By Kenny Burgess
Many experts saw this year’s NHL free-agency class as weak, however, some teams still managed to score key players and remained active on the trade market. With additions and subtractions made to rosters, some teams’ odds have changed for the upcoming season and we could still see more shifts as some of the bigger names still remain unsigned. Two players highlighted in the group are unrestricted free agents Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. In addition, there are some players whose names have been floating around on the trade market, such as John Gibson, Connor Hellebuyck, and William Nylander.
Even though some key pieces still need to fall into place, we’re going to look at the teams whose odds have moved the most, whether it be for the better or worse so far this NHL offseason.
New Jersey Devils +1000 from +1300
The New Jersey Devils were one of the league’s biggest surprises last season and surpassed almost everyone’s expectations. Resigning key pieces from last season took care of the heavy lifting on New Jersey’s part, including extending Jesper Bratt’s contract and resigning both Erik Haula and Timo Meier. The Devils also acquired a solid top-six winger in Tyler Toffoli from Calgary only bolstering their already potent forward group. It seems like the Devils are still looking for a solid goaltender and it’s definitely their weakness at the moment, but we’ve seen GM Tom Fitzgerald be very aggressive the past couple of seasons so don’t be surprised if they are able to add a goalie before the summer is up.
Vegas Golden Knights +1200 from +1400
The defending Stanley Cup champs improved their odds with retaining key contributors and parting ways with one of the original “misfits”. Vegas moved Riley Smith to Pittsburgh in order to create some cap room that allowed the team to bring back Adin Hill and Ivan Barbashev. Hill stepped up as the starter midway through the second round last year and was fantastic throughout the Knights’ entire run. Vegas clearly sees Hill as the future starter in the net and locked him up for the next two years at an AAV of $4.9 million. The Knights also resigned Barbashev, who they brought in at the trade deadline last year and was a huge part of their Stanley Cup victory. Barbashev was the perfect fit on the top line and added a unique combination of physicality and skill.
Detroit Red Wings +5000 from +6600
The Detroit Red Wings made a huge splash by adding Alex Debrincat from the Ottawa Senators, who is coming off a season where he underperformed, but he is known as an elite goal-scorer. Debrincat has broken the 40-goal mark two times in his career and will add some serious punch to the Wings’ offense. While it might not instantly put Detroit over the top, Debrincat definitely helps a lot. The Wings also added J.T. Compher, which shows that GM Steve Yzerman is ready to start making this team a much more serious contender.
Boston Bruins +1300 from +1000
After a historic regular season, the Boston Bruins fell in the first round after clearly pushing all their chips in the middle. The Bruins moved on from veterans Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno, and are still waiting to see if Patrice Bergeron and/or David Krejci will return on league-minimum contracts. It was assumed that moving Hall and Foligno was to make room for Tyler Bertuzzi, who Boston acquired at the trade deadline last year, but he signed with Toronto instead. The Bruins added veteran wingers in James van Riemsdyk and Milan Lucic, but these aren’t exactly marque acquisitions. If Bergeron or Krejci doesn’t come back, Boston could be in serious trouble, although it seems like the window has passed regardless.
Calgary Flames +3000 from +2200
It’s now clear that the Calgary Flames are heading towards a rebuild. Last season, the Flames underperformed immensely after losing both Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. They brought in Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri to replace that production, but both players underperformed and the Flames missed the playoffs. Toffoli was traded away and Calgary didn’t sign a single player on Jul. 1. It’s clear now that the Flames are heading in a different direction than they seemed to be at this time last year.
Photo credits: New Jersey Devils & Detroit Red Wings’ Instagrams
