Central Division
Colorado AvalancheChanges were expected after the Avalanche finished ninth in the Western Conference and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second straight season, but the resignation of coach Patrick Roy on Thursday surely wasn't one of them.
Roy, who spent three seasons as Avalanche coach and vice president of hockey operations, informed vice president and general manager Joe Sakic of his decision.
"I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs and bring it to a higher level. To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team's performance. These conditions are not currently met." Roy said in a statement.
Roy, 50, said the decision saddened him, but that he was "fully comfortable" with it and remains on good terms with the Avalanche. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, Roy, and Sakic, helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. Roy was 130-92-24 in three seasons as coach of the Avalanche. He won the Jack Adams Award as the League's top coach in 2013-14 after Colorado went 52-22-8 with 112 points to finish first in the Central Division. That season, the Avalanche were eliminated by the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round in seven games. Colorado would miss the playoffs the next two seasons, falling to 39-31-12 (90 points) in 2014-15 and 39-39-4 (82 points) last season. Roy was hired by Sakic on May 23, 2013.
The Avalanche continue to maintain a strong belief in their core group of centers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, left wing Gabriel Landeskog, defensemen Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson, and goalie Semyon Varlamov. Colorado's ability to earn a playoff berth will depend largely on that group's level of play. Two of them were restricted free agents who signed new contracts: MacKinnon (seven years, $44.1 million) and Barrie (four years, $22 million). Colorado also signed restricted free agent goalie Calvin Pickard (two years, $2 million) and forward Mikhail Grigorenko (one year, $1.3 million). MacKinnon, who won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year for 2013-14, had 21 goals and 31 assists (52 points) in 72 games last season, when he missed the last 10 games with a knee injury. Barrie had 13 goals and 36 assists (49 points) in 78 games, Grigorenko had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 74 games. Pickard was 7-6-1 with his first NHL shutout, a 2.56 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.
Duchene scored 30 goals to become the first Colorado player to do so since Sakic (36) and Milan Hejduk (35) in 2006-07, but Landeskog's production (20 goals, 53 points in 75 games) has fallen in each of the past three seasons, Johnson's minus-19 rating was the worst of his NHL career, and Varlamov (27-25-3, 2.81 GAA, .914 save percentage) has yet to play up to his Vezina Trophy-finalist level of 2013-14.
Tyutin, 6-2, 221, signed a one-year, $2 million contract after he was bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The hope is the 33-year-old, who had one goal and two assists in 61 games, can help steady a weak defense and help Francois Beauchemin, 36, in mentoring Chris Bigras and Nikita Zadorov, each 21.
Wiercioch (25, 6-5, 202) signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. He had five assists in 52 games with the Ottawa Senators, missing 18 games because of injuries. Wiercioch and Colborne were University of Denver teammates from 2008-10. Pickard's solid play made goalie Reto Berra expendable, and he was traded to the Florida Panthers for center Rocco Grimaldi on June 23. Defenseman Nick Holden was traded to the New York Rangers on June 25 for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and the Avalanche bought out the final year of defenseman Brad Stuart's two-year, $7.2 million contract to create more minutes for Bigras and Zadorov. Right wing Mikko Rantanen, 19, the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and the 6-5, 220-pound Zadorov are expected to make the team out of training camp. Left wing JT Compher, 21, a Hobey Baker Award finalist at Michigan, will get a serious look. This could be defenseman Duncan Siemens' last opportunity to make an impression; injuries have slowed the 22-year-old's progress since he was selected with the No. 11 pick in 2011.
Roy, 50, said the decision saddened him, but that he was "fully comfortable" with it and remains on good terms with the Avalanche. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, Roy, and Sakic, helped Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. Roy was 130-92-24 in three seasons as coach of the Avalanche. He won the Jack Adams Award as the League's top coach in 2013-14 after Colorado went 52-22-8 with 112 points to finish first in the Central Division. That season, the Avalanche were eliminated by the Minnesota Wild in the Western Conference First Round in seven games. Colorado would miss the playoffs the next two seasons, falling to 39-31-12 (90 points) in 2014-15 and 39-39-4 (82 points) last season. Roy was hired by Sakic on May 23, 2013.
