NHL Offseason: Player Movement and Impact

As the hot stove finally cools down and most of the dust has settled -- and as I run out of metaphors to use -- the 2015 NHL offseason slowly winds to a close. With a relatively weak crop of unrestricted free agents, much of the big-name action that took place occurred in the trade market, which included some high-profile players being moved due to their team's cap crunch.

With only a few notable names still left on the unrestricted free agent market, such as Cody Franson, Christian Ehrhoff, and Alexander Semin, let's take a look at the biggest impact moves of the offseason from a fantasy standpoint thus far.

Trades

Phil Kessel, LW(to Penguins from Maple Leafs)

While Kessel has been bemoaned for many things, no one can knock his point production. Going from Tyler Bozak as his centerman to either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin should turn Kessel back into one of the league's elite point producers. Furthermore, after a season where he saw his shooting percentage dip below nine percent for the first time since 2007-08, going back to his career average of 10.8 percent should help him climb back over the 30-goal mark once again.

Ryan O'Reilly, C(to Sabres from Avalanche)

The Sabres made a huge splash this offseason, acquiring players left and right, with the centerpiece of all of these moves being the acquisition of O'Reilly. The 24-year-old forward scored 55 points last season, which was a bit of a regression from a standout campaign in 2013-14, when he totaled 28 goals and 36 assists. As his team context likely depreciates with the move from Colorado to Buffalo, O'Reilly's production could sink a bit as well, since he'll be tasked with serving as the Sabres' top center while consistently facing opponents' toughest lines.

Dougie Hamilton, D(to Flames from Bruins)

Hamilton is coming off one of the best seasons for a young defensemen in recent memory, tallying 10 goals and 32 assists to live up to his billing as the ninth overall pick back in 2011. He now moves from a leaky Boston blue line to one of the best groups in the Western Conference. If Hamilton can continue his progression, he's on the trajectory of being one of the top blueliners in the league within the next few years.

Brandon Saad, LW(to Blue Jackets from Blackhawks)

Saad was probably the toughest casualty the Blackhawks suffered this summer, as he looked to be the next in line for stardom in the Windy City behind Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. However, the harsh realities of the salary cap forced the Blackhawks' hand in moving him to Columbus, where he should shine. Columbus went on a phenomenal stretch to end last season, winning nine in a row, and are positioned to be a playoff threat in the Eastern Conference with some better health. Saad may not reach 50 points in 2015-16 without Toews and Marian Hossa by his side, but a role next to Ryan Johansen and Nick Foligno probably isn't a huge downgrade.

T.J. Oshie, RW(to Capitals from Blues)

Oshie remains best known for his star turn during the 2014 Winter Olympics, but he's also been a reliable top-six contributor for the Blues the last two seasons, scoring more than 50 points in each campaign. However, with the Blues opting to shake things up, the Capitals will be the beneficiaries of the 28-year-old winger's services. He'll be slated to assume a top-six role again with his new team, though it remains to be seen if he'll partner up with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin on the top trio. Regardless, another 50-plus point season is certainly in the cards for Oshie, with the potential for more if he ends up seeing extensive time with the Caps' two top-line stars.

Patrick Sharp, LW(to Stars from Blackhawks)

After scoring a career-high 78 points in 2013-14, Sharp regressed to 43 in the past season, his fewest while playing 30 or more games since 2006-07. He's getting up there in age at 33 years old, but Sharp's probably still capable of providing somewhere in between the production he submitted the last two seasons. Though Sharp will have to adjust to losing out on ice time with the likes of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, a second-line role next to Jason Spezza along with power-play minutes with elite talents in Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin should continue to bolster his offensive numbers. Fifty points should be an attainable figure for Sharp.

Antti Niemi, G(to Stars from Sharks)

Niemi finds himself in relatively unchartered waters, as he was brought in to compete with Kari Lehtonen after serving as the Sharks' top twinetender the last few seasons. With more than $10 million going toward Dallas' two goalies, despite Lehtonen's higher cap hit, one would imagine Niemi is playing the role of 1A. He was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2012-13, but has seen his numbers tail off since then. If Niemi can get hot, he could potentially turn the starting spot into a one-man gig, which would likely prove valuable to fantasy owners.

