theathleticuk
The NHL offseason has been in full swing for a few weeks now.
Have you been mortally insulted yet? Not necessarily.
For plenty of teams and their fan bases, a modern NHL offseason is just a steady stream of being told how wonderful they are.
Both Florida teams know the drill.
So does Vegas.
This summer, Minnesota is playing the role of the lifelong loner who finally gets invited to sit at the cool kids table.
How long will that last? Well find out, but for now theyre living large.
Advertisement And then there are those other teams.
You know the ones.
Theyre the markets nobody seems to want to play for, which means theyre at a disadvantage from day one.
While other teams seem to have the wind behind their backs at all times, these teams are constantly pushing a boulder up a mountain, wondering when it will veer off course and theyll have to start all over again.
And yes, its all a little bit insulting.
If youre a fan of one of these teams, the act gets old.
You can be all for player empowerment (and you should), but at a certain point a fan is going to look around and wonder: Whats wrong with us? Whats wrong with my team, or my city? And maybe worst of all: Is there hope? Today, Ive picked eight teams that Id argue have had a particularly rough start to the player empowerment era.
To be clear, these arent the worst teams in the league, or even the ones in the worst overall situation.
You wont see Vancouver or Calgary here, for example those are bad teams whose short-term outlook is ugly, but thats life in a rebuild.
Instead, our focus is on teams that want to get good and/or stay good, but suddenly seem to be swimming against a tide of players saying not you.
Well go through each team and ask: Just how insulted should this team and their fans be right now? And of course, well do it from the best situation all the way down to the worst.
8.
Buffalo Sabres What happened: After a season that saw the dam finally burst on over a decade of frustration, the Sabres seemed set to chart a new course forward, much to the delight of the most loyal fans in the sport.
Then two key players, Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, both chose to land elsewhere rather than re-sign in Buffalo, eventually forcing trades that netted the team futures but left the Sabres worse on paper.
Here we go again? Advertisement Not necessarily, because Jarmo Kekalainen reportedly managed to put together a trade for the best goalie in the world.
But then the Connor Hellebuyck trade fell apart at the last minute, just months after a deadline blockbuster fell victim to a no-trade clause.
Yep, here we go again.
The case for: After a year of teams re-signing their stars, and their quasi-stars, and also their scrubs, and pretty much anyone who could hold a hockey stick, of course it was a Sabre who was basically the only big name left when the market was ready to open.
And with many young players around the league happily signing discount deals, of course it was a Sabre who insisted on big money and more importantly, a bigger role Buffalo couldnt realistically offer.
The case against: The Sabres managed to get a pick from the Washington Capitals in exchange for facilitating a max-length Tuch deal that carries plenty of risk.
But the bigger news came with Byram, who was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade everyone thought the Sabres won handily and then signed a contract that everyone hates.
Even if the team takes a step back in the short term, is that really a loss? As for Hellebuyck, while the trade may have fallen through before the draft, theres still time to get something done, and reports suggest a deal isnt entirely dead.
And maybe the bigger news for Sabres fans is that Hellebuyck was apparently willing to waive his NTC to come to Buffalo, something thats been an issue for the franchise in the past.
The insult-o-meter reads: 2/10.
Seeing star players exit is never fun, but the Sabres handled the situations well enough that nothing thats happened this summer can outweigh the optimism boost of last year.
7.
Dallas Stars What happened: After years of being a destination for players would you like to hear a fascinating fact about the state tax rates in Texas? the Stars are having trouble keeping one of their own, as the Jason Robertson stalemate continues.
Advertisement And then there was the Zach Werenski mess, in which the Stars reportedly had a deal in place for the reigning Norris winner, only to have him block the move with his no-trade clause.
The case for: A star preferred Columbus over Dallas? Thats not how this is supposed to work! The case against: Youre still the Dallas Stars, a team whose current highest-paid player is only there because he handpicked them as a destination.
The summer has offered a glimpse of how the other half lives, but youll be just fine.
The insult-o-meter reads: 3.5/10, with the potential to go a bit higher if the Robertson story goes off the rails.
6.
Winnipeg Jets What happened: It sure sounds like Connor Hellebuyck wants out.
We dont know how that story will end (although there are hints), but its hard to imagine the Jets winning a trade for the leagues best goalie, especially if other GMs know they have to make a move.
The case for: Hellebuyck would just be the latest in a long line of star players who left Winnipeg.
He was supposed to be different, having ostensibly committed to the Jets a few years ago when he signed his extension.
If he wants out now, it would just be the same old story Jets fans have been hearing for decades.
The case against: Theres a difference between wanting out and demanding a move, and were not sure exactly where Hellebuycks case falls.
For now, it at least sounds like hes open to multiple destinations, which puts the Jets in a better position than other teams faced with having to trade a star.
The insult-o-meter reads: 5/10 and ready to go higher if things get ugly.
5.
Anaheim Ducks What happened: Their best player, a young stud who we assumed the franchise would build around for the next decade, signed a massive offer sheet with the Flyers that theyll probably have to match, even if that might not be a good idea.
Advertisement The case for: There really is no good outcome to the Leo Carlsson mess.
Either you let him walk and get four picks that dont help you much right now, or you overpay to keep him and potentially blow up your salary structure for years to come.
And of course, even if you do keep him, you have to reconcile the fact that he signed a contract with another team.
He may not want out, but he certainly doesnt seem to have his heart set on being a Duck.
And maybe worst of all, this feels like a self-inflicted wound, with GM Pat Verbeeks reputation for nickel-and-diming his players coming back to haunt him.
The case against: Theyll probably keep Carlsson, and assuming they do, the offer sheet can eventually be water under the bridge.
