Defensive Dominos: Catching Up on the NHL's 2023 Off-Season Blueline Adjustments

Carol Schram rounds up the most significant defense signings during the NHL off-season, from the Hurricanes capturing the biggest fish to a handful of teams getting new looks.

If you've been leaning into the lazy days of summer or spent some time away from your devices while you've been travelling, don't worry. I've got your back.

This week, I'm running down the most significant NHL transactions of the off-season. On Tuesday, I covered the goalies. Today, I'll turn the focus to the defensemen, and on the weekend, I'll run down the forwards.

In the flat-cap world, only one UFA defenseman snagged a contract with a cap hit above $5 million this summer. Dmitry Orlov earned $7.75 million a year, but only two seasons of term, from the normally frugal Carolina Hurricanes. 

In a more budget-conscious move, the Canes also brought back Tony DeAngelo — the second time GM Don Waddell has signed the righty to a bargain deal after another team bought him out. 

In the summer of 2021, DeAngelo got $1 million from Carolina. He then put up 51 points in the subsequent season, which priced him out of the Hurricanes' budget as an RFA with arbitration rights. 

So, last July, Waddell dealt DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers, along with a seventh-round pick, in exchange for three draft picks: a second, a third and a fourth. Philadelphia then signed DeAngelo to a two-year deal with a $5 million cap hit. While he delivered 42 points, the Flyers' new management group saw him as expendable while beginning to remake their roster.

A rumored trade back to Carolina fell apart before the Flyers bought out the second year of DeAngelo's deal. The cost was $3.33 million, spread over two seasons. Ten days later, DeAngelo returned to the Hurricanes on a one-year deal at $1.675 million. That essentially makes him whole for the money he lost in his buyout, while the Canes pay less than if they'd completed the trade with the Flyers retaining the maximum 50 percent, or $2.5 million.

Last season, Carolina allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL, behind only Boston. Orlov should make them even tougher defensively. 

He and DeAngelo essentially replace Calvin de Haan and Shayne Gostisbehere from last year's playoff roster. 

There have been rumors that Carolina might be looking to move Brett Pesce because he has one year left before unrestricted free agency and that Waddell might be interested in Erik Karlsson. Certainly, they're in 'win now' mode, but with 23 players signed and a little less than $2 million in available cap space per PuckPedia, they're in a good spot to take their current roster into the new season.

The Florida Panthers eliminated the Hurricanes in the 2023 Eastern Conference final and also did some significant shopping for defensemen on July 1. With Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad recovering from shoulder surgeries, which might leave them sidelined through the beginning of the regular season, GM Bill Zito scooped up three new blueliners to help his depth without breaking the bank. 

After the last four years of his mega-contract with an $8.25-million cap hit were bought out by the Vancouver Canucks, Oliver Ekman-Larsson landed on the Atlantic coast on a one-year deal at $2.25 million. 

Zito also signed 27-year-old bruiser Niko Mikkola for three years at a cap hit of $2.5 million a year and brought in veterans Dmitry Kulikov and Mike Reilly for one year at $1 million each.

They'll hold down the fort, along with Gustav Forsling and Josh Mahura, until Montour and Ekblad are ready to return.

The Panthers also lost rugged Radko Gudas in free agency. After a strong performance in the playoffs, the 33-year-old earned an increase from $2.5 million to $4 million a year on a three-year term with the Anaheim Ducks. He'll play a mentorship role for a very promising pool of young defensemen.

Ekman-Larsson's departure from Vancouver gave the Canucks just more than $7 million in new cap space to use for next season. GM Patrik Allvin quickly allocated that to new defensemen, who can hopefully lend a hand at turning around Vancouver's league-worst penalty kill.

The biggest fish was Carson Soucy, the 29-year-old Albertan who spent the last two seasons with the Seattle Kraken. The 6-foot-5 lefty came in on a three-year deal at $3.25 million annually. 

Ian Cole, now 34, was part of the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2016 and 2017, so he's a familiar entity to Allvin and Jim Rutherford. Cole received a one-year deal at $3 million, matching his contract from last year with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Finally, B.C. native Matt Irwin came in on a two-way deal that pays the league minimum of $775,000 at the NHL level. And while this is the third year in a row that Irwin has signed a two-way deal, the 35-year-old has stayed up at the NHL level. He's a good fit as a seventh defenseman but was in the lineup for 61 games last season with the Washington Capitals.

