Top NHL teams launched into damage control again this summer.
Facing a nearly flat salary cap, most contenders couldn’t improve. Instead, they tried to mitigate the impact of personnel losses suffered through free agency and salary-cutting trades.
The Blues lost power-play triggerman David Perron and goaltender Ville Husso, but many Central Division rivals took big hits, too.
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 on this side of the league: The Avalanche loom as Stanley Cup favorites, the Blues retain a clear playoff path, the Nashville Predators displace the Wild as their immediate rival and the Pacific Division emerges with more balance.
Colorado hockey czar Joe Sakic is betting that incumbent 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 Artturi Lehkonen, an all-purpose winger, and Josh Manson, a rugged defender.
When the marketplace music stopped, Kadri still was standing, so he must lessen his demands while hoping a team creates cap space for him.
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong couldn’t afford to keep Husso after his breakthrough season, and he had to pick 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 cap flexibility that might have helped him acquire Matthew Tkachuk from the Calgary Flames.
A logical Blues offer would have featured forward Jordan Kyrou, whose next contract should rival Robert Thomas’ deal ($8.125 million per year) and move closer to Tkachuk potential earnings in St. Louis.
Kyrou is 24, like Tkachuk, and he’s coming off an All-Star campaign. He could have interested Calgary as part of a larger package, but his modest $2.8 million cap hit created a contract-swapping 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 emerging defenseman MacKenzie Weegar. That was a nice recovery after losing Johnny Gaudreau in free agency and shopping Tkachuk under duress.
Huberdeau and Weegar have expiring contracts, but unlike Tkachuk, they will consider new deals in Calgary. Tkachuk signed for eight years in South Florida (at $9.5 million per) and embraced the rivalry with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I hate Edmonton,” Tkachuk told his new fans, “but I hate Tampa more now.”
Expect him to have some up-close-and-personal chats with fellow St. Louisan Pat Maroon about extended car warranties and such.
The Blues move on with ample offense and a skilled defensive corps. If goaltender Jordan Binnington regains his pre-injury playoff form, the Blues could eclipse last season's 109-point total in their top-heavy division.
The Chicago Blackhawks shamelessly joined the Arizona Coyotes as deliberate losers by offloading forwards Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalik. Patrick Kane should demand a trade ASAP.
The Wild should regress after shipping Fiala to Los Angeles and goaltender Cam Talbot to Ottawa, breaking up his strong pairing with Marc-Andre Fleury.
That creates opportunity for the Predators. They retained top gun Filip Forsberg and added sturdy veterans Nino Niederreiter and Ryan McDonagh. With Juuse Saros starring in goal and linebacker-on-skates Tanner Jeannot crushing foes, good times are returning to Smashville.
The Stars want to stay relevant, so they hired coach Peter DeBoer. But they have 19 million cap dollars sunk into aging forwards Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn — and standout Joe Pavelski soon will 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.
Over in the Pacific Division, the retooled Flames should remain viable. Jack Campbell should upgrade the Edmonton Oilers in goal, and Bruce Boudreau’s coaching should uplift the Vancouver Canucks.
Fiala makes the emerging Kings more dangerous, and newcomers Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano will support the young Anaheim Ducks forwards.
The Vegas Golden Knights could rebound with a full Jack Eichel season, even after losing Max Pacioretty in a cap crunch. While the San Jose Sharks finally started 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 earn five playoff berths and forge an easier path for the Blues. But then again, the Note must encounter the Avalanche before they can reach the top.
A lot changed this summer, but nothing really changed.
