Post by EKLUND on Mar 3, 2015 18:05:44 GMT -8
As the season is set to begin, I take a look around the league
METROPOLITAN
After finishing last in the division last season, the Canes GM was rather quite in the offseason. The biggest move the Canes made was buying out professional drummer Alex Semin. While the move frees up some cap space, the Canes lose one of their top goal scorers. Carolina seems to be committed to the rebuild, and have been reportedly shopping captain Eric Staal, who could fetch a nice return. With an 8.25M contract with 1 year left, look for the Canes to ship their captain as a rental by the trade deadline, while they give Elias Lindholm a shot a the number 1 centre position. No word yet whether 1st round pick Matthew Barzal will start on the big club.
Ownership hired veteran GM Kingovie over the summer, and he immediately made his presence felt on the roster by shipping franchise centre Ryan Johansen, along with Nathan Horton, country singer Jack Johnson, and Cam Atkinson in exchange for Tyler Seguin, Val Nichushkin, Colton Sceviour and Alex Goligoski. The team also acquired Tobi Enstrom, Dan Girardi, Chris Stewart, and Travis Zajac-ing off. With many new faces on the roster, chemistry will be an issue, but look for the Jackets to compete for the Metro Division crown this season.
The New Jersey Devils were able to convince bostonoilers out of retirement and hired him as their new GM. After missing the playoffs by a single point last season, the new GM kept most of the core together, and opted for adding some key pieces. The team added hard hitting dmen Johnny Boychuk and Marc Methot to patrol the blueline, while bringing in a trio of centermen in Colin Wilson, Brayden Schenn, and Antoine Vermette. The Devils will definitely be a defensively sound team next season and seem to be leaning towards the old Devils' system of trap hockey. But with no true offensive #1 centerman, the question arises; do they have the fire power to succeed in a competitive Metropolitan Divison?
The defending President's Trophy winners had a pretty quite offseason. After losing Johnny Boychuk to division rival New Jersey, the team made a couple moves. Bringing in Brooks Orpik as a veteran defensemen and Daniel Winnik as a specialty penalty killer adds to the depth. GM 7bng seems to be opting to develop and build within the organization. For many players on the team last season, it was the young core's first taste of playoff hockey, and the team will be looking at players like Michael Dal Colle, Ryan Strome, Nick Leddy, and Calvin De Haan to lead the charge. Jaro Halak had an amazing first season on Long Island and will continue to bring stability to the team. If the team doesn't get off to a strong start, the GM may have to pull the trigger and make a trade for the first time as his reign as GM.
The Rangers were able to salvage their season last year and barely squeaked into the playoffs. However after a disappointing playoff loss, the Rangers made some big moves to shake the team up. Nail Yakupov was traded to the Lighting in exchange for fellow countryman Nikita Kucherov, while the team also brought in Alex Goligoski in exchange for Dan Girardi. Mats Zuccarello left for the Flames, so the team will be looking for their younger players like Anthony Duclair and Andre Burakovsky to fill the void. Not much was done to drastically improve the team from last season, so expect the Rangers to be in the same position as last season and be a bubble team.
After a disappointing season, the Flyers made a big shakeup by sending Jakub Voracek to Vancouver in exchange for James Neal. Neal brings some size and toughness to the team, and is expected to play with Claude Giroux on the first line. The team also signed Dave Bolland and acquired Boyd Gordon from the Oilers, giving them a very good depth down the middle. The defense is still a question, being led by Andrew MacDonald and Michael Del-Zotto, who many consider fringe defensemen. With Kyle Turris ready to take over as the teams number 1 center, there have been rumours the team is trying to trade captain Claude Giroux. If Giroux is on the table, the Flyers could be interested in bringing a franchise defensemen back to anchor the blueline.
Apparently the punishment for losing to the Lightning is to trade them one of your franchise players. Geno Malkin was shipped to Tampa Bay in a controversial move that brought in at best 2 second line players and a package of draft picks. While the move does strengthen their depth on the wing, the GM could have easily made a run at Nick Foligno or Mats Zuccarello during free agency. The Pens also lost Christian Ehrhoff to free agency, but regardless the team is still a contender in the East. Only time will tell how well the trades will work out for the Pens, but for now it seems that GM Joubran definitely wins this deal.
