won this little tournament.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: This is the future.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: These are future pieces.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And those top players, DuPont and Maddox and Crips, and like they all they were the reasons they won and dominated that last game, too.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Just the top players are the top of the crop, and they brought their A game, and that's why they dominated.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Also trending now, people are talking about the top defenders list.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'm creating my own for every position on Substack.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: My deuce podcast episodes.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: So you can check those out in Substack coming soon.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: But the NHL reached their top 10 defenders, NHL Network.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Lee fans aren't happy.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Newly acquired Darren Radish isn't even in the top 20.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Euler Media isn't as take thinking this is a big snub as Bouchard was only 10th overall.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't know.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I can't I don't see him in top five.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because granted, he's a top three offensive, but we're talking about all around defensive, and Bouchard's not the greatest in the back end.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And in signings.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Well, if you forecheck and you backcheck, you're gonna get a paycheck, and that's what Nakita Grobenkin got in a reopening with the Flyers.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: 1.2 million per year for two seasons.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: And Pittsburgh signs a top 10 franchise contract given to Villy Koivan.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Really?
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, yes.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: 23-year-old gets paid$32 million over eight years, so$4 million capit.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: A little wild since he only played 39 games last year, seven points.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: But I believe Kyle Dubis is hoping to bang big uh on this one, the second round pick in his HL stats for their minor team.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: He had 1.2 points per game, so I think he's expecting that to get closer to that type of output in production.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: And that's our look at this week's trending now stories.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'll catch you in the next episode.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: And again, if you have any questions for the show, let me know on X at P Bojarno.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's P B O J A R I N O V.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Bye.