No other week is more prominent to the success of an NHL franchise than the end of June and the beginning of July. It’s the annual NHL entry draft and the start of free agency. Let’s dive into the winners and losers of the early 2024 NHL off-season.
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Selecting first overall is always a pivotal moment for any organization, and the San Jose Sharks didn’t miss. At just 18 years old, Macklin Celebrini, became the youngest ever to win the prestigious Hobey Baker Award, given to the best player in college hockey.
Standing 6’0″ and weighing 196 lbs, Celebrini is an offensive dynamo. In his college season, he tallied 32 goals and 64 points in only 38 games. His 200-foot game seamlessly blends elite playmaking with diligent defensive responsibility. With his superior hockey sense, competitive drive, and work ethic, Celebrini is poised to make an immediate impact in the NHL.
Complementing Celebrini, the Sharks signed Tyler Toffoli to a four-year, $24 million contract. This acquisition ensures that Celebrini will have a dangerous offensive threat alongside him from day one, a luxury that Chicago’s Connor Bedard lacked in his rookie season.
Welcome to the NHL, Utah!
If Utah wanted to make a big first impression in the NHL, they’ve certainly succeeded. Owner Ryan Smith and GM Bill Armstrong made a splash by selecting forward TiJ Iginla from the Kelowna Rockets in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
The son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, struggled in his first year in the WHL last year. He played in only 48 regular season games, 3 post-season games and didn’t play a single game in the 2023 Memorial Cup for the WHL-winner Seattle Thunderbirds. This year, however, he truly came into his own, he was traded from Seattle to the Kelowna Rockets and he exploded for 84 points in 64 games and rapidly climbed the draft rankings among North American skaters. We love to see a player move up the pre-draft rankings and nobody climbed higher or faster than Iginla.
On Day 2 of the draft, Utah made the biggest splash, acquiring defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils. Utah is decent upfront, but sorely needed help on the back end and they certainly corrected the wrong. Sergachev, with Stanley Cup pedigree, should thrive as the clear number one option. Salt Lake City will be a team to watch this year.
The Devils were a contending team last season, but goaltending woes pushed them out of a playoff spot. A trade for goalie Jacob Markstrom will significantly reduce their goals allowed and the additions of veteran defensemen Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon will bolster their defence. Throw in a new coaching change and the Devils will be near the top of a packed Eastern Conference.
Who other than the Nashville Predators could be winning this offseason? The Preds landed two-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner Steven Stamkos to a four-year, $32 million contract. They also secured Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault for five years at $27.5 million. Additionally, they bolstered their defence with Brady Skjei to a seven-year, $49 million deal. Combine these moves with star netminder Juuse Saros and defensive stalwart Roman Josi, and the Preds are Stanley Cup contenders.
The oh-so-close Stanley Cup finalists had an entire third forward line up available for free agency. They somehow managed to re-sign them all at an inexpensive price: Connor Brown (one year, $1 million), Mattias Janmark (three years, $4.35 million), and Adam Henrique (two years, $6 million). Add wingers Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, known scorers who can certainly slide in alongside McDavid and Draisaitl, and last year’s runner-ups just got better.
The Blackhawks did an excellent job of building the supporting cast around their generational phenom, Connor Bedard. First, they drafted a defensive building block to build around, Artyom Levshunov. He has NHL-ready size, a huge offensive upside, and was tied for 9th in defenseman scoring in the NCAA with 35 points, despite being the third youngest player.
Chicago then added forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen and Patrick Maroon. Defenseman TJ Brodie and Alec Martinez. So, expect last season’s basement team to take a big step forward and compete for a playoff spot.
The Hurricanes gave up a lot at the deadline to acquire Jake Guentzel and now have to face him in the season opener after failing to re-sign him. Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen, and Stefan Noesen are also gone. The Hurricanes have been cup contenders for a few years now, but their chances for a run at the title dropped this week.
The Golden Knights saw their depth slashed more than almost any other team in only one week. The 2023 Stanley Cup winners lost Jonathan Marchessault, Anthony Mantha, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Amadio, William Carrier, and Alec Martinez to free agency. They attempted to reinforce their goaltending by signing Leafs cast-off Ilya Samsonov as a backup, but he put up less than impressive numbers last year.
Don’t expect the Golden Knights to fade into the sunset though. They’re still Stanley Cup contenders due to their most recent 2023 deadline acquisitions, defenseman Noah Hanifin and forward Tomas Hertl. They boast elite talent through Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Alex Pietrangelo, but their depth has certainly taken a hit.
It’s much of the same for the Maple Leafs. Treliving addressed the defense by acquiring Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and also added goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Whether Stolarz and Woll can form a Stanley Cup-winning calibre tandem remains to be seen, but Tanev and Ekman-Larsson give the Maple Leafs the deepest defence we’ve seen in the core-four era, so props to GM Brad Treliving. However, scoring and toughness are the issues in the playoffs, so losing Bertuzzi and not replacing him will be felt. Similar outcomes in a competitive Eastern Conference are likely when the Leafs return to action in the fall and the playoffs in the spring.
The Leafs get a failing grade simply because we are running it back for the 9th time in a row. Should we expect a different fate?
References
Jenn G via Burakovsky cc
