Let’s take a few teams from the back end in part 2 of the 5 part series.

The comments expressed by this individual should be taken with a grain of salt and is most likely tongue and cheek:

Winnipeg – Spencer’s Jets. One of the original GMs in the S, Spencer has yet to reach peak success in the SHL. His current team is kind of half pregnant and sit in 9th place in the West. He needs to shed some vets asap but I suspect he has yet to get what he’s asking for some of them. The question everyone is asking is…maybe he’s asking too much? Either way this could be one of the more active trading teams rolling into the March deadline. Or will they?

Washington – Oh our beloved Caps and it’s always cheerful general manager Saif. He finally reached the peek winning his first SHL cup and is now in the midst of a long term rebuild. Saif has some good young pieces and some not so good young pieces but with 3 first rounders coming in the next draft look for the Caps to start to turn the rebuild corner in the next few years.

Vegas Baby – AJ (sources claim that stands for Action Juice) and the golden knights are soon to no longer be the only expansion team on the books with Seattle joining the SHL this summer. Will that increase the pressure on him to start gaining traction or make him fetal into the corner under the massive shadow The Blake may cast. I think he rises to the occasion, Its been 3+ years so the wait may almost be over!

Vancouver – The nucks of couver are run by the man name Phillipe and he has just pulled the rebuild lever. The timing was good, they had some moveable assets and now the long winter begins. The deadline should be an interesting one with Stamkos and Hornqvist looking for new teams. And he has also dangled Boeser who is only 24 but might help accelerate the rebuild in the form of picks and prospects.

Tampa – Ryan and the Bolts have also entered the rebuild category with modest prospects and picks. Seems like more of a retool with some young players in place so maybe this will be just an off season before they rise from the ashes. Interesting fact on the bolts, they started outside the playoffs for the first 5 or so seasons, had a solid run of 4 or so seasons but have been on the outside the last 3 or so seasons. This franchise needs a good recover strategy to get back to the playoffs.