New York Rangers
Added: Taylor Pyatt
Lost: Brandon Prust
The Rangers bid farewell to a number of depth players so far this off-season, but the loss of Brandon Prust to Montreal is the only one that will impact their roster going into next season. Prust was a dependable penalty killer and a hard-working winger. New York signed big bottom-six forward Taylor Pyatt to try to fill that hole and they added a physical presence in ex-Islander Michael Haley to help in that regard if necessary. The Rangers are still working at prying Rick Nash out of Columbus as their big off-season move, so they have been relatively quiet on meaningful roster movement so far.
Grade: C
Ottawa Senators
Added: Guillaume Latendresse, Marc Methot, Mike Lundin
Lost: Filip Kuba, Nick Foligno, Matt Carkner, Zenon Konopka
Ottawa lost some grit with the departures of Matt Carkner and Zenon Konopka, but neither of them played regularly in 2011-12. The Senators made an early decision to not retain unrestricted free agent Filip Kuba and he signed a contract with Florida on July 1st. General manager Bryan Murray addressed that hole on the blueline quickly though, by trading forward Nick Foligno to Columbus in exchange for steady stay-at-home defenseman Marc Methot. The Ottawa native should get a chance to take Kuba's spot in the lineup next to Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson next season. Mike Lundin was also added to supply the team with more depth. Guillaume Latendresse has struggled mightily with injuries for most of his career and he dressed in just 27 games over the last two seasons with Minnesota. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Senators and if he can stay, which is a fairly big "if," then he could be an intriguing sleeper in 2012-13.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Flyers
Added: Michael Leighton
Lost: Jaromir Jagr, Matt Carle
The draft day deal of Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus in exchange for three picks has Michael Leighton penciled into the backup role for the Flyers next season. Philadelphia re-signed him on July 1 to a one-year deal. The Flyers made big offers to try to land highly-sought after free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but came up empty in their attempts. While they were trying to reel in the big fishes, veteran winger Jaromir Jagr and defenseman Matt Carle found new homes via free agency with Dallas and Tampa Bay, respectively. The Flyers will likely be in the thick of trade talks for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan and Columbus' Rick Nash. They will probably deal with their defense corps as well before the start of next year.
Grade: C-
Pittsburgh Penguins
Added: Tanner Glass
Lost: Steve Sullivan, Arron Asham
The Penguins' off-season moves have been a mixed bag thus far. They started out well enough by acquiring and signing pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Tomas Vokoun well ahead of July 1st. Being forced to trade Jordan Staal at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft was a difficult situation that the team handled well. The bad taste in the mouths of the Pens from that matter was quickly washed out with the announcement of Sidney Crosby's massive 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension. Pittsburgh then lost Steve Sullivan to the Phoenix Coyotes and Arron Asham to the New York Rangers on the open market, but they did add Tanner Glass as a capable replacement for Asham. The Penguins were among a number of teams that came up short in their efforts to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, which may cause them to seek the trade route to obtain a winger to play alongside Crosby for next season.
Grade: C
Tampa Bay Lightning
Added: Sami Salo, Matt Carle
Lost: Dwayne Roloson
Tampa Bay acquired Anders Lindback from Nashville last month, so they didn't hang onto veteran puck-stopper Dwayne Roloson. Roloson is still looking for a team in the free agent market. The Lightning have kept themselves busy in free agency, though, signing blueliners Sami Salo and Matt Carle to help bolster their defense corps. Salo received a two-year deal and Carle got a six-year contract from the Bolts. The two of them should draw into Tampa Bay's top four group. Salo's booming shot will likely be utilized on the point during power play situations, if he can stay out of the club's sickbay, while Carle will see plenty of ice time in all situations.
Grade: B-
Toronto Maple Leafs
Added: Jay McClement
Lost: Colby Armstrong, Joey Crabb, Jonas Gustavsson
The Leafs chose not to participate in the free agent frenzy, but they did add size at center with the signing of Jay McClement to a two-year deal. Toronto bought out the final season of Colby Armstrong's contract and he signed with the rival Montreal Canadiens. Grinder Joey Crabb also left the organization on the open market to play in Washington, and Jonas Gustavsson, whose rights were traded to Winnipeg by Toronto, ended up signing with Detroit to serve as their backup. The Maple Leafs are still looking to upgrade their talent level at center and between the pipes, which could lead to a trade down the road. Toronto kicked the tires on Martin Brodeur when he was available as a UFA and they have been linked to Vancouver's Roberto Luongo, but nothing appears imminent.
