The NHL’s biggest under-the-radar move of the offseason

Training camps are set to open in the NHL next week, which will inevitably lead to surprising moments for hockey fans.

There is always an adjustment period to see established players with new teams.

And no doubt, it will take time to get used to seeing Taylor Hall play for Chicago. And Pierre-Luc Dubois with the Los Angeles Kings. Or Vladimir Tarasenko in an Ottawa Senators jersey.

There is a very good chance that you will remember most of the major transactions from the summer, it may take your brain a few weeks to process the familiar faces of the new threads in September .

But there are probably some moves that you may have missed in the last couple of months while you were in summer mode.

The kind of transactions that tell you, “Whoa, when did that happen?” when the training camp opens next week.

So to help you prepare for the opening of camp, here’s a list of recognizable names and impact players who have new homes for the 2023-24 season — and there are a lot of them. transactions that happen under the radar.

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This trade may have gotten lost in the shuffle since it happened as the free-agency window opened on July 1. The Sharks sent forward Steven Lorentz and a fifth-round pick to Florida to acquire Duclair from the cap-strapped Panthers. . Duclair has one season remaining on a three-year deal that carries a $3 million average annual value. The 28-year-old missed most of last season recovering from an Achilles tendon injury but bounced back and produced 11 points in 20 playoff games as the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final. A big season ahead could make Duclair a prime asset for general manager Mike Grier at the trade deadline.

Pacioretty is another player whose 2022-23 campaign was severely affected by an Achilles tendon injury. Pacioretty appeared in just five games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, after he tore his right Achilles tendon — not once but twice. There are many questions surrounding the 34-year-old winger’s durability, which is a big reason why Washington was able to sign him to a relatively cheap one-year, $2 million deal. Pacioretty’s timeline for recovery is still a bit of a question mark, and he likely won’t make his regular-season debut until November at the earliest. But if he can stay healthy, it could be a good gamble for the Capitals. Pacioretty scored 46 goals in his last 92 games played, a 0.50 goals/game rating that still ranks him among the most lethal and consistent snipers in the game.

For more than a decade, Gudas has been a thorn in the side of Eastern Conference opponents due to his gritty and physical play on the blue line. But now he’s taking his gritty action to the West Coast, signing a three-year deal with a $4 million AAV with the Ducks. The defenseman is 33 years old with a lot of miles on him, but given Anaheim’s thin blue line and his significant cap hit, Gudas is likely to play a big role for the club this season.

When Philadelphia signed Staal to a one-year, $1.1 million contract July 5, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere admitted, “We never thought a player like Marc Staal would have interest in coming here. ” But this process was certainly helped by John Tortorella, who coached Staal for parts of five seasons with the New York Rangers. Although he will turn 37 in January, Staal showed tremendous resilience with the Panthers last season, appearing in all 82 regular-season games and all 21 of Florida’s playoff contests.

Graves’ signing this summer was overshadowed by Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Erik Karlsson. But in signing him to a six-year deal with a $4.5 million AAV, the Penguins are counting on Graves to be a key shutdown defenseman for them this season and beyond. The 28-year-old played a big role in helping the New Jersey Devils return to the playoffs last season, logging nearly 20 minutes per night and forming a solid pairing with John Marino. In Pittsburgh, Graves will join a top four back end that includes Karlsson, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson.

Wood joins Graves as the only unrestricted free agents to earn six-year terms with new teams this summer. In Wood’s case, he signed a six-year deal with a team-friendly $2.5 million cap hit. The 27-year-old is an elite skater with just the right amount of grit, and we should expect to see him in a third-line role with the Avs — possibly alongside fellow rookie Ross Colton — in the future. years.

Not all under-the-radar moves involve players. The Maple Leafs added Boucher to their staff in late July, as the veteran coach will serve as an assistant under Sheldon Keefe. Boucher will inherit the power-play duties after Spencer Carbery left Toronto to become Washington’s head coach. When Boucher was hired, there was much speculation that he would be the head coach-in-waiting because Keefe was entering the final year of his contract. But the Maple Leafs gave Keefe a two-year extension in late August, and it seems like most of that talk has died down.

