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NHL Free Agency 2015: Early Grades for Every Team
July 3, 2015NHL Free Agency 2015: Early Grades for Every Team
July 1 is always a busy day in the NHL, and this year was no different. The start of the 2015 free-agent season saw a flurry of signings and some pretty big trades as players shifted teams.
What it didn't see much of was terrible contracts. Maybe it was the relatively low salary cap, maybe it was the growing influence of analytics or maybe it was something else entirely, but general managers were remarkably restrained in their offers to free agents.
This made it an uncommonly good time for managers with a little bit of cap space and some money in their pockets to add talent.
How did your favourite team do? Read on for our early grades, based on talent acquired and the dollars spent on those acquisitions. We're looking solely at the new players who can expect to be in the NHL next season and only including moves from July 1 on.
Anaheim Ducks
- C Shawn Horcoff: one year, $1.75 million cap hit, per TSN's Darren Dreger (h/t NHL.com).
New Additions
Summary
The Ducks had a quiet run in free agency, with their most significant move—the Kevin Bieksa trade—getting done prior to July 1. Horcoff is still a nice addition. The veteran centre, who turns 37 in September, enjoyed a bit of a rebound year in Dallas. He can win faceoffs, kill penalties and is surprisingly effective in a net-front role on the power play.
Grade: C+
The Ducks didn't do enough to qualify for higher marks, but what they did do was reasonable.
Arizona Coyotes
- F Antoine Vermette, two years, $3.75 million cap hit.
- D Zbynek Michalek, two years, $3.2 million cap hit.
- F Brad Richardson, three years, $2.08 million cap hit.
- F Steve Downie, one year, $1.75 million cap hit.
- G Anders Lindback, one year, $875,000.
New Additions
Summary
There is a lot to get through here, though Coyotes fans will be familiar with the biggest names on this list. Vermette and Michalek are old hands and both signed at reasonable price points and terms. Both returns are excellent news for Arizona.
Less impressive are the other names on the list. Downie has some good points, but he may be the least disciplined forward in the NHL. Richardson is a solid bottom-six player who brings a lot, though the price and term are both a little dear. Lindback is major risk, especially if Mike Smith's struggles in net continue.
Grade: B+
The big names are really helpful, and the various supporting figures all have something to offer. Plug in a more proven backup goalie and this would be an "A."
Boston Bruins
- F Matt Beleskey, five years, $3.8 million cap hit.
- F Jimmy Hayes from Florida for F Reilly Smith and F Marc Savard.
New Additions
Summary
Beleskey was an early front-runner for the worst contract of July 1 before free agency even opened, so when word came down that the Bruins were considering signing him, many people felt it would be another mistake in a difficult week for the team. As it turns out, the deal was surprisingly reasonable, though it remains to be seen if Beleskey's career year was a turning of the corner or a profitable aberration.
The Hayes deal adds some size and sheds some dollars from the lineup, neither of which is a bad thing.
Grade: C
The Beleskey deal is riskier than people think, particularly given its length. This was a hard team to mark, though, because if he delivers, he's a pretty nice get.
Buffalo Sabres
- F Jason Akeson, one year, $575,000 cap hit.
- D Matt Donovan, one year, $825,000 cap hit (both as per John Vogl of the Buffalo News).
New Additions
Summary
After a very busy time at the draft, Buffalo GM Tim Murray settled for some smaller moves on July 1, adding depth up front and on the back end.
Akeson is a good minor-league scorer and former Flyers prospect and is a plausible candidate for NHL employment, though that's hardly a lock. Donovan had a difficult year with the Islanders but has real offensive potential and was a solid bottom-pairing guy in 2013-14.
Grade: D+
The Sabres really didn't do much, though the gamble on Donovan is interesting. In a year with all kinds of cheap free agents, inaction is not a winning strategy.
Calgary Flames
- F Michael Frolik, five years, $4.3 million cap hit.
- Conditional fourth-round draft pick from Nashville for F Max Reinhart.
New Additions
Summary
Frolik was one of the few forwards to land a long-term contract at a fairly high dollar figure this free agency, and he's a sound investment by the Flames because of his versatility.
