The NHL season is about three weeks away, with four games coming on Wednesday, Oct. 2 and the rest of the league starting that Thursday or Friday. In fact, the preseason is mere days away. As you gear back up for hockey season, some of the league’s most notable names – including former award winners and future Hall of Famers – will don new sweaters in 2019-20. Are you caught up on all of the changes?
Here are some of the game’s biggest names who will take the ice for a new team this season.
PK Subban (Devils):
One of the NHL’s biggest personalities is now in New Jersey. Back in June the Predators swapped their All-Star defenseman for two defensemen, a second-round pick in 2019 and a third-rounder in 2020. Now the Devils have a core that includes the former Norris winner Subban, 2018 Hart winner in Taylor Hall, the top pick in the 2019 draft in Jack Hughes and the top pick in 2017 in Nico Hischier. Taking advantage of the youth, the team can take on the final three years of Subban’s massive contract, with an average annual value of $9 million.
Sergei Bobrovsky (Panthers):
The two-time Vezina winner made it clear he wasn’t returning to Columbus, and he held true to his word by signing a seven-year deal to join Florida. A week shy of 31, Bobrovsky has started at least 61 games in each of the past three seasons, and though his save percentage dipped a bit last year (.913 compared to .926 between 2016-18) he is coming off a league-leading nine shutouts. He’ll look to shore up a unit that allowed the third-most goals in hockey a season ago.
Artemi Panarin (Rangers):
Another Blue Jacket who bolted, Panarin signed the biggest deal in the free agent market when he inked a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the Rangers. In his first four seasons in the league Panarin has scored between 27 and 31 goals, and his assist numbers were up in his two seasons with Columbus. The Rangers have perhaps the best prospect system in the NHL right now, and now have a little star power to go with all that youth.
Matt Duchene (Predators):
The 28-year-old continues to move around, now on his fourth team since the start of the 2017-18 season. He’ll likely hang around Nashville for a bit, though, after signing a seven-year, $56 million deal. A two-time 30-goal scorer, the former third overall pick has never made an All-Star team, but he should make a high-impact for a team that only needs a few pieces. For starters, he’s a good power play contributor, joining a team that was last in the league on the man advantage last season.
Phil Kessel (Coyotes):
Sure he helped the Penguins win two Stanley Cups, but Pittsburgh fans weren’t overly sad to see him traded to Arizona. The rep is, frankly, a little unwarranted. He hasn’t missed a game since 2010, has at least 20 goals every year since 2008 and in the Pens’ Cup runs scored a combined 18 goals with 27 assists. Maybe being outside of hockey-mad Toronto and Pittsburgh, and instead going to the desert, will cool those flames.
Corey Perry (Stars):
The former Hart Trophy winner only played in 33 games for the Ducks last year and is clearly on the downslope of his career. After 14 seasons in Anaheim, Perry was bought out and is now off to Dallas, where he signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Now three seasons removed from a 30-goal season, he’s a bargain-bin signing with a chip on his shoulder who is a proven point-scorer in the league. It’s a low-risk signing for Dallas, who was very top-heavy offensively.
Joe Pavelski (Stars):
Another veteran signing, the 35-year-old spent the first 13 seasons of his career with San Jose before signing a three-year, $21 million deal with Dallas. Unlike Perry, Pavelski clearly has plenty left in the tank, coming off a 38-goal campaign and scoring at least 20 goals (lockout-shortened season excepting) every year since 2009. That cap hit is a bit high, and there’s a full no-trade clause for the first two seasons. But for a team that didn’t do much behind Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, any secondary scoring is needed.
Robin Lehner (Blackhawks):
One of the best stories of last season, Lehner’s stint with the Islanders, in which he went public with his off-ice battles, turned his life and his career around and became a Vezina finalist, didn’t equate to a big payday. After not re-signing with New York he is off to Chicago on a one-year deal worth $5 million. If he replicates his success from last season it’s a steal for a Blackhawks team that is porous defensively, allowing the most goals in the Western Conference, and doesn’t have a ton of cap space.
