The best teams in the NHL threw themselves into damage control again this summer.
Faced with a nearly flat salary cap, most contenders were unable to improve. Instead, they tried to mitigate the impact of personnel losses suffered through free agency and salary-cutting trades.
The Blues lost gunman David Perron and goalie Ville Husso, but many Central Division rivals also took big hits.
The Colorado Avalanche lost goaltender Darcy Kuemper, 61-point scorer Andre Burakovsky and, quite possibly, 87-point scorer Nazem Kadri. The Minnesota Wild lost 33-goal scorer Kevin Fiala, and the Dallas Stars could lose defenseman John Klingberg, a free agent who, like Kadri, remains unsigned.
Here’s the bottom line this side of the league: The Avalanche loom as Stanley Cup favorites, the Blues retain a clear path to the playoffs, the Nashville Predators displace the Wild as their immediate rival, and the Pacific Division emerges with more balance.
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Colorado hockey czar Joe Sakic is betting that starter Pavel Francouz and newly acquired Alexandar Georgiev can flourish in goal behind the team’s firepower.
Sakic re-signed power forward Valeri Nichushkin, as well as excellent late-season acquisitions in Artturi Lehkonen, a versatile winger, and Josh Manson, a tough defender.
When the market music stopped, Kadri was still on his feet, so he must ease his demands while waiting for a team to create cap space for him.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong couldn’t afford to keep Husso after his breakout season, and had to choose between re-signing defenseman Nick Leddy or Perron.
He chose Leddy, believing his return would settle the defensive corps after last season’s blue line shuffle. That commitment (four years, $16 million) cost Armstrong salary-cap flexibility that could have helped him acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames.
A logical offer from the Blues would have featured forward Jordan Kyrou, whose next contract should rival Robert Thomas’ deal ($8.125 million per year) and come close to Tkachuk’s potential earnings in St. Louis.
Kyrou is 24 years old, like Tkachuk, and is coming off an All-Star campaign. He could have interested Calgary as part of a larger package, but his modest $2.8 million salary cap created a contract-trading equation the Blues couldn’t solve.
The Flames ended up making a blockbuster deal with the Florida Panthers, landing 115-point scorer Jonathan Huberdeau and pinch-hit defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. That was a nice comeback after losing Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and buying Tkachuk under pressure.
Huberdeau and Weegar have contracts to run, but unlike Tkachuk, they will consider new deals in Calgary. Tkachuk signed an eight-year deal in South Florida ($9.5 million per year) and embraced the rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I hate Edmonton,” Tkachuk told his new fans, “but now I hate Tampa more.”
Expect him to have some up close and personal talks with fellow St. Louisan Pat Maroon about extended car warranties and the like.
The Blues are moving forward with a wide offense and a skilled defensive corps. If goalie Jordan Binnington returns to his pre-injury playoff form, the Blues could eclipse last season’s 109-point total in their heaviest division.
The Chicago Blackhawks brazenly joined the Arizona Coyotes as willful underdogs by getting rid of forwards Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Patrick Kane should demand a trade ASAP.
The Wild should back down after sending Fiala to Los Angeles and goalkeeper Cam Talbot to Ottawa, breaking his strong partnership with Marc-Andre Fleury.
That creates opportunities for the Predators. They retained the best Filip Forsberg and added beefy veterans Nino Niederreiter and Ryan McDonagh. With Juuse Saros starring in the scoring and skating linebacker Tanner Jeannot crushing enemies, the good times are coming back to Smashville.
The Stars want to stay relevant, so they hired coach Peter DeBoer. But they have $19 million cap invested in forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, and standout Joe Pavelski will soon turn 38.
The Winnipeg Jets tried to lure Barry Trotz so he could restore defensive order. But Trotz took a break from coaching, so the challenge falls to recycled coach Rick Bowness.
In the Pacific Rim, the revamped Flames should still be viable. Jack Campbell should improve the Edmonton Oilers in goal, and Bruce Boudreau’s coaching should pump up the Vancouver Canucks.
Fiala makes the emerging Kings more dangerous, and newcomers Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano will support the Anaheim Ducks’ young forwards.
The Vegas Golden Knights could bounce back with a full season of Jack Eichel, even after losing Max Pacioretty in a salary crisis. While the San Jose Sharks finally began to rebuild, the Seattle Kraken added offense with rookie centers Matty Beniers and Shane Wright and veteran wingers Andre Burakovsky and Oliver Bjorkstrand.
This resulting parity could allow the Central Division to gain five playoff berths and forge an easier path for the Blues. But then again, the Note must find the avalanche before they can make it to the top.
A lot changed this summer, but nothing really changed.