Frolik plays the power play. He kills penalties. At five-on-five, he's both a solid second-line scorer and a superb puck-possession player. In a press conference streamed on the team's official site, general manager Brad Treliving aptly described him as a "Swiss Army knife."
The Reinhart deal clears away a fringe prospect who wasn't realistically going to progress in the Flames' system.
Grade: B+
Frolik helps this team a lot.
Carolina Hurricanes
New Additions
None.
Summary
Carolina didn't add a single new player who played an NHL game last year on the opening day of free agency, which was a little odd in light of the team's poor performances last season. They had been busy at the draft, however, which may explain the relative inactivity in Raleigh.
Grade: F
The contracts being handed out on July 1 were almost uniformly reasonable; sitting out the action while every other team upgrades without blowing the bank is a recipe for a failing grade.
Chicago Blackhawks
- F Viktor Tikhonov, one year, $1.04 million
New Additions
Summary
Chicago settled for a quiet addition, which we include because there's every expectation that Tikhonov will play in the NHL next year. A responsible two-way forward, Tikhonov should provide the Blackhawks with quality play in a bottom-six role.
Grade: B
This is the kind of cheap bet cap-strapped teams need to make.
Colorado Avalanche
- D Francois Beauchemin, three years, $4.5 million cap hit.
- F Blake Comeau, three years, $2.4 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
Colorado went out and landed a couple of good players on Day 1 of free agency.
The risk with Beauchemin is age; he turned 35 last month, which is the point at which most defenceman start declining rapidly. He was, however, a legitimately quality player last season. If he can even be a second-pairing defender for the Avs, he'll be decent value at that cap hit.
Comeau had a great year and was one the league's best free-agent signings a year ago. He's a quality third-line forward and a good fit at that price.
Grade: A-
The Avs didn't knock it out of the park, but they added two good players who will help them without overpaying, either.
Columbus Blue Jackets
- F Gregory Campbell, two years, $1.5 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
The Jackets' big move came on the eve of free agency, and while the addition of Brandon Saad is a massive deal, it falls outside the scope of this piece.
Campbell is a physical fourth-line forward who brings a wealth of experience and a defensively responsible game. The only concern is that he turns 32 early next season.
Grade: C
Campbell isn't a bad add, but he doesn't move the dial much.
Dallas Stars
New Additions
None.
Summary
Dallas made some moves prior to free agency, but come July 1, it was crickets despite a need for quality help on the back end. Antti Niemi, who falls outside the scope of this piece as he was added prior to July 1, is not a one-man solution to last year's problems.
Grade: F
The contracts being handed out on July 1 were almost uniformly reasonable; sitting out the action while every other team upgrades without blowing the bank is a recipe for a failing grade.
Detroit Red Wings
- D Mike Green, three years, $6.0 million cap hit.
- F Brad Richards, one year, $3.0 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
Detroit has needed a right-shooting defenceman for ages, particularly on the power play. They also needed to improve their centre depth after the buyout of Stephen Weiss. They addressed both positions with quality free agents without over-committing.
Green was a prime candidate for a risky contract, but it's hard not to like the Wings keeping the term to three years here. Though $6.0 million is a lot to pay, he's such a good fit for team need that it's hard to argue.
Richards had a tough year in some ways in Chicago, but he's on a one-year deal and won't be asked to do more than he's capable of with a reasonably deep Detroit team.
Grade: A
The Red Wings knew what they needed, went out and got it and didn't spend too much for too long.
Edmonton Oilers
- D Andrej Sekera: six years, $5.5 million cap hit.
- F Mark Letestu: three years, $1.8 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
After years of chasing veteran third-pairing defencemen, the Oilers finally got it right and added somebody who can help them.
Sekera is exactly what the doctor ordered, a quality two-way defenceman with many years left in his career, a guy who combines puck moving with the ability to take on a shutdown role. He's instantly the best defenceman on the team.
Letestu will likely take on the fourth-line centre job that opened up in the Boyd Gordon trade.
Grade: A
The Oilers had a need and they went out and addressed it.