The Avalanche continue to maintain a strong belief in their core group of centers Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, left wing Gabriel Landeskog, defensemen Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson, and goalie Semyon Varlamov. Colorado's ability to earn a playoff berth will depend largely on that group's level of play. Two of them were restricted free agents who signed new contracts: MacKinnon (seven years, $44.1 million) and Barrie (four years, $22 million). Colorado also signed restricted free agent goalie Calvin Pickard (two years, $2 million) and forward Mikhail Grigorenko (one year, $1.3 million). MacKinnon, who won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year for 2013-14, had 21 goals and 31 assists (52 points) in 72 games last season, when he missed the last 10 games with a knee injury. Barrie had 13 goals and 36 assists (49 points) in 78 games, Grigorenko had six goals and 21 assists (27 points) in 74 games. Pickard was 7-6-1 with his first NHL shutout, a 2.56 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.
Duchene scored 30 goals to become the first Colorado player to do so since Sakic (36) and Milan Hejduk (35) in 2006-07, but Landeskog's production (20 goals, 53 points in 75 games) has fallen in each of the past three seasons, Johnson's minus-19 rating was the worst of his NHL career, and Varlamov (27-25-3, 2.81 GAA, .914 save percentage) has yet to play up to his Vezina Trophy-finalist level of 2013-14.
The Avalanche were relatively quiet on the free agent market, signing center Joe Colborne and defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wiercioch on July 1. They weren't able to keep forwards Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias, who left for the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets. Colborne, a 6-foot-5, 221-pound 26-year-old, signed a two-year, $5 million contract after he had NHL career highs for goals (19) and assists (25) in 73 games with the Calgary Flames. Colborne could be moved to either wing because the Avalanche are deep at center with Duchene, MacKinnon and Carl Soderberg.
Wiercioch (25, 6-5, 202) signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. He had five assists in 52 games with the Ottawa Senators, missing 18 games because of injuries. Wiercioch and Colborne were University of Denver teammates from 2008-10. Pickard's solid play made goalie Reto Berra expendable, and he was traded to the Florida Panthers for center Rocco Grimaldi on June 23. Defenseman Nick Holden was traded to the New York Rangers on June 25 for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and the Avalanche bought out the final year of defenseman Brad Stuart's two-year, $7.2 million contract to create more minutes for Bigras and Zadorov. Right wing Mikko Rantanen, 19, the No. 10 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, and the 6-5, 220-pound Zadorov are expected to make the team out of training camp. Left wing JT Compher, 21, a Hobey Baker Award finalist at Michigan, will get a serious look. This could be defenseman Duncan Siemens' last opportunity to make an impression; injuries have slowed the 22-year-old's progress since he was selected with the No. 11 pick in 2011.
Nashville Predators
The Predators made no secret this offseason about their plans to compete for a Stanley Cup, grabbing headlines with the acquisition of defenseman P.K. Subban from the Montreal Canadiens in a trade for defenseman Shea Weber on June 29.
It highlighted an offseason when the Predators focused on getting younger and faster, with Subban's skating ability adding to an already mobile defense. The Predators believe the NHL has been trending to more of a speed game the past few seasons, a formula that was used by the Pittsburgh Penguins last season to win the Stanley Cup. The Predators secured a core piece of their future when they signed restricted free agent forward Filip Forsberg to a six-year, $36 million contract on June 27. The 22-year-old has led them in scoring in each of the past two seasons and tied the Nashville record with 33 goals last season (Jason Arnott, 2008-09). Nashville did not re-sign veteran center Paul Gaustad and bought out forward Eric Nystrom. Veteran defenseman Barret Jackman also was bought out and was replaced with free agent defensemen Yannick Weber (one year, $575,000) and Matt Carle (one year, $700,000). General manager David Poile did his part to build what, on paper, could arguably be the best team in Predators history. His focus on a quicker team, and the offensive system in place under Laviolette, could make this season very successful. The Predators qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons and advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round last year, losing to the San Jose Sharks. Nashville will try again to reach the conference final for the first time.
Pacific Division
Los Angeles KingsA close look at the Los Angeles Kings last season revealed some cracks in their armor, even after they took the proper steps to seal them. Los Angeles led the Pacific Division for much of the season and finished one point behind the Anaheim Ducks for first place, only to be eliminated by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference First Round. Even after the midseason acquisitions of center Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn seemed to solidify their lineup, the Kings couldn't fully fill roles behind their top players and lost to the Sharks in five games. That was supposed to be the motivating theme two seasons ago, when the defending champion Kings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have no playoff series victories since winning the Cup in 2014 and face another uphill path this season because they're up against the $73 million NHL salary cap.
