While there are still some interesting names out there, we’ve reached the point of the offseason where player movement slows to a crawl. Some things can still change, but a majority of teams are what they are at this point — for better or worse. That makes it a good time to check in on which teams improved (or declined) the most this summer.

As usual, external changes are the only thing that matters here: Who’s in and who’s out, with some ice-time adjustments to make sure every newcomer fits in. Still, there are plenty of internal reasons beyond that as to why a team gets better year over year. That’s not the focus here; it’s about which teams look better on paper now compared to the start of the offseason. That’s based on the change in their Net Rating from their current roster to the one they ended the 2025-26 season with (including players acquired at the deadline).

This is not an exact science, nor is it a list of how good each team is expected to be next season — just how much they’ve changed. A great team with a poor offseason can still be a great team next season. But it is worth noting some of last year’s most and least improved teams did end up trending in that exact direction.

From most value added to least, here’s how each team has changed this offseason.

NHL offer sheets are just business

Sean Gentille and Sean McIndoe

1. Nashville Predators

Net Rating added: +27
In: Mavrik Bourque, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Nils Hoglander, Alexander Kerfoot
Out: Erik Haula, Zachary L’Heureux, Fedor Svechkov

If you’re surprised by Nashville landing in the top spot, that makes two of us. It’s admittedly a weird result given the headline addition is Mavrik Bourque, a top-six tweener who scored 41 points last year. Good player, but in a summer with some big names changing addresses, Nashville is an odd choice to lead the pack.

While no one Nashville added moves the needle in a considerable way, the five players they did add are substantial improvements over who they’ll replace. Nashville had some of the league’s worst forward depth entering the summer; the Predators have addressed that admirably. 

A bunch of third-line additions isn’t that meaningful in a vacuum. Replacing a bunch of fourth liners and sub-replacement level players with those guys is. Nashville’s forward group started the summer in the bottom five — it’s a lot closer to average now.

2. New York Rangers

Net Rating added: +26
In: Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Joe Veleno, Sean Durzi, Marcus Pettersson, Joonas Korpisalo
Out: Vincent Trocheck, Adam Edstrom, Will Borgen, Jonathan Quick

Is everyone sleeping on the Rangers’ offseason? 

Losing Vincent Trocheck isn’t ideal if the goal is competing for a playoff spot, but the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev more than makes up for it. He’s an upgrade in the top six and could be a major asset to the team’s power play. Adding Oliver Bjorkstrand should solidify the middle six, too.

The real reason to be optimistic about the Rangers next season, though, is a revamped blue line. This is a team that desperately needed a legit second pair and they got just that with the additions of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson.

There’s real blow-up potential given what the Rangers paid to make all that happen with several future firsts on the line. But it’s a price the team probably had to pay with Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin on the roster; two elite players worth trying to contend with even if the odds of contention are slight. 

The Rangers did enough to get back in the playoff mix next season. Time will tell if they can go beyond that.

3. Washington Capitals

Net Rating added: +23
In: Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, Vincent Desharnais
Out: Connor McMichael, Brandon Duhaime, Hendrix Lapierre, Trevor van Riemsdyk

Close your eyes, Caps fans; you do not want to read this glowing review from The Model.

The Capitals are a true beacon of what a proper retool should look like. Every summer, the franchise makes real tangible improvements and that is once again the case this year with two major additions: Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch. While Washington may lack star power, very few teams can touch the team’s four-line depth.

That’s two legit top-six wingers replacing two fourth-line wingers. It’s impossible to hate that and the Capitals have positioned themselves as a true dark horse team going into next season and Carolina’s biggest threat in the Metro. 

It’s an unconventional build and I still have my doubts it’ll lead to a championship due to the lack of high-end skater talent. But what Washington has built, given the circumstances, is seriously impressive.  

