NHL Power Rankings: Grading Each Western Conference Team's Free-Agent Moves

One week has passed in free agency since July 1st. Lots of money has been thrown around, along with some trades prior and during. Have all these moves helped the Western Conference teams? Or have they all regressed?. Lets see after the first week.

A: greatly improved solving their needs

B: improved solving almost all of their needs

C+: moderately improved

C: stayed the same

C-: regressed a little losing some talent while gaining little to none

F: regressed losing talent and/or making poor decisions

Anaheim Ducks

Arrivals: F Jean-Francois Jacques (Oilers), G Jeff Delauriers (Oilers), F Brian McGratten (re-signed), Kurtis Foster (Oilers, trade)

Departures: D Andreas Lilja (Flyers), F Josh Green (Oilers), D Andy Sutton (Oilers, trade)

The Ducks have stayed pretty quiet this offseason where they needed to upgrade their defence (Foster isn’t the answer).

The team is awaiting if 41-year-old Teemu Selanne will return for another season after having offseason surgery.

First Week Grade: C-

Calgary Flames

Arrivals: W Curtis Glencross (re-signed), G Henrik Karlsson (re-signed), F Alex Tanguay (re-signed), D Anton Babchuk (re-signed), F Guillaume Desbiens (Canucks), D Chris Butler (Sabres, trade), F Paul Byron (Sabres, trade)

Departures: D Robyn Regehr (Sabres, trade), Ales Kotalik (Sabres, trade), D Adam Pardy (Stars)

The Flames were a surprising suitor for Brad Richards but eventually lost out to the Rangers. With 12 players having some sort of no-trade clause/no-movement clause and being up against the cap ($4 million left), it was/is hard for the Flames to tweak their roster.

First Week Grade: C-

Chicago Blackhawks

Arrivals: D Steve Montador (Sabres, trade), F Jamal Mayers (Sharks), D Sean O’Donnell (Flyers), F Andrew Brunette (Wild), F Dan Carcillo (Flyers), F Rostislav Olesz (Panthers, trade)

Departures: F Troy Brouwer (Capitals, trade), D Brian Campbell (Panthers, trade), F Tomas Kopecky (Panthers, trade), D Garnet Exelby (Red Wings), F Jake Dowell (Stars)

Campbell's contract was a nightmare for Chicago but a dream come true for Florida. With having to let go many of their role players last offseason due to salary cap implications the Blackhawks reloaded this offseason with O’Donnell, Montador, Brunette and Olesz.

Now it all comes down to goaltending from Corey Crawford and see if he can lead Chicago back to Stanley Cup favourites.

First Week Grade: B

Colorado Avalanche

Arrivals: D Jan Hejda (Blue Jackets), F Greg Mauldin (re-signed), F Chuck Kobasew (Wild), G Jean-Sebastian Giguere (Maple Leafs), G Semyon Varlamov (Capitals, trade), D Ryan O’Byrne (re-signed), D Matt Hunwick (re-signed)

Departures: G Peter Budaj (Canadiens), F Tomas Fleischmann (Panthers), G Brian Elliott (Blues), F Phillippe Dupuis (Maple Leafs), D John-Michael Liles (Maple Leafs, trade), fist-round draft pick and second-round draft pick

In one of the biggest head-scratchers of the offseason, the Avalanche who are clearly in a rebuilding stage traded away a first- and second-round draft pick to the Capitals for Varlamov who is still unproven (hence the signing of Giguere).

The first-round pick will most likely be a top-10 if not top-five pick which greatly benefits Washington. In a clear rebuilding stage the Avalanche were/are not going to be big free agent buyers.

First Week Grade: F (only F due to trading a first-round pick, which is most likely to be a top-10 pick)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Arrivals: F Jeff Carter (Flyers, trade), D James Wisniewski (Canadiens, trade), G Curtis Sanford (Canadiens), D Aaron Johnson (Predators), D Radek Martinek (Islanders), D Marc Methot (re-signed)

Departures: F Jakub Voracek (Flyers, trade), G Mathieu Garon (Lightning), Scottie Upshall (Panthers), D Jan Hejda (Avalanche), D Mike Commodore (Red Wings)

With the addition of Carter to help play along with star forward Rick Nash and Wisniewski in the back end the Blue Jackets hope this will be enough to get back into the playoffs for the first time in two years and second in franchise history.

It all comes down to goaltending in Columbus.

