California Dominates Pacific Division

The new-look Pacific Division broke into two tiers for the 2013-14: The California teams were on one level and the other four clubs were far off the pace. Depending on what happens with the curious case of the San Jose Sharks' rebuilding project, it looks like those tiers could be in place again in 2014-15. The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Sucks will expect to contend for the Stanley Cup, and the Sharks might be in the group of potential champions if their summer makeover doesn't reach extreme status. Anaheim and San Jose were one victory away from knocking Los Angeles out of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings return nearly everyone and will be seeking a third NHL title in four seasons. The other four teams are trying to return to the playoffs. Given the way teams in the Central Division have loaded up, it might be difficult for the Pacific to squeeze a fourth back into the postseason.

ANAHEIM SUCKS

Additions: Ryan Kesler, Nate Thompson, Clayton Stoner, Jason LaBarbera

Re-signed: None

Still unsigned: Sami Vatanen (RFA), Jakob Silfverberg (RFA), Devante Smith-Pelly (RFA), Saku Koivu (UFA), David Steckel (UFA), Daniel Winnik (UFA)

Subtractions: Teemu Selanne (retired), Nick Bonino (Vancouver Canucks), Luca Sbisa (Vancouver Canucks), Stephane Robidas (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jonas Hiller (Calgary Flames), Mathieu Perreault (Winnipeg Jets)

The big addition is Kesler, who will help the Sucks match up against the other elite Western teams at center, and Thompson is a nice depth signing at the position. They could be joined by one of three prized prospects, Rickard Rakell, William Karlsson or Nicolas Kerdilles, behind Ryan Getzlaf on the depth chart. Not bringing back Winnik, along with Selanne's retirement, will open playing time on the wing for Anaheim's flock of exciting young players. Smith-Pelly, Emerson Etem and Stefan Noesen could push for regular roles, along with the three potential centers. The Sucks did not possess the puck like an elite team last season, but thrived in the regular season by leading the League in shooting percentage. Kesler and the infusion of youth could help in the puck-possession department, but adding Stoner will not. Cam Fowler, Ben Lovejoy, Hampus Lindholm and Vatanen are a nice base, but that leaves two spots for possession anchors Stoner, Bryan Allen or Mark Fistric. Anaheim is right there up front and in goal with the best in the West but might be a little short on the blue line compared to Los Angeles, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Additions: John Scott, Tye McGinn

Re-signed: Alex Stalock, Mike Brown, Tommy Wingels

Still unsigned: Jason Demers (RFA), James Sheppard (RFA), Scott Hannan (UFA)

Subtractions: Dan Boyle (New York Rangers), Brad Stuart (Colorado Avalanche), Martin Havlat (New Jersey Devils)

The Sharks might be the team most likely to not look the same on opening night as they do on July 6. San Jose general manager Doug Wilson has been very forthcoming about his plans to change the Sharks, even using phrases like, "We now become a tomorrow team." To this point the changes have been minor, and the Sharks remain one of the elite teams in the League. That's a weird thing to say for a team that is open about wanting to rebuild, but more changes could be coming. Letting go of a couple of veteran defensemen should mean finding a regular place on the roster for prospect Mirco Mueller, or Taylor Fedun or Matt Tennyson. Wilson said adding Scott will help protect some of the younger players the Sharks plan to give more playing time, but adding him and re-signing Brown is an odd reaction after nearly defeating the eventual Stanley Cup champion Kings in the Western Conference First Round. Otherwise, the forward group, at least the top three lines, remains among the best in the NHL. The Sharks could be a playoff team and one capable of a deep run, but the margins are going to be slim considering the depth of great teams in the West. Removing even one key player from this group could send San Jose tumbling down the pecking order.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Additions: Adam Cracknell

Re-signed: Marian Gaborik, Matt Greene, Jeff Schultz

Still unsigned: Dwight King (RFA), Brayden McNabb (RFA), Colin Fraser (UFA)

Subtractions: Willie Mitchell (Florida Panthers)

When the Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012, they brought back every significant player the following season. It almost will happen again, though there wasn't enough salary-cap room to retain both Greene and Mitchell. The Kings are built to contend for years to come, and a full season of Gaborik, Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson should cure some of the offensive woes they had in the regular season. Have the other elite teams done enough to match the depth of Los Angeles? Will the fatigue from so many games the past few seasons and the short offseasons catch up to the Kings Those are nice "issues" to be dealing with.

ARIZONA COYOTES

Additions: Sam Gagner, Joe Vitale, Devan Dubnyk, Mike McKenna, B.J. Crombeen

Re-signed: Chris Summers

Still unsigned: Paul Bissonnette (UFA), Jeff Halpern (UFA), John Mitchell (UFA), Derek Morris (UFA), David Moss (UFA), Brandon Yip (UFA)

Subtractions: Radim Vrbata (Vancouver Canucks), Mike Ribeiro (buyout), Tim Kennedy (Washington Capitals)

The Coyotes missed the playoffs by two points last season, but two of the top five scorers are gone and a third among the top 10 (Moss) remains unsigned. Gagner is the replacement for Ribeiro, but disappointing statistics for Ribeiro in 2013-14 (16 goals, 47 points) are about what Gagner has averaged in his six full NHL seasons, and the former Edmonton Oilers center is coming off his worst output (10 goals, 37 points). Arizona needs more offense, not less. Top prospect Max Domi might be ready to help; a full season of Martin Erat could too. The Coyotes will remain one of the better teams at finding offense from their defensemen, and a full season of health for goaltender Mike Smith would help their bid to return to the postseason.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Additions: Ryan Miller, Radim Vrbata, Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa, Derek Dorsett, Linden Vey

Re-signed: Zack Kassian, Chris Tanev, Yannick Weber

Still unsigned: Linden Vey (RFA), Andrew Alberts (UFA)

Subtractions: Ryan Kesler (Anaheim Sucks), Jason Garrison (Tampa Bay Lightning), David Booth (buyout), Mike Santorelli (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Unlike the Sharks, the Canucks have traded away core players to facilitate a rebuild (Roberto Luongo, Kesler), but like San Jose they haven't completely committed to bottoming out. The Canucks roster is flawed but might have enough for a run at the playoffs. Bonino and Vrbata could replace what Kesler and Booth produced, and the combination of better luck and health for Alexandre Burrows, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin could give Vancouver a decent top two lines. A new coach (Willie Desjardins) and a new system could help produce more offense. Miller is the big acquisition, but how much better he is than Eddie Lack in goal remains to be seen. Lack and Jacob Markstrom are each on a one-way contract. Sbisa missed a lot of last season because of an injury but could find some success in a No. 4/5 role with this defense.

CALGARY FLAMES

Additions: Mayson Raymond, Jonas Hiller, Derek Engelland, Brandon Bollig

Re-signed: Paul Byron

Still unsigned: Joe Colborne (RFA), Lance Bouma (RFA), Kevin Westgarth (UFA), Chris Butler (UFA), T.J. Galiardi (UFA), Derek Smith (UFA)

Subtractions: Mike Cammalleri (New Jersey), Blair Jones (Philadelphia Flyers), Joey MacDonald (Montreal Canadiens)

Cammalleri was the leading goal-scorer last season. Raymond had a bounce-back season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013-14 and will be expected to absorb first- or second-line minutes. 2014 first-round pick Samuel Bennett and Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau could join second-year forward Sean Monahan to form an enviable young core up front. Mark Giordano had a monster season in 2013-14 and will continue to anchor the defense. If Engelland for Butler is the only change, it is hard to see the rest of the group being improved next season. Hiller will compete with Karri Ramo in net; each finished last season with a .911 save percentage. The rhetoric in Calgary might be anti-rebuild, but it is hard to see a way back to the postseason in 2014-15 on the Red Mile.

EDMONTON OILERS

Additions: Teddy Purcell, Benoit Pouliot, Mark Fayne, Nikita Nikitin, Steve Pinizzotto

Re-signed: Luke Gazdic, Jeff Petry

Still unsigned: Justin Schultz (RFA), Ryan Jones (UFA), Mark Fraser (UFA)

Subtractions: Sam Gagner (Arizona Coyotes), Taylor Fedun (San Jose Sharks), Anton Belov (KHL), Philip Larsen (KHL)

Of the four Pacific teams that didn't qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Oilers have made the most improvements. They also have the furthest to go. The defense could look a lot different, with Fayne, Nikitin and possibly a young player (Oskar Klefbom or Darnell Nurse) joining a group that includes Schultz, Martin Marincin and captain Andrew Ference. It's by no means elite, but Fayne in particular and a full season of Marincin could make it a lot better than last season. Pouliot, like Fayne, has strong possession numbers in recent seasons and that would be a welcome development for the Oilers. Edmonton could use a veteran replacement for Gagner, though 2014 first-round pick Leon Draisaitl is a possibility at center behind Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers added goaltenders Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth during the 2013-14 season, and stability at that position could go a long way to help Edmonton possibly being the best of the non-California teams in the division.

