NHL: How are new faces doing with their new teams?
By Jeremy Tuch
Erik Karlsson
New team: San Jose Sharks
Acquired: Trade with Ottawa
Clarkson regret-o-meter: 2 David Clarksons
When the Karlsson trade was announced just before training camp, the speculation of who has the top defense group in the NHL began, with the Sharks as the top of that list. The Sharks paid a hefty price for Karlsson, though many would say that they got a good deal.
What they have after the first 13 games is 7 assists and an awful -10 +/- rating. Another point of concern is that they haven’t worked out plans for a contract extension just yet, but that’s not something to necessarily worry about right now. Both of those things on the table, the upside is limitless for this season in San Jose, and while there are some early adjustments to be made, really nothing to worry about here.
John Tavares
New team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: Signed for 7 years, $77 million
Clarkson regret-o-meter: 1 David Clarkson
The most sought-after free agent in league history has to be John Tavares. 28 years old, franchise-defining center, and costing nothing but a big contract? Who wouldn’t sign up for that? Well, he chose the Leafs, and after just five games, Tavares had 6 goals, 4 assists, and has really fit in nicely.
He’s come back down to earth since that hot start, but still has a point-per-game average right now, and has become the de-facto number one center while Auston Matthews recovers from a shoulder injury. As of right now, this deal is a slam dunk win, and probably will be for the future.