The Kings have been right at the cap for several years because of big contracts for centers Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter, right wings Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik, defenseman Drew Doughty, and goaltender Jonathan Quick. As a result, they couldn't re-sign left wing Milan Lucic, who signed a seven-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers, and were quiet in free agency. Lombardi's best signings were defenseman Tom Gilbert (one year, reportedly worth $1.4 million) and backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff (two years, reportedly worth $1.8 million, with an average annual value of $900,000) to fill depth needs, along with the signings of forwards Teddy Purcell (one year, reportedly worth $1.6 million) and Michael Latta (one year, reportedly worth $600,000), and defenseman Zach Trotman (one year, reportedly worth $650,000). With fewer than $30,000 of salary cap space, according to General Fanager, the Kings again will rely heavily on their foundation, which shifted when Kopitar took over the captaincy for Brown on June 16. Kopitar signed an eight-year contract extension in January reportedly worth $80 million (AAV $10 million) and won the Selke Trophy to firmly establish himself as the face of the Kings. Lombardi is big on identity, and he doesn't feel that needs to change by following the blueprint of the Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins and their strong skating game.
The Kings remain top-heavy with Kopitar, Quick, Norris Trophy winner Doughty and 31-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli. Lombardi points to their 12-3 record in 3-on-3 overtime last season as evidence of their skill. Defensively, Los Angeles continues to be exceptional, with 192 goals allowed last season, second-fewest in the Western Conference behind the Ducks (188). The concern going forward is whether the Kings have enough depth to withstand injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness by their established players. They need unproven players such as forwards Nick Shore and Andy Andreoff to contribute and their other prospects to develop, or at least make a case in training camp. If help isn't coming through a trade, Los Angeles needs to build up its organizational depth.
The loss of Lucic stings even more because he came to the Kings on June 26, 2015, in a trade with the Boston Bruins at the price of goaltender Martin Jones (who was then traded to and signed by the Sharks, helping them to the Stanley Cup Final last season), a first-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft and defense prospect Colin Miller. But Kopitar, Carter, Doughty and Quick each remains in his prime, and the Kings have vast experience and leadership. Is it enough to keep their championship window open?
The Kings remain top-heavy with Kopitar, Quick, Norris Trophy winner Doughty and 31-goal scorer Tyler Toffoli. Lombardi points to their 12-3 record in 3-on-3 overtime last season as evidence of their skill. Defensively, Los Angeles continues to be exceptional, with 192 goals allowed last season, second-fewest in the Western Conference behind the Ducks (188). The concern going forward is whether the Kings have enough depth to withstand injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness by their established players. They need unproven players such as forwards Nick Shore and Andy Andreoff to contribute and their other prospects to develop, or at least make a case in training camp. If help isn't coming through a trade, Los Angeles needs to build up its organizational depth.
The loss of Lucic stings even more because he came to the Kings on June 26, 2015, in a trade with the Boston Bruins at the price of goaltender Martin Jones (who was then traded to and signed by the Sharks, helping them to the Stanley Cup Final last season), a first-round selection in the 2015 NHL Draft and defense prospect Colin Miller. But Kopitar, Carter, Doughty and Quick each remains in his prime, and the Kings have vast experience and leadership. Is it enough to keep their championship window open?
Vancouver Canucks
Jim Benning spent this summer a lot like he did his first two as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks, trying to walk the fine line between adding youth to an aging lineup without sacrificing its chances of getting back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second time in three seasons, they acquired 24-year-old defenseman Erik Gudbranson in a trade with the Florida Panthers and signed 31-year-old free agent forward Loui Eriksson to a six-year, $36 million contract. The second addition only cost the Canucks money, but much like a trade to acquire center Brandon Sutter from the Pittsburgh Penguins the summer before, Benning was questioned about the Gudbranson trade because it involved sending two draft picks and 20-year-old center Jared McCann to the Panthers. Many wondered why a team that finished 28th in the NHL was trading picks and prospects instead of stockpiling them, especially with a general manager who was hired in large part for his draft expertise. Trading those picks was about filling in a generation gap in the roster, with an aging core anchored by Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, who turn 36 before the season, and prospects Bo Horvat (21), Ben Hutton (23) and Jake Virtanen (19). Draft picks were traded away for Derek Dorsett, Linden Vey, Sven Baertschi and Philip Larsen, and in packages for Andrey Pedan, Emerson Etem, Brandon Prust, Sutter and Gudbranson.
