NHL Offseason: Grades for All 30 Teams
By (Featured Columnist) on July 29, 2010
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We are officially almost one month into the start of the 2010 NHL Free Agency period.
Going into free agency, each team had a different goal. Some teams wanted the player to get them that extra push into the playoffs. Other teams needed to rebuild or almost start from scratch. Finally, there were others who just wanted to touch up here and there and didn't want to make any major changes.
How has each team done this offseason with getting their teams ready for 2010-2011? Let's find out.
Each team will receive a grade ranging from A+ (best) to F (worst) based on the players they've signed.
NOTE: The signings mentioned in this slideshow cover those made as of the time this piece is being written (July 29 at about 3:30 p.m. Eastern time).
Anaheim Ducks
Signings:
Sheldon Brookbank (re-signed)
Kyle Chipchura (re-signed)
Josh Green (re-signed)
Jason Jaffray (from Calgary)
Ryan Hillier (traded from New York Rangers)
Jean-Phillippe Levasseur (re-signed)
Toni Lydman (from Buffalo)
Brendan Mikkelson (re-signed)
Trevor Smith (from Islanders)
Aaron Voros (traded from Rangers)
Departures:
Steve Eminger (traded to Rangers)
Joey Macdonald (to Detroit)
Scott Niedermayer (retired)
In a trade that sent defenseman Steve Eminger to the New York Rangers, the Ducks acquired Aaron Voros and Ryan Hillier in return.
Voros played in 41 games with the Rangers last season, putting up seven points and a minus-two rating. However, he missed roughly 40 games due to injury.
Hiller, meanwhile, has yet to play in the NHL and had seven points in 26 games in the AHL and ECHL.
Brookbank has played two seasons with Anaheim and improved his statistics over the 2008-2009 season. This season, he had nine points and a plus-10 rating in 66 games after having four points and a plus-four rating in 2008-2009.
Chipchura, a center, played in 74 games as a member of the Montreal Canadiens and the Ducks. He finished the season with 12 points and a minus-12 rating.
Lydman comes to Anaheim after spending the last five seasons with the Sabres. This season, he posted 20 points and a plus-10 rating in 60 games. He missed 14 games this year with a hand injury suffered in preseason and a groin injury in October. The Ducks gave him a three year contract.
Mikkelson spent the majority of the 2009-2010 season with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, where he had 22 points in 49 games. He played 28 games with Anaheim and had two points with a minus-five rating.
Aside from losing Eminger to the Rangers, the Ducks also said goodbye to veteran Scott Niedermayer, who retired from professional hockey. Goalie Joey Macdonald signed with the Detroit Red Wings, but did not see any action with the Ducks in 2009-2010.
The Ducks may be taking a risk with signing Voros and Lydman, who missed a decent amount of time with injuries this year. However, Lymdan is a veteran of over 600 NHL games.
Brookbank brings steady defensive play to the Ducks, who had issues on defense this year. His plus-10 rating led all Anaheim defensemen in 2009-2010.
Chipchura probably needs the most improvement. While he can chip in occasionally, his defensive game needs some work, as he has not finished on the positive side of the plus/minus category since making his NHL debut in 2007/2008.
Jaffray could be used as a call-up. He has played 36 career NHL games with Vancouver and Calgary, where he has a total of 10 points. However, Jaffray is 29 years old, and his chances to make the NHL full time could be running out.
GRADE: C
Atlanta Thrashers
Signings:
Eric Boulton (re-signed)
Chris Mason (from St. Louis)
Ondrej Pavelec (re-signed)
Jared Ross (from Philadelphia)
Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd, and Brent Sopel (traded from Chicago)
Departures:
Colby Armstrong (to Toronto)
Johan Hedberg (to New Jersey)
Pavel Kubina (to Tampa Bay)
The Atlanta Thrashers may be one of the most improved teams in the NHL after adding a group of players who helped the Hawks to their Stanley Cup, but became salary cap casualties.
For example, Byfuglien's 11 goals in the playoffs were third among all players in the postseason. He comes in at 6'4" and 257 pounds and can continue to use his size to intimidate Atlanta's opponents.
Ladd and Byfuglien also played all 82 games for Chicago, so they can be counted on to stay healthy and contribute to their team.
Boulton has spent the last five seasons with Atlanta. This year, he had eight points and a minus-one rating in 62 games. He is the all time franchise leader in penalty minutes with 545 since 2005.
Ross has been dominant with the Flyers' AHL organization, but can he make it in the NHL? In 13 games in the big leagues, he has yet to score his first NHL point. He spent most of the 2009-2010 season with Adirondack of the AHL, where he had 46 points in 73 games.
Pavelec may take the reigns as Atlanta's starter. He improved on his 2008-2009 outing, but still struggled this year with a 14-18-7 record, .906 save percentage, and 3.29 GAA.
Mason regressed from 2008-2009, where he had a .916 save percentage and 2.41 GAA. In 2009-2010, his record was 30-22-8, but his statistics fell to a .913 save percentage and 2.53 goals against average. He has limited playoff experience, so the Thrashers may find it hard to count on their goaltending to get them ahead.
Meanwhile, the Thrashers lose Colby Armstrong, a consistent scorer who could give Atlanta at least 20 points.
Kubina spent just one season in Atlanta, but had 38 points and an even rating in 76 games.
Finally, veteran goaltender Johan Hedberg will go to New Jersey and back up Brodeur.
While the additions of talented former Blackhawks will help Atlanta, the goaltending is somewhat of a question mark. Their defensemen will need overall improvement, as only Johnny Oduya has a positive plus/minus rating among defensemen.
GRADE: B+
Boston Bruins
Signings:
Johnny Boychuk (re-signed)
Gregory Campbell (traded from Florida)
Nathan Horton (traded from Florida)
Nathan McIver (re-signed)
Adam McQuaid (re-signed)
Daniel Paille (re-signed)
Jeremy Reich (re-signed)
Mark Stuart (re-signed)
Departures:
Dany Sabourin (to Washington)
Vladimir Sobotka (to St. Louis)
Dennis Wideman (traded to Florida)
Boychuk recently completed his first full NHL season, posting 15 points and a plus-10 rating in 51 games. He even scored his first playoff goal in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia Flyers. He missed five games with an injury.