Milan Lucic, C(to Kings from Bruins)

While the Kings may not have appreciably improved this offseason, from a fantasy perspective, Lucic should still be in good hands. He moves away from a line with David Pastrnak and David Krejci to a likely deployment on the Kings' top line, where he'll join Anze Kopitar and Marian Gaborik. With a strong pair of linemates, the big, bruising forward could return to the 20-goal, 50-point pace that he'd reached on a regular basis over the past few seasons.

Martin Jones, G(to Sharks from Bruins from Kings)

Jones has played in just 34 NHL games in his career; however, he could now be in line to serve as the top goalie in San Jose for the upcoming season, though he'll have to stave off holdover Alex Stalock. The 25-year-old Jones has a career .923 save percentage and sparkling 1.99 goals against average, but again, he's only played in 34 games. Even so, Jones has excelled at every level, and if he can adjust to being the full-time goalie quickly, he could be a good fantasy option, particularly for those in deeper leagues.

Cam Talbot, G(to Oilers from Rangers)

Talbot had been nothing short of a revelation in his role spelling Henrik Lundqvist, racking up a 33-15-13 record across two seasons as the Rangers' backup. Now, the 28-year-old looks like he'll get a chance to start full-time. As the starter this past season when Lundqvist was sidelined due to injury for more than a month, Talbot was so good that some were clamoring for him to remain the primary goalie upon King Henrik's return. That didn't end up materializing, and while Talbot now has a clear path to regular action, he heads to a significantly more difficult situation than in New York. The Oilers improved their roster this offseason -- most notably with the drafting of once-in-a-generation prospect Connor McDavid -- but the Edmonton blue line still remains one of the league's weaker units. Talbot will need young blueliners Justin Schultz, Oscar Klefbom, and Darnell Nurse to mature quickly if he hopes to translate the numbers from his first 57 career games (2.00 GAA and a .931 save percentage) to the next 57.

Robin Lehner, G(to Sabres from Senators)

The 23-year-old Swede holds a 30-36-13 career record and has never played more than 36 games in a season. However, he now finds himself the top goalie on a rapidly improving Buffalo team. But just because the Sabres have significantly retooled their roster doesn't mean they still won't struggle. After all, Buffalo ranked last in goals for, power-play percentage and penalty-kill percentage last season, while ranking second-to-last in goals against. Lehner's arrival should help, but behind a poor blue line and supported by a forward crew that could still struggle to score, the goalie may need to perform like one of the top netminders in the league if he hopes to post even league-average marks in wins and GAA.

Carl Soderberg, C(to Avalanche from Bruins)

Over the past two seasons, Soderberg has quickly become one of the biggest surprises in the league. After molding his game in his native Sweden for several years, Soderberg has immediately become a player good for 40-plus points a season since arriving in North America. While his faceoff numbers aren't great, winning 48.2 percent of his fdraws in 2014-15, he makes up for it with his passing acumen, accruing more than 30 assists in each of the past two seasons. If he can move his shooting percentage above the eight percent it was at last season, Soderberg could be in line for a 50-point season.

Eddie Lack, G(to Hurricanes from Canucks)

After finding himself as the odd man out in Vancouver, Lack heads to Carolina, where he will likely be option 1B to Cam Ward heading into training camp. Lack is coming off a solid season where he went 18-13-6 with a 2.45 goals against average and a .921 save percentage, production that could make him a viable threat to displace Ward, who has vastly underperformed since signing a huge extension in 2009. While inconsistent playing time at the outset could be an issue for fantasy owners, Lack has strong upside and a good track record if he's given the keys to the crease.

James Wisniewski, D(to Hurricanes from Ducks)

Wisniewski was outstanding with Columbus in 2013-14, setting a career high with 51 points. However, last season he took a big step back, totaling 34 points across 69 games with the Blue Jackets and the Ducks, playing sparingly for the latter in their run to the Western Conference Finals. While Wisniewski was disappointing for the Ducks, with an expanded role for the Hurricanes -- who made big strides this offseason to reload their blue line -- he could once again reach the 40-point threshold.

Kyle Palmieri, LW(to Devils from Ducks)

Palmieri continued to improve last season, scoring 29 points in 57 games with the Ducks. His work on the power play is notable; he scored 11 points with the man advantage last season and should contribute to the Devils' top power-play line from day one. He'll move from the bottom-six in Anaheim to a much larger role in New Jersey, with 20 goals well within reach if he can stay healthy throughout the year.

