NHL offseason grades: Metropolitan Division
Divisions:
Pacific | Central
Atlantic | Metropolitan
There were only a few big-name signings from Metro Division teams this offseason, but clubs and players still made franchise-altering decisions.
Here's how each Metropolitan squad fared this offseason:
Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value does not include bonuses.
Carolina Hurricanes
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dougie Hamilton | D | 3 years | $17.25M (trade with Flames) |
| Micheal Ferland | LW | 1 year | $1.75M (trade with Flames) |
| Petr Mrazek | G | 1 year | $1.5M |
| Calvin de Haan | D | 4 years | $18.2M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Noah Hanifin | D | Traded to Flames |
| Elias Lindholm | C | Traded to Flames |
| Derek Ryan | C | Signed with Flames |
| Cam Ward | G | Signed with Blackhawks |
| Jeff Skinner | LW | Traded to Sabres |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Andrei Svechnikov | RW | 2018 1st-round pick |
| Valentin Zykov | LW | 2013 2nd-round pick (Kings) |
| Martin Necas | C | 2017 1st-round pick |
| Warren Foegele | LW | 2014 3rd-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valentin Zykov | LW | 2 years | $1.35M |
| Trevor van Riemsdyk | D | 2 years | $4.6M |
It was a busy offseason in Raleigh to say the least. Hamilton and de Haan were added to one of the league's best blue lines. Losing Skinner's scoring punch up front will hurt, but he's on the last year of his contract and was unlikely to re-sign.
Overall, the Hurricanes are headed in the right direction, but their failure to appropriately address goaltending and center woes will likely keep them out of the playoffs again.
Grade: B
Columbus Blue Jackets
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Nash | C | 3 years | $8.25M |
| Anthony Duclair | LW | 1 year | $650K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Vanek | LW | Signed with Red Wings |
| Matt Calvert | LW | Signed with Avalanche |
| Jack Johnson | D | Signed with Penguins |
| Ian Cole | D | Signed with Avalanche |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Carlsson | D | 2015 1st-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Jenner | LW | 4 years | $15M |
| Ryan Murray | D | 1 year | $2.825M |
| Oliver Bjorkstrand | RW | 3 years | $7.5M |
The Blue Jackets didn't address the two big elephants in the room: Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, who are both unrestricted free agents after this season. Bobrovsky and the club are far apart in negotiations, and Panarin has halted extension talks until next offseason. The Jackets can't afford to lose their two most valuable players for nothing.
Unless general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has some tricks up his sleeve, failing to sign or trade at least one of those players this offseason is a colossal misstep, especially since the Blue Jackets aren't realistic Stanley Cup contenders in 2018-19.
On the bright side, signing Riley Nash was a very savvy move.
Grade: D+
New Jersey Devils
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Gryba | D | 1 year | $700K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Maroon | LW | Signed with Blues |
| Michael Grabner | RW | Signed with Coyotes |
| John Moore | D | Signed with Bruins |
| Jimmy Hayes | RW | Signed with Penguins |
| Brian Gibbons | LW | Signed with Ducks |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| John Quenneville | RW | 2014 1st-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stefan Noesen | RW | 1 year | $1.725M |
| Blake Coleman | LW | 3 years | $5.4M |
| Miles Wood | LW | 4 years | $11M |
The Devils' quiet offseason made it easy to forget they exist. They didn't add anyone who will be a lineup regular.
Instead, they'll rely on internal depth to replace veterans who departed. GM Ray Shero is likely saving his cap space for next summer, but that could result in the Devils falling short of returning to the playoffs this season.
Grade: C-
New York Islanders
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valtteri Filppula | C | 1 year | $2.75M |
| Leo Komarov | LW | 4 years | $12M |
| Tom Kuhnhackl | RW | 1 year | $700K |
| Robin Lehner | G | 1 year | $1.5M |
| Matt Martin | LW | 2 years | $5M (trade with Maple Leafs) |
| Jan Kovar | C | 1 year | $2M |
| Luca Sbisa | D | 1 year | $1.5M |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| John Tavares | C | Signed with Maple Leafs |
| Nikolai Kulemin | RW | Signed in KHL |
| Jaroslav Halak | G | Signed with Bruins |
| Calvin de Haan | D | Signed with Hurricanes |
| Shane Prince | LW | Signed in Swiss league |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
N/A
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Hickey | D | 4 years | $10M |
| Ross Johnston | LW | 4 years | $4M |
| Ryan Pulock | D | 2 years | $4M |
| Brock Nelson | C | 1 year | $4.25M |
It was a dark offseason for the Islanders. They lost Tavares, their franchise player, and signed a bunch of misfit veterans up front in an attempt to replace him. The Isles may have been better off turning the page with a youth movement, allowing Josh Ho-Sang, Kieffer Bellows, and Michael Dal Colle to make the team.