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Net Rating added: +21
In: Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons, Brandon Duhaime, Darren Raddysh, Emil Andrae, Sergei Bobrovsky
Out: Matias Maccelli, Nick Robertson, Calle Järnkrok, Brandon Carlo, Simon Benoit, Joseph Woll

There are two things not included here: A new phenom and a new voice. Both Gavin McKenna and Jim Hiller have real potential to dramatically change Toronto’s outlook going into next season. I have McKenna’s projected impact next season close to Matvei Michkov’s rookie season, while Hiller’s coaching impact with the Kings was surprisingly strong (and there’s no way he’s worse than Craig Berube). With those two in the fold, it’s difficult to see the Leafs falling to last year’s depths.

But even beyond them, the Leafs have retooled reasonably well under new GM John Chayka. 

While I don’t agree with the direction and price of the new bottom six, it is functionally better than last season’s, which featured a lot of Calle Järnkrok along with many poor fits. The Leafs would’ve been better served adding a legit top-six difference-maker, but they still improved while adding some identity to an area of the roster that lacked it. 

The defensive rework is where things really shine. Darren Raddysh likely won’t repeat last season’s work, but I do believe he carries legit top-pair upside for the Leafs given his five-on-five play-driving ability. That’s a major needle-mover over what the Leafs previously trotted out, with the addition of the underrated Emil Andrae adding further to that. To do that, while jettisoning the team’s two weakest defensemen, positions the Leafs with an average defense group next season. That’s not impressive on its own, but it’s a stark improvement over the bottom-five group they had.

The major wild card is Sergei Bobrovsky. The model does not rate him well and isn’t fond of Toronto’s goalie situation now because of it. We’ll see if Bobrovsky can bounce back and be worth the massive price of admission.

Add the effect of McKenna and Hiller to all that and it’s fair to say no team improved more than Toronto this summer. Whether it’ll be enough given just how far the Leafs fell last season remains to be seen.

Anthony Mantha signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Devils. (Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)

5. New Jersey Devils

Net Rating added: +14
In: Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, Declan Chisholm
Out: Maxim Tsyplakov, Paul Cotter, Šimon Nemec, Jacob Markstrom

Sometimes it’s the edge work that can make a difference, especially for a team that already has key core members in place. Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist are far from sexy adds, but compared to Maxim Tsyplakov and Paul Cotter, they provide substantially more value. The defense without Šimon Nemec should be just fine, too.

The exodus of Jacob Markstrom also has the potential to offer some addition by subtraction. While I’m wary of Jake Allen as the team’s 1A, it should lead to better results than what the Devils had last season with Markstrom running the show. Nico Daws, based on a very small sample over the last two seasons, looks like he has the capability to fill the backup role just fine.

All of that was enough on its own to put New Jersey’s summer in the top 10. Adding Anthony Mantha, arguably one of the best wings available despite his frustrating tendencies, put the Devils squarely in the top five. He’s a legit top-six addition that can move the needle if he can maintain last year’s 33-goal and 64-point breakthrough.

6. Florida Panthers

Net Rating added: +8
In: Brady Tkachuk, Garnet Hathaway, Lars Eller, Radko Gudas, Jacob Markstrom, Akira Schmid
Out: Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues, A.J. Greer, Jesper Boqvist, Jeff Petry, Sergei Bobrovsky, Daniil Tarasov

Brady Tkachuk was one of the biggest marquee additions of the summer and there’s no question the Panthers are a much better team because of it. Tkachuk immediately beefs up the team’s top six and feels like a particularly perfect fit on a top line with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Florida’s top nine looks downright terrifying.

In order to fit Tkachuk, though, the Panthers needed to make a lot of changes around the edges that mitigate some of the value added. The team’s fourth line will have an identity and Evan Rodrigues or Mackie Samoskevich would’ve been a waste there, but it is notably worse now. 

The other issue is I’m not convinced the team’s goaltending issues have been solved; Markstrom looked just as unreliable as Bobrovsky last season.

There’s no doubt the Panthers are better where it matters, thanks to Tkachuk, and improved health will be the biggest factor next season. But unless Markstrom has a major bounce-back, the team still has an Achilles’ heel that holds back some of the overall value added.

