Fans often have no patience for a quiet offseason. If their favorite team fell short of the Stanley Cup, shouldn’t its GM be out there working to change that? Last year proved to be a busier summer than the current one for the Tampa Bay Lightning, as they’ve mostly taken care of business in-house. On the other hand, multiple Atlantic Division opponents have gone in the opposite direction. How productive an offseason has it been for the Bolts? Who trumps and who pales in comparison to general manager Steve Yzerman’s sneakily efficient summer?
In addition to not possessing a 2018 first round draft pick, the Lightning have remained quiet in free agency. While not active in that department, they have remained active in terms of taking care of their own.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Offseason Grade: B+
Heading into the summer, the Lightning’s to-do list included drafting defensemen, specifically right-handers, locking up assets, and perhaps making a splash for a player to put them over the top in free agency. Yzerman’s first draft selection was left-winger Gabriel Fortier of the QMJHL. A Mathieu Joseph-type prospect, the speedy 5’7′ forward may be a valuable addition to the Lightning. However, fans still may question why Yzerman, without a pick in round one, would select him.
This led to Yzerman selecting a RHD in the third round. He did so, but in what could be argued to be typical Yzerman fashion, arguably reached on a Russian-born player by the name of Dmitri Semykin. The remainder of the draft was successful in theory, as Yzerman selected two d-men and two goaltenders, clearly making an effort to address the defensive end of the ice.
Although they were in the running for John Tavares, the Bolts came up short in their efforts to sign him.
Following the Tavares sweepstakes, they strayed from the open market and focused on re-signing assets. The Lightning handed out raises to three key contributors, locking down Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, and most importantly, Nikita Kucherov. McDonagh’s seven year deal carries a $6.75 million AAV. You could argue all day whether McDonagh is worth this much. What is indisputable is that McDonagh could’ve made this much, if not more, on the open market. The Kucherov deal needed to get done at any cost, in this case a $9.5 million AAV. A five-year, $26.5 million deal is fantastic for Miller, who produced 17 points in 18 games for Tampa, and chipped in during the postseason as well.
Yzerman also owned enough cap space to extend depth players Cedric Paquette, Slater Koekkoek and Adam Erne on one-year deals. In recent years, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins are proof that retaining your core is important. Essentially everyone else is expendable. Yzerman has done that. He’s now locked up Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat, Miller, Tyler Johnson and McDonagh. All are signed through at least the 2021-22 season.
Boston Bruins: B
The Boston Bruins, in a similar situation to the Lightning, have had a similar offseason. They drafted relatively well, and with no glaring needs, they chose a healthy variety of players from each position. They may have found a steal in defenceman Jakub Lauko, selected 77th overall, who went far later than many expected. In free agency, they have not turned any heads despite a couple of signings. Although they were more active than the Lightning, the spiciest headlines in Boston were the signings of aging goalie Jarosalv Halak and defenseman John Moore. However, they lost a few players to free agency, most notably Riley and Rick Nash. Riley Nash left for Columbus and Rick Nash remains a free agent, and losing both means some of their younger players will have to step up to fill those depth roles.
Toronto Maple Leafs: A
Signing Tavares for seven years is worthy of the above grade within itself, but the Maple Leafs did not stop there. They also added depth up front by signing LW Tyler Ennis and C Josh Jooris. These deals have large upside, as they are not only affordable, but they may see increased production in lesser roles. The Leafs can offer these roles due to the ridiculous depth they now posses. The fact that the Tavares signing has Nazem Kadri slotted as a third line center is simply frightening. No team likes seeing a guy who had 55 points in 80 games last season lining up opposite them on the Leafs’ third line.
Toronto also re-signed exciting young forward Frederik Gauthier. The only issue with this offseason is it was all offensively-focused. The Leafs’ defensive corps is still shaky at best in their own zone. They better hope they can simply outscore everyone, as a team such as the Lightning could still cause them major problems in their own end. In addition, the Leafs said goodbye to Leo Komarov, Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk in free agency. While van Riemsdyk’s offense will be missed, these three players did not figure into the team’s long-term plans.
Florida Panthers: B
If anyone in the Atlantic has had a quieter summer in free agency than the Bolts, it would be the Florida Panthers. That is until the June 19 trade for forward Mike Hoffman from the San Jose Sharks just a few hours after Ottawa dealt him to San Jose. Here is a guy who can fit nicely into their top six forwards. However, for the most part, the team was very quiet. This is a slightly strange strategy from the Cats, who finished 9th in the East this past season. You’d think a team barely on the outside looking in would be in a more active pursuit of more additions to get themselves over the hump.
With the exception of Hoffman, the Panthers will be relying on a similar squad to last year’s in an effort to return to the playoffs. This isn’t out of the realm of possibility, as the team truly came alive at the end of last season. However, fans in Sunrise were still most likely hoping for a more active summer for their team. They did, however, draft extremely well, showcasing their widespread scouting aptitude. Florida picked up flashy winger Grigori Denisenko with the 15th overall pick, before proceeding to select a talent rich group of prospects. Keep an eye on Serron Noel down the road. Noel, selected 34th overall, notched 53 points in 62 games this season with the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
Detroit Red Wings: B-
It is clear that the Detroit Red Wings are in total rebuild mode, or at least they should be. It is difficult to compare their offseason to the Lightning as the teams are currently at completely different ends of the spectrum. With Henrik Zetterberg near the end of his career, the Wings struggled mightily this past season. They entered the draft with ten picks and a need for some scoring and defensive help. The Red Wings’ newest stud, Filip Zadina, should step right into their lineup and supply offense. The team went on to select two more forwards. This was advisable, as they had three picks within the top 40, and with seven remaining, there was plenty of time to bolster the defense corps.
