Can Cup finalists make return trip?
The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils were surprising Stanley Cup finalists this year. USA TODAY Sports NHL columnist Kevin Allen looks at whether they will be one-hit wonders or prime contenders moving forward:
Los Angeles Kings
Strengths: 1. Jonathan Quick is a difference-maker in net. 2. Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and others could still have their best seasons in front of them. 3. Drew Doughty, 22, is among the NHL’s top defensemen.
Salary cap: Even if they re-sign all of their free agents, the Kings could have $7 million or more to buy a free agent.
Unrestricted free agents: No. 3 center Jarret Stoll, No. 4 center Colin Fraser and second-line winger Dustin Penner.
Goaltending outlook: Quick is 26 and hasn’t reached his prime. Jonathan Bernier, 23, is considered a top prospect.
Issues: 1. Quick becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2013. If he has another season like this, he will want to be one of the league’s highest-paid goalies. 2. Two key defensemen, Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi, are 35 and 33, respectively. 3. If Stoll leaves, it creates a significant hole down the middle. He’s a dependable third-line center and a high- character man in the dressing room.
On the horizon: Winger Jordan Nolan, 6-3, 227 pounds, could play an expanded role as his career matures, and so could fellow 22-year-old Dwight King, roughly the same size.
Prospects for being in the hunt next season: Strong.
New Jersey Devils
Strengths: 1. General manager Lou Lamoriello has a long history of being able
to fix his teams and make them competitive year after year. 2. Ilya Kovalchuk is among the league’s most dynamic players. 3. Adam Henrique has proved he’s among the league’s rising young stars.
Salary cap: The Devils have about $28 million in cap space, according to CapGeek.com, but they have only 13 players under contract.
Unrestricted free agents: Captain Zach Parise, defensemen Bryce Salvador and Peter Harrold, wingers Alexei Ponikarovsky and Petr Sykora and their entire fourth line of Ryan Carter, Stephen Gionta and Steve Bernier.
Goaltending outlook: Martin Brodeur proved he could still play at 40. The Devils probably want to keep Johan Hedberg, one of the league’s best backups.
Issues: 1. Parise likely will sign elsewhere, heavily damaging the offense. 2. The ownership has financial issues. 3. The goalies are approaching retirement.
On the horizon: Adam Larsson, 19, was a healthy scratch in the playoffs, but he played well enough in the regular season to show why he’s considered the best young defenseman the team has had since Scott Niedermayer.
Prospects for being in the hunt next season: Iffy, although it’s difficult to discount Lamoriello’s impact.