The end of 2022 is upon us and so is the holiday season. No matter what holiday you celebrate, gift-giving is top-of-mind for many as the year winds down.
Though we’re not quite at the half point of the 2022-23 NHL season just yet, the end of the year is a great time for reflection and introspection across the board. It’s been a pretty awesome year overall for hockey, from the fun Stanley Cup Final to the surprise teams — the New Jersey Devils? — that have shot their way to the top.
With the NHL nearly at its annual holiday break, now is the perfect time to take a look at what each team could want for themselves entering 2023. Here is what all 32 NHL teams should wish for this holiday season.
Anaheim Ducks
A way to stop winning
The Ducks have been the worst team in the NHL for most of the season. Recently, however, the team has rattled off a few wins, making them the second-worst team in the NHL behind the Blackhawks. With the Connor Bedard draft coming up next summer, the Ducks need to find a way to keep the tank going at any cost so their odds are as high as possible for the upcoming lottery.
Arizona Coyotes
An outstanding year from Jakob Chychrun
The marriage between the Coyotes and Chychrun has run its course and it’s only a matter of time before the 24-year-old defenseman is traded. That being said, the Coyotes price for Chychrun is exorbitantly high — two firsts and a prospect! — and as such, most NHL teams probably find it too rich for their blood at the moment. If Chychrun can have a phenominal year — he has 13 points in 14 games as of Wednesday — the Coyotes will likely find themselves with no shortage of suitors for the cornerstone defenseman.
Boston Bruins
A spa day
The Bruins have — essentially — locked up their playoff spot this early thanks to all the work they did through the first few months of the season. Of course, Boston can’t just not show up for their remaining games, but the Bruins have the luxury to stretch their legs in the second half when many other teams will be fighting tooth and nail for a chance at the playoffs.
Buffalo Sabres
Tage Thompson’s developmental program
Thompson has been lighting the NHL on fire this season with 25 goals and 49 points. Even though the Sabres are expected to miss the playoffs again, Thompson’s breakout is a great sign for Buffalo’s future. If every one of their young players — Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn, Casey Mittelstadt, and Owen Power, among others — can develop like Thompson has, the Sabres are going to be scary good in no time.
Calgary Flames
A way to jumpstart Jonathan Huberdeau
It’s safe to say Huberdeau hasn’t had the season he’s hoped for with his new team. With 19 points in 29 games played, Huberdeau has been a far cry from his 115-point season last year with Florida. As the Flames battle for a playoff spot, they’ll need to find a way to get Huberdeau back on track to being a key offensive playmaker for this team.
Carolina Hurricanes
Continue riding the hot hand in Pyotr Kochetkov
Kochetkov has been stellar for the Hurricanes this year. With a .928 save percentage and a 10-1-4 record, the rookie has done all that was asked of him and more in relief of an injured Frederik Andersen. With Andersen set to return soon, however, the Hurricanes should continue to roll with Kochetkov as their starter until the rookie shows signs of faltering. After all, if it’s not broke why fix it?
Chicago Blackhawks
Buyers for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane
The Blackhawks have been absolutely tragic recently, posting a seven-game losing streak to plummet them into last in the NHL. With the team in free fall and a rebuild upon them, Chicago likely wants to get something out of Toews and Kane’s expiring contracts as they emerge as one of the top contenders to land Bedard.
Colorado Avalanche
Get healthy
Coming off a Stanley Cup winning season, the Avalanche have had a rough go of it this year for one major reason: injuries. Colorado has the fourth-most man-games lost to injury this season, with big names such as Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Bowen Byram, and Josh Manson spending time on injured reserve. Injury luck can make or break a team and it’s a shame the Avalanche are being hobbled by a circumstance well out of their control.
Columbus Blue Jackets
A mulligan on their offseason
The Blue Jackets landed the biggest free agent in Johnny Gaudreau this past offseason then did absolutely nothing else with their summer. Injuries have really hampered Columbus this season, so much so that they’re in the Bedard sweepstakes, but the team wasn’t going to be good even if they were at full strength. I’m still not sure what general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was doing here.
