PACIFIC DIVISION
MEET THE NEW GUY
JOHN KLINGBERG’S one-year, $7-million deal rates as one of the more unusual UFA signings of the salary-cap era. Anaheim is going through a rebuild, so it was an unlikely destination for a 30-year-old presumably intent on securing one last big contract, but signing the top-pair rearguard got the Ducks to the salary floor. Klingberg has a full no-trade clause that becomes a 10-team no-trade clause on Jan. 1. So expect him to be a Duck for half a season and then go to a Cup contender around the trade deadline.
It was almost magical the way GM Brad Treliving was able to oset the loss of a 115-point left winger (Johnny Gaudreau) to free agency with another 115-point left winger (JONATHAN HUBERDEAU), but it involved a couple of trades and a boatload of conditions. The same eight-year, $84-million pact Gaudreau turned down was signed by Huberdeau. For now, he’s in the final year of a deal that pays him $5.9 million per season. Huberdeau is a dierent player than Gaudreau and is just a couple of months older.
Cap constraints prevented the Oilers from making big-ticket free-agent moves, although signing Jack Campbell and retaining Evander Kane are wins. RYAN MURRAY was an interesting September signing. When 2012 No. 1 overall pick Nail Yakupov failed, armchair experts wondered if they should’ve taken Murray instead. He went No. 2 overall to Columbus. Murray has been a third-pairing defender in nine injury-plagued seasons. The 29-yearold is coming o a Cup win with Colorado, where he was a seventh defenseman.
It’s not often a 25-year-old point-per-game player comes onto the trade market, but the Kings were in a good position to land KEVIN FIALA. Cap constraints made it dicult for Minnesota to retain Fiala, coming o a breakthrough 33-goal, 85-point season. The Kings gave up prospect Brock Faber and a first-round draft pick for Fiala, who turned 26 after the trade. L.A. signed him to a seven-year, $55.1-million deal. The Kings have excellent young players, so getting a first-line winger accelerates the rebuild.
The Sharks determined Adin Hill wasn’t going to be their goalie of the future. And with James Reimer turning 35 in March, San Jose knew getting a goalie was a priority. KAAPO KAHKONEN dropped to No. 3 in Minnesota when Marc-Andre Fleury joined Cam Talbot at the trade deadline. So the Wild traded Kahkonen to the Sharks for Jacob Middleton. Kahkonen played well in 11 games, and San Jose signed him to a new deal. Technically, Kahkonen isn’t “new,” but his status as the main stopper is a new development.
The Kraken picked up a couple of Killer B’s – OLIVER BJORKSTRAND and ANDRE BURAKOVSKY. They may join forces on the same line as another Killer B, Matty Beniers, who joined Seattle in April. Burakovsky will receive a Cup ring on his first road trip to Colorado. The 27-year-old left winger spent the past three seasons with the Avs before signing with the Kraken. Right winger Bjorkstrand, 27, was a bargain pickup when Columbus needed to create cap space. Seattle gave up just third- and fourth-round draft picks.
The Canucks picked up uncertainty in the acquisitions of middle-six forwards ILYA MIKHEYEV and ANDREI KUZMENKO. Speedster Mikheyev was dangerous at times during three years in Toronto. The Leafs couldn’t aord his salary demands, and he signed with Vancouver for a $4.75 AAV. Kuzmenko is coming o the best of his six seasons in the KHL, with 53 points in 45 games. The uncertainty comes in the heights they can reach. Are they capable third-liners, impressive second-liners or breakthrough top-liners?
The first goal PHIL KESSEL scores for Vegas will be the 400th of his career. When the 35-year-old records his 44th point this season, it will be his 1,000th in the NHL. And each consecutive game Kessel plays, starting with the opener, will extend his streak as the NHL’s ironman tually ends. That’fsorwrheagtuVlaerg-saesaissognetatnindgpfloaryojustg$a1m.5ems –illinoonr.thAnodf 1d,0o0n0’t lbeetfhoirseaitgeevfeono-l you; he’s still among the fastest skaters in the NHL, even if his stamina isn’t top-notch.