Centers Stacked in Central Division

The Central Division has been the center of attention in the NHL this offseason. Nearly every team in the division has upgraded at the center position, and the two that didn't, the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild, will likely be moving one of the top young players in the League to the middle on a more permanent basis. The result of a flurry of trades and signings has the Central looking like the toughest division in the NHL for the 2014-15 season. Though the Chicago Blackhawks still look like the leader of the group, they finished third in the division standings last season and might only have the fourth- or even fifth-best collection of centers despite the presence of all-world pivot Jonathan Toews. Five teams made the postseason in 2013-14 and the Nashville Predators missed by three points. Any of those six teams will be confident they can be a playoff team in the coming season, and 95 points might not be out of the question for any of them.

Here is a breakdown of what the seven Central Division teams have done so far this offseason and how the additions or subtractions could affect their lineup for the 2014-15 season:

Note: The additions, re-signed players, still unsigned players and subtractions pertain only to the NHL roster. The money figures are according to CapGeek.com or have been provided by the club.

COLORADO AVALANCHE

Additions: Jarome Iginla, Daniel Briere, Brad Stuart, Bruno Gervais, Zach Redmond, Jesse Winchester

Re-signed: Nick Holden

Still unsigned: Ryan O'Reilly (RFA), Tyson Barrie (RFA), Stefan Elliott (RFA), Andre Benoit (UFA), Cory Sarich (UFA)

Subtractions: Paul Stastny (St. Louis Blues), P.A. Parenteau (Montreal Canadiens), Matt Hunwick (New York Rangers), Brad Malone (Carolina Hurricanes)

The Avalanche lost the top center on the market, but will replace him by either shifting Nathan MacKinnon or O'Reilly to center. If Colorado had a little more depth on the wings, putting them at center (assuming O'Reilly stays with the team) along with Matt Duchene would make the Avalanche one of the best in the League at the position. That would possibly help Colorado's puck possession problem, which eventually caught up to the Avalanche in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Colorado had fewer than 48 percent of the shot attempts, but scored more than 53 percent of its goals at even strength during the regular season through a combination of a high team shooting percentage and outstanding goaltending from previously inconsistent Semyon Varlamov. Losing Stastny and Parenteau, the two best possession forwards in 2013-14, and replacing them with Iginla and Briere, isn't going to solve the problem. Adding Stuart on defense certainly won't either. The fourth line was an anchor last season, and Winchester isn't likely to have a dramatic effect. The depth on defense remains an issue, though playing Tyson Barrie more would help. Varlamov is going to need to be great again, and given the tutelage of Francois Allaire and Patrick Roy he might be.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Additions: Paul Stastny, Jori Lehtera, Joakim Lindstrom, Carl Gunnarsson

Re-signed: Patrik Berglund, Brian Elliott

Still unsigned: Vladimir Sobotka (RFA), Jaden Schwartz (RFA), Brenden Morrow (UFA), Steve Ott (UFA), Derek Roy (UFA)

Subtractions: Ryan Miller (Vancouver Canucks), Adam Cracknell (Los Angeles Kings), Roman Polak (Toronto Maple Leafs)

The Blues had one of the deepest groups of forwards last season, but the offense went dry during a first-round series with the Blackhawks. Enter Stastny and Lehtera to try and help fix that problem. David Backes and Berglund could shift to the wing, and the Blues' forward group now looks downright scary. It might have been better naturally, with improvements from Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko (though Schwartz could be in for some shooting percentage regression at both the individual and team levels). Swapping Polak for Gunnarsson might make one of the best defense corps in the League slightly better as well. Polak was one of the worst possession players on the Blues, and Gunnarsson's raw numbers look bad but not as much in the context of the Toronto Maple Leafs' struggles. Goaltending will be in focus, because the Blues might have one of the best collections of 18 skaters in the NHL, but Elliott and Jake Allen will have to prove they can help this team deep into the playoffs.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Additions: Brad Richards, Kyle Cumiskey

Re-signed: Jeremy Morin, Ben Smith, Peter Regin, Antti Raanta

Still unsigned: Pierre-Marc Bouchard (UFA), Sheldon Brookbank (UFA), Michal Handzus (UFA), Nikolai Khabibulin (UFA)

Subtractions: Brandon Bollig (Calgary Flames)

The Blackhawks were one goal from the Stanley Cup Final, where they would have been heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup for the third time in five seasons. Instead, they watched the Los Angeles Kings win again and cement the two franchises as the NHL's current superpowers. Los Angeles had one clear advantage against Chicago, and that was down the middle. Richards could help close that gap. He struggled against the Kings in the Cup Final, but should be an upgrade from Handzus. Uber-prospect Teuvo Teravainen might help eventually as well. Otherwise, things are pretty much status quo. Getting a third-round pick for Bollig was a great deal. The big thing this summer for general manager Stan Bowman is trying to finalize extensions for Toews and Patrick Kane. If that happens, Chicago's place as a top Cup contender will be secure for years to come.

MINNESOTA WILD

Additions: Thomas Vanek

Re-signed: None

Still unsigned: Jonathon Blum (RFA), Justin Fontaine (RFA), Darcy Kuemper (RFA), Nino Niederreiter (RFA), Jason Zucker (RFA), Ilya Bryzgalov (UFA), Dany Heatley (UFA), Nate Prosser (UFA), Michael Rupp (UFA)

Subtractions: Matt Moulson (Buffalo Sabres), Clayton Stoner (Anaheim Sucks), Cody McCormick (Buffalo Sabres)

Adding Vanek gives the Wild even more offensive punch. The top two lines will likely include Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu, Vanek, Jason Pominville, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund, which is among the elite groups in the League. There is depth behind them as well, with younger players like Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter. Losing Stoner will not hurt the defense corps, and adding a top young prospect like Mathew Dumba could be an upgrade.Like the Blues, there are questions in goal for the Wild. Josh Harding played great and was an amazing story last season, but missed a lot of it because of his illness (multiple sclerosis). Niklas Backstrom has struggled to stay healthy. Kuemper looked like a future No. 1 goaltender at times during his rookie season.

DALLAS STARS

Additions: Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky, Anders Lindback

Re-signed: Vernon Fiddler

Still unsigned: Brenden Dillon (RFA), Cody Eakin (RFA), Antoine Roussel (RFA), Ray Whitney (UFA), Tim Thomas (UFA)

Subtractions: Alex Chaisson (Ottawa Senators)

Expectations are going to be a lot different in year two of the Jim Nill era in Dallas. After completing maybe the best trade of the offseason before 2013-14 by adding budding superstar Tyler Seguin, Nill acquired Spezza to play behind him. Add in Hemsky, and the Stars suddenly have a potentially great second line to support Seguin, Jamie Benn and Valeri Nichushkin. Eakin can slide to the third line, and with Fiddler back, not to mention backup options like Shawn Horcoff and even Nichushkin, the Stars are loaded at center. What might prevent Dallas from being ready to roll through the Western Conference is the defense corps. It will be the same group as last season, though a young guy like Jamie Oleksiak or Brenden Dillon could certainly improve. If Nill goes hunting for help later this offseason or near the trade deadline, expect it to be on the blue line.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Additions: James Neal, Olli Jokinen, Anton Volchenkov

Re-signed: Carter Hutton

Still unsigned: Taylor Beck (RFA), Mattias Ekholm (RFA), Ryan Ellis (RFA), Michael Del Zotto (UFA)

Subtractions: Patric Hornqvist (Pittsburgh Penguins), Nick Spaling (Pittsburgh Penguins)

The spending spree last offseason didn't yield positive returns, but trading for Neal and adding Jokinen might in 2014-15. Neal gives the Predators a dynamic scorer they've lacked. Jokinen isn't flashy, but he'll make Nashville a little better down the middle. General manager David Poile has reportedly been interested in other centers as well. Full seasons for Filip Forsberg and Calle Jarnkrok could also give the offense a little extra juice. Having Pekka Rinne back and healthy is another big reason for optimism in the Music City. He can be the best goaltender in the division, and Nashville had problems at the position without him last season. The Predators will look pretty similar on defense, but any gains made by Seth Jones in his second season could help them be better as well.