The Bruins had a lot of turnover this summer, watching Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retire and sending Hall to Chicago. Enter van Riemsdyk, who joined the team after agreeing to a bargain-basement deal for $1 million for the upcoming season. Van Riemsdyk was not traded at the deadline to the Flyers last season, a surprising turn of events that left many heads shaking. In Boston, Van Riemsdyk may have a chance to earn a top-six role to start this season, but at age 34 and coming off a 12-goal campaign, there are certainly questions about his ability. to perform that role.

The 33-year-old Schenn managed to get a three-year deal in Nashville worth $2.75 million per season – an impressive feat for the veteran defenseman considering he earned less than $1 million in each of the last five seasons. Schenn joins an interesting group of defensemen in the same age bracket in Nashville, including Ryan McDonagh (34), Roman Josi (33) and Tyson Barrie (32). With 933 games played, Schenn should cross the 1,000-game barrier with Nashville — the eighth team of his NHL career.

Cam Talbot — Los Angeles Kings

The Talbot experiment in Ottawa was a failure, as the veteran netminder was injured three times and only suited up for 36 games. The Kings hope Talbot can return to his form from the 2021-22 season, when he posted a .911 save percentage and played 49 games for the Minnesota Wild. At one year and $1 million, it’s a bit of a risky move by the Kings, and Talbot should find himself in some healthy competition for playing time with fellow goalie Pheonix Copley .

Despite being an unrestricted free agent, it took Dumba nearly six weeks to find a landing spot. He was able to ink a contract worth $3.9 million, but it was only a one-year deal with the Coyotes. That’s a far cry from the five-year, $30 million deal he got with the Wild. The 29-year-old Dumba will get more ice time in Arizona and should be surrounded by talented young players like Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley and Matias Maccelli. If Dumba can flirt with the 50-point plateau he reached back in 2017-18 with the Wild, a longer-term contract could be in his future next summer.

Zadina’s fall from grace in Detroit was relatively quick, as he was the sixth pick in the 2018 draft. But after parts of five seasons with the Red Wings, Zadina was unable to carve out a full-time spot on the roster. He scored just 28 goals in 190 career games – certainly not the production expected from a player best known for his sniping ability on draft day. After Zadina cleared waivers, the Red Wings took the unusual step of terminating his contract because a fresh start was good for both parties. San Jose then signed Zadina to a one-year, $1.1 million contract through the 2023-24 season. Considering San Jose is in the midst of a rebuild, this could be a perfect landing spot for Zadina to try and rediscover his confidence in the offensive zone.

Fresh off a six-year contract with a $4.5 million cap hit, Gostisbehere only took a small salary to sign his $4.125 million deal in Detroit. However, this one does not come with any long-term security as it is only a one-year contract. Gostisbehere has yet to come close to replicating the 52-assist, 65-point season he recorded in the first season of his long-term deal with the Flyers in 2017-18. In Detroit, Gostisbehere joins an eclectic group of veteran defensemen that includes Ben Chiarot, Jeff Petry, Justin Holl and Olli Maatta. Moritz Seider is the undisputed No. 1 defenseman for the Red Wings, but Gostisbehere should have a chance to see time on the second-unit power play.

It may have been a trade that has been largely forgotten, as it happened on June 9. But New Jersey sent Severson — a constant presence on its blue line for nine seasons — to Columbus in exchange for a third-round pick. It was a rare sign-and-trade situation, as New Jersey gave Severson an eight-year, $50 million contract and the Blue Jackets immediately turned him down. Severson is a pending unrestricted free agent who just priced himself out of New Jersey. Columbus has a completely overhauled blue-line corps with Severson and Ivan Provorov as their second and third highest paid defensemen behind leader Zach Werenski.

(Top photos of Shayne Gostisbehere, Damon Severson and Filip Zadina: Minas Panagiotakis, Patrick Smith / Getty Images and Jeanine Leech / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)