Tag Search Results for "age"
Since my team the Carolina Hurricanes started floundering and eventually missed the playoffs, I made it a point to help some people out (including myself) and made a spreadsheet of the free agents that should make it a little easier to figure out who exactly is out there to be had.
Over the last couple years I had to hunt down websites that had some of the free agents, ...
I have been a hockey fan for much of 35 years and being born into the hub of hockey I think I can tell you alot about it! What we have seen from the Boston Bruins is NOT hockey. I understand owning, operating and producing a successful hockey team can all be different things. Yes it is a business. As much as we do not want to admit it. The bottom line is most owners t...
During the intermission between the 3rd and 4th overtimes, the clock struck 3 a.m. on the East Coast, and very promptly VERSUS left its Canucks-Stars coverage and flipped on some infomercial about pilates...... [b]are you kidding me?!??[/b] I know you have to pay the bills, but that is absolutely RIDICULOUS! There should be outrage from the hockey community over this and...
This is a very important day for the 2007-08 Philadelphia Flyers. A very, very important day. July 1st is the first day that unrestricted free agents are free to sign with the team of their choice. GM Paul Holmgren and crew will have gameplan ready to go, but it could easily be blown up within hours.
Going into next season, the Flyers most important areas of need are a ...
Same crap different day, with a few suprises. Trade the 2nd overall and a prospect like UMBERGER or RUZICKA to San Jose for PATRICK MARLEAU. SJ wont be able to resign him in a year anyways. If that doesnt work, I would have preferred DATSYUK but hes gone so i guess go for GOMEZ.
Try and Sign SAMI SALO, hes what we neeed for the PP. also go after a 3-4 guy like RIVET (is ...
Does anybody think that Turco plays the puck too much.... i dont really but i wuz watchin' da game with somebody who thinks so... after the long OT in game one dallas vs. nucks in that much overtime you at least have to try and not let your fatigue take advantage of you! When he got stuck behind the net and the nucks took the puck away from him he stayed back there and try...
It seems to me one of the major challenges the Flyers have will be determining what to do with certain players who are, at this point, "tweeners"...guys like Ryan Potulny, RJ Umberger, Dimitri Afanasenkov and Stefan Ruzicka. They aren't really muckers and grinders who should be on checking lines. They have scoring talent; but they may not be ready to take on the role of ...
Alright Flames fans, let's forget yesterday or even this whole series ever happened. Let's get down to business for next season.
Here is the list of UFAs for the Flames:
Tony Amonte
Marcus Nilson
Jeff Friesen
Darren McCarty
Byron Ritchie
Wayne Primeau
Roman Hamrlik
Brad Stuart
Brad Ference
Jamie McLellan (G)
Here is the list for the RFAs:
Matthew Lo...
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey.
However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
No, I'm not jumping off the bandwagon. But I've decided to take a look at the Canucks' free agents on July 1st.
[b]Jan Bulis (III)[/b] - This guy was really unhappy with his playing time and lack of power-play time sometime in January and didn't seem like he would return to the team next year. But after a chat with Dave Nonis and getting his position in the club clarifi...
These Sharks of San Jose are a scary team this post season. They came into the playoffs as probably the hottest team and have continued their hot streak winning five of their first six playoff starts. Last night they proved just how good they are with a convincing 2-0 win on the road against Detroit.
But here is where it gets more scary for me. I don't think this team ...
Here is my recap of the current chart listings for UFAs:
[b]sim[/b]- no, can't skate, inconsistent effort
[b]laaksanen[/b]- no- I'd rather have the uncle
[b]gelinas[/b]- no- too old to help a team that probably won't make the playoffs. waste of $$
[b]white[/b]- maybe [i]if [/i]he is a good f/o man, but he looks like marty murray redux
[b]markov[/b]- probably not goi...
As the Vancouver Canucks head into their post-season meetings there are several players on the 2006-07 roster that may or may not be in GM Dave Nonis' plans for the 2007-08 season.
Ryan Kesler - 06/07 salary: $1.9 million - Status: Restricted - Notes: 06/07 was a troubled season for Kes. First the contract squabble, then a lack of offence and just as the team was getti...
After an embarrassing double-OT playoff elimination for the Vancouver Canucks fans are turning their attention to the free-agent pool. As a loyal Canucks fan I feel that our lack of offense needs to be taken care of. We have solid defense and amazing goaltending so we have built our game around that. I personally feel that we should trade away Mattias Ohlund. He is no long...
Every hockey web site, message board, forum, or mailing list at this point in the off-season has one Ryan Smyth rumor or another almost daily, so placing faith in any one rumor at this point is just about as sure-footed a strategy as throwing darts at a map of NHL cities. Personally, I've remained optimistic about the Islanders chances of bringing Smytty back, despite much...
Well, I haven't posted a Flyers off-season thoughts blog, yet, so I figured to combat my insomnia, I'd offer my two cents.
Right now, in goal, things seem pretty much set. Martin Biron is the starter. I expect him to play as many as 60 games. Antero Niittymaki, coming off a brutal season, will be the back-up. Biron was a breath of fresh air, on and off the ice, after co...
Entering our 3rd summer under the current cap systems with 2 seasons prove out the theories teams and GM's have been employing. Couple that with Buffalo’s impending FA period and am I left wondering about the rise of the sign-and-trade. Even in recent Senators history there are many examples to ponder. There were Marian Hossa, Zdeno Chara, and Martin Havlat. While the...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Glen Wesley wants to return next season for his 20th season. Here's what Glen had to say:
"That was definitely not the way I wanted to finish the year off," Wesley said. "I'm really looking forward to coming back and getting a fresh start and wanting to win again. That should be everybody's objective in the locker room. We hav...
doing this on the fly...
...no gm in their right mind is going to set the precedent and go after an RFA the caliber of a player such as thomas vanek. bob clarke did this last year to test the waters with a team and gm he has rarely dealt with. i think from that reaction we saw and the spotted history of 'rfa robbing' that it is most definitely not going to continue on ...
As we approach the last interesting days of this hockey season some of the blogs I have read recently have given me thoughts to ponder. I wrote before that we might see the beginning of 'parity' as star talent looks like it will disperse further from the traditional concentrations. If the cap increases that may not happen but certainly it will take a few more years for t...
We are getting down to crunch time here. Free Agency begins July 1st and right now the Predators are not 100% sure who will own the team at that time. In order for a sale to happen the prospective buy Jim Basillie needs to appear before the NHL board of governers. A meeting is scheduled for June on June 20th…while it is not too late to get on the agenda time is runni...
GilPerrault writes...
The Correlation Between the Sabres and The Sopranos
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Sabres’ past season and the final episode of the Sopranos have a few things in common. The Sabres built up the hopes and dreams of the City of Buffalo for its first ever significant national championship. We, Sabres fans, have seen this team develop over the years with big wins, strong efforts and winning streaks that led to the best record in the NHL’s regular sea...
The top name that keeps getting thrown around town as rumours swirl is Ryan Smyth heading to the Leafs, this seems to be the Leafs #1 target this off season with the backline all shored up pending Colaiacovo's signing which should be done shortly, what seems to escape many people's minds is that the Leafs are also looking to add some much needed grit to the lineup with the...
im bored. tv during the summer sucks full of repeats and reality tv. i found myself watching wrasslin tonight, inwhich i thought was pretty entertaining.
i wish there was something to talk about related to hockey.
why cant July 1 come any faster?
how is everyone holding up before July 1?
Based on Ek's list of who's the best available, I'm forecasting where each player will land this summer:
#1 Centers
1. Chris Drury (7.5M) - San Jose. I think they'll sign Drury and trade Marleau. Anaheim already has McDonald and Getzlaf as their top two centers and the Kings have Kopitar and Cammalleri.
2. Scotty Gomez (7M) - Atlanta. Gomez centering a line of ...
Well here it is mid June, were getting close to the draft which might mean a couple of trades but more important it's getting close to July 1st. This might be some fans favorite time of the off season. It could even be their favorite time of the year because right now every fan feels that their team has a chance to make the necessary changes to have a shot at hoisting ...
So has anyone heard anything on the new Fantastic Four movie? I was considering going to see it tomorrow.
And now, what you've all been waiting for- FREE AGENT RANKINGS!!! :thumbsup:
We'll start at the back and work our way up.
[b]Goaltenders[/b]
Now before you fly off the handle and say "OMG WHERE THE HECK IS GIGUERE!?!?!?" Relax. He's not on here because I ...
First off, let me start by looking at the numbers in terms of a salary cap hit for the 2007-08 season:
([i]all numbers rounded to two decimal places[/i])
SUNDIN- $5.50M
TUCKER- $3.00M
ANTROPOV- $1.95M
STEEN- $0.95M
KILGER- $0.87M
STAJAN- $0.95M
WELLWOOD- $0.95M
PONIKAROVSKY- $1.58M
POHL- $0.48M
DEVERAUX- $0.55M
ONDRUS- $0.50M
WESTRUM- $0.48M
NEWBURY- $0.4...
It seems that the Predators-Flyers deal, much like the one at the deadline, has opened up the flood gates. Eklund has stated in his blog that the phones are ringing off the hook. Today and the subsequent two days will be quite exciting for many fans. Expect the unexpected unless it involves Bryan Berard.
--------------------------------
And now for the second batch of FA...
Im so sick reading from blogs and message boards of other teams complaining what my Philadelphia Flyers did before July 1.
Can someone please point to me in the CBA where it says where no transactions cant occur before UFA period begins? please?
People should be bowing themselves to Paul Holgram for what he did. He took a page out of the Bob Clarke School of Gm by...
Here's a list of my top picks for the Wild to pursue this offseason.
Forwards:
[b]1) Jason Blake[/b]
A few things stand out in my mind when I look at Jason Blake. First, obviously, that he was a 40 goal scorer last season with the Islanders and led them in points with 69, but also that he played at a +1 for them over all 82 games. Blake is a ferocious forechecke...
BlueBloodPat writes...
Free Agents hardly a factor, Draft Day is what counts
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For hockey fans, July 1st marks the beginning of one of the most exciting times in the hockey calendar, as hockey fans everywhere will sit in front of the computer and wait for their team along with their rival teams to overpay some of the most overrated players in the game. Year after year we do the same thing even though we already know that the free agents are not goin...
The Nashville Predators finished off last season third in the overall standings, many people expected them to make it deep into the playoffs, if not win the Stanley Cup altogether. The Predators faced the red hot San Jose Sharks in the first round of the Western Conference Quarter Finals and even with a trade deadline acquisition of Peter Forsberg they lost in a 4-1 series...
This by far maybe the biggest week in the history of the Sabres franchise in the post lockout era. Drury or Briere? Which one do you want because you can only have one? Does Chris Drury return back to colorado to where he started his career? Does he go home to California and reunite with his best friend Mike Grier? Where does Briere go? Big big questions surrounding the fr...
With rumors of a possible three way deal floating around that would see the Flyers deal away Joni Pitkanen and receive Raffi Torres, supposedly to clear up cap room to sign a UFA center like Scott Gomez or Daniel Briere to a massive free agent contract, I needed to blog and just get this much off my chest after a couple days of contemplation.
I still am not a fan of get...
(A Near Flawless Prognostication Through Slightly Orange-and-Blue Colored Glasses)
So, here we are, less than a week to go before this year’s free agent frenzy. We’ll start to find out who’s going where on Sunday, if not sooner. For the New York Islanders and their fans, it’s hard to start throwing any new names out there at this point, what with very little res...