After an up and down season, the Capitals decided to stick with the core and bring in some minor pieces. David Jones and Mark Letestu are some good acquisitions for the 3rd line, while Brad Richards will allow the Caps to move Pavelski to the top line. The top 6 remains deadly with Ovechkin, Backstrom and Pavelski, while Henrik Lundqvist looks for a bounce back season. The GM was close to bringing in Keith Yandle from Arizona, but the deal was nixed last minute. Rumours have it that the GM is looking for another elite defensemen, and Joe Pavelski or Marcus Johansson could be in play.
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ATLANTIC
The Bruins GM decided to disappear to Belize, so an interim GM took over and tried to relieve the Cap situation. Milan Lucic and Torey Krug were shipped to park-less Winnipeg for Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba. If the team does not find a new GM, the team could stand pat for the time being.
The Sabres are looking to continue the rebuild. New draftee Pavel Zacha will reportedly start the season on the NHL roster. He and others like Sam Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, and Jakub Vrana will lead the young team. GM goblue209 made a few minor signings in Free Agency, brining Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, and Jack Skille, and re-signed goaltender Michael Neuvirth. The Sabres only have 39M on their salary cap, 13M short of the Cap Floor of 52M. Reports that Chicago has contacted the GM and a big trade may be in the works, with either Marian Hossa or Patrick Sharp looking to be moved.
Another year, and another playoff appearance the Winged Wheels of Detroit. The GM wasn't overly active during Free Agent Frenzy, but did bring in a much needed right handed defensemen in Christian Ehrhoff, and a solid centremen Artem Anisimov from Columbus. With superstars Pavel Datysuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Niklas Kronwall not getting any younger, the Wings are expected to make a big push for another championship. Another problem arises though, as their is no clear cut number 1 centermen waiting in the wings to take over the Magic Man once he retires. The Red Wings could make an offer for either Ryan Strome or Brock Nelson in the Islanders, although it will not come cheap.
Florida is known as a state where people come to retire, and it seems to hold true in hockey as well. The Panthers were very active in free agency and signed enough old players to open up a retirement home. Jaromir Jagr, Mike Ribeiro, Francois Beauchemin, and Mike Fisher join a Panthers club that had a disappointing season last year. The Panthers GM also made a questionable trade moving potential franchise center Aleksander Barkov to the Canucks for Ryan Ellis, but it seems GM Belfour has chosen to build the team around Nick Bjugstad. The core of the team is still young, so the addition of so many veterans will further their development. Rumour has it the team is changing their name to the "Florida Snow Birds".
After a disappointing year where the club missed the playoffs for the first time in 2 seasons, the Habs GM decided to stay pat. The team did however bring back Mike Komisarek in an interesting move. The club had some key injuries last year, and it looks like the GM has faith in this team as long as it remains healthy. Carey Price is still one of the best goaltenders in the league, and if this team wants to make the playoffs it will have to rely on him to get the job done. The GM has been reportedly been looking to upgrade the blueline and could dangle Brett Connolly to acquire another top 4 dman.
It was not a good year in the Nation's capital. The team missed the playoffs, traded away superstar Erik Karlsson, who went on to win the Cup and the Norris, as well as not having a first round pick. But fear not Sens fans, as The Saviour has returned to Ottawa. Yes, that's right, the Fucking All Star himself Dany Heatley is ready to lead the Senators to the glory land. Reports of Senator fans celebrating in the streets and holding hands signing kumbaya have already surfaced. Rejoice Ottawa Fans, for your saviour has returned. It truly is a joyous occasion.
The center of the hockey universe looks to be a perennial contender, after finishing 3rd in the division and getting knocked out of the 2nd round, GM cranker8989 made some solid depth moves to improve his team. James Wisniewski was brought in along with Mark Streit, Keith Ballard, and Jordan Leopold, while Nik Antropov makes a return to TO. After not losing any key pieces, the Leafs will be a contender in the East. However, the GM looks likes he's not done yet; Mikko Koivu could be on his way out. Regardless, the Leafs will challenge the Lightning for the division crown.
After winning his first Stanley Cup, GM Joubran was reportedly seen partying it up with former Toronto mayor Rob Ford in the back alley of McDonalds. Joubran also sent a series of drunk texts to Maple Leafs centermen Nazem Kadri, and we here at HockeyBuzz have obtained those texts:
After sobering up, the GM traded away the Sedins to Minnesota, selling high on the twins, and flipping the return for Evgeni Malkin. The Bolts now have one of the deadliest lines in the game, with Stamkos-Malkin-Drouin leading the charge. The only weakness may be the defense, where besides Erik Karlsson, does not have another top 2 defensemen. The team is shopping Nail Yakupov in hopes of bringing in a dman to play with Karlsson.
