Capitals overhaul roster most of any contender in the East
A number of hours into NHL free company, the Washington Capitals had two new goaltenders and a alternative for the defenseman they misplaced to Seattle.
They had been removed from accomplished. They traded for winger Connor Brown, signed forwards Dylan Strome and Henrik Borgstrom and defenseman Gabriel Carlsson, and introduced again versatile homegrown product Marcus Johansson to increase his second stint in Washington.
Whereas the New York Rangers made a splash by including Vincent Trocheck and the Columbus Blue Jackets did the identical by signing Johnny Gaudreau, no Jap Convention contender overhauled its roster greater than the Capitals. Now with Darcy Kuemper as their starter in web and Charlie Lindgren backing him up, they hope these strikes are sufficient to compensate for accidents that may preserve key gamers out for no less than the primary month of the season, and in a single case doubtless for much longer.
“I’m enthusiastic about our acquisitions and anxious to see how they give the impression of being within the lineup,” normal supervisor Brian MacLellan stated this week. “We’re completely satisfied. We achieved what we wished to do, beginning with the goalies. After which we added some forwards which are fairly complementary gamers to what we already had.”
Modifications had been wanted for Washington after 4 consecutive first-round exits following their Stanley Cup championship in 2018. Prime proper winger Tom Wilson undergoing left ACL surgery and heart Nicklas Backstrom having a hip operation additionally left main holes within the lineup.
Enter Brown, who arrived from the Ottawa Senators in a commerce that value the Capitals a 2024 second-round choose. The 28-year-old going into the ultimate yr of his contract may fill Wilson’s spot on the primary line alongside Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov and likewise play vital minutes on the penalty kill.
“I see myself a top-notch killer, and I feel I can assist the penalty kill in a giant method,” Brown stated. “Defensively as a ahead, I steal pucks and play tenacious, and I like to think about myself as doing slightly little bit of all the pieces.”
Strome, who scored 22 objectives and is simply 25 years outdated, was not tendered a qualifying provide by the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawk. He could possibly be Backstrom’s alternative if wanted.
“Clearly I like to supply offense, like to assist on the facility play,” Strome stated. “That’s the place I’m at my finest.”
Naturally, the Capitals weren’t the one staff within the East to make waves in latest weeks.
NEW YORK RANGERS
A visit to the East remaining maybe got here forward of schedule for the Rangers due to Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin and coach of the yr finalist Gerard Gallant. Now New York is making strikes to ascertain itself as one of many high groups within the convention.
Signing Trocheck for seven years and $39.375 million is one other step towards doing that. Trocheck is an improve at heart over Ryan Strome, who left for Anaheim, and he could possibly be a star alongside winger Artemi Panarin.
The Rangers additionally began the goalie carousel spinning by trading Alexandar Georgiev to the defending champion Colorado Avalanche. They changed him with veteran backup Jaroslav Halak.
A very powerful aim was to maintain the band collectively, and the Penguins did that by re-signing defenseman Kris Letang for six years and Evgeni Malkin for 4. Along with Sidney Crosby, they’ve gained the Cup 3 times since 2009 and may be a part of no matter on-the-fly retooling GM Ron Hextall desires to to.
Hextall additionally added two-time Cup-winning defenseman Jan Rutta on a wise, three-year contract, and saved restricted free agent winger Kasperi Kapanen round for 2 extra years reasonably than dealing with arbitration.
Very like the Capitals, the Bruins face damage woes that may drag into subsequent season, with first-line left winger Brad Marchand present process surgical procedure on every hip and No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy having arthroscopic surgical procedure on his left shoulder.
With that in thoughts and new coach Jim Montgomery taking over, GM Don Sweeney cleared room for not one however two longtime facilities to come back again. Patrice Bergeron was anticipated to return for no less than yet one more yr, and David Krejci is also again after enjoying one season at dwelling in Czechia.
The Bruins acquired winger Pavel Zacha from New Jersey for heart Erik Haula, a transfer that ought to enhance scoring.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Columbus was the surprise winner of the “Johnny Hockey” sweepstakes after signing Gaudreau for $68.25 million over seven years.
The Blue Jackets additionally added large defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a roster that already consists of loads of younger expertise, together with Zach Werenski, Kent Johnson and 2021 first-round choose Cole Sillinger.
OTTAWA SENATORS
Throw Ottawa into the darkish horse playoff contender class after acquiring winger Alex DeBrincat from Chicago and signing longtime Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux. The Senators additionally bought goaltender Cam Talbot from Minnesota after the Wild re-signed Marc-Andre Fleury.
GM Pierre Dorion has made no secret of the staff shifting from rebuilding to profitable, and his aim is for the Senators to play significant hockey deep into the spring. Now they appear like they will just do that.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Past shoring up their heart place by swapping Zacha for Haula, the Devils signed elite playoff performer Ondrej Palat and purchased goalie Vitek Vanecek from Washington. It took solely swapping draft picks to get Vanecek, who signed a $10.2 million, three-year contract to compete with Mackenzie Blackwood for the beginning job.
New Jersey missed out on Gaudreau, however is one other few strides nearer to win-now mode and might now put a scare into extra high groups across the NHL.
“I feel this can be a staff that is able to take that subsequent step,” GM Tom Fitzgerald stated.
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Comply with AP Hockey Author Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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Stephen Whyno, The Related Press
