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Our way-too-early look at next season began earlier in April with a look at three teams that could make for good fades.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are teams that underachieved for whatever reason - or simply weren't as good as advertised - this season and should be offered to bettors at a significant discount in 2020-21.
These are three teams that you will likely find me betting on early and often next season, as I believe big things are in store.
New York Rangers
The run the Rangers put together in January and February is a harbinger of things to come. Those on the bandwagon ahead of this season were a year too early, but the team should be capable of competing with the best the Metropolitan Division has to offer in 2020-21.
The Rangers' best players - Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad - have just entered their prime, and there's an almost overwhelming amount of young talent that's only set to get better on the team. Guys like Pavel Buchnevich and Kaapo Kakko up front, Tony DeAngelo and Adam Fox on defense, and Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Gorgiev in goal are reason enough to believe this team is in line for a massive step forward.
All the key contributors on this team fall between the ages of 18-28, with the bulk of them on the lower end of that range. General manager Jeff Gorton has a terrific core to work with, as well as some decent salary-cap flexibility this offseason.
Minnesota Wild
There is plenty to like about the way Bill Guerin is turning things around in Minnesota. Since taking over as Wild GM a little over eight months ago, the Massachusetts native has instilled a much-needed culture change at Xcel Energy Center. Guerin's no-nonsense approach has won the respect of his players.
Minnesota was consistently improving during his first season in charge. The Wild were on an 8-3 run - and on the verge of a playoff spot - when the season was suspended.
There are some good pieces on this team, including breakout star Kevin Fiala, and with around $15 million to spend this summer, we can expect the Wild to continue their upwards trajectory.
Montreal Canadiens
After narrowly missing out on a playoff spot in 2018-19, the Canadiens took a step back this season. Injuries certainly played a role - most notably the long-term absence of Jonathan Drouin, who'd gotten off to a torrid start - but an inability to win close games was the biggest issue for Claude Julien's team. Excluding empty-net goals, 27 of Montreal's 40 losses were in one-goal games. There's simply too much variance in close games to expect that to continue next season.
There is so much young talent on this Canadiens team that a down year shouldn't come as such a shock. A rebound in 2020-21 shouldn't, either. Getting Drouin back and healthy will be huge - many forget he just turned 24 years old - and there's reason to believe young forwards Max Domi and Jesperi Kotkaniemi should take a step forward after experiencing some growing pains this year. Nick Suzuki was impressive as a rookie and should only get better, while adding Alex Romanov should provide a boost on defense.
GM Marc Bergevin has to re-sign Domi and Victor Mete, but that should still leave him with over $15 million in cap space (more if the cap rises as high as some expect) to make a splash in free agency or via the trade market, bringing in some much-needed star power up front.
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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