First Week Grade: B

Dallas Stars

Arrivals: D Brad Lukowich (re-signed), D Adam Pardy (Flames), F Radek Dvorak (Jets), F Vernon Fiddler (Coyotes), F Michael Ryder (Bruins), D Sheldon Souray (Oilers), F Jake Dowell

Departures: C Brad Richards (Rangers), F Jamie Langenbrunner (Blues)

Due to ownership problems the Stars were unable to try and re-sign top free agent Brad Richards or have him waive his no-trade clause to allow them to get some compensation.

Even with the loss of Richards and owner problems, the Stars were able to sign good role and depth players that should offset the loss of Richards by committee some what.

First Week Grade: C+

Detroit Red Wings

Arrivals: D Nicklas Lidsrtom (re-signed), D Jonathan Ericsson (re-signed), F Patrick Eaves (re-signed), F Drew Miller (re-signed), D Mike Commodore (Blue Jackets), D Garnet Exelby (Blackhawks), F Logan Pyett (re-signed), Ian White (Sharks)

Departures: D Derek Meech (Jets), D Ruslan Salei (KHL), Brian Rafalski (retirement)

The Red Wings have not done a whole lot on the exterior, but on the interior, they were able to re-sign all of their players worth re-signing albeit Brian Rafalski who retired.

Detroit is hoping White can fill the void left by Rafalski to help bring offence from the back end. Commodore also brings veteran leadership that the Red Wings seem to bring in every year.

First Week Grade: C+

Edmonton Oilers

Arrivals: F Ryan Smyth (Kings, trade) F Ben Eager (Sharks), F Darcy Hordichuk (Panthers), D Cam Barker (Wild), F Eric Belanger (Coyotes), F Josh Green (Ducks), D Corey Potter (Penguins), D Andy Sutton (Ducks, trade)

Departures: F Colin Fraser (Kings, trade), D Sheldon Souray (Stars), D Jim Vandermeer (Sharks), F Jean-Francois Jacques (Ducks), Kuris Foster (Ducks, trade)

Finally ridding of Souray, the Oilers are able to finally move on. The signing of Barker allows the former top-five pick to play top-two minutes as he was overshadowed in Chicago and Minnesota.

The signing of Eager and Hordichuk protects Edmontons young stars from other teams and Belanger brings a nice veteran presence but the team is still lacking a No. 1 centre.

First Week Grade: B

Los Angeles Kings

Arrivals: F Mike Richards (Flyers, trade), F Simon Gagne (Lightning), Alec Martinez (re-signed)

Departures: F Brayden Schenn (Flyers, trade), F Wayne Simmonds (Flyers), F Michal Handzus (Sharks), F Alexei Ponikarvosky (Hurricanes)

In a blockbuster trade, the Kings were able to land Flyers captain Richards giving them two top-two centres in Anze Kopitar and Richards.

The loss of Simmonds hurts, but the gain of Richards’s makes that go away. The addition and past chemistry between Richards and Gagne makes the trade and signing that much better.

Richards and Gagne are a better improvement than Smyth and Schenn.

First Week Grade: A

Minnesota Wild

Arrivals: G Josh Harding (re-signed), F Devin Setoguchi (Sharks, trade), Charlie Coyle (Sharks, trade), Dany Heatley (Sharks, trade), Darroll Powe (Flyers, trade)

Departures: F Antti Miettinen (KHL), G Jose Theodore (Panthers), F Andrew Brunette (Blackhawks), D Cam Barker (Oilers), F Chuck Kobasew (Avalanche), D Brent Burns (Sharks, trade), F Martin Havlet (Sharks, trade)

The Wild shook things up trading their top goal scorer (Havlet) and top defenceman (Burns) to the Sharks in separate deals but gained two proven scorers in Heatley and Setoguchi. Powe brings experience and paired with Cal Clutterbuck form one of the best body checking duos in the league.

The loss of Miettinen to Russia hurts.

First Week Grade: B

Nashville Predators

Arrivals: F Niclas Bergfors (Panthers), D Brett Lebda (Maple Leafs, trade), F Robert Slaney (Maple Leafs, trade), F Brodie Dupont (Rangers, trade), F Zack Stortini (Oilers), F Sergei Kostitsyn (re-signed), F Cal O`Reilly (re-signed), F Nick Spaling (re-signed), F Matt Halischuck (re-signed)

Departures: F Marcel Goc (Panthers), F Steve Sullivan (Penguins), F Joel Ward (Capitals), D Aaron Johnson (Blue Jackets), D Cody Franson (Maple Leafs, trade), Matthew Lombardi (Maple Leafs, trade), F Andreas Thuresson (Rangers, trade), J.P. Dumount (bought out)

The Predators lost a lot upfront from their role players in Goc, Dumount, Sullivan and most importantly Ward but retained their new up-and-comers.