Florida Panthers
- F Reilly Smith and F Marc Savard from Boston for F Jimmy Hayes.
New Additions
Summary
This is one of those deals that has to be seen through the lens of the cap machinations involved. Smith for Hayes isn't a bad deal to start with, but the addition of Savard makes it very interesting.
According to NHL Numbers, Savard had a $4.02 million cap hit but just $575,000 in actual salary over each of the next two seasons, which could turn out to be a big deal if Florida is hanging around the salary-cap floor at the start of next year.
Grade: C+
The Panthers didn't get a lot better on the ice, but they did find a way to potentially pay less money than the salary-cap floor would otherwise force them to.
Los Angeles Kings
- G Jhonas Enroth, one year, $1.25 million
New Additions
Summary
Just one move for Los Angeles on July 1 after the team made its big deal prior to the opening of free agency. Backup goaltender Jhonas Enroth was added and should provide the team with a reasonable option behind Jonathan Quick next season.
Grade: C+
Enroth's a nice signing but not a significant game-changer.
Minnesota Wild
- D Mike Reilly, two-year entry-level deal (as per Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune).
- F Zac Dalpe, one year, unknown cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
The big catch here isn't Dalpe, who may not even play in the NHL next year. It's clearly Reilly.
It's been known for some time that Reilly—a Columbus draft pick and free agent through an odd little rule relating to college players—had chosen the Wild but the deal couldn't be made official until July 1. He's an exceptional prospect and may jump directly into the NHL next year.
Grade: A-
No big splashes, but that Reilly addition is golden.
Montreal Canadiens
- F Zack Kassian and a fifth-round draft pick from Vancouver for F Brandon Prust.
- D Mark Barberio, one year, $600,000 cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
Barberio, a Montreal native who spent last season in a depth role with the Lightning, was a nice little addition. The real get here is Kassian, though.
Kassian's tenure in Vancouver left a lot to be desired, but he's been a pretty effective five-on-five scorer over the last few years. At 6'3" and 214 pounds, he's big and physical. He's also only 24 years of age. He's a good fit for Montreal's needs and his upside far outstrips that of the player sent the other way. That the Habs managed to get a fifth-round pick thrown into the deal, which is a nice cherry on top.
Grade: A-
There's risk associated with Kassian but this is a nice gamble that could pay off in a big way.
Nashville Predators
- D Barrett Jackman, two years, $2.0 million cap hit.
- F Cody Hodgson, one year, $1.05 million cap hit.
- D Conor Allen, one year, $575,000 cap hit.
- F Max Reinhart from Calgary for a conditional fourth-round pick.
- Sixth-round pick from N.Y. Rangers for Magnus Hellberg.
New Additions
Summary
Nashville did a lot, but most of the moves were minor. The loss of Hellberg and acquisition of Reinhart are both pretty debatable deals, and Allen isn't likely to be a significant piece.
The two big signings were both decent moves, though. Jackman is a solid defenceman, and he joins the team at a pretty modest price and at the expense of a divisional rival. Hodgson is the latest in a long line of reclamation deals and stands a decent chance of paying off; if he can find his form of a couple of years back, he'll be a steal.
Grade: B+
Some good moves and some indifferent moves. On balance, a solid performance.
New Jersey Devils
- D John Moore, three years, $1.6 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
The Devils made an interesting little move on Wednesday and were generally praised for locking up Moore, a young defenceman with some potential who is now on his fourth NHL team.
The trouble is that 230 games into his NHL career, Moore looks a lot like a No. 6 defenceman. His underlying numbers are poor, a rarity for a good puck-mover. As he closes in on 25, which he hits early next season, it gets less likely that he'll to breakout.
Grade: C
Moore wasn't an overly expensive signing, but the likelihood he dramatically outperforms his contract is low.
New York Islanders
- G Thomas Greiss, two years, $1.5 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
Greiss is an interesting addition because he's been such a good backup goalie in the NHL, but his record at other levels is a little spotty. He was decent for Pittsburgh, great for the Coyotes—he played there before the team rebranded to Arizona—and quite good for San Jose. He'll be a nice fit behind Jaroslav Halak.
