Who Are Some Of The Biggest Winners And Losers In The Western Conference After Free Agency?
on today’s episode of the lockdown NHL podcast big winners from free agency big losers from free agency and Ryan suder you’re locked on NHL your daily podcast on the National Hockey League part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what’s up what’s happening everybody welcome into another episode of the lockdown NHL podcast we are your team every day we thank you for making lockdown NHL your first listen each and every day make sure you subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on any new episodes throughout the week today’s episode of lockdown NHL is brought to you by indeed still searching for a great candidate for your company don’t search just match with indeed start hiring now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com lockon terms and conditions apply need to hire you need indeed on today’s episode of lockdown NHL we take a look at some of the big winners in free agency from the Western Conference we’ll also talk about the teams that really didn’t do a whole heck of a lot some players that are big winners from the free agent frenzy and Ryan sud bought out again he’s now a two-time buyout uh recipient Ric Flair Ric Flair 17 time he’s he’s just just stacking up those uh stacking up those credits uh so we’ll talk about all that here for today’s show my name is Seth topal host of lockdown wilds and one half of your Dynamic Tuesday Duo joined by JD young of lockdown sharks JD it is uh I I think enough time has passed to allow the dust to settle to where we can we’ve got the full scope on the free agency experience and what an experience it was we’ve talked a lot over the uh the last few weeks about uh how the Nashville Predators just stole the show Steven stamp Co Brady Shay and Jonathan maraso uh to name a few that our headed to Nashville but there were some other teams that had uh really solid free agents uh free agency periods uh solid signings and so uh why don’t we start I’ll let you go first just uh just give me one of your either teams or players that uh that won most uh here this offseason all we both had because we both made our separate list so we both picked this same uh I was more specific I said Connor Bard is a big winner uh this free agency because uh do you know who Conor bard spent the majority of his time playing with last year uh if you don’t know he spent 30% of it near 30% of his time playing with Nick Felino and Philip Kev uh now fast forward to you know this offseason um you’re getting Taylor hallback which I think is I know it’s not a signing but it’s still a big piece and he was brought in to kind of be the the robin to uh Conor Bard’s Batman uh Chicago also signed Tyler puszi uh they got uh terrain from Carolina like there’s actual real pieces that you can put around Bedard now where he doesn’t have to kind of go out and do things all by himself we saw last year how many times he would he do something cool and then just his linemates around him just aren’t able to kind of keep up with it or uh you know he’s just kind of out there having to to chug along on a bad team and I watched way too many Chicago games last year uh as I was rooting for the tank but like you put you have like real pieces that are like actually make up a legitimate top six um you hope Peter morazzi continues to play the way he played last year and we we talked about last week about Chicago maybe being a team that can make some noise I think again looking at these signings um I think Chicago has done a really good job of putting in nice pieces around badar to kind of insulate him and then still having your young guys who are kind of developing and maturing and get will be able to kind of replace those guys when they’re ready to go so I think Conor Bard is one of the big winners of the off season and as you mentioned we both had Chicago so I’ll just use this opportunity to piggyback off of that um I don’t know if you remember but at the near the end of the season last year uh Nick Felino had some pretty pointed comments about Chicago you know needing to figure out kind of how to win and how to do this with all the young players that they have so what did Chicago go out and do this off season you bring in as you mentioned Tyler berzi they get Pat maroon uh to bring into that mix they they added some uh they added some physicality and toughness that isn’t going to get in the way of the skill players that they have like that’s I think the important part is Pat maroon is not going to he’s not going to steal somebody’s job in the uh in the top six of that lineup he’s going to play a fourth line role but he’s going to bring an attitude he’s going to bring I think some of that that is needed for Chicago specialism too like as your yes I think that’s a big thing too just like a professional who gu who’s been there done that uh like you know a model kind of Citizen for for some of these young guys to learn from yes that is very very true and you get to the point now where I don’t know how the line combinations will shake out but Tyler berzi Nick Felino potentially playing together on a line that uh that’s not fun that’s not fun to play against if you are an opponent and so Chicago had some clear objectives this off season of we need to we need to bring in some guys that have won and know how to do it to teach this uh teach this group the way and you know like you said we I think we can count him as an acquisition Taylor Hall if he comes back and is healthy that’s a huge boost to this team as well and so yeah it was uh