Connauton is coming off of his best season in the NHL, scoring 11 goals with 10 assists (21 points) in 73 games with the Coyotes. Connauton averaged just 15:11 TOI/GM, so expect him to serve as a third pairing defenseman again in 2019.
Rust has become a valuable middle-6 winger for the Penguins, scoring 13 goals with 25 assists (38 points) in 69 games this past season. Rust occasionally sees time on a line with Evgeni Malkin but is equally effective in a checking-line role. He grades out as the No.52 ranked RW in hockey according to Corsica Player Ratings.
Di Giuseppe was in and out of the Hurricanes’ lineup last season but appeared in a career-high 49 NHL games, scoring five goals with eight assists (13 points). The 24-year-old likely won’t be a full-time player in 2019 either, but is an effective bottom-6 player when he gets plugged into the lineup.
The former No.12 overall pick has never been able to find his game at the NHL-level and often splits his season between the AHL and NHL. This past season, Murphy had 28 points (4G / 24A) in 48 games with Iowa and five points (2G / 3A) in 21 games with Minnesota. He will likely serve as the Wild’ No.7 defenseman throughout the 2019 season.
Sprong dominated the AHL last season, collecting 32 goals and 33 assists (65 points) in 65 games before being called-up by the Penguins. After arriving in the NHL, he had two goals and one assist in eight games. Sprong has been great at lower-levels but it hasn’t translated into NHL success yet.
Simon split his 2018 season between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) and Pittsburgh (NHL). The 23-year-old forward had 17 points (4G / 13A) in 21 AHL games and 12 points (4G / 8A) in 33 NHL games. Simon will battle for a roster spot in training camp this fall.
Orpik was acquired from Washington with Philipp Grubauer but the Avalanche were unable to flip him so they’ve bought him out. Orpik had one year left with a $5.5M cap-hit. The veteran defenseman becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.
The Red Wings weren’t expected to bring Frk back originally, but he signed on for one more season. Frk has a great shot and is a weapon on the power-play. The 24-year-old scored 11 goals with 14 assists (25 points) in a career-high 68 games with the Red Wings in 2018. He figures to play in the Red Wings’ bottom-6 in 2019 with a lot of PP exposure.
Bertuzzi appeared in a career-high 48 games with the Red Wings in 2018, collecting seven goals and 17 assists (24 points) in 48 games. Including the playoffs, Bertuzzi has scored 28 goals with 42 assists (70 points) in his last 83 AHL games. The 23-year-old will be a full-time NHLer in 2019 and could play in the Red Wings’ top-6.
Carlson had a season to remember, leading all defensemen in points (68) and winning the Stanley Cup in a contract year. Re-signing Carlson looked like it might be difficult for the Capitals, but they traded Philipp Grubauer and Brooks Orpik to the Avalanche on Friday, clearing some cap-space to sign their No.1 blueliner. Carlson ties Brent Burns with the second-highest cap-hit among NHL defensemen at $8.0 million.
Wideman missed the majority of the 2018 season, appearing in just 16 games before suffering a hamstring in mid-November. Wideman recorded eight points (3G / 5A) before missing the rest of the season—he figures to compete for a spot in the Senators’ starting-6 blueliners this year.
