As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 24th edition focuses on the San Jose Sharks.

The Good

Tomas Hertl. After playing just 49 games in 2016-17 because of injury, Hertl bounced back to score a career-high 22 goals and equal his career-high 46 points in 2017-18. Hertl was also one of the Sharks' best playoff performers. He led the team with six goals and was second in points with nine and scored the series-clinching goal in the Sharks' first-round sweep of the Anaheim Ducks.

Pavelski, Couture, and Kane. Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture were the Sharks' two highest-scoring forwards during the season with 66 and 61 points, respectively; Couture's 34 goals were a career high. The addition of Evander Kane at the deadline made the Sharks' top six even more lethal; he had nine goals and 14 points in 17 games after his trade from Buffalo.

Brent Burns. The 33-year-old defenseman got off to a rough start (he didn't score in the first 20 games of the season) but bounced back to become the Sharks' leading scorer one year removed from winning the Norris Trophy. Burns was a force in the playoffs too, and recorded seven points in 10 games.

The Bad

No Joe Thornton and other injuries. A couple of days after the Sharks' season ended at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights, Joe Thornton revealed he had a fully torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. Thornton had been out since Jan. 23 and though there was some hope he’d be able to join the Sharks at some point in the postseason, it's clear he was farther off from a return than expected. Trade deadline pickup Kane didn't look like himself for most of the playoffs because he played with a separated shoulder. Joonas Donskoi played hurt, too; he dealt with a lower-body injury in Game 2.

One-dimensional offense. Because of Kane's suspension and Donskoi's injury, the Sharks had to shuffle their top line a bit in the playoffs - but even when Donskoi, Kane, and Pavelski played, they weren't all that effective. The three combined for five points, each with one at even strength. San Jose just didn't have the depth they needed to compensate for when its stars weren't performing.

Slow starts. San Jose allowed the first goal in four of six games against Vegas and were shut out twice in the series. The Sharks never seemed to be able to dictate play or established any momentum. They were forced to play from behind more often than not, and Vegas took full advantage.

The Questions

Will the Sharks give Thornton another year? The one-year deal Thornton signed last year is coming to an end. Depending on how things shake out in free agency, the 38-year-old may have played his last game in a Sharks jersey. It's also possible he's re-upped for one more year, which he's said he's fine with doing, as well as taking less money. If not, Thornton is still a valuable player and would have plenty of options to choose from should he end up on the market.

Will Tavares be a target? If soon-to-be coveted UFA John Tavares decides to leave the Islanders, he'll have plenty of interested parties. The Sharks might be one of them - and they certainly have an advantage over other teams that might be making a run. They wouldn't have to make any trades to clear cap space for him, (which is rare) and should be counted among teams with a wider window to win a Stanley Cup. There's still no guaranteed Tavares will make himself available, but if he does, the Sharks could be a major player.

What will GM Wilson do with all this cap space? The Sharks are expected to have somewhere in the neighbourhood of $14.5 million to play with this summer. General manager Doug Wilson might delay any decision on Kane or Thornton until Tavares decides what he'll do. And then there's extensions for RFAs Chris Tierney, Dylan DeMelo, and Hertl to be dealt with. Hertl is due for a significant raise, too, as one of the Sharks' most improved players and their fifth-highest scoring forward over the last two seasons, an impressive feat considering he missed nearly half the 2016-17 season with injury.

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 23rd edition focuses on the Colorado Avalanche.

The Good

Nathan MacKinnon. The former No. 1 pick was Colorado’s best player and leading scorer during the regular season. MacKinnon scored a career-high 39 goals and 97 points before being named a Hart Trophy finalist. If that wasn't enough, he led his team to the playoffs and a 47-point improvement over last season.

An improbable season. Just making the playoffs was an accomplishment many thought the Avalanche wouldn’t be able to pull off - but they did, in their last game of the regular season. That the team was able to survive a litany of injuries and make the playoffs just one year after having one of the worst seasons in NHL history was truly remarkable.

Trading Matt Duchene. When the Avalanche traded Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators, they didn’t look like a playoff-bound team. Afterward? They looked like a completely different club. There’s no way to know if this was solely due to unloading Duchene, who was linked to trade rumors for what seemed like forever, but some of the pieces acquired in the deal - goalie Andrew Hammond and defenseman Samuel Girard - ended up becoming important ones down the line.