it was a free agency period and and a draft too Chicago again like they’re they’re getting really good at this draft thing over the uh the last couple of Seasons which is just super annoying to me as a somebody that covers the Minnesota Wild super annoying to see them really start to uh to stack some things together so got to tip my cap to uh to Chicago for what they uh what they have put together and you know on the goalie side too Peter morazzi he he held his own in uh in net and as did Arvid Soder Bloom um last season Lauren bris was that’s that’s an intriguing intriguing addition because he was very good as uh Conor helu’s backup last season and so getting him in the folds putting him in the mix too that uh that’s going to help them out uh tremendously in that go so good work by Chicago again I hate saying that but you got to go take a shower after this yeah you gota you got to give credit where credit is due so those are uh Chicago is definitely one of the winners uh we have plenty of other teams to talk about uh as well and some teams where it’s like hey what are you guys doing like do something the meme of the uh poking the with the stick poking the uh whatever uh whatever you want it to be um people just putting their team’s logo there and saying come on do something so we’ll talk about that uh as well as a couple of interesting player destinations and uh Ryan Suter that’s all coming up on today’s episode of lockd on NHL we are your team every day today’s episode of lockdown NHL is brought to you by indeed we are driven by the search for better but when it comes to hiring the best way to search for a candidate isn’t to search at all don’t search match with indeed if you need to hire you need indeed indeed is your matching and hiring platform with over 350 million Global monthly visitors according to indeed data and a matching engine that helps you find quality candidates fast uh one of the parts you know I’m I’m in the job search right now one of my favorite Parts on the uh the employee side for indeed is that indeed will tell you based on your qualifications if you’re missing something when you’re looking for a particular job they’ll put it right out there missing qualifications or you may need to elaborate more if you try to match up with this job it just makes the search so much easier listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at indeed.com locked on just go to indeed.com lockon right now and support our show by saying you heard about indeed on this podcast that’s indeed.com lockon terms and conditions apply need to hire you need indeed welcome back to today’s episode of the lockdown NHL podcast once again we are your team every day and we thank you for making lockdown NHL your first listen each and every day for your second listen today make sure to check out both of our shows lockdown wild and lock on sharks uh continuing to push the elite content even when it’s in the off season no no rest for the wicked we uh we just continue to uh to churn out the A+ content and so uh make sure to tune in to both locked on wild and locked on sharks later here today all right let’s go on to more winners and losers JD who’s next on your list uh I went loser uh and one team that I think might need to use indeed uh to go find a left Winger and that would be the Vegas golden knights uh they had a lot of talent leave the building um this off season and that’s kind of they’re they’re getting to that part of having to pay the the bill on the credit card when you kind of have been an Allin team since you’re Inception uh you at points you have to to pay and I wonder what this team is going to do if they’re going to continue with this all in approach or if they maybe take a year a step back this year but this team doesn’t have their first round picks for the next two seasons so it feels like they have to continue to just be all in until they can’t be all in anymore but uh right now their left Wingers are Victor olivon uh pav dorv which I screwed up his name sorry buddy uh Bren and Brett Howen um and like breny bran was you know a first round pick a couple of years ago but like hasn’t be able to crack the lineup I know that’s a very good lineup but that that left wing group uh would have be worried if I was a Vegas golden KN fan who is expecting Vegas to make another deep playoff run especially with a mark Stone who we don’t know if he’s ever gonna be able hold up um you know you have toas hurdle like you have a lot of guys who are very much in a win now mode uh but is this team still able to be in a win now mode uh I’m looking at their uh their cap situation right now on Puck pedia.com rip capfriendly it’s over um they are we’re all losers for that unfortunately yes yeah that that was so I I forgot about it and so I was was doing uh was trying to do some research for uh for an episode and I it popped up and it’s like nope nope we’re gone so that was a that was a sad day but Vegas is currently negative 3.63 million in cap space and so they’re going to they have like Robin laner Will Go On on ltir and like because they don’t have ltir yet during the offseason here so he’ll go on LTR and they’ll have like a tiny little bit of cap space here but still like they’re they don’t have much for assets they have one of the worst Prospect pools in the entire NHL which is what happens when you continually trade your picks to try to get star players and it’s worked for them but yeah like at some point you run out of picks and you run out of assets and what is this team going to do are they just going to kind of Mark Stone eichel William Carlson