NHL offseason grades: Pacific Division
Divisions:
Pacific | Central
Atlantic (Oct. 1) | Metropolitan (Oct. 2)
Two clubs in the Pacific made some major moves to bolster their already deep rosters this summer, separating themselves from the rest of the group in the process.
Both the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights pulled off significant transactions that solidified them as the teams to beat in the NHL's westernmost division.
Here's how every Pacific Division club fared this offseason:
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value does not include bonuses.
Anaheim Ducks
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrej Sustr | D | 1 year | $1.3M |
| Carter Rowney | RW | 3 years | $3.4M |
| Brian Gibbons | C | 1 year | $1M |
| Luke Schenn | D | 1 year | $800K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Francois Beauchemin | D | Retirement |
| J.T. Brown | RW | Signed with Minnesota Wild |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Troy Terry | RW | 2015 5th-round pick |
| Sam Steel | C | 2017 30th overall pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| John GIbson | G | 8 years | $51.2M |
| Adam Henrique | C | 5 years | $29.125M |
| Ondrej Kase | RW | 3 years | $7.8M |
| Brandon Montour | D | 2 years | $6.775M |
Ducks general manager Bob Murray took care of priority No. 1 in signing Gibson to a long-term extension. But Murray didn't do enough with the rest of his roster to keep pace with Anaheim's aforementioned Pacific rivals - who both greatly improved.
Yes, Ondrej Kase was signed to a team-friendly contract, and it'll look even better if he truly breaks out in the years to come. But the Ducks underwhelmed in free agency, and that may cost them given the improvements of their competition, especially now that Corey Perry could be on the shelf for up to five months.
Grade: C
Arizona Coyotes
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Galchenyuk | C | 2 years left | $9.8M (trade with Canadiens) |
| Michael Grabner | LW | 3 years | $10.05M |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 2 years | $3M (trade with Chicago Blackhawks) |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Max Domi | LW | Traded to Canadiens |
| Luke Schenn | D | Signed with Ducks |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
N/A
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 8 years | $66M |
| Niklas Hjalmarsson | D | 2 years | $10M |
| Christian Dvorak | C | 6 years | $26.7M |
| Kevin Connauton | D | 2 yers | $2.75M |
The Coyotes obviously aren't in the hunt for the division crown and likely won't be any time soon. But they took another step forward with a solid summer that was punctuated by an all-important extension and a favorable trade.
Getting Ekman-Larsson committed for eight years was critical for a franchise perpetually in need of stability. Acquiring Galchenyuk for Domi appears - at least initially - to be a win for Arizona GM John Chayka, regardless of the fact that Galchenyuk is week to week to start the season.
Picking up a depth forward with a little upside in Hinostroza from the Blackhawks while taking on Marian Hossa's contract - for which the Coyotes had plenty of room - was a nice touch, as well.
Grade: B-
Calgary Flames
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elias Lindholm | C | 6 years | $29.1M (after trade with Hurricanes) |
| Noah Hanifin | D | 6 years | $29.7M (after trade with Hurricanes) |
| James Neal | LW | 5 years | $28.75M |
| Derek Ryan | C | 3 years | $9.375M |
| Austin Czarnik | C | 2 years | $2.5M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Dougie Hamilton | D | Traded to Carolina Hurricanes |
| Micheal Ferland | LW | Traded to Hurricanes |
| Adam Fox | D | Traded to Hurricanes |
| Troy Brouwer | RW | Bought out by Flames |
| Matt Stajan | C | Signed with Red Bull Munchen (DEL) |
| Kris Versteeg | LW | Signed with Avangard Omsk (KHL) |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Dillon Dube | C | 2016 2nd-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Jankowski | C | 2 years | $3.35M |
| Jon Gillies | G | 2 years | $1.5M |
| Brett Kulak | D | 1 year | $900K |
| David Rittich | G | 1 year | $800K |
The Flames gave up the best player in the Hamilton trade, but they did get younger in the deal, just as they did by buying out Brouwer and letting Stajan and Versteeg depart for European opportunities.
Neal was also a nice get for GM Brad Treliving, despite the five-year term. The proven scorer should fit in nicely in the Flames' top six, whether he ends up playing primarily on the first or second line.
It remains to be seen if jettisoning a sure thing in Hamilton, along with Ferland and Fox, for the upside of Hanifin and Lindholm will help or hinder Calgary's hopes of returning to the playoffs next spring and beyond. But the Flames aren't significantly worse off than they were before the trade.
The additions of Ryan (who played for new Flames head coach Bill Peters with the Hurricanes) and Czarnik also give them a little more depth up front.
Grade: B-
Edmonton Oilers
Derek Leung / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tobias Rieder | RW | 1 year | $2M |
| Kyle Brodziak | C | 2 years | $2.3M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Laurent Brossoit | G | Signed with Winnipeg Jets |
| Anton Slepyshev | LW | Signed with CSKA Moscow (KHL) |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Kailer Yamamoto | RW | 2017 22nd overall pick |
| Evan Bouchard | D | 2018 10th overall pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darnell Nurse | D | 2 years | $6.4M |
| Ryan Strome | C | 2 years | $6.2M |
| Matt Benning | D | 2 years | $3.8M |
| Drake Caggiula | LW | 2 years | $3M |
| Ty Rattie | RW | 1 year | $800K |
The Oilers' summer really left something to be desired, especially coming off a brutal season in which they greatly underachieved.
