It ended up being a thrilling free agency period for the NHL, and players were sent flying in all different directions. Now it is time to see where these teams stack up as the season is now three months away. The first official NHL Power Rankings for 2016-2017 is underway!
1. Florida Panthers
Previously 3
After already agreeing on deals with Jaromir Jagr and Keith Yandle, the Panthers turned the heat up after July began. They locked up Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck, and Reilly Smith to contracts of at least five years, and they added Jason Demers to their already rejuvenated defense. Willie Mitchell and Brian Campbell will be missed, but their combined age of nearly 80 will not. Winning the Stanley Cup is certainly not a guarantee for one of the more unsuccessful franchises over the past 25 years, but the hype in the Fort Lauderdale area has certainly gone up.
2. Pittsburgh Penguins
Previously 1
The team that wins the Stanley Cup is usually a hot spot for free agents, but not this year. The Penguins made zero impactful signings (Unless you count David Warsofsky as impactful, which is really not), which sounds crazy at first. On the other hand, they took a chance on Phil Kessel last offseason and made a plethora of mid-season trades that gave them Carl Hagelin, Justin Schultz, and Trevor Daley. I guess Pittsburgh is going with the saying “If it ain’t broke…”
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
Previously 5
Tampa Bay’s offseason has been downright nasty. They ended up winning the Steven Stamkos sweepstakes, and they also signed Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy to contract extensions. That is great for the next eight-or-so years. As for the short term success, Ben Bishop is still on the team, which is fine for now. With all signs pointing towards Vasilevskiy taking over the goalie position, however, the trade deadline should loom very large for Bishop and the Lightning. That should give Tampa Bay another opportunity to boost their future.
4. Washington Capitals
Previously 2
Like Pittsburgh, the Capitals laid low during the free agency period. Their only key pickups for the offseason have been Lars Eller (from the draft), Brett Connolly, and Brad Malone. Not spectacular by any means, but that is to be expected for a team that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. Can they repeat that regular season success and take home the Cup this time?
5. Chicago Blackhawks
Previously 8
The Hawks seem to be making a habit of reuniting with former players. First, they traded for Andrew Ladd (he has moved on), and now they have Brian Campbell, again. He is entering the end of his career, and a top-heavy offense and defense should help him snugly fit into a solid role on the blue line. This team should one of the few playoff locks in the Western Conference heading into October.
6. New York Islanders
It is hard to say where this team is heading at this point. They lost Kyle Okposo to the Sabres and Frans Nielsen to the Red Wings, but they got Andrew Ladd, Jason Chimera, and P.A. Parenteau to replace them. Hope they are good replacements, because John Tavares is a free agent in 2018. What happens over the next two seasons will make or break this team.
7. Dallas Stars
Previously 4
They salvaged Patrick Eaves and added Adam Cracknell, but the defense is still mediocre. Their undistinguished goalie tandem is still alive, and they only signed Dan Hamhuis to make up for the loss of Alex Goligoski. That is not a good sign for a team that is looking to build off of last season’s excellent regular season.
8. Los Angeles Kings
Previously 7
After losing Milan Lucic, they found a short term replacement after signing Teddy Purcell to a one-year contract. The offense looks commendable, since all of the other members of the LA offense is still sitting pretty. It will be interesting to see what the Kings do now that they have signed Jeff Zatkoff. Jhonas Enroth should be on the move, but that has not happened yet.
9. San Jose Sharks
It was not a huge load, but it is adequate for a team that is looking for a little more momentum after falling just short of the Stanley Cup. They grabbed Mikkel Boedker and David Schlemko in the free agency period while keeping the rest of their core intact. Unfortunately, they could not keep James Reimer, so now the Sharks may have to look for a backup goalie. As of now, Aaron Dell, who has never played in an NHL game, is behind Martin Jones. If Dell, or whoever the Sharks potentially sign, cannot perform better than Alex Stalock, then Jones will have a lot of pressure on him next season.