The Bad

Losing the starting goaltender, then the backup. Semyon Varlamov's season ended right before the playoffs when he went down with a lower-body injury, a huge blow to a team that had snuck into the playoffs. Varlamov played in 51 regular-season games, owning a .920 save percentage and 2.68 goals against average. Backup Jonathan Bernier started the first four playoff games, allowed 14 goals, and then left Game 4 with a lower-body injury. That meant Hammond, who’d played in one regular-season contest all year was next up. He was lights out in Game 5 of the Avalanche’s series against the Nashville Predators but gave up five goals on 37 shots in Game 6, where they were eliminated.

One-dimensional offense. The top line of MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen scored 243 of the team's collective 658 points during the campaign. When they faltered in the postseason, so did the Avalanche, who lost every game where the top line recorded fewer than three points.

Inexperience vs. experience. The Predators were a more experienced team than the Avalanche, and not just in playoff games played, of which Colorado had the least of any playoff team at the start of the postseason. Nashville’s defensive depth was intimidating, their forward group was deeper, and their goaltending was better in the first-round series. Colorado was able to keep up with Nashville longer than many thought, but in the end, experience won out.

The Questions

What’s on Sakic’s summer to-do list? One of general manager Joe Sakic’s priorities this summer should be finding at least one defenseman. There were points during the season where the Avalanche were playing with more than one AHL blue-liner. Patrik Nemeth and Anton Lindholm will probably not be returning, so Sakic may have two spots to fill. If it's decided not to bring Bernier back, a decision will also need to be made for a backup goaltender.

Who should be re-signed? Without a doubt, Rantanen should be signed to a long-term extension. He has one year remaining on his entry-level deal and is arguably one of the franchise’s most important pieces going forward. Mark Barberio, Blake Comeau, Gabriel Bourque, Mark Alt, Hammond, and Bernier are all unrestricted free agents this summer, and Sakic will have to consider who he wants to keep around. It’s doubtful that all of them will be brought back. Of RFAs in need of new contracts, the only one who will probably not be given a qualifying offer is Nail Yakupov.

Should they make a run at Tavares? Pending UFA John Tavares could stay with the New York Islanders. There’s also a chance he may not, and there are a dozen or more teams who would love to win the Tavares sweepstakes. With $25.3 million to play with, minus whatever Rantanen’s contract runs (if Colorado goes that route) and any other free agents, the Avalanche would have a lot to offer Tavares. And they need to address scoring, so why not? If Tavares doesn’t pan out, James van Riemsdyk is another intriguing option.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 22nd edition focuses on the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Good

Panarin, Dubois, and Atkinson. Artemi Panarin scored a franchise-record and career-high 82 points in his first season with the club. He also reached a career-high 55 assists playing alongside 2016 third overall draft pick Pierre-Luc Dubois, a big skilled center who scored 48 points in his rookie NHL season. Cam Atkinson was held back by several injuries early in the year and missed a month of action with a foot fracture but found his groove in the later part of the season. He scored 18 goals and 15 assists in 33 games, mostly while playing with Dubois and Panarin.

Trade deadline acquisitions. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen worked some magic at the trade deadline and acquired three players that fit almost perfectly with the existing roster: Mark Letestu, Thomas Vanek, and Ian Cole. Letestu meshed well on the fourth line in a shutdown type role, Vanek meshed well with linemate Boone Jenner, and Cole found instant chemistry with defensive partner David Savard; the two bearded men were even dubbed the "Lumberjackets" by Blue Jackets fans.

Jones and Werenski. Seth Jones, 23, and Zach Werenski, 20, make up one of the best young defense pairs in the NHL; they've played more than 2,000 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey alongside one another. The two set franchise records for goals by defensemen (16), a milestone Jones reached first. Jones had the best season of his career and recorded 57 points. Werenski's 37 points were 10 fewer than his highest, but his 16 goals were a career best.

The Bad

Top players disappeared. As good as Panarin, Atkinson, and Dubois were during the regular season, they struggled in the postseason. Panarin scored the overtime winner in Game 1 and recorded seven points in the first three games of the first-round series against the Washington Capitals. He had no points in the last three games, however. Atkinson followed a similar trajectory - two goals and four points in the first three games, then nothing in the last three. Dubois scored in Game 3 and was silent until a late goal in Game 6.

