The highlight of Detroit's summer was landing marquee free agent Marian Hossa for a relatively cheap $7.4 million. The Slovak makes the Wings' top six unit downright scary. Another key move was locking up UFA-to-be Brad Stuart, acquired from L.A.at the deadline, for the next four years.
To me, Stuart was the piece that put the Wings over the top, and keeping him around means that they'll continue to have the best top four in the league. Detroit also added depth in goal, bringing in Ty Conklin to compete for the backup's job and drafting Tom McCollum 30th overall.
Looking at losers now, the New York Islanders have to be at the top of the list. This is a team stuck in a holding pattern near the bottom of the standings with few bright prospects on the way.
Instead of getting a stud like Filatov or Schenn to build their team around, the Isles traded down to ninth at the draft and took centre Josh Bailey, who was rated in the mid-teens.
Then, instead of going with youth for the coming season (since the playoffs are clearly not an option), New York brought in ancient centre Doug Weight and 30ish defenseman Mark Streit as free agents.
This will ensure that the Isles don't get the first overall pick OR a sniff of the playoffs. Top it all off with the firing of Ted Nolan and the Islanders have had an off-season from hell.
The Pittsburgh Penguins would also like to forget the summer of 2008. The hockey world was shocked at the full-fledged exodus of talent from a Stanley Cup finalist and the league's brightest young team. Hossa, Malone, Roberts, Hall, Laraque, Ruutu, Conklin, the list of losses goes on and on and on.
The Penguins were robbed of their entire toughness quotient in one fell swoop. And while Matt Cooke is a fine two-way player, he can't replace what they've lost. Nor can Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko fill the shoes of Hossa or Malone. About the only thing that went right for Pittsburghwas locking up Marc-Andre Fleury and Brooks Orpik.
Derek Harmsworth (Toronto Maple Leafs Community Leader)
Winners
Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Phoenix Coyotes,
Losers
LA Kings, New York Islanders, Atlanta Thrashers
Detroit Red Wings
The game's best team, adds the game's best available player. It's impossible to give Detroit anything but a passing grade in this year's free agency, and in fact it's partly due in fact to free agent frenzies of the past.
Adding Hossa to an already potent line-up which features every member of last year's Stanley Cup team (save Dominik Hasek and Dallas Drake) and Detroit appears to be on course for a second straight cup.
Ken Holland, GM of Detroit, is able to work his magic like no other GM around him. While other teams shell out big money, long term deals, Holland is almost always convince players to take pay cuts in order to keep a championship core together. It's no different with Hossa. While some are angry he spurned a bigger offer from Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and maybe Boston as well, it's hard to not have a little respect for Hossa, taking a pay cut to win the big one.
Chicago Blackhawks
They overpayed for good (not great) defenseman. They also paid too much for a goalie who has never won a playoff series. But still, Chicago makes the list of free agent winners as far as I am concerned.
Ever since the new CBA was ratified, there has been lots of talk about how rebuilding a team doesn't take as long as it used to. Teams can build a championship contending team in just a few years.
Unfortunately on the flipside, once you reach that potential, the window of opportunity to win the Cup is much smaller now. Teams really may only have a timeframe of two or three years to win it all before free agency tears them apart.
That is why the urgency was there in Chicago. With young, homegrown stars on forward and defense, the Blackhawks looked at the success and game plan of the Penguins and made the decision that the time was right to go for it.
Adding Campbell and Huet has put them over the salary cap, and clearly something has to give. And still, once that trade, whatever it is, gets done, it could make them that much better.
Edmonton Oilers
(See Chicago)
A young team with a whole lot of potential, the Oilers were aggressive this summer.
Despite being spurned (reportedly) by Marian Hossa and Jaromir Jagr, Kevin Lowe was still able to work some trade magic and bring in some valuable players who will add experience, while at the same time possibly hitting the prime of their careers.