10. St. Louis Blues
Previously 11
Lots of question in St. Louis. After losing David Backes to the Bruins and Troy Brouwer to the Flames, the Blues have signed David Perron, Landon Ferraro, and Andrew Agozzino. They also found a solid backup in Carter Hutton, but will Jake Allen be a solid starter? Re-signing Kyle Brodziak and Magnus Paajarvi really does not benefit the offense a whole lot. Perhaps Jaden Schwartz is ready to have a season as impressive as Vladimir Tarasenko did in 2015-2016. That would bring a heavy boost for an average offense.
11. Anaheim Ducks
Raise the red flag. The Ducks just traded for Jonathan Bernier. The Anaheim faithful will have to hope that John Gibson seals the starting goalie position, or the Ducks could be in a world of hurt. In a less-concerning move, the Ducks also signed Mason Raymond, but they will likely need more help to avoid another disastrous start to the season offensively.
12. Nashville Predators
No trade will be talked about as much as the one that Nashville unleashed with Montreal: a straight trade involving P.K. Subban and Shea Weber! So far, Habs fans are not happy (which is not surprising considering the energy Subban brought to the team) and now the Preds have one of the more iconic defensemen in the league. They would have shot up the rankings if they did not have to give up Weber in return, and the real winner of this trade will need a few years to be revealed.
13. Buffalo Sabres
Previously 15
No Stamkos, but the Sabres still Buffed up their roster in the free agency period. After locking up Kyle Okposo for seven years, the Sabres made their rising offense look even better. There is a negative, however. Evander Kane continues to battle legal troubles, and he is becoming more of a liability than a helper. Then Buffalo dodged a bullet after charges on Ryan O’Reilly for impaired driving and leaving the scene of an accident were dropped.
14. Minnesota Wild
Previously 13
Minnesota made plenty of signings in the free agency period, but only one of them is likely to make a big impact. They signed Eric Staal to a three-year, ten million dollar contract, which is fine considering his down season with Carolina/New York Rangers. Whether last season was a fluke or if his decline is in full motion remains to be seen.
15. Detroit Red Wings
Detroit’s free agent period looked like a disaster at first, with Pavel Datsyuk making his NHL retirement (but not KHL) official and Stamkos not joining the Wings. Instead, they signed Thomas Vanek and Frans Nielsen, which is a success considering how far this team could have fallen without a big move. Looking at their roster, a 26th-straight playoff season is certainly possible, but it is hard for me to believe that this team will be anything different from last season: a last-minute playoff team that gets rolled over in the first round.
16. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are taking a chance on Montreal/Chicago forward Dale Weise, who had 27 points in 2015-2016 and signed a manageable four-year, $9.4 million contract with Philadelphia. Besides Boyd Gordon, the rest of the Flyers’ roster looks very similar to last season, when they made a surprise playoff comeback. Look for Claude Giroux, Shayne Gostisbehere, and starting goalie Michal Neuwirth (at least he should be after the way he played against Washington in the playoffs) to have high expectations as the Flyers attempt to extend their 2016 magic.
17. Calgary Flames
Previously 19
After signing Chad Johnson, who looked like the best goalie in Buffalo last year, Karri Ramo, Joni Ortio, and Jonas Hiller are almost certain departures from Calgary with Brian Elliott already slated to start next season. Their blue line looks fine the way it is, and the offense keeps getting more weapons, with Troy Brouwer, Linden Vey, and Alex Chiasson joining the mix. Calgary is clearly expecting to make the playoffs in 2017.
18. New York Rangers
Previously 17
They were busy, but they failed to grab any clear game-changers. So far, they have added Michael Grabner, Nathan Gerbe, and Nick Holden, while losing Eric Staal and Keith Yandle in the process. This team looks like it is fading fast.
19. Ottawa Senators
Previously 18
Another team that laid low, even though I offered that they acquire Kevin Shattenkirk. Unless Patrick Sieloff or Michael Blunden break out, the Senators will not get any awards for their quiet offseason. On the bright side, Clarke MacArthur should be contributing for Ottawa again after missing most of the season, and maybe that is all the Senators need to make their way back to the playoffs.
20. Winnipeg Jets
With Patrik Laine locked in with Winnipeg and Mark Scheifele signed for eight more years, the Jets have about as much as a team would want. During the free agency period, they added Shawn Matthias, Quinton Howden, and Brian Strait to give them even more depth for next season. As long as players like Scheifele remain healthy, expectations should be skyrocketing in Winnipeg.
