It wasn't much of a surprise that the former 22nd overall pick in the 2008 draft was dispatched by the Edmonton Oilers this off-season, the only mystery was where he'd end up. That Eberle, 27, ended up with the New York Islanders has the makings of a terrific fit for a team with a boatload of questions facing it not the least of which is what is to become of captain John Tavares as Tavares enters the final year of his current contract. The thinking is that head coach Doug Weight, entering his first full season behind the Islander bench, will use Eberle on the wing with Tavares. If Eberle can get back to the level that saw him collect 128 points between 2013 and 2015 the move will be judged a success.
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
In the three seasons since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014 the Los Angeles Kings have played in exactly five post-season games. And if there is to be a renaissance in Tinsel Town this season it will because captain Anze Kopitar has put behind him a miserable 2016-17 season that saw him score just 12 times in 76 regular season games as the Kings missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. Lingering physical issues, fatigue at having played in an Olympic qualifying tournament and then the World Cup of Hockey before starting last season or perhaps the pressure of playing under a monster new contract extension that will pay him $80 million over eight years, whatever factors contributed to Kopitar's precipitous drop-off in production his return to form is crucial to the Kings' chances of returning to contention.
Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthers
Hey, it was a miserable season for the Florida Panthers for everyone from ownership who authorized a misguided early-season firing of Gerard Gallant to Gallant's replacement Tom Rowe who curiously moved from GM to head coach to most of the Panthers who were either injured or underachieved or both. But no one turned in a more disappointing campaign than former rookie of the year Aaron Ekblad the first overall pick in the 2014 draft. Ekblad went from 15 goals and 36 points in his sophomore season during which the Cats won the Atlantic Division to 10 goals and 21 points and a numbing minus-23 plus/minus rating. Plain and simple Ekblad needs to work harder and set an example for a Panthers team that needs to prove last year was a bump in the road and not just the same disappointing narrative in South Florida. To that end, Ekblad told reporters in training camp he'd lost weight and had embraced a healthier lifestyle.
Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have been to the Western Conference final twice in the last three years, and boast one of the top young defensive corps in the league. But with veteran leaders like captain Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry advancing in age, the Stanley Cup opening is becoming increasingly narrow. For Perry, 32, this season looms large after a 19-goal regular season -- his lowest full-season total in a decade. More concerning is that Perry has just four goals in his last 23 postseason games. The Ducks are also dealing with injuries that will see them start the season without defensemen Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm, and Kesler is going to miss significant time with a hip injury. When healthy, the Ducks are as good a team as there is in the tightly-compacted Western Conference. But they can't get to the Promised Land without Perry returning to form.