The Dallas Stars qualified a total of seven players before the deadline today: Mike Ribeiro, Joel Lundqvist, Jussi Jokinen, Antti Miettinen, Junior Lessard, Vadim Khomitski, and Marius Holtet. Ribeiro and Lundqvist will play major roles on the team next season...as will Jokinen, if he is not traded. Miettinen will almost certainly be part of a trade, and the others will...
well the 2007 draft is over and free agency is just around the corner...
waiting is the hardest part
I think the Flyers have done exceptionally well so far in terms of positioning the team for future success. Paul Holmgren & co are looking like geniuses; but right now the team is entering a most critical stage of this "restructuring", where the next couple of moves will largely determine the fate of this team over the next several years. One of these moves will likely be ...
It seems like the Vancouver Canucks are the only team in the NHL that aren't going to be jumping right into the free agent frenzy come July 1st, simply because of the salary cap. However, this doesn’t mean we won’t see the Canucks make a pitch for a quality scorer by way of trade or even by moving a big player to free up some cap space. Here are some of the big names t...
Despite the chatter about what free agents the Habs have in their crosshairs, I'd like to interject and remind the fan base that historically (i.e. the last 5 years at least) the Canadiens have not been key players in free agency and until they do something to make me think otherwise, I'm not holding out hope that this is the year they acquire a big name to be the face of...
The sooner, the better. The message is as follows:
Swap Souray's negotiating rights to San Jose for Hannan's. Straight up if you have to. And do it now, while there's still time to sign him. Hurry!
As most people have heard by now, Paul Kariya is going to be testing the free agent waters starting July 1st according to Nashville Predators GM David Poile. "He's definitely going into free agency and it's certainly looking doubtful based on our conversations and the uncertainty of our franchise that he'll be coming back here," Poile announced Thursday.
The Vancouver C...
Jsaquella writes...
OK Homer, Might Be Time To Get Away From The Big Money Table
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sunday at noon, the NHL will start an orgy of money tossing. Clubs from New York to Edmonton will be looking to add that big name to sell extra tickets, find that last piece to a hopeful Stanley Cup puzzle or simply upset their fan base, like in the case of Toronto's John Ferguson Jr.
That brings me to my point. Paul Holmgren, GM of the Flyers has already added two key ...
With free agency just around the corner, there are a few major holes that the Penguins need to fill, but none more pressing than goaltending.
GM Ray Shero recently made it know that the team was no longer pursuing or bringing back last year's back up Jocelyn Thibault; Nolan Schaefer, who was acquired at the trade deadline and shined in the AHL; goaltending prospect Bobb...
One team that, i think, is going to struggle the most this summer, with the new cap, is Nashville
No player want's to sign there, now because of their indecisiveness for a new owner, and the lease running out after the 08 season. When Kariya goes to the market, that puts them in the basement, cap-wise. I heared Home Ice, today, that after trading Vokoun and losing Kari...
Its June 30th, and as I sit here today, I realize the end of an era is dawning. The end of the era of the Captains. 2 men, brought together in seperate trades in 2003 to bring the Buffalo Sabres out of mediocrity and take them to glory.
But with the mission not yet completed, although at times it has come very close, it looks like the captains will be making a move out ...
Sure we don't have an owner (that's a minor detail right?) but the Preds have money to burn in the free agent market. With the NHL announcing the new salary cap numbers yesterday the Preds, like it or not, will find themselves being buyers just to reach the 34.3 million dollar minimum.
At this point the Preds sit with 14 players under contract for a total cap hit ...
It was on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007, the last time flyers played in the 2006-2007 season.
That was also the day inwhich Flyers GM Paul Holmgren had the task to rebuild one of the storied franchise teams in the history of nhl from misery of being th laughing stock of NHL into one of the glourous Franchises in all of hockey.
Paul has succeded through many test such...
falvai writes...
The Bright Side of losing your two co-captains...for nothing
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Buffalo fans facing the ultimate reality
Ya gotta feel for a fan who's team could potentially lose their two co-captains, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Vanek blasted 43 goals and with Bobby Clarke not around anymore, an offer sheet fiasco is a little less likely. Drew Stafford moved quickly from the fourth line and had some truly highlight reel goals....
Predictions on where some of the biggest free agents will land.
Nylander- Sadly, Nylander will leave the best situation of his career for more money, and will be overpaid by Philadelphia after the rest have passed the flyers by. Their disastrous last season will certainly scare away consistent winners like Gomez and Drury.
Gomez- Reigning conn smythe champ and f...
Okay, I'll admit, Chris Drury and Daniel Briere are two very talented hockey players, but are they really worth the money some teams are willing to offer? Will Peter Forsberg have what it takes to still be an elite NHLer after numerous injuries? Is Scott Gomez really going to prosper outside of New Jersey? These are questions I've been thinking about lately and the answer ...
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
falvai writes...
July 1st chess match, no checkmate yet, but plenty of setup
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With all the hype us Hokeybuzzers have generated and with all the sleep lost, we awake to find no great presents under the tree. Just some socks and shirts that we knew we'd get anyways. Schneider to Anaheim isn't a big surprise but it does signify that Detroit now was some more cap room. Thorntons extension is just one more step away from soon-to-be former captain Ma...
I can't believe some of the contracts these guys are getting. I can't understand someone who scored 13 goals last season getting signed for 7+million/yr. I mean lets be real!! How does this guy get more money than Vincent Lecavalier who led the league in goals last season. What would Vinny get now 10-12million/yr? This is crazy!
Briere to Philadelphia
Wow, remember when these guys were big and scary? Now they're young, fast and iffy (especially between the pipes). But if all goes well Briere will be a great centerpiece for the new look Flyers, and if not, it'll be a long 8 years.
Drury and Gomez to the Rangers
Made the pre-cap Rangers splash with less flash, and more leadership. Sather ...
1st Day Free Agent Signings:
Todd White: Atlanta Thrashers 4 year 2.4 Million per year
Tom Poti: Washington Capitals 4 year 3.5 Million per year
Richard Zednik: Florida Panthers 2 year 1.6 Million per year
Brett McLean: Florida Panthers 3 year 1.7 Million per year
Mathieu Schneider: Anaheim Ducks 2 year 5.6 Million per year
Daniel Briere: Philedelphia Fly...
[b]Buffalo Sabres, you let a lot of us down today. But you can right your wrongs. There is still time.
Don't give up our hopes of a Cup. We are not far away, with the current team - in fact we may be the closest ever - even without Drury and Briere. Get some new guys in here; keep us competitive; give us a reason to continue to support this team.
PLEASE do the rig...
The day started off very slowly and at 1:48 Bob Mackenzie broke the huge signing of Todd White to the Thrashers, not the start everyone expected but that was one of the few reasonable signings made. I guess everyone decided to go jump into their time machine and go back to July 2002 when big deals were being handed out left right and center, and I am afraid thats where we ...
brownelvis writes...
Why July 1st, 2007 Proves that the Lockout WAS Worthwhile ..
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... fo...
Well we have entered into a new UFA season and the Dallas GM Doug Armstrong is doing nothing in the way of improving his team. While we see the big guns move cities its really hard to swallow that Armstrong says he doesnt think we need any additional players just tweaking of the ones we have. That statement has been uttered over and over the past few yrs by Armstrong. I gu...
What has free agency done for us lately?
That's the question that every NHL team should be asking themselves around this time of year. Now, that's not to say that we should do away with free agency, effectively making each player an indentured servant to the team that drafted them; however General Managers standing still on the big name free agents is encouraging to se...
HyeDray writes...
Hello...Hello....Hello....anybody alive on Long Island?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Not only do we lose our own top free agents, but apparently we will not be signing any. Can anyone at Hockeybuzz or anywhere else please explain to the 5 remaining Islander fans what the plan is going to be?
Are they going to go with youth and try to build through the next 3 drafts a la Pittsburgh?
Are they going to get a bunch of reclamation projects for Ted Nolan w...
congratulations NYR you just landed yourself 2 of the top 4 available free agents this year. out of ryan smyth, chris drury, daniel briere, and scott gomez you were able to pick up my favorite chris drury and scott gomez. you have two excellent players who will complement guys like lundqvist, avery, jagr, etc. you have now become in many peoples eyes the new favorite to...
On Trade Deadline Day 2007, the Islanders made a bold statement to their fans and the rest of the league that the organization would no longer settle for mediocrity. Trading former first-round picks Robert Nilsson and Ryan O'Marra, along with their 2007 first-round pick for Ryan Smyth was a loud and clear message that the fans would no longer be asked to look to the never ...
Free agency this year is like a hike. You either stay on the trail or you can go into the bushes and risk stratching and clawing your way to where you want to go. Once you're on the trail you're locked in and once you're in the bushes you get lost and are locked in as well. The trail really represent the lucrative contracts that have been handed out to the Drurys and the B...
July 2nd Free Agent Signings:
Ryan Smyth: Colorado Avalanche 5 years 6.3 Million per year
Paul Kariya: St. Louis Blues 3 years 6 Million per year
Darryl Sydor: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 years 2.5 Million per year
Petr Sykora: Pittsburgh Penguins 2 year deal
Sheldon Brookbank: Columbus Blue Jackets 1 years deal
Tom Preissing: Los Angeles Kings 4 years 2.8 Mill...
According to NHL.com, Brad Isbister is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks, does anyone know of any articles confirming this deal? It seems like it may be a misprint because it's been on the website for a little while now and no official announcement has been made.
If, in fact, this is true then I think the Canucks have found themselves another Taylor Pyatt to p...
Ok, we're only in the very early hours of July 3rd here, so this is very preliminary. I have been messing around with line combinations since the Briere signing was announced, and intensified that following the Lupul and Smith additions.
So far, I remain very happy with the maneuvers of Paul Holmgren and Peter Luukko. Here's a quick glance at what could be the opening ...
Regardless of what you think about Sutter, one can't help but somewhat admire his vagueness in managing the Flames. Almost every trade or signing comes without warning or anticipation, and he never makes trades for the sake of doing so. I have no idea how he keeps the media out of his office.
With that in mind, as excited I was for the UFA season this year after reading...
I've often been asking myself whether a hockey fan can be loyal to their team without renewing their season tickets. Half of me says to renew, while my better half says "no". Although I must give respect to the Coyotes for coming out and saying that we're in a rebuilding time, I just don't agree with it. As a business owner, I know that if I don't put out a product that...
"Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed centre Byron Ritchie and winger Brad Isbister. In keeping with club policy, no financial terms of the deal will be released."
- http://www.canucks.com/pressreleases.asp?sectionID=31&id=735
A couple of third or fourth liners, curious to what the ter...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Schneider Signs, Isbister, Ritchie Join Canucks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cory Schneider has officially signed his first NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks after spending the last two seasons with Boston College and breaking a record for most shutouts in a single season with eight. Schneider will most likely play as a starter for the Manitoba Moose and may very well see some ice time in Vancouver. However, it has been said this could be a m...
Brad Lukowich signed a 3 year deal with the Lightning as reported by TSN.com. This is Lukowich's second stint with the Lightning.
Just hours after signing Schneider, Isbister and Ritchie, the Vancouver Canucks are at it again, this time signing goalie Curtis Sanford to a one year, $600,000 contract. Sanford joins the Canucks after spending his last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. The Ontario native finished last season with a 3.18 goals against and a .888 save percentage in 31 games.