21. Montreal Canadiens
We will get to a lopsided trade soon, but like Nashville, I have kept Montreal where they are because of the high uncertainty. Subban is the definition of a franchise, and NHL, face, but Weber captained a Predators team to relevancy. It would be hard for me to say that Weber does not help this team. He is a stellar defenseman himself, but he will have to convince the Subban-obsessed Montreal fans that the trade was worth it.
22. Boston Bruins
Previously 24
Signing David Backes is certainly an improvement for the offense, but he was not the only addition. The Bruins also signed Riley Nash, Anton Khudobin, and re-signed Torey Krug. Alas, this does not mean that Bruins have broken out of their spell of falling apart at the end of the year. In fact, this may not be enough to get them into playoff contention.
23. Carolina Hurricanes
Previously 22
After breaking out last season, Victor Rask was rewarded with a six-year, $24 million contract. With the Staal brothers no longer a heavy factor in Carolina anymore, Rask could become a centerpiece for this team. The Hurricanes also picked up Lee Stempniak, Matt Tennyson, and Andrew Miller. Carolina has slowly inched their way towards becoming a playoff team, and 2017 might be the first time Carolina threatens to be in the top eight in the 2010’s decade.
24. New Jersey Devils
Previously 28
The Devils needed someone, ANYONE, to give them hope next season. They got it in the most laughable way. They snagged franchise face Taylor Hall from Edmonton and only needed to sacrifice Adam Larsson. That certainly helps their offense, which already has strong scorers in Adam Henrique and Kyle Palmieri, and they also added veterans Luke Gazdic, Vernon Fiddler, and Ben Lovejoy as well. Expect the Devils to be a playoff picture dark horse next season.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets
Previously 23
Assuming that Pierre-Luc Dubois is not this year’s version of Jack Eichel, the Jackets are in a bad situation heading into next year. Re-signing Seth Jones for six years was good for the defense, but the offense is somewhat limited in reliable scorers. Without any key pickups in free agency, the Jackets might have some trouble hitting the back of the net, and that could result in another visit to the conference basement.
26. Arizona Coyotes
Previously 27
Zona was very busy. They added Ryan White and Jamie McGinn, while re-signing Klas Dahlbeck, Kevin Connauton, Louis Domingue, and, of course, Shane Doan. 2016-2017 is possibly the captain’s final season in the NHL, but this team has a lot of confidence in the Killer D’s (Max Domi and Anthony Duclair). Those two youngsters have plenty of scorers around them to succeed in the long run.
27. Toronto Maple Leafs
Previously 26
Time for Toronto die-hards to pop the champagne! They no longer have to suffer with Jonathan Bernier, for he is now Anaheim’s property. Oh, Matt Martin was also signed, but that is secondary news in this case. Now the Leafs have to be better than last season, right?
28. Colorado Avalanche
Previously 29
How does a team that did nothing special jump up a spot? Get some help from the 29th team, of course. They made couple of moves, however. They picked up Joe Colborne, Fedor Tyutin, and Patrick Wiercoch from free agency. Unfortunately, none of those players were ideal options on their respective teams, and those teams (Calgary, Columbus, and Ottawa, respectively) barely got much of a playoff scent in 2015-2016. Hard to imagine this team leaving the Central Division cellar.
29. Edmonton Oilers
Previously 25
Peter Chiarelli really knows how to put some pressure on Connor McDavid. He let Taylor Hall go to New Jersey and got an average defenseman in return. His explanation for such a bizarre trade did not help his case at all. On the other hand, McDavid is McDavid. he should single-handedly bring his team to the playoffs…if only hockey was that easy…
30. Vancouver Canucks
Looks like the Swedes have invaded Vancouver. With the Sedins already staples, the Canucks signed Loui Eriksson for six years and $36 million. That line looks intriguing, but it likely will not make this team any better unless Loui’s connection with Daniel during the the Sochi Olympics (when they won the silver medal) works in their favor. In other news, Jason Megna is now a Canuck, which is news-worthy because he and I both graduated from the same high school (he graduated in 2009 while I graduated in 2013).