Grade: C
Washington Capitals
Added: Jack Hillen, Joey Crabb
Lost: Dennis Wideman
Washington traded the negotiation rights of defenseman Dennis Wideman to Calgary just before free agency begun. They are also not expected to bring back unrestricted free agents Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble, who are all still available on the open market, and both of them could be fantasy assets under the right circumstances. The Capitals acquired Mike Ribeiro from Dallas at the draft in exchange for Cody Eakin and a pick as their best off-season transaction. They also brought Jack Hillen on board to serve as a depth option on the blueline and former Maple Leafs winger Joey Crabb will be heading for fourth-line work in Washington next year.
Grade: C
Winnipeg Jets
Added: Olli Jokinen, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Al Montoya
Lost: Tanner Glass, Chris Mason
The Jets opened their checkbook to lure center Olli Jokinen onto their roster. The 33-year-old center inked a two-year, $9 million contract with Winnipeg, where he should see top-line action. The Jets added another forward with considerable size with the signing of Alexei Ponikarovsky to a one-year deal. Perhaps being reunited with his old buddy from Toronto, Nik Antropov, can help coax offensive production from him. Winnipeg also got Al Montoya to serve as Ondrej Pavelec's understudy after Chris Mason left via free agency to sign with Nashville.
Grade: C+
Eastern Conference teams weren’t nearly as busy as those in the Western Conference but there were moves made of some significance and certainly more will follow.
Read Ryan Dadoun's take on the Western Conference here
Here some of the key roster adjustments thus far:
Boston Bruins
Added: Chris Kelly
Lost: Greg Zanon, Joe Corvo
The Bruins didn't take part in the free agent spending, but lost a pair of defensemen in Greg Zanon and Joe Corvo to the open market. Blueline prospect Dougie Hamilton is slated to step into the NHL next season to fill the void, though, so they organization has much more to gain and they didn't lose all that much. Boston's focus was mostly on retaining their own players, as they gave potential unrestricted free agents Chris Kelly, Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paille contract extensions. Goaltender Tuukka Rask was also handed a one-year contract to prove his worth as an NHL starter in 2012-13.
Grade: C
Buffalo Sabres
Added: Steve Ott, John Scott, Adam Pardy
Lost: Derek Roy, Brad Boyes
Buffalo signed behemoth defenseman/forward John Scott to a one-year, $600,000 contract on the opening day of free agency and allowed Brad Boyes, who signed with the New York Islanders, to test free agency. Boyes didn't supply much offense during his time with the Sabres and while Scott won't be an improvement in that regard, he does add some versatility and toughness to the team in a depth capacity. Buffalo also swung a big trade recently by sending center Derek Roy to Dallas in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. Ott is another tough player but he is much more offensively adept than Scott, while Pardy will likely be a reserve defender. The loss of Roy to the team's top-six group is a tough pill to swallow, though, because it leaves the club fairly thin down the middle, at least for the time being.
Grade: C-
Carolina Hurricanes
Added: Joe Corvo
Lost: Bryan Allen
The Hurricanes made their biggest off-season move on draft day when they acquired Jordan Staal from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brandon Sutter, prospect Brian Dumoulin and the eighth overall pick. Staal was slated to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2012-13 season, but then Carolina promptly took care of that unpleasant possibility by locking him up to a 10-year, $60 million contract extension. The Canes allowed Bryan Allen to test the free agent waters and he agreed to terms with the Anaheim Ducks. They attempted to fill his absence by bringing back Joe Corvo. Corvo has played parts of three seasons with Carolina and is capable of contributing a modest number of points from the back end.
Grade: C+
Florida Panthers
Added: Filip Kuba, George Parros
Lost: Jason Garrison, Mikael Samuelsson
Jason Garrison was a pleasant surprise for Florida this past year with 16 goals and 33 points in 77 games. His 16 markers were the second highest among all defensemen in the league and he parlayed that success into a six-year, $27.6 million deal with the Vancouver Canucks. The Panthers prepared themselves for Garrison's departure by signing former Ottawa Senators defender Filip Kuba to a two-year, $8 million contract earlier in the day. Kuba enjoyed a strong bounce-back year in 2011-12 and is capable of putting up respectable numbers from the point. Mikael Samuelsson played well for the Cats when he eventually got healthy, but he chose to return to Detroit via free agency. Florida is hoping that top prospect Jonathan Huberdeau can be a focal point of their offense next year, so Samuelsson's exodus isn't surprising from that point of view. The Panthers also added enforcer George Parros to the fold and he should mix it up physically on nights when he gets into the lineup.
