Biggest Winners
Tampa Bay Lightning
For the Lightning, this offseason was all about keeping a talented young core together so they can be Stanley Cup contenders in the years to come. They did just that.
Superstar defender Victor Hedman got a huge eight-year, $63 million deal to stay with the Lightning. Hedman had a 21 +/-with the Lightning last year, and has been one of their best post season performers.
Steven Stamkos was also given an eight year deal so that he could stay with the Lightning. Stamkos is a prolific sniper, winning the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2010 and 2012 for most goals scored in the season.
Alex Kilhorn was given a seven year deal to continue to bring his physical presence to the Lightning’s attack. He was huge for them in the post season, with five goals and 13 points.
Dallas Stars
The Stars did not make many moves this offseason, but the ones they did are likely to have a greatly positive effect on a team not that far away from a Stanley Cup appearance. Bringing in Dan Hamhuis should greatly assist a defender corps that got exposed in last year’s playoffs. Hamhuis was a proven top line defender with the Canucks, and his 81 +/- shows just how steady a presence he is on the blue line.
Perhaps even more important though was the resigning of captain Jamie Benn. Benn finished in second place with 89 points last year, even beating Sidney Crosby in that regard. He was also third with 41 goals last year, marking his third straight season with 30 or more goals.
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes could best be described as a team on the rise last season. Their young star Max Domi could be seen as the catalyst for their improved play, as he notched 18 goals and put up 52 points.
The Coyotes finally seem like a team that is buying instead of selling. They were able to grab Alex Goligoski from the Dallas Stars. Goligoski could very well end up paired with Ekman-Larsson Oliver on the top line, providing the offensive minded Oliver with a defensive minded presence to cover for Oliver’s aggressive play.
The team also showed that they are committed to being a physical team by bringing in Jamie McGinn and Luke Schenn. While they play different positions, both are similar in that they like to punish the opposing team with brute force. On a team already strong on defense, the added physical presence will make it hard for teams to keep the puck in the Coyotes zone.
Biggest Losers
New York Rangers
The Rangers thought that Eric Staal would be the final piece in their Stanley Cup puzzle, after years of falling just a little bit short. However, after a mere first round exit last year, the team just let him walk out the door.
The team then parted ways with possibly their best forward in Derick Brassard. He had 27 goals and 58 points for the Rangers last year, and has been a consistent source of production. Losing him means that the Rangers are a team that appears to be on the decline.
Anaheim Ducks
The debacle the Ducks had this off season with their goaltenders could really cost them this year. In a bizarre move, the Ducks sent promising goaltender Frederick Andersen go to the Maple Leafs. Anderson had a shutout and a 1.41 GAA in the playoffs last year.
To make the situation even stranger, the Ducks decided to sign Jonathan Bernier to replace him. Bernier brought nothing but pure misery to the Leafs last year. Bernier’s SV% was below 90% heading into January, which is just not acceptable for a starting caliber goalie. We will have to see if he can have a better kind of performance with a better team in Anaheim.