Reilly Smith, RW(Panthers from Bruins)

Smith took a step back in 2014-15, leaving the Bruins skeptical about his long-term viability as a top-six forward. While he still scored 40 points, he was constantly being moved from line to line, which didn't allow him to settle into a rhythm and build much rapport with his mates. In Florida, he could slot next to Aleksander Barkov and Jussi Jokinen, with power-play time likely in the offing as well. Another 40-point season is within reach for Smith, particularly if he supplants Jaromir Jagr as the top right wing for the rapidly improving Panthers.

Artem Anisimov, C(to Blackhawks from Blue Jackets)

The 27-year-old Anisimov played in only 52 games last season, providing 27 points in a depth role for the Blue Jackets. He works on the power play and kills penalties and should slot in as the second-line center for the Blackhawks, a spot that's been in flux for the Stanley Cup champs, as they've cycled through numerous veterans the last couple of seasons in an attempt to fill that role. If health permits, breaking the 35-point threshold is certainly in the cards for the Russian centerman, though a leap to fantasy stardom is probably too much to ask.

Jimmy Hayes, RW(Bruins from Panthers)

Hayes had a minor breakout season in 2014-15 with the Panthers, scoring 19 goals and 35 points. The 6-foot-6 winger was productive on the power play and logged more than 15 minutes of ice time a night, both of which should be sustained on an overhauled Bruins team. He could slot right into Reilly Smith's old role as the winger next to Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, which could put 40 points within reach.

Troy Brouwer, RW(to Blues from Capitals)

While on paper the loss of T.J. Oshie may represent a step back for the Blues, Brouwer certainly isn't a slouch -- he's a Stanley Cup champion with nearly a season's worth of playoff games under his belt. Brouwer isn't the same kind of point scorer as Oshie, but he should provide steady production in multiple areas on the team's third line with Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin. From a fantasy perspective, however, he'll probably need a promotion to the top six in order for his stock to take a leap forward.

Carl Hagelin, LW(to Ducks from Rangers)

As one of the fastest skaters in the league, Hagelin fit in nicely in New York alongside fellow speedsters such as Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider. In Anaheim, a team known more for their strength than their speed, he and Andrew Cogliano will be the team's quick options along the wing to complement the size of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Hagelin may stay in the bottom-six ranks, a spot where he flourished in New York, but his speed can give him the ability to once again get to 35 points -- if not break that ceiling -- as he continues his development.

Kevin Bieksa, D(to Ducks from Canucks)

Bieksa was once a top scoring defenseman, breaking the 40-point mark three times in his career. Lately though, he's been a shadow of his former self, as he scored just 14 points in 60 games last season for Vancouver. A change of scenery should help the right-handed Bieksa as he moves to a physical Anaheim team. The 34-year-old could be soon running out of gas, but 25 points is certainly well within the realm of possibility as he moves to a squad with more playmakers.

Free Agent Signings

Matt Beleskey, LW(to Bruins from Ducks; five years, $19 million)

Beleskey was a prime target to cash in on a fantastic year as he entered unrestricted free agency, but instead, he signed a longer-term deal at a lower-than-predicted cap hit. The 27-year-old had just 35 career goals coming into last season before rattling off 22, much in part to a 15.2 percent shooting percentage. While that's an unsustainable clip, the big-bodied Beleskey should form a formidable net-front presence in tandem with David Krejci. He could be in line for 15-to-20 goals this season while upgrading the Bruins' beleaguered power play.

Mike Green, D(to Red Wings from Capitals; three years, $18 million)

Green has historically been of the top point-producing defensemen in the league, and despite turning 30 this upcoming season and showing signs of decline since his two All-Star seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10, he should help bolster the Red Wings' blue line. Whether or not he's paired with top defender Niklas Kronwall at even strength, Green should be a valuable offensive contributor, particularly on the power play. He's scored at least a dozen points on the man advantage in each of the past three seasons.