save us yeah that’s uh your analogy of finally getting to the point where you have to pay the credit card bill is perfect like that’s exact L what that’s exactly where Vegas is at and you know it’s thankfully they won that cup because uh that’s um that wall is coming like at some point they are going to have to really really take a Peak at uh at the future and as much as they may want to kind of just push that down the road they’re going to have to at some point because like you said I’ve seen it before it’s uh yeah you you 15 years of going for it and then all of a sudden uh yeah it’s it it falls apart really quickly on you so uh Seth big loser for you this off season um I’m going to I’m gonna do a couple of things here I’m putting the St Louis Blues on this list because I just I I don’t get the Ryan suder signing like he so sud was let’s let’s tell the story here suder was bought out by Dallas so now he’s been bought out by two teams and uh went to St Louis but if you look at the uh if you look at the Blues roster like they’ve got Justin Faulk Tory KRW Colton Paro Nick Ley Scott perunovich Joseph Pierre Olivier uh Tyler Tucker you’ve got Marco scandel who is an unrestricted free agent but was also part of the team like sud he’s not going to he’s not going to Vault really anybody with the exception of maybe the third pairing so is he at this point is he okay with being like the seventh defenseman I mean let’s so the first buyout from Minnesota was for you know locker room reasons kind of behind the scenes stuff second one is very clearly it came down to to skill and like what he brings to the table I don’t know it’s just it’s it’s kind of a weird it’s a weird fit and I just I really don’t get it from St Louis’s perspective so that’s that’s a big that’s a big L for me but um I like to also you know the hey this this team was just marked present during uh during free agency there were a few of those Winnipeg is one just didn’t do a ton and I know they don’t really didn’t really have a ton to work with be able to make moves but coming off of last season I don’t know maybe you uh you sign somebody to kind of uh help out with that I know they traded for Dylan cogin they’re trying to unload um ruer mcgi but beyond that that like depth moves Hayden flurry Mason Shaw just I don’t know would have been nice to uh would have been nice to see a piece added to kind of um help out what they’re building is is kind all I’m saying it’s not I mean they still have like five million doll in cap space so you could have gone out and gotten like a solid piece there uh with your cap space and I know then there’s talk of them maybe trading Nic Ellers like uh yeah what is this team because you just resigned uh you know you just last offseason you just spent a bunch of money uh resigning Conor heluk who’s like the you know definitely worth every single penny of that but like you know you mark shley like you resigned all these guys and then you kind of just sit on your hands the next year it’s uh for a team that I mean they played well down the stretch and they’re they’re going to just be a like we’re going to just shut things down and try to squeak out goals and guess what we have the best goal tender in the world and we think that’s going to be a winning formula but maybe maybe they’re just one of those we’ll go into the season see how it goes and then at the trade deadline you know we can if mcord like you could dangle him uh like maybe try to get a nice solid piece just go in there and see how Ellers does this season um if you’re bad then you could trade him and and get a nice haul at the trade deadline or if you’re good just ride with it and try to figure things out next off season but yeah they’re they’re a weird team and maybe it’s just the they’re they’re directionless which is weird for a team that just committed so much money last off season yeah and it’s yeah it it is kind of it’s a little bit of an an odd Vibe too considering you had Rick bonis just uh just retire uh over the off season to and so you got all these pieces it’s going to be very interesting to see kind of which way they take it because it was very clearly a defense and goal tending oriented team last year that could score um the trend in the NHL is speed and scoring like that’s that’s what every team is trying to just stockpile defense is for nerds just go score a bunch of goals that’s that’s all I’m saying so it’ll it’ll be interesting to see the route that the um that the Jets end up going because right now it feels like they’re in kind of a holding pattern uh absolutely pun intended had to do it uh when we finish or when we come back Today’s Show we finish with a guy who found a really good Landing spot last year and is getting an opportunity to try to double down on that and uh plenty more as we finish today’s episode of the lock down NHL podcast after this final segment of today’s episode of the lockdown NHL podcast once again we are your team every day make sure if you have not checked it out yet to hang out after the uh episode is over so that you can experience the 247 streaming magic of locked on sports today the first of its kind I’ll say it again first of its kind 247 streaming Channel giving you all of your favorite lock on shows all your favorite lock on personalities and the best part about it JD none of the yelling thank you no screaming nobody trying to elevate over another person to get their point in Seth I’m gonna let you finish here one none of that none of that so make sure to check it out again locked on sports today on YouTube or the Amazon Fire TV channels app 247 