Grade: C+
Montreal Canadiens
Added: Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong, Francis Bouillon
Lost: Brad Staubitz
Montreal lost and added toughness at the beginning of free agency. Tough guy Brad Staubitz ended up signing with Anaheim, but the Canadiens brought in gritty players like Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong and Francis Bouillon to the organization. Prust can drop the gloves and play a solid two-way game, but a four-year deal worth $10 million is an awfully big commitment to a bottom-six player who is good on the penalty kill. Armstrong's one-year, $1 million deal is a low risk deal on a forward that has something to prove. He endured an injury-plagued tenure in Toronto that resulted in him being bought out by the Maple Leafs and should be motivated to show he can still play. Bouillon plays a feisty game despite his small frame, but he doesn't have any fantasy value. The Habs clearly wanted to bring some snarl to their lineup and they accomplished that in free agency. They also gave number one goalie Carey Price, who was a restricted free agent, a six-year, $39 million contract, which is bold, considering the cap hit but it is also warranted given his talent level and value to the organization.
Grade: B
New Jersey Devils
Added: Martin Brodeur, Bryce Salvador
Lost: Zach Parise, Alexei Ponikarovsky
The Devils entered July 1st faced with the legitimate threat of being devastated by free agency. The loss of captain Zach Parise to Minnesota is a serious blow in its own right, but if they were forced to wave goodbye to long-time keeper and future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur as well, it would've been a nightmarish off-season for New Jersey. Fortunately, the team signed Brodeur to a two-year contract worth $9 million to spare themselves the indignity of slamming their heads against the panic button. Unfortunately, they lost a potent scorer and the future face of the franchise in Parise and his loss will be incredibly hard to replace. The Devils also allowed Alexei Ponikarovsky to test the open market and he landed with the Winnipeg Jets. The team managed to sign playoff breakout star Bryce Salvador to a three-year, $9.5 million deal and they kept backup netminder Johan Hedberg in the fold with a two-year, $2.8 million agreement. They also retained the services of their fourth line by re-upping with Ryan Carter , Steve Bernier and Stephen Gionta.
Grade: C-
New York Islanders
Added: Brad Boyes, Matt Carkner, Brad Staubitz
Lost: P. A. Parenteau, Al Montoya
The Islanders lost their third-leading point getter from the 2011-12 campaign when P. A. Parenteau took his career-high 67 points to the Colorado Avalanche on the strength of a four-year, $16 million contract. New York also didn't keep goaltender Al Montoya, as Evgeni Nabokov and Rick DiPietro are projected to carry the load for the team next season. Montoya will serve as the number two option in Winnipeg during 2012-13 after inking a one-year, $601, 000 deal. The Isles were able to bring in physical blueliner Matt Carkner, a potential scorer in Brad Boyes and an enforcer in Brad Staubitz. If Boyes gets a chance to play on a line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson then he might have some fantasy value next year, but right now he appears to be a serious downgrade from the underrated Parenteau.
Grade: C-
New York Rangers
Added: Taylor Pyatt
Lost: Brandon Prust
The Rangers bid farewell to a number of depth players so far this off-season, but the loss of Brandon Prust to Montreal is the only one that will impact their roster going into next season. Prust was a dependable penalty killer and a hard-working winger. New York signed big bottom-six forward Taylor Pyatt to try to fill that hole and they added a physical presence in ex-Islander Michael Haley to help in that regard if necessary. The Rangers are still working at prying Rick Nash out of Columbus as their big off-season move, so they have been relatively quiet on meaningful roster movement so far.
Grade: C
Ottawa Senators
Added: Guillaume Latendresse, Marc Methot, Mike Lundin
Lost: Filip Kuba, Nick Foligno, Matt Carkner, Zenon Konopka
Ottawa lost some grit with the departures of Matt Carkner and Zenon Konopka, but neither of them played regularly in 2011-12. The Senators made an early decision to not retain unrestricted free agent Filip Kuba and he signed a contract with Florida on July 1st. General manager Bryan Murray addressed that hole on the blueline quickly though, by trading forward Nick Foligno to Columbus in exchange for steady stay-at-home defenseman Marc Methot. The Ottawa native should get a chance to take Kuba's spot in the lineup next to Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson next season. Mike Lundin was also added to supply the team with more depth. Guillaume Latendresse has struggled mightily with injuries for most of his career and he dressed in just 27 games over the last two seasons with Minnesota. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Senators and if he can stay, which is a fairly big "if," then he could be an intriguing sleeper in 2012-13.
