from Damien Cox at the Toronto Star,

NHL free agency, on the surface, is about teams spending millions. Millions to improve, to augment their roster, to turn vulnerabilities into strengths.

Really, however, it’s about teams telling a new story to their customers. Altering the narrative. Contradicting the stories of the past. Believe in us. Look at all we’re trying to do to win a Stanley Cup. For you. Our fans.

And so, Henrik Lundqvist goes from the veteran who lost his job to the younger goalies in New York to the ideal mentor for youngster Ilya Samsonov in Washington. Bobby Ryan goes from being too expensive in Ottawa to the perfect fit in Detroit. Torey Krug, a well-priced contributor on the blue line in Boston, signs in St. Louis for a gigantic $45.5 million (U.S.), potentially as the replacement for Alex Pietrangelo.

Anaheim signs Kevin Shattenkirk, now a defenceman imbued with championship qualities in Tampa Bay after being viewed as an underachiever in Manhattan. Braden Holtby goes from unwanted in Washington’s crease to a necessary veteran overseer behind Thatcher Demko in Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom, a playoff hero in Vancouver, becomes the latest candidate to fill the unending void between the pipes in Calgary. Even if the Flames had to wildly overpay, it was worth it to quiet the wolves on the team’s inability to find a successor to Miikka Kiprusoff.

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