Henrik Lundqvist - I give this signing a solid B. Definitely not my ideal goalie signing because I feel like this guy brings more "veteran experience" and "brand name recognition" than actual, game-stealing ability. But when taking into consideration our limited cap space and when considering the pool of UFA goalies, getting Lundqvist for $1.5M is probably the best move we could have done. He can split games with Samsonov, but I'd still consider our goalie situation somewhat uncertainty. Does Sammy bounce back from injury and continue his solid play/growth from last year? Does Lundqvist still perform solidly or does age cause him to continue his decline?
Justin Schultz - I give this signing maybe a C. It feels like a lot of money to pay for a player who has a lot of uncertainty around him.
Trevor van Riemsdyk - I give this signing a B+. He's not going to blow you away with his skills, but we got him at a bargain bin price of $800k. He seems to be a solid bottom pair right handed defenseman. Can move the puck, which should fit with Lavi's style.
Our defense corps is now Carlson, Orlov, Dillon, Schultz, Jensen, van Riemsdyk, Siegenthaler (not signed officially but RFA we're trying to sign), Fehervary. Kempny is injured and I wish we could just get rid of the guy. It doesn't feel like the most spectacular defense, but I'm willing to see if Schultz and TvR can prove themselves.
We now need a 4th line forward and could probably aim to replace either Hags or Panik for someone who can bring offense to the 3rd line. Hopefully GMBM is aiming to make those moves soon.
As of today, the most exciting move we've made during the offseason is hiring Lavi. I think that was the move that has the most potential to help us take that next step. None of the signings we've made above are game changers
