Wild West: Western Roster Changes – Part 1

Grant Campbell

2020-10-12

Now that the entry draft is done and we are a few days into free agency, here are the notable additions and subtractions from each roster in the Western Conference (not including 2020 draft picks). We will start with the first five teams of the Western Conference and update the rest each week. 

Anaheim Ducks

Additions:

Kevin Shattenkirk – Shattenkirk is fresh off of a Stanley Cup in Tampa Bay and will help Anaheim for the next three seasons in the top-four at $3.9 million AAV. It's a good but peculiar add for the Ducks in that they get a 31-year old veteran defenceman at a reasonable rate, but this team is a few years away from competing again. He should be good for 30-plus points, but provides little other help in most pools as his plus/minus in Anaheim will not be pretty. Even though Josh Mahura is a right-handed shot, this doesn't bode well for his future in Anaheim.

Andy Welinski – Welinski is a 27-year old who has 33 career games in the NHL, which were all with Anaheim before spending last season in Philadelphia's farm system. He is a depth signing, even though his contract is one-way ($750k) and he will probably only see time in the NHL if the Ducks run into a few injuries on defence. 

Subtractions:

Eric Gudbranson – Somehow Bob Murray got a 5th round draft pick in return and saved $4 million in cap space for next season. Gudbranson had one of his best seasons while with the Ducks last season, but the former 3rd overall pick in 2010 is not long for the NHL. 

Arizona Coyotes

Additions:

Tyler Pitlick – Pitlick will be a 3rd or 4th line winger that will play 12-13 minutes per game and get the Coyotes 10 goals and perhaps 25-30 points. He does average close to two hits per game so has added value in pools that reward hits. 

John Hayden – Hayden is another big, physical winger that the Coyotes have brought on board to play on the 4th line. He hasn't scored more than four goals in any season but does provide penalty minutes and hits. 

Johan Larsson – Larsson is a 3rd or 4th line center, but on the Coyotes will probably slot in on the fourth line and see a lot of penalty kill time. He will have a difficult time getting anything more than 10 goals but will provide the occasional hit and he becomes the second-best faceoff option in Arizona. 

Subtractions:

Taylor Hall – I was confused when Chayka made the deal for Hall as an impending UFA and I'm still confused today. With Dawson Mercer picked by New Jersey with the 18th overall pick in addition to Nick Merkley, Kevin Bahl, Nathan Schnarr and a 3rd round pick in 2021, it could turn out to be a very steep rental.

Brad Richardson – With the signing of Johan Larsson, it is pretty obvious that the Coyotes are moving on from Richardson at the age of 35. Larsson should be able to replace Richardson in most things but will score fewer goals during the year. 

Calgary Flames

Additions:

Jacob Markstrom – The Flames went out and got the best available goalie in free agency but paid handsomely for him at six years and $6 million AAV with a full NMC. I'm a big fan of Markstrom but at 30-years of age, this deal will probably be suspect in three or four seasons as Markstrom becomes injured even more often. I do think Markstrom will post a better save percentage and perhaps a few more wins next season, but he needs to stay healthy. The Flames window is two or three seasons with this core, so this deal makes sense. 

Chris Tanev – Once again, the Flames paid $4.5 million over four seasons for a player that has never played more than 70 games in the NHL and averaged missing more than 32 games a year from 2016-17 and 2018-19. The style he plays while blocking shots and putting his body on the line is a necessary evil and while in the lineup he will become a very valuable player for the Flames over the next few seasons. 

Subtractions:

TJ Brodie – The Flames will miss Brodie and his absence will force Rasmus Andersson or Oliver Kylington will need to step up and find similar chemistry with Captain Mark Giordano. Tanev could slot in with Giordano no problem as well. 

Derek Forbort – Alex Petrovic was signed as depth to replace Forbort as a slightly cheaper alternative. Juuso Valimaki is another alternative if he is healthy when the season starts. 

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Cam Talbot – He was probably the Flames best player in the playoffs, but couldn't compare with the prospect of landing Markstrom.

Mark Jankowski – His lack of success last season with only five goals and seven points in 56 games was in stark contrast to the 17 goals in 2017-18 and the 14 goals and 32 points in 2018-19. He was stuck on the 4th line most of the season with a few healthy scratches and just never found his game. The move to Pittsburgh could help him find his game a little.

Chicago Blackhawks

Additions:

Brandon Pirri – After 15 goals over 33 games from 2017-18 to 2018-19, there was hope that Pirri would finally get his due and stick in the NHL with Vegas finally for all of 2019-20. That wasn't the case as he only dressed for 16 games and only managed two assists. The move to Chicago at the age of 29, might open the door for Pirri to play 60 games again in the NHL for the first time since 2016-17. 

Nikita Zadorov – Zadorov is a polarizing player as he is a physical bottom-pairing defenceman that has struggled to reach his potential from being the 16th overall pick in 2013. He will provide hits and might chip in for five to seven goals with 15-20 points for his new team. 

Subtractions:

Olli Maatta – Moving Maatta to Los Angeles was mostly a cap saving move and he has been replaced in the lineup by the acquisition of Zadorov. 

Dylan Sikura – Maybe the move to Vegas will finally give Sikura the impetus to stick in the NHL as he hasn't quite been able to make the jump completely over the past two seasons after being signed out of Northeastern at the end of 2017-18. In 47 career games in the NHL, he has only managed one goal and 14 points. Next year is pivotal for him, but the Vegas lineup is even harder to crack than Chicago, so the AHL might be his future. 

Corey Crawford – After 14 seasons, 488 regular-season games and two Stanley Cups with Chicago, the team let Crawford know they would not be bringing him back. It's not surprising in that he is 35-years old but it is surprising that he is coming off a fairly strong year for him in net with 40 games played and a 91.7 save percentage and a quality start percentage of 62.5. I'm not sure Colin Delia and Malcolm Subban are the answer in net, so expect another body in the crease before January. 

Brandon Saad – Still only 27 years old, he has been dealt from Chicago twice now with him being brought back via trade for the now infamous Artemi Panarin deal. I can only think that the emergence of Dominik Kubalik, made it much easier to part with Saad and his $6 million cap hit (Chicago retained $1 million). His 20-25 goals will still be hard to replace and the team will need Alex DeBrincat to get back to 30 plus goals. 

Colorado Avalanche

Additions:

Brandon Saad – Any time you can add a 20-25 goal 27-year old scorer to your lineup for a bottom pairing 26-year old defenceman and it only cost you an additional $1.75 million in cap space, I think you have to do what Joe Sakic did. Saad did play with some pretty good players in Chicago with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane at times, so don't expect him to come into Colorado and exceed what he has already done. If he can still keep his current form, this is a much-welcomed addition to this roster. 

Subtractions:

Vladislav Namestnikov – Replaced by Saad, so this is an upgrade at the position for the Avalanche at up to as many as 10 goals in a season. 

Nikita Zadorov – The Avalanche will need to bring someone else into the lineup unless they think that Bowen Byram is ready or recently acquired Dennis Gilbert can fill this role. The depth on defence will need to be improved in the short-term for Colorado.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know below and/or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15.

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