Like last season, I will grade each team in the West to see how additions to the rosters have fared to date.

Rookies are not included.

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks brought in Robert Hagg, Alex Killorn, Radko Gudas and Alex Stalock in free agency. Between Killorn and Gudas, Anaheim added $10.25 million to their books for the next three years.

GM Pat Verbeek also acquired Ilya Lyubushkin from Buffalo for a 4th round pick in 2025.

Killorn was given a four-year deal at $6.25 million AAV after putting up 27 goals and 37 assists in Tampa Bay. Both his goals and points were career-highs and the Ducks signed him at his highest value. He had a slow start in Anaheim and battled some injuries, but he has 15 points in his past 22 games and 19 points in 36 games overall. He is out for four-to-six weeks with a knee injury.

Gudas was signed for three years at $4 million AAV after leading Florida in hits with 312 in 72 games, to go along with 17 points. After 40 games with the Ducks, he's matched his career-high in goals at six, posting 11 points and 113 hits.

Lyubushkin has played 45 games with the Ducks, putting up four points and 71 hits while averaging 17:12 per game. He is an impending UFA and could bring back a mid-round pick at the trade deadline.

Hagg has spent most of the year in the AHL and has played three games for the Ducks. Stalock has been in the AHL the whole season as John Gibson and Lukas Dostal have been healthy and performing well.

Grade: C

Killorn needs to produce and play in the top six for his deal to have value, while Gudas needs to stay healthy, play 17-19 minutes per night and be physical.

Arizona Coyotes

GM Bill Armstrong signed Matt Dumba, Travis Dermott, Troy Stecher, Nick Bjugstad, Jason Zucker and Alex Kerfoot.

Armstrong acquired Sean Durzi from Los Angeles for a 2nd round pick in 2024.

Dumba was signed for one year at $3.9 million, Dermott for one year at $800k, Stecher for one year at $1.1 million and Zucker for one year at $5.3 million. Bjugstad and Kerfoot were both given two-year contracts at $2.1 million AAV and $3.5 million AAV respectively.

Dumba, Dermott, Stecher and Zucker could all have value at the trade deadline with Zucker bringing back the most.

Dumba has seen his offense disappear completely as he had just two goals and three assists in 43 games while averaging 20:22. He could add experience and depth to a playoff roster at the deadline.

Dermott was limited to 11 games in 2022-2023 because of concussion issues, so it is good to see him healthy and able to play 29 games so far. He has one goal and two assists while averaging 17:29 per night.

Stecher was brought back to Arizona after being dealt to Calgary at the trade deadline last year. He has a goal and four assists in 42 games while averaging 18:41 per game. He could add depth to a playoff team at the deadline.

Zucker had 27 goals in 78 games with Pittsburgh but has just six goals in 34 games with the Coyotes. For his salary, I'm sure the team was hoping he would average more than 14:29 per game and provide some more offense than 15 points. There are quite a few playoff teams looking for 20-goal scorers come the playoffs, so he could have value.

Bjugstad was dealt to Edmonton last year, which brought back Michael Kesselring and a 3rd round pick (Vadim Moroz) at the trade deadline. He was re-signed and has been very good for the Coyotes so far with 26 points in 43 games (0.6/g).

Kerfoot was brought in as a second or third-line centre and has been able to slide up and down from the first to third lines quite well. He has 26 points in 44 games (0.59/g) with 17 points in his past 21 games.

Durzi was a little expendable in Los Angeles with Drew Doughty and Brandt Clarke on the way, so the fit with the Coyotes made sense. They needed a PP quarterback and could afford to give Durzi the time needed. He acclimated very early on and has 27 points in 38 games (0.71/g), with 10 of those points on the PP. He's been a bargain so far but becomes an RFA at the end of the year.

Grade: A

Armstrong brought players onto the roster to improve the team, but also to get value for them at the deadline. He's done an excellent job of that this year and last. It will be interesting to see what draft value the Coyotes get back.

Calgary Flames

The Flames brought in Dryden Hunt for two years at $775k AAV and Jordan Oesterle for one year at $925k as free agents.

They acquired Yegor Sharangovich and a 3rd round pick (Aydar Suniev) for Tyler Toffoli in the summer.

Hunt has played just four games with the Flames and has spent most of the year in the AHL.

Oesterle was brought in as a depth defender, playing 19 games with the Flames and 12 games in the AHL. He has averaged just under 14 minutes per game in Calgary.

Sharangovich had a slow start and there were some question marks about the trade, but he has turned things around. After posting 10 points in his first 22 games, he tallied 14 goals and 22 points in his next 24 games. He has 19 goals and 32 points in 46 games (0.70/g).

Grade: C+

The Flames didn't improve over last season and any gain with Sharangovich over Toffoli relies on the longer term. The two free agents they signed were peripheral at best, but GM Craig Conroy did avoid the over-priced multi-year deal.