Joel Veleno was their second selection, and could be a Jonathan Toews-type player with some development. A fantastic draft for the Wings, who also re-signed two of their biggest assets this offseason, locking up Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou. However, the team still owes a pretty penny to an aging group of players, leading to valuable cap space being chewed up. Detroit is pressed to the limit in that regard, and will struggle in an attempt to re-sign RFA Dylan Larkin, a key piece of their future.
Montreal Canadiens: B
The Canadiens have been much more active than the Lightning and the rest of the Atlantic division for that matter. It’s hard to imagine GM Marc Bergevin having a worse offseason than some of his most recent ones, but this one has proved to be beneficial for his struggling franchise. The Habs were one of the first to shake things up this offseason. They traded Alex Galchenyuk to the Coyotes in exchange for gritty young center Max Domi. This is a tough trade for Bergevin, as Galchenyuk had been a staple in the Canadiens’ lineup with a 30-goal season to his name. However, Galchenyuk has been consistently up and down the lineup and shuffled between center and wing. He had been the subject of trade talk for years.
To still receive a talented top-two center in return is acceptable for the Habs, as Domi also brings to the table some much needed grit. The team also brought back Tomas Plekanec and signed Matthew Peca to address the center position. The circle was further reinforced by the third overall selection of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. They closed out the early months of summer by re-signing Phillip Danault and bringing in Joel Armia. A decent offseason for Montreal, however they are still far from where they need to be to compete for a playoff spot.
Ottawa Senators: C
While the Lightning look to continue to hold their place as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the Ottawa Senators, on the other hand, had a dumpster fire of a season. Lightning fans are acutely aware of the Erik Karlsson rumors that mesmerized the hockey world earlier this summer. Karlsson, Ottawa’s best player, was reportedly nearly traded at last season’s trade deadline, while the team barely avoided arbitration with Mark Stone. The Senators inked Stone to a one-year, $7.5 million contract, meaning he’ll be a UFA next summer, just like Karlsson and teammate Matt Duchene.
Nobody should be more aware of the Karlsson chatter than Sens owner Eugene Melnyk, who by doing nothing, is reducing his captain’s price tag daily and creating unresolved issues and a sense of uncertainty in his locker room as training camp approaches. While the team was able to avoid the arbitration process with Stone, they weren’t as fortunate with defenseman Cody Ceci, who was awarded a one-year, $4.3 million deal by an arbitrator. Becoming greedy and making your cornerstones feel undervalued and vulnerable is never a good strategy.
This is amplified when you really have nobody better to offer the cash to, as Ottawa is in a full-on rebuild. It also creates an unstable environment for a very young team, and a disconnect between players and management is no way to either re-sign young players nor draw in much needed talent in free agency. On top of all that, Ottawa will not have their first round pick in 2019, surrendered to Colorado when they dealt for Duchene last November. The Sens are becoming the laughing stock of the Atlantic, and this disaster of an offseason is just one of many reasons why.
Buffalo Sabres: A+
The Buffalo Sabres offseason has been about as good as it gets. The only team in the Atlantic who has gone about their business more successfully than the Bolts would be the Sabres, who have managed to take a basement dweller and turn them into a group that, on paper, appears to be ready to make a legit turnaround. They traded Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues, dropping his entire mammoth contract by doing so. In return, the Sabres received Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, and draft picks from the Blues. In the crease, Robin Lehner had time to prove he was the answer, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Carter Hutton, perennially one of the best backups in the league, might be. The Sabres signed him to a three-year deal and did not stop there.
Just last week, they traded a prospect and picks for dynamic veteran winger Jeff Skinner from the Carolina Hurricanes. Another fabulous trade. The Canes should feel robbed. The 2018 first overall selection, Rasmus Dahlin, will step in and should immediately make a major impact in Buffalo. They essentially made an effort to shore up every position, and just may have done so. Will the Sabres be a playoff team this season in a tough Atlantic Division? Maybe not, but either way, this offseason was an incredible effort to improve. Don’t be surprised if Buffalo makes a big push and starts winning a lot more games next season.
Who comes out on top on the ice?
The Atlantic Division, as discussed, has seen a variety of offseason approaches. Some will prove successful, while some may have taken one step forward and two steps back.
The Lightning will once again contend for the division title. If the Maple Leafs weren’t in that conversation at the beginning of last season, they certainly should be now after a masterful summer. The bottom of the division may look a little different. Yes, the Ottawa Senators will still be there, but don’t expect Buffalo to keep them company this time around. Yzerman is a quiet man in many ways, but his stealthily successful offseason may just finally lead to another Stanley Cup parade in Tampa Bay.
