While it may not have been the star-studded drama-filled offseason the NBA brings, the NHL saw its own share of moves that will have huge implications on the 2019-20 season. We saw one team get stripped down top to bottom, one team go from the bottom of the barrel to a top free agent landing spot, and others do what they could to keep as much of their talent together as possible.
Biggest Winners
New Jersey Devils
Having the first pick in the draft this year gave the Devils a great jump on the offseason. To no one’s surprise, they used the pick to acquire 18-year-old American sensation Jack Hughes. Grabbing Hughes set everything in motion for their offseason, as they wasted no time using all their open cap space to trade for defenseman P.K. Subban. The 30-year-old will bring veteran leadership to a team that has almost none right now. The last key piece the Devils were able to add was veteran forward Wayne Simmonds.
While they had to spend more to pick up these two, last year Taylor Hall was essentially the only solid player they could rely on. They knew it would take more than one player to change this team around, and they have done everything in their power to build a real East Coast threat. Now with Taylor Hall, Jack Hughes, Wayne Simmons, and P.K. Subban, the Devils have a whole new look going into next season.
Florida Panthers
Unlike the Devils, the Florida Panthers already had some solid key pieces to build around going into the offseason. Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad are all under 25 years old and are solid players for any team to build around. The Panthers were looking to add depth and a solid goaltender to bolster their team moving forward, and that’s exactly what they did. Possibly the biggest offseason signing was Florida picking up goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was rated as the No. 1 fantasy goaltender going into next season by NHL.com.
Some of the signings for them that will add depth to their roster are Anton Stralman from the Lightning, Brett Connolly from the Capitals, and Noel Acciari from the Bruins. Look for these guys to round out the roster and add to the building blocks they already had. Florida is one of my top new teams to be in the playoffs this season.
New York Rangers
The Rangers had a rough season last year and lost one of their only contributors in Mats Zuccarello. With that being the case, they had the second overall pick in the draft to kick off their offseason. They used that pick to acquire Finnish forward Kaapo Kakko, who is perceived as a top-level prospect who will be playing in the NHL very soon. The Rangers did not stop there, as they went out and picked up Artemi Panarin, who can certainly change the direction of a franchise.
Possibly the biggest question of the offseason was who would get him, and the Rangers were able to lock him up to a seven-year, $81,500,000 contract. Panarin and Kakko should give the Rangers key pieces to build a team around over the next few years.
Biggest Losers
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets were in a very tough spot going into the offseason. After a relatively successful 2018-19 season, Columbus had to re-sign almost all of its key players, including Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Matt Duchene. The Blue Jackets said they did what they could to retain all of them, but the cap space would not allow. With Panarin to the Rangers, Bobrovsky to the Panthers, and Duchene to Nashville, the Blue Jackets were left with a stripped-down roster, losing three of the top five free agents of this year’s offseason.
Tyler Myers was one of the only players they were able to retain this year, as they now risk also losing Ryan Dzingel, who ended up being just a one-year rental. Look for the Blue Jackets to be in full rebuild mode moving forward.
Boston Bruins
The Bruins fell short of winning the 2019 Stanley Cup by just one game. Typically, after this, teams take one of two options: Add the last few key pieces to get them over the last hump, or hold on to every player they had to make another run next season. I am not a fan of the second, with how fast the league progresses, it’s hard to make a run with the same roster and expect them to stay on top. However, with the cap space available, this was Boston’s only real option.
Their problem was, not only did they not have the money to try to sign anyone new, with big-name pending free agents like Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy, they didn’t have the money to hold on to everyone. The Bruins were only able to pick up a couple of third- and fourth-line players while losing more impactful guys like Marcus Johansson and Noel Accari.
While the Bruins didn’t lose big-name players, assuming they work out deals with Krug and McAvoy, I consider their offseason a loss because they weren’t able to add any pieces to help them get over their last hump. They will have to look to their prospects to fill gaps in their lower lines, where they were so successful at the end of last year. I still see them as a playoff team next year, but with their core getting even older, this is not the direction they want to be heading.
Other Notable Winners
Chicago Blackhawks
Dallas Stars
Arizona Coyotes
