NHL: 10 Teams That Took a Step Back After the Free Agent Period
The greatest teams in the NHL draft well, make the right trades at the deadline, and use free agency to their advantage. While many teams have improved during the offseason, others teams have either taken a step backwards or failed to improve.
Some of these teams will remain competitive, but fail to progress as far as they did last year, while others are primed for a huge fall.
The following are 10 teams that have taken a step backwards during the free agency period.
Credit to USA Today for their information about free agents and the NHL.com Trade Tracker for information about offseason trades.
Los Angeles Kings
1 of 10
Trend: Team has a solid young core that will allow the team to be competitive going forward, but the addition of Ilya Kovalchuk would have made the team more relevant in the city
Free Agents:
In
C Brad Richardson, 1 yr., $900,000 (re-signed)
LW Alexei Ponikarovsky, 1 yr., $3M (Penguins)
Out
D Sean O'Donnell (Flyers)
LW Raitis Ivanans (Flames)
LW Alexander Frolov (Rangers)
Trades:
None
Analysis:
As it stands the Kings should be a playoff team that could make a run in the West, but adding Ilya Kovalchuk to the team would have made them legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, at least on paper. Kovy also would have given fair-weather fans in the city a reason to come out to support the team.
Ultimately, Drew Doughty or Anze Kopitar may become a "brand name" player in Los Angeles and Kovalchuk may not be missed. Without him younger players will get more ice time and the team will not have to worry about him as a defensive liability.
LA also lost veteran Sean O'Donnell, an important locker room presence, and the highly talented, often frustrating forward Alexander Frolov. O'Donnell is passing his prime, but Frolov has the ability to be an impact player in New York next year.
Anaheim Ducks
2 of 10
Trend: Team must sign Bobby Ryan if this offseason is to be considered a success
Free Agents:
In
D Toni Lydman, 3 yrs., $9M (Sabres)
C Saku Kovu, 2 yrs., $5M (re-signed)
D Brendan Mikkelson, 1 yr., $687,500 (re-signed)
D Danny Syrvet, 1 yr. (Flyers)
Out
G Joey MacDonald (Red Wings)
Trades:
June 26, 2010
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire:
RW Mike Brown
Anaheim Ducks acquire:
2010 5th round pick (122nd overall)
June 30, 2010
Calgary Flames acquire:
C Logan MacMillan
Anaheim Ducks acquire:
RW Jason Jaffray
July 9, 2010
New York Rangers acquire:
D Steve Eminger
Anaheim Ducks acquire:
F Aaron Voros
F Ryan Hillier
July 19, 2010
New York Rangers acquire:
D Matt McCue
Anaheim Ducks acquire:
LW Tomas Zaborsky
Analysis:
Bobby Ryan remains unsigned, which is trouble for the Ducks. The 23-year-old winger has had 30-plus goals in his last two seasons. If the Ducks are going to be competitive in the future they need him to stay in Anaheim.
The Ducks are also going to have to decide whether they are going to undergo a youth movement or try to win now. The former will probably give them a better chance at long-term success, but Anaheim appears to favor the former.
Aaron Voros is a great energy player and fits well with the Ducks' hard-hitting mentality, but he's 29 and the way he plays he may not last much longer in the league. Toni Lydman is 32 and has a reputation of turning the puck over. Saku Koivu is a great leader and a constant producer, but at 35 he demands increased salary and is nearing the end of his career.
Phoenix Coyotes
3 of 10
Trend: Inability to become more competitive in the offseason may leave the Coyotes unable to build off of the momentum generated at the end of last season
Free Agents:
In
LW Ray Whitney, 2 yrs., $6M (Hurricanes)
D Derek Morris, 4 yrs., $11M (re-signed)
C Andrew Ebbett, 1 yr., $500,000 (Wild)
D Sami Lepisto, 1 yr., $800,000 (re-signed)
LW Alexandre Picard, 1 yr., $868,219 (re-signed)
Out
D Zbynek Michalek (Penguins)
C Matthew Lombardi (Predators)
Trades:
June 28, 2010
Colorado Avalanche acquire:
LW Daniel Winnik
Phoenix Coyotes acquire:
2012 4th round pick
June 30, 2010
Edmonton Oilers acquire:
D Jim Vandermeer
Phoenix Coyotes acquire:
C Patrick O'Sullivan
Analysis:
Losing young, up-and-coming defensemen Zybnek Michalek and speedy winger Matthew Lombardi may cost the Coyotes next year. The 'Yotes had a great young player in Michalek who's best years are ahead of him. Lombardi is a great asset to any defensive-minded team because his speed allows him to break into the zone and create odd-man rushes.
Picking up Patrick O'Sullivan was a savvy move, as O'Sullivan is entering his prime and was highly regarded coming into the league. Ray Whitney is on the other end of the age spectrum, but his acquisition also may pay off for Phoenix. However, Whitney is old, and while he may be a great locker room presence and is still productive, he may eat up ice time better used on younger players.