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CENTRAL
The team found a new GM, but then he disappeared to Belize with Boston. Now the team is fucked cap wise. Fucked. FUCKKKKKED.
GM Snaggletooth's Avalanche barely made the playoffs and then lost to the Blackhawks in the first round. That was the last straw for him, as he rumours of his insanity surfaced. They were confirmed when he did went and signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a 3 year 31.5M contract. However, with this signing, Colorado probably has the best top 6 in the league. The team also acquired Patrick Marleau from the San Jose Sharks, giving them an offense that can compete with the likes of Tampa Bay. However, much like the Lightning, the Avalanche's only weakness may be their blue line. Some doubt Marek Zidlicky will solve their woes on the backend, but with an offense like this, who needs defense?
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the trades. The new Stars GM higgy20 took over the reigns from Houdini, and made a blockbuster, trading Tyler Seguin, Val Nischushkin, and Alex Goligoski for Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, and Jack Johnson. The GM wasn't done from their, as he was active in free agency as well, signing former Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams, and grabbing veterans Stephan Weiss, Eric Brewer, and Derek Morris. He's not done, as he's reportedly looking for an offensive defensemen, and is dangling long time Star Trevor Daley. Big changes have happened in Big D, but will they be enough for the team to compete in a competitive Central Division?
The Wild GM had a wild offseason. After a disappointing playoff run, GM Coiser decided to make a move for two of last season's leading scorers, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The team shipped out Tyler Bozak, Milan Michalek, David Perron, and his 2016 draft picks for the Twins and Tyler Johnson. The GM seems to be going all in this season and hoping the Sedins have as much success in the Minnesota as they did in Tampa, however many critics feel their stats were inflated by playing alongside Stamkos. The Wild also shipped out Charlie Coyle and Matthew Dumba to the Jets and brought in Mark Scheiffle and Paul Postma. The GM seems to be thinking long term as well, and the plan seems to be to have Scheiffle take over as the #1 center once the Sedins are done.
I'm afraid I've got some bad news....is what GM therealbk is hoping to say to other teams when they play his Preds this season. After taking the risk and going all in last season only to have the team miss the playoffs, the Perds GM made some big changes to the core. Out are big bodies James Neal, Viktor Stalberg and Colin Wilson, and in are Brandon Dubinsky, Matt Moulson, and Andrei Kostisyn. The bringer of Bad News also made a big splash in Free Agency, signing Marc Staal and solidifying a very scary defensive core. Nashville will be hoping to bring the bad news, not receive it this season.
The Blues have been very quite since last season, opting to keep the team intact. However, that might be coming to an end, as they have been aggressively shopping Paul Stastny. Aside from that, the team signed veteran defensemen Robyn Regehr. Expect a big trade to be in the works for the Blues soon.
The winner of the Connor McDavid lottery, the Winnipeg Jets made a plethora a big moves in during the offseason, essentially saying to the rest of the NHL they are ready to compete with the big boys. Mark Scheiffle was shuffled to Minnesota to make room for McJesus, while the team also signed Alex Semin to a big contract. GM j0shrc seems to be trying to build a big bodied team, as Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, and Charlie Coyle were all brought in as well. The Jets will be a favourite to win the Central this season, and possibly the West.
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PACIFIC
The Ducks also lost their GM to Belize and have been quite on the trade front as they search for a new GM.
The interim Coyotes GM made some big moves, signing Jason Spezza and Devin Setoguchi, while trading for Chris Krieder and moving long time Captain Shane Doan to the Sharks for Raffi Torres, Anton Stralman, and some picks. The team is still looking for a long term GM, but whoever inherits this team won't have to do much.
Butterfingers217 is back and ready to take the Flames to the promise land. After upsetting the San Jose Sharks, the Flames made some big moves in free agency, landing Mats Zuccarrello, Carl Soderberg, Andrej Meszaros, and Mike Santorelli. With a young team led by Boring Shaun Monahan, the Flames are on the up and up. The question is, is the Flames GM done? Or will more moves come. Speculation is that Shaun Monahan is too fucking boring and the team is looking for a more outspoken player. No word yet whether Sean Avery has been contacted.
