METRO DIVISION
MEET THE NEW GUY
When you already have Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal at center, you’re looking pretty good down the middle. But, with Vincent Trocheck gone, a solid No. 2 was needed to really cement things, and in the end, the answer was PAUL STASTNY. The crafty playmaker has lpalsatysoenastohnep.rwSotvianesgntnotyor,ob3ne6,aapbclaooynttssoihsmater-dnsitxapnlirdnoedwuailcsleatrhllaeonwydoJueevnsegpnsetrbeirrKofioknetkd2as0nhigeismowailaflsyew.xiitbhilWityintoeniitpheegr
OK, so the biggest name going from Calgary to Columbus was obviously Johnny Gaudreau – but he wasn’t the first. That would be D-man
ERIK GUDBRANSON, who truly had a turnaround year with the Flames wanhdoncoawn btaekaens heisetcatlievnet,spthoymsicida-lOdehfioen. Gdeurdwbrhaennsohneikseaekpnsotwhinnglesader simple. After struggling for four teams over two previous seasons, he was solid for Calgary, and there were rumblings he was a reason Gaudreau chose Columbus.
As the Devils continue their rebuild, the time to fold in seasoned pros with the youth has come. Getting a two-time Stanley Cup champion and all-out playo wonder in ONDREJ PALAT was a master stroke. The erstwhile Tampa Bay winger is the kind of glue guy who brings a line together, and even though the Bolts fell short of a three-peat, Palat was awesome in the playos, with 21 points in 23 games – only Nikita Kucherov had more for the team. Pair Palat with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes and you’ve got fun.
While the Isles have an emerging star in Noah Dobson, they’ve missed Devon Toews’ mobility since trading Toews to the Avs. ALEXANDER ROMANOV, who was acquired from Montreal in a draft-day trade that sent an already-wild Bell Centre into fits, could help New York’s oense and transition game. Romanov is a big hitter who skates well and loves to compete. While he hasn’t found much NHL production yet in 133 career games, it’s a focal point for the youngster, and playing with Dobson won’t hurt.
The Rangers are just finishing a puzzle that New York fans hope will turn into a title, and perhaps VINCENT TROCHECK is one of those final pieces. The 29-year-old two-way center replaces Ryan Strome (now with Anaheim) down the middle and comes from a strong Carolina team the Rangers could see again in the playos. Trocheck had a solid playos with the Canes and can fit perfectly on the depth chart behind No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad and hopefully find chemistry with Artemi Panarin.
TONY DEANGELO kept his mouth shut and let his play do the talking in Carolina last year, and the result was impressive as he became a key contributor. Now the 26-year-old oensive blueliner comes home to Philadelphia, having grown up just across the Delaware River in South Jersey. For a Flyers team that still doesn’t have a clear picture of Ryan Ellis’ health status, DeAngelo can be that puck-moving, power-play QB the team needs. Philly finished dead-last with the man advantage last season.
While JEFF PETRY had a rough go of things in Montreal last season, it’s worth remembering the Habs in general were a nightmare. We’ve seen what the 34-year-old defenseman can do when he’s surrounded by talent, and he’ll have a much better chance to do that in Pittsburgh, where he joins a blueline led by Kris Letang. Petry is the kind of twoway pro who does so many things the right way, and for a Penguins team still gunning for another title, he is very much in win-now mode.
With Nicklas Backstrom potentially out for the season due to hip surgery, the Caps needed someone to shore up a scoring line. Center
DYLAN STROME will get an opportunity to do that. Strome, surprisingly allowed to walk as an RFA by Chicago, put up soild numbers for the rebuilding Hawks while playing with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat – so he knows how to play with talent. Washington has wingers who can cash in with the big playmaker, and it’ll be interesting to see the line combos.