UFA Grades - Part 2
We are going to continue where we left off on Monday and cover the roster moves made by teams in the Atlantic and Central Divisions during the free agent signing period. Check out Part 1 if you missed it and remember that some moves may not be taken into account because we have already covered them as part of a team's draft grade.
BOSTON BRUINS
Major Addition(s): Matt Beleskey, Jimmy Hayes
Major Subtraction)s): None
Grade: C+
Boston made some highly questionable moves heading into the NHL Draft, but the start of free agency was better for new GM Don Sweeney. The Bruins shipped Reilly Smith and Marc Savard's contract to Florida in exchange for Jimmy Hayes, who started to emerge last season as a scorer on a club that struggled to find the back of the net.
Boston then signed Matt Beleskey to a reasonable five-year, $19 million contract. Beleskey was a highly-sought after free agent, which paints a fairly good picture of just how thin this summer's offerings were. Still, he should get a chance to play on a scoring line with the Bruins after he occupied a similar role in Anaheim alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. However, fantasy owners should note that Beleskey managed to produce just 22 goals and 32 points in 65 games last season despite seeing ample time with very talented linemates. It's unlikely he'll see a dramatic increase while skating with David Krejci or Patrice Bergeron.
The B's also acquired Zac Rinaldo from Philadelphia for a their-round draft choice in 2017. When he plays, the 25-year-old is a great source of penalty minutes. He'll likely have a spot on the fourth line after the team decided to let Daniel Paille and Gregory Campbell, who joined Columbus, depart as free agents. Boston got restricted free agent Brent Connolly signed to a one-year deal worth $1.025 million after he was limited to five appearances with the team last season. He has limited fantasy value if he can't secure a top-six spot.
BUFFALO SABRES
Major Addition(s): None
Major Subtraction(s): None
Grade: B-
The Sabres weren't players during free agency aside from adding some depth players. Carlo Colaiacovo, Bob Sanguinetti, Jason Akeson, Matt Donovan and Cal O'Reilly probably won't see much action in 2015-16 at the NHL level.
The reason why they are getting a decent grade is because Jack Eichel signed an entry-level contract. He has NHL talent and just about everyone expected him to be with Buffalo next year, but going into the draft he still hadn't decided if he was ready to leave the college ranks behind. It's good for the team and for fantasy owners that his decision didn't linger for too long. We can partially thank the 2015 IIHF World Championships for that because it gave the 18-year-old the confidence he needed.
Buffalo also locked up Ryan O'Reilly to a heavily bonus-laden, seven-year contract worth $52.5 million. His new deal will carry a salary cap hit of $7.5 million after the 2015-16 season. The Sabres expect big things from the 24-year-old center. O'Reilly is poised to play on the top line and in all situations, while providing leadership on his new club.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Major Addition(s): Mike Green, Brad Richards
Major Subtraction(s): Marek Zidlicky
Grade: B
Detroit landed arguably the biggest fish in the free agent pond when Mike Green was hooked with a three-year, $18 million deal. Former head coach Mike Babcock mentioned several times throughout the season that a right-handed defenseman was at the top of the Red Wings' wish list and he'll replace Marek Zidlicky, who is still on the open market. Green should be a good fit in Detroit, as a top-four blueliner, and he'll likely get plenty of opportunities on the power play.
Brad Richards provides the Wings with some insurance if Pavel Datsyuk's ankle surgery sidelines him for the start of the season or if injuries continue to get in his way over the course of the season. Richards is pegged as a second-line pivot for the team, but if Datsyuk isn't available then he could move up to the top line.
Detroit still has to sign an important restricted free agent in Gustav Nyquist, but they got Brendan Smith under contract for another two years.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
Major Addition(s): Reilly Smith
Major Subtraction(s): Jimmy Hayes, Brad Boyes
Grade: C-
The Florida Panthers were hard pressed for goals last season, so it was a bit surprising that Jimmy Hayes was traded to Boston and Brad Boyes was bought out. Hayes finished third on the club with 19 markers and Boyes had 14, which is a sizeable chunk of offense. Hayes went to the Bruins in exchange for Reilly Smith and Marc Savard's contract. Smith will probably replace Hayes on the second line.
The reason why the Panthers went the direction they did was because GM Dale Tallon wanted to save roster spots for Bradon Pirri, Vincent Trocheck and Rocco Grimaldi and he didn't want to overspend for free agents. If those players can produce and Jaromir Jagr continues to click with Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov then Florida's gamble could pay off handsomely. However, right now the moves appear to be more harmful than helpful.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Major Addition(s): Zack Kassian
Major Subtractio(s): P. A. Parenteau
Grade: C+
The Canadiens have parted ways with P. A. Parenteau and Brandon Prust. Parenteau was bought out of his contract and Prust was traded to Vancouver for Zack Kassian and a 2016 fifth-round draft pick. Parenteau was never able to generate much traction on Montreal and Prust was moved for a younger physical player who still may have some scoring upside.
