The Chicago Blackhawks could attempt to add an established young winger for Connor Bedard's line, while the Detroit Red Wings have several roster issues to be addressed during the off-season.
Armed with that vote of confidence from the club's ownership, Davidson will set his sights on improving his roster.
Under Davidson, the Blackhawks are rebuilding their roster with younger talent, augmented by veteran additions, with Connor Bedard as the foundation piece.
He's coming off his entry-level contract, and getting the 20-year-old center re-signed to a long-term extension will be Davidson's priority.
Bolstering the depth around Bedard and his young teammates will also be high on Davidson's "to-do" list.
Seravalli felt that a skilled left winger, such as Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars or Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs, would be a good addition. He mentioned that the Blackhawks were among the clubs interested in the 23-year-old Knies before last month's trade deadline. However, he wasn't sure if the Maple Leafs intended to move the young power forward or were simply gauging his value in the trade market.
Both players could be unavailable for the Blackhawks or any other club.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment head honcho Keith Pelley said his club was not rebuilding, while Stars GM Jim Nill said he intends to re-sign Robertson, who will be an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings are dealing with another painful late-season collapse that cost them a chance to end a playoff drought that has reached a decade.
Max Bultman of The Athletic believes addressing their long-term need for a first-line center is a priority. Captain Dylan Larkin turns 30 this summer, and they have no reliable second-line center.
Bultman felt the Red Wings needed a top-line left wing after using rookie Emmitt Finnie in that role for most of this season. They should also look at building up their depth among their bottom-six forwards.
The Red Wings have several players eligible to become UFAs this summer. They include wingers Patrick Kane, David Perron and James van Riemsdyk, defenseman Travis Hamonic, and goaltender Cam Talbot.
Of those five, Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now believes Kane is the only one likely to be brought back.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.