This article is part of our From the Press Box series.
FROM THE PRESS BOX
Paul Bruno, RotoWire.com
We begin our preparations for the upcoming Fantasy Hockey season with a look at players who have moved onto new teams or others who will play more prominent roles. We continue with the second of four columns exploring the Metropolitan Division teams of the Eastern Conference this year.
Metropolitan Division
Carolina - The Panthers looked after a couple of their own players first, challenging Ron Hainsey (3 years/$8.5M) and, more particularly, Jiri Tlusty (1 year/$2.95M) to be key players for this squad going forward. They then managed to pluck a trio of players from the Maple Leafs, as they signed depth forward and penalty killing specialist Jay McClement, along with reclaiming the services of former 'Canes blueliner Tim Gleason. They also brought in long-time AHLer Drew MacIntrye to challenge for the backup goalie position, noting that he has excelled with the Toronto Marlies for the past two seasons. None of these moves are headline-grabbers, but they are representative of the low-key moves that have kept the Hurricanes in the annual playoff hunt.
Columbus - The Blue Jackets picked up quality leadership and enhanced their team toughness in acquiring Scott Hartnell via trade. That addition is merely the latest in a string of similar moves that made them such a difficult team to play against last season. They have also nurtured the development of his draft picks like left-winger Boone Jenner and defenseman Ryan Murray, who should be ready to make their own sizeable contributions here. As a result they could go low-budget in free agency, where they signed backup goalie Curtis McElhinney (1 year/$600k) and defenseman Frederic St. Denis (1 year/$550k) to round out their roster.
New Jersey Devils - The Devils were not expected to get as much out of an aging Jaromir Jagr (24 g, 67 points, +16) as they did last season, but the 42-year old star parlayed those team-leading totals into another contract (one year/$6M). They hope that veteran sniper Mike Cammalleri has the same outcome after reaching a long-term agreement with him (5 years/$25M) this summer. The Devils made yet another addition along these lines when they added Martin Havlat (1 year/$1.5M) to the fold. These moves in addition to others made last year (Ryan Clowe and Dainius Zubrus) give the Devils one of the oldest rosters among all NHL teams. This looks more like the recipe of a team intent on remaining in the middle of the pack, perhaps hanging on for one last gasp should they make the playoffs.
New York Islanders - The Islanders began their offseason in fine style as they locked up Jaroslav Halak (4 years/$18M) to be their number one goalie option. Later, they signed Chad Johnson (two years/$2.6M), who impressed in Boston last season, as their projected backup goalie. In my opinion, they offset these quality moves with a pair of head-scratchers when they signed Mikhail Grabovski (4 years/$20M) and Nikolai Kulemin (4 years/$16.75M). That's a lot of money for a pair of players who have regressed to third-liner status in recent years, although they did play their best when they were paired in Toronto three years ago. The Isles need to hope that they recapture that magic. Otherwise, these will be the latest in a series of moves that have conspired against this club, which has struggled to contend for much of the last 10 years.
New York Rangers - The Rangers withstood the departure of centers, Brad Richards and hulking Brian Boyle, offsetting them only with the signing of aging blueliner Dan Boyle (two years/$9M). Other than that, they behaved like a team that had just proven to be a strong contender last year, as they tinkered around the edges, fortifying the bottom half of their team's depth chart. The physical play of winger Tanner Glass (3 years/$4.5M) and of defenseman Mike Kostka (1 year/$650K) will add some bite to this roster. Speedy winger Lee Stempniak will be a nice fit among this pack of swift-skating forwards. The addition of Matthew Lombardi is nowhere near enough to make up for the afore-mentioned departure of two key pivots, however, and that looks like a backward step is in the immediate future for the Rangers.
Philadelphia Flyers - The Flyers feel that they have added skill to the defense corps, after re-signing recent acquisition Andrew McDonald (6 years/$30M) and taking a chance on Michael Del Zotto (1 year/$1.3M). These moves were critical, particularly when the Flyers learned that their long-time lynchpin on the blueline Kimmo Timonen might miss most of this season with a serious blood clot problem. Exchanging Scott Hartnell for R.J. Umberger seems a strange move, which runs counter to the toughness that has long been a Flyers hallmark. The combative Zack Stortini will become a fan favorite, only because he moves to head of the club's list of capable fighters, which is also a Flyer staple. Another signing that comes below the radar sees Ryan White getting a chance to revive his career, after struggling to find his way in the Montreal system for the past five seasons.
Pittsburgh Penguins - The Penguins may have really lucked up as a destination for Christian Ehrhoff to revive his career after seeing his stock drop while playing for the Sabres. He was bought out from a long-term contract there and was quickly signed in Pittsburgh for the same cap hit, though he only took a one-year term. If this turns out to be the fit that it appears, he will be poised for another big payday. The Pens also brought in Thomas Greiss (1 year/$1M), who may get a chance to challenge incumbent Marc Andre Fleury in goal. That could be another big win. They also reached out to the roster of their cross-state rivals to address their need for more toughness by bringing Steve Downie (1 year/$1M) over. Their biggest offseason move was the trading off sniper James Neal, in exchange for the talented right-winger Patric Hornqvist (who may really blossom here) and useful depth forward Nock Spalling. Those two players improve the Pens' depth at forward, without sacrificing too much skill in this exchange.
Washington Capitals - The Caps biggest offseason move could be in casting Barry Trotz as the new head coach here. He had firmly established his credentials as a stickler for defensive acumen during his long stint in Nashville and this is the area that needs the most improvement in Washington. It will be interesting to see if offensive dynamo Alex Ovechkin buys into that commitment. On the ice, the Caps emphasized attention to their blueline. In what looks like a very good move, they added Matt Niskanen (7 years/$40.25M), who has developed into one of the league's better offensive defensemen, without sacrificing his defensive game. In another attempt to help their defense, it looks to me like they overpaid (big time) in signing 33-year old defensive blueliner Brooks Orpik to a five year-$27.5M deal. They failed to address one area of need and will likely pay dearly for a lack of depth at center, behind Nicklas Backstrom.
