Inside The Penalty Box 07.09.08: Top Five Teams Through First Week Of Free Agency

Posted by Neil Borenstein on 07.09.2008

The busiest time of the NHL offseason has just gone by – the first week of free agency. Some teams made out well, while other did poorly. In the latest edition of Inside The Penalty Box, Neil Borenstein ranks the top five teams that made the best moves through signings, re-signings and trades starting July 1.

Needless to say, the first week of free agency in the National Hockey League has been filled with many franchise changing roster moves across the NHL. Not only were most of the coveted unrestricted free agents snatched up within the first three days of the market opening, but several notable trades and re-signings took place, as well. And as must be the case in situations like this, some teams became a lot stronger as a result of their general managers' smart maneuvering while others appear to have taken quite a step back with either very questionable decisions or no moves at all.

In this week's Inside The Penalty Box, I'm going to rank the top five teams as it relates to their activity – signings, re-signings and trade – starting with the opening of the free agent market on July 1 through yesterday, July 8. Who made the right moves for their organization? And who did it better than the rest of the league? Read on to find out!

NHL's Top Five Active Teams In Free Agency Period

Photo Credits (from left to right): sportsillustrated.com, sharkspage.com, stanleycupplayoffs2008.comDefensemen Wade Redden and Brian Campbell and forward Marian Hossa have new homes for next season.

5. New Jersey Devils

Key Additions: Brian Rolston, LW; Bobby Holik, C

New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello took a trip down memory lane and brought back two familiar names – Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik. While the Devils are typically used to losing players in free agency rather than gaining anything of value, this summer provided a nice change of pace from that trend. New Jersey actually made some pretty smart moves, which also includes the re-signing of Jay Pandolfo.

Brian Rolston

Scored 96 total goals in three years in Minnesota

Rolston returns to the Devils for the first time since 1999. He was a member of the 1995 Stanley Cup Championship team – the lone Cup of his career. In 1999, New Jersey traded Rolston to the Colorado Avalanche in the deal that brought Claude Lemieux back to New Jersey. He was traded again later that season to the Boston Bruins as part of the deal that helped the Avalanche acquire Ray Bourque. Rolston spent four more years in Boston, acquiring a nice goal scoring touch and presence on both the power play and penalty kill. In the summer before the lockout, Rolston joined the Minnesota Wild as an unrestricted free agent, and spent the next three years furthering his offensive skills, as well as continuing his growth in the two-way game under head coach Jacques Lemaire – who coached him in New Jersey. Now, Rolston comes back to the Devils a better two-way player with the offensive skills the Devils sorely need without sacrificing a defensive mindset that is the very foundation of New Jersey hockey. Rolston, who scored more than 30 goals in each of the past three seasons with Minnesota, earned a four-year, $20 million contract to potentially close out his career with the team that drafted him 11th overall in 1991.

Two years older than Rolston, the 37-year old Holik comes back to the team many feel he betrayed six years ago. That's when he left as an unrestricted free agent to sign a five-year, $45 million contract with the rival New York Rangers. A bust with the Rangers, Holik's contract was bought out by New York following the signing of the new collective bargaining agreement and spent the past three years as a member of the Atlanta Thrashers. Holik's offense has slipped, but that shouldn't worry New Jersey. One of the reasons Holik ended up as a disappointment after leaving the Devils was because the Rangers attempted to use him as an offensive force instead of accentuating his skill as a shutdown center against the opposition's top scoring threat. While more than capable of putting up points, it wasn't the strong suit of Holik's game. Back in New Jersey, he will be used for his size and two-way ability. And that should make him a great asset, especially at a relatively cheap price of $2.5 million for one season.

Lamoriello's re-signing of Pandolfo should not go unnoticed. He is an important defensive forward that can play against some of the top forwards in the league, which he did very well against former Ranger, Jaromir Jagr. At $7.5 million over three seasons, he doesn't even remotely break the bank.

Two bad moves that I think the Devils made were declining Sergei Brylin's option year and re-singing defenseman Bryce Salvador to a four-year deal worth $2.9 million a year. While fully realizing that the Devils don't have a ton of cap space, Brylin has been a Devil for quite some time. He was drafted in 1992 by New Jersey and spent his entire 13-year career with the team. Not a superstar by any means, Brylin could still put up over 10 goals and around 30 points. It wouldn't have killed the Devils to take the $1.52 million option year on Brylin – if for no other reason than loyalty. They did, however, choose to spend $2.9 million a season over the next four on Salvador, who was acquired at the trade deadline last year and played a total of 13 games with the Devils (eight regular season and five postseason.) He's a decent defensive defenseman, but there are definitely better options out there and he offers absolutely nothing substantial on the offensive front.

