The Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Vegas Golden Knights and individual accolades have been handed out, which means the NHL’s offseason is drawing in full swing.
A flurry of deals came Tuesday on the eve of the NHL draft in Nashville, Tennessee, as teams look to retool their rosters — or completely reconfigure them — ahead of the 2023-24 season. There was more haste and handling on the Wednesday before the draft began and more moves could happen over the course of the two days.
Here’s a quick breakdown of all the big deals that’ve happened since June 13 — the day the 2022-23 season ended — that will change skin in the upcoming NHL season:
The Golden Knights trade Riley Smith to the Penguins
The winger is up for the third round of 2024. He’s signed for two more seasons for $5 million, and will score a secondary (26 goals last season) on the Penguins that he lacked last season. It’s also good insurance if the Penguins can’t re-sign Jason Zucker. The departure of the original Golden Knight allowed Vegas to re-sign Ivan Barbashev to a five-year contract.
Lightning trade Ross Colton to Avalanche
The Avalanche needs depth with them expected to lose JT Compher to free agency. A restricted free agent, Colton scored the Stanley Cup winning goal in 2021 and scored 22 goals two seasons ago. The Lightning get a second round pick (37th overall) in the 2023 Deep Draft. Their previous first pick was this week in the sixth round.
The Kings Complete Signature and Trade with Jets by Pierre-Luc Dubois
The biggest deal of the season so far is the Los Angeles Kings’ acquisition of former third-place Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets for forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Ivalo and Rasmus Koppari, and a second-round pick in 2024. Dubois, a restricted free agent told the Jets he has no plans to re-sign, He will receive an eight-year extension at an average annual value of $8.5 million.
Dubois, who was traded to Winnipeg in 2021 after being recruited by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the third pick in 2016, had a career-high 63 points in 73 games last season. The Kings are clearly hoping the 25-year-old can help elevate an offense that finished ninth in goals last season and 20th in 2021-22 – campaigns that ended in first-round losses to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
In a June 24 trade, the Kings offloaded defenseman Shaun Dorsey—who had one year remaining on his deal before he was released into limited agency—to the Coyotes for a second round.
Flyers trade Kevin Hayes to the Blues
That deal was reportedly shaping up to be much bigger, but in the end the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers sent Hayes to the St. Louis Blues for a sixth-round pick in 2024. Philadelphia also keeps 50% of Hayes’ salary cap.
This sounds like some kind of beautiful work for the blues. Hayes, 31, is coming off a 54-point season that was one point shy of his career high and with the Flyers holding him, he’s just over $3.5 million for the next three years.
The flames are Tyler Toffoli’s trade for the Devils
This trade is a sign that the New Jersey Devils are now interested in winning. Toffoli, 31, was a bright spot for the Calgary Flames in what was a disappointing season, leading the team with career highs in goals (34) and points (73). The 2014 Stanley Cup champion is turning into the Devils’ top six and could be setting himself up for the money for one last time in his career as he becomes one of the UFA champions next summer. Right away, New Jersey pulled off an impressive team goal of $4.25 million.
The Flames, who acquired Toffoli in February 2022 for a package that included a first-round pick, returned forward Igor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in this week’s draft. Sharanjovic, 25, scored 53 goals and 53 assists in three seasons with the Devils.
In a separate deal, the Devils sent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick in this week’s draft. Blackwood spent five seasons with the Devils but struggled mightily the last two seasons (. 892 and . 893 save percentages) and never saw ice in the playoffs.
The Avalanche trades Ryan Johansen, supercharged Alex Newhawk to choose from
The 2022 champions made a pair of intriguing moves this week as they look forward to another deep run after a disappointing exit in the first round of qualifying.
First, they acquired longtime Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen in favor of Alex Galciniuk. Johansen, who turns 31 in July, isn’t quite the player he was in his prime, but he’s a great holding piece behind No. 1 Nathan McKinnon — especially since his cap hit is only $4 million after Nashville held 50% of his draft. an agreement.
Colorado then swung a deal with Montreal, sending RFA Alex Newhook to the Canadiens in the 31st round (via Florida), 37th pick in this week’s draft, and fullback Gianni Fairbrother. It’s a win-win gamble. The Habs waive a first-round pick to a player with 66 points in 159 games; Good numbers, but certainly not a great output. However, Avs ships one of the smallest equities; Newhook was the 16th pick overall in 2019 and is still only 22 years old. Can he develop into a top player? The answer to this trade can determine who “wins” this trade in the near future.
Bruins trade Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno to Blackhawks
A former league MVP and first overall pick in 2010, the Boston Bruins sent Foligno to Chicago for restricted free agents Ian Mitchell and Alec Regola in a payroll move. This is the gain of the Blackhawk rebuild. The talented Hall of Fame, 31, is likely to skate with soon-to-be No. 1 Conor Bedard. He has two more years left on his contract with a cap of $6 million per season – making him the Blackhawks’ highest-paid forward. Foligno, the 35-year-old former Columbus Blue Jackets captain, will bring the needed grit and drive to the Blackhawks. He agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with Chicago after the trade.
Contributing: Associated Press