7. Winnipeg Jets

Net Rating added: +8
In: Cole Koepke, Mario Ferraro, Stuart Skinner
Out: Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Jacob Bryson, Eric Comrie

Understanding how the Jets landed this high means understanding one of the team’s biggest problems: their third pair. The top four has been steady for the last few years, but the collection of sub-replacement-level talent after them left a lot to be desired — especially when dealing with injury. The addition of Mario Ferraro at a shockingly fair price addresses that perfectly. With the rise of Elias Salomonsson, Winnipeg’s blue line will enter next season as a real strength.

We’ll see what happens with Connor Hellebuyck, but for now the addition of Stuart Skinner gives the Jets one of the league’s best backup options. That’s an underrated boost.

8. Philadelphia Flyers

Net Rating added: +4
In: Noel Acciari, Simon Benoit, Joseph Woll
Out: Garnet Hathaway, Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson

On the one hand, the Flyers’ goaltending situation received a major boost going from Samuel Ersson, one of the league’s worst goalies, to Joseph Woll, who has shown flashes of excellence when available. On the other hand, anything gained by that move was immediately lost going from Andrae to Simon Benoit, one of the league’s worst defensemen.

The Flyers’ biggest net gain comes from the improvement in their fourth line going from Garnet Hathaway to Noel Acciari. The latter showed some serious defensive chops, even while accounting for his lesser role. He helps give Philadelphia one of the league’s deepest bottom sixes.

9. San Jose Sharks

Net Rating added: +3
In: Mason Marchment, Darnell Nurse, Michael Kesselring, Jacob Trouba
Out: William Eklund, Philipp Kurashev, John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Shakir Mukhamadullin

Is Darnell Nurse better than John Klingberg? Probably.

Is Jacob Trouba better than Mario Ferraro? Probably.

Is Michael Kesselring better than Vincent Desharnais? Probably.

That’s the bet the Sharks made on the back end. The problem is that “probably” was fairly marginal across the board and significantly more expensive. The juice probably won’t be worth the squeeze.

Up front, the loss of William Eklund is replaced adequately by Mason Marchment. It’s less value, but a different enough element that should help maximize San Jose’s top six. Add an expanded role for Michael Misa, and the Sharks are a better team on paper than they were at the start of the summer. And this doesn’t include the potential impact of Ivar Stenberg either, which would push San Jose closer to the top five.

10. Utah Mammoth

Net Rating added: +2
In: Vincent Trocheck, Anders Lee, Sebastian Cossa
Out: JJ Peterka, Alexander Kerfoot, Sean Durzi, Ian Cole, Vitek Vanecek

Utah’s forward group looks a lot beefier now with Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee in the top nine. I’d take JJ Peterka over both of them within the context of Utah’s needs, but improving on Alexander Kerfoot’s roster spot makes it a net positive. The Mammoth had to trade Durzi to acquire Trocheck, but he was an expendable piece after last year’s acquisition of MacKenzie Weegar. Having Maveric Lamoureux and Dmitri Simashev ready to step in also helps.

The X-factor with Utah’s offseason comes in net. We don’t know much about Sebastian Cossa, but given his pedigree and AHL performance, it’s difficult to imagine he can be much worse than Vitek Vanecek. That’s a potentially underrated addition and if it lessens Karel Vejmelka’s usage, that’s an even bigger plus.

11. Chicago Blackhawks

Net Rating added: +1
In: Cole Smith, Jordan Greenway, Bowen Byram, Ian Cole
Out: Ilya Mikheyev, Andre Burakovsky, Matt Grzelcyk, Louis Crevier

Chicago’s entire offseason is riding on just how good Bowen Byram can be and that’s a scary proposition. Given how much the team traded for him and how much they paid him, I am fairly skeptical Byram is as good as the Blackhawks think he is. Nothing wrong with an offensively gifted No. 3 defenseman, but the Blackhawks paid for a clear-cut No. 1 that will move the needle. Byram is a good player; I’m not sure he’ll do that to the level the franchise has invested in him.

