Faceoff Factor

Evaluating Teams Post-Free Agency: Southeast

Michael Farkas | National Hockey League

Jul 20, 02:33 AM | Hype this story!

With about three weeks gone in the free agency period, most of the top tier talent has found itself a new home. Now that things have slowed down considerably, Faceoff Factor will go division-by-division and break it all down.

The Southeast Division.

Atlanta Thrashers

Gained: Ron Hainsey (5 yrs, $4.5/yr), Jason Williams (1 yr, $2.2), Marty Reasoner (-), Grant Stevenson (-)

Lost: Bobby Holik (NJ), Mark Recchi (TB), Alexei Zhitnik (UFA), Steve McCarthy (Europe), Steve Rucchin (UFA)

Still needs to: Get to the salary cap floor, field an NHL-caliber team, start figuring out who the franchise goalie is going to be: Lehtonen or Pavelec.

Approximate cap space remaining: $18.47 million ($2.47 million below the Lower Limit)

Rumors associated with them: There’s been a rumor that they are close to signing their 2000 second round draft pick, Ilya Nikulin, who has been a bright spot on Ak-Bars Kazan (RSL) blueline for years now. Other than that, it’ll have to take some overpayment somewhere along the line to get to the Lower Limit.

Notes: The Atlanta Thrashers, the home of some of the greatest mismanagement this side of Buffalo. Out of the Hossa deal, they did not net any one sure thing, they got a third line grinder, a third line offensive center, a boom or bust prospect who’s stock has been falling for the past two years now and they used the first round pick on a swing-for-the-fences speedster who has not played major junior hockey (and will not, he’s going to Michigan State). The lineup is pretty awful, save for Ilya Kovalchuk, who must feel even more alone than ever. The defense is questionable and would likely see an 18-year-old getting sizeable minutes with an unreliable partner. Not to mention the Zhitnik for Coburn swap, a deal that was bad enough at the time, looks even worse now that Zhitnik was bought out. Basically, it’s Kovalchuk and Lehtonen (very underrated because of this team) and they’ll see what comes from that. My guess: Victor Hedman or John Tavares.

Current lineup (for depth purposes, not actual lines):
Kovalchuk-Little-Kozlov
Williams-White-Armstrong
Reasoner-Christensen-Thorburn
Perrin-Slater-Boulton
Ex. Larsen, Motzko, Lavallee

Hainsey-Havelid
Enstrom-Bogosian
Klee-Exelby
Ex. Valabik, Denny

Lehtonen
Hedberg
Ex. Pavelec

Carolina Hurricanes

Gained: Joni Pitkanen (3 yrs, $4/yr), Josef Melichar (1 yr, $1)

Lost: Erik Cole (EDM), Glen Wesley (retired), Bret Hedican (UFA), Trevor Letowski (UFA), Darcy Hordichuk (UFA), John Grahame (Europe)

Still needs to: Sure up the fourth line a little better, move an excess defenseman and try to have a reasonable gameplan in the event something happens to Cam Ward.

Approximate cap space remaining: $7.48 million

Rumors associated with them: Nothing substantial, Jeff O’Neill and Carolina seem like a good match at this point however.

Notes: The Hurricanes, when healthy, can put together a formidable squad. Their top three lines look very good on paper and have the potential for big points, especially within their division. The forward depth below #9 and the goaltending depth below #1 leave lots to be desired, but there are solutions that are easily attainable for that. However, Carolina figures to be a non-factor this year because they only do major things in Olympic years (2006 – Cup, 2002 – Cup Finals, 1998 – move to Carolina/Fedorov offer sheet), but look out in 2010!

Current lineup (for depth purposes, not actual lines):
Whitney-Staal-Williams
Samsonov-Brind’Amour-Walker
Ruutu-Cullen-Eaves
Bayda-LaRose-Gillies
Ex. Sutter, Petruzalek, Reed

Gleason-Pitkanen
Kaberle-Corvo
Seidenberg-Wallin
Ex. Babchuk, Melichar

Ward
Leighton
Ex. Peters

Florida Panthers

Gained: Cory Stillman (3 yrs, $3.2/yr), Rory Fitzpatrick (2 yrs, -)

Lost: Steve Montador (ANA), Branislav Mezei (Europe), Jassen Cullimore (UFA), Magnus Johansson (UFA)

Still needs to: Figure out how to get rid themselves of franchise players while getting the smallest return possible. Figure out the overcrowded defense in general. Now that Jokinen is gone, the forward depth is decidedly weaker.

Approximate cap space remaining: $10.58 million

Rumors associated with them: Some talk that Jay Bouwmeester wants out and/or there’s a big trade cooking up involving their franchise player, in other words – status quo.

