Two weeks to fix a franchise.
That is what the NHL Entry Draft and the start of free agency represent for the seven Canadian teams. With the draft complete and NHL-ready players, such as Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi, already pencilled into the line-up, it’s time to move onto the meat of the off-season: free agency.
Edmonton needs a defenceman, Vancouver and Montreal need wingers and — depending on who’s calling into sports talk radio at the moment — Toronto desperately needs Steven Stamkos.
With the July 1st feeding frenzy about to start, here is a look at what the seven Canadian teams could be looking for:
CALGARY FLAMES
The Week That Was Calgary beefed up its backend by acquiring No. 1 goalie Brian Elliott from St. Louis and then trading for underachieving Ottawa forward Alex Chiasson, who gets a fresh start under his former Dallas head coach Glen Guluxtan. The Flames also used their No. 6 pick on power forward Matthew Tkachuk, whose six-foot-one and 195-pound frame could make him NHL-ready.
The Week Ahead The Flames have their hands full in re-signing Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, so don’t expect them to be too active in looking to outside help just yet. But after goalie Joni Ortio was one of the RFAs the team chose not to extend a qualifying offer to, Calgary is in need of a backup that can share the net with Elliott, who hasn’t played more than 46 games in each of the last five years.
Best-case scenario The Flames sign goalie James Reimer and leave a spot open for either Tkachuk or a late-summer addition to play in the top-9.
EDMONTON OILERS
The Week That Was Jesse Puljujarvi, who fell into Edmonton’s lap at the No. 4 spot, is an NHL-ready winger who could possibly start the season alongside Connor McDavid and not look out of place. But for those scoring at home, yet another week went by without GM Peter Chiarelli trading for a defenceman or breaking up a core group that has continually underachieved.
The Week Ahead The Oilers gave tours of their new arena to pending free agents Milan Lucic and defenceman Jason Demers this week. The former might clear up some room on the ice for Edmonton’s young forwards, while the latter would finally provide Edmonton’s defence with someone who logged nearly 21 minutes per game in a second-pairing with Dallas last season.
Best-case Scenario Edmonton signs Lucic and then trades one of their core pieces — but not Taylor Hall — for someone resembling a top-pairing defenceman, such as Anaheim’s 24-year-old Cam Fowler.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
The Week That Was The Canadiens did not trade P.K. Subban, but made changes to the lineup by shipping out centre Lars Eller (to Washington) and bringing in winger Andrew Shaw (from Chicago), who was then signed to a six-year, $23.4-million contract. The team also used its No. 9 pick to draft six-foot-three and 206-pound defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, who some believe has the size and skill to play in the NHL right away.
The Week Ahead Shaw gives the Habs more bite up front, but the team desperately needs goal-scorers — preferably big ones — that can take some of the pressure off Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal has had interest in Andrew Ladd in the past, but everyone from Kyle Okposo to David Backes is a possibility when it comes to adding offence.
Best-Case Scenario A year ago, the Habs took a one-year, $1.1-million chance on Alex Semin that blew up spectacularly. This year, look for a safer option in the speedy Mikkel Boedker.
OTTAWA SENATORS
The Week That Was After two years of middling returns, the Senators traded Alex Chiasson to Calgary for defenceman Pat Sieloff, who adds depth to their backend. The team also drafted six-foot-six Logan Brown (11th overall), although Ottawa will likely have to wait another year or two for him.
The Week Ahead With 82 points, Erik Karlsson led the Senators in scoring for the third straight year. It’s impressive, but at the same time the team cannot rely on its defenceman to carry the offensive load. Finding someone who can score on Ottawa’s tight budget is going to be tough, which is why the team will likely wait until late in the summer for discount options.
Best-Case Scenario Though he had a down year in Calgary, Jiri Hudler scored six goals and 11 points in 19 games after getting traded to Florida. He might not be the 31-goal scorer he was in 2014-15, but he could reach the 20-goal mark.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
The Week That Was Toronto sped up its rebuild by acquiring No. 1 goalie Frederik Andersen in a trade with the Ducks and then drafting franchise centre Auston Matthews with the No. 1 pick. The only thing that could have made the week better was if the Leafs could somehow land a veteran centre with 50-goal potential …
The Week Ahead … and so the Steven Stamkos watch is on. This summer’s biggest free agent is being aggressively pursued by as many as a dozen teams, with Toronto, Buffalo and Detroit among the most likely landing spots. Debate is split as to whether the Leafs need to tie up $10-million at this point in the team’s development curve, but aside from the goals and assists, Stamkos would provide a perfect mentor for rookies Matthews, Nylander and Marner.
Best-Case Scenario The Leafs sign Stamkos AND Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey, who becomes a UFA on Aug. 15, giving them a line-up that might not only make the playoffs next season but has the potential to actually win a round or two.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
The Week That Was The Canucks were fined $50,000 for comments that GM Jim Bennning made in regards to P.K. Subban’s availability. While Subban wasn’t traded to Vancouver, the team still landed a potential No. 1 defenceman in Olli Juolevi (fifth overall), who some believe can jump straight to the NHL and onto a pairing with recently acquired Erik Gudbranson.
The Week Ahead With the Sedins getting older and producing at a lower clip (Daniel had 61 points and Henrik had 55 points), the Canucks need players who can score. Specifically, they need wingers. The team has been wining and dining Milan Lucic, who is from Vancouver, and are likely aslso targeting Kyle Okposo, who scored 22 goals last season.
Best-Case Scenario Forget Lucic, who costs too much and whose best days are probably behind him. The ex-Bruin that the Canucks should be going after is Loui Eriksson, who scored 30 goals in Boston last season and also just happens to be Swedish.
WINNIPEG JETS
The Week That Was Patrik Laine won’t score 50 goals in his first year in the NHL, but it’s not unrealistic to assume that the No. 2 overall pick will jump right in and put up Calder Trophy-type numbers.
The Week Ahead Re-signing Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba and the other RFAs is the top priority, but it won’t necessarily come easy. According to a report out of Boston, the Bruins are preparing a seven-year, $49-million offer sheet for Trouba that includes giving up four straight first-round picks if the Jets don’t match.
Best-Case Scenario The Jets, who have defencemen Jordan Morrisey and (13th overall, 2013) and Logan Stanley (18th, 2016) in the pipeline, should take the picks over Trouba and then sign UFA Troy Brouwer, who scored 18 goals in the regular season — and another eight in 20 games in the playoffs — to fill the leadership void left by Andrew Ladd.
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