Brad Richards, C(to Red Wings from Blackhawks; one year, $3 million)

As his modest contract terms would suggest, the 35-year-old Richards might not be the same player he once was, but that doesn't mean he can't still contribute. On a one-year pact, Richards should help stabilize the Red Wings up the middle, playing the role of top-six centerman, likely alongside Tomas Tatar and Justin Abdelkader. He's scored at least 34 points in every season and should continue that stretch into 2015-16, even if he's lost a step from when he averaged a point or more per game.

Andrej Sekera, D(to Oilers from Kings; six years, $33 million)

Sekera might be the biggest beneficiary from a weak free agent crop, as he'll collect more than $5 million annually despite failing to provide much of an impact for the Kings after coming over during the trade deadline last season. It made Sekera's huge 2013-14 campaign (a career-high 44 points) look even more like an outlier, as that total represents more than a quarter of his points across his nine NHL seasons. Nonetheless, with the Oilers desperate to find defensive help after struggling on the back end for around a decade, Sekera should immediately become the team's top blueliner. The high minutes load could allow him to notice some recovery in the scoring department, but expect it to come with a grisly plus/minus rating.

Michael Frolik, RW(to Flames from Jets; five years, $21.5 million)

In a banner offseason for former Blackhawks, Frolik cashed in after two straight 42-point seasons in Winnipeg. The 27-year-old should provide a strong two-way presence for the Flames, and reaching the 40-point mark is once again well within the realm of possibility. He figures to claim a spot on Calgary's second line alongside Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett.

Justin Williams, RW(to Capitals from Kings; two years, $6.5 million)

Williams may be turning 34 by the time the upcoming season starts, but he's still one of the best possession players in the league. His playoff experience will help a Capitals squad that has struggled to get over the hump, but it remains to be seen whether or not Williams will find himself in a top-six role with his new team. It's not a stretch to envision Williams hitting 40 points again if he's able to claim a spot next to Niklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, but that could prove quite difficult if he's forced to settle anywhere else in the lineup.

Joel Ward, LW(to Sharks from Capitals; three years, $9.825 million)

Ward had been a useful part for the Capitals in each of the past two seasons, coming up with timely goals on a regular basis and putting up solid point totals. He'll now move from a rather stable situation in Washington to a more complicated one in San Jose. The Sharks already have some players that profile similarly to Ward as big-bodied, sniping wings, making it anybody's guess where he ultimately settles in the lineup. That kind of role uncertainty makes it a risky proposition for Ward to make another run at 20-plus goals.

Francois Beauchemin, D(to Avalanche from Ducks; three years, $13.5 million)

The 35-year-old Beauchemin was handed a pile of money to move to Colorado, where he should make for a stout, defensively responsible partner for the up-and-coming Tyson Barrie. Father Time isn't on Beauchemin's side, but at least for 2015-16, he should be capable of putting up 20 or more points while also logging heavy ice time against opponent's top lines.

Paul Martin, D(to Sharks from Penguins; four years, $19.4 million)

Martin signed one of the richest deals of the offseason after serving as a strong defensive presence along Pittsburgh's blue line the last few seasons. In addition to his competent play in his own zone, Martin hasn't been a total zero on the offensive end either, scoring 20 or more points and posting a positive plus/minus rating in nine of his 11 seasons in the NHL. While the contract lasts until his age-38 season, Martin will be counted on to remain a fixture in the Sharks' top-four ranks for the bulk of the deal.

Blake Comeau, LW(to Avalanche from Penguins; three years, $7.2 million)

After three seasons of showing a lost scoring touch, Comeau bounced back to the tune of 16 goals and 31 points for Pittsburgh in 2014-15. Much of that productivity came when Comeau was slotted next to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, but with fewer playmaking options surrounding him in Colorado, he wouldn't seem to possess as much upside. Still, 25 to 30 points are possible if Comeau can remain on the ice for most of the season.

Viktor Stalberg, LW(to Rangers from Predators; one year, $1.1 million)

The Predators bought out Stalberg prior to the free-agency period after he failed to live up to his mammoth contract. That didn't stop the Rangers from scooping him up as a buy-low option, as the winger is still only 29 years old and has a 20-goal season on his resume. A return to that form is unlikely, especially on a deep Rangers squad that isn't short on skilled wingers, but 30 points might be achievable if he earns a sustained opportunity to replace the departed Carl Hagelin on the team's third line.