Campbell and Horton have each spent their entire NHL careers with the Florida Panthers. Campbell had 17 points and a minus-five in 60 games this year and also led the Panthers in hits with 158.
Horton has put up 40 points a season in the last five seasons. This year, he had 57 points and a minus-one in 65 games.
However, the drawback is that neither player has postseason experience, a result of Florida missing the playoffs for the last several seasons.
Paille was traded to Boston from the Sabres early in the season. In 76 total games, he had 20 points and a minus-three rating. He also had two points and a minus-three rating in the playoffs.
Recchi, the oldest active player in the NHL, has scored at least 40 points a year every season of his lengthy career. In 2009-2010, he had 43 points and a plus-four rating during the regular season as well as 10 points in 13 playoff games.
Vladimir Sobotka leaves for St. Louis after spending three years in the Bruins organization. This season, he had 10 points and a minus-seven rating in the regular season and two points and a minus-10 rating in the playoffs.
Wideman was part of the trade that helped Boston acquire Campbell and Horton from Florida. He had 30 points and a minus-four rating this year, a drop off from 2008-2009 where he had 50 points and a plus-32.
Adding Campbell and Horton to the lineup will give Boston's offense a boost. Johnny Boychuk is an upcoming defenseman who will be looking to break out this coming year.
Meanwhile, having Recchi around for one more year will give the Bruins a strong leadership presence.
GRADE: A-
Buffalo Sabres
Signings:
Tim Conboy (from Carolina)
Patrick Kaleta (re-signed)
Patrick Lalime (re-signed)
Jordan Leopold (from Pittsburgh)
Cody McCormick (re-signed)
Rob Niedermayer (from New Jersey)
Mike Weber (re-signed)
Derek Whitmore (re-signed)
Departures:
J.P. Lamoreaux (to Calgary)
Toni Lydman (to Anaheim)
Henrik Tallinder (to New Jersey)
Conboy has spent most of his time bouncing between the AHL and the NHL. In 59 NHL games with Carolina, he has 12 points and a minus-five rating.
Kaleta has been a member of the Sabres for the last four years. He had 15 points and a plus-two rating in 2009-2010 as well as two points and a plus-four in the playoffs. He missed at least 12 games this year with various injuries and illness as well as a two game suspension. The Sabres signed him through 2011-2012.
Lalime completed his second season with Buffalo. He had a record of 4-8-2 through 16 games, along with a .907 save percentage and 2.81 GAA. His statistics improved from 2008-2009, but he also played in less games.
Leopold played with Florida and the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009-2010. He had 26 points and a minus-two rating in 81 games. He has a three year deal with Buffalo.
Niedermayer spent seven seasons with Anaheim, where he won one Stanley Cup in 2007. In 2009-2010, he had 22 points and a plus-three rating in 71 games.
The Sabres lose veteran defensemen Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman. Tallinder was in Buffalo for seven seasons, while Lydman was there for five.
Overall, the Sabres have mostly stayed put in free agency. However, Niedermayer and Leopold were solid pickups that will compliment the roster. Lalime should also continue to be a serviceable backup to Ryan Miller, but may see his playing time cut if prospect Jonas Ehnroth makes the roster.
GRADE: A
Calgary Flames
Signings:
Gord Baldwin (re-signed)
Kris Chucko (re-signed)
Raitis Ivanans (from Los Angeles)
Tim Jackman (from NY Islanders)
Olli Jokinen (from NY Rangers)
Matt Keetley (re-signed)
Stefan Meyer (from Phoenix)
Matt Pelech (re-signed)
Brent Sutter (re-signed)
Alex Tanguay (from Tampa Bay)
Departures:
Chris Higgins (to Florida)
Eric Nystrom (to Minnesota)
Brett Palin (to Nashville)
Sutter is one of the few minor signings for the Flames that has had more than 10 games of NHL experience. In 14 NHL games between 2008-2009 and this year, he has one point and a minus-three rating.
Jackman spent last season with the New York Islanders, where he had nine points and a minus-four rating in 54 games. He had 98 penalty minutes, down 115 from the year before.
Jokinen returns to Calgary after being traded to the New York Rangers in 09-10. He played in all 82 games this season and registered 50 points with a plus-three rating. He has scored more than 50 points ever year for the last seven seasons. However, rumor has it that he does not mesh well with Flames captain Jarome Iginla.
Alex Tanguay is another former Flame making his return. He previously spent two seasons in Calgary from 2006-2008. This year, he played with Tampa Bay where he had 37 points and a plus-two rating in 80 games.
The Flames lose Chris Higgins, who has been on the decline for the last two years and only posted 17 points and a minus-nine rating in 67 games.
Nystrom leaves Calgary after playing two seasons and finishing with 29 points and a minus-seven rating.
Jokinen (despite any problems with Iginla) and Tanguay are the Flames' two best pick ups this year. However, they are lacking minor league players that they could be confident in on call-ups.
At this point, the moves Calgary has made may not be enough to put them back in the playoffs.
GRADE: B-
Carolina Hurricanes
Signings:
Nicolas Blanchard (re-signed)
Casey Borer (re-signed)
Brett Carson (re-signed)
Joe Corvo (from Capitals)
Nick Dodge (re-signed)
Jonathan Matsumoto (from Philadelphia)
Justin Pogge (re-signed)
Bryan Rodney (re-signed)
Departures:
Rod Brind'Amour (retired)
Ray Whitney (to Phoenix)
The Canes have not made many moves this offseason, and most of their re-signings have been reserved for prospects. However, some of these younger players have been very productive at the NHL level.
