With the offseason underway for a number of teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.

2016-17 Grade: C

The New York Islanders nearly salvaged their season after swapping out Jack Capuano for new bench boss Doug Weight.

The change was made in mid-January, with Weight, the former assistant, filling in throughout the stretch drive. Under his guidance, the Islanders went 24-12-4, but missed the postseason by a single point.

Free agents

Only three Islanders are in need of new contracts, with just one regular among the trio. Defenseman Calvin de Haan had a breakout year, appearing in all 82 games and finishing with 25 points while holding down top-four minutes.

Meanwhile, the three-headed monster in New York's crease will be no more, as Jean-Francois Berube can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. That leaves Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak to tend the twine for the Islanders.

2017 draft picks

The Islanders have five picks in the coming draft. They had the lowest odds at the draft lottery, with just a 0.9 percent chance at the first pick, and a three percent shot to move into the top three. In the end, New York held on to its top pick and will select 15th overall.

Summer priorities

1. Sign John Tavares to a long-term extension

It could be the Steven Stamkos saga all over again. The captain and face of the franchise needs a new contract, but this time it's in Brooklyn.

Tavares' contract expires after next season, but the Islanders can put pen to paper with their leader as soon as July 1, when a maximum eight-year extension could be in the cards.

But while New York needs a commitment from their captain, the top center also needs to see more from the club. The Islanders' future remains in flux, with complications from bad ice conditions to poor fan experiences potentially leading to a quick exit from the Barclays Center.

Whether the franchise ends up in Belmont Park or heads back to a renovated Nassau Coliseum remains to be seen, but there's no doubt Tavares will need a concrete idea of the club's future before agreeing to a long-term pact.

2. Surround Tavares with a scoring winger

After Tavares has signed on for the long term, or in enticing him to do so, it's up to general manager Garth Snow to find his prized center a comparable winger.

The Islanders walked away from former first-rounder Kyle Okposo last summer, replacing him with free-agent addition Andrew Ladd. Okposo, who signed with the Buffalo Sabres, excelled in his first season in Western New York, scoring 45 points, while Ladd was limited to just 31.

If the Islanders wade back into the free-agent pool this summer, there's no better option at wing than T.J. Oshie, who potted 33 goals this season with the Washington Capitals. Oshie is familiar with playing alongside big-game talent in D.C., where he lines up with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, and he'd have a similar scenario in New York with Tavares.

3. Ride Thomas Greiss as the go-to goaltender

Greiss has earned the top job. Now it's time to leave him in the crease. Despite outdueling Halak a year ago - posting more wins and a better save percentage - there were still too many question marks in goal in New York this season.

Related: Islanders complete 3-year extension with Greiss worth reported $10M

Greiss has proven he's capable of holding down the top duties. He appeared in 51 games this season and should be rewarded with more starts next year.

2017-18 outlook

The Islanders adjusted to Weight, who has since lost his interim tag for the full-time coaching duties. If he can translate his half-season success to a full year, chances are his team will return to the playoffs in 2017-18.

The biggest question mark entering the coming season will surround Tavares if a long-term extension isn't on the books. Getting that out of the way will keep the captain's focus where it needs to be: on the ice.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)

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Following a Game 5 loss to the Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf addressed a $10,000 fine that was levied against him for an inappropriate remark uttered in Game 4.

The exact nature of his remark was not disclosed by the NHL, and Getzlaf said it was a comment not necessarily directed at anyone in particular. It was, however, labeled a homophoc slur in a report from TSN's Frank Seravalli.

This did not appear to sit well with Getzlaf.

"It's tough to see anyone refer to it as (a homophobic slur). I didn't mean it in that manner in any way, and for it to go that route was very disappointing for me," Getzlaf told reporters.

"I did accept responsibility and I accepted a fine. We talked to the league and I understand that it's my responsibility to not use vulgar language, period. Whether it's a swear word or whatever it is, we've got to be a little bit more respectful of the game and that's up to me. I accept that responsibility and will move forward."

In regards to what he said, Getzlaf said you won't hear it from him again and he hopes no one was offended.

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It's been a true team effort in the playoffs for the Nashville Predators.

Ten different men have played the role of hero in Nashville's 11 wins. Only James Neal has netted multiple game-winning goals.

Oddly enough, Filip Forsberg, who leads the team with seven goals in the playoffs and tied for the team lead in the regular season with 31, has yet to notch a game-winner.

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John Gibson wants to get right back out there.

The Anaheim Ducks goaltender left Game 5 against the Nashville Predators with a lower-body injury, but, despite being listed as day to day by head coach Randy Carlyle, came out and said after the 3-1 loss that he'll be ready to play Game 6.

Carlyle, for his part, tapped the brakes on that declaration.

Jonathan Bernier stopped 16 of 18 shots in the Game 5 loss and would start Game 6 - in which the Ducks will face elimination - if Gibson isn't able to go.

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The Nashville Predators were forced to dig deep in Game 5.

Playing without their top two centers in Ryan Johansen and Mike Fisher, a full team effort was needed to beat the Ducks in Anaheim on Saturday, with three players in particular stepping up to do the most damage.

Colin Wilson

Facing a 1-0 deficit late in the second period, the Predators tied things up thanks to Wilson's second goal of the postseason.

After a 20-goal season in 2014-15, Wilson registered only 18 goals in his subsequent 134 regular-season appearances, but has shown a knack for big playoff goals over the past two springs.

Here, he added another notch in his belt.

Pontus Aberg

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the final frame, rookie forward Aberg netted his first career playoff goal with a sensational effort in front of the net.

