Recapping the offseason roster moves by all 30 teams

Tuesday, 01.08.2013 / 10:01 AM / NHL Insider

By Adam Kimelman - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor

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It's been a long offseason for NHL fans, but with the lockout over, the skates are being sharpened and the pucks are ready to be dropped as training camps prepare to open around the League.

Because it's been several months since fans last saw their favorite teams on the ice, NHL.com has this simple team-by-team primer to remind fans what's happened since the Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils to win the Stanley Cup back in June.

	The biggest news was the announcement that star forward Teemu Selanne would return for another season. The 42-year-old Finnish Flash enters the season 19th on the all-time scoring list, but just 17 points behind No. 15 Bryan Trottier. The Ducks also brought in free-agent defensemen Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen and forward Daniel Winnik. Leaving were forward George Parros and defenseman Sheldon Brookbank.
	The Bruins will have a new starting goalie, as Tuukka Rask replaces Tim Thomas, who is sitting out the 2012-13 season. Rask has experience as a starter -- in 2009-10 he led the League with a 1.97 goals-against average and .931 save percentage -- and he's been a reliable backup the last two seasons. Defenseman Joe Corvo and forward Benoit Pouliot departed, but center Chris Kelly was re-signed.
	The Sabres tried to get bigger and tougher over the summer, highlighted by the acquisition of forward Steve Ott from Dallas in exchange for center Derek Roy. Forward Tyler Ennis was re-signed, and free-agent forward John Scott signed on. Mikhail Grigorenko and Zemgus Girgensons, Buffalo's first-round picks in the 2012 NHL Draft, could compete for roster spots.
	Bob Hartley, hired to replace Brent Sutter, finally will get to open his first training camp. The two big off-season additions were Jiri Hudler and Dennis Wideman. Hudler will replace the departed Olli Jokinen as Jarome Iginla's top lieutenant in supplying offense -- he had a career-best 25 goals last season. Wideman, a defenseman who signed a five-year contract after the Flames acquired his rights from Washington, had 11 goals and 46 points last season. Also signed was talented Czech center Roman Cervenka, who could earn a spot on one of the team's top two lines.
	The Hurricanes took the League lead in Staal brothers by acquiring Jordan from Pittsburgh in June. He could play on a line with older brother Eric or center the Hurricanes' second unit. They also upgraded their offense by signing free-agent forward Alexander Semin to a one-year deal. Joe Corvo was added on the back end for his third tour of duty in Carolina.
	The biggest offseason news for the Blackhawks could be the return to full health of star forward Marian Hossa, who sustained a concussion in Game 3 of Chicago's first-round playoff series on a hard hit from Phoenix's Raffi Torres. Chicago also added a pair of veterans on defense in Sheldon Brookbank and Michal Rozsival.
	The Avs dipped into the free-agent pool for forward PA Parenteau, hoping his career-best season in 2011-12 -- 18 goals and 67 points in 80 games for the Islanders -- was just the start of a fruitful NHL career. Also added in free agency were rugged blueliner Greg Zanon and depth forward John Mitchell. Peter Mueller left for Florida. In September the team named then-19-year-old forward Gabriel Landeskog as the youngest captain in NHL history.
	The biggest offseason addition might be new president of hockey operations John Davidson. The hope in Columbus is Davidson can engineer the same kind of turnaround he helped put together in St. Louis. That starts with Todd Richards, who returns for his first full season as coach after replacing Scott Arniel last January. The Rick Nash saga finally came to an end with his trade to the New York Rangers, and the franchise can see what it has in forwards Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov, and defenseman Tim Erixon, who came to Columbus in the deal. Sergei Bobrovsky was acquired from Philadelphia to compete with Steve Mason for the starting job in goal, Nick Foligno came from Ottawa in a trade for defenseman Marc Methot, and Adrian Aucoin was signed to supply a veteran presence on defense.
	GM Joe Nieuwendyk had an extremely busy summer. He sent top-line center Mike Ribeiro to Washington in June in exchange for top prospect Cody Eakin, then replaced Ribeiro up front by acquiring Derek Roy from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Steve Ott. Nieuwendyk then surprised many by signing a pair of 40-year-old forwards -- Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr. Defenseman Sheldon Souray left for Anaheim, but the Stars signed Aaron Rome away from Vancouver to replace him.
	It's impossible to replace what the Wings lost when seven-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom announced his retirement. The Wings also lost Brad Stuart, who had his rights traded to San Jose. Carlo Colaiacovo was signed away from St. Louis to eat up some of the minutes left by their departures. Beyond the on-ice contributions, the Wings also need to find a new captain. Detroit did add toughness over the summer by signing bruising forward Jordin Tootoo away from Nashville. Jiri Hudler left for Calgary, but the Wings believe they found his replacement by re-signing Mikael Samuelsson, who had 14 goals and 31 points last season with Vancouver and Florida. They also added Damien Brunner, who led the Swiss league in scoring in 2011-12. Former Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavsson was signed to back up Jimmy Howard.