I thi...
July 3rd Free Agent Sugnings:
Greg Classen: Vancouver Canucks (Terms Not Disclosed)
Brad Isbister: Vancouver Canucks 525 Thousand per year
Byron Richie: Vancouver Canucks 675 Thousamd per year
Matt Carkner: Ottawa Senators 1 year deal
Jiri Notvotny: Columbus Blue Jackets 2 year deal
Mathieu Darche: Tampa Bay Lightning 1 year
Dainius Zubrus: New Jersey ...
I am glad that everyone is overpaying for everyone. Drury is a great leader but, I cant see paying 7 mil to a guy who has never scored 70 points in a season. Thornton, Iginla, and maybe Briere are the only deserving ones of a 7+ a year contract from a team this season. JR is playing it smart and not signing guys for 4,5,6 or even 7 years to the Canes and has no idea i...
Well sabres fans it's confirmed Teppo Numminen has resigned with the Sabres
[url]http://wgr550.com/sabres/fullstory.php?id=2491[/url]
According to nhlpa.com Sabres vetern Defenceman Teppo Numminen has a 2.6 million Dollar salary for 07-08.
Here is a link for the sabres team page on nhlpa.com:
[url]http://nhlpa.com/WebStats/PlayerSearchV2.asp?OIDTeam=9508[/url]
...
The Rangers are like your family member with an addiction problem. They get better for awhile, long enough that you think they're back to normal, but soon enough, they're back to their old habits. The Rangers addictions are big name free agents. They just can't get enough of them and will pay any amount, no matter how ludicrous to get what they need. After hitting rock...
***This article is featured at newyorkislanders.com as the debut article for the innovative NYI Blog Box!!! See it there at [url]http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=328634&page=NewsPage&service=page[/url] !!!***
All of us throughout Islander nation have been holding our collective breath waiting for a monumental signing since the opening of “Free Agency Frenzy...
July 5th Free Agent Signings:
Tom Kostapoulos: Montreal Canadiens 2 years 900 Thousand per year
Ruslan Fedotenko: New York Islanders 1 year 2.9 Million per year
Grant Stevenson: Calgary Flames 1 year deal
Here's what I know about the Canucks GM, Dave Nonis.
He is a patient, patient man.
As a fan, it's frustrating as all get out. Especially when you enjoy the offseason as much as I do. It's not that I wanted Nonis to get into the bidding for Drury, Gomez, or Briere.
I didn't.
But Nonis has signed and dealt for a total of almost 10 players in the past week, yet ...
LifeInHockeywood writes...
Woke Up This Morning, Got Ourselves a Team...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com][img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/Heymateo/smhockeywoodtopper.jpg[/img][/url]
Was I dreaming, or did [url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com]the Kings sign two defensemen and three forwards[/url]?
July 5th Free Agent Signings:
Jan Hejda: Columbus Blue Jackets 2 year deal
Anders Eriksson: Calgary Flames 2 year deal
Kevin Weekes: New Jersey Devils 2 years 688 Thousand per year
Jamie Rivers: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Mathieu Biron: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Cory Urguhart: Montreal Canadiens 1 year deal
Marvin Degon: Montreal Canadiens 1 y...
So who's the winner so far in the Free Agent summer grab? Is it Philadelphia with the leading free agent scorer Briere? The Rangers and their two-headed coup, or the Avalanche with heart and soul warrior Ryan Smyth. Well, I'm gonna go with the less flashy Thrashers and their retention of underrated (until now) center Slava Kozlov. They are one of the very few teams to re...
nephew23 writes...
HAPPY FREE AGENCY STARS' FANS! (Thanks For Nothing Army)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
No offense to Brad Winchester...who will make a great addition to the Stars' roster...but this should be Doug Armstrong's last season as general manager in Dallas. I waited patiently and chose not to jump the gun after Sunday passed with not a single transaction. Then the days came and went until, FINALLY, today, the team announced the signing of 3 players. If you have ...
Last fall, when Bobby Clarke was asked about why he tendered Ryan Kesler an offer sheet, he went on the offensive and blamed it on Nonis. Well, first he said he followed the rules as outlined in the CBA, and if you don't like the rules, call the commissioner.
But the thing he said that was of real intersest was when he questioned by Nonis had left his RFA unsigned f...
brownelvis writes...
Why this UFA Period Proves that the Lockout Was Worthwhile .
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... for t...
From Sabres beat writer Bucky Gleason to your normal everyday average Joe, everyone within a 100 mile radius of HSBC Arena has an opinion about Darcy Regier.
Some hate him, some respect him, and others just want to question what he is doing. But it goes without saying, if we have learned anything in the past 10 years, it is that Darcy Regier has a grand plan, and you an...
After the Thomas Vanek signing the sabres have a face to build their young core around and the question left is what happens next. Are the sabres willing to sign some second tier free agents, trade, or release current players? I dont know if that right now would be a great time to jump into those situations.
I think after the arbitration process has been settled, th...
After the Thomas Vanek signing the sabres have a face to build their young core around and the question left is what happens next. Are the sabres willing to sign some second tier free agents, trade, or release current players? I dont know if that right now would be a great time to jump into those situations.
I think after the arbitration process has been settled, the s...
Who knows who will be signed before July 1 2008 or how much money will be available… but below is my ranking of the “prime” players who are set to be free agents next year. By “prime” I mean players who will attract some big money… I left out most of the players over 30 as well. I also put together a list of next year’s restricted free agent crop…. Or a...
We all get caught up in free agent hype this time of year. I am as guilty of it as anyone, but are we looking at a Stanley Cup for the Rangers or for the Kings because they grabbed the most attractive or simply the most free agents? No, not really.
I am going to look through some free agent signings from last summer and try to bring sanity to an insane time of year...
...
Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis just keeps making deals, he’s re-signed Kevin Bieksa to a three year deal and picked up veteran blue-liner Aaron Miller. It seems Nonis wants to build a stronger defensive presence around Roberto Luongo which is just what the team needs after seeing their all-star goalie get pushed around all season and especially in the playo...
Jon Jordan writes...
Guerin Named Captain, so What's Next for the Isles?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
At Monday’s press conference, the Islanders introduced new acquisitions Jon Sim, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. GM Garth Snow held the surprise of the day in his hands as he approached the podium, said a few words and handed Guerin his new # 13 Islanders jersey with the captain’s “C” sewn into place. So, the Isles have named the 11th captain in team...
Well,
Since it seems, for now, that all is said and done in Philadelphia, I think it's time for me to get my fingers to work and get my first blog out in QUITE some time. And what a better time to get one out while the world of hockey is dead, the Selanne to Philly rumors have quieted, Sid the Kid has signed an nice extension, and Sheldon Souray is still out of his mi...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
Now with some more updates I'll come again with some more FA signings.
Hannan (COL)-Scott Hannan is one of the most underrated defensemen in the National HOckey League. He is a great two-way blueliner and high marks to the Avs for signing this guy.
Grade:A+
Smyth (COL)-This one is interesting. "Captain Canada" becomes "Captain Colorado" and gives Joe Sakic a linemate th...
Sheldon Souray to New Jersey.
This statement has been repeated more than a few times in the chat room and many of us rumour hounds smelled a signing. But it still hasn't happened. Why? Souray has more than likely been asking for an unreasonable contract. Sure he had 20 goals. Sure he's great on the powerplay. But defense wins championships. I personally couldn't see why...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Playing For The Love Of The Game... Or Money?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it me or are NHL players just getting greedier and greedier? Just take a look at the salaries that some of these so called “superstars” are going to start making in the 2007-2008 season. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are both great examples of unproven overpaid players. The New York Rangers jumped at the chance to pick up Scott Gomez for seven years at $51.5 million a...
Below is a list of notable unrestricted free agent signings (sorted by team) from the 2005 & 2006 off seasons. It’s funny how crazy us fanatics get about signing free agents and how depressed we get if our teams (the Sabres in my case) seem to miss out on the talent bonanza.
After a deeper look through this list, I’m pretty happy with the Sabres approach. W...
In my first blog, I'm going to talk about free agency. In my opinion the CAP hasn't really taught GMs anything. They are still overpaying guys and signing players to ridiculous contract terms (8 years for Scott Gomez, 7 for Briere, 6 for Timonen). By the time these guys enter free agency again they will be in their late 30s, early 40s! How do these teams know that these pl...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Pacific Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
In this my second blog in as many minutes, I will analyze every team and their free agency acquisitions. Starting with the Pacific Division:
[b]Anaheim Ducks[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Todd Bertuzzi (2 yrs, $8 million)[/b] - I for one don't believe Bertuzzi deserves a 4 million dollar contract right now coming off back surgery and a season where he only played 15 game...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Northwest Division
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Continuing my analysis, here's the Northwest Division:
[b]Calgary Flames[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Cory Sarich (5 yrs, $18 million)[/b] - Sarich is a good physical d-man, but he will not replace the offense of Hamrlik and Stuart. He is a Keenan type player. I think he is a little over payed for what he does.
[b]Owen Nolan (1 yr, $1.75 million)[/b] - Nolan used to ...
many fans, bloggers, gm's etc are worried about the spending spiraling out of control. but i feel they are wrong...
...the over the top mentality the flyers and rangers had this july 1st is going to cause a counter-reaction for the remaining gm's this season. i believe we will see more the likes of joe thornton and iginla type signings by the time the new year hits.
...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - Central Division
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I'm back with my analysis! Here's the Central Division:
[b]Chicago Blackhawks[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Jonathan Toews (3 yr, 875 K)[/b] - I know that Toews is not a free agency acquisition or trade, but I thought that I would mention him because he will be a major factor this year for the Hawks. He has already played with men and did pretty well. I would go as far a...
Hello World, and welcome to my first blog entry.
This is my first post, so I thought I'd introduce myself, before I start with my first post. My name is Mike, and I am a Columbus Blue Jackets fan from Cincinnati, OH. I have been a hockey fan for most of my life. I grew up watching the Red Wings, but once the Blue Jackets showed up, I started watching them, because I liv...
Yesterday morning Eklund reported that there was a rumor that the Canadiens are interested in Nikolai Zherdev. Eklund also reported a few weeks ago that the Oilers and the Islanders may also be looking at him as well. Dealing Zherdev could end up profitable if done correctly.
First of all, Nikolai Zherdev is a forward who has butted heads with Ken Hitchcock. Just like a...
In the new NHL and its all so glorious salary cap (which rises each year so far, and we are now back to pre-lockout salaries) comes new challenges for teams. That challenge being a huge one:
Keeping their players under contract and keeping under the cap.
Now the cap this year is around 53 million dollars, and I will assume most teams want some cushion room for trades...
murdoch writes...
nashville deserves the same shot florida and phoenix got
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
LISTEN UP HOCKEY FANS...
whatever the case of the financial this and financial that. i remember years ago hockey was 85% hockey talk, 10% 'whats a better hockey name, oggie ogalthorpe or darren puppa?, and about 5% hockey financials.
everyone needs to take a step back.
the sport is one that we all obviously know and love. 4pm on a tuesday rolls around and all the ...
I think Coyotes fans, more than most, have spent these first few weeks of the Free Agent signing season looking at each other and saying, "Who?"
We realize, naturally, that the Yotes are going to "get to the playoffs" on the cheap this year. Cheap and young. Why, they might even have to have Kool-Aid in the locker room for this bunch. And they certainly are going to hav...