WINNIPEG JETS

Additions: Mathieu Perreault

Re-signed: Chris Thorburn, Adam Pardy, Michael Hutchinson

Still unsigned: Michael Frolik (RFA), Patrice Cormier (RFA), Carl Klingberg (RFA), Devin Setoguchi (UFA), Matt Halischuk (UFA)

Subtractions: Olli Jokinen (Nashville Predators), Al Montoya (Florida Panthers), Zach Redmond (Colorado Avalanche)

The Jets were only four points behind the Predators (and seven back of the Stars) last season, and there's a good chance Perreault is an upgrade over Jokinen. That said, the other teams in this division have all made significant upgrades while this has been a relatively quiet offseason for Winnipeg. Perreault will help at center, as will continued development and maturation from Mark Scheifele. A step forward for Jacob Trouba could make the defense corps better as well. Where Dustin Byfuglien plays will also be something to monitor in training camp.Michael Hutchinson had a strong Calder Cup Playoffs run with St. John's and could be in line to be the No. 2 behind starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

Spezza Looks Good Fit For Stars

Jason Spezza has only been a member of the Dallas Stars organization for about a week, but the veteran center already feels he will be a great fit with his new employer.

"I'm just a piece to the puzzle," Spezza said Monday morning during his introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. "You have to be willing to be that in order to win in this League. I think it's a great fit, and to have the young group and some of the young stars they have, you don't see that very often and you hope to kind of grow with the group."

Spezza, 31, was acquired last Tuesday in a trade with the Ottawa Senators that sent young forwards Alex Chiasson, Nicholas Paul and Alexander Guptill to Ottawa for Spezza and forward Ludwig Karlsson. In 75 regular-season games with Ottawa last season, Spezza scored 23 goals and 66 points. For his 11-year NHL career, he has 251 goals and 687 points in 686 games. Spezza served as Senators captain last season, but said wearing a letter on his jersey in Dallas was not imperative.

"I think if you're a leader, you lead, and if the team needs you to wear a letter, you wear a letter. But I think naturally, I think I'm a leader and you don't need a letter on your jersey to lead," Spezza said.

The seasoned center will wear No. 90 with the Stars; he wore No. 19 during his time with the Senators, but it's another change he welcomes.

"I've always had good luck with nines. Nineteen is retired [Bill Masterton] and obviously, 9 is retired [Mike Modano]. [Tyler] Seguin's 91, so I thought I'd try No. 90. It's a new spot and new number for me and hopefully it kind of sticks to be a lucky number for me," Spezza said.

With Seguin centering the Stars' top line alongside captain Jamie Benn, from the moment Spezza was acquired the prevailing thought was he would center Dallas' second line. However, general manager Jim Nill doesn't think that will automatically be the case.

"I think it's a 1A and 1B. Jason Spezza is in the prime of his career. He's an elite player. Having Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza out there as your two centermen coming out the door, when we go on the road, other teams are going to have a tough time matching up against us," Nill said.

Right after the trade, Spezza talked about it being a tough decision for him to leave Ottawa, a place where he had spent his first 11 NHL seasons. But with winning a Stanley Cup about the only bullet point missing from his already impressive hockey resume, he wanted to join an organization he felt had a great chance at a title, a big reason why he wanted to come to Dallas.

"I think it's paramount to be in an organization that's committed to winning. I think that word gets around the League fast when a team has made a decision to try to be a team that tries to compete every year and win," Spezza said. "As a player, that's all you want, is that opportunity to give yourself a chance to win."

Spezza discussed how much he is looking forward to skating alongside such young talents as Benn and Seguin. But he's also eager to renew his relationship with Stars coach Lindy Ruff, who he played for during the 2009 IIHF World Championship with Canada.

"He's a guy that's been around the game a long time and has seen a lot of things, so I would imagine he has a lot of his own views on how to play the game and I'm looking forward to getting a chance to kind of work with him," Spezza said. "I've heard nothing but good things [about him], and also, to last in the game as long as he has, he's obviously a very smart hockey man."

With one year remaining on his current contract, signing Spezza to an extension is another storyline and a topic Nill addressed for his newest center.

"I've spoken to Jason's agent. We're going to let Jason get settled in here first," Nill said. "I don't think it's going to be an issue. I just want him to get his family in here, get settled and then we'll move forward from there."

Dallas Stars Building Team Like Detroit

After almost 19 years working under Ken Holland to build the Detroit Red Wings into a perennial Stanley Cup contender, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill needed 14 months and two days to put his new team in the middle of the competitive arms race in the Western Conference. Nill gave the Stars the ammunition they needed Tuesday by acquiring Ottawa Senators captain Jason Spezza in a trade and signing Senators forward Ales Hemsky to a three-year contract reportedly worth $12 million. Spezza is signed for one season at a $7 million NHL salary-cap charge, but he's owed $4 million in salary. The only player Nill took off the NHL roster was forward Alex Chiasson, whose scoring touch dried up 10 games into last season and was a minus-21 on a team that finished a plus-8 overall. Nill also signed Anders Lindback to be the backup goalie to Kari Lehtonen, but no matter who is between the pipes he should have plenty of offensive support with a top-six forward group featuring Seguin, captain Jamie Benn, Spezza, Hemsky and second-year forward Valeri Nichushkin."You start adding players like Spezza and Hemsky to your team you know you're going to be dangerous offensively," Nill said. "It's hard to score goals in this League, and we think we added some guys that can help take care of that problem."
Nill started Dallas' turnaround last June when he hired Lindy Ruff to coach and selected Nichushkin with the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. Nill bolstered the franchise on July 4 when he acquired Tyler Seguin and Shawn Horcoff in separate trades. The Stars made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2008. Acquiring Spezza might be Nill's shrewdest move yet, as well as the most noteworthy sign of where the Stars could go. He gave up Chiasson, two prospects and a second-round draft pick to bolster an area of need the Stars had to shore up in order to take the next step toward challenging the giants in the Western Conference. Elite center depth is paramount to winning in the West. The Los Angeles Kings proved that last season with Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter helping carry them to the Stanley Cup championship as their top two centers. Carter is better than a lot of No. 1s, but he couldn't be that in L.A. because of Kopitar, who Wayne Gretzky called the third-best player in the NHL behind centers Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews. The rest of the contenders in the West have since responded to the Kings' depth at center, most notably with the Anaheim Sucks acquiring Ryan Kesler last week and the St. Louis Blues signing Paul Stastny on Tuesday. The Stars had to do the same to keep up.
"If you want to be one of the elite teams, you have to have it," Nill said of elite center depth. "I came from Detroit, we always had it. It was Yzerman-Fedorov, Zetterberg-Datsyuk. You look at the other teams that are winning on our side now, you need to have two elite centermen. We knew that was a little bit of a weakness on our team."
Now the Stars can call it a strength. They have Seguin and Spezza at the top of their lineup, but down the line they have Cody Eakin and Horcoff. Nill said Eakin should fit in as a No. 3 center, but he's capable of moving up and down the lineup. Horcoff is perfectly slotted as a No. 4 at this stage of his career.
"Lindy has a lot of flexibility here with his lineup," Nill said. "Last season we had the one elite first line and we were kind of a team of three really good second [and] third lines. I think a lot of our success was our depth, and we just think we added to that."
Nill ensured his top two lines will have chemistry. The Stars already had Benn to play with Seguin. They made up one of the NHL's top scoring duos last season with a combined 71 goals and 163 points. Spezza and Hemsky displayed instant chemistry in Ottawa in the final quarter of the season after Hemsky arrived in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers. Hemsky had 17 points in 20 games with the Senators. Spezza had 20 points in 18 games during the same span.
"Once we got Jason that became more of a great situation we thought to bring in Ales Hemsky," Nill said. "It worked out well."
The fact Spezza has one year left on his contract and is owed $4 million made him even more attractive to Dallas and should make the Stars a more intriguing, and perhaps even better, team. Spezza should be motivated to earn another long-term contract, perhaps with the Stars, but Nill is in the envious position of being under no pressure to begin negotiations on an extension. Nill said he will talk to Spezza's agent, Rick Curran, at some point this summer likely to gauge interest and Spezza's potential asking price, but he can and should wait to see how Spezza fits in before engaging in serious talks. Nill has the luxury of seeing firsthand the type of impact Spezza can have in Dallas before committing anything more.
"I just wanted to get Jason in here and get him going," Nill said. "I know he's going to love the city, he's going to love the team, we've got a great dressing room. I think we've got a lot of good things going here and he's very excited to get here. We'll get him in, get things going and then we'll start working on an extension."
Whatever happens in those negotiations, bank on Nill doing the right thing. He had a clear vision for where he felt the Stars could and should go when he got the job on April 29, 2013. His first season was successful beyond expectations. Tuesday, he laid the foundation for his second season to be even better. The Stars are contenders again. It didn't take very long either.