Dallas Stars
A steak dinner for Jason Robertson
Robertson has breathed new life into this Stars squad. Not that long ago, Dallas had aged out of its high-octane offense and was on the decline, but Robertson has turned the Stars into powerhouse once again. Give that man the best steak dinner money can by.
Detroit Red Wings
Get Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider back on track
Raymond and Seider are in the midst of nasty sophomore slumps. After the pair took the NHL by storm in their first years — with Seider winning the Calder Trophy at the end of it too — their second years have been met with very little fanfare. There’s no cause for alarm for the pair’s future, but Red Wings fans would surely love to see two of their brightest stars have better second halves of the 2022-23 season even if the playoffs aren’t on the table.
Edmonton Oilers
Someone else to step up besides Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl
Since they began their Oilers careers, McDavid and Draisaitl have led Edmonton as the team’s deadly one-two punch. Outside of that, however, the Oilers aren’t too scary of a team. Last season’s Oilers had remedied that somewhat with Evander Kane and Zach Hyman playing crucial roles on the team. Now, however, injuries have done a number on the Oilers depth and things are back to the way they were. No one will be able to match McDavid and Draisaitl’s level, but they can’t be on the ice for the full 60 minutes that’s for sure.
Florida Panthers
Last season’s offense
The Panthers sit outside the playoff picture with a goal differential of zero this season. Sure, Florida wasn’t likely going to continue to be the NHL’s best offense for the second year in a row, but the team’s 3.33 goals per game is ninth best in the league and is quite the drop off from last year’s 4.11 average goals per game.
Los Angeles Kings
Help in net
Offense hasn’t been a problem for this Kings team this year. Unfortunately, Jonathan Quick has been showing his age in net with an 8-8-3 record and an .882 save percentage. Getting another body at the goaltending position would surely shore up the Kings as one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Minnesota Wild
More clean hits like these from Ryan Reaves
Having a big bruiser on your team can sometimes cause more headaches than they’re worth, but so far Reaves has done well to rein it in. This hard open ice hit on Filip Hronek might make you cringe, but it’s a good, clean hit by the letter of the law. More of these in the NHL and less of the predatory head hunting!
RYAN REAVES OH MY GOD 😱 pic.twitter.com/YqcUMrVH8P
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 15, 2022
Montreal Canadiens
More opportunities for Juraj Slafkovsky
The No. 1 overall pick from this past year is averaging close to 12 minutes a night for the Canadiens so far. It makes sense that Martin St. Louis is limiting his minutes given this is the first NHL action he’s seen, but it’d be nice if the Canadiens gave Slafkovsky a bit more room to run in the second half of the season. After all, the Canadiens aren’t in the playoff hunt, so as long as Slafkovsky’s development isn’t taking a hit, what’s the harm?
Nashville Predators
A few double-digit goal scorers
Things have been real dire out there for the Predators. The team is second-last in the NHL in goals scored this season (74) with Nino Niederreiter the only player to hit double digits in goals. Nashville has been just completely stagnant offensively and it’s been painful to watch.
New Jersey Devils
Apologies from their haters
Don’t deny it, you too were a Devils skeptic coming into this season. I’ll admit, I wasn’t a believer in this New Jersey squad before, but the team has really come together under the banner of its youth and it’s been a blast to watch. You have my sincerest apologies, Devils fans, for not believing in your team’s superiority.
New York Islanders
An increase to Mathew Barzal’s shooting percentage
Barzal isn’t primarily a goal scorer, but the 25-year-old has just four goals on the year with a career-low 5.1 shooting percentage on 78 shots. He’s made up for it with 27 assists so far this season, but here’s hoping pucks start going in the net for Barzal in 2023.
New York Rangers
Steps forward from Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko
Will 2023 be the year Lafreniere and Kakko take a major leap forward? So far, the Rangers haven’t needed to rely on the pair as much for offense with how stacked they are overall. Still, the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks from just a few seasons ago haven’t wowed in the way many were expecting.
Ottawa Senators
Ryan Reynolds
Don’t we all want Ryan Reynolds in our life? But seriously, Reynolds is rumored to become part of the Senators new ownership after the team went on sale earlier in the fall. Bringing a beloved celebrity like Reynolds into the fold would do wonders for the Senators brand — and the NHL’s overall. It might not help their on-ice product but at least it’d be fun!