Edmonton GM Peter Chiarelli didn't have much cap space to work with (arguably his own doing), but he didn't fully wade into free agency beyond making a slew of minor moves and negotiating the necessary Nurse extension.
To his credit, though, Bouchard was a great pick at No. 10 in the draft, and the 18-year-old defenseman may be ready to make an impact with the NHL club sooner rather than later.
Grade: C-
Los Angeles Kings
Juan Ocampo / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilya Kovalchuk | LW | 3 years | $18.75M |
| Peter Budaj | G | 1 year left | $1.025M (trade with Lightning) |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Tobias Rieder | RW | Signed with Oilers |
| Christian Folin | D | Signed with Philadelphia Flyers |
| Kevin Gravel | D | Signed with Oilers |
| Torrey Mitchell | C | Signed with Lausanne (Switzerland) |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Vilardi | C | 2017 11th overall pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Doughty | D | 8 years | $88M |
| Paul LaDue | D | 2 years | $1.65M |
Kings GM Rob Blake checked off the most important item on his to-do list by getting Doughty's signature on an eight-year extension. The Kovalchuk signing should also provide an immediate boost for a team in need of scoring.
Los Angeles is no longer the Pacific power it once was. The Kings will once again be hard pressed to compete with the Golden Knights, who swept them out of the first round in the spring, as well as the Sharks, who we'll get to below.
Still, Blake and company got their all-world blue-liner signed for the long haul, added a sniper, and will have largely the same core returning in 2018-19.
Grade: B
San Jose Sharks
Brandon Magnus / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erik Karlsson | D | 1 year left | $6.5M (trade with Ottawa Senators) |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Mikkel Boedker | LW | Traded to Senators |
| Chris Tierney | C | Traded to Senators |
| Eric Fehr | C | Signed with Minnesota Wild |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Antti Suomela | C | Undrafted - signed ELC in June |
| Dylan Gambrell | C | 2016 2nd-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Couture | C | 8 years | $64M |
| Evander Kane | LW | 7 years | $49M |
| Tomas Hertl | C | 4 years | $22.5M |
| Joe Thornton | C | 1 year | $5M |
Sharks GM Doug Wilson once again proved he's one of the best in the NHL by landing Karlsson without giving up prized prospects Timo Meier and Ryan Merkley, nor talented 24-year-old forward Tomas Hertl.
Sure, Wilson missed out on John Tavares, but throw in contract extensions for Couture, Kane, and the aforementioned Hertl, plus a new deal for Thornton, and it's fairly obvious that the San Jose GM absolutely nailed this offseason.
In addition to the blockbuster trade and all of the extensions, he also landed Mike Hoffman from the Ottawa Senators earlier in the summer for a package including Boedker before quickly flipping Hoffman to the Florida Panthers for three picks, including a 2019 second-rounder.
His next task will be signing Karlsson, a pending unrestricted free agent, to a long-term deal. For the time being, though, that trade was undoubtedly worth it, as it's one that cements the Sharks as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.
Grade: A+
Vancouver Canucks
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antoine Roussel | LW | 4 years | $12M |
| Jay Beagle | C | 4 years | $12M |
| Tim Schaller | C | 2 years | $3.8M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Sedin | LW | Retirement |
| Henrik Sedin | C | Retirement |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Elias Pettersson | C | 2017 5th overall pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sven Baertschi | LW | 3 years | $10M |
| Troy Stecher | D | 2 years | $4.65M |
| Jake Virtanen | RW | 2 years | $2.5M |
| Markus Granlund | LW | 1 year | $1.475M |
| Derrick Pouliot | D | 1 year | $1.1M |
It was Vancouver's first offseason without the Sedins since the now-retired Swedish duo entered the league in 2000-01, and it was a subpar one for GM Jim Benning and company.
Benning inexplicably gave Beagle and Roussel - two veteran, bottom-six forwards - matching four-year, $12-million contracts in free agency.
On a positive note, the GM took Quinn Hughes seventh overall in the draft, and Pettersson could play a big role at the NHL level this season.
Grade: C-
Vegas Golden Knights
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Pacioretty | LW | 4 years | $28M (after trade with Canadiens) |
| Paul Stastny | C | 3 years | $19.5M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| James Neal | LW | Signed with Flames |
| David Perron | LW | Signed with St. Louis Blues |
| Tomas Tatar | LW | Traded to Canadiens |
| Nick Suzuki | C | Traded to Canadiens |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Erik Brannstrom | D | 2017 15th overall pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Andre Fleury | G | 3 years | $21M |
| William Karlsson | C | 1 year | $5.25M |
| Shea Theodore | D | 7 years | $36.4M |
| Colin Miller | D | 4 years | $15.5M |
| Ryan Reaves | RW | 2 years | $5.5M |
| Tomas Nosek | LW | 1 year | $963K |
The Golden Knights were well positioned to get even better after their improbable Stanley Cup Final run, and they did just that.
Parting with prospect Suzuki in the Pacioretty trade was simply the cost of doing business, and landing the former Montreal Canadiens captain along with Stastny more than offsets the losses of Neal and Perron in free agency.
Brannstrom will start the season in the AHL, but could crack the NHL roster in the near future.
Grade: A-
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