Outside of those gripes, New Jersey had a pretty good first week of free agency. Normally, the Devils lose good players. But this year, they brought a few in and it will be interesting to see how Rolston and Holik perform in their returns.

4. Detroit Red Wings

Key Additions: Marian Hossa, RW; Ty Conklin, G

What do you do when your team just won the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in 11 seasons? Well, how about grab the most coveted forward on the free agent market for an extremely reasonable price. That's exactly what general manager Ken Holland did, inking star right ring Marian Hossa to a one year contract worth $7.4 million. In addition, Holland re-signed defenseman Brad Stuart for another four seasons at $3.75 million per and replaced Dominik Hasek with Ty Conklin, who will back up Chris Osgood, with a one year, $750,000 contract.

For a team with so much all-around skill and the depth to support its system, the Red Wings probably didn't need to make any moves this offseason. Had they done nothing at all, they still would head into next season as the favorites in the Western Conference. But with the moves they did make, the Red Wings assure that they are a force to be reckoned with when they look to defend the Stanley Cup next season.

Hossa could have scored a much better contract than what he received from Detroit. The Edmonton Oilers were rumored to have been ready to fork over $9 million a season for Hossa. And that would have been one hell of a pay day. In addition to the Oilers, teams such as the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, were all lined up to get Hossa on their teams for a good number of years. But, at the end of the day, Hossa did what he didn't even expect he's be doing heading into the summer – sign a one year deal. For Hossa, a chance at winning the Stanley Cup took priority over money. And he felt his best chance at doing that comes with the Red Wings, who he saw first-hand hoist Lord Stanley after taking out the Penguins in six games. At $7.4 million, Hossa comes at a slight bargain considering he could have made $8 million or more on any of the other teams interested in his services. But Holland promised Niklas Lidstrom that no player would make more money than him, which is $7.45 million. And Hossa is fine with taking less money on a one-year basis for the Cup. He'll have the same opportunity next summer to sign a long-term deal worth a ton of cash. In Detroit, Hossa is only going to make an already great team even better. The Red Wings have the opportunity to form a super line with him and I think head coach Mike Babcock will at least start the season with Hossa lining up alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Conn Smythe winner Henrik Zetterberg on the first unit. That could very well be the best line in the entire NHL and all three stars would put up major points.

Brad Stuart

On for four more years in Detroit

With the Red Wings' offense that much better, one cannot forget about their defense. Stuart returns after being a trade deadline acquisition last season and impressed both down the stretch of the regular season and in the Red Wings' playoff run. Holland did make it a priority to re-sign Stuart if a monetary figure could be agreed upon. And it was. Now, I have long believed that Stuart is an overrated defenseman and isn't as good on the offensive side of puck as many tout him to be. But at $3.75 million in today's NHL market, Holland found a good price for somebody that did turn up his game quite a bit once coming over to Detroit. Plus, as the team's third best defenseman, he doesn't need to be the team's most dynamic player on the blue line. Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski already have that covered. What Stuart needs to do is continue to log what will be an average of over 20 minutes a game and provide a physical presence on the ice, and at least 20 to 25 points should come his way over the course of the season.

And in a move that will surely fly under the radar, the Red Wings took another former Penguin for their backup netminder position. Conklin will serve as the No. 2 to Osgood. Last season, Conklin was spectacular during the absence of Marc-Andre Fleury and really kept the Penguins in the thick of things with his great play in net. Over the course of the season, he played 33 games and scored 18 wins, a 2.51 goals against average, .923 save percentage and two shutouts. That made him a relatively valuable option this offseason for a team in need of a proven backup. Conklin should see a good amount of games in Detroit, as Osgood has never played more than 67 games in a season and I don't see that changing next year. Thus, Conklin should be in store for at least 15 starts, though I anticipate he'll see 20 or more. And, if Osgood weren't able to play a long period of games, Conklin proved last season that he can more than pick up the slack.

The Red Wings didn't need to make a splash this summer, but they did. They grabbed the most coveted forward out there, kept a No. 3 defenseman and signed a proven backup goalie. For as hard as it is for a team to repeat as Cup champs in back-to-back seasons, Holland made sure Detroit had the best possible chance to be successful in that goal.