Montreal Ditch Veterans For Youth

The Montreal Canadiens' run to the Eastern Conference Final in the Stanley Cup Playoffs opened a lot of eyes around the NHL. It appears to have opened the eyes of Canadiens management as well. General manager Marc Bergevin had a busy day Tuesday on the opening of the NHL free agent market, but the most important thing he feels he accomplished was to turn over the leadership of his club to his young veterans. Bergevin allowed captain Brian Gionta to leave as an unrestricted free agent and traded defenseman Josh Gorges and his $3.9 million salary-cap charge for the next four seasons to the Buffalo Sabres, where Gionta eventually signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract. The Canadiens signed Florida Panthers defenseman Tom Gilbert to a two-year, $5.6 million contract to replace Gorges, saving $1.1 million in salary-cap space per season in the process. They also brought in center Manny Malhotra on a one-year, $850,000 contract and re-signed defenseman Mike Weaver for one year at $1.75 million. The moves came a day after Bergevin traded center Daniel Briere to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for right wing PA Parenteau. That is a big chunk of the Canadiens' leadership corps now playing in Buffalo, and Bergevin said he and his management team felt during the playoffs that some of the team's young veterans were ready to take on bigger leadership roles.

"You're losing [Gionta] and Josh, great people. They've been great for the Montreal Canadiens," Bergevin said. "We have to make tough decisions; it's part of my job. Sometimes you make decisions that are not popular. But I'm not here to be popular; I'm here to make decisions. Sometimes it's hard, I understand, but that's what we needed to do and we felt that by doing that we changed the look of our team a bit. But it's time for the young people to take a bigger role. There's always a rotation and we're at that crossroads now."

Two big shifts happened to the Canadiens' roster on Monday and Tuesday. The first and most significant was that Gorges, a left-shooting defenseman, was traded and replaced by Gilbert, who shoots from the right. Along with Weaver and restricted free agent P.K. Subban, this gives the Canadiens three right-handed defensemen. Bergevin said this will allow hard-hitting, left-shooting defenseman Alexei Emelin to move from the right side, where he has played his entire NHL career, to his natural left side. It also opens a spot on the left side for Nathan Beaulieu or Jarred Tinordi, two former first-round draft picks who are ready to make the jump to the NHL. Replacing Gorges with Gilbert also adds more of a puck-moving presence to the Canadiens' defense, one that can play on the power play. Montreal has long struggled to find a defense pair for the second unit of the man advantage, with Andrei Markov and Subban receiving the bulk of the minutes on the first unit and often times spending the entire two minutes of a power play on the ice. With Gilbert and perhaps the skilled Beaulieu potentially on the second unit, the Canadiens' power play will not be nearly as dependent on Markov and Subban as it was last season. At even strength, Gilbert has an established history of being able to drive possession in his team's favor and get the puck moving toward the offensive zone quickly, something that was not necessarily a strength of Gorges' game. The second major shift for the Canadiens is replacing Briere, an offensive-minded center not known for his strength in the defensive zone, with Malhotra as the team's fourth-line center. Malhotra won 59.4 percent of his faceoffs last season with the Carolina Hurricanes and is a strong penalty-killer, making him someone that fits the role of a fourth-line center far better than Briere did. Gilbert and Malhotra signed shortly after the market opened at noon Tuesday, and both mentioned they did so because they felt they had a chance to win in Montreal and because the idea of playing in a rabid hockey market appealed to them. The acquisition of Parenteau the day before free agency opened filled a need at right wing the Canadiens knew they would have because Bergevin had already said Thomas Vanek would not return to the team (he signed with the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday). Bergevin was still talking to Gionta as late as Tuesday morning, but his departure leaves a hole on right wing that went unfilled. But the Canadiens did beat out a number of other teams to sign Czech forward Jiri Sekac and Bergevin said he could potentially compete for a spot on the team in the fall. As it stands, the Canadiens could allow a prospect like Sven Andrighetto or Jacob De La Rose fill the hole vacated by Gionta's departure, or Bergevin could sign another free agent. According to CapGeek.com the Canadiens have approximately $16 million left under the salary cap, but Bergevin needs to re-sign restricted free agents Subban and Lars Eller this summer. But the most important spot that needs to be filled will be done by players that were already on the Canadiens' roster; players like Subban, Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher, all in their mid-20s, who will be asked to step forward and become leaders on the team in the absence of Gionta and Gorges.

Blues Building Offense Part 2

In each of the past three seasons, the St. Louis Blues have seen their Stanley Cup Playoff hopes ended by two of the premier teams in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Kings (twice) and Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the past three Stanley Cups, have sent the Blues into the summer earlier than they would have liked. One reason has been a lack of depth at center. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong indicated at the team's exit meetings and subsequent media session that things needed to change. The Blues were one of the teams rumored to be involved in a possible trade for Jason Spezza before the Ottawa Senators sent their captain to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Instead, St. Louis opted for the free-agent route and landed the biggest prize among available centers in Paul Stastny. The Blues lured Stastny away from the Colorado Avalanche with a four-year, $28 million contract not long after they signed center Jori Lehtera, a 2008 third-round draft pick, to a two-year contract. Suddenly, the Blues are stacked down the middle. They were strong before with David Backes there. But Armstrong said Tuesday during a conference call that his top-line forwards could very well consist of Alexander Steen and Backes on the wings with Stastny in the middle. Other lines could have Lehtera centering Vladimir Tarasenko (who played with Lehtera with Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League) and Jaden Schwartz, and Patrik Berglund in the middle with Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie. Berglund signed a three-year, $11.1 million extension last week. The Blues understand that regular-season victories, of which they've had plenty in the past few years, doesn't necessarily translate to postseason success. They won the first two games against the Kings in 2013, then dropped four straight. The scenario was the same this spring, when the Blues scored eight goals to win the first two games against the Blackhawks, only to lose the next four and score all of six goals. Stastny, who spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Avalanche, had 10 points in seven playoff games for the Avalanche, who lost in the first round to the Minnesota Wild after winning the Central Division title. He adds a versatile mix to the Blues that should highlight his strengths in coach Ken Hitchcock's 200-foot game. But the fact that the Blues are Stanley Cup contenders enticed Stastny, who grew up in St. Louis and attended a local high school (Chaminade College Prep)] during his freshman and sophomore years. Add Lehtera, who played the past three seasons in the KHL, to the mix, and the Blues feel they have more viable options down the middle against a rugged Western Conference.

Blues Building Strong Offense

In each of the past three seasons, the St. Louis Blues have seen their Stanley Cup Playoff hopes ended by two of the premier teams in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Kings (twice) and Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the past three Stanley Cups, have sent the Blues into the summer earlier than they would have liked. One reason has been a lack of depth at center. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong indicated at the team's exit meetings and subsequent media session that things needed to change. The Blues were one of the teams rumored to be involved in a possible trade for Jason Spezza before the Ottawa Senators sent their captain to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday. Instead, St. Louis opted for the free-agent route and landed the biggest prize among available centers in Paul Stastny. The Blues lured Stastny away from the Colorado Avalanche with a four-year, $28 million contract not long after they signed center Jori Lehtera, a 2008 third-round draft pick, to a two-year contract.Suddenly, the Blues are stacked down the middle. They were strong before with David Backes there. But Armstrong said Tuesday during a conference call that his top-line forwards could very well consist of Alexander Steen and Backes on the wings with Stastny in the middle. Other lines could have Lehtera centering Vladimir Tarasenko (who played with Lehtera with Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League) and Jaden Schwartz, and Patrik Berglund in the middle with Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie. Berglund signed a three-year, $11.1 million extension last week.
"We've had no options over the years of where David should play," Armstrong said. "He could end up still at center ice, but I sort of feel like the grade schooler, the kindergarten teacher throwing all the toys in the sandbox and let the coaches figure out what they want to play with and how they want to use them. I think we've got a lot of different options, and I do think it's easier for a centerman to go to the wing than a winger to obviously play center. I think we're going to have a lot of options. Lehtera has played wing at the international events too. The coaches are going to have some options. It might take them a little bit of time this year; the first few games, maybe the first 15 or 20 games, to find a constant rhythm and then find the right pairings."

