Divisions: Central | Metropolitan | 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.
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.
Anaheim Ducks
Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Ryan Strome | F | 5 years | $5M |
| Frank Vatrano | F | 3 years | $3.65M |
| John Klingberg | D | 1 year | $7M |
| Dmitry Kulikov | D | 1 year | $2.25M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Ryan Getzlaf | F | Retired |
| Sonny Milano | F | Signed PTO with CGY |
| Sam Steel | F | Signed with MIN |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Isac Lundestrom | F | 2 years | $1.8M |
| Urho Vaakanainen | D | 2 years | $850K |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Dominik Simon | F | UFA |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Mason McTavish | F | 1st Round (2021) |
Getzlaf's presence off the ice will be irreplaceable, but on the ice, the Ducks will look to Strome to fill his spot at center. How that deal ages over time remains to be seen, but in the short term, Strome should provide some offense and help ease the burden on youngsters McTavish and Trevor Zegras.
Vatrano has proven to be a streaky goal-scorer, but with a potentially expanded role, he could take off for a career year.
Klingberg may not be exactly the type of defenseman the Ducks could use on the right side, as Jamie Drysdale and Kevin Shattenkirk are also offensively gifted blue-liners who struggle defensively at times. But Klingberg's one-year commitment is a no-brainer move for the rebuilding squad. He'll be motivated after not getting the long-term contract he was seeking this past offseason. At worst, Anaheim can flip him for assets at the deadline.
The Ducks are still a long shot to reach the playoffs despite a strong start in 2021-22, but they're undoubtedly on the right track.
Grade: BCalgary Flames
Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Jonathan Huberdeau | F | 1 year | $5.9M |
| Nazem Kadri | F | 7 years | $7M |
| Kevin Rooney | F | 2 years | $1.3M |
| MacKenzie Weegar | D | 1 year | $3.25M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Johnny Gaudreau | F | Signed with CBJ |
| Matthew Tkachuk | F | Traded to FLA |
| Sean Monahan | F | Traded to MTL |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Jonathan Huberdeau | F | 8 years | $10.5M (starting in 2023-24) |
| Andrew Mangiapane | F | 3 years | $5.8M |
| Trevor Lewis | F | 1 year | $800K |
| Nikita Zadorov | D | 2 years | $3.75M |
| Oliver Kylington | D | 2 years | $2.5M |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Adam Ruzicka | F | Restricted free agent |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Jakob Pelletier | F | 1st Round (2019) |
How can you not be impressed by the job Brad Treliving did this offseason? The Flames general manager was dealt an incredibly tough hand after Gaudreau bolted for Columbus in free agency and Tkachuk requested a trade.
Not only did Treliving get a great return for Tkachuk (Huberdeau, Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-rounder) but he was also able to lock up the centerpiece of the trade in Huberdeau. There may not be room for Weegar long term, but he could be an excellent one-year addition for a team in win-now mode.
Treliving wasn't done there, though, as he then landed Kadri. He had to swap out Monahan in the process, which cost him a first-round pick, but that's a worthy price to pay for the sizable upgrade at center.
Calgary got older and added some long-term deals that could age poorly, but Treliving is clearly going for it. He's built one of the NHL's deepest rosters and one that's capable of winning a Stanley Cup over the next couple of years. Considering how ugly it could've gotten, you have to respect the work he's done.
Grade: AEdmonton Oilers
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Mattias Janmark | F | 1 year | $1.25M |
| Ryan Murray | D | 1 year | $750K |
| Jack Campbell | G | 5 years | $5M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Zack Kassian | F | Traded to ARI |
| Colton Sceviour | F | Signed overseas |
| Kyle Turris | F | Retired |
| Duncan Keith | D | Retired |
| William Lagesson | D | Signed with CAR |
| Mikko Koskinen | G | Signed overseas |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Evander Kane | F | 4 years | $5.125M |
| Kailer Yamamoto | F | 2 years | $3.1M |
| Jesse Puljujarvi | F | 1 year | $3M |
| Brett Kulak | D | 4 years | $2.75M |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Ryan McLeod | F | RFA |
| Brendan Perlini | F | UFA |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Philip Broberg | D | 1st Round (2019) |
After getting outclassed by the eventual Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, Oilers general manager Ken Holland entered the offseason with a clear goal in mind: Upgrade the goaltending.
In steps Campbell to serve as the undisputed No. 1, replacing the tandem of Mike Smith - who's expected to land on LTIR for the final year of his contract - and Koskinen. Youngster Stuart Skinner will serve as the backup.