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Florida Panthers
4 of 10
Trend: Newly-acquired GM Dave Tallon has a big task on his hands turning around the Panthers, and patience should pay off, but it is not far-fetched to think the team would have been a little more active in free agency
Free Agents:
In
LW Chris Higgins, 1 yr., $1.6M (Flames)
Out
None
Trades:
June 22, 2010
Boston Bruins acquire:
RW Nathan Horton
C Gregory Campbell
Florida Panthers acquire:
D Dennis Wideman
2010 1st round pick (15th overall)
2011 3rd round pick
June 25, 2010
Vancouver Canucks acquire:
D Keith Ballard
RW Victor Oreskovich
Florida Panthers acquire:
RW Michael Grabner
RW Steve Bernier
2010 1st round pick (25th overall)
July 22, 2010
Florida Panthers acquire:
C Marty Reasoner
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
C Jeff Taffe
Analysis:
Nathan Horton never lived up to expectations in South Florida, and Dennis Wideman is no slouch, but the Cats must put those picks to good use, otherwise they risk seeing Horton breakout in a new setting with the Bruins and have nothing to show for it.
Few players have a hip-check like defenseman Keith Ballard, but he wore out his welcome in Florida last year when he angrily swung his stick at the goalpost after an opponent scored and drilled Tomas Vokoun... the Panthers' star goaltender. Steve Bernier is a great player, but probably will not have the impact Ballard will with the Canucks next year.
The Panthers are likely to be patient, grind it out at the bottom of the East for a while, and look to rebuild through the draft, however with LeBron James and Chris Bosh joining the Heat and the Florida Marlins building a new stadium in 2012, the Panthers will have to be relatively competitive in order to generate interest in Miami.
Montreal Canadiens
5 of 10
Trend: The team failed to improve dramatically and may get lost in the East, which has improved since last year, and fail to build off of the momentum of their miracle playoff run last year
Free Agents:
In
G Alex Auld, 1 yr., $1M (Rangers)
G Curtis Sanford, 1 yr. (re-signed)
C Dustin Boyd, 1 yr., $650,000 (re-signed)
C Maxim Lapierre, 1 yr., $900,000 (re-signed)
Out
G Dan Ellis (Lightning)
Trades:
June 17, 2010
St. Louis Blues acquire:
G Jaroslav Halak
Montreal Canadiens acquire:
C Lars Eller
RW Ian Schultz
June 29, 2010
Montreal Canadiens acquire:
G Dan Ellis
C Dustin Boyd
Nashville Predators acquire:
LW Sergei Kostitsyn
Analysis:
The loss of Jaroslav Halak may not hurt Montreal as much as some experts are claiming, but the Canadiens have not improved and may miss the playoffs this year in a tougher Eastern Conference.
Carey Price was once considered one of the league's best goaltenders and should step his game up after losing his starting spot to Halak last year. Overlooked is the impact Sergei Kostitsyn's loss may have on the Habs. A rising star in the NHL, Kostitsyn may have a big impact with the young Preds in years to come.
Philadephia Flyers
6 of 10
Trend: Team kept important parts of the roster intact, but loss of Simon Gagne and inability to sign Dan Hamhuis will cost team
Free Agents:
In
G Michael Leighton, 2 yrs., $3.1M (re-signed)
D Braydon Coburn, 2 yrs, $6.4 M (re-signed)
D Sean O'Donnell, 1 yr., $1M (Kings)
RW Jody Shelley, 3 yrs., $3.3M (Rangers)
RW Nikolai Zherdev, 1 yr. (KHL)
LW Dan Carcillo, 1 yr., $1.075M (re-signed)
C Darroll Powe, 1 yr., $725,000 (re-signed)
Out
D Danny Syrvet (Ducks)
Trades:
June 19, 2010
Philadelphia Flyers acquire:
D Dan Hamhuis
Conditional 2011 7th round pick
Nashville Predators acquire:
D Ryan Parent
June 25, 2010
Pittsburgh Penguins acquire:
Rights to D Dan Hamhuis
Philadelphia Flyers acquire:
2011 3rd round pick
June 26, 2010
Carolina Hurricanes acquire:
C Jonathan Matsumoto
Philadelphia Flyers acquire:
2010 7th round pick (206th overall)
July 1, 2010
Tampa Bay Lightning acquire:
2012 2nd round pick
Philadelphia Flyers acquire:
D Andrej Meszaros
July 19, 2010
Tampa Bay Lightning acquire:
LW Simon Gagne
Philadelphia Flyers acquire:
D Matt Walker
2011 4th round pick
Analysis:
Philadelphia had to say goodbye to talented players who they could not fit under the cap. The most obvious cap-related departure was longtime Flyer Simon Gagne. The two-time 40-goal scorer saw his production drop due to injury last year, but his on-ice productivity and locker room presence will be greatly missed.
Not signing Dan Hamhuis meant the team gave up value for nothing in return. Hamhuis would have greatly bolstered the Flyers' blueline and could have helped the team repeat its success from last year.