The Blues understand that regular-season victories, of which they've had plenty in the past few years, doesn't necessarily translate to postseason success. They won the first two games against the Kings in 2013, then dropped four straight. The scenario was the same this spring, when the Blues scored eight goals to win the first two games against the Blackhawks, only to lose the next four and score all of six goals. Adding a player of Stastny's caliber was a move that needed to be made, though Armstrong doesn't want to put too much pressure on the son of Hockey Hall of Famer (and former Blue) Peter Stastny.

"We're not asking anyone to come in here with a cape on and be Superman. We're just looking for another strong piece to a puzzle that can keep us competitive as we chase Colorado down for the division. They're the champs and they're the first team we have to take a look at catching and then if we're fortunate enough to do that and get into the playoffs, we want to have a guy that can compete at that time of year."

Stastny, who spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Avalanche, had 10 points in seven playoff games for the Avalanche, who lost in the first round to the Minnesota Wild after winning the Central Division title. He adds a versatile mix to the Blues that should highlight his strengths in coach Ken Hitchcock's 200-foot game.

"You look at the roster and you can put yourself in different positions, and see who you can play with, do different line combinations," Stastny said. "There's a variety of scary players on this team and whether some are natural centerman, or they're playing wing, or vice versa, you can move different pieces and I think that's what makes good teams really special. They have the ability to make ... three or four lines or they can go top-heavy and make two really effective lines. I think it's always a good option to have when you have so many good players available."

But the fact that the Blues are Stanley Cup contenders enticed Stastny, who grew up in St. Louis and attended a local high school (Chaminade College Prep)] during his freshman and sophomore years.

"I look at St. Louis and their window to win a Cup is now, and for the next seven or eight years, so I'm excited," said Stastny, who played with Backes, Oshie and Kevin Shattenkirk on the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2014 Sochi Games. He and Shattenkirk were also teammates in Colorado. "You've got to stay consistent [in the playoffs]. Everybody talks about elevating their game. I think the best players are the ones that are consistent, don't try to do too much, don't try to over-think, keep it simple. Obviously it's going to be more physical, there's not much room there. But you've got to find those open spots and be the smarter player. It takes a little luck and sometimes you've just got to play the same way."

Add Lehtera, who played the past three seasons in the KHL, to the mix, and the Blues feel they have more viable options down the middle against a rugged Western Conference.

"One of his greatest assets is his hockey IQ," Armstrong said of Stastny. "We really think he thinks the game strong. We think that he and Jori, both of these players can make their wingers better. We haven't had a true center iceman with top-end passing skill and I think both of these guys can find their wingers."

"Not only with the signing of Paul, I think that when it comes to Lehtera and getting him over here, who I had the opportunity to play against at the Olympics, you could tell he's just another big forward that we could really use," Shattenkirk said. "He's got great speed and great skill, especially talking here to Vladi Tarasenko, who knows him a little bit. We sign [Berglund], who has been a great part of our team. Someone who is another big body and has a lot of things in his game that really help us out. We've made some great moves ... as usual, Doug Armstrong has done a phenomenal job of putting the right pieces in play."

Thomas Vanek Excited To Sign For Wild

Two hours after agreeing to a three-year, $19.5 million contract, Thomas Vanek slipped on a Minnesota Wild jersey for the first time. Vanek, who makes his home about 20 minutes east of Xcel Energy Center in Stillwater, Minn., chose to take less money, over fewer years, to stay home and reap all the benefits that has to offer. The process that brought the forward to the Wild began last year. Offered a long-term contract extension by the New York Islanders, Vanek turned it down and instead chose to gamble on himself and perhaps a chance to return to the place he first came to in 2002 as a freshman at the University of Minnesota.

"Feels good. Looks good. It's beyond my wildest dreams," Vanek said. "It's still hard to put into words. This is a place I have spent a lot of time the last 10 years or so. What intrigued me the most was Zach [Parise] signing here and [Ryan] Suter signing here (prior to the 2012-13 season). This team was getting very good. About a year ago, when I made my decision to go to free agency, this was definitely a team I had in mind."

Coming off a seven-year contract worth $50 million he signed with the Buffalo Sabres in 2007, Vanek had several intriguing options when free agency began Tuesday, including one from the Islanders in an attempt to bring him back to New York, where he spent much of last season before being acquired by the Montreal Canadiens at the NHL Trade Deadline.

"I'm not going to sit here and say it was easy [turning down longer contracts]," Vanek said. "I really liked it on the Island and they were in the mix again today. I thought the line I played on there with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo was the best line I've been on. But at the end of the day, I made my decision and I'm not going to regret it."

What made the decision easier for Vanek, a native Austrian, is the presence of his family. His wife Ashley is from the area, and their home in suburban St. Paul is where she and their three sons have lived while Vanek has been away. Last season, as he was shipped from Buffalo to Long Island in October then from Long Island to Montreal in March, Vanek said he realized how much he missed his family, admitting it may have played a role in a subpar Stanley Cup Playoff performance with the Canadiens. Also playing a role in bringing Vanek to Minnesota was Wild forward Jason Pominville, one of his best friends and a former Sabres teammate, who will start a five-year contract extension he signed in Minnesota a year ago. Defenseman Keith Ballard, with whom Vanek won a national championship with the Golden Gophers in 2003, played a behind-the-scenes role in selling the Wild. Minnesota, at 2.43 goals per game, finished tied for 24th in the NHL last season. Since 2005-06, Vanek has been one of the League's most prolific goal-scorers, ranking eighth in goals (277) and 17th in even-strength goals (113). The Wild also hope their 16th-ranked power play unit will get a boost. Vanek's 161 power-play goals over that span rank third in the League.

"It certainly wasn't my best one," Vanek said of his playoffs. "I'll take the blame for that. It's not always easy moving around and being away from my family like I have been. Those aren't excuses, those are just factors that factor in for me … family is big for me. I didn't need much of a sales pitch. I remember when [Pominville] got traded here and he was, I wouldn't say disappointed, but shocked because he loved Buffalo. I told him, 'You'll like it there,' and about a week or so later, he called and said, 'You're right, I do like it here a lot.'"

"This guy has been a premier scorer since he entered the League," Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "He still managed to have 68 points despite playing in three cities. We really wanted a [right-handed] shot, we wanted someone who can play with top players, and we wanted someone who can help our power play."

Vanek's three-year contract carries an annual NHL salary-cap charge of $6.5 million and will pay him $5.5 million in 2014-15, $6.5 million in 2015-16, and $7.5 million in 2016-17, when he will be 33 years old. The Wild also signed defenseman Stu Bickel to a one-year, two-way contract; forward Brett Sutter to a two-year, two-way contract; and Guillaume Gelinas to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Pittsburgh's New Team

The Pittsburgh Penguins look drastically different than they did when Tuesday began after an active first day of free agency that was highlighted by the signing of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. The Penguins signed Ehrhoff to a one-year contract worth $4 million shortly after free agency began at noon ET. The 31-year-old defenseman became a free agent when he was bought out of the final seven years of his 10-year, $40 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

"Once he was bought out, of course he was going to get a lot of attention," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. "I made the call, like I'm sure several other teams did. I just made him aware that we were interested. … He loved the opportunity to come with the Penguins. He just felt let's give it one-year try with a good team with a chance to win."

Rutherford said he thinks Ehrhoff chose to sign a one-year contract with the Penguins instead of potential multiyear contracts other teams may have offered because he felt Pittsburgh would give him the best opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup. With defensemen Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, who each signed with the Washington Capitals, lost to free agency, Rutherford said the Penguins were fortunate to sign Ehrhoff at reasonable terms. Rutherford also said Ehrhoff's signing does not affect defenseman Paul Martin's status with Pittsburgh (Martin can become an unrestricted free agent next year).


"We like Paul a lot," he said. "Hopefully he can play here for several years. But certainly, with Orpik and Niskanen going out and all the good young defensemen we have coming, Paul in the last year of his contract, that gives us a little more protection with Ehrhoff even though he is on a one-year contract."

Pittsburgh did not address its second forward line, which had center Evgeni Malkin's former linemates, James Neal and Jussi Jokinen, leave during the past few days. Jokinen signed with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, and Neal was traded to the Nashville Predators for forwards Nick Spaling and Patric Hornqvist during the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft on Friday.

"I'm not sure we have to get a top-six forward at this time," Rutherford said. "We don't necessarily need to have our team all set for a playoff run in September. So we'll watch this over a period of time, over the first half of the season. Certainly with the addition of Hornqvist, [forward Pascal] Dupuis can go back on the top six. Spaling may be able to play there too. If something comes along and we can figure it out cap-wise, we'll take a look at it, but I'm not going to get anxious about it at this point."