Kruze didnt win the McDavid lottery, but settled for All-American Jack Eichel. Already word is that Kruze is trying to get Jack to adopt the mullet, but Eichel is not yet prepared to live that lifestyle. Aside from drafting Eichel, the Oilers will build within in typical Kruze fashion and develop their players in their system. Darnell Nurse and Jackson Houck look to be ready to make the jump to the big club, and altough the Oilers have a solid top 6, they may not be ready to compete with the Likes of San Jose, Los Angeles, Calgary and Vancouver yet. It may take another year of development before Kruze's Oilers are ready to compete in the Pacific.
After winning the Pacific Division, the Kings made a couple of moves in the offseason. GM Sensrule19 acquired Sean Couturier and moved youngsters Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson to Philadelphia. The Kings were pretty quite duirng FA, but did sign David Clarkson to protect the team's waterbottles and Ray Emery to beat the shit out of opposing goalies. However, last year's backup Martin Jones is reportedly not happy with being sent down to the minors and could ask for a trade, but the the goalie market being as it is, they may not find a buyer.
GM Luongod was not happy with the way things turned out in last season's playoffs and made some big moves during the offseason. The most surprising being trading long time Shark Patrick Marleau to the Avalanche in exchange for Jarome Iginla. Shane Doan was also acquired from Arizona, bringing in some veteran presence and toughness to the team. The Sharks also made a big splash by luring Andrej Sekera from Carolina to solidify the top 4, and brought back Brian Campbell to quarterback the power play. The message has been sent to the players, and with the window closing, the Sharks only have a couple of season left to win it all.
GM rk17 is at it again. Someone should put this guy in jail, as he absolutely destroyed Florida in acquiring Aleksander Barkov for Ryan Ellis. They then traded Matt Moulson to the Predators for James Neal, who they flipped for Jakub Voracek. The Nucks rebuild also went according to plan, as they had 4 draft picks in the top 10, and 5 overall. The team is loaded with young stars and could be on the verge of a dynasty is they play their cards right. They also made one of the biggest, if not riskiest signings during FA, signing KHL rightwinger-turned-defensemen Steve Moses to a big 1 year contract to man the blueline. The Canucks could very well be a favourite to win the division, and if not will be a tough team to play against for years to come.
METROPOLITAN
After finishing last in the division last season, the Canes GM was rather quite in the offseason. The biggest move the Canes made was buying out professional drummer Alex Semin. While the move frees up some cap space, the Canes lose one of their top goal scorers. Carolina seems to be committed to the rebuild, and have been reportedly shopping captain Eric Staal, who could fetch a nice return. With an 8.25M contract with 1 year left, look for the Canes to ship their captain as a rental by the trade deadline, while they give Elias Lindholm a shot a the number 1 centre position. No word yet whether 1st round pick Matthew Barzal will start on the big club.
Ownership hired veteran GM Kingovie over the summer, and he immediately made his presence felt on the roster by shipping franchise centre Ryan Johansen, along with Nathan Horton, country singer Jack Johnson, and Cam Atkinson in exchange for Tyler Seguin, Val Nichushkin, Colton Sceviour and Alex Goligoski. The team also acquired Tobi Enstrom, Dan Girardi, Chris Stewart, and Travis Zajac-ing off. With many new faces on the roster, chemistry will be an issue, but look for the Jackets to compete for the Metro Division crown this season.
The New Jersey Devils were able to convince bostonoilers out of retirement and hired him as their new GM. After missing the playoffs by a single point last season, the new GM kept most of the core together, and opted for adding some key pieces. The team added hard hitting dmen Johnny Boychuk and Marc Methot to patrol the blueline, while bringing in a trio of centermen in Colin Wilson, Brayden Schenn, and Antoine Vermette. The Devils will definitely be a defensively sound team next season and seem to be leaning towards the old Devils' system of trap hockey. But with no true offensive #1 centerman, the question arises; do they have the fire power to succeed in a competitive Metropolitan Divison?
The defending President's Trophy winners had a pretty quite offseason. After losing Johnny Boychuk to division rival New Jersey, the team made a couple moves. Bringing in Brooks Orpik as a veteran defensemen and Daniel Winnik as a specialty penalty killer adds to the depth. GM 7bng seems to be opting to develop and build within the organization. For many players on the team last season, it was the young core's first taste of playoff hockey, and the team will be looking at players like Michael Dal Colle, Ryan Strome, Nick Leddy, and Calvin De Haan to lead the charge. Jaro Halak had an amazing first season on Long Island and will continue to bring stability to the team. If the team doesn't get off to a strong start, the GM may have to pull the trigger and make a trade for the first time as his reign as GM.
