Divisions:
Metropolitan | Central
Pacific | Atlantic (Sept. 12)

While there wasn't a ton of impact player movement out west this summer, one team in the desert made a big addition that should help it become even more competitive, while a certain general manager in Northern California worked his magic once again.

Here's how the eight Pacific Division clubs fared in their respective offseasons:

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted. Total contract value does not include bonuses.

Anaheim Ducks

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Ducks could be on the verge of acquiring Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes, but the deal would reportedly be contingent upon the blue-liner signing an extension with Anaheim. It would also require him to waive his no-trade clause, as the Ducks are one of the teams on his no-trade list, so it's far from a certainty that this swap gets done.

More importantly, even if Faulk is amenable to the move, his acquisition alone won't single-handedly solve Anaheim's problems.

The fact remains that until and unless the rearguard gives his approval, Anaheim has to this point failed to make any significant offseason additions this summer. Its most buzz-worthy transaction - at least for the time being - was the buyout of Perry, the longtime franchise fixture and 2011 Hart Trophy winner.

Putting their one possible defensive upgrade aside, the Ducks should have done more with their cap space to bail out stellar goaltender John Gibson by improving what was the league's worst offense in 2018-19.

Grade: D

Arizona Coyotes

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Coyotes were the clear winners of the Kessel-Galchenyuk trade, and the deal signals that they're going all-in after coming up just short of a playoff berth in 2018-19. Kessel, a game-breaking goal-scorer and elite playmaker, is exactly what Arizona needed, and general manager John Chayka further cushioned his forward group when he added Soderberg.

Locking up franchise cornerstone Keller long term was another win for a franchise perpetually in search of stability. Yes, the 2016 seventh overall pick took a step backward from a production standpoint last season, but he's only 21 years old. If he can return to the 65-point form he displayed in his rookie campaign and build on that in the coming years, his next contract will be more than justified.

Beyond taking some mild, perhaps unfair criticism for the Keller deal, It's been a very good summer for Chayka. If starting goaltender Antti Raanta can stay healthy this season, the Coyotes should make an even stronger postseason push, thanks in no small part to the GM's moves.

Grade: B+

Calgary Flames

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

*Tore ACL in August, no timetable for return

Calgary came out as the loser of the Lucic-Neal trade, and that was really the only headline-grabbing move general manager Brad Treliving made this offseason.

He did cross a couple of items off his summer to-do list by getting Rittich and Bennett back under contract, but Tkachuk is among the slew of NHL restricted free agents who remain without new deals, and the Flames can ill afford to begin the campaign without the 21-year-old forward who broke out with 34 goals and 77 points in 2018-19.

Allowing Smith to walk and replacing him with Talbot will give Rittich another chance to secure Calgary's No. 1 goaltending job, but overall, it's hard to say Calgary is in a much better position than it was at the end of 2018-19.

Grade: C

Edmonton Oilers

Key arrivals

Key departures

*Contract includes opt-out clause, allowing him to cut ties before Dec. 1

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Aside from winning the Neal-Lucic trade, did the Oilers do anything to surround Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with a playoff-caliber group?

Beyond the Puljujarvi saga, it was fairly quiet summer in Edmonton, this time with new GM Ken Holland at the helm. That isn't always a bad thing, and he didn't have a lot of cap space to work with, but the Oilers' two stars need a better supporting cast if they hope to return to the postseason.

The Puljujarvi mess consumed the headlines in Edmonton for most of the offseason, and while it may be far from over, the Oilers haven't yet been able to turn any value he may have into an asset that can help them either now or in the future.

After a tumultuous 2018-19 season, the club needed to make an impact move or two. While the new GM is likely waiting until contracts come off the books in 2020 to make more significant changes, this roster requires more speed and skill to complement its dynamic duo, and it needs it now.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Kings

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Unlike the summer of 2018 when the Kings jumped into the UFA pool with the blockbuster but regrettable Ilya Kovalchuk signing, they took a much different approach to this offseason.

Now firmly in rebuild mode, general manager Rob Blake instead locked up a slew of his secondary talent at team-friendly prices rather than opting for a big-ticket signing. Blake appears to have learned his lesson from a year ago, and in securing his depth pieces at affordable rates, he's set the Kings up better for the future.

