Yes, it’s true they’ve lost some good players to free agency. They lost one of their best defensemen as well as their second-leading scorer from last season. Gone, too, is Garth Snow’s final trade deadline masterpiece. But there’s hope for this team yet, and I say that for one primary reason above all others.
Mathew Barzal is the 2017-18 NHL Rookie of the Year. He won the Calder Trophy at the NHL Awards in late June and he did so handily. His 85 points were the most by a rookie in over 10 years and his 63 assists were tied for the third-most by a rookie ever.