all sports no screaming all right finishing our look at winners and losers here in free agency from the Western conference uh JD who you have who do you have next on your list uh I’m going to go winner here um and this one it’s it’s a little weird but Dustin wolf a goenda for Calgary right who’s been one of the best goenda the past couple season has gotten a taste of NHL time but uh he needs he needs a clear pth to playing fulltime NHL games with Calgary trading Jake Mar uh Jacob markstrom to the New Jersey Devil that opens up the path to one Justin wolf and it’s going to be a long year in Calgary this year right as this team has finally admitted what they are they’re going to be rebuilding and he is going to get plenty of chances to make plenty of saves or see plenty of shots but um the best way for [Music] goenda be a long year it’s it’s good for Calgary to kind of make the move F they’ve they’ve drafted a young go golender in the seventh round and um he looks to be a I think he’s going to be a special goenda native Dustin wolf I’ve got another I’m I’m gonna say loser here because I don’t know how this Situation’s going to play out how about uh yav askarov because the national predators locked UC Saros in to a nice new eight-year extent and also signed Scott Wedgewood and so you have a really good goalie Prospect the Predators do feels like his path to the NHL is kind of blocked and he is in the final year of his ELC it’s a restricted free agents uh next season if you’re Nashville you would think you would kind of want to get a look at him yeah to to uh to see what you’ve got to see you know what his next contract slots in at but it doesn’t feel like there’s a ton of opportunity now injuries are a thing injuries do happen and so in that case then yeah there you go but I I mean it was there was talk about uh sar’s potentially being traded at various points um that obviously went away and now he’s locked in long term so if you’re ask you’re maybe in the back of your head thinking let’s see what else is out there see if there’s an opportunity somewhere else to uh to maybe go be the guy and there were rumors that the Los Angeles Kings might come knocking in that department if I’m the Kings I absolutely would because the Kings have nothing they got Darcy keer that’s it nothing so I I’ll say askarov is a loser right now but there is potential that if he catches on in a new spot and gets a huge opportunity that he could be moved into that winter column um yeah I think with ascra though I like if you look at Nashville who’s very much now an all in team you uh going to this trade deadline you have two first round picks H this year and you have ascrs that’s three really really intriguing pieces that where if you wanted to make a big big splash at the trade deadline for a team that is very very much Allin right now um you have a lot of stuff that you could deal with there so uh yes asro is a loser right now but I would be surprised if he is still with Nashville by the end of the season because I think he gets traded at the trade deadline um for a rental piece that can help Nashville try to hoist a Cup this year uh but yeah uh you you got to feel bad for him really nice dude really fun dude uh get into chat with him at the AHL All-Star game uh really fun dude really out there so uh but yeah really really fun dude so yeah I definitely a loser right now uh another losers as we kind of sick in it’s very uh Central I think division in this as we’re going because the Pacific literally did nothing yeah uh yeah the Pacific was just like hey guys we’re here um Colorado and it’s not really like their own fault but it’s very much in that like teams that didn’t death te because they couldn’t do anything they’re just like kind of yeah they’re they’re just handcuffed right now because of the uncertainty with like if Landis Cog is going to come back you know you you have like there’s so much uncertainty with this roster that they really can’t do anything right now and when you see other teams get better uh I I think it’s especially like a team like Nashville it it’s it makes it tough for for Colorado to kind of you know go into the season and just be like okay yeah we’re good we we got the pieces here and yes they have my car and they have me Kon and that’s going to drag them to a lot of wins but when it gets deep in these playoff runs and that depth is what gets tested and what kind of you know is helps you out I don’t know if Colorado right now has the horses yeah it’s it very much is dependent on what happens with landeskog and NuSkin too like if those guys if those guys come back um and are able to play that just turns Colorado into a completely different team but yep until they do yeah it is it is going to be fascinating to see how that bottom six especially plays out like they that that top six is still pretty darn good but but it’s just so much wear and tear like just yeah you know like those guys have to play well every night and kind of drag this team and you wonder if by the time it gets to the playoffs if is there just going to be like you know like Mar having to play 25 minutes a night and Mar’s young and Mar’s a wizard you can play 25 minutes a night but like Again by the time you get to the playoffs and you got to start going from 25 to 30 minutes a night uh in a playoff atmosphere if that wear and te just doesn’t kind of start to take its toll on you especially if you just don’t have the help around um I’m gonna finish with a winner um and this is a combo platter I’m gonna get I’m gonna credit uh Dallas as a winner because Matt do Shane was