Notes: The Florida Panthers once again make a big splash and with it, the perpetual rebuild continues – half-speed ahead! By dealing Jokinen for Keith Ballard, they make it seem as if Bouwmeester isn’t coming back. Ballard, unknown by many, is a great young defenseman; however, on a team that is overflowing in high-priced blueline depth, Ballard didn’t seem like the return Florida should be seeking. Unless they knew Bouwmeester was gone. Meanwhile, the organization will likely generate the same results that they always produce in the post-Pavel Bure era: the lets-get-picks-and-prospects February, followed by the who-should-we-draft April.

Current lineup (for depth purposes, not actual lines):
Stillman-Matthias-Horton
Booth-Weiss-Olesz
Dvorak-McLean-Zednik
Kilger-Campbell-Peltonen
Ex. Kreps, Belak, Frolik

Bouwmeester-Allen
Van Ryn-Ballard
Boynton-Skrastins
Ex. Murphy, Welch

Vokoun
Anderson
Ex. Plante

Tampa Bay Lightning

Gained: Radim Vrbata (3 yrs, $3/yr), Matt Carle (4 yrs, ~$3.438/yr)*, Mark Recchi (1 yr, $1.25), Ty Wishart (3 yrs, ~$1.12/yr)*, (Olaf Kolzig (1 yr, $2.5**), Adam Hall (3 yrs, $600K/yr), Brandon Bochenski (2 yrs, $500K/yr), Janne Niskala (1 yr, $600K), Andrew Hutchinson (2 yrs, $500K/yr), Wyatt Smith (-, $500K), Zenon Konopka (2 yrs, $500K/yr), David Koci (1 yr, $525K) [* – acquired from San Jose; ** – $1.5 mil base salary with incentives]

Lost: Dan Boyle (SJ), Brad Lukowich (SJ), Marc Denis (MTL), Doug Janik (CHI), Andre Roy (CGY)

Still needs to: Realize that the 23-man roster limit encompasses all three major positions, not just forwards. Recognize the need for defensive defensemen, especially on a team of Carle, Kuba, Picard and Hutchinson. Turn their endless array of forwards into dependable defensemen.

Approximate cap space remaining: $6.41 million

Rumors associated with them: As long as forwards remain on the open market, the Lightning will be there. On a more serious note, Jussi Jokinen and Michel Ouellet (you know, the “old” forwards from the completely different team they fielded last year) have been brought up in trade talks here and there, but they could simply be a product of “well, someone has to go” rumors.

Notes: What an adventure this has been so far. The Lightning dove head-first into the free agency pool and traded away a player that they signed to a ridiculous contract just months earlier. There are enough forwards to field an entire roster, there are just enough defensemen to allow 6 goals a game on two-on-one’s alone and a goaltending duo that has one veteran on the decline and one youngster that shows potential, but is still unproven. The Tampa Bay Lightning may be bringing back an era that their team didn’t exist during – the 1980’s. Better yet, there are more moves coming; or even better than that, no moves come and we get to see a team like this take the ice!

Current lineup (for depth purposes, not actual lines):
Prospal-Lecavalier-St. Louis
Malone-Stamkos-Vrbata
Jokinen-Gratton-Recchi
Roberts-Craig-Hall
Ex. Halpern (IR), Ouellet, Ward

Carle-Kuba
Ranger-O’Brien
Picard-Rogers
Ex. Hutchinson, Smaby

Smith
Kolzig
Ex. Ramo

Washington Capitals

Gained: Jose Theodore (2 yrs, $4.5/yr), Keith Aucoin (2 yrs, ~$488K/yr)

Lost: Cristobal Huet (CHI), Matt Cooke (PIT), Olaf Kolzig (TB), Ben Clymer (UFA)

Still needs to: Get under the Upper Limit, even with the pending Morrisonn arbitration hearing.

Approximate cap space remaining: (-$1.19 million) [Morrisonn’s arbitration hearing still to go]

Rumors associated with them: None at the moment, but it is clear that the salary cap will force something or other.

Notes: The Washington Capitals made something of a goalie switcher-a-roo this offseason, and came out looking pretty good. Jose Theodore really revamped everything in his game last year in Colorado (literally started from scratch) and showed great improvement. That said, the Caps did end up losing the league’s most underrated goaltender in Cristobal Huet. Brent Johnson also has success in short phases, but with two very good goalie prospects on the way, (Neuvirth and Varlamov) there’s no need to go out and get reinforcements. The defense becomes a little uneasy with Brian Pothier’s career in jeopardy, but with youngsters Alzner, Schultz and Lepisto on the way, the Capitals should be able to proceed nicely. The team is set in a similar fashion as last year and will look to build on the previous season’s successes.

Current lineup (for depth purposes, not actual lines):
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Semin-Nylander-Clark
Laich-Fedorov-Fehr
Brashear-Fleischmann-Bradley
Ex. Gordon, Steckel, Aucoin

Green-Alzner
Poti-Morrisonn
Jurcina-Schultz
Ex. Pothier (IR), Lepisto

Theodore
Johnson
Ex. Varlamov