Filip Hronek is also, effectively, a new face for Vancouver this fall. Injured when Vancouver acquired him from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline, Hronek played just four games for the Canucks last season before he was shut down for further treatment on his shoulder. 

Just 25, the right-shooting Czech put up nine goals and 38 points in 60 games with Detroit last season. A strong skater, he should slot into the No. 2 spot on Vancouver's defensive depth chart behind Quinn Hughes. 

Tyler Myers also remains in the mix, playing out the final year of the deal he signed in 2019.

In addition to bringing in Mike Babcock, a coach known for emphasizing strong defensive structure, the Columbus Blue Jackets have also improved their blueline personnel.

For starters, they'll have incumbent Zach Werenski back in the fold. The 26-year-old played just 13 games last year before shoulder surgery put him on the shelf for the duration.

Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen also pulled off one of the more elaborate trades of the summer in early June. He brought in Ivan Provorov from Philadelphia in a three-way deal that also included the Los Angeles Kings. 

An elite prospect drafted seventh overall in 2015, Provorov's development stalled with the Flyers. Kekalainen gave up a first and a conditional second-round pick with the belief that a change of scenery will get Provorov back on track as a top-pairing performer. 

Three days after acquiring Provorov, Kekalainen pulled off a sign-and-trade with the New Jersey Devils. Tom Fitzgerald signed impending UFA Damon Severson to an eight-year deal with a cap hit of $6.25 million, then dealt the right-sider to the Blue Jackets in exchange for a third-round pick.

One other name to watch for in Columbus is David Jiricek. Now 19, the sixth overall pick from 2022 acquitted himself well in the AHL last season and got into four NHL games. That number could grow in 2023-24.

The Devils parted ways with two of their core blueliners this summer in Severson and Ryan Graves, who signed the biggest total contract of any defenseman on July 1. Graves signed a six-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins with a cap hit of $4.5 million, or $27 million total.

In Pittsburgh, Graves essentially replaces fellow lefty Brian Dumoulin, who left for Seattle for two years at $3.15 million.

In New Jersey, there's now room for the Devils to move up Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. The fourth overall pick in 2021, the lefty Hughes looked NHL-ready during his brief audition at the end of last season. Nemec, the No. 2 pick in 2022, delivered a solid debut on the right side with Utica in the AHL.

The Devils also acquired right-side defenseman Colin Miller from the Dallas Stars on July 1 in exchange for a fifth-round pick. And Brendan Smith remains on the roster as another steady veteran if the promising prospects experience growing pains.

Like New Jersey, the Buffalo Sabres are seen as a team on the rise that could contend for a playoff spot this year. Already with four terrific young blueliners in Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju, GM Kevyn Adams brought in wily veteran Erik Johnson on a one-year deal on July 1, as well as signing Connor Clifton away from Boston with a three-year contract at $3.33 million annually.

Clifton's replacement in Boston is Kevin Shattenkirk. The 34-year-old comes in for one year at $1.05 million.

In Detroit, Steve Yzerman has a star in Moritz Seider and some steady veterans in Ben Chiarot, Olli Maatta and Jake Walman — who saw his ice time skyrocket after he was dealt from St. Louis to Detroit at the 2022 trade deadline.

Flush with cap space, Yzerman added former Toronto Maple Leaf Justin Holl on a three-year deal at $3.4 million and brought in Shayne Gostisbehere for one year at $4.125 million.

Along with Holl, trade-deadline acquisition Luke Schenn also moved on from Toronto, signing a three-year deal in Nashville at a tidy $2.75 million a year. For their part, the Leafs brought in John Klingberg for one year at $4.15 million and will get a full season out of Jake McCabe after he came in from Chicago at the 2023 deadline.

The biggest blueline move of the summer could still be coming if Erik Karlsson gets his wish and is traded away from the San Jose Sharks.

The Norris Trophy winner wants to play for a contender, and the Sharks are looking for a meaningful return that makes the deal more than simply a cap dump. 

San Jose GM Mike Grier did sign rugged depth defenseman Kyle Burroughs in free agency. Last February, he also acquired promising blueline prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin from the Devils as part of the return for Timo Meier and traded a third-round pick to the Ducks in exchange for the rights to Harvard defenseman Henry Thrun, who was then signed and suited up for eight games. 

Returning from last season, with or without Karlsson: Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Mario Ferraro and Matt Benning.