2014 NHL Offseason

[The_Admiral]

They signed Perreault, lost Jokinen, Redmond, Montoya (is a good Jet too), and possibly Setoguchi. With the very real flaws the Avs and Stars have, I still think the Jets can sneak into the playoffs if they just keep the puck out of their net, but Cheveldayoff has not demonstrated any sort of competence this week, this month, this year, or ever, so my hopes aren't too high.

[Lee.]

The Jets have committed to build through the draft and "not overpay for free agents." Of course $4.5M a year for Olli Jokinen belies this statement, but this is Winnipeg, FAs are gonna be tough to get until they make a couple of deep playoff runs.

[charger77]

I'm reading Legwand to Toronto, but I haven't seen it from a reliable source yet

[The_Admiral]

They've done pretty well building through the draft, as organizational rankings seem to have moved them up to 10-15 from, well, the bottom, but they just needed a goalie. It wouldn't have killed them to sign Hiller and send Pavelec to the land of wind and ghosts. Maybe they can still trade for Niemi or Reimer. Everything else about their roster says they can get in (I'm keeping an eye peeled on the Avs having a long-overdue regression to the mean), but they can't keep getting scored on like this.

Legwand is a whitebread slug in his mid-thirties. They better not give him more than two years.

[Kramerica Industries]

1) What exactly would they need to give up in a potential Reimer trade? I like Reimer, he'd be a huge upgrade over Pavelec, and of course there would be that whole "Manitoba kid comes home" angle that would certainly get way overplayed by the local media.

2) We all need to keep in mind just how loaded the Central division really is. Winnipeg's doing some really good things building from the bottom-up but, all things considered, it's going to be a pain in the ass to finish 5th in a division with the 'Hawks, Blues, Wild, and Stars, along with the fact that I don't envision Colorado's regression in the coming season being quite as extreme as we all want to think it will be. There's a lot of great young talent on that roster, and I expect some natural improvement that will help counter some of that regression that is sure to come. Even with a prospective Reimer acquisition, it will be a pain in the ass to finish in that top-five, which should be enough to land a playoff spot if they do because I'm not sure the have-not's in the Pacific will be good enough to fight for those wild card spots yet.

[Lee.]

The recent Hutchinson contract tells me that the Jets expect him to be their starter by mid season. Two way contract in year one, one way in year two.

So for the start of 15-16, Pavs is bought out or sent to the SEL, Hutch is the starter, Comrie is the backup.

I also anticipate a one or two year stay in Winnipeg for the AHL team as a bridge between the agreement with St John's running out and when the arena in Thunder Bay is ready. Welcome back, Moose.

[youcan'tseeme]

So the Leafs just signed ummmm I don't know, where he'll fit in I don't know. As for his jersey number, I don't know.

[SuperLeafsFan]

So the Leafs just signed ummmm I don't know, where he'll fit in I don't know. As for his jersey number, I don't know.

Santorelli or Kontiola? I like both players and they replace Jay McClement and Dave Bolland perfectly.

[The_Admiral]

Kontiola was a bit of a running gag here about how European players fall into the throes of depression when they have to play in the midwestern circuit of the AHL. He was a Blackhawks prospect who barely made it out of Rockford, then got traded to Anaheim, where he was sent to Des Moines. He then fled the country and never came back. UNTIL NOW

[FGM13]

So, as of right now, the Oilers depth chart reads like this:

Hall-RNH-Eberle

Perron-Draisaitl-Yakupov

Pouliot-Gordon-Purcell

Gazdic-Arcobello/Acton-Hendricks

Schultz-Nikitin

Ference-Aulie

Fayne-Petry/Marincin/Klefbom

Scrivens

Fasth

Not bad. A little weak on D, but that's remedied by one acquisition.

[TorinK92]

Thats a really young top 6 you have there.

But I actually like it, gun for 27th place this year!

[youcan'tseeme]

So the Leafs just signed ummmm I don't know, where he'll fit in I don't know. As for his jersey number, I don't know.

Santorelli or Kontiola? I like both players and they replace Jay McClement and Dave Bolland perfectly.

Look up Kontiola interview and you'll know what I'm talking about.

[The_Admiral]

I don't think the Oilers were too shabby once they got Scrivens. Maybe a full year of Scrivens/Fasth combined with Dallas Eakins realizing you can't swarm at the NHL level will make a big difference for the good old Oil. That said, I still can't see them, and you'll excuse me here, jumping the Sharks to get into the playoff field. Progress, though!

[Corvus]

So, as of right now, the Oilers depth chart reads like this:

Hall-RNH-Eberle

Perron-Draisaitl-Yakupov

Pouliot-Gordon-Purcell

Gazdic-Arcobello/Acton-Hendricks

Schultz-Nikitin

Ference-Aulie

Fayne-Petry/Marincin/Klefbom

Scrivens

Fasth

Not bad. A little weak on D, but that's remedied by one acquisition.

I'd say that's more than a little weak on D. No chance of Nurse making the team this year??

[TorinK92]

Ottawa signs David Legwand, 2 years $3M AAV.

I sort of like it, Its not the headliner that every Sens fan has in their pipe dreams, but it'll help fill in the bottom 6 thats currently all prospects, and grinders that have all come off very bad seasons.

[The_Admiral]

This really was quite the free agent frenzy. Three days and we're already down to the dregs. The best players on the market are Daniel Alfredsson, Dustin Penner, and Martin Brodeur. WELL then.

And call me crazy, but the Islanders might be able to make the playoffs in this weak field. I like the moves they made.

[HedleyLamarr]

Well, the Islanders have some incentive to do well this year. They don't have a first-round pick to fall back on should the season go down the dumper.

So all the Jets have done is sign a backup goalie and Perrault (don't know too much about him), re-sign Thorburn (meh, grinder guys are a dime a dozen....good guy though), and are sticking with Pavelec? Even if five from the Central get in the playoffs, I don't quite see how these moves get the Jets finish with a better record than two of these divisional teams. Blues and Blackhawks are out of reach. Stars and Wild are going to be better. Colorado won't crash back to Earth that precipitously, and Nashville won't have a restrictor plate on the offensive game.

Jets may pass Nashville, but that's it. Unless they make a big move via trade. Surely after three years, the honeymoon's over and some pressure on the GM and ownership will increase from the fans. Especially now that the 3-year season ticket deals are up.

[tp49]

I'd like what the Islanders did better if they did something to shore up the blue line, maybe with the glut of forwards we can work a deal for a decent defenseman. But, unlike last offseason at least they did something.

[The_Admiral]

Nashville non-tendered Del Zotto. If he still makes his home in the New York area, maybe the Isles can snatch him up on a good deal. He's not awful. Sheldon Brookbank would be a good addition if the Hawks can't make him fit, and it doesn't look like they can.

[dbadefense1990]

The Coyotes have put themselves in Calgary Flames Hell, where they need to tear the whole thing down and start over but they can't because they need to show people that they're trying to win.

At least they're not in San Jose Sharks Hell. It's essentially Flames Hell, except that they've already showed people that they're trying to win but ultimately can't.