The Rangers were able to salvage their season last year and barely squeaked into the playoffs. However after a disappointing playoff loss, the Rangers made some big moves to shake the team up. Nail Yakupov was traded to the Lighting in exchange for fellow countryman Nikita Kucherov, while the team also brought in Alex Goligoski in exchange for Dan Girardi. Mats Zuccarello left for the Flames, so the team will be looking for their younger players like Anthony Duclair and Andre Burakovsky to fill the void. Not much was done to drastically improve the team from last season, so expect the Rangers to be in the same position as last season and be a bubble team.
After a disappointing season, the Flyers made a big shakeup by sending Jakub Voracek to Vancouver in exchange for James Neal. Neal brings some size and toughness to the team, and is expected to play with Claude Giroux on the first line. The team also signed Dave Bolland and acquired Boyd Gordon from the Oilers, giving them a very good depth down the middle. The defense is still a question, being led by Andrew MacDonald and Michael Del-Zotto, who many consider fringe defensemen. With Kyle Turris ready to take over as the teams number 1 center, there have been rumours the team is trying to trade captain Claude Giroux. If Giroux is on the table, the Flyers could be interested in bringing a franchise defensemen back to anchor the blueline.
Apparently the punishment for losing to the Lightning is to trade them one of your franchise players. Geno Malkin was shipped to Tampa Bay in a controversial move that brought in at best 2 second line players and a package of draft picks. While the move does strengthen their depth on the wing, the GM could have easily made a run at Nick Foligno or Mats Zuccarello during free agency. The Pens also lost Christian Ehrhoff to free agency, but regardless the team is still a contender in the East. Only time will tell how well the trades will work out for the Pens, but for now it seems that GM Joubran definitely wins this deal.
After an up and down season, the Capitals decided to stick with the core and bring in some minor pieces. David Jones and Mark Letestu are some good acquisitions for the 3rd line, while Brad Richards will allow the Caps to move Pavelski to the top line. The top 6 remains deadly with Ovechkin, Backstrom and Pavelski, while Henrik Lundqvist looks for a bounce back season. The GM was close to bringing in Keith Yandle from Arizona, but the deal was nixed last minute. Rumours have it that the GM is looking for another elite defensemen, and Joe Pavelski or Marcus Johansson could be in play.
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ATLANTIC
The Bruins GM decided to disappear to Belize, so an interim GM took over and tried to relieve the Cap situation. Milan Lucic and Torey Krug were shipped to park-less Winnipeg for Andrew Ladd and Jacob Trouba. If the team does not find a new GM, the team could stand pat for the time being.
The Sabres are looking to continue the rebuild. New draftee Pavel Zacha will reportedly start the season on the NHL roster. He and others like Sam Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, and Jakub Vrana will lead the young team. GM goblue209 made a few minor signings in Free Agency, brining Tomas Fleischmann, Eric Fehr, and Jack Skille, and re-signed goaltender Michael Neuvirth. The Sabres only have 39M on their salary cap, 13M short of the Cap Floor of 52M. Reports that Chicago has contacted the GM and a big trade may be in the works, with either Marian Hossa or Patrick Sharp looking to be moved.
Another year, and another playoff appearance the Winged Wheels of Detroit. The GM wasn't overly active during Free Agent Frenzy, but did bring in a much needed right handed defensemen in Christian Ehrhoff, and a solid centremen Artem Anisimov from Columbus. With superstars Pavel Datysuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Niklas Kronwall not getting any younger, the Wings are expected to make a big push for another championship. Another problem arises though, as their is no clear cut number 1 centermen waiting in the wings to take over the Magic Man once he retires. The Red Wings could make an offer for either Ryan Strome or Brock Nelson in the Islanders, although it will not come cheap.
Florida is known as a state where people come to retire, and it seems to hold true in hockey as well. The Panthers were very active in free agency and signed enough old players to open up a retirement home. Jaromir Jagr, Mike Ribeiro, Francois Beauchemin, and Mike Fisher join a Panthers club that had a disappointing season last year. The Panthers GM also made a questionable trade moving potential franchise center Aleksander Barkov to the Canucks for Ryan Ellis, but it seems GM Belfour has chosen to build the team around Nick Bjugstad. The core of the team is still young, so the addition of so many veterans will further their development. Rumour has it the team is changing their name to the "Florida Snow Birds".