Losing Wennberg. Injured by a hit from Washington forward Tom Wilson in Game 1 of the first round, No. 2 center Alexander Wennberg missed three games. His absence impacted the Blue Jackets hard, who were forced to make lineup adjustments - Nick Foligno was moved up to the second line, Dubinsky taken off the wing and moved to the third line, and Letestu centering the fourth line. With Wennberg, Columbus could normally roll three scoring lines, but without him, no one could seem to get anything going. He was also missed on the power play, which dried up after Game 2. He returned in Game 6, but by then, it was too late. Washington won four straight games and won the series in six after going down 0-2.

Special teams. Going into the series it was easy to see the Blue Jackets were a little outmatched by the Capitals in special teams, especially on the power play. Washington had 27 power plays in the first round (the most of any team) and scored nine goals with an extra man. Columbus went 4-for-24 on the power play but all four of those goals were scored in the first two games of the series. After that they were 0-for-16 the rest of the series. The Blue Jackets not only gave the Capitals too many opportunities on the man advantage, but they failed to convert on their own power play when given the chance.

The Questions

Which UFAs to re-sign? Cole was acquired as a rental, but there's a possibility he could be offered a contract as an upcoming UFA. With Jack Johnson almost certainly not coming back, there will be room to make that happen. Letestu could also be brought back on a one-year deal. Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Ryan Murray will likely re-sign, while the futures of Matt Calvert and Vanek are a little more up in the air. Of the two, Vanek seems the most likely candidate to end up on the market.

Will Panarin or Bobrovsky sign an extension? The expiring contract was undoubtedly a factor in the Chicago Blackhawks' decision to move Panarin, and now it's going to be something Columbus has to deal with. Panarin says he's happy in Columbus and is setting franchise records as its top player. It's hard to think of reasons why he wouldn't remain in Columbus on a big-time long-term deal. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is entering the last year of his contract as well and Kekalainen will have to decide if he's better than anyone available in free agency. Bobrovsky has won two Vezinas and is still in his prime, but will Kekalainen want to give him a long-term contract?

Where are upgrades needed? If there's any lesson to be learned by the hardship of losing Wennberg for most of the first round, it might be that it would be wise to go after a center in free agency or through a trade. You can never have too many centers, they say, but Kekalainen could opt to stand pat. It might be more likely that Dubinsky will be expected to have a better season next year, and the continued development and improvement of Wennberg and Dubois will be counted on as well.

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PITTSBURGH - These days, if the Pittsburgh Penguins score a goal, there’s an excellent chance Sidney Crosby is involved.

Crosby has been on the ice for all 10 of the Penguins’ goals in their second-round series against the Washington Capitals, which resumes Saturday night in Washington with the teams tied at two wins apiece.

He's been a terror, recording multiple points in three of the series' first four games - giving him seven multi-point efforts in the postseason. It's no surprise to his teammates or head coach Mike Sullivan.

“I just think he’s the best player in the game,” Sullivan said. “He’s the best player in the game. He plays his best when the stakes are high, he plays at both ends of the rink. We rely on him to defend, we rely on him to score goals and create offense, and he’s really good at both. It doesn’t surprise me.”

Ranked second among active players in playoff points with 183, Crosby's been looking every bit the two-time Conn Smythe winner and three-time Stanley Cup champion - as if there was any question he would rise to the occasion.

“Since I’ve been his coach, that’s been my experience with him,” Sullivan said. “I just have so much respect for the type of person that he is, the type of player that he is, the care factor he has for the team and winning. He always elevates his game whenever our team needs it."

And Jake Guentzel has elevated his play alongside his star center.

Guentzel has been red-hot in the playoffs, scoring nine goals while racking up a league-best 21 points - equaling his total from last year’s postseason. His four-goal explosion in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers advanced the Penguins to the second round.

He was at it again in Game 4 on Thursday, scoring two goals on eight shot attempts in a 3-1 win against the Capitals. The 23-year-old now has 23 goals in 35 career playoff games; his 0.66 goals per game is the best mark among active players who have played at least 25 playoff games.

“Last year he surprised me,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “This year I expected it. This is the mentality in this locker room. We expect always more from each other.”

It seemed like the Penguins spent years searching for a winger for Crosby. Since Guentzel was called up for a second time in January last year, he's almost continuously been on the Penguins captain's line.