The team's biggest offseason acquisitions came in the front office (Lou Lamoriello) and behind the bench (Barry Trotz). But that won't be enough to heal the wounds from Tavares leaving.
Grade: D
New York Rangers
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam McQuaid | D | 1 year | $2.75M (trade with Bruins) |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| David Desharnais | C | Signed in KHL |
| Ondrej Pavelec | G | Retired |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Howden | C | 2016 1st-round pick (Lightning) |
| Filip Chytil | C | 2017 1st-round pick |
| Vinni Lettieri | C | Undrafted |
| Alexandar Georgiev | G | Undrafted |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vladislav Namestnikov | LW | 2 years | $8M |
| Jimmy Vesey | LW | 2 years | $4.5M |
| Brady Skjei | D | 6 years | $31.5M |
| Kevin Hayes | C | 1 year | $5.175M |
| Ryan Spooner | C | 2 years | $8M |
The Rangers didn't do much to improve, which is fine because the club is clearly rebuilding. They also didn't really have much of a choice with just a little over $1 million in cap space.
For the first time in a while, the Rangers won't head into the season expecting to make the playoffs, but their youth movement is starting.
Grade: C-
Philadelphia Flyers
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| James van Riemsdyk | LW | 5 years | $35M |
| Christian Folin | D | 1 year | $800K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Valtteri Filppula | C | Signed with Islanders |
| Petr Mrazek | G | Signed with Red Wings |
| Brandon Manning | D | Signed with Blackhawks |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Oskar Lindblom | LW | 2014 5th-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Morin | D | 3 years | $2.1M |
| Robert Hagg | D | 2 years | $2.3M |
The Flyers made one huge splash this offseason, bringing back a familiar face in James van Riemsdyk. He'll immediately help the team's offense - specifically in front of the net on the power play - but his long-term deal might not age well because of his one-dimensional skill set and lack of foot speed.
Philly's offense might be one of the league's best, but - stop us if you've heard this before - shaky goaltending could prohibit a deep playoff run.
Grade: B-
Pittsburgh Penguins
Key arrivals
| Player | Position | Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Cullen | C | 1 year | $650K |
| Jack Johnson | D | 5 years | $16.25M |
| Derek Grant | C | 1 year | $650K |
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Conor Sheary | LW | Traded to Sabres |
| Matt Hunwick | D | Traded to Sabres |
| Tom Kuhnhackl | RW | Signed with Islanders |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
N/A
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Sheahan | C | 1 year | $2.1M |
| Bryan Rust | RW | 4 years | $14M |
| Daniel Sprong | RW | 2 years | $1.5M |
| Dominik Simon | LW | 2 years | $1.5M |
| Jamie Oleksiak | D | 2 years | $6.4125M |
Pittsburgh's biggest move of the offseason was handing out an egregious five-year contract to 31-year-old Jack Johnson, who's coming off arguably the worst season of his career.
However, the Pens managed to keep most of the core contributors to their 2016 and 2017 championship-winning teams, giving them another shot at competing for a title.
Grade: C
Washington Capitals
Key arrivals
N/A
Key departures
| Player | Position | Transaction |
|---|---|---|
| Philipp Grubauer | G | Traded to Avalanche |
| Jay Beagle | C | Signed with Canucks |
| Alex Chiasson | RW | Signed with Oilers |
Rookies who could crack the lineup
| Player | Position | Drafted |
|---|---|---|
| Travis Boyd | C | 2011 6th-round pick |
Re-signed
| Player | Position | New Contract Length | Total Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Carlson | D | 8 years | $64M |
| Devante Smith-Pelly | RW | 1 year | $1M |
| Michal Kempny | D | 4 years | $10M |
| Brooks Orpik | D | 1 year | $1M |
| Madison Bowey | D | 2 years | $2M |
| Tom Wilson | RW | 6 years | $31M |
Against all odds, Caps GM Brian MacLellan brought back nearly his team's entire 2018 Stanley Cup champion roster, minus fourth-line center Jay Beagle. It took some shrewd maneuvering, dumping Brooks Orpik's $5.5-million cap hit into Colorado's lap and dangling backup goalie Philipp Grubauer as the incentive. The Avs then bought out Orpik, who returned to the Capitals on a contract worth $4.5 million less.
Carlson's massive extension deservedly drew headlines. But retaining Kempny, his defense partner, on a reasonable contract flew under the radar.
Many balked at Wilson's big extension, but if he can become a consistent 20-goal scorer while remaining an imposing physical presence, his deal will turn out just fine.
Grade: A-