NHL Early-Season Review: Examining the Biggest Free Agent and Trade Flops
As the NHL season reaches the quarter mark, several high-profile offseason acquisitions and contract extensions are failing to deliver for their new clubs.
🏒NHLPhoto: Deadspin
Key points
- Bobrovsky struggles in net for Toronto, giving up three or more goals in six straight games.
- Byram limited to six games and one assist for Chicago due to injuries after signing a lucrative extension.
- Dorofeyev posts a minus-18 rating with 12 points in 20 games for the Rangers.
Approaching the quarter mark of the NHL campaign, several major summer roster moves are yielding disappointing returns for franchises hoping for immediate impact. From hefty free-agent commitments to blockbuster trades, front offices are reassessing investments that have thus far fallen short of expectations.
In Toronto, the Maple Leafs are feeling the weight of recent roster decisions. Goaltender Bobrovsky, signed to a three-year, $21 million contract, has surrendered at least three goals in six consecutive appearances, prompting questions about whether Anthony Stolarz should command more starts. Meanwhile, forward Raddysh—acquired for a late-round draft pick and signed to an eight-year, $68 million extension following a 70-point season with Tampa Bay—has managed just one goal and 12 points through his first 20 games.
Chicago also faces mounting pressure regarding significant investments. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson traded high-value draft capital and defenseman Louis Crevier to Buffalo for defenseman Byram and forward Jordan Greenway, subsequently locking Byram into a six-year, $75 million extension. Injuries have limited Byram to six games and a single assist, complicating the rebuilding club's trajectory.
Elsewhere, the New York Rangers surrendered multiple draft picks and handed a seven-year, $77 million contract to Pavel Dorofeyev following consecutive 35-plus goal seasons. Dorofeyev has produced six goals and 12 points alongside a team-worst minus-18 rating over 20 games. In San Jose, high-paid defensemen Darnell Nurse and Jacob Trouba have yielded minimal returns as the Sharks lag behind the playoff pace, while Columbus has seen just two goals from Valeri Nichushkin following a trade from Colorado designed to ignite their struggling offense.
What to watch next: Monitor whether struggling clubs begin altering line combinations or reducing ice time for underperforming high-salary players as the season approaches the midway point.
Source Deadspin — deadspin.com/nhls-biggest-free-agent-and-trade-disappointments-so-far/ ↗
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