While some teams made a splash in NHL free agency, there were others that didn’t do enough. The concept of building through the draft is still an important aspect of becoming a contender, but for several teams that are on the bubble missing out on some of the stars out there on the open market simply wasn’t the right way to go. When looking at the team’s that didn’t do enough in free agency, it isn’t just about focusing on those that didn’t go out and land players from other sports betting teams, as there were a handful that actually gave up on some of their own.

One of the biggest losers this offseason was the Tampa Bay Lightning, which kept Steven Stamkos in the fold but lost a couple of key sports betting bonus pieces. The Lightning benefited from the play of both Domenic Moore and Dana Tyrell in the postseason, but they could have used some added depth to help them out on another potential run. If Roloson cannot be the player he was last year at 41-years old, Tampa Bay could be in trouble. Staying in the Southeast division, the Carolina Hurricanes are another team that could have taken a step forward, but may instead take a step back with Erik Cole leaving for the Montreal Canadiens. The Hurricanes were unwilling to sign Cole to the money that the Canadiens did, and that could hurt them as they lose 26 goals. The Hurricanes and Lightning have both gambled by missing out in free agency, and it will be interesting to see if they can go fishing to overcome it.