Big free agency deals don’t always pave the way for success in the NHL. Trading can have a similar effect, especially within the tight confines of a hard salary cap. And five NHL brands have really caught my attention so far.
Hurricane Carolina
Not willing to pay too much in free agency? No problem! My Christmas in July piece Filip Forsberg has been listed as the greatest gift Carolina could receive. And you know what? I’m wrong. Because there’s no way Hurricanes pays open market value, even if he’s available.
Carolina needs star power up front: an AD carry it can count on to score more than 30 goals a season, especially in the Stanley Cup knockouts. So the Hurricanes took a look at the old batch and found that Max Pacioretty was ripe for grabs. The Vegas Golden Knights have set himself up for a pay cap nightmare, and he’s ready for almost nothing.
Then the Hurricanes decided to strengthen their blueline after trading Tony DeAngelo’s rights to the Philadelphia Flyers. To replace her scoring results, Carolina went out and landed Brent Burns in a deal with the San Jose Sharks. Oh, and the Sharks are eating a portion of his salary, so Burns charges for only $5 million over the limit.
OH. The job was well done by Hurricane GM Don Waddell.
Detroit Red Wings
Most of the work done so far by GM Steve Yzerman has been through the company for free, but don’t discount goalkeeper Ville Husso’s goal-scoring move from St. Louis Blues. Detroit was able to sign a four-year contract with the RFA, cementing a parallel relationship with incumbent Alex Nedeljkovic.
The Red Wings then began working as a free agent, signing veteran defenders Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta. Detroit took the score at the striker when it signed David Perron and Dominik Kubalik. Michigan native Andrew Copp is home in a five-year agreement.
I’m a huge fan of Copp’s game and think a high-profile role in Motor City will benefit both parties. Yzerman has been patient throughout his time at the helm of the Red Wings. But rebuilding has only just kicked off in the 2022-23 season. I think Detroit has a good chance of making it to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Anaheim Ducks
This may be a surprising choice, but hear me out. It’s no secret that GM Pat Verbeek is looking to overhaul the Anaheim organization in his image. And he has dealt with almost every player of value by the 2022 NHL deal deadline.
But that’s my point of view. Verbeek gets so many draft picks that he now has the flexibility to pinpoint exactly what kind of player – and who – he wants in Anaheim.
Without a doubt, the guy raised an eyebrow when Sonny Milano didn’t receive a qualified offer. I was shocked by this move. But I appreciate the tough stance Verbeek is willing to take. An NHL GM needs a solid pillar, and I think Verbeek has so far demonstrated some of the tenacity that makes him a formidable opponent on ice.
I also like that Verbeek didn’t burn the earth. Anaheim spent on strikers Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. They worked well alongside the New York Rangers and should keep the venerable Duck while the team rebuilds.
Pittsburgh Penguins
As the Penguins are able to re-sign Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin for this season, my expectation is that GM Ron Hextall has ended the summer. Not so. Mike Matheson went to Montreal Canadaiens in exchange for Jeff Petry. And John Marino has been swapped for Ty Smith from the New Jersey Devils.
It was a major overhaul to the Pittsburgh blueline. And that’s a gamble. Petry is 34 years old, and Smith is still finding his way into the NHL. But after a few years of early elimination in the knockout stages of the Stanley Cup, it became clear that Hextall was not satisfied with the status quo.
I don’t think both trades were made just to shake things up. Petry can hit the ball. And Smith hits the low end with tons of potential. But I was surprised to see Matheson go.
Up front, the Penguins were able to hold back Rickard Rakell for the long haul. And Bryan Rust decided to stay in Iron City on what I consider to be a team-friendly six-year contract, worth $5.125 million per year.
There is no rebuilding in Pittsburgh. With Sidney Crosby on contract for three more seasons, it remains an advantage for the Penguins.
New Jersey Devil
Having the oodles’ wage cap room has certainly helped the Reds so far this season. General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was able to look at a number of different routes to improve his team, and I think he’s done it.
I always thought Ondrej Palat would be a star in the NHL if given the chance to play many minutes up front. And while he did it with the Tampa Bay Lightning – where he was the key ingredient to winning two Stanley Cups – it was inconsistent. The light is very deep, and Palat is the secondary player. That’s about to change in New Jersey, where I think he’ll play an extended role. And at $6 million a year, that’s a fair price to pay for the next five seasons.
The demons were also active in the commercial market, brought in goalkeeper Vitek Vanecek from Washington, D.C., Erik Haula from the Boston Bruins, and Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Last season, New Jersey struggled very strongly in scoring. And while Mackenzie Blackwood’s name has been mooted in commercial rumors, it looks like he’ll be teaming up with Vanecek this coming season. It’s an upgrade. Vanecek is a good goalkeeper of the NHL. The only caveat is that neither he nor Blackwood have taken the next step towards becoming a true No. So the goal could still be a work in progress.
Haula can fly and is well suited to the uptempo style favored by head coach Lindy Ruff. But Marino may be the most attractive deal for the Devil. At just 25 years old, the blueliner artist has five years left at $4.4 million. It was a manageable limited blow for a defender proven responsible and capable of attack.
Will the Devils become Stanley Cup title contenders next season? That would probably be a stretch. But they will be better. And much of that is thanks to the deals and signings that have taken place in recent weeks.