Gudbranson fits that demographic, and is nine years younger than the defenseman he replaces, Dan Hamhuis, who signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent. Eriksson is outside that age group but four years younger than the player he replaces, free agent Radim Vrbata. Gudbranson will be asked to help clear the crease and steady a defense that finished 23rd in the NHL giving up an average of 2.91 goals per game. Eriksson is a strong two-way forward but was added mostly to bolster the NHL's second-worst offense, with a 2.27 goals per game average that was better only than the New Jersey Devils (2.22). Whether it's enough to get a team that ranked 27th in the NHL with a 47.2 5-on-5 shot-attempt percentage last season back to the playoffs remains to be seen, especially because Gudbranson's possession numbers (46.4 shot-attempt percentage) were worse, though likely affected by tough minutes starting in his zone against the opposition's top players. A healthy Sutter should help after injuries limited him to 20 games last season. So could the additions of forward Anton Rodin, the Swedish League MVP last season, and defenseman Philip Larsen, who replaces free agent defenseman and power-play specialist Yannick Weber and should get an opportunity to play on the top unit after finishing fifth in scoring among Kontinental Hockey League defensemen with 11 goals and 36 points in 52 games for Jokerit last season. Rodin, 25, and Larsen, 26, also fit the demographic Benning wants, but like Baertschi and Horvat, they will need to provide offense.
Edmonton Oilers
Major changes were anticipated after the Edmonton Oilers failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season. General manager Peter Chiarelli expressed a desire to bolster the defense in the offseason, a plan that was expected to involve trading a forward. That move came June 29, four days after the 2016 NHL Draft, when the Oilers traded left wing Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson. The trade was unpopular with many Oilers fans, who believed the return was not enough for Hall, the No. 1 selection in the 2010 draft and Edmonton's leading scorer last season (26 goals, 65 points). But the Oilers felt the trade was necessary to improve the roster and fill a void. Larsson, 23, is a young, talented, right-shot defenseman coming off a breakout season. He had three goals and 15 assists in 82 games and averaged 22:31 minutes of ice time playing on the Devils top defense pair with Andy Greene. Larsson joins a young Oilers defense that includes Oscar Klefbom, 23; Brandon Davidson, 24; Darnell Nurse, 21; and Griffin Reinhart, 22. Larsson was one of three major acquisitions Edmonton made in the offseason. The Oilers selected right wing Jesse Puljujarvi with the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft, and then signed free agent forward Milan Lucic to a seven-year, $42 million contract on July 1. The Oilers have offensively talented forwards on their roster, including three players taken No. 1 in the draft: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012) and Connor McDavid (2015). McDavid is now the undisputed face of the franchise and likely will be the Oilers' next captain. He will help usher in a new era in Edmonton this season with the Oilers moving into their new downtown arena, Rogers Place. Lucic said McDavid and the new arena were two reasons he decided to sign with Edmonton.
Calgary Flames
A disappointing finish last season prompted Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving to spend the summer making sweeping changes. Treliving didn't hesitate to completely overhaul parts of the Flames, and those changes have him hopeful about Calgary's fortunes heading into this season. After finishing 35-40-7 and 10 points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, the Flames began their offseason by firing coach Bob Hartley on May 3. Hartley, who won the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year 11 months prior, was replaced by Glen Gulutzan on June 17. Gulutzan spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks and inherits a roster that has seen significant change.
The Flames moved away from the four goaltenders who played last season, Karri Ramo, Jonas Hiller, Niklas Backstrom and Joni Ortio, and combined for an NHL-worst .898 save percentage and allowed a League-high 257 goals.
