Franchise players adjusting to new teams ahead of new season
It’s rare for a franchise player in his prime to leave an NHL team via free agency or trade. This off-season, it happened twice. Toronto signed John Tavares away from the New York Islanders to make the biggest splash in free agency.
The 28-year-old centre with a $77-million, seven-year contract sounds motivated to validate his hometown Maple Leafs making such an investment in him.
“I think there’s a lot to prove,” Tavares said. “Resting on what you’ve already done is where you can kind of get caught — especially as your career goes on.
“Every day, each season, you have to go out there and prove yourself again.”
Tavares, a five-time All-Star, had 80-plus points last season for the third time and has averaged nearly 70 points over his nine-year career.
After missing out on the sweepstakes for Tavares in July, San Jose acquired 28-yearold defenceman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa two-plus months later.
“We were looking for a difference-maker,” Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said. “There’s not many of them in this league.
“There’s not many of them that come available.”
The Sharks gave up a package of young players and picks to get the five-time All-Star and two-time Norris Trophy winner to greatly improve their chances of competing for the Stanley Cup.
Here’s a look at some of the other major moves, entering the season:
TRADE WINDS
The Vegas Golden Knights bolstered their shot at repeating as Western Conference champions by acquiring forward Max Pacioretty from Montreal earlier this month. They’re expecting Pacioretty to bounce-back from an injury-shortened season to contribute 60-plus points as he has five times in his 10-year career.
The St. Louis Blues acquired centre Ryan O’Reilly, who set an NHL record for winning 1,273 faceoffs last season, in the hopes of avoiding a second straight season without a playoff appearance.
WELCOME BACK
The Los Angeles Kings beat out other suitors to sign Ilya Kovalchuk to a three-year, $18.75-million contract. The 35-year-old, three-time All-Star forward had been playing in Russia since leaving New Jersey and the league in 2013.