MEET THE NEW GUY
EASTERN CONFERENCE
RYAN PULOCK may finally get a real chance. The big blueliner with the booming shot has been marinating in the AHL for what seems like an eternity (really just three seasons), but now the NHL roster needs him. With Travis Hamonic off to Calgary, Pulock has the opportunity to jump in and make an impact. Look for him on the power play.
It pays to know the local kid. New York landed the most coveted free agent on the market in New Rochelle’s KEVIN SHATTENKIRK, who took less money and term than he could’ve gotten elsewhere to play for the team he grew up cheering for. Now captain Ryan McDonagh gets an elite right-shot ‘D’ partner.
If Guy Boucher isn’t Ottawa’s coach, there’s a good chance NATE THOMPSON doesn’t sign with the Senators. But when they were looking for help at center, Thompson became an option. The 32-year-old, who sat out much of last season with an Achilles injury, has a history with Boucher that goes back to their time together in Tampa.
Yes, it’s ominous that the Flyers’ big signing was a goalie who struggled in the playoffs, but BRIAN ELLIOTT has surprised in the past. He took most of the blame for Calgary’s firstround loss to Anaheim and needs to bounce back. The upside? He plays his best when he’s fighting for starts, which he’ll do with incumbent Michal Neuvirth.
Coming off backto-back Stanley Cups, you get a little leeway. But the Penguins gave up a first-rounder and prospect Oskar Sundqvist for enforcer RYAN REAVES, something no one in the hockey world could have predicted. GM Jim Rutherford wanted more protection for his stars, and Reaves certainly fits the bill.
Only nine players in modern NHL history have hoisted the Stanley Cup with three different teams. The Lightning are hoping CHRIS KUNITZ becomes the 10th. If it happens, it will have to be in short order, since Kunitz turns 38 in September and is only under contract with Tampa Bay for the coming season.
The Leafs made no bigger statement that their rebuilding plan has been accelerated than they did when they signed PATRICK MARLEAU to a three-year deal. He instantly becomes their highest-paid and oldest player. Marleau has been a consistent 20- to 30-goal scorer since forever, and that shouldn’t change in the short term.
The most important stat involving DEVANTE SMITHPELLY is his salary: just $650,000. The hard-working winger won’t light up the marquee, but he comes cheap, and that’s crucial for the Capitals as they try to navigate the salary cap. Washington lost a ton of talent this summer, with no gains other than Smith-Pelly.