The Flames acquired goaltender Brian Elliott in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on June 24 and signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Chad Johnson to a one-year contract a week later. Elliott led the NHL with a .930 save percentage (among goalies who played more than 13 games). His 2.07 goals-against average was second to Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning (2.06). The Flames also made changes to their forwards. They didn't tender a qualifying offer to Joe Colborne or Josh Jooris, or to prospects Kenny Agostino, Bill Arnold, Drew Shore or Bryce van Brabant. Instead, the Flames added Alex Chiasson in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, signed veteran Troy Brouwer, and selected forward Matthew Tkachuk in the first round (No. 6) of the 2016 NHL Draft. The Flames' biggest offseason challenge has been coming to terms on a contract for restricted free agent forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Gaudreau (78 points) and Monahan (63) finished first and second in scoring for the Flames last season.
Phoenix CoyotesThe Flames acquired goaltender Brian Elliott in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on June 24 and signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Chad Johnson to a one-year contract a week later. Elliott led the NHL with a .930 save percentage (among goalies who played more than 13 games). His 2.07 goals-against average was second to Ben Bishop of the Tampa Bay Lightning (2.06). The Flames also made changes to their forwards. They didn't tender a qualifying offer to Joe Colborne or Josh Jooris, or to prospects Kenny Agostino, Bill Arnold, Drew Shore or Bryce van Brabant. Instead, the Flames added Alex Chiasson in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, signed veteran Troy Brouwer, and selected forward Matthew Tkachuk in the first round (No. 6) of the 2016 NHL Draft. The Flames' biggest offseason challenge has been coming to terms on a contract for restricted free agent forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Gaudreau (78 points) and Monahan (63) finished first and second in scoring for the Flames last season.
The Coyotes hired John Chayka as the youngest general manager in major league sports history, at 26 years old, on May 5. At his introductory press conference, Chayka, now 27, vowed that the Coyotes would do everything they could to become a winner. They started by acquiring a top-four defenseman, Alex Goligoski, in a trade with the Dallas Stars on June 16, two weeks before he was to become an unrestricted free agent, then signed him to a five-year contract worth a reported $27.375 million. They acquired center Pavel Datsyuk (who signed in the Kontinental Hockey League) from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade at the 2016 NHL Draft on June 24 that allowed them to move up and select defenseman Jakob Chychrun with the No. 16 pick, their second selection in the first round after taking forward Clayton Keller at No. 7. The next day, the Coyotes traded a second-round pick (No. 37) to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, the No. 19 pick of the 2014 draft, fortifying their defensive depth.
Free agent left wing Jamie McGinn signed a three-year, $10 million contract on July 1, and free agent defenseman Luke Schenn signed a two-year, $2.5 million contract on July 23. Defensemen Connor Murphy and Michael Stone each agreed to a contract to remain with the Coyotes. Murphy signed for six years and $23.1 million. Stone, coming off major knee surgery, got a one-year, $4 million contract to avoid an arbitration hearing. The Coyotes signed 39-year-old cheap shot captain Shane Doan to a one-year, incentive-laden contract that could be worth $5 million. Doan has spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the franchise and is its leader in games played (1,466), goals (396) and points (945). The Coyotes likely aren't finished making moves this offseason and are hoping to add either a top-four or top-six defenseman before training camp. The core of their defense is secure; Goligoski, Murphy and all-star Oliver Ekman-Larsson each is signed for at least the next three seasons. Ekman-Larsson was seventh among NHL defensemen in scoring last season with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) and is now surrounded by plenty of talent on the Coyotes' blue line.
McGinn had 22 goals in 84 games with the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres last season. He could be put on a line with center Brad Richardson, who is coming off an NHL career-best 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists), and Doan, who led the Coyotes with 28 goals. The Coyotes bought out the final year of center Antoine Vermette's contract on Aug. 1, veteran defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and forwards Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon, Steve Downie, and Alex Tanguay were not re-signed, and center Joe Vitale went to the Red Wings in the Datsyuk trade. Some changes among the forwards will come from within. After rookies Max Domi and Anthony Duclair combined for 38 goals last season, the Coyotes would like to see two of their top forward prospects, Dylan Strome, the No. 3 pick in the 2015 draft, and Christian Dvorak, the No. 58 pick in the 2014 draft, have the same success.
