Some surprises in NHL free-agent frenzy.
LEAFS LAND BIG FISH BUT OTHERS MADE MOVES
Normally, this would be where we write a free agency “winners and losers” column praising and criticizing all activity on July 1. But we’re not doing that anymore. Not after what happened last season. Thanks, Vegas. Instead, from the Toronto Maple Leafs signing John Tavares and the Calgary Flames landing James Neal to the Blues trading a first-round pick and more to the Sabres for Ryan O’Reilly, this covers everything that looked good, looked bad and was downright head-scratching upon the advent of free agency.
❚ After winning the John Tavares’ sweepstakes (seven years, $77-million), are the Leafs now the favourites to win the Cup? Well, not so fast. While Tavares, Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri gives them a trio of centres that combined for 103 goals last season, scoring hadn’t exactly been a problem for a team that had the third-ranked offence. As long as Tampa Bay and Boston are still in the division, Toronto will continue to have its hands full, especially if GM Kyle Dubas goes the summer without addressing the troublesome defence.
❚ The Sabres might still not be good enough to make the playoffs next year, but even the toughest critic has to be impressed with the direction they’re headed. In the last two weeks, the team selected No. 1 pick Rasmus Dahlin, acquired speedy winger Conor Sheary to play with Jack Eichel, and replaced goalie Robin Lehner with goals-against leader Carter Hutton. Trading unhappy centre Ryan O’Reilly to the Blues also gives them a 2019 first-rounder and cap relief to continue building for the future.
❚ It’s not quite the offensive punch of Tavares, Matthews and Kadri, but in acquiring O’Reilly from the Sabres and signing Tyler Bozak (three years, $15-million) to a team that already has Brayden Schenn, the Blues added significant depth at centre. At the very least, St. Louis will be starting with the puck a lot next season. O’Reilly led the NHL in faceoff wins last season, while Bozak had a 53.6 winning percentage and Schenn was 48 per cent.
❚ The “us-versus-them” mantra in Vegas might be a tougher sell after the Golden Knights won another battle against the Jets in signing Paul Stastny (three years, $19.5-million). The 32-year-old centre, who scored 16 goals for St. Louis and Winnipeg last season, is now the highest-paid player on a roster of castaways. That is, until William Karlsson negotiates a new deal this summer. Considering he scored 27 more goals than Stastny, don’t expect him to accept “misfit” money.
❚ A week after trading Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox to the Hurricanes for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, the Flames doubleddown by signing Neal (five-years, $28.75-million). It’s a risky addition. Neal has been good for 20 or more goals in each of his 10 years in the NHL, but he will be 36 when his contract expires. He last reached the 30-goal mark in 201516 and had his only 40-goal season seven years ago. But as long as he can hit 20 goals again, he essentially replaces Ferland’s contribution.
❚ Montreal, which wasn’t invited to negotiate with Tavares and then refused to pay the ransom that Buffalo received from St. Louis for O’Reilly, didn’t address its pressing need at centre. Well, that is, unless you count bringing back Tomas Plekanec, who was at best a fourth-line option for the Leafs in the playoffs. It’s a small move. But after overpaying for defenceman Karl Alzner last year, it could prove better than the alternatives.
❚ With the Sedins retired and Thomas Vanek signing in Detroit, the Canucks lost three of their top-five scorers from last season. So it was curious the team signed fourth-liners Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel to fouryear contracts. Maybe the team hopes 2017 first-rounder Elias Pettersson and this year’s No. 7 pick Quinn Hughes will be ready to step in and help Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. If not, we could be in for a lot of dump-and-chase hockey.
❚ I’m not sure what the Islanders hope to achieve in signing Leo Komarov (four years and $12-million) and Valtteri Filppula (one year, $2.75-million). Both are on their last legs, with the 31-year-old Komarov dropping to seven from 14 goals in Toronto last season and the 34-year-old Filppula managing 14 goals with the Flyers. Maybe this is GM Lou Lamoriello’s painful first step in landing the No. 1 overall pick.
❚ In Claude Giroux (102 points), Jakub Voracek (85 points) and Sean Couturier (76 points), the Flyers had three players who finished in the top-26 in scoring. To that impressive mix returns James van Riemsdyk (five years, $35-million), who scored 36 goals last season in Toronto.
❚ It’s no coincidence that Drew Doughty, Logan Couture and Ryan McDonagh signed long-term deals — and Ottawa offered Erik Karlsson a contract — as Tavares was deciding to explore free agency. If GMs had been unafraid of losing their star players in the past, they certainly are now. The times are changing. The NBA model of picking your destination and moving to a contender could be creeping into the NHL.
❚ Not everyone signs on July 1. While most of the best options are gone — San Jose signed centre Joe Thornton on a one-year deal early Monday — there are still deals to be had, whether it be defenceman Calvin de Haan or goalie Robin Lehner. The most attractive might be Patrick Maroon, who has the potential to play on any of a team’s top-three lines.