Kassian notched only 16 points and 81 penalty minutes in 42 games last season. A back injury forced him to miss the final 14 games of the regular season and the playoffs. The change of scenery will do him some good and he'll likely contribute more points than Parenteau and Prust did with the Canadiens last campaign. Still, fantasy owners should be cautious and take a wait-and-see approach with him.
Montreal also retained the services of Brian Flynn and they added defenseman Mark Baberio to their depth chart, but neither of them will have much if any fantasy value.
OTTAWA SENATORS
Major Addition(s): None
Major Subtraction(s): None
Grade: C
The Senators signed key restricted free agents Mark Stone and Mika Zibanejad just before the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Ottawa has been relatively quiet since July 1.
Chris Wideman was re-signed for some depth after he won the AHL's best defenseman award, while Mike Kostka, Eric O'Dell and Zack Stortini were brought in on two-way contracts.
Alex Chiasson and Mike Hoffman remain unsigned, as restricted free agents, and they have filed for salary arbitration. Hoffman presented a great case for himself by scoring a team-leading 27 goals and recording 48 points in 79 games last season.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Major Addition(s): None
Major Subtraction(s): None
Grade: C
Tampa Bay has not changed much after losing in the Stanley Cup Final to Chicago and they weren't expected to. The Lightning have a great core of players still intact with only Vladislav Namestnikov, who is a restricted free agent, to sign going into the 2015-16 season.
Andrej Sustr received a two-year extension as the Bolts bid farewell to extra blueliner Mark Barberio. Erik Condra was inked to a three-year deal after playing nearly 300 games with the Ottawa Senators and he could slot onto his new team somewhere in the bottom-six group.
By the end of next year, the Lightning will have pending RFAs Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Cedric Paquette, J.T. Brown as well as a potential UFA in Braydon Coburn to worry about. The top priority will be getting Steve Stamkos under a new long-term pact, as he has only one season left on his contract and can hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
Major Addition(s): P. A. Parenteau
Major Subtraction(s): Phil Kessel
Grade: D
The Maple Leafs kicked off their long-talked about rebuild by trading Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh on the first day of free agency. The deal was the biggest news of the day and it left Toronto with a significantly weaker team going into 2015-16. Kessel went to Pittsburgh, along with Tim Erixon, Tyler Biggs and a conditional second-round pick in 2016 in exchange for Scott Harrington, Kasperi Kapanen, Nick Spaling, a conditional first-round draft choice in 2016 and a 2016 third-round selection. The return doesn't look great on paper, but right now it fits the goal of the organization to restock and grow back up again over time. But from a fantasy perspective, the Kessel trade is crippling because it impacts the team as a whole and makes them much less dangerous offensively. It hurts the value of Tyler Bozak, who still could be shipped out as well, as well as James van Riemsdyk and the Toronto power play.
The Leafs re-signed Nazem Kadri to a one-year deal and Daniel Winnik was brought back on a two-year contract. Toronto also added roster options in free agency by inking P. A. Parenteau, Shawn Matthias, Mark Arcobello and Matt Hunwick to short-term deals.
Jonathan Bernier remains unsigned as a restricted free agent and the two sides will continue to negotiate even enough the Leafs filed for club-elected salary arbitration last month.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
Major Addition(s): Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov
Major Subtraction(s): Brandon Saad, Brad Richards
Grade: B-
The Blackhawks were faced with the unenviable position of being forced to make changes to their roster after winning the Stanley Cup. The salary cap remains a problem for them even after shipping Brandon Saad to Columbus, so more moves are coming. Patrick Sharp, Bryan Bickell and Kris Versteeg and have had their names in the rumor mill as trade possibilities since the postseason ended.
Chicago moved Saad to the Blue Jackets, along with Alex Broadhurst and Michael Paliotta, in exchange for Marko Dano, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp, Jeremy Morin and a 2016 fourth-round pick. Dano and Anisimov will be players to watch for fantasy owners, as they could land top-six forward spots on the Blackhawks. Dano may get a chance to play with Jonathan Toews and Anisimov is projected to skate on the second line where Patrick Kane is waiting.
The Hawks will continue to work towards getting RFA Marcus Kruger signed and they are hopeful that they can circle back to UFA Johnny Oduya once their financial hurdles are cleared. David Rundblad earned a two-year deal and Michael Leighton agreed to a one-year contract to stay on as Chicago's third goaltender behind Corey Crawford and Scott Darling.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
Major Addition(s): Francois Beauchemin
Major Subtraction(s): None
Grade: C+
The Avalanche made their big move at the NHL Draft when Ryan O'Reilly was moved to Buffalo and the contract he received from the Sabres would've eaten up nearly all of Colorado's remaining cap space if it kicked in for this season.
Colorado brought in Blake Comeau as a free agent after adding Carl Soderberg and Mikhail Grigorenko to their forward group this off-season. Comeau got a three-year, $7.2 million contract after he posted 31 points in 61 games with the Penguins last year. All of them could be in the mix for top-six spots in 2015-16.