A lot of people around the league are waiting with fainted breath as arbitration hearings begin this week.
Among the big names up for arbitration are Sabres forward Derek Roy. Roy, coming off a 63 pt season last year, will assuredly get a nice raise from the 650,000 he made last season.
But what are players like him really worth?
Personally, I feel Roy is worth so...
AlexanderScharf writes...
Drury and Gomez: Good Signings or Same Old Rangers?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Since July 1st there has been much discussion regarding the signings of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez by the New York Rangers. It is true that Gomez and Drury are both very talented hockey players but it is also true that they were overpaid by the Rangers. This begs the question: Was it worth it?
The Rangers needed to add (or resign) two free agent centers in the of...
[img:right]http://www.habsinsideout.com/061209%20habs%2005.jpg[/img]
Well Sabres fans another trying time has come for us. Does Darcy step up and give Royzie his deserving multi year deal/ Or do they sit across from each other during the arb hearing and though what might have been? I believe in this case the Sabres have no choice to step up and protect the $50 million...
In the "Hockey Hearsay" section of sportsnet.ca Carol Alt attempted to defend her boy toy, Alexei Yashin, calling the bought out former Isles captain "misunderstood"
"I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a god," Alt told the [i]Ottawa Citizen[/i]. "He wants to come back (to the NHL), but I just think he needs to clear his hea...
Derek Roy has become the most recent player to agree to a contract prior to his arbitration hearing. He and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed to a 6 year 24 million dollar contract as reported by Garth. He is one of many to avoid a scheduled arbitration hearing this summer as 17 of the 30 players who filed for arbitration have already reached agreements with their respective ...
First of all, let me preface this by saying I don't like the idea of offer sheets to Restricted Free Agents. I think it drives up the price of business in the NHL, I think it is going to force teams to take players to arbitration whom otherwise could have gotten deals made and I think it's going to cause prices to inflate in the NHL once again. The CBA, as it stands in t...
mzator22 writes...
Analyzing Team's Free Agent/Trade Moves - North East
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Boston Bruins[/b]
Major Additions
[b]Peter Schaefer (trade with Ottawa)[/b] - Schaefer will make Boston better because he's a very good penalty killer and he can score at least 15-20 goals a season. The Bruins only had to give up a 2 goal (last season) guy in Sean Donovan.
[b]Manny Fernandez (trade with Minnesota)[/b] - By acquiring Fernandez, Boston shored up ...
In the past few days, I've been kind of thinking about how the Jackets are going to fare this season. Sure, they haven't signed all that much, and that angers me as much as the next guy. However, if you stop and smell the roses, you would be amazed at how Columbus might be better off by just waiting one more year. Because the Jackets didn't spend millions to get big names...
Does anyone else in Edmonton gain any satisfaction in being the most hated team in the National Hockey League? At the very least, we can be proud of not being the least appealing team in the league (sorry New York Islanders). Or for that matter, the most underachieving team (Cough...Toronto); or the team that was metaphorically raped in free agency (Buffalo Sabres).
St...
Yesterday I blogged about how Columbus' waiting game, may help them economically. Today I'd like to take a look at who Eklund is reporting to be interested in playing for Columbus. I will look at his recent list of top 35 UFAs from July 25th.
Note: I have removed Jussi Markkanen since he has signed in Europe
#5. Andy Sutton
Position: Defense
2007 Team: Atlanta Thr...
With the signing of Sean Avery today, is it the end of shopping season for the New York Rangers? The scary part of this offseason is that Rangers went back to their spending ways, but when you realize what they were able to bring back it's not as bad as it seems. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury are upgrades over Michael Nylander and Matt Cullen. You have to love that the Range...
For all the morons who keep saying the Rangers are in trouble with the salary cap, you are WRONG. Yes, the Rangers ARE over the cap now but they can easily get under by the deadline without moving any players that would play for the team. So please, read this short explanation and educate yourselves. This way you wont end up looking foolish and being annoying.
The New ...
Well here we are in the dog days of August and naturally my thoughts turn to hockey! Here are one fan's take on the top five winners and losers this offseason so far. Winners: 1. Philadelphia; 2. Pittsburgh; 3. Colorado; 4. New York Rangers; 5. Anaheim. Losers: 1. Edmonton; 2. Montreal; 3. Buffalo; 4. New Jersey; 5. New York Islanders. Lets start with the winners. The Phil...
Before I get to the fun part of this off-topic entry, I'd like to tell you about my thoughts about Patrick Marleau. Ek wrote on Sunday that the Jackets are interested in Marleau. Those of you who have read some of my entries know I have been really hoping that the Jackets could pick up a big scoring forward. So in that case, I'm pretty excited to see if the Jackets will ge...
The recent offer sheets tendered by Kevin Lowe has elicited much reaction. Some accuse Lowe of ruining the salary structure of the entire league and Brian Burke even went so far as to paint Lowe as desperate and stupid. Others defended Lowe's approach, saying he has to do whatever he believes is in his team's best interest and they applaud his bold moves at young restric...
Yes, this is a one-year, [b]two-way [/b]contract. Many around these parts have harshly critiqued this move by Scott Howson. Why?
NHL Central Scouting provides the scouting reports to TSN, and many cringe when they scroll immediately to "career potential." Beech has an NHL-capable frame, and is listed with above-average playmaking skills and vision. Just because a player...
It's hot, over 100 degrees in Columbus. Free agency has since wound down from the July 1st frenzy and second-tier players are evaluating the market.
As my days are consumed with rounds of golf, working and following the Blue Jackets' quest to complete their roster, I can't help but think of reasons why Scott Howson may have passed on Andy Sutton.
Thrasher fans have ...
The concept of bringing Michael Peca to the New York Rangers occurred to me for a minute last month, but I figured there would be no way something like that could [img:right]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img] get done. Not with the Rangers currently over the salary cap and not with the teams' commitment to the youth movement over the...
hockeyisgd writes...
Tony Amonte and the Linux Penguin (no, not Sidney Crosby)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So after taking a slight beating in the last entry. I'd like to defend my list. There's reasons why I didn't pick certain teams over others. That's not to say that those teams will be great or what not. I respect all 30 franchises in the NHL, and did not look to disrespect anyone, in all honesty. In a list of 5 theres of course going to be teams that get snubbed.
Tony A...
It's getting awful close to training camp time for our beloved NHL teams and there are still teams clamoring to get the guys they need for the latest run at the cup.
For your respective favorite team, what would you do to bolster your chances? What free-agent would you sign, or who would you trade for?
If you are supposing a trade, try to make it realistic. For examp...
hockeyisgd writes...
More Peca talk, from a Blue Jackets fan's perspective
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When I first heard there was an e3 rumor that Michael Peca was comming to Columbus, I kind of got a little excited. Now that he's signed I really have some mixed emotions about him being on the Jackets.
Why I like Michael Peca as a Blue Jacket
It seems to me that every year, that the Jackets are a team that look like they can be a decent team on paper, but it never tr...
[b]PLAYERS YOU LOVE TO HATE[/b]
This blog is part one of two. The idea came from steal_your_faceoff who will be known here as syf. Each of the friends below has suggested two names of players we love to hate; as usual I will leave my two cents worth at the end.
[b]SYF[/b]
SYF's first pick was Darius Kasparaitis, for that famed hipcheck (legal...yes) on Eric L...
A rant
The other day I was at my local druggist, I was in desperate need of a certain ointment! Joking!
The First thing I saw was a great big display for Halloween! HALLOWEEN! I kid you not, the date was August 16th, and they have Halloween displays already! A shiver went from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
Halloween for me means the beginning of ...
My brother (in-law) Ryan Savoy one of the bravest people i have ever known. He was torn apart by the actions of the cowards that hi-jacked the planes and used them as devices of destruction. Even though he was already in the Marines at the time he choose to go to Iraq and fight for the ones who's lives were cut short. He was in the Marines for 5y yrs in the 1st Armored Div...
Mark Bell
[img]http://littlefalls.blogsome.com/images/bell.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/story.html?id=d344c4b9-75e2-45ba-aa40-6d468a5e9bcd[/url]
Rob Ramage
[img]http://czechfan.com/images_stl/ramage_rob.jpg[/img]
[url]http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Crime/2007/09/18/4505458-sun.html[/url]
Keith Magnuson
[img]http://www.lifeinlegacy.c...
[b]YOU BE THE GM 2
THE FUTURE FREE AGENTS: TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN
[/b]
Today's blog is on Calgary's Unrestricted Free Agents - well actually, the top three possible unrestricted free agents after this season. The question is: To sign or not to sign? You make the call.
Stats thanks to NHLPA.com
[b]
Mikka Kiprusoff[/b]
Mikka's stats from last year were: 74 game...
The Predators first ever draft pick signed a deal that keeps him as a Predator for the next six years for 27 million dollars. Legwand who is making 2.1 million this year more than doubles his salary to an average of 4.5 mil a year.
Predators GM David Poile was thrilled to announce the extension. "This is the first step moving forward under new ownership and is a sign of...
Last evening the Flyers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Phoenix Coyotes, after leading 2-0 late in the second.
The Flyers had three costly defensive breakdowns that ended up in the back of their net. That is what happened, but it sells the Coyotes short. This is an excellent young team, full of resiliency and they skate like the wind. The most surprising thing was the amo...
I feel that this is a topic that has not been getting as much attention as it should. One of the best players in the NHL, he will be going into unrestricted free agency after this season. A blog from Sportsnet suggested that he goes to Montreal, but lets be serious, it won't happen.
Another popular one is that he will go to the leafs, but it certainly will not happen wi...
Despite being in a "rebuilding mode,' the Blues are in the midst of contending for a playoff spot in the very competitive Western Conference. Don't expect the Blues to trade away any picks or prospects, but at the same time, John Davidson wants this team to be competitive. So, if I were JD, these are goals I would have for the Blues lineup:
[b]First off: The Tradeable A...
millertime writes...
Buffalo Doom & Gloom: Leafs-like situation may blow team up
Posted Monday | Comments 0
All the attention of the Hockey World, it seems, is on the Toronto Maple Leafs, but there's now a disaster just two hours southwest.
Someone told me it's the Curse of the Buffalo Bills that has inflicted this team. The moment they stepped on the ice at Ralph Wilson Stadium, they got a heavy dose of "We find ways to lose" injected into their bodies. Now I don't know if...
I thought I had seen it all when it came to people making biased comments regarding the actions of Philadelphia Flyer, Steve Downie, but Mr. Gage, it seems, has raised the bar when it comes to prejudice against the notorious rookie. In his recent Blog [url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?blogger_id=102[/url] , Gage concludes that Downie actually went so far as to fak...
It’s official. The “new” NHL is just as out of control as the last one.
The other day, I used the phrase “Patrick Sharp money” while talking about Dan Cleary’s contract demands. (Yes, Dan Cleary is allegedly thinking about holding out for a pay raise. Dan freaking Cleary. He’s had one good year this year, and that warrants a big raise?)
Wait a minute. T...
Alexander Ovechkin wurde auf einer kleinen Serie vor kurzem Kälte in den letzten beiden Spielen zwar in den sonnigen florida gegen die Panthers und den Lightning.
Er hat bis dreizehn Punkten in den letzten zehn Spiele und mit einer negativen eins plus / minus. Alexander dem Großen ist noch mit der Spitze der Liga achtundsiebzig Punkten, nur einen Punkt vor Malkin, mus...