The Penguins did sign three forwards, bringing back Marcel Goc for one season at $1.2 million, and adding former Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Blake Comeau on a one-year, $700,000 deal. Goc had two assists in 12 regular-season games after being acquired from the Florida Panthers, and one assist in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games. Pittsburgh also re-signed Nick Drazenovich to a one-year, two-way contract; Drazenovich played one NHL game, spending most of the season in the American Hockey League. Despite rumors Pittsburgh was pursuing forward Nikolai Kulemin to play alongside Malkin, Rutherford said "it would take someone getting very, very creative" to make that happen. Rutherford said he does not feel pressured to sign another forward after saying Friday the Penguins would acquire at least two when free agency began.

"I guess there's always a chance [the Penguins could sign Kulemin]," Rutherford said. "As we speak, there's nothing in those regards."

Defenseman Deryk Engelland (Calgary Flames) and forwards Joe Vitale (Arizona Coyotes) and Tanner Glass (New York Rangers) signed elsewhere Tuesday. Engelland played primarily on Pittsburgh's third defensive pairing last season, and Vitale and Glass were mainstays in the bottom six. Pittsburgh also brought in goalie Thomas Greiss to compete with Jeff Zatkoff for the backup position behind starter Marc-Andre Fleury. Greiss was the Penguins' third signing at a one-year term Tuesday, with his contract worth $1 million.

"We had a really good day today," Rutherford said. "We did have a little concern with our defense. We are very fortunate to sign Christian Ehrhoff to fill that void. … We also wanted to add more depth at goaltending and Thomas Greiss was a guy that I've liked for a long time and he'll certainly be able to add some more depth to that position. Then also with the addition of Comeau … he skates real well, he's got size, and I like that addition."

Western Conference Looking Strong

Much of the offseason work before the start of the 2014-15 season has now been completed, and the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks remain the class of the Western Conference. The list of possible contenders queuing up behind those two powers is growing, though, with several teams looking better on paper after a series of trades and the first day of free agency. It was the tougher conference in 2013-14, but the battle for the top eight spots in the Western Conference next season could be incredible. Los Angeles and Chicago have been relatively quiet on the roster-construction front since meeting in an epic seven-game Western Conference Final.
The Kings re-signed all of their key free agents except for defenseman Willie Mitchell, who landed with the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Blackhawks added Brad Richards, who was bought out by the Stanley Cup finalist New York Rangers, on a one-year deal to replace Michal Handzus. Young players on each team (Brayden McNabb in Los Angeles; Teuvo Teravainen and Jeremy Morin in Chicago) can attain full-time roles, but otherwise the rosters could look similar in October to the ones that played in June. Other teams set out this week to chase down the two superpowers, who have combined for four of the past five NHL championships. After several days of trades and a flurry of free-agent signings Tuesday, the road back to the conference final is not going to be easy for the Kings or Blackhawks.

One of the teams that pushed the Kings to seven games in the playoffs, the Anaheim Sucks, added centers Ryan Kesler and Nate Thompson to try to close the gap in one area Los Angeles had a clear advantage against them. The Sucks also signed defenseman Clayton Stoner, but he might not be much of an upgrade on what they have on the blue line. Aside from Kesler, the biggest reason for optimism in Orange County is the potential contributions of Rickard Rakell, Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly, Stefan Noesen, William Karlsson, Shea Theodore, Nicolas Kerdiles and elite young goaltender John Gibson.

The top contender to Chicago in the Central Division remains the St. Louis Blues, and they might finally have enough offense to get past the first round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This season, the Blues fell to the Blackhawks in six games in the first round, losing the final four games of the series. The Blues added top free-agent center Paul Stastny and convinced another, Jori Lehtera, to finally come to North America after drafting him in 2008.

Colorado had a magical regular season in 2013-14, but the Avalanche have lost Stastny and PA Parenteau and added Daniel Briere and Jarome Iginla. Nathan MacKinnon could reach elite player/Hart Trophy-candidate status, but the Avalanche were going to be hard-pressed to repeat the success of last season to begin with, and now other contenders in the Central may have passed them in the past few days.

The Dallas Stars looked like a franchise on the rise last season and now appear to be a chic pick for a deep playoff run in 2014-15. Dallas general manager Jim Nill added a center (Jason Spezza) and, maybe as importantly, a skilled wing (Ales Hemsky) to give the Stars a formidable top-six forward group.

Despite a serious injury to goaltender Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators only missed the postseason by three points last season. GM David Poile tried to land Spezza but was rebuffed. Instead, Nashville added forward James Neal from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Predators have a dynamic goal-scorer to go with their elite goal-prevention abilities.

Then there is the team that knocked Colorado out of the playoffs in the first round, the Minnesota Wild. They added a goal-scoring wing, Thomas Vanek, and, like Anaheim, have several young players who could help the team improve with their personal gains.

The Pacific looks like it will continue to be controlled by the California teams. Los Angeles and Anaheim are loaded, and though there has been plenty of discussion about the coming "rebuild" for the San Jose Sharks, it could end up being a lot of talk. None of the key players from the Sharks have left the Bay Area, and if all that happens is the team gets younger on defense, San Jose can again be the team that was right there with Los Angeles at the end of last season.

Though it looks like at least six of the seven teams in the Central could make a run at 100 points if everything broke just right, there could be a scramble for fourth place behind the three California teams in the Pacific. One team, the Edmonton Oilers, might have needed to spend a lot of money to make a couple of savvy moves Tuesday, but adding defenseman Mark Fayne and forward Benoit Pouliot will help them be a better possession team. The defense should be better, and the goaltending with Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth for a full season almost certainly will be markedly improved. It might not be enough to push the Oilers into the playoffs, but it could mean a significant uptick in points.

It is a long time until the Kings raise their latest Stanley Cup banner on opening night against the Sharks at Staples Center, but the moves made in the past few days have the Western Conference looking like a minefield of talented, deep teams again. If the Kings are going to win a third in title in four seasons, or the Blackhawks a third in six, it certainly looks like it could take another brutal march through the first three rounds of the playoffs to do so.

Coyotes Release Ribeiro Sign Gagner

Forward Sam Gagner was traded twice Sunday, winding up in Glendale. The Coyotes acquired the center and right wing B.J. Crombeen from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a sixth-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Tampa Bay earlier obtained Gagner from the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for right wing Teddy Purcell. The Coyotes were in the market for a center after buying out Mike Ribeiro on Friday. Gagner, 24, had 10 goals and 27 assists in 67 games last season after missing the first 13 games recovering from a broken jaw. He has two years remaining on a contract with an annual NHL salary-cap charge of $4.8 million, according to CapGeek.com. Gagner was the No. 6 pick in the 2007 NHL Draft and had eight points (four goals, four assists) in a game Feb. 2, 2012 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Crombeen, 28, had three goals and seven assists in 55 games last season. He had 79 penalty minutes and has 771 in 387 NHL games. He will make $1.15 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent, CapGeek states.

"It's been a roller coaster of emotions," Gagner said, according to The Canadian Press. "I was talking to my agent, and he had said when Tampa [Bay] traded for me that there might be something else going on. So it was something that I was prepared for. I wasn't really expecting to be traded (again) today."

"It came together in a hurry," Arizona general manager Don Maloney said, according to the CP. "I think there's three [teams] that feel pretty good about our day so far. [Sam] has the intelligence, character and skill set we were looking for and we believe he has further growth in his game. B.J. is a great fit for us. He is a big, strong, character player who will be a leader on the ice and in our locker room."

Purcell, 28, had 12 goals and 30 assists in 82 games last season. The undrafted free agent has missed three games in the past four seasons and has two years remaining on a contract with an annual NHL salary-cap charge of $4.5 million, according to the website. The Lightning also traded center Nate Thompson to the Anaheim Sucks for a fourth-round and a seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft. Thompson, 29, had nine goals and seven assists in 81 games. He will make $1.6 million in each of the next three seasons, according to CapGeek.