Defenseman Brett Carson has been near the top of the class at the NHL level for Carolina's AHL players. He has played 59 games with Carolina between the last two seasons and has posted 12 points and a plus-21 rating.
Bryan Rodney has been in 30 NHL games between the last two seasons. Although he has solid offensive output with 13 points, his defensive game needs more work, as he has a minus-seven in that same period.
Corvo previously played for the Canes from 2007-2010, when he was traded to the Washington Capitals. In 52 games this season, he had 18 points and a minus-10 rating. He returns to his former team on a two year deal that will keep him on the Canes through 2011-2012.
The biggest challenge for the Canes this coming season will be playing without two major veteran presences. Ray Whitney has spent the last five seasons with the Canes and has posted 50 points every season. He finished 2009-2010 with 58 points and a minus-six rating.
Meanwhile, Brind'Amour recently announced his retirement from hockey. He spent 10 seasons in Carolina and was the captain from 2005 until halfway through this season. Unfortunately, his statistics have been declining for the last three years. He had 19 points and a minus-29 rating this season.
One or more of the minor league players the Canes signed could earn a full time spot on the NHL roster this year. Carolina may want to make one or two more moves, but the odds are looking good for them to return to the postseason.
GRADE: A
Chicago Blackhawks
Signings:
Bryan Bickell (re-signed)
Niklas Hjalmarsson (re-signed)
John Scott (from Minnesota)
Jack Skille (re-signed)
Departures:
Adam Burish (to Dallas)
Colin Fraser (to Edmonton)
Kyle Greentree (to Washington)
Danny Richmond (to Toronto)
Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd, and Brent Sopel (traded to Atlanta)
The Blackhawks made big news shortly after their Stanley Cup run when they traded four of their key players to the Atlanta Thrashers to shed salary after they got into a lot of cap trouble after giving long term contracts to players such as Marian Hossa.
However, the re-signing of Hjalmarsson should be good news for Chicago. Hjalmarsson had 17 points and a plus-nine rating through 77 games this year, and he also had eight points and a plus-nine rating in the playoffs. This was his first full NHL season.
Fraser stepped up from 2008-2009, when he had 17 points and a plus-three rating. He had 19 points and a plus-six rating in 70 games this year. However, in the playoffs, he had no points and had an even rating.
Scott has played in 71 NHL games with Minnesota, where he had had three points and a minus-four rating. He could make Chicago, but there is no guarantee.
Bickell has played 20 games with Chicago in 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010. He has six points in those games.
Skille has played 30 games with the Hawks over the last three seasons, where he has eight points and a minus-7 rating.
Aside from the losses of Byfuglien, Eager, Sopel, and Ladd, the Hawks also lost Adam Burish. This year, he had four points and a plus-two rating in 13 games. He missed significant time due to injury earlier in the season.
If not for the Hawks having to get rid of so many players because of financial irresponsibility, their offseason may have gotten a better grade. However, it is lower because the players they did manage to sign may not be adequate replacements.
GRADE: C+
Colorado Avalanche
Signings:
Kyle Quincey (re-signed)
Daniel Winnik (re-signed)
Brandon Yip (re-signed)
Departures:
Brett Clark (Tampa Bay)
Chris Durno (Tampa Bay)
Brian Fahey (Washington)
Tyler Weiman (Vancouver)
Brian Willsie (Washington)
Quincey had a solid year in 2009-2010, posting 29 points and a plus-nine rating in 79 games. He also had a plus-two rating in the playoffs and led all Avs' defensemen with an average of 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Winnik came to Colorado in a trade with the Phoenix Coyotes. In 74 games this year, he had 19 points with a plus-one rating.
Yip led all rookies in goals per game with 0.34. After breaking his hand in a preseason game and playing with the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL, he returned to Colorado and had 19 points and a plus-five rating in 32 games. However, he suffered a separated shoulder in a game against the Detroit Red Wings in March.
Despite his injury, he was able to return for the Avs' postseason series against the San Jose Sharks. He finished second on the team in scoring with four points.
The loss that could impact the Avalanche the most is that of defenseman Brett Clark. He had 20 points in 64 games this season and posted a plus-six rating. He spent five full seasons in Colorado and was in the positive category of plus/minus every season except one.
The Avs did a good job in re-signing some of their best players, but one more move may help the still young team go further in the playoffs.
GRADE: A-
Columbus Blue Jackets
Signings:
Jared Boll (re-signed)
Grant Clitsome (re-signed)
Trevor Frischmon (re-signed)
Nate Guenin (from St. Louis)
Chad Kolarik (re-signed)
Derek Mackenzie (re-signed)
Tom Sestito (re-signed)
Anton Stralman (re-signed)
Departures:
Nathan Paetsch (to Florida)
Boll recently got a new two year deal with Columbus. He was the team leader in penalty minutes this year, with 149. He also posted seven points and a minus-eight rating. He is still one of the Jackets' most physical players, but has not been in as much trouble as he was in the previous two seasons, where he had 226 and 180 penalty minutes.
Stralman had 34 points this year, but posted a minus-17. Despite his shortcoming, he led Columbus defensemen in points and also logged an average of 20 minutes of ice time per game.
Beyond Stralman and Boll, there is not much to get excited about for the Jackets. Derek Mackenzie was the most productive AHL/NHL player who got re-signed, but still, six points in 63 career games with Columbus is not much to write home about.
GRADE: D+
Dallas Stars
Signings:
Fabian Brunnstrom (re-signed)
Adam Burish (from Chicago)
Maxime Fortunus (re-signed)
Aaron Gagnon (re-signed)
Trevor Ludwig (re-signed)
Brad Lukowich (from Vancouver)
Andrew Raycroft (from Vancouver)
Raymond Sawada (re-signed)
Departures:
Matt Climie (to Phoenix)
Dan Jancevski (to Philadelphia)
Warren Peters (to Minnesota)
Garrett Stafford (to Phoenix)
Out of Dallas' mostly minor signings, Fabian Brunnstrom was one of the better pickups. In 44 NHL games this season, he had 11 points and a minus-three rating.