Andrej Meszaros was a high-risk, high-reward acquisition. The 24-year-old defenseman was a productive player in his first three years in Ottawa, but in the last two years he spent in Tampa he was far from what the Bolts expected when they signed him to a six-year, $24 million deal in 2008.
Columbus Blue Jackets
7 of 10
Trend: Team really needs to improve and did nothing in the offseason to indicate that they will
Free Agents:
In
RW Jared Boll, 2 yrs., $1.45M (re-signed)
D Anton Stralman, 1 yr. (re-signed)
Out
D Mathieu Roy (Lightning)
Trades:
None
Analysis:
A team's inactivity in the offseason often indicates that the team is going through a rebuilding phase.
Letting young players play and saving money while a team is built is one thing, but the average age of a player on the Jackets' roster is above 27 (compared to 25 for a team like the Blackhawks) and their payroll is higher than the Lightning, Kings, and Stars.
The team lacks direction and needs to either get young and rebuild or add missing pieces that can help the team win it's first playoff game in franchise history.
Chicago Blackhawks
8 of 10
Trend: Blackhawks remain a competitive team in the West, but repeat will be difficult
Free Agents:
In
D John Scott, 2 yrs., $1.025M (Wild)
D Niklas Hjalmarsson, 4 yrs., $14M (Blackhawks matched Sharks' offer sheet)
Out
LW Andrew Ladd (trade to Atlanta)
C Adam Burish (Stars)
Trades:
June 24, 2010
Atlanta Thrashers acquire:
LW Dustin Byfuglien
C Ben Eager
D Brent Sopel
RW Akim Aliu
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
2010 1st round pick (24th overall)
2010 2nd round pick (54th overall)
C Marty Reasoner
LW Jeremy Morin
RW Joseph Crabb
June 24, 2010
Edmonton Oilers acquire:
C Colin Fraser (RFA)
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
2010 6th round pick
June 26, 2010
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
RW Jimmy Hayes
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire:
2010 2nd round pick (43rd overall)
June 30, 2010
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire:
LW Kris Versteeg
LW Bill Sweatt
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
LW Viktor Stalberg
C Phillippe Paradis
C Christopher DiDomenico
July 1, 2010
Atlanta Thrashers acquire:
LW Andrew Ladd
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
D Ivan Vishnevskiy
2011 2nd round pick
July 22, 2010
Florida Panthers acquire:
C Marty Reasoner
Chicago Blackhawks acquire:
C Jeff Taffe
Analysis:
The Hawks did a good job retaining the most important players--Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews--while fitting the team under the cap. They were able to match the Sharks' offer on Niklas Hjalmarsson and land Viktor Stalberg, a speedy winger, and multiple draft picks to help the franchise remain competitive in the future.
However, the Atlanta Thrashers greatly benefited from their transactions with the Blackhawks, at least in the short term. Dustin Byfuglien was a big part of the Hawks' championship team and Andrew Ladd came into the NHL with big expectations. Ben Eager and Brent Sopel also were great role players and will be missed in Chicago.
Ottawa Senators
9 of 10
Trend: Anton Volchenkov was not re-signed or replaced, and, unless the team can score five goals every game, Ottawa is in for a rough year
Free Agents:
In
D Sergei Gonchar, 3 yrs., $16.5M (Penguins)
LW Nick Foligno, 2 yrs., $2.4M (re-signed)
C Peter Regin, 2 yrs., $2M (re-signed)
Out
D Anton Volchenkov (Devils)
C Matt Cullen (Wild)
Trades:
June 25, 2010
Ottawa Senators acquire:
D David Rundblad
St. Louis Blues acquire:
2010 1st round pick (16th overall)
Analysis:
Sergei Gonchar makes Ottawa's powerplay a force, but if the team is unable to keep the puck out of their own net it will not matter. Gonchar is a defensive liability and the Sens did nothing to reinforce their defense in the offseason.
The Sens focus on scoring and will have one of the most potent offenses in the league, but unless the team puts more emphasis on defensive acquisitions they will run into trouble when facing teams that trap-and-counter effectively.
Calgary Flames
10 of 10
Trend: Going back to the old well... and the water is running low
Free Agents:
In
LW Alex Tanguay, 1 yr., $1.7M Lightning)
C Olli Jokinen, 2 yrs., $6M (Rangers)
RW Tim Jackson, 2 yrs. (Islanders)
LW Raitis Ivanans, 2 yrs. (Kings)
Out
LW Chris Higgins (Panthers)
LW Eric Nystrom (Wild)
Trades:
June 26, 2010
Calgary Flames acquire:
G Henrik Karlsson
San Jose Sharks acquire:
2010 6th round pick (163rd overall)
June 30, 2010
Calgary Flames acquire:
C Logan MacMillan
Anaheim Ducks acquire:
RW Jason Jaffray
Analysis:
Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen were once very productive players in Calgary, but both are aging have have seen their production decrease over the last few years.
The Flames' roster is already filled with players who are passing their prime, and, unless all of them can pull it together for a miracle playoff run, Calgary is in for a brutal season. It is time for rebuilding for the Flames and the team is just delaying the inevitable by adding age to their roster this year.
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