After a disappointing year where the club missed the playoffs for the first time in 2 seasons, the Habs GM decided to stay pat. The team did however bring back Mike Komisarek in an interesting move. The club had some key injuries last year, and it looks like the GM has faith in this team as long as it remains healthy. Carey Price is still one of the best goaltenders in the league, and if this team wants to make the playoffs it will have to rely on him to get the job done. The GM has been reportedly been looking to upgrade the blueline and could dangle Brett Connolly to acquire another top 4 dman.
It was not a good year in the Nation's capital. The team missed the playoffs, traded away superstar Erik Karlsson, who went on to win the Cup and the Norris, as well as not having a first round pick. But fear not Sens fans, as The Saviour has returned to Ottawa. Yes, that's right, the Fucking All Star himself Dany Heatley is ready to lead the Senators to the glory land. Reports of Senator fans celebrating in the streets and holding hands signing kumbaya have already surfaced. Rejoice Ottawa Fans, for your saviour has returned. It truly is a joyous occasion.
The center of the hockey universe looks to be a perennial contender, after finishing 3rd in the division and getting knocked out of the 2nd round, GM cranker8989 made some solid depth moves to improve his team. James Wisniewski was brought in along with Mark Streit, Keith Ballard, and Jordan Leopold, while Nik Antropov makes a return to TO. After not losing any key pieces, the Leafs will be a contender in the East. However, the GM looks likes he's not done yet; Mikko Koivu could be on his way out. Regardless, the Leafs will challenge the Lightning for the division crown.
After winning his first Stanley Cup, GM Joubran was reportedly seen partying it up with former Toronto mayor Rob Ford in the back alley of McDonalds. Joubran also sent a series of drunk texts to Maple Leafs centermen Nazem Kadri, and we here at HockeyBuzz have obtained those texts:
After sobering up, the GM traded away the Sedins to Minnesota, selling high on the twins, and flipping the return for Evgeni Malkin. The Bolts now have one of the deadliest lines in the game, with Stamkos-Malkin-Drouin leading the charge. The only weakness may be the defense, where besides Erik Karlsson, does not have another top 2 defensemen. The team is shopping Nail Yakupov in hopes of bringing in a dman to play with Karlsson.
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CENTRAL
The team found a new GM, but then he disappeared to Belize with Boston. Now the team is fucked cap wise. Fucked. FUCKKKKKED.
GM Snaggletooth's Avalanche barely made the playoffs and then lost to the Blackhawks in the first round. That was the last straw for him, as he rumours of his insanity surfaced. They were confirmed when he did went and signed Ilya Kovalchuk to a 3 year 31.5M contract. However, with this signing, Colorado probably has the best top 6 in the league. The team also acquired Patrick Marleau from the San Jose Sharks, giving them an offense that can compete with the likes of Tampa Bay. However, much like the Lightning, the Avalanche's only weakness may be their blue line. Some doubt Marek Zidlicky will solve their woes on the backend, but with an offense like this, who needs defense?
Everything is bigger in Texas, including the trades. The new Stars GM higgy20 took over the reigns from Houdini, and made a blockbuster, trading Tyler Seguin, Val Nischushkin, and Alex Goligoski for Ryan Johansen, Cam Atkinson, and Jack Johnson. The GM wasn't done from their, as he was active in free agency as well, signing former Conn Smythe winner Justin Williams, and grabbing veterans Stephan Weiss, Eric Brewer, and Derek Morris. He's not done, as he's reportedly looking for an offensive defensemen, and is dangling long time Star Trevor Daley. Big changes have happened in Big D, but will they be enough for the team to compete in a competitive Central Division?
The Wild GM had a wild offseason. After a disappointing playoff run, GM Coiser decided to make a move for two of last season's leading scorers, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The team shipped out Tyler Bozak, Milan Michalek, David Perron, and his 2016 draft picks for the Twins and Tyler Johnson. The GM seems to be going all in this season and hoping the Sedins have as much success in the Minnesota as they did in Tampa, however many critics feel their stats were inflated by playing alongside Stamkos. The Wild also shipped out Charlie Coyle and Matthew Dumba to the Jets and brought in Mark Scheiffle and Paul Postma. The GM seems to be thinking long term as well, and the plan seems to be to have Scheiffle take over as the #1 center once the Sedins are done.