Aaron Gagnon had 58 points and a plus-19 rating in 78 AHL games this year. Although he had no points in his two NHL games this year, he may very well get another shot if he can continue playing at a high level in the AHL.
Raycroft served as the backup to Roberto Luongo in Vancouver. He played in 21 games where he earned a record of 9-5-1 and posted a .911 save percentage with a 2.42 GAA.
The Stars also gain Adam Burish from Chicago. He missed 65 games due to injury this year and finished with four points and a plus-two rating in 13 games. In the playoffs, he was basically a non-factor and had a minus-one rating with no points.
And don't even get me started on how foolish it was of Dallas not to give Mike Modano a contract.
Overall, the Stars made some average pickups, but nothing incredibly special.
GRADE: C+
Detroit Red Wings
Signings:
Patrick Eaves (re-signed)
Jamie Johnson (from Edmonton)
Sergei Koslov (re-signed)
Joey Macdonald (from Anaheim)
Derek Meech (re-signed)
Drew Miller (re-signed)
Chris Minard (from Edmonton)
Departures:
Brett Lebda (to Toronto)
Jeremy Williams (to NY Rangers)
Detroit continues to be confident in the players they have in place and once again deterred from making any drastic moves in free agency.
Eaves posted his third season of more than 20 points this year, finishing with 22 points and an even rating in 65 games.
Miller had 19 points in 80 games and a plus-five rating. In the playoffs, he had two points and a plus-two rating in 12 games.
Lebda heads for the Maple Leafs after spending the last four seasons with Detroit. This year, he did not do as well as he did in 2008-2009, posting just eight points and a minus-two rating in 63 games.
Miller and Eaves will be good players to have back for 2010-2011, while Minard and Macdonald are good players to call upon if needed.
GRADE: B+
Edmonton Oilers
Signings:
Shawn Belle (from Montreal)
Gilbert Brule (re-signed)
Devan Dubnyk (re-signed)
Kurtis Foster (from Tampa Bay)
Colin Fraser (from Chicago)
J.F. Jacques (re-signed)
Ryan O'Marra (re-signed)
Ben Ondrus (from Toronto)
Theo Peckham (re-signed)
Gregory Stewart (from Montreal)
Jason Strudwick (re-signed)
Departures:
Jamie Johnson (to Detroit)
Chris Minard (to Detroit)
Marc-Antoine Pouliot (to Tampa Bay)
As you can see above, Edmonton has been quite busy so far this offseason.
Brule was second on the Oilers in goals scored this year with 17. He finished the season with 37 points and a minus-eight rating in 65 games.
Jacques had 11 points and a minus-15 rating in 49 games with Edmonton. However, he saw his season come to an early end when he again began suffering from back problems.
Dubnyk made his NHL debut this season to back up Jeff Deslauriers after an injury to Nikolai Khabibulin. He had a record of 4-10-2 with a .889 save percentage and a 3.57 GAA. He also played in 33 games in the AHL and compiled a 3.02 GAA and a .915 save percentage.
Strudwick took a step backwards this year and posted six points and a minus-18 rating in 72 games. He had nine points and a minus-four rating.
Foster was probably the best signing in this group. He had 42 points and a minus-five rating in 71 games.
Edmonton is in the middle of a serious rebuild and have also signed first overall draft pick Taylor Hall to an entry level contract. Although Hall will probably make his Oilers debut this year, the team may miss the postseason one more year before they can become a true contender.
Pretty much everyone signed by Edmonton will need to improve over their 2009-2010 totals and any AHL callups (such as Ben Ondrus) will have to live up to the pressure to perform.
GRADE: C+
Florida Panthers
Signings:
Jason Garrison (re-signed)
Triston Grant (from Nashville)
Chris Higgins (from Calgary)
Kendall McArdle (re-signed)
Nathan Paetsch (from Columbus)
Tyler Plante (re-signed)
Departures:
Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell (traded to Boston)
After losing second leading scorer Nathan Horton in a trade with Boston, Florida decided to compensate with...not much.
However, Jason Garrison may be a start. He has played in 40 games with Florida and posted eight points and a plus-five in those games. He also had 19 points in 38 games with Florida's AHL affiliate in Rochester, NY.
Triston Grant won't be providing any offense. After all, he only has one point and a minus-two rating in 11 NHL games. However, while playing with the Milwaukee Admirals this year, he had 236 penalty minutes. So if Florida finds itself needing an enforcer, he could make the cut.
McArdle has played in 32 NHL games, where he has three points and a minus-five rating. He also played in Rochester this year, scoring eight points in 18 games.
Dale Tallon did a good job at his first NHL Draft as Panthers' general manager, but so far, the offseason is looking like a different story.
GRADE: B-
Los Angeles Kings
Signings:
Marc-Andre Cliche (re-signed)
Rich Clune (re-signed)
Corey Elkins (re-signed)
Trevor Lewis (re-signed)
Alexei Ponikarovsky (from Pittsburgh)
Brad Richardson (re-signed)
Departures:
Drew Bagnall (to Minnesota)
Alexander Frolov (to New York Rangers)
Raitis Ivanans (to Calgary)
Sean O'Donnell (to Philadelphia)
Ponikarovsky played in 77 games last season with Toronto and Pittsburgh. He finished the season with 50 points and a minus-one rating. Pittsburgh had high hopes in acquiring him in a trade for prospect Luca Caputi, but he did not live up to expectations.
Clune began to show off his abilities in 14 games with the Kings this year, scoring two points and posting a plus-one rating. He also had 14 points in 44 games with Manchester. Look for him to get another promotion if needed.
Cliche made his NHL debut this season. He played one game and had a plus-one rating with no points. He also had 25 points in 66 games with Manchester.
Richardson was a steady scorer for the Kings, posting 27 points and a plus-one in 81 games.