Chicago’s defense is better with Byram (and Ian Cole), but losing Ilya Mikheyev isn’t nothing for a forward group that struggles immensely without the puck. The Blackhawks are going to need a lot of internal improvement to get anywhere next season. I don’t think they’re close.

12. Montreal Canadiens

Net Rating added: +1
In: None
Out: Brendan Gallagher

Outside of dumping Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens are completely unchanged from last year. Some ice-time shifts, namely for Ivan Demidov, power a small jump. Internal improvement on top of that should keep Montreal in the playoff conversation next season.

The Canadiens traded Brendan Gallagher to the Canucks. (David Kirouac / Imagn Images)

13. Vancouver Canucks

Net Rating added: +1
In: Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn
Out: Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane, Marcus Pettersson

The Canucks made some moves around the edges and with some ice-time shifts, namely for Zeev Buium, they end up marginally better situated going into next season. If Buium can fill Marcus Pettersson’s role well enough, the Canucks should be a similar team to last season on paper. The biggest difference will likely come from a new coach; no coach had a worse Year 1 impact on his players’ average value than Adam Foote last season.

14. Seattle Kraken

Net Rating added: 0
In: Mackie Samoskevich
Out: Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, Jamie Oleksiak

The only true neutral team. Mackie Samoskevich is a small upgrade over Jaden Schwartz while the rest of the losses are easily handled internally. Good on the Kraken for knowing who they are this summer and not wasting money in free agency for once.

15. Tampa Bay Lightning

Net Rating added: -2
In: Ilya Mikheyev, Jeffrey Viel, John Carlson, Dennis Hildeby
Out: Nick Paul, Corey Perry, Darren Raddysh

The Lightning did fairly well to replace what they lost in free agency. John Carlson may not match what Raddysh did last season, but he’s probably a safer bet going forward, given his consistency over the last decade. Mikheyev should add some speedy defense on the wing that’s an upgrade over Nick Paul, while Dennis Hildeby is a major improvement over Jonas Johansson. If that keeps Andrei Vasilevskiy fresher for the playoffs, it’s a huge benefit.

The one area that brings the added value down toward average is Jeffrey Viel. He’ll be useful in games against the Panthers; I’m less convinced about the other 78 games.

16. Detroit Red Wings

Net Rating added: -2
In: Viktor Arvidsson, Keegan Kolesar, Daniil Tarasov
Out: Patrick Kane, David Perron, Cam Talbot

Swapping out Patrick Kane for Viktor Arvidsson is a fairly neutral move, though Arvidsson’s potential lack of availability could put that in jeopardy. And while Daniil Tarasov could be a slight upgrade over Cam Talbot at this stage of their careers, adding a fourth liner such as Keegan Kolesar doesn’t do a whole lot to replace David Perron.

As it stands, it’s not enough to make the Red Wings anywhere close to a playoff team in the East — and that’s before a Dylan Larkin trade potentially guts the team’s chances completely. 

17. Boston Bruins

Net Rating added: -2
In: JJ Peterka, Will Borgen
Out: Viktor Arvidsson, Andrew Peeke, Joonas Korpisalo

I think Peterka is a reasonable enough upgrade on Arvidsson that I’m a little surprised the Bruins end up closer to average. Ice-time shifts and other teams simply improving more are the main causes. The key takeaway: Boston will likely be bringing a similar quality roster to last year’s in a far more competitive Atlantic Division.

18. Minnesota Wild

Net Rating added: -3
In: Blake Coleman, Maxim Shabanov, Olli Maatta
Out: Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jake Middleton

Blake Coleman still has a helluva two-way game that adds a lot of playoff-worthy bite to Minnesota’s top six. But with the loss of Mats Zuccarello, I am very worried about the lack of offensive weaponry outside Minnesota’s big three up front. Maxim Shabanov also doesn’t do nearly enough to make up for the loss of the other two wingers.

19. Carolina Hurricanes

Net Rating added: -3
In: None
Out: Frederik Andersen

The Stanley Cup champions enter the 2026-27 season with what is essentially the exact same roster that won it all. Losing Frederik Andersen is a small loss, but the Canes should be able to weather that.