Grade: B
General manager Garth Snow made his big moves last year and didn't have much space to add people this summer.
New York Rangers
- F Viktor Stalberg, one year, $1.1 million.
- D Raphael Diaz, one year, $700,000 (as per The Hockey News).
- G Magnus Hellberg from Nashville for a sixth-round pick.
New Additions:
Summary
Stalberg may be my favourite signing of early free agency—if not, he's close. He had a terrible 2013-14, no question, but he rebounded in a big way in 2014-15, a rebound that didn't get noticed because he didn't get many games and he received very few minutes. He's a 6'3", 210-pound forward with good points/hour totals in three of the last four seasons, and he arrived in New York for a song.
Diaz and Hellberg are less significant additions, but the price was right on both.
Grade: A
No false moves.
Ottawa Senators
- F Eric O'Dell, one year, $700,000 cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
O'Dell is unlikely to have a significant NHL presence. He's played 40-odd games for Winnipeg over the last two seasons but has spent most of his time in the AHL. The trend will likely continue in Ottawa.
Grade: F
The contracts being handed out on July 1 were almost uniformly reasonable; sitting out the action while every other team upgrades without blowing the bank is a recipe for a failing grade.
Philadelphia Flyers
- G Michal Neuvirth, two years, $1.625 million cap hit.
New Additions:
Summary
Philadelphia landed arguably the top free-agent goalie on the market, got him for two years and kept the contract figure well south of $2.0 million annually. Neuvirth buys them insurance in case Steve Mason has health problems next year and gives them a little internal competition at the position.
Grade: A-
A really good answer to a need from a team with serious cap issues.
Pittsburgh Penguins
- F Phil Kessel, F Tyler Biggs, D Tim Erixon and a second-round draft pick from Toronto for F Nick Spaling, F Sami Kapanen, D Scott Harrington and first- and third-round draft picks, with Toronto retaining $1.25 million per season of Kessel's contract.
New Additions:
Summary
The Penguins turned to the trade market on July 1 and landed the biggest fish out there: Phil Kessel.
There's a lot of negativity about Kessel's game. He may have led Toronto in scoring, may have topped 30 goals in six of the last seven seasons (projecting for the 48-game schedule in 2012-13) and may be an elite offensive producer in the prime of his career, but he's not engaging with the media and couldn't single-handedly overcome the terrible roster around him.
In Pittsburgh, he won't have to do that. He'll go from Tyler Bozak to either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. To borrow from Dwight Schrute: Lex Luthor said it best when he said, "Dad, you have no idea what I'm capable of."
Grade: A
Good luck shutting down Pittsburgh's top six.
St. Louis Blues
- F Jordan Caron, terms unknown (as per the Blues' official Twitter account).
- F Troy Brouwer, G Pheonix Copley and a third-round draft pick from Washington for F T.J. Oshie.
New Additions
Summary
With respect to Jordan Caron, who was pointless in 19 NHL games last year, St. Louis did nothing in free agency to improve a team that has been consistently good in the regular season but consistently incapable of matching better opponents in the playoffs.
Moving Oshie for Brouwer does not make the team better in the here and now. The sweeteners on the deal are both legitimate assets but are the wrong direction for a team that isn't that far away from being a real contender.
Grade: D
A non-factor in free agency, the Blues got worse in the Oshie trade. Have they thrown in the towel?
San Jose Sharks
- Paul Martin, four years, $4.85 million cap hit.
New Additions:
Summary
It's hard to add a top-pairing defenceman, and it's even harder to do so via free agency without spending even $5.0 million per year. That's what San Jose accomplished on Wednesday.
Martin is an exceptional two-way player who can provide value in all situations, plays the left and right side of the ice with equal ability and logs a ton of minutes at even strength. His presence significantly improves an already reasonably strong Sharks blue line.
The only quibble here is term, as Martin turned 34 in March.
Grade: A-
Even if Martin erodes to second-pair status, his cap hit really isn't that bad.
Tampa Bay Lightning
- F Erik Condra, three years, $1.25 million cap hit.