The Kings had two notable losses this offseason. Ivanans heads to the Calgary Flames. He was considered the Kings' enforcer and had 136 penalty minutes.
O'Donnell was also solid this season, posting 15 points and a plus-14 rating in 78 games.
On paper, it may look like the losses will hurt the Kings. However, L.A. still has the talent to be competitive this season, and the fans should be content with what they have.
GRADE: A+
Minnesota Wild
Signings:
Drew Bagnall (from Los Angeles)
Matt Cullen (from Ottawa)
Jon DiSalvatore (re-signed)
Robbie Earl (re-signed)
Jamie Fraser (re-signed)
Josh Harding (re-signed)
Anton Khudobin (re-signed)
Mikko Koivu (re-signed)
Guillaume Latendresse (re-signed)
Eric Nystrom (from Calgary)
Warren Peters (from Dallas)
Departures:
Derek Boogaard (to New York Rangers)
Andrew Ebbett (to Phoenix)
John Scott (to Chicago)
Jaime Sifers (to Atlanta)
Khudobin made his NHL debut in 2009-2010. He appeared in two games and picked up two wins; posting a 0.87 GAA and .979 save percentage. In the AHL, he went 14-19-4 with a 2.43 GAA and a.907 save percentage.
Harding served as backup to goaltender Niklas Backstrom. He went 9-12 in 25 games with a .905 save percentage and 3.05 GAA. He has been with the Wild for three full seasons.
Earl also made his Wild debut in 2009-2010. He had six points and a plus-one rating in 32 games. He has also played in the NHL with Toronto, where he scored one point and had a minus-two rating in nine games.
Wild captain Mikko Koivu signed a seven year contract extension that is a franchise record for the Wild. He was appointed the Wild's first captain this year and will undoubtedly remain in that position. He finished 2009-2010 with 71 points in 80 games.
Cullen played in 81 games this year with the Hurricanes and Senators. He posted 48 points and a plus-seven rating in the regular season. In the Senators' brief playoff run, he had eight points in six games.
Latendresse had 40 points and a minus-three rating in 78 games. He spent four seasons with Montreal before coming to Minnesota this season. He has posted more than 20 points in four out of five of his NHL seasons.
The Wild are serious about getting back into the playoffs, and the moves they have made show it. They will be without enforcer Derek Boogaard, but since he only posted four points and a minus-12 rating in 57 games, he probably won't be missed too much.
GRADE: A-
Montreal Canadiens
Signings:
Alex Auld (from NY Rangers)
Dustin Boyd (traded from Nashville)
Mathieu Carle (re-signed)
Cedrick Desjardins (re-signed)
Maxim Lapierre (re-signed)
Ryan Russell (re-signed)
Curtis Sanford (re-signed)
James Wyman (re-signed)
Departures:
Shawn Belle (to Edmonton)
Jaroslav Halak (traded to St. Louis)
Sergei Kostitsyn (to Nashville)
Gregory Stewart (to Edmonton)
Lapierre posted 14 points in 76 games in 2009-2010 with a minus-14 rating. He took a step backwards from 2008-2009, when he had 28 points and a plus-nine.
Boyd comes to Montreal in the trade that sent Sergei Kostitsyn to Nashville. He played in 78 games last year and had 24 points and a plus-six rating.
Carle made his NHL debut in 2009-2010. He played in three games and had a plus-one rating.
Sanford spent the 2009-2010 season with Hamilton of the AHL. He finished with a record of 23-11-3 and posted a 2.13 GAA and a .916 save percentage. He has not been in the NHL since he got a shot with Vancouver in the 2008-2009 season, but he shows promise as a backup to Carey Price.
Hopefully, trading Halak to St. Louis does not come back to bite the Habs. Halak not only went 26-13-5 in the regular season with a .924 save percentage and 2.40 GAA; he went 9-9 in the playoffs. His nine wins were second among all postseason goaltenders, and his .923 save percentage was ranked first.
Price simply hasn't shown the same high performance level since joining the Habs full time in 2007-2008.
Trading away Kostitsyn, who was one of the more highly touted prospects, could also be concern for the upcoming season. But although he had talent, he had off ice issues that ultimately led to his trade, so it shouldn't backfire on the club too much.
GRADE: B
Nashville Predators
Signings:
Sergei Kostitsyn (traded from Montreal)
Jamie Lundmark (from NY Rangers)
Brett Palin (from Calgary)
Ryan Parent (from Philadelphia)
Departures:
Dan Ellis (to Tampa Bay)
Triston Grant (to Florida)
Dan Hamhuis (to Vancouver)
Nolan Yonkman (to Phoenix)
Nashville's biggest loss results from the trade of backup goaltender Dan Ellis to Montreal.
Since only Ellis' rights were traded to Montreal, he had the ability to explore options and ultimately went to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Ellis spent three full seasons with Nashville. This past season, he had a record of 15-13-1 for a .909 save percentage and 2.69 GAA while backing up starter Pekka Rinne.
Dan Hamhuis is also a significant loss for the Preds. He was originally traded to the Flyers, then sent to Pittsburgh, and then he decided to sign with Vancouver.
Hamhuis posted 24 points and a plus-four rating in 78 games this season. He spent five seasons in Nashville.
Moving forward, Parent got a two year contract from the Preds. He participated in 48 games with the Flyers and had three points and a minus-14. However, Parent can be inconsistent, as he went back and forth between the positive and negative ends of the plus/minus in each of his last four seasons with the Flyers.
Lundmark has played 36 NHL games with the Flames and Leafs and has 12 points and a minus-seven rating in those games. He played in Abottsford of the AHL this season and had 21 points in 32 games.
Nashville has not re-signed any players thus far and does not have a backup for Pekka Rinne. Although they may use one of their prospects, a better option would be to get a veteran goaltender in the role.