They have similar styles, and that's led to big plays and big goals. It's also the reason the Penguins have been able to keep up with the Capitals.

“They’re two players that like to go (into) traffic, they like to hold onto pucks, they like the physical game,” Letang said. “When you have the matchup like we had tonight, in a tight game like this, these are the guys that are gonna get rewarded. They go to the net hard and they get rewarded."

It doesn’t seem to matter who’s playing on Crosby’s right wing, either. Patric Hornqvist had been on Crosby’s line and scored a pair of goals against the Capitals. Then Sullivan shook things up in Game 4 and put Dominik Simon on the top line. Simon assisted on Guentzel’s first goal of the night.

Getting Evgeni Malkin back in Game 3 gave the Penguins' offense more juice, but the rest of the team hasn’t been able to get anything going. Derick Brassard, Phil Kessel, and Riley Sheahan all scored in the opening round against the Flyers, but have been silent against Washington.

That won't be a problem as long as Crosby and Guentzel can keep producing the way they have been all spring.

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 21st edition focuses on the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Good

Claude Giroux’s regular season. Giroux's first regular-season hat trick in the Flyers’ last game of the season helped them clinch a playoff spot. It was a fitting end to a sensational individual campaign that yielded a career-high 102 points and saw Giroux lead the NHL with 68 assists.

Sean Couturier. A Selke Trophy finalist, Couturier proved just how indispensable he is to the Flyers by playing in all 82 games and posting career highs in points (76) and goals (31). He even played through a torn MCL in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs, scored a hat trick, and had five points before Philadelphia was eliminated in the 8-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Big steps for young players. In their second years, defenseman Ivan Provorov logged big minutes and career-highs in goals (17) and points (41) while Travis Konecny played on the top line at times and nearly doubled his production from his rookie year, scoring 24 goals and 47 points. Rookie center Nolan Patrick had a slow start because of bilateral hip surgeries and another injury early in the season but scored most of his 13 goals and 30 points in the back half of the campaign.

The Bad

Playoff goaltending. The Flyers used three goaltenders in their first-round series with the rival Penguins. Brian Elliott was rushed back from core muscle surgery and ended up with a 1-3 record, a 4.75 goals-against average, and a .856 save percentage. Backup Michal Neuvirth (1-1, 4.40 GAA, .847 SV%) wasn't any better, while Petr Mrazek relieved Elliott in Game 1 and posted a .857 save percentage.

Power play. There was talk about how the Flyers’ penalty kill would fare against the Penguins’ NHL-best power play, but one of their downfalls ended up being on their own power play: It was 2-for-21, which is about 9.5 percent, during the series. A missed opportunity in Game 6 on a four-on-three that could have tied the game looms large in hindsight.

Couldn’t win at home. Outscored 18-6 at home during their first-round series with the Penguins, the Flyers failed to win even one of their three playoff games on home ice, just the second time in 20 years that has happened.

The Questions

Who’s coming back? After the Flyers’ season ended, Hextall said most, if not all, of the team’s unrestricted free agents would not be brought back - a list that includes Valtteri Filppula, Matt Read, Brandon Manning, and Johnny Oduya. This is not a surprise for a few players. Read spent much of the year in the AHL, while Oduya was claimed off waivers to be a depth defenseman. The writing was on the wall for Manning, and his departure will make room for a younger blueliner to take the next step. There’s a chance Filppula could come back if the Flyers are unable to find something better in free agency or if a younger center is ready to move up.

How will they improve this summer? Some of the Flyers’ success next season will depend on young players like Travis Sanheim, Robert Hagg, Oskar Lindblom, Patrick, and Konecny continuing to improve. There’s also the 14th and 19th overall picks in the 2018 NHL Draft. Hextall could additionally make trades this summer, a possibility he hasn’t ruled out. There would likely be a veteran player traded, or Hextall could try to move up in the draft.

Who’s the goalie? It’s a question that’s seemingly plagued the Flyers year after year as far back as anyone can remember. Hextall has said he is fine with using Neuvirth and Elliott next season as long as they are healthy. Whether both can stay fit is another matter entirely and Hextall didn’t rule out looking into other options during the offseason.

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As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown takes a look back at the highs and lows of their season, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The sixth edition focuses on the Edmonton Oilers.