Chicago Blackhawks

GM Kyle Davidson signed Ryan Donato as Chicago's lone free agent, for two years at $2 million AAV. Corey Perry's rights were traded from Tampa Bay for a 7th-round pick in 2024 and Perry was subsequently signed for one year at $4 million.

Through trades, Davidson brought in Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from Boston for Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula.

He traded for salary in Josh Bailey and received a 2nd round pick in 2026 from the NY Islanders to save them $5 million.

In late November, Chicago acquired Anthony Beauvillier from Vancouver for a 5th-round pick in 2024.

Donato was brought in to help the bottom six and perhaps chip in 15-20 goals. He has six goals and eight assists in 42 games (0.33/g) while averaging 14:46 per night, which is the most ice time he has had in his six seasons.

The signing of Corey Perry was a curious one as he was given $4 million after being a fourth-line player most of last season with Tampa Bay. I'm not going to rehash what happened with Perry, but we know that his contract was terminated by the team. He is rumored to be signing with Edmonton on Monday.

Hall and Foligno were brought in to bolster the forward group and help Connor Bedard adapt to the NHL. Hall was injured after just 10 games and is out for the season, while Foligno ended up on a line with Bedard at ES and had eight goals and 17 points in 39 games (0.44/g), posting 84 hits.

Beauvillier was looking for a fresh start and the Canucks were looking to shed some salary. Beauvillier has six points in 15 games with Chicago after putting up eight points in 22 games while with Vancouver. He is out week-to-week with a wrist injury.

Grade: C+

Davidson has to be given credit for not going out too early and signing free agents to long-term expensive deals. As Bedard continues to improve, there will be little choice but to improve the team around him and things could be very different the next off-season.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche signed Jonathan Drouin, Miles Wood, Jack Johnson, Ross Colton, Tomas Tatar and Joel Kiviranta as free agents.

Drouin, Johnson, and Kiviranta were all given one-year deals between $775k and $825k, while Tatar was at $1.5 million for one year.

Woods was given a long-term deal of six years at $2.5 million AAV, while Colton was given four years at $4 million AAV.

Ryan Johansen was acquired from Nashville for Alex Galchenyuk, while the signing rights for Colton were acquired from Tampa Bay for a 2nd round pick (Ethan Gauthier). Tatar was subsequently dealt to the Seattle Kraken for a 5th-round pick in 2024.

Drouin was a very low-risk addition who played with Nathan MacKinnon in junior hockey. He had a slow start with just six points in his first 19 game,s but has 20 points in his past 27 games with Colorado. He is seeing top unit time on the PP and has 11 points there so far.

Colorado was very aware that they needed to improve their bottom six, as they had very little depth in 2022-2023. With Wood signed, they acquired a hard-working, consistent forward who could pot 15-20 goals. After 42 games with the Avalanche, he has eight goals and nine assists. The early returns have been exactly what they needed.

The other player who fit that role was Colton, but he has a slightly higher offensive ceiling than Wood. In 45 games, Colton has 10 goals, 13 assists and 63 hits, winning 51.7% of his faceoffs.

Johnson was brought back as a free agent to be a sixth or seventh defender. He has played 47 games and put up nine points, 34 hits and 59 blocks, while averaging 14:46 per night.

Kiviranta has played 32 games with Colorado and spent 10 games in the AHL. He has seven points and 41 hits and has played mostly on the fourth line.

Johansen has two years remaining at $8 million AAV, with Nashville retaining 50% of that salary. He's not the player he was even two years ago, but he is a big centre who can win faceoffs and provide some offense. In 47 games, he has 11 goals and 18 points (0.38/g), which is his lowest point production since 2012-2013. He is strong in the face-off circle at 54.4%.

Grade: B+

GM Chris MacFarland appropriately addressed Colorado's depth. Wood, Colton and Johansen could help the Avalanche get back to the Stanley Cup Finals again.

Dallas Stars

Dallas GM Jim Nill signed free agents Sam Steel, Craig Smith and Matt Duchene to one-year deals.

Steel was signed for $850k, Smith for $1.0 million and Duchene for $3.0 million.

The biggest signing was Duchene, who bet on himself and took a discount to sign with the Stars. He has 41 points in 45 games (0.91/g) and is averaging just over 17 minutes per game.

Steel has settled into more of a defensive role in his sixth NHL season as his OZ starts are just 37.4% in Dallas. He has chipped in 14 points in 41 games (0.34/g) and could threaten his career-high of 28 points.

Smith scored 20 goals five times in his prior 12 seasons in the NHL. He has become a fourth-line winger who plays a safe game, but his 20-goal days are behind him. In 43 games, he has five goals and three assists.

Grade: B

Duchene alone gives the Stars a higher grade than most teams. Once again, I have to give credit to a GM who didn't go crazy on July 1st and was quite controlled in free agency. Not that the Stars had the space to do that.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers added Lane Pederson, Drake Caggiula, Connor Brown, Adam Erne and Sam Gagner in free agency. They signed Corey Perry on Monday.