However, at a price much higher then expected due to a gaff in Qualifying Offers for RFA's which included seven Predators. The trade of Franson to Toronto for Lebda was a head scratcher but the Predators always have a bevy of blue-line prospects ready to step in.

The key offseason step on the Predators to-do list is re-sign Captain Shea Weber at whatever the cost will be.

First Week Grade: C-

Phoenix Coyotes

Arrivals: F Matt Beaudoin (re-signed), G Mike Smith (Lightning), F Raffi Torres (Canucks), F Boyd Gordon (Capitals), F Radim Vrbata (re-signed), F Alex Bolduc (Canucks), G Curtis McElhinney (Senators), D Nathan Oystrick (Blues), D Keith Yandle (re-signed)

Departures: G Ilya Bryzgalov (Flyers, trade), D Ed Jovanovski (Panthers), F Eric Belanger (Oilers), F Andrew Ebbett, G Matt Climie (Canucks)

The Coyotes checked off their most important to-do-list item in re-signing Yandle. The Coyotes added a lot of depth in Torres, Gordon, Bolduc and McElhinney but the loses of Jovanovski, Fiddler and especially Belanger will be missed.

Smith has yet to show he can be a full-time starter and will have big shoes to fill with Bryzgalov now gone.

First Week Grade: C-

San Jose Sharks

Arrivals: D Brent Burns (Wild, trade), F Martin Havlet (Wild, trade), D Jim Vandermeer (Oilers), Michal Handzus (Kings)

Departures: F Dany Heatley (Wild, trade), F Devin Setoguchi (Wild, trade), F Jamal Mayers (Blackhawks), F Ben Eager (Oilers), D Ian White (Red Wings), D Kent Huskins (Blues), F Scott Nichol (Blues)

With being one of the best teams in the regular season, the Sharks have not been able to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals losing in the Western Conference finals two years in a row.

GM Doug Wilson felt there needed to be a shake up, and he brought in a proven playoff scorer in Havlet and a top-two defenceman in Burns to help the back end all round. In doing this, the Dany Heatley experiment ended, and fan favourite/rising star Setoguchi were shipped to Minnesota.

The addition of Handzus is nice for a veteran presence, but the Sharks lost toughness and grit especially in Nichol.

First Week Grade: C+

St. Louis Blues

Arrivals: F Matt D’Agostini (re-signed), G Brain Elliott (Avalanche), D Kent Huskins (Sharks), Brett Sterling (Penguins), F Scott Nichol (Sharks), F Jamie Langenbrunner (Stars), F Jason Arnott (Capitals), F Vladimi Sobotka (re-signed), B.J. Crombeen (re-signed), F T.J. Oshie (re-signed)

Departures: D Nathan Oystrick (Coyotes), D Dean Arsene (Coyotes)

The Blues did not lose much and retained much of their young core. This team has been on the “verge” since making the playoffs two seasons ago.

A young team, St. Louis felt it needed to add veteran leadership and did they ever do that by signing Arnott, Langenbrunner, Huskins and Nichol. The Blues checked off their needs during free agency.

First Week Grade: A

Vancouver Canucks

Arrivals: D Kevin Bieska (re-signed), D Andrew Alberts (re-signed), D Sami Salo (re-signed), F Chris Higgins (re-signed), F Mark Mancari (Sabres), F Marco Sturm (Capitals), F Andrew Ebbett (Coyotes), D Nolan Baumgartner (re-signed), F Steve Pinizzotto (Capitals), G Matt Climie (Coyotes), D Alexander Sulzer (Panthers), F Max Lapierre (re-signed)

Depatures: F Jeff Tambellini (Switzerland), F Raffi Torres (Coyotes), F Tanner Glass (Jets), F Rick Rypien (Jets), F Alex Bolduc (Coyotes), D Christian Ehrhoff (Islanders, trade)

The Canucks came into the offseason wanting to re-sign as many of their current players as possible. Bieksa, Salo , Alberts, Lapierre and Higgins all did, but Vancouver lost out on top defenceman Ehrhoff who will be missed and role players Glass and Torres.

The Canucks gambled on Sturm and added depth everywhere else. One glaring need coming into the offseason was toughness, and it is still a glaring need now one week in.

First Week Grade: C

Conclusion

As a whole the Western Conference improved with seven teams getting better. One team pretty much stayed the same while five regressed a little to a lot. There are not a lot of top-end players left leaving only depth players. This was/is a weak free agent class and it will stay that way until 2013/2014.

A: 2

B: 4

C+: 3

C: 1

C-: 4

F: 1