3. New York Rangers

Key Additions: Markus Naslund, LW/RW; Wade Redden, D; Nikolai Zherdev, LW/RW; Dmitri Kalinin, D

General manager Glen Sather entered this offseason with the very realistic possibility that he would need to begin a new era in New York Rangers hockey. Jaromir Jagr was searching for a multi-year deal worth elite money that Sather just wasn't prepared to offer. Sean Avery was seeking a three- or four-year deal worth $1 million more per season than Sather believed he was worth. And guys such as Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan remained very much in limbo – perhaps only set to return if Jagr returned to Broadway first. On top of a forward group that was going to need some new stars, Sather also needed to address an improved defensive core that was still in need of a good puck mover and power play presence. There was a lot of work to be done in New York and Sather proved he was up to the task.

As of the Rangers' latest signing Tuesday afternoon, they will sport a rather nice blue line group when the puck drops in October. With Marc Staal and Dan Girardi on the roster, and Fedor Tyutin dealt away in a trade I'll discuss in just a moment, New York needed to fill up with four more defensemen. And at least three of those spots needed to be filled through signings, as the No. 6 could technically be taken out of the very rich pool that is the Rangers' minor league system. Sather did end up grabbing four experienced bodies, though. And two of them are already familiar faces in New York.

The Rangers brought back Michal Rozsival and Paul Mara while inking Wade Redden from the Ottawa Senators and Dmitri Kalinin from the Buffalo Sabres. Add in Staal and Girardi, and the Rangers have a greater group of D-men than they did last season, especially on the offensive end.

Sather first signed Redden to a six-year, $39 million contract. The 31-year old Redden has been knocked for both his defense and seemingly diminished offensive prowess, being considered a 40-point producer at best. While I'll agree that he's not the greatest option in his own zone, Redden is no slouch on the offensive side of the puck. He'll be great at moving the puck out of the defensive zone with some crisp passes that will get rushes going the other way. And on the power play, his value will be immeasurable as he's the type of point man the Rangers desperately wanted last year. At $6.5 million per season, he's not cheap. But as the second best defenseman available, he still cost $600,000 less than Brian Campbell.

Next on the list was Rozsival, who re-signed with the Blueshirts for $20 million over four seasons. At $5 million, he received a hell of a raise from the $2.3 million he earned last season. And perhaps he was overpaid. But he was the Rangers' top option last season, logging an average of over 23 minutes per game and leading Rangers defensemen in scoring with 38 points and 13 goals. A great shot blocker, as well, Rozsival returns as a nice all-around defender in the No. 2 spot on the Rangers' defensive depth chart.

Playing in New York on one year deals are Kalinin and Mara. Kalinin was brought in from the Sabres after the worst year of his seven-season career in Buffalo. At $2.1 million, the Rangers are hoping he can rebound into the player that posted a combined plus-33 rating over the course of 2005-06 and 2006-07, and scored 34 points with 10 goals during the 2003-04 campaign. In Mara, the Rangers return a good-sized body with a powerful shot for a discounted price of $1.95 million. Mara's return to the Big Apple wasn't really expected, as it was assumed he could make some cash signing somewhere else. But he chose to return to the Rangers for less money, which made it easier for Sather to bring him back.

With defense out of the way, the forward class was the big concern for the Rangers. Centers Scott Gomez and Chris Drury were going to be around for the next six and four years, respectively. But they needed some wingers to fill out the top two lines. And with Jagr seemingly on his way out, Straka reported to be signing overseas and Shanahan a wait-and-see option, Sather had to act. And he did, signing Markus Naslund away from the Vancouver Canucks and completing a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will see wing Nikolai Zherdev don the red, white and blue in New York. For depth, the Rangers also signed Patrick Rissmiller from the San Jose Sharks, Aaron Voros of the Minnesota Wild and acquired Dan Fritsche, who is taking the team to arbitration, in the Zherdev deal.

