Keys to the offseason: Free agency, draft plans for eliminated NHL teams

The 2022-23 NHL regular season is nearing its end, and it was a record-breaking campaign for the Boston Bruins as a team and a historic season for Connor McDavid, who is scoring like it is the early 1990s.

But many teams have already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. They’ll be looking ahead to this offseason, where the draft, free agency and trades will help put them in a better position to compete in 2023-24.

Read on for a look at what went wrong for each eliminated team, along with a breakdown of its biggest keys this offseason and realistic expectations for next season. Note that more teams will be added to this story as they are officially eliminated from the playoffs.