It’s one thing for a team to buy out a player’s contract. It’s another to flat out admit that signing the player was a mistake. It’s totally another to say that the buy out is happening because of “behavioral issues.” Which is all to say that the Coyotes buying out Mike Ribeiro is anything but typical. The Coyotes initiated a buyout of Ribeiro’s three remaining years on Friday. It’s not a compliance buyout, meaning that the Coyotes are on the hook for $1,944,444 against the cap through 2020. They had signed Ribeiro last summer to a 4-year, $22-million free agent contract after he amassed 49 points in 48 games for the Washington Crapitals in 2012-13. He didn’t find the same success in Arizona, with 47 points in 80 games. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett even made him a healthy scratch late in the season. But the big news here is that GM Don Maloney flat out said that Ribeiro’s buy out was motivated by behavioral issues. From the Arizona Republic:

"Mike had some real behavior issues last year with us I felt we could not tolerate going forward," General Manager Don Maloney said. "To his credit, he has been getting help this offseason and obviously would hope he continues. But at the end of the year and all the background checking and what happened, we felt that for us to move forward, we couldn't have him a part of this team."

From Maloney: "We realize this is a fairly significant cost to us, but we also know we have to have certain people and leaders here to make us successful and certain levels of behavior we'll tolerate," Maloney said. "Hey, we all have our issues and no one's an angel. When we're looking at older players, there's certain things we accept and certain things we can't and it doesn't matter how much they make. They have to do the right thing for the organization, and we feel this is the right thing.”

The team gave Ribeiro the term he was seeking, and was confident that he would be on his best behavior under Tippett, for whom he played for in Dallas. Said Maloney, to the Republic: “We weren't naïve to some of the issues of the past, but we felt it could be manageable and managed," Maloney said. "Obviously, it was a mistake."

Penguins Announce Three Signings

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, forward Blake Comeau and goaltender Thomas Greiss to one-year contracts. Ehrhoff, who turns 33 Sunday, will receive $4 million this season. He had received a compliance buyout from the Buffalo Sabres last week, making him an unrestricted free agent. He had seven years remaining on his contract with the Sabres prior to the buyout. Ehrhoff had 33 points in 79 games last season for Buffalo. He has 313 points in 692 NHL games played with the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Sabres.

Comeau, 28, signed for $700,000. He had five goals, 16 points and a career-best 197 hits in 61 games. A 2004 second-round pick (No. 47) of the New York Islanders, Comeau has 72 goals and 164 points in 422 games with the Islanders, Calgary Flames and Blue Jackets.

Greiss, 28, went 10-8-5 with a 2.29 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and two shutouts in 25 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. A 2004 third-round pick (No. 94) of the San Jose Sharks, Greiss is 27-24-8 with a 2.43 GAA and .915 save percentage in 69 NHL games.

Dallas Stars Sign Senators Duo

The Dallas Stars acquired center Jason Spezza from the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, and agreed to terms with former Senators forward Ales Hemsky on a three-year contract. In exchange for Spezza, the Senators received forwards Alex Chiasson, Nicholas Paul and Alexander Guptill, plus a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. The Stars also received forward Ludwig Karlsson. The Stars also signed goaltender Anders Lindback to a one-year contract. Hemsky had 17 points in 20 games, playing mostly with Spezza, after Ottawa acquired him in a trade from the Edmonton Oilers on March 5. He has 494 points in 672 games, including 477 points in 652 games with the Oilers. Hemsky had 43 points in 75 games last season, the most he's had in a season since he had 66 in 2008-09. He hasn't appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2006, when Edmonton made a run to the Stanley Cup Final. Spezza had to waive his no-trade clause to go to Dallas. Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray said June 11 that Spezza had requested a trade and last week Murray had a trade in place with the Nashville Predators but Spezza rejected the move. Spezza has one year remaining on a contract that carries a $7 million NHL salary-cap charge. He is owed $4 million in salary having already been paid $45 million of the $49 million total value of his contract, according to CapGeek.com. He can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2014-15 season and said he has not had contract talks with Dallas. Ottawa saved approximately $6.1 million in salary-cap space in the trade. Chiasson has one year left on his entry-level contract with a salary-cap charge of $866,000. Paul and Guptill are not expected to be on the Senators' NHL roster in 2014-15. Spezza likely will be the Stars' second-line center behind Seguin, who had 37 goals and 84 points in 80 games last season, his first in Dallas after being acquired from the Boston Bruins last summer. Spezza has played his entire career for the Senators, and has 251 goals and 687 points in 686 games. Ottawa selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2001 NHL Draft. He has played at least 60 games in nine of the past 10 seasons; a back injury limited him to five games in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Chiasson, 23, had 13 goals, 35 points and a minus-21 rating in 79 games for the Stars last season after scoring five goals in his first nine games. He had two points and a minus-7 rating in six Stanley Cup Playoff games. Paul, 19, was invited to Hockey Canada's National Junior Team Evaluation Camp in August in Montreal. He had 26 goals and 46 points in 67 games for the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League last season. Dallas selected him in the fourth round (No. 101) of the 2013 NHL Draft. Guptill, 22, finished his collegiate career at the University of Michigan last season before joining the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. He had two assists in five games in the AHL regular season but did not get into a game during Texas' run to the Calder Cup championship. Dallas selected Guptill in the third round of the 2010 NHL Draft (No. 77). Karlsson split last season between the Binghamton Senators of the AHL and the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He had zero points in eight AHL games, and 11 goals and 24 points in 39 ECHL games. He has one year remaining on his contract. Lindback, 26, spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was 8-12-2 last season with a 2.90 goals-against average and .891 save percentage and also started all four games for the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after Ben Bishop was injured.

"I'm very excited," Spezza said on a conference call with reporters. "Dallas is a team from the get-go that I thought would be a good fit for me. I think me and Brian sat down at the end of the season and we had a very frank conversation of where I thought the team was at and where I thought I was at and where I felt was the best fit for myself. I think that it was best for me to move on. I think Brian felt it could help the team to have me move on too, so it was tough. It was a tough decision and you know how much I've liked being there and playing there, but I felt like go on to the next chapter of my career. I want to try to win a Stanley Cup, and I felt like a change of scenery could help me get there and to get to a team where I could play with some of the forward depth that I'm getting with [Jamie] Benn, [Tyler] Seguin and those guys. I think that I want to go there, just establish myself and play and show them how much I can contribute and just help the hockey team win. The contract stuff always takes care of itself. If it's a fit for the team and it's a fit for me, then we move forward with that, but it's not a focus at all. I couldn't be more thrilled with the young group they have there [in Dallas]; I think I can really add to that team."

"I talked with Dallas even before Jason got traded, but I talk to Jason a lot the last couple weeks," Hemsky said. "I talked to him about that and asked him about his options. I didn’t know he was going to get traded there or he would go somewhere else. It wasn't a huge factor because they told me I could play with a lot of good players, but now it's even better that Jason got traded there, so I'm very happy about that."

"I'm thrilled because we had great chemistry at the end of the year," Spezza said of reuniting with Hemsky. "So it's nice to hear. We played on a line for 23, 24 games, so we got to know each other pretty well pretty quickly. So that's exciting for me, for sure."

"I'm just excited for the opportunity," said Lindback, who began his career with the Nashville Predators after he was selected in the seventh round (No. 207) of the 2008 NHL Draft. "I played in the West with Nashville, so I know it's a little different from the East. It's a little more travel, especially living and playing for Dallas. It's a really tough conference, but it's a challenge I'm taking right now. Dallas has a very interesting team with a lot of good players, especially with adding a couple pieces today, so I'm really excited and looking forward here to the challenge."