Markus Naslund

Replaces Jagr on a two-year, $8 million deal

Naslund is the biggest name in all of this. He signed for $8 million over two years, which is close to what it would have cost the Rangers to bring Jagr back for one year. Naslund leaves the Vancouver Canucks after 13 years that saw him become the franchise's top scorer. But he was definitely itching to get out of environment in Vancouver, where he saw two straight disappointing seasons of 60 points or less and 25 or fewer goals. The prospect of the team adding Mats Sundin intrigued him. But with a decision from Sundin not expected for quite some time, Naslund wasn't ready to wait and wanted to sign up with the Original Six Rangers, where he believes he'll have a great shot at winning a Stanley Cup. And the Rangers aren't deterred by his declining production. While 40 goals and 90 point seasons are likely long behind this 34-year forward, he wasn't exactly playing in the most offensively rich environment while with the Canucks. In New York, Naslund will not only have more opportunity to spread his offensive wings, but he'll be playing on the top line along Gomez. So I don't think a 70-point, 30-goal campaign is at all a stretch for Naslund, who should also contribute quite a bit on the man advantage. At $4 million a season, he's well worth it.

Also set to contribute on the top line is Zherdev, whom the Rangers acquired along with Fritsche for defensemen Christian Backman and Tyutin. Zherdev's attitude caused him to fall out of favor in Columbus. But his offensive potential has never been questioned since being drafted by the Blue Jackets at fourth overall in the 2003 draft. He has twice topped 25 goals in his four-year NHL career and posted career-highs last season in points (61) and assists (35). Zherdev also notched 22 points on the power play last year for the second time in his career. In New York, I think Zherdev can become an even better player. Topping 30 goals and 70 points, like Naslund, is well within his reach. And, if anything, I think Zherdev might actually turn into the team's top scorer if he keeps his head on straight and gels well on the Rangers' top line. One concern for Sather is that Zherdev is in the final year of his contract – set to pay him $3.5 million next season and count as a $2.5 million cap hit. If Zherdev really does have a career-season, which is even more possible since he's in a contract year, negotiations on his next deal could get pretty tense. But for now, the Rangers have a talented winger that has something to prove on a new team.

Sather did a very good job of keeping the Rangers on the path toward contention rather than taking a few steps back after refusing to succumb to the contract demands of both Jagr and Avery. The Rangers are pretty well off on defense, which looks even better when you consider the man between the pipes – Henrik Lundqvist, who will once again have the dependable Stephen Valiquette (one year, $750,000) backing him up. And on offense, Gomez and Drury will be surrounded by Naslund, who looks to prove he still has a lot left in the tank, and Zherdev, who looks to prove he can be an elite star in the NHL after some pretty hostile years in Columbus. Youngsters like Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky, Fredrik Sjostrom and Ryan Callahan will play bigger roles with the team, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Sather offer some sort of contract to Shanahan for one more run on Broadway. But, overall, the Rangers appear ready for a new era of hockey at The Garden.

2. San Jose Sharks

Key Additions: Rob Blake, D; Dan Boyle, D

The San Jose Sharks were initially very quiet in free agency and didn't make their big splash until July 3. But when they did, they signed veteran defenseman Rob Blake to a one year deal at $5 million. If that wasn't big enough, general manager Doug Wilson took advantage of Dan Boyle's sudden availability and made a deal with the Tampa Bay Lighting to acquire him.

I was a bit surprised to see Blake land in San Jose since he did state Los Angeles was still the place he wanted to play. But he remains in California by joining the Sharks, who are serious contenders for the Stanley Cup unlike the Kings. And based on the one year contract, the Sharks are investing some hope that he can help the Sharks get to the Cup next season. Blake's production has declined over the past couple of seasons and it's doubtful he will greatly improve his play at 38 years old. But he still has a good all-around game with plenty of veteran leadership to bring to the locker room. He's not the replacement for Brian Campbell, but he's part of San Jose's plan to fill the void.

Dan Boyle

Acquired along with a six-year, $40 million contract

The greater part of that plan is Boyle. The Sharks acquired him, along with fellow defenseman Brad Lukowich, from the Lightning in exchange for young defensemen Matt Carle and Ty Wishart, a first round draft pick in 2009 and a fourth rounder in 2010. The Sharks gave up a lot to get Boyle, as Carle and Wishart have the potential to be stud defensemen in the NHL. Plus, you never know what the first round pick could turn into (though the Sharks did somewhat make up for the draft pick losses by picking up two second rounders from Buffalo in exchange for defenseman Craig Rivet.) But considering the Sharks had to of wanted a more long-term replacement on the blue line for the departed Campbell, Boyle fell into their laps at the right time. It was a move Wilson simply had to make for a team starving for a Cup much sooner than later. The 32-year old signed a six-year, $40 million extension with the Lightning near the trade deadline last season, and it was assumed he was very much in the long-term plans for them as a result. But Tampa Bay is an odd land right now, and they changed their mind – likely to get the extra $6.667 million in cap space per season. Obviously, Boyle isn't happy about how the Lightning handled the situation, as he could have very well become a free agent this summer and probably landed more money with any team he darn-well pleased if he didn't sign the extension. But signing the no-trade waiver and avoiding a tense situation to join a contender was both a mature move and one that should turn out to be good for his career. Boyle will bring another veteran presence on the blue line and contribute his great skating and puck-moving ability. He will be San Jose's top point man on the power play and should have a great shot at reaching 50 or more points next season.