If I wasn't so disappointed in the Non-Trade of Brad Richards to Vancouver, I might actually have been happy to see Matt Cooke finally leave Vancouver.
I've been campaigning since 2004 to trade this guy, and I guess now that his contract is up, Nonis saw an opportunity to keep the useful life of this asset going by trading for a younger player.
Burrows great play of ...
This blog is specified between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins -- two teams that have felt the cold and unfair hand of management stamp down on decisions, exiling the General Managers. It is a [i]proces[/i]s which can end a GM's tenure quite easily. The management sees an opportunity, exploits it whether or not the GM sees fit, and the repercussions always ...
I think one of the most interesting things to me this year is how much trash people will leave on message boards under various sports site articles. Mostly because their ideas are one-sided and often presented in an abusive matter.
Here it goes:
~ Pens fans...Sidney Crsoby is definately a talented guy, no one will argue you that. The reason no other teams will resp...
ESPN.com currently has a poll on which sport has the best game 7's.
MLB, NBA, or NHL?
Come on, clearly this has to be NHL.
All, please go to [url]www.espn.com[/url] and submit your vote. Let the sports world know what an NHL game 7 means to us. [b]And in the process, let ESPN know that we want them to keep increasing their hockey coverage![/b]
Currently, the ...
Big fan of former LAK GM Dave Taylor.
In my mind, to be a successful GM of a rebuilding team you need three strong qualities:
1) The ability to build through the draft
2) The ability to make shrewd trades
3) The ability to pick up bargains in the UFA market
In my mind, Taylor has all three of these qualities, and I'll quickly explain why, providing some exam...
I don't [b]think[/b] I am being disrespectful or overly assuming when I say that the odds are that, following a Game 2 loss, the Flyers season will be ending in the very near future. Based on that, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at a specific move that I feel they can make that will do wonders for their future.
Ready? Here goes:
[b]GIVE AN OFFER S...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
One down...how many left? Thoughts on Sharks Free Agents...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There was great news at this years "State of the Sharks." Jeremy Roenick will return to San Jose for another year. The contract has still yet to be finalized, but the speculation is that he will get $1 million dollars for retuning, according to TSN.
So this begs the question. Now that we know the fate of one of the Free Agents on the team, what about the rest? Accor...
VENGEANCE [i]{has to wait for}[/i] NOW!
This year the Flyers went through a lot. They started came out hot and went on a 6-1 tear, and from there on the team was very inconsistent. Injuries to [b]Simon Gagne[/b], [b]Mike Richards[/b], [b]Joffrey Lupul[/b], [b]Scottie Upshall[/b], and [b]RJ Umberger[/b] cost this team some scoring punch, and coupled with the teams inco...
Happy long weekend
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
MrBigglesworth writes...
FLYERS DEFENCE : Free Agency Analysis & Predictions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Randy Jones will get re-signed for $1.3 mill multi-yr deal.[/b]
[b]I predict Hatcher, Smith and Modry all off the books come next season.[/b] With Hatcher retiring/buyout and Smith/Modry leaving as FA's. Big Hatch does have 1 more yr left on his 3.5m contract, but I will go on a limb and point at Rathje to compare. Youngsters Parent and Kuks both played solid in t...
I play "adult league" hockey with a good friend who I met back in 1998.
One day back in early 1999, my friend and I were talking before one of our games and he said that he was interested to see who the Pens would take in the upcomming draft. He told me that Greg Malone lived "next door" and he had been trying to find out what the teams draft plans were. My friend told ...
I don't usually do "Part 2" of anything here.
I usually try to say it all in "Part 1" and then move on.
In reading the recent rumors and apparent "truths" about the Ryan Malone situation, I heard some things that I wanted to comment a little more about (even if nobody else reads this!!!!)
The "negotiations" with Malone and the Pens, and I use that term loosely be...
[i][b]Criteria[/b][/i]
Under 35 UFA defenceman
[b][i]Legend[/i][/b]
Name age ; current salary/projected salary
[b]Name[/b] in bold are players I like most to sign w/ Flyers
[u][b]TOP TIER over 5mill[/b][/u]
[b]Redden [/b]age31 ; 6.5/6.5
[b]Campbell[/b] age29 ; 1.7/6.5
[b][u]MIDDLE TIER 2-4mill[/u][/b]
[b]Roszival[/b] age29 ; 2.1/4
Stuart age28 ; 3.5/4
...
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080617.canucks18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
[quote][b]Gillis also hinted that players from Russia, who may be difficult to lure to North America, probably won't figure into Vancouver's plans.[/b][/quote]
Gillis is thinking that Russians who are hard to lure to North America wont fit, now this does not rule out all ...
I try to be a realistic person.
I also try to be an optimistic person.
Sometimes these two things run a head on collision course for one another.
When it comes to the Penguins, and their ability to keep their Stanley Cup Finals roster "MOSTLY" in place, this is surely the case.
But today I am crossing my fingers.
I am holding out hope that some of the recent...
[i]The Tennessean is reporting that Shea Weber has signed a three year 13.5 million dollar deal to remain a Predator. Great signing...David Poile continues to work his magic and get things done. This sets up our blue line for the next three years. Weber and Suter are just going to get better and better! [/i]
[b]The first big hurdle[/b] in the hockey off-season took plac...
Yet another UFA day is rapidly approaching, now just a measley week away.
As usual, hockey fans across North America are gaining excitement as this day approaches and the calendar is about to flip July.
And from a personal point of view, I couldn't be more excited - as usual - to see what my beloved team, the Buffalo Sabres, will do.
A year of disappointment, only...
The Cloutier situation
By Rich Hammond on June 23, 2008 1:46 PM
Here's the deal, according to the Kings...
Before Cloutier was placed on waivers, he was examined by Dr. Ronald Kvitne, a highly respected orthopedic surgeon, who determined that Cloutier was healthy enough to play. Cloutier sought a second opinion, and that doctor also deemed him healthy enough to pla...
After cooling off from yesterday's rant, I decided to come up with a wishlist of players I would like to see come to Pittsburgh. This is just meant to be something fun, since you all know you do the same thing with your own teams. Due to the number of guys that I'd like to see signed, I narrowed it down to 5. NOTE: These aren't in any particular order.
#5 John-Michael L...
I had an interesting thought today, and really don't know if it is do-able under the CBA, but would certainly be a bold move...if it were possible.
This is pretty out there. Here's how it would work.
Cliff Fletcher announces this week that Darcy Tucker will be bought out.
Tucker is bought out and gets a nice little sum of $1 million or so a year for a few years. ...
Now I know this was mentioned in the Marchell blog by sharkiesgirl, but I felt it deserved it's own thread...
Pollack made a small note that qualifying offers have been extended to Ryane Clowe, Christian Ehrhoff, and Marcel Goc.
http://www.mercurynews.com/sharks/ci_9697963?nclick_check=1
I'm happy that talks with Clowe are progressing. The team really needs him ba...
Say what you want about the season itself, but perhaps the true defining moment of the Devils' 2007-08 season came long before the first puck ever dropped. While July 1, 2007 was a day of glory for some teams, for the Devils it was a day of hopelessness. Despite past offseasons where the shrewdness of GM Lou Lamoriello typically paid dividends, in the summer of 2007 it pro...
With the coming of Eminger, I do not expect the Flyers to land a Campbell, Liles or Roszival type UFA. As much as I'd like to think we could get an RFA like Boumeester, I dont see us signing anyone over 3mill.
--UFA--
UFA [b]Joe DiPenta[/b] - age 26, 6'4", 220lbs. Shoots Right.
6 points and +3 in 23 games, with 16 PIMs and 5 shots on goal, but he averaged ONLY 11 m...
There is [i]some[/i] good news coming out of the Tank tonight....David Pollack is reporting than a tentative agreement has been reached with Ryan Clowe so it appears he will be staying in San Jose for at least a few more years
Although the contract has not been finalized as of yet, Clowe had stated that SJ is the only place he really wants to be. The only thing holdin...
That's right. Forget about tomorrow (Tuesday July 1st) as a day that your team will get better. Darcy might try to make a splash by signing a UFA, but his bid will fall far short of what other ravenous teams out there will be offering.
Wait for Wednesday and Thursday to arrive, when the big money is off the table, and the Tier 2 UFA's are still around. I'm forecastin...
[b]I apologize for my absence Avs fans, but in May of this year I moved to South Korea for one year to teach ESL and it's kind of hard to keep updating blogs with everything that's been happening!
As Colorado fans, we clearly remember the date of July 1, 2007. On this day we made two major signings to kick off Free Agent Frenzy, with the additions of Ryan Smyth and Scot...
Nobody has discussed this so far, but it seems pretty obvious that with Sundin in doubt, Tucker gone and McCabe on thin ice, the Leafs will be looking for a new captain - very likely from the free agent ranks or a trade.
So with this in mind, I think the Leafs will have a close eye on these players in free agency.
(1) Brendan Shanahan - Might be willing to sign sho...
millertime12 writes...
Sabres lose chance at Liles, but Orpik's still out there
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So far, this "Free Agent Frenzy" has been more like a free agent bore. But there was no lack of re-signings before noon, including Aves Defensemen Liles. I personally was hoping the Sabres would pick up Liles and Orpik. Plan C is prabably Striet of Montreal. Only time can tell, but I can tell you one thing. If they do nothing HSBC Arena will be up in Flames. By the way, go...
Today the Flyers have announced the signings of three players: Ossi Vaananen, Glen Metropolit, Nate Currey and Nate Raduns. They also acquired Patrick Hersley and Ned Lukacevic in exchange for Denis Gautheir and a 2nd Round Pick in 2010. Ossi Vaananen, 6'4" 212 lbs, signed a one year deal at $1 million. This signing adds a veteran presence and physical play from the backen...
[b]Let me start by saying that I am an optimistic person by nature. I try to believe that all things will work out well in the end or at least that every situation has the potential to turn out well.
As the whole hockey world anxiously awaited FAF (Free Agent Frenzy), I suggested the Avs could use some depth wingers - guys with a little heart and soul. You can't questi...
I think the Flyers are better now, at least on paper, than they were one year ago.
Mike Richards and Jeff Carter coming off of up and down seasons, Joffrey Lupul coming in from a dreadful year in Edmonton, a huge lack of mobility and dependability on the back end, a starting goalie that had never seen a playoff game from the ice....
Now, 12 months later, Richards has...
The Flyers continue to tinker with their roster but most of the pieces are already in place. With the addition of Simon Gagne, if healthy, will make the team a lot better. They have already told him that he needs to come to camp in better shape since that could’ve contributed too his one long outstanding concussion that he had last year.
The forwards remain strong u...
Once the dust has settled after free agency period, a lot of players change teams. Some fans will be really happy about the players they acquired and promise that the Cup is just an afterthought while other fans will despair and kiss the playoffs good-bye. Regardless of what happens in free agency, after the players sign, all they are is, simply, names on a page. No matter...
The Islanders might finally be doing it right.
In adding defenseman Mark Streit to nurture an ailing power play on a 5-year deal for the [i][b]right[/b][/i] price, Garth Snow did his job well. This addresses a need and doesn't take away from any deserving youngster looking for ice time.
In bringing in cagey veteran Doug Weight to center the top line on a 1-year deal,...
AtLossForWords writes...
