With the new year upon us, I opted to take this time to write about some of the players that signed with new teams during the 2022 offseason and see how they're doing on their new contracts alongside new faces – as well as the big names that got traded during the summer. The players being discussed this week are going to be the players who are considered the elite talents in the NHL. Normally I try and write about players who have a smaller salary so I can hit on the players that are more easily affordable via trade or free agent pickup, but as we all know the elite talents in the NHL do not make a small amount of money these days.

* The top row in the stat tables are the players' numbers this season, and the bottom row is their career stats. The power play and short-handed sections are for points in these respective areas. I know last season I was showing roster percentages for the players that I discuss, and I do plan on bringing that back, but I am not in any Yahoo leagues this season so for the time being I will not have their percentages listed for that platform. *

#1) Matthew Tkachuk – LW – Florida Panthers

Contract: $9.5M – 8 Years remaining
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 99%, ESPN – 99.8%

In one of the biggest trades in recent memory, we saw the Calgary Flames off-load superstar Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. After coming off a career season that saw Tkachuk post 104 points (42 were goals) through a career high 82-games play (his only full season). As it stands, the 25-year-old is on pace for 103 points through an 82-game season. Something to note is that Tkachuk has just under half of his points on the man advantage (17). While having a player puts up points is nice, it's amazing when you're getting elite production on the powerplay as some leagues give extra points for those, or in category-based leagues it's another way to win a matchup.

#2) Nazem Kadri – C – Calgary Flames

Contract: $7M – 7 Years remaining
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 96%, ESPN – 91.2%

As happy as some Toronto Maple Leafs fans were to see Kadri depart from the team that he routinely hurt in the playoffs with his ability to step over the line, Avalanche fans were probably a little more upset to see a two-way center as effective as Kadri depart from their hockey club. After posting career-highs in assists, points, and average time-on-ice (ATOI) (59, 87, 19:14 respectively), it must be sad to see that type of player depart after winning the Stanley Cup. So far on the year, Kadri is on pace to score 62 points through 82 games (which if achieved would be his second highest totals in his career). An interesting stat that I like to look at when it comes to seeing a player's offensive ability is to see how often they start their shifts in the offensive zone. In Kadri's case he went from starting 63.1% of his shifts in the offensive zone last year on the Avalanche to starting 74.5% of them in the offensive zone in Calgary. He is starting more shifts in the offensive zone and is projected to score 25 fewer points this year. In my eyes that has to do with the overall talent level surrounding him on the Flames. While with the Avalanche, he may not have been always lining up with their top players, but he occasionally got points from them. To pay $7 million for a player in fantasy hockey to be approximately a 60-point player, just shy of 50% in the faceoff dot, and who is averaging close to 18 minutes per night. I would say that is a wise investment.

#3) Claude Giroux – RW – Ottawa Senators

Contract: $6.5M – 3 Years remaining
Roster Percentages: Fantrax – 95%, ESPN – 85.1%

Flyers fans have faced a lot of hard times during the last few calendar years, none more heartbreaking than having their captain traded away. It signaled the end of an era for the team, but the writing was on the wall for a while that he was most likely going to be traded. Some people have said he is washed up and the injuries have caught up to him, but for a soon-to-be 35-year-old standing just shy of being a point per game on the season (on pace for 70 points through 82 games) is impressive in my eyes. That's what happens when you have decent hockey players around you. Seventy points would be the highest points scored for Giroux since the 2018-19 season when he posted 85 points. As a player who generally ends up having multiple positions on fantasy platforms, who takes a high quantity of faceoffs (and has won over 50% of his draws since the 2009-10 season), and is usually around the 70-point mark who also plays over 18 minutes a night… He is worth the $6.5 million that you'd be paying for him and then some, truthfully. He may not be a traditional star player that gets talked about all the time these days, but he is still one of the better players around. What he doesn't provide in overall goal and shot output; he provides in a lot more areas that are a bit trickier to bolster.

* Honorable Mentions – Darcy Kuemper (WSH), Jack Campbell (EDM), Johnny Gaudreau (CBJ), MacKenzie Weegar (CGY), Jonathan Huberdeau (CGY), Vincent Trocheck (NYR) *

Overall there was sizable movement last summer and a lot of the players are doing well for themselves as we expected, and then a few who have been subpar to say the least (here's looking at you Jack Campbell). A lot of things can affect a player's production when going to a new team, things such as: what role they'll play, who their linemates are, special teams deployment, defensive/offensive based roles, coaching staff, and chemistry.

If you're looking to discuss anything hockey with me, check out my Twitter account (@JamieMolloy_DH), as well as on the articles themselves!