20. Dallas Stars

Net Rating added: -4
In: Joel Kiviranta
Out: Mavrik Bourque

The Stars didn’t have the cap room to keep Bourque around and that led to a small drop-off in the team’s top nine. Some internal options such as Justin Hryckowian can help soften the blow, but it’s still a notable loss.

21. Calgary Flames

Net Rating added: -4
In: Maxim Tsyplakov, Šimon Nemec, Jake Middleton
Out: Blake Coleman, Olli Maatta

We’ll see how Nemec fares as Calgary’s top dog, but it’ll be difficult to do much given how depleted the team’s forward core is. The loss of Coleman, still a strong play-driving winger, is fairly substantial, nullifying any positive effect from Nemec’s addition.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Net Rating added: -4
In: Valeri Nichushkin
Out: Mason Marchment, Boone Jenner

The Blue Jackets made a great bet on Valeri Nichushkin as a Mason Marchment replacement. When he’s available, he’s still a terrific power forward who can add some defensive presence to the team’s top six. He immediately slots in as a top-three forward on the team.

Replacing Boone Jenner, though, will have to come from within. Columbus has the pieces to nullify the loss, but it’s never easy to replace a captain.

23. Los Angeles Kings

Net Rating added: -6
In: Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, Corey Perry
Out: Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko, Mathieu Joseph

It’s difficult enough to replace Anze Kopitar. It’s even more challenging when the UFA center market was headlined by Boone Jenner. The Kings landed Erik Haula, which puts their center depth in an extremely challenging place (to the point that Adrian Kempe may have to slide in to save the day).

At the very least, Mats Zuccarello was a savvy add. He still has top-six ability and should fit well with Artemi Panarin serving as a budget Kirill Kaprizov.

The Ducks traded Mason McTavish to the Blues in exchange for the 15th and 29th picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. (Bob Frid / Imagn Images)

24. St. Louis Blues

Net Rating added: -7
In: Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, Brandon Carlo
Out: Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Drouin

St. Louis’ pro scouting staff deserves some benefit of the doubt after the double offer sheet coup. But I would still prefer Jordan Kyrou over Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael. Kyrou is a legit needle-mover; the other two currently look a lot closer to average. “Currently” is the key word there. It wouldn’t be a shock to see both improve within a new context. For now, though, the Blues do look worse off.

25. Edmonton Oilers

Net Rating added: -8
In: Ryan Shea, Frederik Andersen
Out: Jack Roslovic, Darnell Nurse, Connor Ingram

Edmonton is hoping that the biggest addition it made this summer was behind the bench. I am deeply skeptical of the way Mike Babcock operates, but from a pure results perspective, he projects to provide a major impact given how the Leafs improved under the hood in his first season there. Whether what happened a decade ago applies now remains to be seen.

On the roster, Ryan Shea makes a lot of sense replacing Darnell Nurse, given the price difference. Frederik Andersen, when healthy, is an upgrade in net too. But the Oilers could still use a middle-six forward to replace Jack Roslovic, even if he was incredibly inconsistent. 

26. New York Islanders

Net Rating added: -9
In: Matias Maccelli, Vitek Vanecek
Out: Anders Lee, David Rittich

Going from David Rittich to Vitek Vanecek is a wash; neither grades out as a particularly good backup, and with Ilya Sorokin, that’s not a priority position anyway.

Going from Anders Lee to Matias Maccelli is a different story. That’s a big downgrade from a legit top-six piece to a middle-six tweener. Maccelli is better than he was given credit for with the Leafs and is an underrated playmaker, but the absence of Lee puts New York’s top six in a serious state of disarray. 

27. Vegas Golden Knights

Net Rating added: -9
In: Victor Olofsson, Parker Wotherspoon
Out: Pavel Dorofeyev, Colton Sissons, Keegan Kolesar, Kaedan Korczak

Vegas had to make some big decisions this summer in order to make room for Rasmus Andersson’s new contract. Losing Pavel Dorofeyev for Andersson feels like a big misstep in that context. He’ll be a significant loss to the Golden Knights’ power play, enough to push them out of the league’s top five going into next season.

