NHL offseason grades: Pacific Division
Divisions: Metropolitan | Central | Pacific | Atlantic
With the NHL offseason all but wrapped up, we're handing out comprehensive grades for all 32 teams. The four-part series continues with an in-depth look at each Pacific Division club.
Three teams garnered most of the Pacific Division headlines this offseason, while the rest made moves of little significance.
The Seattle Kraken assembled their inaugural roster differently than the way many had hoped they would, but their expansion draft could have been worse. The Vancouver Canucks made some major changes that raised some eyebrows, and the Vegas Golden Knights pulled off a shocker by trading away the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
Here's a look at how each Pacific-based club fared during an action-packed summer.
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.
Anaheim Ducks
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivalsN/A
Key departures| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| David Backes | F | Retired |
| Danton Heinen | F | Signed with PIT |
| Carter Rowney | F | SIgned with DET |
| Haydn Fleury | D | Expansion draft pick |
| Ryan Miller | G | Retired |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Comtois | F | 2 years | $2.0375M |
| Max Jones | F | 3 years | $1.295M |
| Ryan Getzlaf | F | 1 year | $4.5M |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Jamie Drysdale | D | 1st round (2020) |
| Trevor Zegas | F | 1st round (2019) |
Getzlaf's future was the biggest question mark for the Ducks heading into the offseason, so the fact he'll be back on a deal that carries a $3-million cap hit (with $1.5 million in bonus money) is reassuring for Anaheim.
However, the team didn't take a noticeable step forward in its rebuild this summer. The Ducks did what they had to do on the retaining front in addition to re-signing the captain. They brought back several players with potential on one-way pacts in Comtois and Jones while inking Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom, and Josh Mahura to new two-way deals.
But aside from the players the club expected to re-sign, Anaheim didn't add anyone noteworthy aside from veteran defenseman Greg Pateryn on a two-way contract. Drysdale and Zegras are still technically rookies.
Grade: C
Calgary Flames
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Coleman | F | 6 years | $4.9M |
| Trevor Lewis | F | 1 year | $800K |
| Tyler Pitlick | F | 1 year | $1.75M (trade with SEA) |
| Brad Richardson | F | 1 year | $800K |
| Erik Gudbranson | D | 1 year | $1.95M |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 1 year | $3.75M (after trade with CHI) |
| Dan Vladar | G | 2 years | $750K 2-way deal (trade with BOS) |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Leivo | F | Signed with CAR |
| Joakim Nordstrom | F | Signed in KHL |
| Derek Ryan | F | Signed with EDM |
| Mark Giordano | D | Expansion draft pick |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon Dube | F | 3 years | $2.3M |
| Brett Ritchie | F | 1 year | $900K |
| Connor Mackey | D | 2 years | $912.5K |
| Michael Stone | D | 1 year | $750K |
| Juuso Valimaki | D | 2 years | $1.55M |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Phillips | F | 6th round (2016) |
| Adam Ruzicka | F | 4th round (2017) |
Losing Giordano for nothing hurt the Flames in terms of both their ability to win and from a public relations perspective. It's pretty hard to justify letting the longtime captain walk out the door to an expansion team, let alone replacing him with the flawed Gudbranson and the purely physical Zadorov.
The Flames made a lot of moves, but they had to shake things up considering how disappointing their 2021 season was. Most of their additions are depth players, and many are either grinders head coach Darryl Sutter has had before or players that fit his style. Securing Dube's services at a relatively low rate was one of the lone bright spots this summer.
Calgary's biggest free-agency splash - inking Coleman - was commendable for the immediate future. However, the lengthy term, sizeable cap hit, and the fact the forward - who's versatile but will turn 30 in November - is likely to decline are all reasons the contract might haunt the Flames down the road.
Grade: C+
Edmonton Oilers
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Foegele | F | 3 years | $2.75M (after trade with CAR) |
| Zach Hyman | F | 7 years | $5.5M |
| Derek Ryan | F | 2 years | $1.25M |
| Cody Ceci | D | 4 years | $3.25M |
| Duncan Keith | D | 2 years | $5.54M (trade with CHI) |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Chiasson | F | Signed PTO with VAN |
| Tyler Ennis | F | Signed PTO with OTT |
| Jujhar Khaira | F | Signed with CHI |
| James Neal | F | Bought out |
| Ethan Bear | D | Traded to CAR |
| Caleb Jones | D | Traded to CHI |
| Dmitry Kulikov | D | Signed with MIN |
| Adam Larsson | D | Expansion draft pick |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kailer Yamamoto | F | 1 year | $1.175M |
| Tyson Barrie | D | 3 years | $4.5M |
| Darnell Nurse | D | 8 years | $9.25M |
| Mike Smith | G | 2 years | $2.2M |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan McLeod | F | 2nd round (2018) |
Hyman should fit in well alongside Connor McDavid, but that's about the only overwhelmingly positive move the Oilers made this summer.