While a proficient offensive defenseman, Boyle isn't the greatest in his own zone. And that's where Lukowich becomes an important addition to this deal. The 31-year old is a stay-at-home defenseman who will only count as a $1.567 million cap hit over the remaining two years of his contract. Just an add-on, Lukowich definitely holds some value in the trade.

The Sharks are gunning for a strong run this season, aiming straight for a Stanley Cup Championship. Blake's one year deal is indicative of Wilson's belief in the team to go all the way next year. And even though Boyle is on the books for six years, I'm sure he's be counted on more so in the first half of that contract rather than in the second, when he'll be 35 years of age and older. With the strong offensive pieces already in place – pending the likes of Jonathan Cheechoo and Patrick Marleau can bounce back from their disastrous 2007-08 campaigns, the Sharks beefed up on the blue line heavily and appear to be a team that, on paper, looks to be one of the top in the Western Conference.

1. Chicago Blackhawks

Key Additions: Brian Campbell, D; Cristobal Huet, G

The Chicago Blackhawks appear ready to be considered contenders again in the Western Conference. Shedding from their recently cheap ways, the Blackhawks went big on the first day of free agency by locking up both goaltender Cristobal Huet and defenseman Brian Campbell to long-term contracts.

Cristobal Huet

Signed for four-years at $22.4 million

With several goalies already off the market, Chicago managed to swipe perhaps the best one available in Huet. The Blackhawks signed him to a four-year deal worth $22.4 million, or $5.625 million per season. The 32-year old should immediately step in as the team's No. 1 netminder. Therein lies a dilemma, as Nikolai Khabibulin is still on the payroll for next season with one year and $6.75 million remaining on his contract. Rumored to be on the trade market, it could be difficult for Chicago to move the much diminished netminder. And paying over $12 million for a goalie tandem is a very big cap issue, especially since the Blackhawks are currently about $2 million over the maximum allowed payroll of $56.7 million for the 2008-09 campaign. Regardless, Chicago needed to do something with their goalie situation, as Khabibulin has been stinking up the joint since Chicago grabbed him three years ago and the recently departed Patrick Lalime wasn't exactly much better. Huet is a consistent goaltender that has long been underrated for his ability to really keep his team in a game with big saves. And at $5.625 million, I think Chicago landed him at a pretty reasonable price.

Campbell was signed about two hours later to a mega-deal that will pay him $7.1 million annually over the next eight years. Chicago has been after Campbell for quite some time, as they were even rumored as one of the teams interested in acquiring him at the trade deadline. And it's for good reason. He is an exceptional all-around defenseman that's dangerous both in his own zone and on offense. He had a career-year last season while splitting time with the Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks, posting a total of 62 points, 54 assists and 33 power play points. He really dazzled with the Sharks, with 19 of his points and a plus-9 rating coming in 20 games following the trade. He was also one of the few bright spots of San Jose's two-round appearance in the playoffs, which ended after a six-game defeat at the hands of the Dallas Stars. He was a good player to covet. And considering Chicago was willing to pay as much as they needed to in order to land him, $7.1 million a season isn't too bad a price.

The Blackhawks now need to focus on getting under the cap, which really begins with a hard push toward moving Khabibulin. If they can do that, a multi-year offer should be tendered to Jason Williams, who had a good 43-game campaign that would have been better had injuries not hampered it. Otherwise, general manager Dave Tallon's active first day of free agency has to please Blackhawks' fans, who have waited for some grand activity like this out of Chicago for quite some time.

Photo Credits: Brian Rolston – viewimages.com; Brad Stuart – daylife.com/Getty Images; Markus Naslund – Yahoo! Sports/AP Photo; Dan Boyle – daylife.com/Getty Images; Cristobal Huet – boston.com

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~ Neil Borenstein