Joni Pitkanen ws swapped to Carolina for power forward Erik Cole. Oilers management and fans alike got a good look at Cole back in 2006 when, despite being injured just a few months before with a serious neck injury, Cole returned to the Stanley Cup finals, helping Carolina defeat the Oilers.
Adding Lubomir Visnovsky could turn out to be a great deal for the Oilers as well. Trading Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene to tinsel town for "Lubie" the Edmonton Oilers added another Pitkanen type player, who can perform at both ends of the ice, but was stuck wallowing in L.A. (who isn't, to be honest.)
Moving Stoll and Greene will also make some roster spots for even more talented youngsters in the Oilers organization. Guys like Rob Schremp, Liam Reddox, and J.F. Jacques will be looking for full time work with Edmonton this season.
Honourable Mention: Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes were not real active in the free agent market, adding only Kurt Sauer. But the things they have done since they last played a hockey game have been nothing short of impressive.
Adding Oilli Jokinen to an already impressive stable of centres that includes, Peter Mueller, Steve Reinprecht, and Kyle Turris, the Coyotes are one of those Penguin-esque teams that appear maybe a trade deadline deal away from pushing them over the playoff hump and into championship contention.
They're only at $38 million as it stands, meaning they will have to add a little to hit the cap floor, but will have plenty of money kicking around in February to be deadline day players.
Losers:
New York Islanders:
Doug Weight? Seriously? Don't get me wrong, I am sure Doug Weight is a great guy, but the Islanders are a team in transition to be sure, which makes this signing kind of suspect.
I wasn't alive during the Islanders dynasty days, but it makes me sad to see a once proud, dominant franchise in the shape it is in. The management is in somewhat of a disarray, they have no head coach, and they don't appear to be really doing anything that resembles a game plan.
They are rebuilding, I will give them that. And they do have some solid young players to look at. The only one that really jumps out at you though is Kyle Okposo, which makes you scratch your head as to why they would trade down in this June's draft.
They paid a lot of money for Mark Streit, maybe a little too much, but defenseman are at a premium.
Try as they might, the Islanders just can't get it right, and this year was no different.
Los Angeles Kings
Another team that is rebuil...well, they're in trans....you know, I'm not too sure what L.A. is doing these days.
They have some young guys who are going to be good for them. Guys like Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Patrick O'Sullivan. However, unless they turn out to be the best three players in the world, or unless LA gets players to work alongside them, they will wallow in the city of angels. Until they likely get fed up and sign elsewhere.
Still, it's not all doom and gloom for L.A. Aside from those mentioned above, goalie Jonathan Bernier is developing nicely, Jack Johnson is going to be a good defenseman, and Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene can be serviceable players for the Kings.
But as for this year's free agency, they didn't do much to help themselves out. They've lost Rob Blake. Brad Stuart was given a ticket out at the deadline and ran as far, and fast as he could. Mike Cammalleri was also shipped to the Flames for a few draft choices whick may be alright down the road. They also raised ticket prices for the upcoming season.
As for next season, it looks like Drew Doughty could be joined by Team Canada world junior teammate John Tavares in L.A.
Atlanta Thrashers
The Thrashers didn't address nearly any of the needs that were staring them in the face following a disappointing last season.
The club grossly overpaid for Ron Hainsey, who although was solid for Columbus, is $4.5 million dollars that could have been better spent elsewhere (like on Jeff Finger..just kidding.)
Adding Jason Williams was a solid move, but losing Jason Krog and Darren Haydar were bad mistakes. The two were integral in the Chicago Wolves run to the Calder Cup.
The defense corps for the Thrashers isn't a bad group. The forwards, save of course Ilya Kovalchuk are lacking.
I don't see Atlanta making the playoffs again this year, and free agency was a big reason why.
I want to thank you all for reading the first ever Hockey Roundtable on Bleacher Report. I hope you enjoyed it and now have a clear understanding of this offseason's winners and losers, if you didn't have one already.
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