The Good

Connor McDavid. There's much debate about whether he belongs in the Hart Trophy discussion as the best player on a non-playoff team, but McDavid is making an incredible case. He leads the Art Ross Trophy race, is a cinch to collect 100 points, and should also reach the 40-goal plateau. But the odds are against him, as only three other players in NHL history have won the Hart despite missing the postseason. A generational talent, McDavid is far and away the best thing about the Oilers - and has been since the day he first pulled on an Edmonton sweater.

McDavid and Draisaitl are signed through their primes. Leon Draisaitl signed an eight-year, $8.5-million contract in August, and McDavid's eight-year contract kicks in for the 2018-19 season. Having them both locked up through their prime years is a wonderful development for the Oilers; now it's time to build a better team around them.

Ethan Bear. Bear got his call-up on March 1 and might be here to stay. He's been on the top power-play unit and has averaged 18:12 of ice time per night through his first 12 games. All indications are that he'll remain with the Oilers through the end of the season. As Edmonton's top defensive prospect, he's expected to be in the running for a full-time stay in the NHL next fall. His development shouldn't be rushed, but his progress is encouraging.

Center depth. To win in today's NHL, center depth is vital. That's one thing the Oilers don't have to worry about; there's a good chance they'll have McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Strome, and Jujhar Khaira manning the middle in 2018-19. That's not bad at all.

The Bad

Losing Jordan Eberle. Looking at Eberle's first season with the New York Islanders, you can't help but wonder what might have been. Eberle was traded one year after Taylor Hall was shipped to New Jersey - and the Oilers felt the effects of both those deals this year with the overall lack of skill in the lineup outside McDavid and Draisaitl. Eberle's 25 goals would rank second on the Oilers, behind only McDavid; Strome, the player Eberle was traded for, has just 13.

Oscar Klefbom's regression. The Oilers were banking on Klefbom to take the next step, but he fought a nagging shoulder injury that resulted in season-ending surgery in March. With 21 points in 66 games, he was well off the pace of his 38 points over a complete 2016-17 campaign, and his struggles are emblematic of the Oilers as a whole. His recovery time isn't expected to be long, so Klefbom should have ample opportunity to prepare for training camp in the fall and hopefully rebound next season.

Not-so-special special teams. The Oilers have the NHL's worst power play at 14.5 percent, well below the league average of 19.9 percent. At 75.2 percent effectiveness, their penalty kill is 29th (only the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens are worse), and their 63 percent mark at home is the worst in NHL history.

Cam Talbot. Talbot's third year with the Oilers is one he'd like to forget. The team's generally poor defensive play and disastrous penalty kill contributed to his current .909 save percentage, the worst of his five seasons in the NHL. He’s another player the Oilers can expect to bounce back, as long as they improve the team in front of him. With one year left on his contract, it doesn't make sense to part with him because of one bad season.

The Questions

What does the future hold for Chiarelli and McLellan? The Oilers are a mess. General manager Peter Chiarelli is more likely to survive the offseason than coach Todd McLellan, but it's also possible that both stay. Or both could go. It may depend on who else is available this summer - and whether ownership thinks those options are clearly superior to what the franchise already has. McLellan's done little to remedy the Oilers' consistently abysmal special-teams play, and Chiarelli hasn't effectively addressed their overall needs, trading away high-end offensive talent and getting little in return.

How do they fix this mess? For the seventh time in eight years, the Oilers are a lottery squad. They've had the first overall pick four times in six years. They've also missed the playoffs 11 times in 12 years. It's hard to believe that this is the same team that started the season with the second-best odds to win the Stanley Cup. How many times can they repeat this cycle?

If they get the No. 1 selection, Rasmus Dahlin might be the answer to every question about the Oilers' defense. He's a great fit for what they need. But Edmonton also needs to add depth on the wing. Clearing some cap space by trading Kris Russell or Milan Lucic would provide some wiggle room to pursue free agents. Sure, those contracts might look untradeable, but it's been done before.

Other entries in this series:

• Arizona Coyotes
• Vancouver Canucks
• Buffalo Sabres
• Chicago Blackhawks
• Montreal Canadiens

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As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, Katie Brown takes a look back at the highs and lows of their season, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. Up next, the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Good

Young guns

In a season that disappointed in many ways, the Blackhawks at least have a couple of things to give them some hope. Alex DeBrincat's 25 goals (entering play Saturday) tie Patrick Kane for the team lead in an impressive rookie campaign, and it's a matter of time before he's regularly skating on Kane's line. Promoted to the Blackhawks from Rockford in December, winger Vinnie Hinostroza settled in nicely too, recording 24 points in 42 games.

