CENTRAL DIVISION
MEET THE NEW GUY
At one time, Vancouver appeared to have plucked a gem out of college in undrafted rearguard TROY STECHER. But the 28-year-old’s career has fizzled of late. Injuries have cost him upward of 40 games the past two seasons, and the fits and starts have led to inconsistency. But in Arizona, Stecher will vie for middle-pairing minutes and possibly even power-play time. Opportunity abounds in the desert, which will benefit Stecher, who hungers to get his career back on track and extend his NHL lifespan.
Four seasons ago, ANDREAS ATHANASIOU potted 30 goals. In the three seasons since, he has managed only 32 in 130 games. That is largely due to injury, though. The 28-year-old still has natural oensive instincts and speed. Utilized properly and given the chance to go to work on special teams – not to mention possible minutes alongside Patrick Kane – a mid-career resurgence isn’t out of the question. On a one-year deal with plenty to prove, it’s a low-risk, high-reward gamble for both the team and player.
Darcy Kuemper is out. ALEXANDAR GEORGIEV is in. And the expectation in Colorado is clear, particularly after he was inked to a three-year, $10.2-million pact: the Avs want the Georgiev who was stealing time from a late-career Henrik Lundqvist, not the one who has posted a combined .901 save percentage across 52 games the past two seasons. Georgiev, 26, once had clear-No. 1 potential, but he’ll have to battle Pavel Francouz for starting minutes. Crease competition is rarely a bad thing.
There is no mistaking COLIN MILLER for John Klingberg, but the Stars’ aim appears to be deputizing Miller with others, such as Thomas Harley, to replace what was lost when Klingberg exited in free agency. In Miller, 29, Dallas landed a mobile, puck-moving D-man who can either quarterback or play the triggerman on a power-play unit. There’s versatility to his game, and given what will be required of him as part of a group led by Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Ryan Suter, Miller should be able to settle in nicely.
The Wild made the best of a bad situation by swapping Cam Talbot to Ottawa for FILIP GUSTAVSSON. Not only does Gustavsson, 24, possess size, natural ability and oodles of potential, he’s proven he knows how to win on a big stage. His decorated international career includes top-goaltender honors and silver medals at the U-18 and WJC levels. Further, Gustavsson was once the 88th-ranked prospect in THN’s Future Watch issue. There’s opportunity for him to blossom under the veteran tutelage of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Talk about a tidy piece of business. In bringing in NINO NIEDERREITER, Nashville instantly upgraded its oense and brought aboard a winger with legitimate 30-goal potential, particularly when considering the additional ice time he can earn. Niederreiter was mired in a logjam in Carolina and averaged less than 15 minutes per game last season. If the 30-year-old manages to form a partnership with Mikael Granlund or Ryan Johansen, there’s every reason to believe Niederreiter is in line for a career-best output.
THOMAS GREISS has carved out a healthy living as a career secondstringer. Given that’s the case, the assumption might be teams know what to expect when the 36-year-old steps between the pipes. However, that isn’t quite the case. Instead, Greiss has alternated between world-beater and blue-paint blunderer. Last season, his goals saved above average of minus-0.55 per 60 minutes was the worst among the 48 goalies to play at least 1,500 minutes. But he was also a Jennings Trophy winner four seasons ago.
‘Big Save Dave’ sure didn’t make many of them last season. His ugly .886 SP and 3.57 GAA were the worst marks of his career. Luckily, the Jets’ expectation for DAVID RITTICH, 30, isn’t that he’ll step into the crease for long stretches. Rather, the hope is he can spell the seemingly tireless Connor Hellebuyck, who has played 1,000 more minutes than any other NHL keeper across the past five seasons. That said, Rittich played an important role in propelling the 2019-20 Calgary Flames into the post-season.