Has Gillis Made it a Summer to Forget Already?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As of July 3rd, Mike Gillis and his Vancouver Canucks seem to have failed to make their team better when they have had so much cap space to spend. The Canucks have lost their captain Markus Naslund to the New York Rangers, which in the eyes of many means they have lost out on Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra as well.
The Canucks did not go without making an addition to ...
If the 2008 NHL Entry Draft was going to be the linchpin onto which the Maple Leafs commenced its rebuild, then the July 1st free agency free-for-all was going to be a barometer with which to measure the organizations immediate ambitions.
Going into the first days of free agency, the Leafs had two options. The first was too play it frosty, pick up some low key, low cap h...
I am not going to go crazy about the Islanders draft or their free agent signings to this point because I am somewhat encouraged by what has gone down over the last few weeks. Garth Snow is nothing but honest. He said he would do things to facilitate the rebuilding process and help the club wins some more games. He did, albeit on a minor level. As currently constituted, I ...
With only a slim number of talented free agents remaining, fans can now take a look at their UFA acquisitions and either brag about the additions, or crawl into a dark corner pretending nothing happened. Of course, just because you landed yourself a Wade Redden doesn't mean you should be uncorking the champagne just yet, as the terms of the deal play a big part in determin...
Hello to all during a summer in which the news has been filled about rising fuel costs, job losses, flooding, a declining home market, forest fires, and a war that still will not end.
But in these times, there has been plenty of wonderful and fantastic news to all who are either die-hard fans or slight fans of the San Jose Sharks.
The moves Doug Wilson has made have ...
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy each moments of the free agency frenzy, as always, this is a very thrilling and exciting moment for hockey fans.[/i]
Before the free agency period began, Bob Gainey said that he was looking for an impact player, looking at this year UFA bumper crop names like Hossa, Rolston, Huselius, Jagr and Sundin were the possible targets. So the ...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Latest Update on Ehrhoff, Clowe, Goc and.......Semenov?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So the tank has been quite for a few days now leaving us all to wonder the status of the remaining Free Agents that many people feel are crucial in re-signing to the team. The NHLPA has Ehrhoff listed as being signed for next year, but nothing has been officially announced on any feed that I can think of, and I was left to question if it's true. But leave it to David Pol...
It seems that Montreal has been tripped up in the free-agent chase early on, with the chase of Mats Sundin. What happens if Sundin continues to take his time?
(1) Alexi Yashin - A big step down from Sundin, but a player with a lot to prove and a desire to return to the NHL. He and Kovalev could be an interesting fit, BUT only if he's willing to swallow some pride and ta...
David Pollack dug around some to find out what the deal is with the one Shark we all want to have back next season, Ryan Clowe.
It all started when an article surfaced on sportsnet.ca about the future of the Sharks (link below). In it was a small statement basically stating that a deal was close to being reached since Doug Wilson and Ryan Clowe came to an agreement and ...
Hey, you guys, yeah I'm pointing at you in the media. It's time you stopped writing the same stuff over and over. I've started to get quite annoyed with the Toronto Hockey media the past few weeks because you continue to read the same things, printed in the paper and posted online, every day and every week. Okay, so Niklas Hagman, Jeff Finger and Curtis Joseph are not goin...
I just got back from the scrimmage and thought I would do a little write-up for all the Kings fans. I haven't see it, but I was told the broadcast was horrible so I hope this helps.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with how it was structured (since I had no clue before I went), there were two 25 minute games and if the score remained tied by the end of the 2nd, it wo...
I decided to write this blogg hoping maybe that Yelle would read it and return to the Flames. Just kidding, but I know that I would to see him return to the Flames to Center our Fourth line with the kids. Now Sutter I know has mentioned that he wishes Yelle the best, and said he will find a job in the nhl for sure. But I think maybe Sutter should think about resigning him ...
...why the Leafs signed Jeff Finger?
Well, at least I got a Finger joke out of the way early on.
When the numbers 3.5 over 4 were first thrown around on the AM640, I figured it was a fantastic signing as Finger was one of the more underrated players in the league I hoped the Leafs would go after. I figured something in the range of $1.5-2M would be a great bargain, b...
A quick take on Stastny's extension -
A nice signing by FG I think. Some people look at Stastny's numbers and think $6.6 per is too much, but I don't think so. It's just under Kopitar's $6.8 per. The Avs were able to buy out one of his UFA years and keep the sharks from circling during any future RFA periods. Sure he'll be a bit overpaid next year, but if he conti...
Well we did not break it but almost, the buzzer in Chicago runs off a compressor that needs time to regenerate on our 7th goal the buzzer was audibly softer than the others. What a game, we passed the puck as good as any team I have ever seen, tape to tape over and over, I’ll post the link for the highlights as although Ilya Bryzgalov got shelled he actually did not play...
That was the worst slump I've seen in a while for a team boasting that much talent. Like it or not, the Canucks are no NHL powerhouse, but they are a team with plenty of good players including 4 superstars, half a dozen excellent players and a handful of possible future superstars.
When a team like that goes off the rails the speculation starts flying. The coach takes...
Many people in the Hockey community are not aware of the tragedy that struck two St. Louis Blues fans and a future St. Louis Blues fan a week ago. As reported by the St. Louis Post Dispatch ( http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/story/1D2B34AF39C85DB686257565001231FF?OpenDocument ), "a man and his pregnant wife were killed Saturday afternoon in a...
I was really deeply saddened when I heard the announcement of Gary Roberts retiring. Don’t get me wrong, it was not the announcement per se, it was the way it came about. Meaning I would have liked Gary to go out on his terms, something he has earned. Being put on waivers without even warning him shows a lack of respect to him. Gary Roberts, being a warrior, should accu...
Sparked by a readers comments, about who would the Avs be shopping for this offseason when it comes to management, I became intrigued at the opportunity to investigate.
Current GM Francois Giguere has had one of the worst starts a GM could have when handed an elite franchise, like the Avs were post lockout. Unlike our rival RedWings, the Avs have not been fans of the ca...
MichaelBernard writes...
Devils Offseason '09: The Shape of Things to Come
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After one of the most disappointing endings in the playoffs in recent history for the New Jersey Devils, fans may have something or someone to look forward to. The Devils’ website had headlines thanking the fans for the enormous support that was shown this regular season and especially in the playoffs. One thing is for sure though, if the Devils make a big move on the f...
Jim Balsillie is at it again as he tries once again to bring the NHL to southern Ontario. You have to give him marks for determination, once again making an offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. This being the third attempt to buy a team to bring them to Hamilton.
I really have nothing against Jim; heck, I do not even know him. Obviously he is a huge hockey fan. He is a ver...
TSN reports that the Bruins today signed [b]David Krejci [/b]to a 3 year, $11.25 million dollar deal, which answers at least one glaring question for B’s fans from this off-season. Of the nine free agents for the Bruins this season, Krejci has to be towards, or at the top, of the list of players to re-sign.
Krejci, the Bruins 2nd-leading scorer this year with 73 point...
In the MLSE land of unreasonable expectations, even a superstar troupe like Burke and Wilson will not be afforded another record breaking season; at least not if said record is a fifth consecutive season of playoff free hockey. Subsequently Burke is going to be looking for a catalyst to the rebuilding project come summer and the most obvious route will arrive in early July...
The Buffalo Sabres are in desperate need of an upgrade in talent and Lecavalier or Heatley would be the perfect fit. Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, and quite a few other players as well as any future first round draft choice should be on the table. It is time to shake things up and move forward.
Mr_X writes...
Who gets the "A" - Some Team Leadership - What about Neil?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So here's something that really gets to me.. Yea I’m not liking what Heatley’s doing, but what was management thinking when they gave him the “A”, permanently?! I remember watching the first or second game since he'd been promoted; with that fancy letter on his jersey he started it off with an undisciplined 10 minute misconduct cross-check to a player the opposing ...
Another NHL season is in the books. The Pittsburgh Peguins are the 150th Stanley Cup Champion since the trophy's creation in 1893, the Detroit Red Wings became the only franchise in the history of the NHL to lose more than one Game 7 at home in the Cup Final (1945 and 2009). The Blackhawks and Blues returned to the post-season, and the NHL saw its first all-California play...
I've been a hockey fan since the Panthers first season. The '96 Cup run is always going to be considered my favorite batch of memories, watching them take on the Bruins and then surprise both Philly and the Pens to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup.
"Panther fans should enjoy this, they won't always get to savor something this special." Coach said at that time. Man...
It's that dreaded time of the year when the excitement of the draft is over and the anticipation of July 1st for Free Agency day is just starting to kick in.
It should be a day of even more nervousness for Canucks fans, as it could be the end of an era here in Vancouver should the Sedin twins hit the open market and sign with another team. It's suspected that long-time ...
Now that the dust and shockwaves have settled from the Pronger trade, now the Flyers must determine how to fill out the roster for 2009 - 2010. The glaring needs at the moment are backup goaltending, a 2nd or 3rd line right wing and a 4th line center who can actually win a faceoff. Compounding the complexity of the situation is the fact that the Flyers are only 4.5 - 5 m...
Rumors coming out of Newark are that Lou has negged Oduya's agent on the first round of offers. Too long of a contract from what I hear. Look for 2.5 to 3 TOPS for Johnny and around 4 years. His agent thinks he is Paul Coffey though, so this might be sticky. Its also been on the hush hush, even in Newark, as to who the Devils are looking to sign once free agency starts. Th...
While the highly anticipated trades, wheelings, and dealings that were expected at the NHL Entry Draft last Friday never materialized, there was a sense that a lot of teams ended up a lot closer to understanding just what they need to do come July 1st, the opening of the NHL's free agency transaction period.
Brian Burke, so frustrated at the lack of movement at the pro...
So Rob Blake has re-signed in San Jose for 1 year, 3.5 million dollars.
I think it's a good deal. He is now making about the same as Vlasic and Ehrhoff, 1 million more than Doug Murray, and half as much as Dan Boyle.
This basically solidifies the San Jose defense with the following top 6 guys:
Boyle
Blake
Ehrhoff
Vlasic
Murray
Lukowich
I also think Blak...
Any other Sabre fans felling uneasy about what is about to go down @ high noon on July 1, 2009?
Well first off I think it is a complete joke that this week's guest on Sabres Lunch Express is none other than GM Darcy Regier. My first thought probally like most Buffalo Fan's is $#Y%@&%$#. You gotta be kidding me. Shouldn't this guy be earning his paycheck? NHL GM's h...
Since before the March 4 trade deadline the big question has been where will Jay Bouwmeester end up? The 25-year-old defenceman was involved in trade rumors that had him going to Philadelphia, but the deal never materialized. Then the question was with whom would he sign? Then we paused and remembered his rights could be traded at the draft for picks, which is exactly what...
I wrote a blog a few days after the draft, and quite harshly got ridiculed for suggesting that the Leafs would not be after the top-end talent available during yesterday's NHL free agent frenzy.
I suggested that Brian Burke, in all his common sense, would realize that now is not the time for the Leafs to sign big, while taking smaller, more rational steps would be the ...
I remember when only the best of the best could control potential movement. I remember when GMs would fight hard against the agent for a no trade clause and I remember when the media would yell and scream at the GM on behalf of the fans for not caving on the no trade clause.
Fast forward and just about every contract of significant value comes complete with a NO MOVE...
Though the 2009 NHL free agency period is just a day old, it's already become clear what the Devils' message is going forward.