Nick Schmaltz, top-6 center

The Blackhawks might have their No. 1 center of the future in Schmaltz, who had a solid showing in his second NHL season with 48 points. Coach Joel Quenneville has been patient with Schmaltz's development, and that can only mean good things going forward.

A chance to immediately improve

For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Blackhawks are in the draft lottery, setting them up for their highest pick since they selected Kane first overall in 2007. That gives them an opportunity to get a player who could make an immediate impact. The chances of winning the right to pick top-ranked prospect Rasmus Dahlin are slim, but general manager Stan Bowman could do a lot with a selection in the top 10.

Patrick Kane

Kane was possibly the only Blackhawks forward who lived up to expectations this season. Though Jonathan Toews found some consistency in March, Kane's the one who currently tops the team in scoring, with 25 goals and 71 points. That's respectable for most players, but something of a slump by his standards, since it's a far cry from his 106 points two years ago or his 89-point 2016-17 season.

The Bad

The decline of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook

Keith and Seabrook, once two of the Blackhawks' top defensemen, evidently aren't what they used to be. Keith, 34, had one goal on 172 shots, the third-fewest assists of his career, and maybe his worst season defensively. A revolving door of defensive partners didn't help. Seabrook, 32, was a healthy scratch in January and saw his overall ice time decrease. He seemed to have trouble keeping up in a league that's gotten younger and faster, and he's signed for six more seasons with a salary-cap hit of $6.875 million.

Combine the Blackhawks' defensive problems with their goaltending issues, and it's clear why things went south.

Corey Crawford injury

Defensive issues aside, what hurt the Blackhawks most was losing Crawford to a head injury in late December. Before that, he was in the top five in the NHL in save percentage and may have even been a Vezina Trophy candidate. It's not hard to imagine the Blackhawks still fighting for a playoff spot if Crawford had stayed healthy.

End of playoff streak

For the first time since 2008, the Blackhawks missed the postseason. Their list of accomplishments during that run is impressive: three Stanley Cups, the 2013 Presidents' Trophy, and last season's Central Division title. With back-to-back first-round exits at the conclusion of that playoff streak, however, the team's trending downward.

Questions

Does Quenneville stay?

Quenneville can't be blamed for the declines of Seabrook and Keith or the injury to Crawford, all major contributions to a dismal season. He also didn't trade Artemi Panarin to bring Brandon Saad back, a deal that hasn't panned out (at least not yet). Though Quenneville's been a big part of Chicago's success over the last decade, if his message is being tuned out, it might be time for him to go. He wouldn't be out of a job for long.

Will Crawford be healthy enough to play next season?

Crawford was put on IR on Dec. 27 for what was reported as concussion-like symptoms. He was sidelined in 2015-16 for four weeks for similar reasons. It seems unlikely that he'll return for the end of the season, and if he hasn't fully recovered by next fall, the Blackhawks will have to explore other options in goal - in his absence, Anton Forsberg, Jeff Glass, and Jean-Francois Berube weren't exactly up to the task.

Can Stan Bowman add a top-4 D-man and stop looking to the past for solutions?

All six current blue-liners will be back next year, and the defense is arguably the team's biggest offseason concern. General manager Stan Bowman needs to find a top-four defenseman - essentially, someone to play alongside Keith - either through free agency or the draft.

Last summer, Bowman tried to stop Chicago's slide by bringing back some of the Cup-winning crew, dealing for Saad and signing Patrick Sharp. Neither has lived up to expectations. Sharp is an unrestricted free agent this summer and it seems unlikely that he'll be re-signed. It's time to look toward the players that could help the Blackhawks succeed in the future instead of gazing longingly into the past.

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As NHL teams are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, Katie Brown takes a look back at the highs and lows of their season, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. Up next, the Buffalo Sabres.

The Good

High draft pick. While the Sabres' 2017-18 performance fell well short of even the low expectations for improvement, they’re guaranteed a high draft pick once again; Buffalo has picked in the top 10 in the past four drafts. And if the Sabres win the lottery, they can take defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, the no-doubt No. 1 selection who could be a building block along with Jack Eichel.