Durability is a question mark for Campbell. The 30-year-old played a career-high 49 games last season (his previous high was 31). He started off red-hot last year, getting early Vezina Trophy recognition with a .939 save percentage in his first 25 games. His save percentage in the final 24 games was a paltry .888, but that's at least in part due to playing through injuries.
Whether Campbell can hold up for a full season - or the duration of a risky five-year deal - remains to be seen, but he's an instant upgrade on a fair cap hit. And as his moments of brilliance have shown, the 2010 11th overall pick brings ample upside.
Most of Edmonton's roster remains the same. An upgrade on defense would've been ideal, and moving out Tyson Barrie's contract would've helped the cap crunch, but bringing back Kulak was an under-the-radar, savvy move.
Grade: B-Los Angeles Kings
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Kevin Fiala | F | 7 years | $7.875M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Dustin Brown | F | Retired |
| Andreas Athanasiou | F | Signed with CHI |
| Olli Maatta | D | Signed with DET |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Adrian Kempe | F | 4 years | $5.5M |
| Carl Grundstrom | F | 2 years | $1.3M |
| Brendan Lemieux | F | 1 year | $1.35M |
| Gabe Vilardi | F | 1 year | $825K |
| Lias Andersson | F | 1 year | $750K |
| Sean Durzi | D | 2 years | $1.7M |
| Mikey Anderson | D | 1 year | $1M |
| Alex Edler | D | 1 year | $750K |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Alex Turcotte | F | 1st Round (2019) |
The Kings had two primary needs entering the offseason: a game-breaking talent up front and a proven top-four defenseman. They accomplished one of the two, which isn't bad.
Fiala is exactly what the doctor ordered. He's an electrifying talent who can beat defenders one-on-one with his speed and skill, but he can also finish and distribute. At just 26 years old and coming off a career-high 85-point season, he'll represent the best winger Anze Kopitar has ever played with. Yes, even better than a past-his-prime Marian Gaborik.
And while Fiala should bring out the best in Kopitar, the Kings captain should do the same for the Swiss winger. Fiala has never played with a center even remotely close to Kopitar's caliber and was often tasked with driving a line of lesser players in Minnesota while Kirill Kaprizov gobbled up top-line minutes. In L.A., Fiala should excel in a featured role.
While the Kings have a stable of quality blue-liners behind Drew Doughty, landing another bona fide top-four defenseman to take part of the workload from the 2016 Norris winner would've been ideal. They have the prospect capital to do so, and Jakob Chychrun is still out there on the trade market, so maybe such a move could still happen.
Regardless, if the Kings can add another proven blue-liner for the left side, receive quality goaltending, and get a breakout from one of their youngsters - such as Quinton Byfield - they could be a sneaky Cup contender.
Grade: A-San Jose Sharks
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Luke Kunin | F | 2 years | $2.75M |
| Oskar Lindblom | F | 2 years | $2.5M |
| Nico Sturm | F | 3 years | $2M |
| Steven Lorentz | F | 2 years | $1.05M |
| Evgeny Svechnikov | F | 1 year | $750K |
| Matt Benning | D | 4 years | $1.25M |
| Markus Nutivaara | D | 1 year | $1.5M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Lane Pederson | F | Traded to CAR |
| Rudolfs Balcers | F | Signed with FLA |
| John Leonard | F | Traded to NSH |
| Brent Burns | D | Traded to CAR |
| Adin Hill | G | Traded to VGK |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Alexander Barabanov | F | 2 years | $2.5M |
| Noah Gregor | F | 1 year | $950K |
| Jonah Gadjovich | F | 1 year | $750K |
| Mario Ferraro | D | 4 years | $3.25M |
| Kaapo Kahkonen | G | 2 years | $2.75M |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Jonathan Dahlen | F | UFA |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| William Eklund | F | 1st Round (2021) |
It was a somber summer in the Bay Area, as the Sharks said goodbye to a franchise icon in Burns and received very little in return.
New GM Mike Grier made plenty of moves, but outside of offloading Burns, none of them were significant enough to help the Sharks escape mediocrity. Nor will these moves help them bottom out and contend for the first overall pick. They seem to be stuck in no man's land right now.
This isn't to say we're condemning Grier after one offseason. None of the contracts he handed out have the potential to age poorly, which is a big plus for a team in transition. All of his moves were of the low-risk variety.