NHL Free Agency Signings

Vancouver - The Canucks signed veteran Ryan Miller to a three-year contract Tuesday reportedly worth $18 million, according to multiple sources. A little more than one year removed from having Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo as their goaltending tandem, the Canucks went into the free-agent signing period with promising but unproven Swedes Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom. They quickly targeted Miller, the premier goalie on the open market, bringing him into Vancouver over the weekend and signing him early in free agency Tuesday. Miller, who turns 34 July 17, brings needed experience to the Canucks crease. The Michigan native spent his first 12 seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization before being traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 1. But there are questions about his level and style of play after struggling with the Blues in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2010, the same year he helped the United States to a silver medal and was named tournament MVP at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. He had a .929 save percentage in his Vezina-winning season but has a .916 save percentage in the four seasons since. Part of that decline likely involved playing behind a struggling Sabres team, but Miller got off to a great start last season, earning a spot on the U.S. team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics while putting up a .923 save percentage. He was billed as the missing piece to the St. Louis Stanley Cup puzzle after being acquired by the Blues, but after a strong start Miller struggled. He finished with a .903 save percentage in 19 regular-season games and dropped to .897 while being knocked out of the playoffs in six games by the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference First Round. Despite the drop, Miller has remained consistently above the NHL average save percentage over the past four seasons. He made $6.25 million per season in his expiring five-year contract but was facing a free-agent market with few teams looking for a clear-cut No. 1. Some wonder if the Canucks should have been in that mix after Lack got off to a great start in his first full NHL season. He had a .925 save percentage when the Canucks shocked many by starting him ahead of Luongo at the 2014 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, a decision Luongo later said led to his trade to the Florida Panthers three days later for a package that included Markstrom. But Lack wilted at times while playing a Canucks rookie record 20 straight games, finishing the season with a .912 save percentage and seven wins in his 16 starts after Luongo was traded. Limiting Lack's starts by bringing in Miller should allow Vancouver goaltending coach Roland Melanson to continue to work with the 26-year-old Swede between starts, development time that was missing late last season. The fit between Melanson, who likes his goalies to play a contained, patient game, and a more aggressive Miller is less clear. Miller is an aggressive goaltender, playing at or beyond the top edge of his crease and frequently challenging shooters with poke checks. Markstrom, a 24-year-old who was picked 31st by Florida in the 2008 NHL Draft, will make $1.4 million on a one-way contract next season and would have to clear waivers before being sent to the American Hockey League. The Canucks cleared salary-cap space at the 2014 NHL Draft over the weekend by trading center Ryan Kesler to the Anaheim Sucks and defenseman Jason Garrison to the Tampa Bay Lightning.


Minnesota - The Wild signed forward Thomas Vanek to a three-year contract on Tuesday. The contract is reportedly worth $19.5 million, giving Vanek a $6.5 million annual salary-cap charge. Vanek played collegiately at the University of Minnesota and his wife is from Minnesota. The Vanek family had been making the state their offseason home, but now they will be living there full-time. Vanek, 30, is taking a pay cut from his previous contract. He was making $7.1 million per season on a seven-year contract he originally signed with the Buffalo Sabres. He was reportedly offered a seven-year, $50 million contract from the New York Islanders during the season, but turned it down because he wanted to test free agency. Vanek comes to the Wild after a disappointing run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. He had five goals and 10 points in 17 games and was demoted to the fourth line in the Eastern Conference Final. However, Vanek had 68 points in 78 games with the Sabres, Islanders and Canadiens last season. He was at his best with the Islanders, when he had 44 points in 47 games playing primarily with center John Tavares and right wing Kyle Okposo. The Islanders wanted to keep them together, but once Vanek turned down their contract offer they felt they had to trade him. They traded him to the Canadiens on March 5 for forward Sebastien Collberg and a second-round draft pick. The Islanders acquired Vanek from the Sabres on Oct. 27 for forward Matt Moulson, a first-round pick in 2014 and a second-round pick in 2015. Vanek should take Moulson's vacated spot in the Wild's top six. Moulson signed a five-year contract with the Sabres on Tuesday. Vanek has 277 goals and 556 points in 663 career regular-season games. He has 30 points in 53 career playoff games.


St Louis - The Blues signed center Paul Stastny to a four-year contract Tuesday. The contract is reportedly worth $28 million, giving Stastny a $7 million salary-cap charge. Stastny, the son of Peter Stastny, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, is from St. Louis. Stastny has played eight seasons in the NHL totaling 538 games, all with the Colorado Avalanche. He had 60 points, including 25 goals, in 71 games last season. He has 458 points in his career, including 18 points in 22 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Stastny had five goals and five assists for 10 points in seven playoff games last season playing with Calder Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. The Blues now have David Backes and Stastny as their top-two centers as they try to compete in the Western Conference, which has several contenders loaded with elite center depth. The Dallas Stars acquired Jason Spezza on Tuesday, giving them Tyler Seguin and Spezza as their top-two centers. The Los Angeles Kings have Anze Kopitar and Jeff Carter and the Anaheim Sucks have Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. The San Jose Sharks currently have Joe Thornton and Logan Couture as well as Joe Pavelski. The Avalanche had Matt Duchene and Stastny, but could move MacKinnon to center, his more natural position, with Stastny's departure to St. Louis. Stastny, though, said a selling point to him was the Blues' defense corps, featuring Alex Pietrangelo, Jay Bouwmeester, Kevin Shattenkirk, Carl Gunnarsson, Barret Jackman and Jordan Leopold. Stastny has a history of playing with some of his new teammates in international competition. He most recently was on the 2014 U.S. Olympic team with Shattenkirk, Backes and forward T.J. Oshie.


Colorado - Jarome Iginla is heading back to the Western Conference, this time to play for the Colorado Avalanche on a three-year contract worth $16 million, according to multiple media reports. Iginla scored 30 goals and had 61 points last season when he was on a one-year contract with the Boston Bruins. Iginla and the Bruins were hopeful of continuing the relationship, but Boston was unable to meet his contract demands because of its salary-cap constraints. The Bruins have approximately $1.64 million in salary-cap space, according to CapGeek.com. Iginla played the first 16-plus seasons of his NHL career in the Western Conference with the Calgary Flames before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins late in the 2012-13 season. Colorado wasn't able to re-sign center Paul Stastny, who signed a four-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. It's possible that Calder Trophy-winner Nathan MacKinnon moves from wing to center to take over Stastny's spot and Iginla fills the top-six role MacKinnon occupied. Iginla has 560 goals and 1,167 points in 1,310 games. He has scored 30 or more goals in 12 straight full NHL seasons. He had a combined 14 goals with the Flames and Penguins in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. The Avalanche also announced today that they have acquired defenseman Brad Stuart from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft and a sixth-round choice in the 2017 NHL Draft.


NY Rangers - The New York Rangers have signed defenseman Dan Boyle. Terms were not revealed, but the contract is reportedly for two years and worth $9 million, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. The Rangers also re-signed forward Dominic Moore and signed forwards Tanner Glass and Chris Mueller, and defenseman Michael Kostka. Financial terms of the contracts were not released, but Newsday reported Moore signed a two-year, $3 million contract while Glass agreed to a three-year, $4.35 million according to the Post. The team announced Kostka signed for one year. Boyle spent the past six seasons with the San Jose Sharks, who traded his negotiating rights to the New York Islanders on June 5. The veteran turns 38 on July 12. He scored 12 goals and 36 points in 75 games with the Sharks last season, and in 954 games with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Sharks he has 144 goals and 561 points. He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and the Stanley Cup in 2004 as a member of the Lightning. Moore, 33, returned last season after a one-year sabbatical from hockey and had 18 points in 73 regular-season games and three goals and eight points in 25 Stanley Cup Playoff games to help the Rangers reach the Stanley Cup Final. He won the Masterton Trophy this season for perseverance and dedication to the game. Glass, 30, had 13 points in 67 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, and did not have a point in eight playoff games. In seven seasons with the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets and Penguins, Glass has 18 goals, 54 points and 458 penalty minutes in 377 games. Kostka, 28, had four goals and 11 points in 28 games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning last season. He also had two assists in three playoff games with the Lightning. In parts of two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blackhawks and Lightning, Kostka has four goals and 19 points in 63 games. Mueller, 28, played in nine games with the Dallas Stars in 2013-14 and four playoff games. He spent most of the season with the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, where he had 25 goals and 57 points. He also had 11 points in 19 AHL playoff games to help Texas win the Calder Cup.


Calgary - Goaltender Jonas Hiller has signed a two-year contract with the Flames. Financial terms were not released but media reports indicate it's worth $9 million.


Washington - The Crapitals have signed free-agent defenseman Brooks Orpik to a five-year, $27.5 million contract.


Edmonton - The Oilers made an early splash in free agency on Tuesday by signing forward Benoit Pouliot and defenseman Mark Fayne to multiyear contracts. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Oilers announced that Pouliot was signed to a five-year contract and Fayne to a four-year contract. Pouliot had 15 goals and 36 points in 80 games for the New York Rangers in 2013-14. Fayne had four goals and 11 points in 72 games for the New Jersey Devils last season.


New Jersey - New Jersey have signed forward Mike Cammalleri to a five-year, $25 million contract.


Montreal - The Canadiens traded defenseman Josh Gorges to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday for a second-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft. The pick was previously acquired from the Minnesota Wild. They also wasted no time filling the hole left by the trade of center Daniel Briere one day prior by signing center Manny Malhotra to a one-year contract reportedly worth $850,000 on Tuesday.


Tampa Bay - Defenseman Anton Stralman on Tuesday signed a five-year contract with the Lightning. Financial terms were not released, but multiple media reports placed the total value at $22.5 million, an average annual value of $4.5 million.


Buffalo - The Sabres today announced the signing of forward Matt Moulson to a multi-year contract.