Aberg, a second-round pick in 2012, had failed to hit the back of the net in eight previous playoff games, and scored only once in 15 appearances in the regular season.

He did, however, score nine game-winning goals for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals this season, so coming up big is nothing new to this Swede.

Pekka Rinne

As Nasvhille's last line of defense, Rinne posted his best performance of the series, stopping 32 of 33 shots against for a save percentage of .971.

Rinne made a couple huge stops right before Aberg's winner, and took his team's injury issues right in stride.

An honorable mention goes to Frederick Gaudreau, who was appearing in his first career playoff game and helped to stabilize things at the center position with a 71 percent success rate in the faceoff circle.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

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Pontus Aberg scored his first career playoff goal with 8:59 to play, and the Nashville Predators moved to the brink of their first Stanley Cup Final with a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals Saturday night.

Aberg scored on a rebound of Filip Forsberg's shot for the Predators, who took a 3-2 series lead despite the injury absence of top scorer Ryan Johansen and captain Mike Fisher.

Pekka Rinne made 32 saves in the Finnish goalie's latest dominant playoff performance in Anaheim, where the Predators have won five of their last seven playoff games over two seasons.

Chris Wagner scored for the Ducks, who lost starting goalie John Gibson to injury during the first intermission.

Game 6 is Monday night in Nashville.

Jonathan Bernier took over and stopped 16 shots in his first appearance in nearly two weeks for the Ducks, who already were without 30-goal scorers Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves before losing Gibson to a lower-body injury.

Anaheim was knocked out of the playoffs last year by Nashville, and the Ducks are facing their second elimination game of the postseason after winning Game 7 against Edmonton in the second round.

The Predators still haven't lost back-to-back games at any point in what's looking like a charmed playoff run for an 18-season-old franchise that's finally one game from playing for the Stanley Cup.

After Colin Wilson scored the tying power-play goal late in the second period for the Predators, Aberg went flying when he stretched out to guide home Forsberg's rebound for the tiebreaker.

The 23-year-old Swede has only one goal in his 15 games of regular-season NHL experience, but Nashville's injuries thrust him into a key role alongside Forsberg on its top line.

Austin Watson added an empty-net goal in the final minute, emphatically ending Anaheim's streak of seven consecutive Game 5 victories at home since 2011. The last team to beat the Ducks in a Game 5 at Honda Center also was Nashville.

Aberg and several other role players all came up big in the Predators' first game of the season without Johansen, their top-line center and leading postseason scorer. Johansen had emergency surgery shortly after Game 4 and was ruled out for the rest of the playoffs.

Fisher missed his first game of his scoreless postseason with an undisclosed injury after taking a hit to the head in Game 4.

The Ducks also were hurting without Rakell, a surprise omission due to a lower-body injury, and Eaves, who missed his ninth straight game. The duo combined for 65 regular-season goals.

The Ducks won Game 4 against Nashville in overtime and controlled long stretches of play in Game 5, but their depleted forwards repeatedly struggled to finish strong sequences against Rinne, who has beaten Anaheim in two previous playoff series.

When Gibson failed to return for the second period, Bernier was abruptly sent into the fourth playoff game of his NHL career, and he immediately made a handful of strong stops. Wagner then put the Ducks ahead by cleaning up a rebound of a shot by dynamic young defenseman Brandon Montour.

Nashville got a power play shortly before the second intermission when Josh Manson was whistled for cross-checking Forsberg, who got away with an unpenalized stick to Manson's mouth moments earlier. Wilson made the Ducks pay, slipping a difficult backhand around Bernier for his second goal of the playoffs and the 13th of his Predators postseason career, tying four other Preds for the franchise lead.

NOTES: C Frederick Gaudreau made his Stanley Cup playoff debut for Nashville, and veteran C Vern Fiddler returned from a two-game absence. F Miikka Salomaki also returned from five games off. ... F Nic Kerdiles made his third appearance of the postseason for Anaheim in Rakell's absence. Coach Randy Carlyle hadn't indicated before pregame warmups that Rakell might miss a game. ... Anaheim's Ryan Kesler, Andrew Cogliano and Antoine Vermette have all scored just one goal apiece over the Ducks' 16 playoff games.

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The physicality of the Ducks-Predators series has taken a toll on the players. Both teams are dealing with numerous injuries, begging the question, which team's injury situation is worse? To recap:

Ducks

• G John Gibson (left Game 5 with lower-body injury)
• RW Rickard Rakell (lower body, day-to-day)
• RW Patrick Eaves (leg, day-to-day)
• RW Logan Shaw (lower body, day-to-day)
• D Simon Despres (concussion, out indefinitely)

Predators

• C Ryan Johansen (thigh, out for playoffs)
• C Mike Fisher (undisclosed, day-to-day)
• RW Craig Smith (undisclosed, day-to-day)
• LW Kevin Fiala (leg, out for playoffs)
• RW Pontus Aberg (left Game 5 for concussion protocol)

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The Anaheim Ducks called upon Jonathan Bernier to begin the second period of Game 5 against the Nashville Predators, replacing starter John Gibson.

The reason for a switch after a scoreless opening period was not immediately given, but prior to the start of the final frame, the Ducks announced Gibson was questionable to return due to a lower-body injury.

Bernier, by the way, has been solid against the Predators in the past.

Gibson stopped all 10 shots against in the first period.

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Ryan Johansen is on the mend.

The Nashville Predators center has been ruled out of the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after reportedly being diagnosed with acute compartment syndrome, and took to Twitter on Saturday to extend thanks to those who've wished him well.

He'll also be watching Game 5 against the Anaheim Ducks from his hospital bed.

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