New Additions
Summary
The Lightning quietly added an NHLer with ties to head coach Jon Cooper, but they otherwise didn't do much on July 1.
Condra is a high-quality defensive specialist. He can chip in with some scoring, but his real value is that he doesn't allow other teams many opportunities at his own end of the rink, and he can be tossed out in any situation and trusted implicitly. He's also a top penalty-killer.
Grade: B
This isn't a massive impact move, but it's good value for money.
Toronto Maple Leafs
- F Daniel Winnik, two years, $2.25 million cap hit.
- F Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, one year, $1.5 million cap hit.
- D Matt Hunwick, two years, $1.2 million cap hit.
- F Mark Arcobello, one year, $1.1 million cap hit.
- F Nick Spaling, F Sami Kapanen, D Scott Harrington and first- and third-round draft picks from Pittsburgh for F Phil Kessel, F Tyler Biggs, D Tim Erixon and a second-round draft pick. Also retained $1.25 million a season of Kessel's salary.
New Additions
Summary
We should probably start with the unfortunate Kessel trade.
Kessel's detractors in the media and elsewhere will describe this as addition by subtraction. Don't believe them. Kessel was Toronto's best player, and No. 2 on that list was well back of him. The return isn't great and doesn't do much to help Toronto immediately.
Unfortunately for the Leafs, it was also probably the best that could be expected for an expensive forward coming off a down year in a summer when everyone is closely watching the salary cap.
Toronto did their best to make up for it in free agency, signing four good players to four dirt-cheap contracts. Every one of those moves looks like a solid signing.
Grade: B+
Kessel hurts but was probably an inevitable move. The team's UFA work was exemplary.
Vancouver Canucks
- D Matt Bartkowski, one year, $1.75 million.
- G Richard Bachman, two years, unknown cap hit.
- D Taylor Fedun, one year, unknown cap hit.
- F Brandon Prust from Montreal for F Zack Kassian and a fifth-round draft pick.
New Additions
Summary
July 1 wasn't a banner day for Vancouver.
Prust is a decidedly indifferent return for Kassian, a player with much higher potential who had seemingly worn out his welcome with the Canucks. The inclusion of a draft pick is just insult added to injury.
Most of the free-agent signings are depth players, including Bartkowksi, who isn't a bad bet but is coming off a poor season and being paid like he isn't.
Grade: D+
The slow erosion of the Canucks continues with few checks from the team's new management.
Washington Capitals
- F Justin Williams, two years, $3.25 million cap hit
- D Taylor Chorney, one year, $700,000 cap hit
- F T.J. Oshie from St. Louis for F Troy Brouwer, G Pheonix Copley and a third-round draft pick
New Additions:
Summary
Corsi All-Star and playoff performer Williams is a surprising add at a shocking price.
Williams was one of the few proven scorers on the market this season. He's a superb two-way player and at the age of 33, he had every incentive to try and land one last long-term deal. Instead, he settled for a short-term contract at an almost unbelievably reasonable cap hit. He seems like an obvious choice for first-line work next season in Washington.
The Oshie deal helps too. The Capitals paid a fair bit to upgrade from Brouwer to Oshie, but it's an upgrade that will help make them a Cup contender next season.
Chorney's nothing special, but he should be fine in a No. 7 role.
Grade: A+
Williams is a legitimate difference-maker getting paid like an average third-liner. Oshie is a step up from Brouwer.
Winnipeg Jets
New Additions
None.
Summary
Winnipeg didn't add any external hires on a busy day in the NHL, but there's a long gap between that and taking the day off. The team had a pile of pending free agents but managed to get some key ones to stick around. Drew Stafford, Adam Pardy and Matt Halischuk were all retained.
Critically, the team also managed to lure Alex Burmistrov back from the KHL. Burmistrov, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 Draft, has untapped potential and should be a good two-way player for Winnipeg.
Grade: C+
Getting Burmistrov back is a big help, even as the loss of Michael Frolik stings.
Statistics courtesy of NHL.com and War-on-ice.com.
Signing and trade data, unless otherwise noted, is courtesy of Sportsnet's signing tracker and trade tracker respectively.