Philadelphia Flyers
Sage to burn at the Wells Fargo Center
The Flyers are a cursed hockey team. Ryan Ellis may never play hockey again. Sean Couturier has yet to play a game this season. And now, Cam Atkinson is having season-ending neck surgery among other injuries the team has suffered this season. It’s time to get Gritty to burn some sage in the bowels of the Wells Fargo Center.
Pittsburgh Penguins
A reason not move on from Jeff Carter
Penguins fans don’t want to hear this, but Carter is still in the first year of his new two-year, $6.25 million deal signed back in January. In his age-38 season, Carter has 14 points in 29 games and has not at all lived up to his contract. Pittsburgh is riding high right now and Carter could very well be on the move for a more productive piece by the trade deadline if he can’t get it going again.
San Jose Sharks
A new home for Erik Karlsson
Karlsson deserves better than to languish on the Sharks for another season. The 32-year-old defenseman is in the midst of a bounce back season for the ages (42 points in 34 games) after having a rough patch since moving to the Bay Area. Now, however, with Karlsson back to his usual self and the Sharks facing a long rebuild, San Jose could get a king’s ransom for the offensive defenseman as he chases his first-ever Stanley Cup.
Seattle Kraken
A rejuvenated Shane Wright
Wright has not gotten the start he’s wanted for his NHL career. Playing in just eight games and scoring only two points, it’s been a rough season for the 19-year-old rookie. That being said, Wright will be headed to the World Juniors to play for Team Canada this holiday, a perfect spot for the No. 4 overall pick to get his groove back and return to Seattle a more seasoned hockey player.
St Louis Blues
Consistency
The Blues have been a weird team this year. For a large majority of the season, the Blues have ridden large win and loss streaks with not much in between. St. Louis has had win streaks of three, seven, and now four games, but have also had losing streaks of eight and four games. This inconsistency has them sitting outside the playoff bubble, as their swing between extremes has left them unable to find momentum this year.
Tampa Bay Lightning
A return to normalcy for Victor Hedman
It’s rare to see Victor Hedman so off his game like he has been this season. With just 17 points in 29 games, the veteran defender has certainly taken a step back from the Hedman we’re so familiar with. Right now, the Lightning are in a pretty good position in the Atlantic, but a down year from Hedman could spell disaster for Tampa Bay’s overall Stanley Cup hopes.
Toronto Maple Leafs
A playoff series win
Look, the Maple Leafs are a really good regular season team. After fighting back from an unacceptable first few weeks of the season, the Maple Leafs have been one of the NHL’s best teams these last few months. A playoff spot isn’t assured for them, sure, but given what’s at stake if the team fails to make it out of the first round again next spring, Toronto has to win a playoff series in 2023.
Vancouver Canucks
A sense of direction
The Canucks have been one of the NHL’s biggest disappointments in recent years. Abysmal cap management, poor locker room culture, and a lack of on-ice talent have left Vancouver rudderless in a sea of sharks. There are no easy answers coming for the Canucks, but the team’s management can be stagnant with this team no longer.
Vegas Golden Knights
A speedy recovery for Jack Eichel
Eichel’s been one of Vegas’ best players this season with 13 goals and 29 points in 27 games played. Unfortunately, Eichel’s been sidelined since December 9 with a lower body injury. The Golden Knights are in a good position atop the Pacific, but you never want to see one of the more exciting players in this league out for long.
Washington Capitals
Another 50-goal season from Alex Ovechkin
Ovechkin’s been doing it all for the Capitals right now. History making notwithstanding, Ovechkin’s 20 goals and 36 points for the Capitals is leading the way for a team that looked dead in the water after the first month and a half of the season. Another 50-goal season from Ovechkin would likely be a big help in getting the Capitals back into the playoffs.
Winnipeg Jets
A Jack Adams nomination for Rick Bowness
Bowness had his work cut out for him this season as the team’s new head coach after the Jets stripped Blake Wheeler of his captaincy. Now, the Jets are 21-10-1 and second in the Central, with the team looking more coordinated than ever before. If trends continue, Bowness will help the Jets get back to the playoffs after missing the cutoff by eight points last year.