All five were signed to the league minimum of $775k, with Brown having incentive bonuses up to $4 million (which he hit after playing 10 games). Pederson and Caggiula were two-year terms while Erne, Gagner and Brown were one-year deals.

The team added no players by trade but did part with Kailer Yamamoto and Klim Kostin with nothing in return.

The Oilers have lacked depth in their bottom-six forwards and their bottom-two defense for a few years now. GM Ken Holland tried to plug a few holes in free agency.

Pederson and Caggiula have been in the AHL all season and will only see the NHL if the Oilers have a run of injuries.

Brown is coming off a fairly serious injury and has struggled to keep pace. In 35 games, he has three assists, averaging 13:51 per night. The hope was that he could slide into the second or third line and bolster the penalty kill.

Erne has played 23 games in Edmonton and four games in the AHL. He has a goal and an assist, averaging 7:47 per game.

Gagner was signed after the season started and has played 20 games with the Oilers. This is his third stint with the team in his career. He has five goals and five assists, averaging 10:41 per game.

Perry had his contract terminated by Chicago and was announced as a member of the Oilers on Monday.

Grade: C

Gagner has been the best of the four free agents, but this group has been filler mostly and hasn't improved the team much. Perry should be an upgrade on Erne or James Hamblin.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings signed Trevor Lewis, David Rittich and Cam Talbot in free agency.

GM Rob Blake shedded Cal Petersen and Sean Walker's combined cap hit of $7.65 million by retaining $2.025 million of Ivan Provorov's salary going to Columbus. The net gain was $5.525 million in cap space.

The team also traded Sean Durzi to Arizona for a 2nd round pick in 2024.

The biggest deal of the summer for Blake was getting Pierre-Luc Dubois for Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo and Rasmus Kupari (along with the 2nd round pick acquired in the Durzi deal). It was a sign-and-trade as the Jets signed Dubois for eight years at $8.5 million AAV before shipping him to LA.

Lewis was signed for $775k, Rittich for $875k and Talbot for $1.0 million, with all being one-year deals.

Lewis was quite physical during his two years in Calgary, posting 334 hits in 162 games. He also tallied 15 goals and 21 assists, averaging between 12 and 13 minutes per night. With the Kings, he has five goals, three assists and 29 hits in 43 games, while playing 11:17 per game.

Rittich was signed for depth in case Cam Talbot or Pheonix Copley struggled or got hurt. Rittich started in the AHL and played 16 games there but was called up to the Kings recently and has played seven games, with a save percentage of 93.7 and a GSAA of 4.98. Rittich hasn't had a positive GSAA since 2018-2019 while with Calgary.

Talbot had a great start in Los Angeles going 10-3-1 with a save percentage of 93.1 and a GSAA of 10.78. However, he has faltered since, going 4-8-4 with a save percentage of 90.3 and a GSAA of negative 1.25. Talbot is 36 years old and has already played 30 games.

While Blake didn't go out and sign a free agent long-term with a high salary, he traded for one in Dubois and gave up fairly significant assets to do it.

It seems strange to go out and spend what they did on Dubois and then make him a third-line player. Although the Kings have a very deep forward group, they have not set Dubois up to succeed. After 43 games, he has nine goals and 10 assists (0.44/g) which is his lowest production of his career. It's still early in his tenure with the Kings and we know that Dubois has a ceiling at a point per game in this league (he had 49 points in 44 games last year).

Grade: C

With the price Blake paid to get Dubois and the amount of money he makes, it's tough to give the Kings a good grade at this point. It started well with Talbot but he's fading a little. At the very least, their three free agents were all cheap.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild signed free agent Jujhar Khaira as their sole external player.

GM Bill Guerin traded for Patrick Maroon and gave up a 7th-round pick in 2024 to Tampa Bay.

Guerin sent Calen Addison to San Jose for Adam Raska and a 5th-round pick in 2026.

The most recent trade was sending another 7th-round pick (2025) to Tampa Bay for Zach Bogosian.

Khaira has been in the AHL for most of the time, playing just one NHL game with Minnesota. He was signed as fourth-line depth.

Maroon has three Stanley Cups. The Wild added him for playoff acumen, but also to upgrade their fourth line. Through 46 games he has four goals, 11 assists and 51 hits, playing 12:59 per game. His physicality is a little down from what he had in Tampa Bay, but his ice time has increased by almost three minutes per game.

Bogosian was traded from Tampa Bay after playing four games there. In 30 games with the Wild, he has seven points, 53 hits and 38 blocks. In his past 20 games, he has played more than 19 minutes per game, which is not ideal as he hasn't played that much since 2018-2019 while in Buffalo.

Grade: C

I always compare these types of roster moves to sweeping dust from one corner to the other. These moves might have bolstered the dressing room, but they've done little to improve the product on the ice.

Thank you very much for reading and if you have any comments, please leave them below or follow me on Twitter @gampbler15