Every year since the lockout, the trend has been the same. Have an outstanding regular season, clinch a playoff spot, possibly win the division, then proceed to play like garbage in the playoffs, leading to a first or second round exit. It's a b...
Yet again we find ourselves four days beyond the start of the NHL Free Agency period, and yet again Sabres fans find themselves with very little encouragement to purchase tickets for the next season.
The story in previous years was that the Sabres need to not only make it to the playoffs, but also go multiple rounds for it to be possible to break even or potentially pro...
Alexei Kovalev, formerly of the Habs, is the best remaining NHL free agent of the crop. Although it was widely reported on July 1 that he had agreed to a 2-year deal with Montreal with an annual salary of $4.4 or $4.5 million, this is clearly not the case. Monitreal has assembled their first line (Gomez/Gionta/Cammalleri) through free agency, and their is no room for Koval...
On the heels of Brian Burke saying that the team is still not a finished product, and he will continue to make changes through free agency and trades, I thought I would take a quick look at the free agents that still remain out there that Burke could show interest in.
The following are some free agents i would inquire about, not necessarily chase....
Travis Moen
- ...
There are certain times of the year that I dread. Everyone has them. Unfortunately, mine coincide with hockey every year. The first time of year i dread is the NHL trade deadline. The second, came one week ago today, free agency in the NHL.
Being a loyal fan of the Sabres, I always get my hopes up. I think that the Sabres will do something to improve the team. However, ...
hockeyfan89 writes...
Canadiens get face lift , but still not looking that great
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well the dust has settled , and the once cloudy future of the Montreal Canadiens has become a bit clearer. With the clarity though comes a none to welcome sight . The Montreal Canadiens , after years of conservative spending , have for once spent to much .
With the handing out of several large contracts, the most notable being the 5 year 25 million dollar contract to G...
As I looked at NHL.com to check the free agent tracker, and with anticipation, saw that Buffalo had made a move. Then I saw, that it was Matt Ellis who had returned to Buffalo for another season.
I was impressed with Ellis last season. When he was on the ice, he gave 110%. He may not score a ton of goals, but no one can argue the effort he puts forth on the ice. Ellis ...
By Glen Miller
Today I thought it would be fun to look at some of this week’s UFA signings and how they may impact this coming season. Granted, most of the top signings occurred in the first 3 – 4 days of unrestricted free agency, but there were some interesting signings this week; some that affect the Rangers....
To read the rest of this article, please go to Ne...
Article taken from:
New York Islanders Net - http://islesnet.blogspot.com
Although the dog days of summer are here, it has been quite easy to continue the hockey talk considering the number of free agents that are still available, and the numerous trade winds that all seem to be blowing in the New York Islanders direction. Obviously, as I mentioned in a previous articl...
After quite the busy and hectic weekend, I am very happy to be sitting down and just getting back to what I love to do: discussing hockey.
The hockey world seems to have come to quite the standstill over the past few days, with media outlets and bloggers alike scratching their heads for an idea to write about. These are the days when we begin to see prospect articles on...
New York Islanders Net
http://islesnet.blogspot.com
Do you recall about two to three years ago when a simple look at the Islanders prospects would bring about a nauseating feeling? Between lack of depth and lack of quality, the Islanders were truly a team without any hope to compete in the future. After his first two seasons as general manager were quite unsuccessful...
There's been a lot of grumbling in Sabretown. Granted, a trip from a President's Trophy-winning season to two consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs - without major free agency splashes - would reasonably cause even the most diehard of Sabres fans to wonder what in heck Regier is doing to earn his paycheck.
At least, it seems reasonable.
What free agent moves ar...
Heatly - NY Rangers for Dubinsky, Rozsival, Voros, and a 1st
Kessel - Will not move
Kaberle - Chicago for Brian Campbell and a 3rd
Satan - NY Islanders at 2.4 mil over 2 years
Comrie - Ottawa at 1.1 mil over 1 year
Seidenberg - NY Rangers at 2 mil over 2 years
Afinogenov - KHL for a ridiculous amount of money
Zherdev - KHL for even more money
Sundin - Tampa Bay at ...
Just found this great site that list all the free agents for the summer of 2010 with top ten Rankings you should check it out.
Pretty cool site.
[url]http://www.nhlfreeagents.com[/url]
leafs4f4 writes...
The Beginning of a Busy Burke Summer:Leafs Sign German D-man
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The 2010 Leafs off-season might seem short of news lately, but Brian Burke is definitely hard at work.
Having already inked a pair of goaltenders last month – Finnish netminder Jussi Rynnas and NCAA standout, Ben Scrivens of Cornell University- the Leafs President and General Manager announced another signing; this one in the form of German blueliner Korbinian Holzer....
We all know about the bad press that constantly surrounded the Flames last season. I can understand it, with the Flames not making the playoffs. The last time the Flames did not make the playoffs was the 2003 season. I see two major issues that need to improve next season, one being the offense, and the other being too many defensive breakdowns in their own zone.
So ...
Well, it's been a little over a week since Mr. Gauthier sent our Slovakian playoff wonderboy out of La Belle Province and off to St. Louis for... Lars Eller (He's danish...yummy) and Ian Shultz (No not the D-man who was a +50 for the Caps, that was his brother) and consequently sending the city into an outrage while rekindling that old nickname our GM was crowned with in A...
The first week of July is always a busy time in the hockey universe in terms of player movement. It has evolved into a Mini Me of the Trade Deadline. While the top stories this year will center around the likes of Kovalchuk, Gonchar and Hamhuis, in terms of fantasy hockey, these deals will have little impact on where those players will rank on your draft list. The real ...
There is no doubt the rumors now begin that Vancouver Canucks will trade a defenseman now that they’ve acquired Dan Hamhuis, and the name on everyone’s tongue is Kevin Bieksa. This doesn’t really make much sense in a short-term or long-term view.
Mason Raymond is at this time without a contract. It is safe to assume he is probably looking at a 3 year deal worth ...
Breathe in...breathe out....
I have been on several Islander message boards and blogs—and there are some pretty irate, zany, wacky and down-right pissed Islander fans throughout Long Island. Trouble is—I can't quite understand why.
Okay–I know today was July 1, and I know everybody figured the Isles would do something to address the holes in the line-up, but ...
Most of the major off season moves this summer were obviously made with an eye towards capturing the Cup. The Penguins and Devils restructured their defense in a big way and role players were shifted all around the league. While these deals will play a big role in the fortunes of these NHL franchises, they barely register on the radar in terms of fantasy hockey impact. ...
The Flames gave notice when they waived Kotalik that losing was no longer an option. But in a somewhat surprise move, they put Nigel Dawes on waivers. The Flames inform the media that his contract would be bought out if there was no claim. This move really confused me. Why waste someone with 14 goals? If he would have played full time, he would have scored 20 goals.
...
Hello,
My name is Ryan Smith. I am 21 years old and a huge Flyers fan for life. This is my first article writing about the Flyers (and really about anything) so I don't expect much, but I do expect to get better as I go along.
[b]Thoughts on the Free Agency Frenzy:
[/b]
Just before the free agency frenzy began at noon on the 1st of July, it was announced that ...
No sports athlete is really "worth" most of the salaries they are being paid. On that front, we can agree. Not Jeter. Not Tiger. Not A-Rod. No one. That includes Kovalchuk. But I think that you are purchasing a lot more then a single player for the on-ice product for $100 million—that is if indeed, the Islanders should win the Kovalchuk sweeps.
ON THE ICE
Perhaps a ...
Check out my piece at The Checking Line discussing the Isles actions thus far in Free Agency! And if you're not already a member, sign up! It's free and there are plenty of blogs to read covering all topics around the league. Or check out the Fan Forum where you can share your thoughts as well!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/grading-isles...
The Kovalchuk shoe is apparently about to drop and Leaf fans everywhere are waiting for Brian Burke to pick up that shoe and run away with it himself. This is surely not a man who is afraid of making big moves - as has been overly blogged and discussed. All of which has left Leaf nation refreshing computer screens on strict bi-hourly schedules - in July. Things have cert...
Who: Martin Brodeur
From July 09,2010
Martin Brodeur has never been an unrestricted free agent, but the Devils' goaltender thinks he knows what Ilya Kovalchuk is going through.
Like Devils management and most fans, he is anxious to hear Kovalchuk's decision about where he will play next season.
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0
8Share
"I'm sure Kovy is not feeling good about what is goi...
"Mr. Kovalchuk! Please!!! Just sign with someone already!! The suspense is too much!!"
Isn't that what every hockey fan has been thinking lately?
This saga has taken WAY too long. What everyone thought would happen is that the Los Angeles Kings would pick up Kovalchuk on July 1st. Didn't happen.
Then everyone thought Lou and the Devils would re-sign him. D...
The Sabres lineup has not seen many moves since the beginning of the off-season. The loss of Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman didn’t surprise many fans. The addition of Jordan Leopold and the expected call up of Mike Weber will replace the openings those openings.
The Sabres have depth at forward but do they have enough scoring power remains the question. The team is ...
Rob McGowan writes...
Whom Should The Isles Target? Are The Isles Finished?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Check out my post at The Checking Line, talking about the Isles current roster and how I see them producing! Register and leave comments!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/your-2011-new-york-islanders
And also, check out my post at The Hockey Writers, taking a look at the remaining NHL Free Agents and whom I think the Isles should target!...
After a flurry of activity in the first couple days of the free agent season, the market cooled off, leaving a lot of players sitting on the sidelines waiting for their phones to ring. There was a sense that everyone was waiting for Ilya Kovalchuk to sign and then the remaining pieces would start to fall into place. Well we are approaching August and although Kovalchuk is...
Check out my blog over at The Checking Line discussing Jon Sim's contract renewal with the New York Islanders! Register and leave comments!! They are ALWAYS appreciated, whether positive or negative!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-take-simple-route
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
I've been fairly quiet for quite awhile. I sat and watched Buffalo exit the playoffs in the first round with a lackluster effort against the Bruins. I thought to myself, "Well, at least we made it to the playoffs, and won the Northeast Division". I thought back to the Sabres who got into the playoffs, got eliminated in the first round, reassessed what needed to be done, an...
Hey. HEY! Wake up! I SAID WAKE UP!!
What the hell is going on these days? A whole lot of nothing, that’s what. We’d love to post about trades, free agent signings, jersey unveilings and the like, but it’s just not happening! Christ, even the NHL’s website’s most recent topic is how they’re investigating loophole contracts. You know times are tough when the N...
Mattbritton1976 writes...
Lay off the Hate towards The Flames. You don't know Jack
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is not even what would qualify as the pre season , yet, Everyone from the casual blogger, to the Ultimate Fake who I will not even mention who has a 1 for 5 record in rumors, seem to love harping on the Flames for how things have gone post season.
I though am not among the haters. I love what the Flames have done in the post season.
1) The Phaneuf Trade. We got mo...
Darcy Tucker has officially called it a career. "After spending the whole summer anticipating I would play, it got to a point where I knew it was time."
"I just knew, during workouts I didn't have that same feeling," Tucker told TSN, "and I needed to be fair with my family."
Darcy Tucker had a successful career playing the role of a grinding pest. After beginning hi...
I wanted to sit down tonight and really try to discern why the Flames are a last place team because there is no way they should be. On paper this team is a good team. I don't want to hear about Kotalik and Jokinen etc. Those guys should get 20-30 goals even being defensively awful. Besides it's not as though shipping one of them would fix this team.
