With the NHL free agency period set to kick off on July 1, here is what the Western Conference Canadian teams might do on Sunday.
Calgary Flames
Players under contract: 18 ($56.79M)
Cap space: $13.31M
UFAs: Olli Jokinen, Lee Stempniak, David Moss, Cory Sarich, Scott Hannan, Tom Kostopoulos, Raitis Ivanans, Guillaume Desbiens, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Stefan Meyer
Notable RFAs: Mikael Backlund
Game plan: Find a front-line point-producer to replace Jokinen and fill as many blueline gaps as possible
Possible targets: P.A. Parenteau (W), Shane Doan (W), Jaromir Jagr (RW), Matt Carle (D), Jiri Hudler (W), Justin Schultz (D)
Breakdown:
Coming off another season in hockey purgatory, the Calgary Flames have some tough decisions to make this summer.
Fans have long clamoured for a slash-and-burn rebuild, and although GM Jay Feaster has openly shot down the notion of that strategy, he may not have much choice when free agency opens July 1.
First-line centre Olli Jokinen is likely to receive plenty of attention in a shallow free agent pool after coming off a 23-goal, 61-point campaign in 2011-12. Other pending UFAs who would likely garner interest in the open market include Lee Stempniak, Cory Sarich and Scott Hannan. David Moss could also be of interest to teams looking for a safe and reliable winger, although he’s been hampered by injuries the past few seasons.
Calgary has new blood on the way, having inked centre Roman Cervenka to a one-year, $3.775-million deal in May, while young winger Sven Baertschi could make a full-time leap to the NHL after tearing up the WHL and scoring three goals in a five-game stint with the Flames at the end of last season.
Cervenka also played on a line with pending UFA and countryman Jaromir Jagr for Avangard Omsk (KHL) and could be an interesting option for Feaster.
With plenty of cap space, the Flames could also make a pitch for a top-six forward like P.A. Parenteau, Jiri Hudler or Alex Semin, or take a chance on a player like Peter Mueller, who was cut loose by the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday but is just 24 and has shown potential when healthy.
After adding Dennis Wideman, the Flames still have holes on defence and will be looking to add one or two pieces through free agency.
Edmonton Oilers
Players under contract: 17 ($43.67M)
Cap space: $26.42M
UFAs: Ryan Smyth, Darcy Hordichuk, Taylor Chorney, Yann Danis, Ryan Keller, Josh Green, Bryan Rodney
Notable RFAs: Sam Gagner, Devan Dubnyk
Game plan: Need to upgrade entire blueline and add a grinding bottom-sisx forward
Possible targets: Justin Schultz (D), Matt Carle (D), Shawn Thornton (W), Greg Zanon (D)
Breakdown: After landing Sarnia’s Nail Yakupov in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers are loaded at the forward position with high-end prospects. The team has stockpiled a dynamic group of assets in Yakupov, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, and Jordan Eberle.
While GM Steve Tambellini has been able to rebuild the forward group, the defensive corps remains a serious work-in-progress. The team ranked 23rd in goals against last season and lacks a strong group of players to build around. Edmonton has only five defenceman locked up for 2012-13, so there is room for the team to make drastic improvements in free agency.
The Oilers could use both a shutdown defender and a puck mover to team up with veterans Ryan Whitney, Ladislav Smid and Nick Schultz along the blue line. The team has mid-level prospects in former first-rounder Colton Teubert, Oscar Klefbom and Taylor Fedun but it’s hard for the organization to count on any of these players to contribute at the NHL level in the near future.
At some point, the Oilers will need to upgrade this unit. A potential elite player, Justin Schultz would be an ideal fit for Edmonton. He would fit in perfectly on one of the league’s top power-plays and would get more ice time with a rebuilding team such as the Oilers than elsewhere. If they miss out on Schultz, they could be forced to overpay for a veteran in a buyer’s market. Edmonton has the cap and roster space to take a risk like Calgary did with Dennis Wideman.
If the Oilers continue to avoid this critical position, the team may find themselves picking in the lottery for the fourth straight year. Edmonton has not made the playoffs since trading Chris Pronger in the summer of 2006.
Vancouver Canucks
Players under contract: 18 ($55.67M)
Cap space: $14.52M
UFAs: Sami Salo, Steve Reinprecht, Aaron Rome, Byron Bitz, Steve Pinizzotto, Matt Climie, Andrew Ebbett, Nolan Baumgartner, Mark Mancari
Notable RFA: Mason Raymond
Game plan: Bring in a top-four defenceman and a veteran backup goalie
Possible targets: Jason Garrison (D), Justin Schultz (D), Johan Hedberg (G), Chris Mason (G)
Breakdown: The Canucks are set to enter free agency with few roster spots up for grabs and even fewer dollars to spend, although that could change depending on what GM Mike Gillis does with goaltender Roberto Luongo.
Frankly put, the Canucks are one of the better teams in the NHL when healthy and should enter 2012-13 as contenders yet again.
But even the best look to upgrade from one season to the next, and the Canucks are no different.
Perhaps their most pressing need at the moment is another top-four defenceman, specifically somebody to play big minutes alongside Alexander Edler.
The Cancuks, like the Leafs and the Oilers, will likely make a big pitch for B.C. native Justin Schultz, who is said to be NHL-ready and is a righthand shot (Edler is lefthanded). They also apparently have the inside track on high-scoring blueliner Jason Garrison.
Garrison, also a B.C. boy, told a Vancouver radio station last month that it would be a “thrill” to play for the Canucks. Garrison logged heavy minutes with the Panthers last season and was third among all NHL defenceman with 16 goals. Although he’s lefthanded, Garrison played a good chunk of time on his off-side and has an absolute bomb from the point.
He is relatively unproven, however, and the Canucks aren’t in a position to employ another overpaid blueliner (see Ballard, Keith).
Besides adding a defenceman, the Canucks don’t have many other flaws they can improve via free agency. Bringing in a veteran netminder to battle Eddie Lack for the backup spot wouldn’t hurt, though.