Quoting: mondo
Penguins are falling apart, so them.
I want to say that the Flames and Stars look like they could be on the chopping block for a major rebuild, but both have key players in their prime still and they both could still afford mortgaging futures in order to take a stab at a cup run.
I think the Flames and their future are at the mercy of their decisions on Gaudreau and Monahan.
Andersson, Dube, Hanifin, Mangiapane, Tkachuk, and Valimaki are a good starting point for a retooling organization, and the outlook only starts looking up when you consider that Pelletier, Wolf, and Zary help round out a fair chunk of a future roster. It also kinda helps that Markstrom's there forever. Does Lindholm qualify as part of the "younger" Flames? I'd try to hang onto him as long as possible. If the Flames' management continues to choose to go for it with Johnny Hockey and Boring Sean Monahan, then I think the Flames might be looking at a painful rebuild as the majority of the team enters their prime. Without homerun picks in that 17-24 range (I cannot see Calgary keeping pace with Edmonton, Vancouver, and Los Angeles over the coming years), there's too much high-end talent missing from the roster. On the contrary though, if Calgary nets good returns for both Gaudreau and Monahan and takes a year down the toilet, the high-end talent comes immediately and the strong supporting cast already exists via the names I listed above.
I agree with the Stars though. Once Seguin gets to a certain point, there's not a lot to like about that organization beyond Heiskanen, Gurianov, and Hintz.
The Coyotes are again looking at another round of having to bleed assets in order to build for a future. Their owner is another cash-strapped billionaire (if such a thing exists) and given their recent PR record, attracting quality free agents is going to be nigh impossible. They have a ton of expiring assets this season and should be looking to completely tear it down by the deadline. Chychrun, Hayton, Hill, Keller, and Soderstrom are a pretty good starting point.