The Avs also signed Francois Beauchemin to a three-year deal worth $13.5 million. He's unlikely to be much of a fantasy factor next season, but he's slated to play alongside Erik Johnson.
DALLAS STARS
Major Addition(s): None
Major Subtraction(s): None
Grade: C
We talked about Antti Niemi's three-year contract worth $13.5 million in the draft grades and his signing meant that Jhonas Enroth would head into free agency. Enroth ended up with the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year deal.
Dallas also lost Shawn Horcoff, who signed with Anaheim, Patrick Eaves and Curtis McKenzie re-upped with the team. Other than committing a large chunk of coin to their goaltending tandem, it's been a quiet off-season thus far for the Stars.
MINNESOTA WILD
Major Addition(s): Mike Reilly
Major Subtraction(s): Chris Stewart
Grade: B-
Devan Dubnyk's six-year, $26 million contract was officially announced by the Wild over the weekend even though the deal was agreed to and made public knowledge far before that. It was also known for a while that Mike Reilly would be signing a two-year pact with Minnesota, but he couldn't do so until July 1. Both of them could be excluded from the grade for that reason, but they were important signings that will be factored in here.
When you remove them from the equation, the Wild mainly just brought in players likely ticketed for the minors with Zac Dalpe, Ruslan Fedotenko and Tyson Strachan joining the organization. Minnesota re-signed Mikael Granlund, Ryan Carter and Nate Prosser, but Chris Stewart, Sean Bergenheim and Matt Cooke are still waiting for contracts as unrestricted free agents.
Erik Haula and Christian Folin have restricted free agent status and Haula has filed for salary arbitration.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Major Addition(s): Cody Hodgson
Major Subtraction(s): Cody Franson
Grade: B+
The Predators retained one key unrestricted free agent at the NHL Draft when Mike Fisher inked a two-year, $8.8 million contract and Mike Ribeiro stayed in the fold by agreeing to a two-year, $7 million deal on July 1. It would have been extraordinarily difficult for Nashville to replace that void down the middle if either of them left via free agency.
However, that didn't stop the Preds from landing another inexpensive forward who can play center or the wing for some depth. Cody Hodgson signed with Nashville on a one-year deal worth $1.05 million after he was bought out by Buffalo. Nashville's gamble on Ribeiro paid off and Hodgson could be a fruitful reclamation project for the team as well.
The Predators also landed Barret Jackman with a two-year deal at $2 million per season. He won't have much fantasy value, but he can provide hits and blocks. Cody Franson, Anton Volchenkov, Mike Santorelli and Matt Cullen are unrestricted free agents who aren't expected to be back with the Predators.
Restricted free agents Colin Wilson and Craig Smith have both filed for salary arbitration.
St. LOUIS BLUES
Major Addition(s): Troy Brouwer
Major Subtraction(s): T.J. Oshie
Grade: C-
The Blues suggested that changes to the core group would probably be coming after the team was quickly dispatched from the playoffs again. That came to fruition when T.J. Oshie was sent to Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer, Phoenix Copley and a 2016 third-round pick.
The trade isn't that bad for St. Louis as Oshie still has consistency issues and his goal scoring never took off like the team hoped it would. Brouwer isn't known as a big point producer, but he plays a physical style that will mesh well with the Blues and he has surpassed the 20-goal plateau three times in his career. Still, it's easy to see it as a downgrade as far as talent goes.
The Blues signed Kyle Brodziak, Jordan Caron, Peter Harrold and Andre Benoit, but none of them should be expected to be fantasy factors in 2015-16. Brodziak will probably be the only one of that collection to play regularly and it will likely be on the fourth line. Robert Bortuzzo was re-upped with a two-year deal and Jake Allen, who is projected to battle for starts with Brian Elliott next campaign, received a two-year contract as well.
Vladimir Tarasenko is still a restricted free agent. The Blues have plenty of space to match any offer sheet he might get from another club, but that could remain a threat if he continues to sit without a new deal.
WINNIPEG JETS
Major Addition(s): Alexander Burmistrov
Major Subtraction(s): Lee Stempniak, Michael Frolik
Grade: C+
Winnipeg kept Drew Stafford in the fold with a two-year, $8.7 million deal just before the start of free agency. Stafford had nine goals and 19 points in 26 games with the Jets after he was acquired from Buffalo.
Alexander Burmistrov will be back with Winnipeg as well following a couple of seasons in the KHL. The eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft will be looking to impress and the departures of Michael Frolik and Lee Stempniak, who remains an unrestricted free agent, gives Burmistrov a chance at securing a top-six forward spot.
The Jets are believed to be working on a long-term extension with Andrew Ladd, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2015-16 campaign. Dustin Byfuglien has one year left on his contract as well, but it's unclear what Winnipeg's brass has planned for him.