The Nurse extension was general manager Ken Holland's biggest priority, and the two sides got it done. Edmonton's workhorse deserved a raise compared to the $5.6 million he'll earn in 2021-22, but a max-length deal at over $9 million is a major gamble for a player with one stellar season on his resume.
Keith isn't what he once was, and Ceci has been rightfully maligned for much of his career. Losing steady blue-liners Larsson and Bear and filling the gaps with the aforementioned rearguards is a clear downgrade. To make matters worse, Edmonton re-signed the 39-year-old Smith when there were plenty of younger and arguably better goaltenders available.
Grade: D+
Los Angeles Kings
Al Seib / Los Angeles Times / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viktor Arvidsson | F | 3 years | $4.25M |
| Phillip Danault | F | 6 years | $5.5M |
| Alexander Edler | D | 1 year | $3.5M |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Luff | F | Signed with NSH |
| Kurtis MacDermid | D | Expansion draft pick then traded to COL |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andreas Athanasiou | F | 1 year | $2.7M |
| Blake Lizotte | F | 1 year | $800K |
| Trevor Moore | F | 2 years | $1.875M |
| Cal Petersen | G | 3 years | $5M AAV |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Quinton Byfield | F | 1st round (2020) |
| Rasmus Kupari | F | 1st round (2018) |
| Alex Turcotte | F | 1st round (2019) |
The Kings weren't incredibly active, but most of the moves they made were excellent. First, they took advantage of the Nashville Predators after the organization decided not to protect Arvidsson in the expansion draft, landing the once-productive winger for a pair of picks. He's only 28, and if he rediscovers his past 30-goal form, it'll pay off in spades.
Los Angeles then dipped into free agency, reeling in Danault and Edler. Danault's six-year term is a mild risk, but he's one of the NHL's best defensive centers, giving them a rock-solid top two at the position along with Anze Kopitar. Edler's experience should benefit a club that could be on the verge of contending, in part because of GM Rob Blake's work this offseason.
Giving Petersen that average annual value despite his limited success and experience in the NHL was a minor misstep, but otherwise, the Kings aced the test.
Grade: A-
San Jose Sharks
Norm Hall / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Bonino | F | 2 years | $2.05M |
| Andrew Cogliano | F | 1 year | $1M |
| Adin Hill | G | 2 years | $2.175M (after trade with ARI) |
| James Reimer | G | 2 years | $2.25M |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Ryan Donato | F | Signed with SEA |
| Kurtis Gabriel | F | Signed with TOR |
| Patrick Marleau | F | UFA |
| Marcus Sorensen | F | Signed in Sweden |
| Christian Jaros | D | Traded to NJD |
| Martin Jones | G | Bought out |
| Josef Korenar | G | Traded to ARI |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rudolfs Balcers | F | 2 years | $1.55M |
| Dylan Gambrell | F | 1 year | $1.1M |
| Matt Nieto | F | 2 years | $850K |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Joachim Blichfeld | F | 7th round (2016) |
| Sasha Chmelevski | F | 6th round (2017) |
| Ryan Merkley | D | 1st round (2018) |
The Sharks upgraded their goalie tandem, added a couple of effective depth players, and didn't suffer any regrettable losses.
Buying out Jones was the right thing to do, and while Hill has more to prove, he's shown promise through 49 games over four seasons. The Hill-Reimer duo makes San Jose better than it was with the subpar Jones-Korenar combo.
The Sharks have some lingering question marks, like Evander Kane's situation, what will become of pending UFA Tomas Hertl, and what to do with the rest of its veteran core. But at least San Jose's 2021 offseason was a success.
Grade: B+
Seattle Kraken
Christopher Mast / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Giordano | D | 1 year | $6.75M |
| Adam Larsson | D | 4 years | $4M |
| Chris Driedger | G | 3 years | $3.5M |
| Philipp Grubauer | G | 6 years | $5.9M |
N/A
Re-signedN/A
Rookies who could crack the lineup| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Kole Lind | F | Expansion draft |
| Will Borgen | D | Expansion draft |
The Kraken chose not to add star power in July's expansion draft, passing on Carey Price, Vladimir Tarasenko, and James van Riemsdyk in favor of a less proven but far more affordable roster.