You dont see any lingering issues for Sebastian Aho in Carolina, after all.
If were going to constantly say that the NHL is a business when a team does whats in its best interests, we have to be willing to do the same for players.
And as for the salary structure, theres still a hard cap in place, so while it will make Verbeeks job tougher, it wont completely blow the budget.
The insult-o-meter reads: 6/10, assuming they match.
Please enjoy the irony of the Carlsson news coming just days after the Flyers last mega offer sheet contract finally expired.
4.
Columbus Blue Jackets What happened: Arguably the best player in franchise history, Zach Werenski, told management he wouldnt be signing an extension, opening the door to a trade the team could never win.
Kirill Marchenko joined him in wanting out.
The coach was blindsided.
And when GM Don Waddell did find an offer he was willing to take, Werenski torpedoed it with his no-trade clause and was reportedly furious about a trade hed essentially asked for.
Then everyone apparently just changed their minds.
The case for: Werenski saying he wants to stay sounds like a happy ending, and fans will no doubt want to forget the whole story every happened.
But not everyone is completely convinced that this is truly over, and its worth noting Werenskis statement wasnt as unequivocal about staying as it may have seemed he says he wants to win in Columbus, which is something the team hasnt done enough of lately.
And of course, theres still the whole Marchenko thing to figure out.
Advertisement The case against: For now, both players are sticking around, which is more than some teams can say for their stars.
And while the whole ordeal adds even more pressure on the Blue Jackets to win something, at least it sounds like theyll get the chance to try.
The insult-o-meter reads: 6.5/10, which is significantly lower than it would have been 10 days ago.
Lets hope we dont have to do this whole dance again next summer ..
or sooner.
3.
Ottawa Senators What happened: For years, Ottawa fans had to hear other fan bases tell them that their captain would abandon them, even though both he and the organization swore it would never happen.
This year, with the door cracked open for the first time, that captain stood up, made his decision, and ..
did exactly what everyone had always predicted hed do.
The case for: Brady Tkachuks exit for Florida was a true gut punch for Senators fans, especially the ones whod spent years defending him.
And it was made worse by the way it reportedly went down with Tkachuk using his NTC to narrow his potential destinations down to just a handful of teams before further reducing it to just one.
Ah well, at least theyll always have Daniel Alfredsson.
Now to take a big sip of water and check the news feed..
The case against: The Senators did as well as they could have done on the Tkachuk trade, and were able to flip one of the picks for immediate help in William Eklund.
And while the whole brother act has worn thin over the years, its still hard to blame a guy for wanting the chance to play with family.
And if were being honest, a lot of the Ottawa fan base had just about had it with Bradys whole deal.
And even those that had his back until the bitter end will find that hes a remarkably fun guy to root against.
The insult-o-meter reads: 8/10.
The context here matters, with Tkachuk joining a long list of stars who decided they wanted out of Ottawa.
That was supposed to end under new ownership, but here we are.
Advertisement 2.
Detroit Red Wings What happened: With a team-record playoff drought hitting the ten-year mark, captain Dylan Larkin stood up and declared that enough was enough.
As in: Hed had enough, and wanted to be traded to a good team that was already winning without him.
You guys can figure out the whole winning in Detroit thing once hes gone.
The case for: While Larkin certainly wasnt the only or the biggest star to demand a trade this summer, he was the only one to do so with five years left on his contract.
And as has become the norm, he used his no-trade clause to limit his potential destinations to just three teams: Minnesota, Florida or Vegas, none of whom necessarily seemed to have the assets Steve Yzerman would need to make a deal.
So far, Yzerman has been holding strong, waiting for Larkin to either change his mind or provide a longer list.
Neither has happened yet, raising the possibility that we might get an extremely awkward September reunion when training camp opens.
The case against: With no trade in place yet, theres always the possibility that Larkin and Yzerman could work out their differences, similar to what we saw with Werenski in Columbus.
And while Yzerman has been pushed into trades before by players like Martin St.
Louis and Jonathan Drouin, his track record in those deals is solid, so he might be able to find a way to make this work for the Wings.
The insult-o-meter reads: 8.5/10.
Having a captain throw in the towel is a brutal look for a fan base, and barring an unexpected reconciliation, its hard to see this ending in anything other than more salt being poured in Wings fans wounds.
1.
Seattle Kraken What happened: For the second time in a few months, the Kraken tried to go all-in on a star winger, offering trade assets and big dollars to get them to come to Seattle.
Like Artemi Panarin before him, Jason Robertson took one look and said nope.
But unlike Panarin, who was quickly shipped to his preferred destination in Los Angeles, Robertson is still in limbo in Dallas.
In other words, hes not sure where hell play next, he just knows he doesnt want it to be in Seattle even if they were willing to make him the second-highest paid player in the league.
The case for: You have to give the Kraken credit for trying.
After five mostly lackluster NHL seasons, and with the specter of an NBA return looming over the market, the team seems to realize it cant tread water forever.
Theyve been trying to land a difference-maker and are willing to pay up to do so.
The problem is, nobody seems to want to take their money.
Advertisement Thats a tough look for a team trying to break through.
And thats especially true given the Seattle market should have plenty going for it, including being (for now) one of the fabled no-tax destinations players seem to love so much.
Their expansion cousins down in Vegas always have a lineup out the door of players pleading for a chance to play there.
But Seattle? They quite literally cant buy a star.
The case against: At least they havent had any superstars demand a trade out of town.
Then again, you could argue that five years in, theyve never had one.
The insult-o-meter reads: 9/10, making the Kraken a somewhat surprising top pick for todays list.
But I think it makes sense the only thing worse than having to say goodbye to a franchise icon is the realization that you cant even get one in the first place.