After a second straight 100-plus point season with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, Strome, 19, is on track to center one of the top two lines now that Vermette is gone. Dvorak, 20, also has an opportunity to land on the NHL roster after backing up an impressive Memorial Cup championship as captain of London of the OHL with a solid showing at Coyotes development camp.Restricted free agent forward Tobias Rieder, who had 14 goals and 37 points in his second NHL season, remains unsigned. Rieder's agent said he could leave to play in the KHL, but Chayka hasn't budged on a player who had four goals in the final 40 games last season and was minus-21. The Coyotes signed goaltender Louis Domingue to a two-year, $2.1 million contract after he was 15-18-5 with a 2.75 goals-against average and .912 save percentage as a rookie. He will be the fifth opening-night backup to veteran Mike Smith over the past five seasons. Smith, who is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $34 million contract, has struggled with injuries and inconsistency but remains the No. 1 goalie. He was 15-13-2 with a 2.63 GAA and .916 save percentage in 32 starts last season.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks are hopeful coach Randy Carlyle can re-create some of the magic from his first stint as their coach. Carlyle, who won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks in 2007 and is their all-time winningest coach (230-155-49), was hired on June 14, more than six weeks after Bruce Boudreau was fired. A new coach typically brings big changes, but it's not so much change that Ducks general manager Bob Murray wants to see, but rather accountability. He's hoping that Carlyle, a highly respected coach, can inspire that in Anaheim's leadership core, which showed little of it when the Nashville Predators eliminated the Ducks in the Western Conference First Round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Following the firing of Boudreau, Murray issued a stern warning to the Ducks' leaders, saying they needed to take responsibility for poor play in a disappointing season that ended with a fourth straight Game 7 loss at home.
The Ducks know the window for winning the Stanley Cup with aging players like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, each 31 years old, could be closing. With that in mind, Murray decided to add veteran center Antoine Vermette as a free agent Aug. 15. Vermette, whose contract was bought out by the Coyotes, brings depth up the middle and gives Anaheim five capable centers. Perhaps more importantly, Vermette brings a playoff pedigree, having won the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 and helping the Ottawa Senators reach the Cup Final in 2007.
The Ducks traded goaltender Frederik Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 20, clearing the way for John Gibson to become the No. 1 goalie. They also acquired goalie Jonathan Bernier from the Maple Leafs on July 8 for a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Bernier is familiar with Carlyle and his system, having played for him in Toronto from 2013-15, and with the Pacific Division as a member of the Los Angeles Kings from 2007-13. Bernier went 12-21-3 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 38 games with the Maple Leafs last season. For the second year in a row, center Nate Thompson will start the season on injured reserve, after tearing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. Defenseman Sami Vatanen agreed to a four-year contract on June 18, but two key restricted free agents remain unsigned: defenseman Hampus Lindholm and center Rickard Rakell. Close friends, fellow Swedes and roommates in Orange County, Lindholm has long been seen as a top young defenseman in the organization, and Rakell is coming off a breakout, 20-goal season. The Ducks boast tremendous depth at each position, but Murray repeatedly has said the two are priorities. Ten years after Carlyle helped the Ducks become the first California team to win the Cup, they're turning to him again to help deliver another championship.
The Ducks know the window for winning the Stanley Cup with aging players like Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler, each 31 years old, could be closing. With that in mind, Murray decided to add veteran center Antoine Vermette as a free agent Aug. 15. Vermette, whose contract was bought out by the Coyotes, brings depth up the middle and gives Anaheim five capable centers. Perhaps more importantly, Vermette brings a playoff pedigree, having won the Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 and helping the Ottawa Senators reach the Cup Final in 2007.
The Ducks traded goaltender Frederik Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs on June 20, clearing the way for John Gibson to become the No. 1 goalie. They also acquired goalie Jonathan Bernier from the Maple Leafs on July 8 for a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Bernier is familiar with Carlyle and his system, having played for him in Toronto from 2013-15, and with the Pacific Division as a member of the Los Angeles Kings from 2007-13. Bernier went 12-21-3 with a 2.88 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in 38 games with the Maple Leafs last season. For the second year in a row, center Nate Thompson will start the season on injured reserve, after tearing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout. Defenseman Sami Vatanen agreed to a four-year contract on June 18, but two key restricted free agents remain unsigned: defenseman Hampus Lindholm and center Rickard Rakell. Close friends, fellow Swedes and roommates in Orange County, Lindholm has long been seen as a top young defenseman in the organization, and Rakell is coming off a breakout, 20-goal season. The Ducks boast tremendous depth at each position, but Murray repeatedly has said the two are priorities. Ten years after Carlyle helped the Ducks become the first California team to win the Cup, they're turning to him again to help deliver another championship.
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