uh bought out by the Predators before last season Dallas Stars picked him up on a flyer $3 million flyer let’s try it let’s try it out let’s see what happens uh he had a 65o season 25 goals 40 assists he signed for and I honestly I was shocked $3 million that’s a that’s a quite a bargain for for Dallas and it seems like a really good match I mean duchane is like a middle six guy for them because of all the players that they have in that lineup and so he just gets an opportunity to just go out there and do his thing um and enjoy country music continue to enjoy his country music and Dallas and yeah that’s all he wants but then you know another move that they made that I think is really nice under the radar move was Casey to Smith like signing there to be the backup Wedgewood had that honor um I think Midway through the season before this last one and then all of last season two Jake ottinger has been Rel he’s been relatively healthy in his young career but he has missed some games yep Casey Des Smith at $1 million a year for three years that’s a that’s a heck of a backup goalie so I’m going to give Dallas a win for the uh the offseason cu didn’t have to do a ton they they had uh they have a good mix um on that team and you know they just needed to uh to add a few pieces they also added Ilia leushin um to the mix to one of my favorite last names in hockey and so know you you’ve got a Dallas team that is very deep they deepened they’re uh they’re going to be poised for a good year this year to to say the least and fans are going to actually be able to watch watch that’s a sore spot for you I know uh yes I’m gonna sneak in one more here uh my San Jose Sharks you got the first overall pick Mel Brady signed uh you’re getting Will Smith who was the fourth overall pick last year uh you sign Toler Tooley who’s a walking 25 to 30 goals scoring machine every year um and William eklin uh my my career I’ve been trying to find William ecin friends we have found William echin friends I he doesn’t have to play with Luke cunan anymore um he’s gonna actually have real centers to play with whether it’s uh granin who he played with really well last year uh celebrini Alex wenberg who they signed um as well like uh yeah you there this team they’re going to lose a bunch of games but they’re going to be at least way more entertaining this year as they lose a bunch of games and uh the they keep saying the future’s teal guys it’s it’s coming so uh my San Jose Sharks uh you tanked you tanked hard and you were rewarded for it so taking awesome your team should do it Morey yeah they should uh Minnesota Wilds I’ll I’ll get in some thoughts on the Minnesota Wild to to finish uh they didn’t have a ton of money to uh to spend it seemed like for a while that it was looking like they were going to try to go get a top six guy somebody that could step into that uh Second Line and really help out with scoring and they go get Yakov trenin instead to throw into just a a large mix of bottom six guys and so this episode is not released yet but it did a crossover with lockdown Avalanche and be because I did I had to do a sound check as one does when you when you hop on another show you participate in the in the bits the show’s bits um the song that I chose was Stuck In The Middle With You Because creamy middle team yeah so creamy middle team it was a quiet free agency again I don’t it it’s not that I it’s not that I expected them to do more because they were only going to be really able to sign one one guy probably but and it’s the other part too is like it was a need like he’s a he’s a great penalty killer and he is just a a killer out there on the ice that was needed yeah it’s just like you’ve got five or six of those same types of guys on the roster and so so I’ll put the Minnesota Wild in the L column myself uh for another quiet free agency I can’t wait until next season because at least there’s going to be flexibility to do some stuff whether they will or not remains to be seen but that is uh that is our show today thank you for tuning in and making lock on NHL your first listen each and every day make sure to hit the like button on your way out and make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss out on any new episodes throughout the week uh you can also catch locked on NHL all week long with our wide array of hosts covering all topics in the NHL um in many different ways so make sure to tune in all week long and make sure to tune in all offseason long because we will keep you up to date on all things throughout the NHL on our shows every day of the week you can find new episodes every Monday through Friday as part of the locked on podcast Network
On today’s episode of Locked on NHL, Seth Toupal and JD Young look at which teams and players are the biggest winners and losers in the Western Conference after free agency. We start with Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, who have added several key pieces in Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen, as well as the return of Taylor Hall to form a legitimate top-six around the Bedard in his sophomore season. Then we discuss the Vegas Golden Knights and the issues they have at left wing after losing a lot of talent in free agency this offseason and if the credit card bill has come due, plus Ryan Suter gets bought out… again. We also finish up with the Colorado Avalanche stuck being able to do very little in free agency, Dustin Wolf now able to claim a full-time NHL role, and the future of Yaroslav Askarov with the Nashville Predators.
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