28. Pittsburgh Penguins

Net Rating added: -10
In: Andrei Kuzmenko, Nick Robertson, Kaedan Korczak, Trevor van Riemsdyk
Out: Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari, Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea, Connor Clifton, Stuart Skinner

The Penguins made a lot of interesting value bets that popped off last summer and it seems they had a similar M.O. this summer. Andrei Kuzmenko is better than his reputation suggests, Nick Robertson still carries some offensive upside and Kaedan Korczak has real top-four potential.

It just doesn’t do enough to make up for what they’ve lost. I’m worried about their goaltending situation without Stuart Skinner, and Anthony Mantha was a legit top-six forward. Without those two, there’s a decent chance of a step back this season.

29. Colorado Avalanche

Net Rating added: -13
In: Jaden Schwartz, Zachary L’Heureux, Fedor Svechkov
Out: Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton, Jack Drury

The Avalanche had to do some gutting in order to fit under the cap; this is the result of that. The biggest loss is obviously Valeri Nichushkin and Jaden Schwartz is a sizeable downgrade. As intriguing as Zachary L’Heureux’s numbers are, Colorado’s bottom six looks worse going into next season than it did with Ross Colton and Jack Drury.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Net Rating added: -14
In: A.J. Greer, Jeff Malott, Nick Jensen
Out: Mason McTavish, Jeffrey Viel, John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Olen Zellweger, Radko Gudas

It’s hard to spin this any other way: This was a really difficult offseason for Anaheim. I already expected the Ducks to take a step back after last season; their record didn’t really reflect their ability to outplay and outscore other teams. What they’ve lost only adds to that.

That’s most felt on the team’s blue line. John Carlson wasn’t there all season, but he was a major reason the team was much more formidable in the playoffs. Losing Jacob Trouba, Olen Zellweger and Radko Gudas on top of that, while only adding Nick Jensen, leaves an already sketchy defense corps looking completely barren.

Add losing Mason McTavish without adding a significant enough replacement up front and it’s difficult to view the Ducks as a solid playoff bet going into next season.

Brady Tkachuk was traded from the Senators to the Panthers in a blockbuster deal. (JC Ruiz / Getty Images)

31. Ottawa Senators

Net Rating added: -14
In: William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, Samuel Ersson
Out: Brady Tkachuk, Lars Eller, James Reimer

Replacing a player such as Tkachuk isn’t easy and it’s difficult not to sympathize with Ottawa given the team’s trajectory. Finally establishing themselves as a relevant playoff team and their best forward bails? That’s tough.

The Senators looked poised to take another step before that happened and while they did well in adding William Eklund, an emerging top-six forward, that’s obviously not enough to make up for the loss of their captain. 

The bigger issue might be the other two guys coming in. I don’t see much in Andre Burakovsky at this stage of his career and he feels like a particularly poor fit for a pure possession team such as the Senators. And for a team whose backup goalie severely undermined them last year, there may not be a worse option than Samuel Ersson in that spot. Maybe he finally lives up to his potential, but he’s currently the biggest drag in Ottawa’s lineup.

32. Buffalo Sabres

Net Rating added: -15
In: Olen Zellweger, Louis Crevier
Out: Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, Michael Kesselring

Let’s start here: The Sabres are very well-situated to rise above losing the offseason. On paper, the Sabres lost the most value — Tuch and Byram are very good players — but they’re also one of the best-equipped teams to solve those problems internally. 

Up front, there are a plethora of options poised to take a step that can absorb most of Tuch’s loss. Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius and Jack Quinn all figure to improve, and if they can all jump a goal or two, the Sabres will be OK. The return of Jiri Kulich can’t be ignored either.

As for Byram, a lot will ride on whether Zellweger can step into a top-four role and whether there’s more growth coming for Owen Power. Both seem perfectly plausible.

The Sabres will probably be worse next season, but it may not be as much as this estimation indicates. Even without Tuch and Byram, Buffalo is still a strong playoff bet for next season.