Buying out Phaneuf was necessary, and it will only really burden Los Angeles' cap flexibility in 2020-21 when the club still likely won't be ready to truly compete.

That being said, just because you don't sign a Kovalchuk-priced UFA in 2019 doesn't mean you should all but avoid the UFA market entirely, and Los Angeles' refusal to dip further into the free-agent pool was a bit surprising for a team trying to turn things around.

Grade: C

San Jose Sharks

Key arrivals

N/A

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Doug Wilson is a sorcerer.

Not so much for the Karlsson contract, which was basically inevitable once the Sharks GM and the superstar defenseman decided they were committed to each other long term. Karlsson's injury history is a bit concerning, but when he's healthy, the all-world rearguard is clearly worth every penny.

Where Wilson deserves the most credit is for two of the other contracts he negotiated, both of which - remarkably - came after the hefty Karlsson pact. Somehow, someway, he got Labanc to agree to a one-year, $1-million deal coming off a 56-point campaign, and the Meier money could turn out to be a steal if the 30-goal scorer continues to blossom.

Throw in the PR win of the team-friendly Thornton contract, and to say Wilson and the Sharks had a successful offseason would be an understatement.

Grade: A

Vancouver Canucks

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Despite the term handed out in some of these moves, credit Canucks GM Jim Benning (yes, you read that correctly) for adding to his emerging core both in free agency and via the trade route this summer. Vancouver has a deeper roster and is better positioned to challenge for a postseason berth as a result.

The Myers contract isn't ideal when viewed in a vacuum, but UFAs are often overpaid and he's proven to be a fairly effective blue-liner over the years.

Hughes will certainly be in the Canucks' lineup, and the left-shooting uber-prospect should be a regular member of Vancouver's top-four on the back end, especially with Hutton out of the picture.

One major hurdle remains in Benning's offseason, and that, of course, is coming to terms with Boeser. That impasse is obviously significant, but it shouldn't take away from an otherwise active and encouraging summer for the Canucks.

Grade: B-

Vegas Golden Knights

Key arrivals

N/A

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Karlsson contract was a reasonable one, assuming he continues to be a very solid two-way center. While the 26-year-old Swede experienced a predictable offensive regression in 2018-19, he once again proved he can be more than effective on both ends.

He also continued a remarkable run of durability by playing all 82 regular-season games, and he's missed only two contests over the last four regular seasons. So while the term of his new contract is a bit long, it's hard to argue that he isn't worth the $5.9-million cap hit.

However, the Golden Knights also dealt away a couple of key pieces this summer without getting a roster player in return. That was due to the club's salary cap constraints, but they may live to regret trading away a potential NHL star in Gusev and a solid blue-liner in Miller for a combined haul of two second-round picks, a third-rounder, and a fifth.

Grade: C+

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Age should always be a concern in fantasy, but it shouldn't deter owners from drafting certain players altogether.

While most veterans experience a natural decline in production after playing for a decade or so, some remain effective well into their 30s for a variety of reasons. Their success is often due to their respective roster situations as much as their ability to sustain individual skill.

Most fantasy hockey owners won't think twice about drafting aging superstars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Brent Burns, and rightfully so. There are other players of relatively advanced age, however, who will likely have them on the fence. In some cases, such hesitancy is unnecessary.

Here are three experienced players primed to overcome Father Time and be more than reliable fantasy contributors in 2019-20:

Pekka Rinne, G, Predators

The longtime Nashville netminder will turn 37 in early November, and though that is always cause for concern, there are a couple of reasons you shouldn't worry about Rinne this season.

Rinne still plays behind one of the stingiest defense corps in the NHL. The Predators allowed the fourth-fewest goals per game in the league in 2018-19 and were a top-10 club in terms of average shots allowed. P.K. Subban is no longer in the fold, but fellow blue-line stalwarts Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm all return, so look for Nashville to once again be one of the NHL's best defensive clubs.

Despite struggling in the playoffs for a second straight year, Rinne was his usual steady self during the regular season, when it obviously matters most for fantasy.