Adding Dahlin to a defense corps that includes Marco Scandella and Rasmus Ristolainen would suddenly make a mediocre unit look a whole lot better.

Eichel's progress. Ankle injuries cost Eichel a large portion of this season, but he's still put up 54 points in 57 games (0.94 points per game) and his team-high 32 assists have already matched his career best.

Eichel is without a doubt the Sabres' franchise player, and the cornerstone that general manager Jason Botterill should build around.

Young, rising talent. Drafted second overall in 2014, Sam Reinhart leads a pack of talented, young players ready to take over in Buffalo. The 22-year-old center is third on the team in scoring with 42 points (19 goals, 23 assists). Meanwhile, goalie Linus Ullmark played 20 games with the big club in 2015-16 and could be ready to take over next season after an impressive campaign in Rochester.

Botterill's progress. As part of the Penguins' front office, Botterill had a hand in the team's success for the better part of the last decade. He specialized in mining talent from the minors, something the Sabres desperately need to do if they want to surround their best players with complementary pieces. Most of their current key players have come via trades or high draft picks, and there's a noticeable lack of organizational depth.

Botterrill hasn’t been shy about expressing his displeasure with this year’s group, referring to it as "a team that's just not working." His only move at the trade deadline was sending Evander Kane to San Jose, but he's got an opportunity to make a lot of improvements once the offseason begins.

End of the Kane era. Kane was shipped off to the Sharks at the deadline in a trade that returned a conditional first-round pick in 2019, a conditional fourth-rounder in 2020, and forward prospect Dan O'Regan - and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Hopes were high when former Sabres GM Tim Murray initially acquired Kane in a 2015 blockbuster trade with Winnipeg, but things soured quickly.

Kane did produce, recording 68 goals and 118 points in 196 games, but he was in the news one too many times for his off-ice behavior. His trade signaled Botterill's commitment to making the necessary moves for an overall culture change and more individual accountability.

The Bad

The team's record. The Sabres - who had just 16 points at the end of November and never recovered - are set to finish with the worst home mark in the league, sitting at 11-21-5 with just four matchups remaining. They're also going to miss the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, the second-longest drought in the NHL behind Arizona.

The issues are at both ends of the ice. Buffalo is on pace to finish as the third-worst defensive team and the worst offensive club in the league this season.

Injuries. For the last couple seasons, the Sabres have seemingly been plagued by endless ailments - and this year was no exception. With 10 games remaining, the team ranks third in man-games lost to injury. For a team that's trying to rebuild for the second time in three years, that kind of attrition has made it difficult to even reach mediocrity.

Another rebuilding year. In 2014-15, the tanking was intentional, at least. And things seemed promising when Botterill and coach Phil Housley were hired last summer. But it became evident early on that things weren’t going to end well and now Buffalo is back in the draft lottery again. Sure, rebuilds don't happen overnight, but it seems like the Sabres take three steps back every time they take one forward. The situation should improve, however, especially if they land Dahlin in the draft and work some magic during free agency.

The Questions

Who stays and who goes? Botterill moved Kane at the deadline, but couldn’t do much else. It’s setting up to be a busy offseason, with 14 contracts expiring this summer, including seven unrestricted free agents. Eichel should really be the only untouchable player on the roster, while Botterill has had a whole season to evaluate who fits best in his plans.

Will Casey Mittelstadt leave Minnesota? Buffalo’s top prospect hasn't signed yet, but Minnesota's failure to make the NCAA Frozen Four could help lead the 19-year-old center to bolt for the NHL next season. Drafted eighth overall in 2017, Mittelstadt could follow the same path as Clayton Keller and Tyson Jost, who both moved on to play professionally after their freshman years of college.

In his first year with the Gophers, Mittelstadt was second in scoring with 30 points in 34 games, and was a standout during the world juniors in Buffalo, where he was named tournament MVP.

Per the CBA, bringing Mittelstadt on board before the end of the 2017-18 season for even one game would burn a year of his entry-level contract due to his November birthday, so the Sabres will most likely sign him during the offseason. However, Mittelstadt could still return to Minnesota.

Is Housley a good coach? The Sabres were such a mess this season that it's hard to accurately gauge Housley's capabilities. What will he be able to do with a better roster and a clearer organizational direction under Botterill? We may just find out next season.

Other entries in this series:

• Arizona Coyotes
• Vancouver Canucks

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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