Four NHL Teams That Are Hot Or Cold Early In The Off-Season

Just because the Stanley Cup final isn't over yet doesn't mean other NHL teams can't make major changes.

A couple of teams could use that reminder right about now.

After some disappointing ends to their seasons, some NHL squads are on a cold streak now with their early off-season changes. They simply have not done enough so far to suggest they're doing anything but sticking to the status quo, which kept them out of this year's playoffs.

Other teams, however, have been quite active in changing their personnel in the front office and/or behind the bench. In other words, they're on an off-season hot streak heading into the draft and free agency.

Of course, there's plenty of time for situations to change during the summer.

Here are four teams that are hot or cold right now:

The Canucks are going all-in on a rebuild, which includes developing their new front office and coaching staff.

Already, the team has parted with former GM Patrik Allvin and former coach Adam Foote, and Jim Rutherford stepped back from president of hockey operations duties. In their places are young executives and a bench boss who are focused first and foremost on building a culture and the right foundation for success. 

The Canucks hired Daniel and Henrik Sedin as co-presidents of hockey operations and Ryan Johnson as GM on May 14.

Vancouver turned out to be an attractive destination for respected AHL coach Manny Malhotra, who was promoted from the Abbotsford Canucks on June 1.

Despite the Canucks' rebuild, the chance to win in Vancouver is an attractive proposition.

Johnson is a relatively unknown quantity at the NHL management level, but the ability he and Malhotra have when it comes to developing young talent is exactly what the Canucks needed. And the new coach and GM were not consolation-prize hires. They earned these jobs.

Vancouver should become one of the best places young, up-and-coming NHLers will want to play. Hopefully for them, their current veterans will buy into the rebuild as well.

It's simple – when your captain, your best player and your hometown hero decides he wants to be traded, you instantly become an extremely "cold" team.

That is what's happening with Red Wings star center Dylan Larkin now that it's reported that he requested a trade. Larkin has played 10 of his 11 NHL seasons with no playoff hockey, and Detroit kept GM Steve Yzerman and coach Todd McLellan despite a brutal second-half collapse this season.

The Red Wings are not a playoff team, their best player wants out, and their highest pick in this month's draft is in the second round. Absent unexpected positive developments, the Red Wings are now all but radioactive after Larkin's devastating decision.

This isn't to say it's a complete disaster in Motown. The Wings still have some solid assets. But there are ramifications for crumbling as Detroit does year after year, and Larkin wanting out is a natural reaction to an indefensible development. The Red Wings weren't attracting many proven high-end talents before this season, and after it, they're a team that players only choose to join if they're overpaid to be there.

The Predators missed the playoffs for the second straight year and ended up with the No. 10 pick in the NHL draft, which likely makes it tougher to select a prospect with star potential.

It's clear why some Nashville fans might be frustrated with the franchise's middling direction, but as we've seen this week, there is some buy-in.

Across four days, the Predators convinced Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland to join them as their president of hockey operations, and they hired former Los Angeles Kings GM Rob Blake as their executive vice-president of hockey operations.

Nashville's new duo brings Cup-winning experience on a management and playing level, and NHLers who play in Nashville usually want to stay there. So there's much to like in Tennessee. 

The Preds have $27.2 million in projected salary cap space this summer, but the initial heavy lifting was replacing outgoing GM Barry Trotz with new leadership in the front office.

With the right direction, the Predators can be an attractive destination, and management's job now is to ride their current momentum into a place where the franchise has a clear direction and the beginnings of an ascent through the standings.

The Kraken had a major management change in early April when president Ron Francis announced he was stepping down at the end of this season.

Instead of replacing him with someone in the same roles, the Kraken said in their announcement that Jason Botterill will lead hockey operations in his ongoing roles as GM and executive vice-president.

The Kraken are another mushy-middle team right now. They don't have enough elite players needed to compete, even in a relatively weak Pacific Division.

Botterill is projected to have about $28.3 million in cap space, but there's no sense Seattle is only one or two players away from being a true Cup front-runner.

Seattle hasn't had the playoff success the Vegas Golden Knights had as an expansion team, and there's still no championship on the horizon in the short or long term.

The Kraken need a jolt because right now, they're in the back end of the middle-of-the-pack. That's a place no team should want to be.

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