Across 56 games, Rinne posted a .930 save percentage at 5-on-5, good for sixth in the NHL among goalies with at least 41 games played. He also authored the league's second-best high-danger save percentage (.875) and sixth-best goals saved above average (13.54) among qualified netminders.

Ryan Suter, D, Wild

Suter is never a sexy fantasy pick, but he's as consistent and dependable as any defenseman over the grind of the regular season. The workhorse will turn 35 in January, but don't let that stop you from selecting him where you normally would.

The 14-year veteran is currently going off the board around Pick 135 in most Yahoo fantasy drafts. While there are younger, higher-upside blue-liners getting drafted in that range, Suter is a lock for 40-plus points, having averaged 49 over the last two campaigns while leading the NHL in average ice time (26:42) over that span. He's also incredibly durable, missing only four games over the last four seasons despite the heavy workload.

Suter is an assist machine who plays more than anyone else in the league and still contributes on the power play. Even if his ice time decreases slightly during the upcoming campaign, you can still bank on the grizzled rearguard as an upper-tier defenseman in most fantasy leagues.

Phil Kessel, RW, Coyotes

Kessel will be 32 on opening night, and while not exactly "old," he will be suiting up for his 14th NHL season.

The winger's move from a Pittsburgh Penguins roster featuring several all-world teammates to a Coyotes club with fewer offensive weapons will cause some fantasy owners to pass on him in drafts. But Kessel's proven so consistently productive throughout his career, both at even strength and on the power play, that writing him off entirely would be foolish.

He won't be surrounded by as much firepower in Arizona as he was in Pittsburgh - a fact which will lead to at least a slight dip in offensive output - but he will be relied upon far more heavily, so he'll likely be more proactive in creating scoring chances. More opportunity should bode well for his overall production and could help offset any significant decrease precipitated by less potent linemates.

Though you likely shouldn't draft Kessel as early as you might have in the past, you can still bank on solid RW2 numbers in 2019-20 if you snag him in the middle rounds.

(Analytics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin says the team has done its part and is now playing the waiting game with restricted free-agent forward Kevin Fiala.

"We've made him a fair offer and he's deciding," Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo on Tuesday. "I understand the position he's in. I've been in it a couple times myself. We want to get him in as quick as possible because if you miss training camp, the chances of you having a good year aren't very good. We want to get him in here and get him going."

Fiala collected seven points in 19 games with the Wild after Minnesota acquired him from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Mikael Granlund ahead of last season's trade deadline.

The Wild open training camp Friday, and Fiala is the team's lone remaining RFA.

"I'm just speaking from experience that you're better off being in camp than not," Guerin said. "For Kevin's sake and our sake, I hope he's there, I really do."

Minnesota has nearly $8 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Fiala, 23, produced 10 goals and 32 points in 64 games before the trade. The winger spent parts of five seasons with the Predators, who drafted him 11th overall in 2014.

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Jonathan Toews believes the under-the-radar nature of the NHL and NHLPA's current negotiations bodes well for future labor peace.

"It's probably the way it should be, and I think that's probably a good sign that there is some mutual respect and both sides are trying to come to agreements," the Chicago Blackhawks captain said, according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno. "You have mutual dedication to keeping our game going down the same path and not disrupting that."

After meeting in New York last week, the two sides held discussions Monday and will meet again Tuesday, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The ongoing talks have produced little fanfare to this point, but NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr characterized the meetings as cordial and "free from rancor" last week.

The union has until Sunday to reopen the current CBA if it so chooses. Otherwise, the agreement will expire as scheduled Sept. 15, 2022.

On Aug. 30, the NHL decided not to exercise its own option to trigger an opt-out clause.

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Jake Gardiner decided against joining the Montreal Canadiens.

Marc Bergevin, the club's general manager, confirmed as much Monday at the team's annual golf tournament.

"We had interest, we made an offer, and it's a two-way street," the GM said. "If you're interested, the player has to be interested, so I can't comment on why he didn't (accept it), but yes, we did (make an offer)."

