Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal in double overtime, but was certainly not the story of Game 1 of this Western Conference Final. Thatās how far the Edmonton Oilers have come.
As the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers play on towards their goal of the Stanley Cup, their Round 2 opponents are left in the dust considering what went right, what went wrong, and what needs to happen next to return here again in 2025, and push beyond.
Each of the teams eliminated in Round 2 likely has a different view of their season. Vancouver, for example, has to view this season as a success where they overachieved expectations and now will try to navigate whatās perhaps an opening Stanley Cup window. The Boston Bruins, after losing their top two centres last summer, made it further in the playoffs than they did the previous two years and now have summer cap space to upgrade what they couldnāt a year ago. Colorado certainly had Cup aspirations again, but never got captain Gabriel Landeskog back and then lost their leading post-season goal scorer at a crucial time. Carolina may enter the summer the most disappointed of all, as this seemed to be the year they were best equipped to go on a run.
So with one last look back on the teams who were eliminated in Round 2, we look at the top off-season questions facing the Canucks, Bruins, Avalanche and Hurricanes.
Colorado Avalanche: Whatās next for Valeri Nichushkin?
First, the good news for Colorado: at a press conference on Thursday morning captain Gabriel Landeskog ā who hasnāt played in two years after having a knee cartilage transplant ā said he still planned to make a return, hopefully in 2024-25. He was seen skating on his own at times during Coloradoās two-round playoff run, but wasnāt really an option to return to the lineup. Thereās still no timeline on when he could be back, but the fact he didnāt retire brings hope that he will still be a contributing part of this group a year from now.
Now the bad news: Valeri Nichushkin was given a six-month suspension and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program midway through their second round series against the Dallas Stars. It was the second year in a row the winger was forced off the team during a playoff run, leaving them in the middle of 2023ās series against Seattle for āpersonal reasonsā after he was involved in a āpolice incident.ā
The first priority is to get the player the help he needs, but there could be on- and off-ice fallout from this, too. Has he lost the trust of his teammates or the organization after two incidents in two playoffs? Is there a path back to the team for him? Nichushkin has grown considerably as a producer for the Avs, finishing fourth on the team in points per game (0.98) this season in 54 games and then leading them with nine goals in eight playoff games. Heās also signed for another six years with an AAV of $6.125 million, with a no-move clause through next season before a modified no-trade kicks in for the rest of the deal.