GRADE: C+
New Jersey Devils
Signings:
David Clarkson (re-signed)
Mark Fraser (re-signed)
Johan Hedberg (from Atlanta)
Henrik Tallinder (from Buffalo)
Anton Volchenkov (from Ottawa)
Departures:
Paul Martin (to Pittsburgh)
Rob Niedermayer (Buffalo)
Fraser played his first full NHL season this year. In 61 games, he had six points and a plus-three rating. He put up no points in the playoffs and had a minus-one.
Hedberg played 47 games with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009-2010. He finished with a record of 21-16-6 with a .915 save percentage and 2.62 GAA. He was a member of the squad for the last four seasons.
Volchenkov was one of the biggest free agents on the market, and the Devils should be lucky to have him. In 64 games with Ottawa, he had 14 points and a plus-two rating. He has had a positive plus/minus rating every season but one; including a plus-37 rating in 2006-2007.
Clarkson just played his third NHL season, all of which have been played in New Jersey. He had 24 points in 46 games and a plus-three rating.
Martin was a long term Devil (six seasons) that will be missed. Although he had a broken arm, he still posted 11 points and a plus-10 in 22 games.
The Devils lose a point here for the Kovalchuk fiasco, but circus aside, they have done a good job at picking up some well known players and especially upgrading their defense.
GRADE: A-
New York Islanders
Signings:
Mark Eaton (from Pittsburgh)
Milan Jurcina (from Washington)
Dustin Kohn (re-signed)
Zenon Konopka (from Tampa Bay)
Nathan Lawson (re-signed)
Matt Moulson (re-signed)
PA Parenteau (from Rangers)
Rob Schremp (re-signed)
Jeremy Yablonski (from Ottawa)
Departures:
Martin Biron (to Rangers)
Tim Jackman (to Calgary)
Jeremy Reich (to Boston)
Trevor Smith (to Anaheim)
Jeff Tambellini (to Vancouver)
Moulson avoided arbitration with the Islanders by signing a new one-year deal. In 2009-2010, he finished with 48 points and a minus-one rating in 82 games.
Kohn made his NHL debut this season and played 22 games with the Islanders, posting four points and a minus-two rating. He spent the majority of the season with Bridgeport of the AHL where he had 17 points in 45 games and a minus-five rating.
Schremp completed his first full NHL season, posting 25 points and a minus-four in 44 games.
Konopka also made his full time NHL debut this year and had five points and a minus-11 in 74 games with the Lightning. However, he also posted 265 penalty minutes; the second consecutive season where he had more than 200 penalty minutes.
Parenteau has also played in 22 NHL games, where he has had eight points and a minus-two rating. He played with Hartford of the AHL this year and posted 45 points and a plus-15 rating. He has had more than 40 points in five out of his six AHL seasons.
Jurcina played 44 games with the Capitals and Blue Jackets last season, where he had seven points and a plus-two rating.
Eaton, who got a two year deal with the Islanders, spent the last four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. This year, he had 16 points and a plus-five rating in 79 games while posting three points and a minus-four in the playoffs. He has had a positive plus/minus in four out of five of his NHL seasons.
Jeff Tambellini, who signed with Vancouver, had 14 points and a minus-eight in 36 games this year, his first full NHL season. Prior to joining the Islanders full time, he had played in at least 20 NHL games every year from 2005-2009.
Biron, who was Roloson's backup this past seasons, had a record of 9-14-4 in 29 games. He had a .896 save percentage and a 3.27 GAA in those outings.
The Islanders are still rebuilding, and the players they got will go a long way in getting them back to the playoffs. It should be a bright future in Nassau County.
GRADE: A
New York Rangers
Signings:
Martin Biron (from NY Islanders)
Derek Boogaard (from Minnesota)
Erik Christensen (re-signed)
Brodie DuPont (re-signed)
Alexander Frolov (from Los Angeles)
Dan Girardi (re-signed)
Vinny Prospal (re-signed)
Brandon Prust (re-signed)
Michael Sauer (re-signed)
Jeremy Williams (from Detroit)
Departures:
Alex Auld (to Montreal)
Olli Jokinen (to Calgary)
Corey Locke (to Ottawa)
Jamie Lundmark (to Nashville)
Corey Potter (to Pittsburgh)
Jody Shelley (to Philadelphia)
Girardi is one of the best young defensemen on the Rangers right now. In 82 games, he had 24 points and a minus-two rating, marking his third straight season where he's posted at least 20 points.
Prust had 14 points and a plus-nine rating in 69 games with the Flames and Rangers. Not only are his numbers respectable, he can also bring the toughness. His 163 penalty minutes were ninth in the NHL.
Prospal played his first season with the Rangers and had 58 points with a plus-eight rating in 75 games.
Christensen played in 58 games with the Ducks and Rangers in 09-10. He finished with 26 points and a plus-11 rating.
Boogaard was supposedly brought in to be an enforcer, but he doesn't bring a whole lot else. He has never scored more than 10 points in a season with Minnesota, and probably won't break out with the mediocre Rangers.
Shelley played in 57 games with the Rangers and Sharks this year, posting nine points, a plus-five rating, and 115 penalty minutes.
Although many Rangers fans are screaming for Glen Sather to be fired, and probably will until that day actually comes, the Rangers have still brought back some talent.
Are they big names? No. Can they get better? Yes.
GRADE: B
Ottawa Senators
Signings:
Cody Bass (re-signed)
Nick Foligno (re-signed)
Sergei Gonchar (from Pittsburgh)
Corey Locke (from NY Rangers)
Derek Smith (re-signed)
Jesse Winchester (re-signed)
Departures:
Matt Cullen (to Minnesota)
Jeremy Yablonski (to NY Islanders)
Anton Volchenkov (to New Jersey)
Bass played 33 games with Ottawa between 2007 and 2009 and had four points in those games. He did not get any NHL playing time this season and posted 11 points and a minus-18 rating in 57 games with Binghamton of the AHL.
Foligno had 26 points and a plus-six rating in 61 games. His totals may have been higher if not for suffering a knee injury and a broken leg at two different points of the season, which caused him to miss 21 games.
