The NHL’s offseason was not kind to every team.
The salary cap for 2015-16 didn’t increase much from the 2014-15 figure, which forced some teams to trade quality players in order to be cap compliant. As a result of that development, and other factors, the league saw a lot of player movement.
With the regular season less than one week away, let’s look at three teams that were weakened in the trade and/or free-agent markets over the summer.
Chicago Blackhawks
Let’s not kid ourselves: The Blackhawks still are really good and should contend in the Western Conference. But they lost several really important players in the offseason, which will make their bid to become the first repeat Stanley Cup champion since 1998 a very tough task.
Top-six forward Patrick Sharp, who scored 42 playoff goals (including a team-leading 10 during Chicago’s championship run in 2012-13), was traded to the Dallas Stars. The Stars also signed Johnny Oduya, who served as a top-four defenseman for two Blackhawks championships, to a free-agent contract.
Veteran centers Brad Richards and Antoine Vermette were not re-signed, but the biggest departure was Brandon Saad. The 22-year-old winger was a top-six forward and seen as a core player for the ‘Hawks, but he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets before free agency. If Saad wasn’t re-signed before July 1, he could have signed an offer sheet with another team.
The salary cap forced Chicago to trade or not sign a lot of good players. They’ll need young players such as Teuvo Teravainen to step up and fill those holes to win another Stanley Cup.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche’s marquee addition in the offseason was former Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin signing a three-year contract worth $4.5 million per season. That’s a ton of money for a 35-year-old player whose mobility is awful and who won’t provide much scoring production. He’s not a legitimate top-pairing defenseman, which doesn’t help a Colorado blue line that needs a lot of work.
The Avs would have been better off letting a prospect or another young player receive Beauchemin’s minutes. They also signed 37-year-old Jarome Iginla to a three-year deal last July.
These are the types of moves contending teams make, but Colorado isn’t going to compete in an ultra-competitive Central Division without making any significant upgrades to the forward group or blue line.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks won’t be a good team this season. Their offseason didn’t go very well, highlighted by the trade of goaltender Eddie Lack to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canucks have traded three quality goalies in Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider and Lack since the 2013 draft, and they have very little to show for these moves. At some point, that will catch up to you.
Vancouver also lost quality bottom-six center Shawn Matthias in free agency and traded top-four defenseman Kevin Bieksa to the Anaheim Ducks for a draft pick and top-six center Nick Bonino to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a return headlined by third-line center Brandon Sutter. Those were two bad deals.
The Canucks also signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski in free agency and gave below-average defenseman Luca Sbisa a raise. Two more horrible moves.
This team is destined for a 2016 lottery pick.
Thumbnail photo via Michael Ivins/USA TODAY Sports Images