	The Oilers won one of the biggest free-agent prizes over the summer when they signed 21-year-old defenseman Justin Schultz. He has lived up to the hype playing for the club's American Hockey League affiliate in Oklahoma City, ranking among the league leaders in scoring and leading all AHL defenseman in goals and points. Nail Yakupov, the first pick of the 2012 NHL Draft, will be given the chance to win a roster spot in training camp. Rather than overhaul the roster for new coach Ralph Krueger, the Oilers opted to re-sign a number of players, including forward Sam Gagner, defensemen Theo Peckham and Jeff Petry, and goalie Devan Dubnyk.
	After overhauling their roster during the summer of 2011, the Panthers had a quieter offseason this time. Last season's second-leading goal-scorer, Kris Versteeg, was re-signed, Peter Mueller was added to boost the offense following the departure of Mikael Samuelsson, and Filip Kuba was signed to fill the void on the blue line left by Jason Garrison leaving for Vancouver. George Parros was signed away from Anaheim to add toughness.
	Besides celebrating with the Stanley Cup, the Kings spent the summer ensuring that every member of their Stanley Cup-winning roster would return. That meant new contracts for forwards Dustin Penner and Dwight King, as well as a long-term extension for goaltender Jonathan Quick. However, Quick had back surgery over the summer, so his availability for the start of the season remains in question.
	No team made a bigger splash during the summer than the Wild, who stunned the hockey world July 4 by signing forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter to identical 13-year contracts. Other veterans added were forwards Torrey Mitchell, Zenon Konopka and Jake Dowell, while defenseman Greg Zanon and forward Guillaume Latendresse departed. The Wild also have an exciting group of youngsters who should compete for roster spots after starring for Minnesota's AHL team in Houston this season, including forwards Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle and Johan Larsson, defenseman Jonas Brodin and goalie Matt Hackett.
	The rebuilding from last season's 15th-place finish in the Eastern Conference started in the front office with a new GM in Marc Bergevin and a new coach in Michel Therrien. Forwards Lars Eller and Blake Geoffrion were re-signed, but Geoffrion's future is uncertain after he suffered a fractured skull during an AHL game. Brandon Prust and Colby Armstrong were signed to add toughness. Alex Galchenyuk, the third pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, could get a shot to win a job in training camp.
	It was a tough offseason for the Predators and their top defense pair. Ryan Suter left for Minnesota, and Nashville then had to match a 14-year offer sheet Shea Weber signed with Philadelphia. Retaining their captain and franchise blueliner was a major commitment for the team, which also re-signed forwards Paul Gaustad, Colin Wilson and Sergei Kostitsyn. Scott Hannan was signed to add a veteran presence on the back end. Backup goalie Anders Lindback was traded to Tampa Bay; to replace him, the team signed former Predator Chris Mason.
	After their surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Devils bid farewell to team captain Zach Parise, who signed a 13-year contract with Minnesota. The team was able to re-sign defenseman Bryce Salvador, and goaltender Martin Brodeur signed a new two-year contract. His backup, Johan Hedberg, also was re-signed. Defensemen Matthew Corrente and Mark Fayne also signed new deals, though Corrente is out for the season after shoulder surgery. Alexei Ponikarovsky left for Winnipeg, but the team signed former Ottawa forward Bobby Butler. The coaching staff also took some hits with the departures of highly respected assistants Adam Oates, who was hired as Washington coach, and Larry Robinson, who took an assistant job with San Jose. In their place, Devils Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens will become a full-time assistant coach. He had been a special-assignment coach the past few seasons.
	The big news this summer was the team's impending move to Brooklyn for the 2015-16 season. The Isles lost forward PA Parenteau, who signed with Colorado, and added Brad Boyes, who had 23 points in 2011-12 but is poised for a bounce-back season. Griffin Reinhart, the fourth pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, could get a chance to win a roster spot in training camp, as could 2011 first-rounder Ryan Strome. The Isles also hope to have veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky, who was acquired from Anaheim in June but has said he wants to stay home and play in Slovakia.
	The Rangers made the biggest trade-related splash of the offseason, acquiring Rick Nash from Columbus. But the cost was three young players -- forwards Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky, and defenseman Tim Erixon. Leading goal-scorer Marian Gaborik, who had shoulder surgery in June, has recovered and should be ready for the start of the season. In free agency, the team signed forwards Jeff Halpern, Taylor Pyatt, Arron Asham and Micheal Haley, while losing forwards Brandon Prust, Ruslan Fedotenko, John Mitchell and John Scott. On defense the team re-signed Stu Bickell, Steve Eminger and Anton Stralman; Michael Sauer (concussion symptoms) remains sidelined after missing most of last season.
	The biggest offseason news was the announcement by team captain Daniel Alfredsson that he will return for another season. Alfredsson had 27 goals last season, the most he's had since 2007-08. The team lost Filip Kuba and Matt Carkner from the blue line, but signed defenseman Mike Lundin and added Marc Methot from Columbus in exchange for Nick Foligno. Forwards Zenon Konopka and Bobby Butler left, but Guillaume Latendresse was signed; he and 2011 first-round pick Mika Zibanejad, who has been playing his first North American season in the AHL, will get chances to play big roles.