Smith had 51 points and a minus-25 in 74 games with Binghamton. He played in two NHL games where he had no points and a minus-four.
Winchester had 13 points in 52 games. He also had trouble with knee and leg injuries, missing 19 games total. He ended up serving two separate conditioning stints with Binghamton before he re-joined Ottawa.
Gonchar got a three year deal after playing the last several seasons with Pittsburgh. He had 50 points and a minus-four in 62 games. However, he too had injury problems over the last couple seasons, including a shoulder injury that caused him to miss five months in 2008-2009.
In the playoffs, Gonchar led all NHL defensemen with 12 points in 13 playoff games.
Ottawa has put some talent back into their lineup, but should be concerned with the number of injury prone players they have on their roster.
GRADE: C+
Philadelphia Flyers
Signings:
Daniel Carcillo (re-signed)
Matthew Clackson (re-signed)
Braydon Coburn (re-signed)
Dan Jancevski (from Dallas)
David Laliberte (re-signed)
Michael Leighton (re-signed)
Sean O'Donnell (from Los Angeles)
Darroll Powe (re-signed)
Jody Shelley (from Rangers)
Departures:
Simon Gagne (traded to Tampa Bay)
Jon Matsumoto (to Carolina)
Ryan Parent (to Nashville)
Danny Syvret (to Anaheim)
Laliberte played 11 games with the Flyers in 2009-2010 where he posted three points and a plus-one rating. In 66 games with Adirondack of the AHL, he had 46 points and a minus-11.
Powe, who was signed to a one year extension, posted 15 points and an even rating in 65 games during his first full NHL season. He improved on his statistics from 2008-2009 when he had 11 points and a minus-eight.
Carcillo had 22 points and a plus-five rating in 76 games. His 207 penalty minutes were fourth in the NHL and he had six points and a plus-one rating during the playoffs. He also had 34 penalty minutes, which was third among postseason totals.
However, Carcillo tends to play irresponsibly, and has demonstrated this in incidents such as when he sucker punched Matt Bradley of the Washington Capitals. Although he has the ability to contribute positively, he will have to calm down to realize what he can really do.
Coburn was one of the most inconsistent defensemen for the Flyers this year. He had 19 points and a minus-six in the regular season, but fell off the radar in the playoffs with four points and a minus-two; including a minus-nine in the Stanley Cup Finals. His performance in the Finals makes it hard to believe he was worthy of a two year contract.
Leighton was one of the many goalies on the Flyers' goalie-go-round this year, but he finished with a 17-9-2 record and posted a .905 save percentage and a 2.83 GAA.
In the playoffs, he really took of. He was first among postseason goaltenders with shutouts (three) and GAA (2.46), while his .916 save percentage ranked second. He finished with an 8-3-0 record and was third in wins.
Philadelphia made a good move to get Leighton back, but Carcillo and Coburn are questionable signings.
GRADE: B-
Phoenix Coyotes
Signings:
Matt Climie (from Dallas)
Andrew Ebbett (from Minnesota)
Derek Morris (re-signed)
Alexandre Picard (re-signed)
Garrett Stafford (from Dallas)
Ray Whitney (from Carolina)
Nolan Yonkman (from Nashville)
Departures:
Stefan Meyer (to Calgary)
Zbynek Michalek (to Pittsburgh)
Joel Perrault (to Vancouver)
Sean Sullivan (to San Jose)
Picard has not yet gotten to play with Phoenix since being traded there from Columbus. In 67 NHL games with the Blue Jackets, he posted two points and a minus-nine rating. In 58 AHL games with Syracuse and San Antonio, Picard posted 50 points.
Morris had a stint with the Bruins last season before returning to the Coyotes via a trade. He finished with 29 points and a plus-two rating in 76 games and also had four points and a minus-one in the playoffs.
Whitney's veteran presence will be a welcome addition to the Coyotes. He had 58 points and a minus-six rating this season, but has posted more than 50 points in every season of his career.
Perrault heads to the Canucks having played 78 games with the Coyotes, where he had 26 points and a minus-13. He also had 36 points in 47 games with San Antonio this year.
Michalek will be missed in Phoenix. He spent five seasons there and posted 17 points and a plus-five rating in 72 games this year.
Overall, the Coyotes have a good shot on building on their first playoff appearance in several years from 2009-2010.
GRADE: A
Pittsburgh Penguins
Signings:
Ryan Craig (from Tampa Bay)
Andrew Hutchinson (from Dallas)
Paul Martin (from New Jersey)
Zbynek Michalek (from Phoenix)
Corey Potter (from Rangers)
Brett Sterling (from Atlanta)
Departures:
Mark Eaton (to NY Islanders)
Sergei Gonchar (to Ottawa)
Jordan Leopold (to Buffalo)
Alexei Ponikarovsky (to LA)
Pittsburgh locked up most of its current players to extensions before free agency began, so all that was left to do after July 1 was get some extra pieces in place.
Michalek and Martin, both steady defensemen on their former teams, were each signed to five year deals. Each have good offensive production as well as positive plus/minus ratings.
Craig played in 184 games with Tampa from 2005-2010 where he put up 64 points and a -23 rating. In 73 games this season with Norfolk of the AHL, he had 45 points.
Sterling is a dominant AHL player who has struggled to adjust to the professional level. In 19 career games with Atlanta, he has just four points and a minus-five. However, this season, he had 56 points in 55 games with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.
The Penguins will miss power play quarterback Sergrei Gonchar and sound defensive presence Jordan Leopold. However, it's going to be hard for anyone to miss Alexei Ponikarovsky (though if you feel this way, drop me a comment).