Grade: CSeattle Kraken
Jonathan Kozub / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Andre Burakovsky | F | 5 years | $5.5M |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | F | 4 years | $5.4M |
| Justin Schultz | D | 2 years | $3M |
| Michal Kempny | D | 1 year | $750K |
| Martin Jones | G | 1 year | $2M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Riley Sheahan | F | Signed with BUF |
| Haydn Fleury | D | Signed with TB |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Morgan Geekie | F | 1 year | $1.4M |
| Ryan Donato | F | 1 year | $1.2M |
| Karson Kuhlman | F | 1 year | $825K |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Matty Beniers | F | 1st Round (2021) |
| Shane Wright | F | 1st Round (2022) |
The Kraken flexed their cap-space muscles once again this summer, but GM Ron Francis spent far less recklessly than he did in his first offseason. Bringing in Bjorkstrand, an underrated offensive talent and analytics darling, was his best move. At 27 years old, Bjorkstrand is signed through his prime years on a team-friendly deal. Pouncing on the Blue Jackets' cap crunch and surrendering just a third- and fourth-rounder for him was a robbery.
Burakovsky, who's also just 27, was an astute free-agent signing. He was excellent in a secondary role in Colorado and could thrive with more ice time in Seattle.
If Philipp Grubauer can rebound between the pipes after a horrendous year, the Kraken should be much improved in their second season.
Grade: B+Vancouver Canucks
Jeff Vinnick / National Hockey League / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Ilya Mikheyev | F | 4 years | $4.75M |
| Curtis Lazar | F | 3 years | $1M |
| Andrei Kuzmenko | F | 1 year | $950K |
| Collin Delia | G | 1 year | $750K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Juho Lammikko | F | Signed overseas |
| Matthew Highmore | F | Signed with STL |
| Alex Chiasson | F | Signed PTO with ARI |
| Brad Hunt | D | Signed with COL |
| Jaroslav Halak | G | Signed with NYR |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| J.T. Miller | F | 7 years | $8M (starting in 2023-24) |
| Brock Boeser | F | 3 years | $6.65M |
| Jack Rathbone | D | 2 years | $850K |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Brad Richardson | F | UFA |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Andrei Kuzmenko | F | Undrafted |
The Canucks were rather quiet in the first offseason under president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin. Mikheyev, a hard-working, middle-six winger, flashed some goal-scoring upside in his contract year with the Maple Leafs. Lazar is a stellar role player for the fourth line. And Kuzmenko, the prized signing out of the KHL, brings tantalizing potential.
However, Allvin failed to address his club's key weakness: the blue line. Trading one of his top forwards such as Miller or Boeser to get a defenseman would've made sense, but it's possible such a deal never presented itself. Still, it's hard to imagine the Canucks posing a serious threat in the Pacific next season with its current blue line despite the promise the club showed once Bruce Boudreau was hired as head coach 25 games into last season.
Grade: C-Vegas Golden Knights
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyKey arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Phil Kessel | F | 1 year | $1.5M |
| Adin Hill | G | 1 year | $2.175M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|
| Max Pacioretty | F | Traded to CAR |
| Evgenii Dadonov | F | Traded to MTL |
| Mattias Janmark | F | Signed with EDM |
| Dylan Coghlan | D | Traded to CAR |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | AAV |
|---|
| Reilly Smith | F | 3 years | $5M |
| Nic Roy | F | 5 years | $3M |
| Keegan Kolesar | F | 3 years | $1.4M |
| Brett Howden | F | 1 year | $1.5M |
Unsigned
| Player | Position | Status |
|---|
| Nic Hague | D | RFA |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|
| Logan Thompson | G | Undrafted |
The Golden Knights' frivolous spending may be catching up to them. The club, quite frankly, received nothing in return for Pacioretty, Coghlan, and Dadonov - except cap space.
Vegas' goaltending will also be a question mark with Robin Lehner out for the year. Between the trio of Hill, Thompson, and Laurent Brossoit, will anybody be able to grab the reins?
Kessel is a solid addition if used correctly in a sheltered scoring line, but he's on the decline and has always been a defensive liability.
The Golden Knights' biggest addition, though, was head coach Bruce Cassidy. Coming off a stellar six-year run with the Boston Bruins, he could be an excellent fit for Vegas' win-now aspirations.
Health will play a key role in a turnaround for the Knights, but they undoubtedly lost more key pieces than they added.
Grade: D+
Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.