Autumn is on our doorstep, and that means time for the NHL and other leagues. Sport is back and it’ll be exciting to see the teams take the ice rink, especially after the big moves made this summer. The NHL just got more competitive than ever with the latest trades that will certainly shake up the odds for contenders and pretenders alike.
Bookies already have their odds stacked up for the biggest Stanley Cup favorites. If you’re looking for a new betting site, you’ll benefit from the great sign up offers on the market. Whether you’re backing your fave team to beat its arch rivals or have a favorite for the Stanley Cup, there are loads of options to bet on and offers you can’t refuse.
Let’s see which teams shook the transfer market offseason and if they got any better with the new additions.
The Hurricanes Get Max Pacioretty for Nothing
Max Pacioretty is one of the most talented players in the NHL. There, we said it. Even if he misses half the season after his surgery, he’s a veteran leader that plays a much bigger role than a simple salary dump. He’ll be the leading voice in the Hurricanes’ dressing room and it’s even better when you know they got him for free.
The future considerations will turn out to be nothing. All the news and trades you can see here will confirm it. Keep an eye on the league trades and you’ll see that this transfer will be worth a lot more in the future. Just don’t tell the Vegas Knights – they botched this trade.
The Senators Accelerate Their Rebuild
After declaring the rebuild last summer, the Ottawa Senators remained one of the worst teams in the league. That has changed this summer as they managed to get Alex DeBrincat from Chicago. They also dumped 75% of Matt Murray’s deal, signed Claude Giroux, and replaced Murray with Cam Talbot. That’s what we call a good off-season.
To top it off, the team extended the contracts of two key pieces for the future – Mathieu Joseph and Josh Norris. Sure, the Senators won’t turn into contenders overnight, but they are a much better team going forward.
Matthew Tkachuk Goes to Florida
Matthew Tkachuk shocked no more than a few fans when he requested a trade from the Flames as a result Johnny Gaudreau left for Columbus. More on that later. Like Gaudreau, Tkachuk is a profile that is rarely available, so teams do their best to sign such a player. He signed with the Florida Panthers in a $9.5 million deal.
But, the Calgary Flames were smart on this deal. Mackenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau, a prospect, and a first round pick went in the other direction. This lessened the blow of losing their star players in the off-season significantly. Huberdeau is locked in with an extension, so the Flames still got a superstar after losing two.
Johnny Gaudreau Goes to Columbus
This is probably the superstar trade that kicked off a wild summer. After he refused $16 million on the table from the Flames, Gaudreau decided to sign with Columbus Blue Jackets. A team that hasn’t made it past the second round in its history. As one of the top free agents to hit the market in the past decade, teams were trading blows to get him. He decided to go to a team where he’ll be the leader, committing the remainder of his prime years to the Blue Jackets.
It certainly made them more competitive, but they’ll need more than one player to go past the second round of the playoffs.
Moves in the Elite League
It’s not just the NHL that saw big trades in the off-season. The Elite League also experiences some moves, as well, including Marc-Olivier Vallerand’s decision to swap the Sheffield Steelers with Olimpia Ljubljana.
C.J. Motte shook the market up as well by getting a transfer to the Iowa Wild. Luke Ferrara switched Coventry Blaze with the Nottingham Panthers, agreeing to a rebuild where he’ll play the lead role.
There have been other high-profile departures which means the Elite League will be exciting to watch this year.
