NHL Free Agency Light on Drama, Heavy on Absurdity

Brian Burke once said of July 1, the day free agency kicks off in the NHL, as the day that general managers make more mistakes than the rest of the year combined. Given how active teams are with trades and re-signings at the entry draft and how much the salary cap now plays into decisions on both fronts, it wouldn't be outlandish to stretch out that date to a whole week.

The busiest week of the NHL offseason is now wrapping up, and as to be expected, some general managers have dramatically altered the course of their franchise. While the thinking has generally been about how subdued this week has been and how level-headedness amongst the NHL's 29 general managers was the order of the day, we shouldn't start patting GMs on their collective backs because there wasn't an albatross of a contract (a la Dave Nonis's dumbfounding gift to David Clarkson in 2013) handed out this year.

Peel away the layers a bit and you'll find some serious head-scratchers this week.

In St. Louis, high expectations for the Blues and subsequent failure to deliver in the postseason has become a staple in the city. The Blues were a safe bet to go deep in the playoffs but after a third straight first-round exit they opted to keep coach Ken Hitchcock and, in the most recent move, dump first-line winger T.J. Oshie to the Capitals for older winger Troy Brouwer. The 29-year old Brouwer has less offensive upside than Oshie and only one year remaining on his contract.

This is the kind of middling move from Blues GM Doug Armstrong that could placate some fans and have them believe the club's making steps in the right direction. With a core that includes some incredible skill, Oshie was not the issue in St. Louis, even if he was actively being shopped. The Blues and Capitals finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in goals per game last season and it's tough to see how Washington doesn't leapfrog St. Louis and perhaps live up to expectations. Armstrong's failed attempt to get fair return for Oshie only highlights how handicapped some GMs are at this time of the year.

Speaking of the Capitals, losing Brouwer's Cup experience was rendered a bit moot with the signing of 33-year-old Justin Williams, who has three Cups and extensive springtime heroics on his resume. It appears that the Caps weren't scared off by his age, instead excited about it. Aside from the traditional one-year deals handed out to aging vets, Williams was one of many players in their mid-30s who signed for multi-year contracts.

In a league where the trend has been to get younger and faster, many teams rewarded players more for what they've done than what they're capable of doing. A little of both should always be involved but in a salary cap league with players walking into a new system, GMs ought to put more value in the latter. We saw plenty examples of this put into practice, like underrated, yet 35-year-old defenseman, Francois Beauchemin signing for three years with Colorado. The seemingly ageless Mike Ribeiro opted not to sign with a fifth team in five seasons, instead inking a two-year, $7 million deal with the Nashville Predators, ensuring he'll be playing when he's 37 years old.

We also witnessed longtime Vancouver Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa, a definite downgrade from Beauchemin, get traded to the Anaheim Ducks. The 34-year old, known for his diminishing offensive production and ability to take dumb penalties at the worst time, re-upped on a two-year deal.

The week surrounding free agency is never a bad time to have a few extra miles on the tires and the signings are all manageable cap hits. Yet with speedy young teams like the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers emerging in different ways, you have to wonder if those signings will handicap teams into a win-now mode.

It wasn't that long ago that Winnipeg and Edmonton were being cited as the least desirable places for free agents to land. In perhaps the most mind-boggling turn of events, Winnipeg and Edmonton nabbed sought after free agents, leading many to believe that the dark cloud that's followed the two cities is dissipating.

The Jets re-signed key pieces, including Drew Stafford, who said returning to Winnipeg was an easy choice. The club then lured back offensively gifted former first-round pick Alexander Burmistrov from the KHL, both with very generous cap hits. Players are finally buying into Winnipeg and what the Jets could be.

In Edmonton, meanwhile, where up until a certain gold card with the Oilers logo was revealed to the hockey world, the team and the city were considered something of a wasteland with an abundance of prospects but very little hope for the future. All that has changed, as in a week the city (and the chance to play with some kid named Connor McDavid) has become a prime destination, with perhaps the biggest fish—two-way defenseman Andrej Sekera—landing in Edmonton with a six-year, $33 million deal. The team also got the help on the backend it so desperately needed with recently acquired goalie Cam Talbot coming into the fold on draft day. Very quickly, the Oilers became that person you've heard about who wins the lottery but risks going bankrupt because they spend all their cash without thinking twice. On paper, though, it's as if things could actually be looking up for the Oilers this season.

It must've been a long week if people are starting to say that with some confidence.