	The Flyers went big after restricted free-agent defenseman Shea Weber, but saw the Predators match the 14-year, $110 million offer sheet they signed him to in late July. The Flyers also lost a pair of their own free agents, with defenseman Matt Carle signing with Tampa Bay and forward Jaromir Jagr departing for Dallas. They also traded backup goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus for three draft picks. Michael Leighton, who spent all of last season in the AHL, was re-signed and likely will be the backup for Ilya Bryzgalov. To add to the back end, the Flyers acquired defenseman Luke Schenn from Toronto in exchange for forward James van Riemsdyk. They also signed forward Ruslan Fedotenko and defenseman Bruno Gervais.
	The key word for the Coyotes could be stability. The ownership situation gained clarity as Greg Jamison had his lease deal approved with the city of Glendale, Ariz., a major hurdle in his quest to purchase the team. Also, the Coyotes were able to re-sign long-time captain Shane Doan to a new four-year contract. They also re-acquired defenseman Zbynek Michalek from Pittsburgh in exchange for two prospects and a draft pick -- a move that should make up for the loss in free agency of veteran blueliners Adrian Aucoin and Michal Rozsival. Also brought in was veteran forward Steve Sullivan, who should step into the role left by departing forward Ray Whitney. Forward Taylor Pyatt left for the New York Rangers.
	After losing in the first round of the playoffs, the Penguins had a busy summer. They traded center Jordan Staal to Carolina for the eighth pick of the 2012 NHL Draft and two players -- including forward Brandon Sutter, who likely will slot into Staal's third-line center spot. The Penguins also dealt defenseman Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix and acquired goalie Tomas Vokoun from Washington. Forwards Arron Asham and Steve Sullivan and goalie Brent Johnson were not re-signed. The Pens signed forwards Benn Ferriero, Philippe Dupuis and Tanner Glass, along with defenseman Dylan Reese.
	The Sharks upgraded on defense with the trade and signing of Brad Stuart, and got tougher with the signing of Adam Burish. The only key departures were forwards Benn Ferriero and Daniel Winnik. Sharks GM Doug Wilson elected to bring back coach Todd McLellan after the team finished seventh in the Western Conference and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. To help McLellan -- and the rest of the team -- Wilson hired Hall of Famer Larry Robinson as an assistant.
	The Blues re-signed building-block forwards T.J. Oshie for five years and David Perron for four, and brought back Jamie Langenbrunner. They also signed 2010 first-round pick Vladimir Tarasenko, who could be a major contributor this season. Center Jason Arnott was not re-signed, and defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo left as a free agent to sign with Detroit. However, the biggest loss likely will come in the front office, as team president John Davidson left for a similar position with Columbus.
	GM Steve Yzerman wasted little time trying to fix his team's goaltending issues, acquiring Anders Lindback from Nashville on June 15 and signing him to a two-year contract. Veteran Mathieu Garon was re-signed as his backup, and 43-year-old Dwayne Roloson wasn't signed. Also added in free agency were defensemen Matt Carle, Sami Salo and Matt Taormina, and forward Benoit Pouliot, while forward B.J. Crombeen was acquired via a trade with St. Louis. Veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund is a question mark as he attempts to come back from a knee injury that kept him out all of last season.
	The Leafs added to their offense with the acquisition of James van Riemsdyk from Philadelphia. The cost was high -- defenseman Luke Schenn -- and GM Brian Burke said he wants to start van Riemsdyk at center, a position he hasn't played since college. The Leafs allowed goalie Jonas Gustavsson to leave and re-signed Ben Scrivens, who led the Toronto Marlies to the AHL Calder Cup Finals. However, there could be more goalie news coming, as the Leafs reportedly are interested in trading for Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. Forwards Nikolai Kulemin and Matt Frattin were re-signed, and Jay McClement was signed away from Colorado. Forward Colby Armstrong left to sign with Montreal.
	The offseason was dominated by talk of Robert Luongo's future, as the goaltender told GM Mike Gillis he would waive his no-trade clause for the right deal. While that was going on, the team re-signed goalie Eddie Lack, who could emerge as Cory Schneider's backup depending on what happens with Luongo. The team also spent big to sign defenseman Jason Garrison away from Florida with a six-year contract. With Garrison in place, the team allowed veteran blueliner Sami Salo to leave -- he signed with Tampa Bay.
	The Caps re-signed defensemen John Carlson and Mike Green, and forwards Jay Beagle and Mathieu Perreault. Mike Ribeiro was acquired from Dallas in June to center the second line. The biggest departure was Alexander Semin, who took his high-end offensive skills to Carolina. With Dale Hunter's departure after the playoffs, the Caps hired Adam Oates as their new coach. He's the fifth straight coach the Caps have hired who had no NHL head coaching experience prior to taking the job.
	The search for offense led the Jets to free-agent forwards Olli Jokinen and Alexei Ponikarovsky. Jokinen had a nice bounce-back season in 2011-12 with the Flames, with 23 goals and 61 points. Backing up Ondrej Pavelec -- who enters the first season of the five-year extension he signed in late June -- will be Al Montoya, who replaces the departed Chris Mason. The team could start the season without defenseman Zach Bogosian, who had wrist surgery in late August, though he's started skating again.