NHL free agency 2019: 5 most improved teams this offseason
Which NHL teams improved the most during the offseason? We examine which teams did the most this offseason in NHL free agency to build up their squads this summer.
This offseason has been a fairly slow one for the NHL. However, several teams have managed to improve their roster immensely, whether it be through NHL free agency, the draft, trades, or a combination of the three.
With the pre-season starting in just over a month, the offseason is nearly complete. Let’s take a look at which five teams have done the most to help their cause.
New Jersey Devils
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Perhaps no team has done more to improve their roster since the start of the offseason than the New Jersey Devils. But to be fair, no team other than the Ottawa Senators had a larger room for improvement. Back in June when the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup, they had a number of holes to fill. Credit general manager Ray Shero for finding a way to fill most of them.
Additions
Their biggest addition, without question, is Jack Hughes. The Devils drafted him with the first overall pick of the 2019 draft. Hughes should be an impact player in the NHL very soon, if not in his rookie year. He’ll likely be among the Calder Trophy finalists. At the very least, Hughes will be in that conversation.
The Devils also weaponized their cap space, trading for star defenseman P.K. Subban. Though he’s coming off a bad year, most of it was due to injuries. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Subban bounces back strong. The Devils used the cap space as a weapon again to trade for Nikita Gusev, who led the KHL in points last season.
Wayne Simmonds is their other main addition. He’s coming off a very rough year, but on a one-year deal, he’s a good guy to bet on. Simmonds should bring a physical presence to the Devils and he should be a good net-front presence for them on the power-play as well.
They’re also getting Taylor Hall back healthy, which is huge. The Devils aren’t quite in the playoffs yet, but they’re definitely a fringe team. A tough Metropolitan Division might be too much for them to overcome unless they get strong goaltending.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars nearly upset the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in the second round. They pushed them to the brink, as it took seven games plus two overtime periods in Game 7 for the Blues to get rid of the pesky Stars.
Additions
If their offseason signings are a sign of things to come, they’re ready to take the next step. The Stars began their offseason by signing long-time San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski to a shockingly reasonable three-year deal worth $7 million per season. It’s fair to ask if he’ll be able to play at a high level for all three seasons, but he should be good for at least two.
Next, the Stars further addressed their forward depth by signing long-time foe and general pain in the butt to play against Corey Perry. Perry is coming off the worst NHL season of his career. However, he was also bouncing back from an injury, which is never easy for older players.
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If Perry is healthy, you can bet he’ll be motivated to prove everyone that he’s not over the hill yet. And if Perry isn’t healthy or doesn’t play well, his contract is relatively cheap at just $1.5 million (not including bonuses) for a year.
The Stars also took a flyer on defenseman Andrej Sekera, who, much like Perry, is coming off a season defined by injuries. At just $1.5 million (not including a $500,000 performance bonus), he should provide some valuable depth.
Do the Stars still have some question marks on offense? Absolutely. But they have far fewer than they did at the start of the summer. Plus, remember, the Stars allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL last season.
Florida Panthers
Yes, you read that right. The same guy who believes Sergei Bobrovsky’s contract will at some point be deeply regretted believes the Florida Panthers have improved themselves this summer. Let me explain.
Are they going to better, like, five years from now? Probably not. But right now, it’s hard to argue the Panthers aren’t better. It’s easy to see how they could improve immensely from last season.
Additions
Bobrovsky is over 30, which should be causing red flags to fly all over the place for Panthers fans because he signed a seven-year deal. But let’s be real – he’s a two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender. Bobrovsky’s going to be an upgrade unless something goes terribly wrong.
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The Panthers got awful goaltending last season, finishing with the second-worst team save percentage in the league (.891%) and allowed the fourth-most goals (273). Had they even gotten league average goaltending last season (.910%), they would have allowed 226 goals, which would have been the 10th-fewest in the NHL.
They also added defenseman Anton Stralman and forward Brett Connolly, as well as a respectable fourth-line forward in Noel Acciari. To top it off, the Panthers hired Joel Quenneville back in April. It will be hard for Florida to earn a playoff spot in the East, but their path is a lot easier now than it was two months ago.
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche came into this offseason knowing they had to improve their forward depth. Nathan MacKinnon might have the best bargain deal the United States has seen since the Louisiana Purchase, but the Avs have relied on him, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog too much.
Despite this, they still nearly upset the San Jose Sharks in the second round, losing to them in seven games. The Avalanche are a better team now than they were then.
Additions
Their biggest additions have come via trades. The Avalanche traded for Andre Burakovsky of the Washington Capitals and proceeded to sign him to a one-year prove-it deal. Burakovsky has struggled with consistency and injuries his entire career. But he’s undeniably talented and it wouldn’t be too surprising if he wound up having a breakout year.
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However, the Avalanche’s biggest acquisition was Nazem Kadri. He gives Colorado a legitimate second-line center. Whenever Kadri has been in a second-line role, he has produced like one (or better).
Yes, the Avalanche had to pay a hefty price to get him. Tyson Barrie is polarizing, but he was unquestionably their most talented defenseman. Alexander Kerfoot was a very solid top-nine forward. But getting Kadri makes it all worth it for the Avalanche. Calle Rosen is at worst an interesting depth defenseman.
The Avalanche’s offseason isn’t even over yet. They still have to re-sign Rantanen. After that, depending on how much money the Avalanche have left, they could explore adding another defenseman or a better backup goaltender.
New York Rangers
If you’re looking at quality, it’s tough to argue any team had a better offseason than the New York Rangers. They haven’t traded Chris Kreider (yet), so they haven’t lost anyone who played a huge role for them last season.
Additions
The Rangers drafted Kaapo Kakko with the second overall pick of the 2019 NHL draft. Everything the blue shirts did this summer was because they got someone as good as him. Kakko is considered to be more NHL-ready than Hughes, so don’t be surprised if he has a better rookie season than him.
Ever since the Rangers traded Ryan McDonagh, they’ve been looking for a new number one defenseman. They got their guy in Jacob Trouba, surrendering only a first-round pick (ironically the same one they got from Trouba’s old team, the Winnipeg Jets, in the Kevin Hayes trade) and Neal Pionk.
The Rangers later sign him to a massive extension, ensuring he’s staying in New York for quite some time. It came at a costly price money-wise, but the Rangers filled their biggest need while only giving up a pick they never really had, money, and arguably their worst defenseman last season.
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Their biggest addition, though, came on July 1. Artemi Panarin decided to sign with the Rangers, which further expedited their rebuild. He’s an elite talent and he’s only 27 years old. Panarin makes the Rangers a much better team. The Rangers are still a young team, but they’re clearly a much-improved team.