GRADE: A+
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Signings:
Brett Clark (from Colorado)
Chris Durno (from Colorado)
Dan Ellis (from Nashville)
Mitch Fritz (re-signed)
Simon Gagne (traded from Philadelphia)
Blair Jones (re-signed)
Pavel Kubina (from Atlanta)
Mike Lundin (re-signed)
Vladimir Mihalik (re-signed)
Marc-Antoine Pouliot (from Edmonton)
Teddy Purcell (re-signed)
Mathieu Roy (from Columbus)
Paul Szczechura (re-signed)
Nate Thompson (re-signed)
Mike Vernace (from Atlanta)
Departures:
Ryan Craig (to Pittsburgh)
Kurtis Foster (to Edmonton)
Zenon Konopka (to Islanders)
Antero Nittymaki (to San Jose)
Alex Tanguay (to Calgary)
Mihalik has played in 15 careers with Tampa Bay, posting three points and a minus-seven. This season, he played in 75 games with Norfolk of the AHL, where he had 18 points.
Thompson played 71 games with the Lightning and the Islanders this past season, where he posted 10 points and a minus-11.
Szczechura has seven points and a minus-15 rating in 52 NHL games. This year, he posted 29 points in 35 games with the Admirals.
Jones has played 38 total games in the NHL and has three points and a minus-five to show for it.
Lundin had 13 points and a minus-four in 49 games with Tampa. He also played 27 games with Norfolk and finished with 16 points.
Purcell just finished his first full NHL season, playing in 60 games with the Kings and Lightning. He finished with 15 points and a minus-nine.
Gagne will be a good scoring presence in Tampa Bay this coming season. He finished the regular season with 40 points in 58 games with a minus-one rating. His nine playoff goals were seventh among all postseason participants.
Some of the Bolts' losses could hurt the team next year. Foster and Tanguay were sixth and seventh in scoring, respectively. Nittymaki was the team's top goaltender, while Konopka was the primary enforcer.
However, there are several young players who could easily step in as needed and having Gagne will help the offense that Foster and Tanguay provided.
GRADE: B
Toronto Maple Leafs
Signings:
Colby Armstrong (from Atlanta)
Joey Crabb (from Chicago)
Nikolai Kulemin (re-signed)
Brett Lebda (from Detroit)
John Mitchell (re-signed)
Danny Richmond (from Chicago)
Departures:
Ben Ondrus (to Edmonton)
Mitchell has been with the Leafs for two seasons now. He finished 2009-2010 with 23 points in 60 games and a minus-seven rating.
Kulemin, also a Leafs sophomore, had 36 points and an even rating in 78 games.
Another piece to the puzzle is Armstrong, who is capable of providing Toronto with at least 10-20 points a season.
Ondrus, who left Toronto for Edmonton, has played 52 NHL games, where he has two points and a minus-20 rating. He spent most of his 2009-2010 season with the Toronto Marlies, where he had 14 points in 56 games.
Brian Burke is re-building Toronto by providing dependable pieces, yet not doing anything overly drastic. He has big stars such as Phil Kessel; now he is just complimenting them.
GRADE: B+
Vancouver Canucks
Signings:
Alexandre Bolduc (re-signed)
Tanner Glass (re-signed)
Dan Hamhuis (from Nashville)
Jannik Hansen (re-signed)
Manny Malhotra (from San Jose)
Shane O'Brien (re-signed)
Joel Perrault (from Phoenix)
Mason Raymond (re-signed)
Jeff Tambellini (from Islanders)
Tyler Weiman (from Colorado)
Departures:
Brad Lukowich (to Dallas)
Nathan McIver (to Boston)
Andrew Raycroft (to Dallas)
Raymond got a two year extension with the Canucks. He finished 2009-2010 with 53 points and an even rating in 82 games. He also had four points an an even rating.
Hansen played in 47 games this past season, posting 15 points and a minus-five rating. He also played in 15 games with Manitoba of the AHL and had two points.
O'Brien had eight points and a plus-15 rating, the latter of which was third among Canucks defensemen.
Glass had 11 points and a plus-five rating in 67 games.
Bolduc is probably the most unproductive player that Vancouver brought back, going scoreless with a minus-three in 15 games and not faring much better in the AHL, posting three points in 13 games.
Vancouver's only significant loss was backup goaltender Raycroft, but it seems like top goaltending prospect Cory Schneider will fit just fine into the backup role for Luongo.
Vancouver will return a talented team next year and hopefully, they will find the magic to get them past the second round of the playoffs.
GRADE: A-
Washington Capitals
Signings:
Jay Beagle (re-signed)
Brian Fahey (from Colorado)
Eric Fehr (re-signed)
Tomas Fleischmann (re-signed)
Kyle Greentree (from Chicago)
Andrew Gordon (re-signed)
Boyd Gordon (re-signed)
Patrick McNeill (re-signed)
Zach Miskovic (re-signed)
Dany Sabourin (from Boston)
Jeff Schultz (re-signed)
Brian Willsie (from Colorado)
Departures:
Alexandre Giroux (to Edmonton)
Milan Jurcina (to Islanders)
Kyle Wilson (to Columbus)
Fleischmann signed another one-year contract to remain in D.C. He posted 51 points and a plus-nine rating in 69 games during his third season with the Caps.
Willsie previously played with the Capitals in 2003-2004 and 2005-2006. He put up 56 points and a minus-26 in 131 games. This past season, he played 46 games with Colorado and posted four points and a minus-seven rating. He also played 75 games with Lake Erie of the AHL, where he had 57 points.
Fehr had 39 points and a plus-18 in 69 games with the Caps, but was most successful in the playoffs, where he was the fourth leading playoff scorer with four points and a plus-two rating.
Boyd Gordon had 10 points and a plus-four rating in 36 games while posting two points and a plus-two in the playoffs. He completed his fourth season with Washington this year.
Schultz has also been with the Capitals for four years. In 73 regular games, he had 23 points and a plus-50. However, in the playoffs, he only had one point and a minus-one.
The only weakness among the Caps' signings were the prospects they re-signed. Players such as Andrew Gordon and Jay Beagle perform at a high level in the AHL, but their success does not translate to the NHL. This could be a problem in the future, but the young players should still get more call-ups as needed.
GRADE: B+
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