Grade: B
Philadelphia Flyers
Added: Michael Leighton
Lost: Jaromir Jagr, Matt Carle
The draft day deal of Sergei Bobrovsky to Columbus in exchange for three picks has Michael Leighton penciled into the backup role for the Flyers next season. Philadelphia re-signed him on July 1 to a one-year deal. The Flyers made big offers to try to land highly-sought after free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but came up empty in their attempts. While they were trying to reel in the big fishes, veteran winger Jaromir Jagr and defenseman Matt Carle found new homes via free agency with Dallas and Tampa Bay, respectively. The Flyers will likely be in the thick of trade talks for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan and Columbus' Rick Nash. They will probably deal with their defense corps as well before the start of next year.
Grade: C-
Pittsburgh Penguins
Added: Tanner Glass
Lost: Steve Sullivan, Arron Asham
The Penguins' off-season moves have been a mixed bag thus far. They started out well enough by acquiring and signing pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Tomas Vokoun well ahead of July 1st. Being forced to trade Jordan Staal at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft was a difficult situation that the team handled well. The bad taste in the mouths of the Pens from that matter was quickly washed out with the announcement of Sidney Crosby's massive 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension. Pittsburgh then lost Steve Sullivan to the Phoenix Coyotes and Arron Asham to the New York Rangers on the open market, but they did add Tanner Glass as a capable replacement for Asham. The Penguins were among a number of teams that came up short in their efforts to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, which may cause them to seek the trade route to obtain a winger to play alongside Crosby for next season.
Grade: C
Tampa Bay Lightning
Added: Sami Salo, Matt Carle
Lost: Dwayne Roloson
Tampa Bay acquired Anders Lindback from Nashville last month, so they didn't hang onto veteran puck-stopper Dwayne Roloson. Roloson is still looking for a team in the free agent market. The Lightning have kept themselves busy in free agency, though, signing blueliners Sami Salo and Matt Carle to help bolster their defense corps. Salo received a two-year deal and Carle got a six-year contract from the Bolts. The two of them should draw into Tampa Bay's top four group. Salo's booming shot will likely be utilized on the point during power play situations, if he can stay out of the club's sickbay, while Carle will see plenty of ice time in all situations.
Grade: B-
Toronto Maple Leafs
Added: Jay McClement
Lost: Colby Armstrong, Joey Crabb, Jonas Gustavsson
The Leafs chose not to participate in the free agent frenzy, but they did add size at center with the signing of Jay McClement to a two-year deal. Toronto bought out the final season of Colby Armstrong's contract and he signed with the rival Montreal Canadiens. Grinder Joey Crabb also left the organization on the open market to play in Washington, and Jonas Gustavsson, whose rights were traded to Winnipeg by Toronto, ended up signing with Detroit to serve as their backup. The Maple Leafs are still looking to upgrade their talent level at center and between the pipes, which could lead to a trade down the road. Toronto kicked the tires on Martin Brodeur when he was available as a UFA and they have been linked to Vancouver's Roberto Luongo, but nothing appears imminent.
Grade: C
Washington Capitals
Added: Jack Hillen, Joey Crabb
Lost: Dennis Wideman
Washington traded the negotiation rights of defenseman Dennis Wideman to Calgary just before free agency begun. They are also not expected to bring back unrestricted free agents Alexander Semin and Mike Knuble, who are all still available on the open market, and both of them could be fantasy assets under the right circumstances. The Capitals acquired Mike Ribeiro from Dallas at the draft in exchange for Cody Eakin and a pick as their best off-season transaction. They also brought Jack Hillen on board to serve as a depth option on the blueline and former Maple Leafs winger Joey Crabb will be heading for fourth-line work in Washington next year.
Grade: C
Winnipeg Jets
Added: Olli Jokinen, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Al Montoya
Lost: Tanner Glass, Chris Mason
The Jets opened their checkbook to lure center Olli Jokinen onto their roster. The 33-year-old center inked a two-year, $9 million contract with Winnipeg, where he should see top-line action. The Jets added another forward with considerable size with the signing of Alexei Ponikarovsky to a one-year deal. Perhaps being reunited with his old buddy from Toronto, Nik Antropov, can help coax offensive production from him. Winnipeg also got Al Montoya to serve as Ondrej Pavelec's understudy after Chris Mason left via free agency to sign with Nashville.
Grade: C+