I'm afraid I've got some bad news....is what GM therealbk is hoping to say to other teams when they play his Preds this season. After taking the risk and going all in last season only to have the team miss the playoffs, the Perds GM made some big changes to the core. Out are big bodies James Neal, Viktor Stalberg and Colin Wilson, and in are Brandon Dubinsky, Matt Moulson, and Andrei Kostisyn. The bringer of Bad News also made a big splash in Free Agency, signing Marc Staal and solidifying a very scary defensive core. Nashville will be hoping to bring the bad news, not receive it this season.
The Blues have been very quite since last season, opting to keep the team intact. However, that might be coming to an end, as they have been aggressively shopping Paul Stastny. Aside from that, the team signed veteran defensemen Robyn Regehr. Expect a big trade to be in the works for the Blues soon.
The winner of the Connor McDavid lottery, the Winnipeg Jets made a plethora a big moves in during the offseason, essentially saying to the rest of the NHL they are ready to compete with the big boys. Mark Scheiffle was shuffled to Minnesota to make room for McJesus, while the team also signed Alex Semin to a big contract. GM j0shrc seems to be trying to build a big bodied team, as Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, and Charlie Coyle were all brought in as well. The Jets will be a favourite to win the Central this season, and possibly the West.
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PACIFIC
The Ducks also lost their GM to Belize and have been quite on the trade front as they search for a new GM.
The interim Coyotes GM made some big moves, signing Jason Spezza and Devin Setoguchi, while trading for Chris Krieder and moving long time Captain Shane Doan to the Sharks for Raffi Torres, Anton Stralman, and some picks. The team is still looking for a long term GM, but whoever inherits this team won't have to do much.
Butterfingers217 is back and ready to take the Flames to the promise land. After upsetting the San Jose Sharks, the Flames made some big moves in free agency, landing Mats Zuccarrello, Carl Soderberg, Andrej Meszaros, and Mike Santorelli. With a young team led by Boring Shaun Monahan, the Flames are on the up and up. The question is, is the Flames GM done? Or will more moves come. Speculation is that Shaun Monahan is too fucking boring and the team is looking for a more outspoken player. No word yet whether Sean Avery has been contacted.
Kruze didnt win the McDavid lottery, but settled for All-American Jack Eichel. Already word is that Kruze is trying to get Jack to adopt the mullet, but Eichel is not yet prepared to live that lifestyle. Aside from drafting Eichel, the Oilers will build within in typical Kruze fashion and develop their players in their system. Darnell Nurse and Jackson Houck look to be ready to make the jump to the big club, and altough the Oilers have a solid top 6, they may not be ready to compete with the Likes of San Jose, Los Angeles, Calgary and Vancouver yet. It may take another year of development before Kruze's Oilers are ready to compete in the Pacific.
After winning the Pacific Division, the Kings made a couple of moves in the offseason. GM Sensrule19 acquired Sean Couturier and moved youngsters Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson to Philadelphia. The Kings were pretty quite duirng FA, but did sign David Clarkson to protect the team's waterbottles and Ray Emery to beat the shit out of opposing goalies. However, last year's backup Martin Jones is reportedly not happy with being sent down to the minors and could ask for a trade, but the the goalie market being as it is, they may not find a buyer.
GM Luongod was not happy with the way things turned out in last season's playoffs and made some big moves during the offseason. The most surprising being trading long time Shark Patrick Marleau to the Avalanche in exchange for Jarome Iginla. Shane Doan was also acquired from Arizona, bringing in some veteran presence and toughness to the team. The Sharks also made a big splash by luring Andrej Sekera from Carolina to solidify the top 4, and brought back Brian Campbell to quarterback the power play. The message has been sent to the players, and with the window closing, the Sharks only have a couple of season left to win it all.
GM rk17 is at it again. Someone should put this guy in jail, as he absolutely destroyed Florida in acquiring Aleksander Barkov for Ryan Ellis. They then traded Matt Moulson to the Predators for James Neal, who they flipped for Jakub Voracek. The Nucks rebuild also went according to plan, as they had 4 draft picks in the top 10, and 5 overall. The team is loaded with young stars and could be on the verge of a dynasty is they play their cards right. They also made one of the biggest, if not riskiest signings during FA, signing KHL rightwinger-turned-defensemen Steve Moses to a big 1 year contract to man the blueline. The Canucks could very well be a favourite to win the division, and if not will be a tough team to play against for years to come.
That snapshot of kadri and Joubran was money LOL
