2018 was quite a busy year in the hockey world. There were several big trades and free agent signings, plenty of changes behind the bench, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will continue its look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look back at September, which made headlines with some big trades, contracts, plus a PED suspension and a material breach of a contract.
Pacioretty Trade, Extension: In a move that had been bubbling for quite some time, the Canadiens finally found a trade to their liking, dealing winger Max Pacioretty to Vegas for winger Tomas Tatar, prospect forward Nick Suzuki, and a 2019 second-round pick. The Golden Knights then signed the former Montreal captain to a four-year, $28MM extension. The deal has not worked out particularly well for Vegas thus far as Pacioretty has struggled with consistency and has been banged up a couple of times already. Meanwhile, Tatar, whose inclusion was primarily for matching money, has actually out-produced Pacioretty and is on pace for a career year while Suzuki, a 2017 first-rounder, is having a strong season at the junior level.
Yzerman Resigns: In a stunning move, Lightning GM Steve Yzerman resigned from the role and moved into a consultant position while long-time assistant Julien BriseBois moved into the GM role. Yzerman had been at the helm in Tampa Bay since 2010 and had built a team that appears to be set to contend for several years. However, he decided to step away for family reasons and since his family remains in Detroit, there has been plenty of speculation already that he could resurface with the Red Wings when his contract – which runs through the remainder of this season – expires.
Karlsson To San Jose: In another move that had been percolating for a while after there was no response to a July 1st extension offer, the Senators shipped pending UFA defenseman Erik Karlsson to San Jose for a package that involved center Chris Tierney, defenseman Dylan DeMelo, 2017 first-round center Josh Norris, prospect Rudolfs Balcers (who was just recalled for the first time today), two guaranteed draft picks, and two conditional selections, one of which has a rather unique condition. Karlsson hasn’t been overly productive in the goal department, taking until mid-November to score his first while he has just three on the season. However, he sits in the top-ten among NHL defensemen in assists and points. Meanwhile, Tierney and DeMelo are on pace for career seasons while Norris is averaging over a point per game in his sophomore NCAA campaign. Karlsson is eligible to sign an extension at any time but if he wants a max eight-year, term, he has to wait to sign until after the trade deadline.
Extensions: A pair of prominent potential unrestricted free agents decided to stick around and not test the open market. The Jets inked winger Blake Wheeler to a five-year, $41.25MM following a season that saw him lead the league in assists (68) while setting a new career high in points (91). While the deal may carry some risk towards the end (he’ll be 37 at the end of the contract), Wheeler has shown that he’s still capable of putting up the points as he gets older. He’s on pace for a career-high once again in 2018-19. Meanwhile, after Stars center Tyler Seguin voiced his displeasure over a lack of progress in contract talks, the two sides were able to agree on an eight-year, $78.8MM pact. The 26-year-old is having a down year in goals with 13 through the first half but is on pace to surpass the 70-point-mark for the sixth straight season. Of course, that didn’t stop the Stars’ CEO from voicing his frustration with Seguin’s production recently.
Zetterberg’s Career Over: Dating back to the summer, there were questions as to whether or not Red Wings center Henrik Zetterberg would be available when the season started. It turns out that the answer was no. Instead, it was revealed that his playing days were over due to a chronic back injury that he played with through last season. Zetterberg came into the season with three years remaining on his contract with a $6.083MM cap hit but Detroit placed him on LTIR to free up some additional salary cap flexibility. His career ends with 337 goals and 623 assists, ranking him fifth in franchise history in scoring.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.