While avoiding stars with hefty contracts is defensible, some of Seattle's other splashes were questionable. Grubauer is a good get, but his numbers were inflated by the high-powered Avalanche, and giving the goalie (who'll be 30 in November) a six-year deal at around $6 million is risky.
Likewise, Giordano will turn 38 on Oct. 3. He drove possession on the lackluster Calgary Flames last season, but with only one year left on his deal, bringing him in as a potential captain and face of the new franchise was a bit of a head-scratcher.
However, Larsson and Driedger were solid selections, and Kraken general manager Ron Francis subsequently signed them to team-friendly pacts. Francis made some other smart picks like underrated defenseman Carson Soucy, and left Seattle with enough cap flexibility to continue building.
Grade: B
Vancouver Canucks
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Dickinson | F | 3 years | $2.65M (after trade with DAL) |
| Conor Garland | F | 5 years | $4.95M (after trade with ARI) |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson | D | 6 years | $8.25M (trade with ARI) |
| Travis Hamonic | D | 2 years | $3M |
| Tucker Poolman | D | 4 years | $2.5M |
| Jaroslav Halak | G | 1 year | $3M |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Jay Beagle | F | Traded to ARI |
| Loui Eriksson | F | Traded to ARI |
| Antoine Roussel | F | Traded to ARI |
| Jake Virtanen | F | Bought out |
| Alexander Edler | D | Signed with LAK |
| Nate Schmidt | D | Traded to WPG |
| Braden Holtby | G | Bought out |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Sutter | F | 1 year | $1.125M |
| Olli Juolevi | D | 1 year | $750K |
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Elias Pettersson | F | RFA |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 10.2c |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Vasily Podkolzin | F | 1st round (2019) |
The Canucks haven't taken care of Pettersson and Hughes yet, but there's still plenty of time to sign them before the season begins.
Vancouver did well to snag Garland and sign him to a reasonable contract. The same goes for getting the unsavory pacts belonging to Eriksson, Beagle, and Roussel off the books. However, the cost of the latter was taking on the declining Ekman-Larsson and his lengthy, high-priced deal, and giving up the ninth overall pick in this year's draft, which the Arizona Coyotes used to take promising winger Dylan Guenther.
Poolman didn't deserve the contract the Canucks gave him, but Dickinson did. Halak is a decent Holtby replacement, especially because the Slovak's cap hit is only $1.5 million with the same amount possibly due in bonuses.
Overall, Vancouver improved during the offseason. The question is whether the Canucks' overhaul will handcuff them down the road.
Grade: B-
Vegas Golden Knights
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evgenii Dadonov | F | 2 years | $5M (trade with OTT) |
| Brett Howden | F | 1 year | $885K (trade with NYR) |
| Nolan Patrick | F | 2 years | $1.2M (after trade with PHI) |
| Laurent Brossoit | G | 2 years | $2.325M |
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Cody Glass | F | Traded to NSH |
| Tomas Nosek | F | Signed with BOS |
| Ryan Reaves | F | Traded to NYR |
| Nick Holden | D | Traded to OTT |
| Marc-Andre Fleury | G | Traded to CHI |
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mattias Janmark | F | 1 year | $2M |
| Alec Martinez | D | 3 years | $5.25M |
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Peyton Krebs | F | 1st round (2019) |
The Golden Knights shockingly traded Fleury less than a month after he won the Vezina Trophy. Dealing a goalie with a $7-million cap hit who'll be 37 in November makes some sense, especially with Robin Lehner also in the picture. But not when Vegas got virtually nothing in return and used that newfound cap flexibility to ink Dadonov, a 32-year-old whose best years are likely behind him.
Plus, Vegas' top six is all but cemented, so paying a third-liner $5 million is hardly ideal. Brossoit is a smart addition as Lehner's backup, but the Golden Knights dropped the ball parting with Fleury the way they did. His agent found out about the news on Twitter and then relayed it to him, which was a stunning turn of events considering everything Fleury accomplished for the franchise.
Is Patrick the answer to Vegas' need at center? That remains to be seen due to his largely unproven nature and past health concerns. However, the Golden Knights deserve some credit for extending Martinez.
Grade: C-
(Salary source: CapFriendly)
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