Bergevin didn't provide any more details about the offer, reiterating that he didn't want to speculate about why Gardiner wouldn't want to sign with Montreal.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman inked a four-year, $16.2-million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. He became an unrestricted free agent after spending his first eight NHL seasons with the Leafs.

Bergevin also said Monday that the Canadiens have begun negotiating an extension with forward Max Domi.

The Montreal GM revealed Sunday that he isn't interested in bringing back longtime Canadiens rearguard Andrei Markov.

Gardiner collected 30 points in 62 games with Toronto last season after racking up a career-high 52 points across 82 contests in 2017-18.

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Jake Gardiner decided against joining the Montreal Canadiens.

Marc Bergevin, the club's general manager, confirmed as much Monday at the team's annual golf tournament.

"We had interest, we made an offer, and it's a two-way street," the GM said. "If you're interested, the player has to be interested, so I can't comment on why he didn't (accept it), but yes, we did (make an offer)."

Bergevin didn't provide any more details about the offer, reiterating that he didn't want to speculate about why Gardiner wouldn't want to sign with Montreal.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman inked a four-year, $16.2-million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. He became an unrestricted free agent after spending his first eight NHL seasons with the Leafs.

Bergevin also said Monday that the Canadiens have begun negotiating an extension with forward Max Domi.

The Montreal GM revealed Sunday that he isn't interested in bringing back longtime Canadiens rearguard Andrei Markov.

Gardiner collected 30 points in 62 games with Toronto last season after racking up a career-high 52 points across 82 contests in 2017-18.

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Connor McDavid had an encouraging weekend, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to suit up for the first game of the season.

The Edmonton Oilers superstar appeared content with his progress following an informal skate with some teammates Saturday as he continues to work his way back from a torn PCL suffered in Edmonton's 2018-19 season finale.

McDavid told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, his knee "felt good right away" during the session and that he's still "working toward" playing Oct. 2 when his team hosts the Vancouver Canucks.

The Oilers captain said he's already passed his team physical, though he hasn't yet been cleared for contact.

"I'm supposed to play hockey and I don't make those decisions," the 22-year-old said of his recovery timeline. "The doc will say when I'm good to go, and that's when I'll go."

The Oilers open training camp next week before hosting the Winnipeg Jets in both clubs' first preseason game Sept. 16.

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Vladimir Tarasenko says he's healthy.

The St. Louis Blues sniper allayed any fears about his status for training camp after suffering a pair of injuries en route to winning the Stanley Cup in June.

"Now everything feels fine," he told NHL.com's Tom Gulitti on Thursday. "I'm still recovering, but I feel strong, I feel good and ready to go."

Tarasenko revealed he sustained a dislocated shoulder early in the Cup Final against the Boston Bruins but continued playing.

"My shoulder popped out in Game 2 in the second period," he said. "They put it back in, and I was able to finish the game."

Tarasenko had surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder last offseason but didn't require a procedure this summer.

He also had a knee scope performed following the championship victory in June.

Despite the two injuries, the 27-year-old winger didn't miss a playoff game in 2019.

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The NHL's marketing department is certainly thinking differently, and that may not be a good thing.

A tweet shared by the league's primary account Thursday which clearly referenced Apple's 1997 "Think Different" ad campaign was met with confusion and scorn by Twitter users.

It doesn't take a Genius to figure out that the league might have missed the mark on this one.

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Donald Fehr says it's essentially status quo after the NHLPA met Wednesday night in Chicago, and the notion of postponing the union's opt-out deadline hasn't been broached, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

The NHLPA's executive director said no decisions were made or were scheduled to be made at the meeting of the group's executive board, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

However, Fehr added it was a good conversation and more CBA discussions with the NHL would be upcoming, according to LeBrun.

He added that the two sides are scheduled to resume talks Friday in New York.

Fehr said the players haven't decided whether to opt out of the current CBA and that Sept. 15 is a "soft deadline," according to Postmedia's Michael Traikos.

The NHLPA has until that date to reopen the CBA if it desires. Last week, when the NHL declined to exercise its own right to do so, it was reported that there was a possibility the Sept. 15 deadline could be moved if momentum continued in discussions between the league and the union.

Approximately 50 people - including the executive board and several other players - attended the meeting, according to The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.

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