I have to admit I'm ...
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[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/01/07/text-alerts/[/url]
It's 6:15 am out here on the west coast, and I'm sitting here with a cup of tea glued to the television flicking channels between Sportsnet and TSN...not much going on so far. But, there have been some key signings over the last couple of days, with Brent Seabrook staying with the Chicago Blackhawks re-signing for 5 years and Chris Phillips is staying in Ottawa re-signing ...
I know I'm probably the only one thinking about this right now, being 3 weeks removed from the trade deadline, and another three weeks from the start of the playoffs, but it's just been something I've been kicking around lately, especially given the opinions of the some of the other folks I've heard lately.
The Red Wings stood still at the trade deadline, as is their M....
With the Western Conference Semi-Finals now in the books, the NHL’s final four is set in stone. And while the remaining 26 franchises who weren’t as fortunate as their counterparts witness the conclusion of the postseason from the tee box, their respective fans are left with nothing to look forward to — aside from viewing what is likely to be some great hockey – ot...
In all likelihood, the Rangers will sign Brad Richards. I am very disappointed about this because the Rangers were on the right track. They have a nice young core, have built the team through the draft and have good players on the horizon. Now the cap space is gone. We have another buyout in waiting.
Does Brad Richards make the Rangers better for the next couple of year...
The start of unrestricted free agency in hockey is a crazy time.
It's been less than a month since the Stanley Cup was awarded. Less than a month since one team's dream of a championship was realized. Less than a month since new playoff heroes were born.
Now, with those recent memories fresh in mind, NHL GMs, players and fans hope to turn next year's Stanley Cup Cham...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Get Reasonable, Sign Marty Reasoner to Two Year Deal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Check out my take on the Reasoner signing for the Isles this afternoon as free agency continues at The Checking Line
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/%5Bfield_full_story_ref-title-raw%5D/isles-get-reasonable-sign-marty-reasoner-two-year-
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Pens signed RW Steve Sullivan today to a 1 year 1.5 million dollar contract. The Pens also signed Forward Colin Macdonald to a 1 year 550K contract. The Pens also Re-signed Foward Tyler Kennedy. To a 2 year 2 million dollar contract. The Pens don't have that much money left so I think they won't make any more deals for a while.
The Pens signed RW Steve Sullivan today to a 1 year 1.5 million dollar contract. The Pens also signed Forward Colin Macdonald to a 1 year 550K contract. The Pens also Re-signed Foward Tyler Kennedy. To a 2 year 2 million dollar contract. The Pens don't have that much money left so I think they won't make any more deals for a while.
Welcome to Hard Disc Hockey; our blog of all things NHL, and bits of info from other areas of the sport of hockey. I hope you enjoy, hate or otherwise react to the comments posted here. I look forward to your discussion of these posts.
Well here we go! Today is July 1st, the day all NHL GMs and fanbases believe is the beginning of a Stanley Cup Championship. For one...
[img:right]http://www.nhlhockeyportal.com/edmontonoilers/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/EdmontonOILERSlogo.gif[/img]
[b]On Friday, I though there was going to be little or no signing by the Oilers turned out that the Oilers were one of the busyer teams. As I was listening to alot of the Brad Richard crap on TSN the Oilers were busy making there team better. He is what...
Ok, I've finally gathered my thoughts since the huge trade from a week ago. Every blogger is mentioning it over and over, but everyone knows what it is so I won't repeat myself nor make you read it again.
There are a lot of things I want to go over with Free Agency and there are some things I'd like to clear up for what seems to be a "pissed off" Flyerdom.
First we�...
Based on our team now, here would be our opening lines:
Neal-Crosby-Dupuis
Kunitz-Malkin-Sullivan
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Adams-Letestu-Asham
Letang-Oprik
Martin-Michalek
Niskanen-Lovejoy
Fleury
Johnson
The lines might be different but these are in essence our guys heading in. There are a few things that strike me when i look at our team.
1. Our forwards a...
The NHL is entering into its last season under the current collective bargaining agreement. The NBA has currently locked out its own players. This is an amazing opportunity for the NHL to grow the game and expand to an audience that doesn't know what they are missing. I have a feeling that the NBA situation will not resolve itself quickly leaving many people in "non-tradit...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 11 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Edmonton Oilers Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/...
Tragedy, almost always, makes people reassess their lives.
When something terrible happens we try to understand the 'why' part of the tragedy...and more often than not, we are still left asking the question we started with.
For some people 'faith' or religion helps to answer the 'why'.
For others who might be less inclined to believe in things they don't see, the ...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
4 days after training camps start and Drew Doughty has already had $100,000 taken off his offer from the LA Kings setting it currently at an impressive 6.7 million USD.
Many people are wondering why Doughty hasnt signed yet? LA has a talented squad who are going to be legitimate contenders this year. Lombardi has come out and said that he will not move Doughty as he "wi...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
I realize this isn't regarding the Flames, but it's a story that needs to be heard. I recently joined forces with Ritch Winter, a player agent who represents such players as Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky. The site is designed to give the hockey agent community a voice.
He was very close to a couple of players that perished in the Russian plane crash and this is his e...
So I was watching the Pittsburgh game last night and just got onto thinking of what Dan Bylsma was able to accomplish over the past year and a half, while missing his top 2 players (Crosby and Malkin) for a significant portion of time. It got me thinking how much I would love to have a guy like this running the Leaf’s bench and then it got me thinking even more. Currentl...
I had the chance to speak at length with Neil Sheehy, a former Flame and now hockey agent, about his playing career and his transformation into a hockey player agent. Click the link below to read more:
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2011/11/neil-sheehy-agent-of-change.html
Newman
The Rangers were challenged to beat two of the most talented clubs in the Eastern Conference. To do so, they needed to overcome a two game slump, amid claims that their prior seven game winning streak was more a result of weak opponents than good play. They rose to the occasion, outscoring Washington and Philadelphia by a total of 8-3, while recording 30+ shots in back to ...
Brassards agent rips Arniel for leaving him in the locker room as a healthy scratch again, saying Arniel is making Brassard the scapegoat for the teams wretched start. Well......
Rumors have it columbus is trying to trade Brassard. Two ways to fascilitate this, one, play them and feature their skills to prespective bidders. Two, sit them and hope that absence makes...
I understand the frustration fans are having with the way the season which began with so much promise is starting to get away from them, it begs the question, should the sabres trade Ryan Miller? And if so, to whom and for what? It is a soft goalie market, I dont think you could get close to market value, but what does this Sabres team need to right the ship?
This is my first blog so please bear with me folks.
This season, the Devils have quite the built up system for the first time in many, many years as far as depth goes. We're getting thinner at forward than normal, more talented at defense, and finally and justifiably building up goalie prospects. This is all great news for the near and even far future for call ups with...
It was a bad week for the Rangers, which is hard to say with a straight face. But for a team averaging 1.4 points per game, a 2-1-1 stretch is hardly a success story. However, there are positives to take from the week that are more important than anything you can take out of a 4-0-0 stretch. This was the 3rd time the Rangers went on a two game losing streak. The previous t...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Talk: Defensemen to Target in Free Agent Frenzy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So what is the biggest problem with the Lightning right now? Is it offense, goaltending, defense? Pick your poison if you will. There is room for improvement in all positions. Tonight, we’ll take a look at some of the free agent defenseman available at year’s end to see who I feel would fit in with the Lightning moving forward. You know things are bad with the tea...
As many of you might know I have teamed with hockey agent Ritch Winter to bring fans closer to the game of hockey. Here is the latest post on Agent of Change about free agency and what agents go through on July 1st. Check it out:
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/01/ritch-responds-july-1st-and-free-agency.html
Newman
The Blues need Andy McDonald right now. There's no way they can keep this kind of winning up. 1-0 after dominating the WHOLE FREAKING GAME is crazy. They had at least 15 shots before the Oilers got their first. That sort of thing just doesn't happen. And it also shouldn't be that the Blues can have that many shots 10 minutes into the first period without a goal to sho...
New at The Agents of Change, hockey agent Ritch Winter looks at how teams deal with LTIR. Check it out and don't be afraid to comment on the site!
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/01/ritch-responds-ltir-insurance.html
Newman
Ever wanted to know how to become an NHL Agent? Do you need to be a lawyer? What education do you really need? Well, NHL agent Ritch Winter answers all those questions and more in his latest post
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-becoming-agent.html
Wanna hear about the day Glen Sather punched Ritch Winter and why Ritch deserved it? Come to the Agents of Change to find out.
http://www.theagentsofchange.com/2012/02/ritch-responds-day-glen-sather-punched.html
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
With the draft approaching, there is a lot of talk about what Brian Burke could possibly be up to, in order to better the club for the upcoming season and the future. There have been many scenarios bounced around over the past few weeks and every option discussed seems to have a bevy of supporters, regardless how different the path may be. After watching some of these conv...
For many seasons, the Flyers have always opted for the "quick fix" mentality. Signing a big name free agent, trading away draft picks and young prospects for more established players often on the back end of their career, and relying on high salaried players to get the job done. This strategy has come close to paying off several times. Trading away a huge chunk of the futu...
So, with the NHL 2012 Draft now officially over the week-long wait til free agency begins. The Rangers did not make any real noise at the draft and the rumors of a Rick Nash trade continue to swirl overhead. One potential suitor for Nash, or Bobby Ryan, has been very active, as the Flyers traded away both James van Riemsdyk and Sergei Bobrovsky in separate deals. Whether H...
B_Chapman writes...
Coach Glen Gulutzan: Will He Learn From His Mistakes?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]When you look back at the 2011-2012 season and try to grade the team and its coach, one thing is easy to pick up on. They missed the playoffs. It is easy to say, “Well, he did great for a while, so obviously he has what it takes to coach in the NHL, right?”[/b]
Yes, you have to assume that because he was able to get his team playing first-place lights out hocke...
With July 1st approaching quickly teams being posturing for the mad dash at a weak free agency class. Few teams win in these races, as it is in any sport, and we al write and comment on the impact of the new faces in new uniforms. The side that never gets talked about is the teams that lose.
Failed trades and salary cap dumps for a player that does not end up playing fo...
I'm sure that if you're reading this blog by now you've heard of Justin Schultz, but for those who haven't, Schultz is an uber-talented offensive-defenseman who just finished his Junior year at the University of Wisconsin. While a Badger, he shared the blueline with the likes of Ryan McDonagh, Jake Gardiner (of the Leafs) and Brendan Smith (of the Wings), all of whom are o...
There isn't anyone out there in the hockey world right now who doesn't know who Justin Schultz is.
As an Oilers Blogger, I am quiet aware of the hype and Alure of having someone of his Calibre play for the "home" team, although no-one really knows who's team he's going to play for.
During the last week Justin has released a list of 5 teams that he would love to be ap...
As Christmas in July approaches for hockey fans, we anxiously await news of our favorite team signing that player who can turn the franchise around and take our team to the Promise Land. This summer, there are a couple players in an otherwise weak free agent class that can be that player for an NHL team. Here is my list of the Top 20 free agents and the destination I feel ...
TheJerseyDevil1 writes...
Why the Avalanche Need to Make a Strong Push for Semin
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Hello all,
As it finally turns to open season for UFA hunting, despite the array of recent signings, Colorado still sits with a roster of just 16. So where does Sherman go from here?
The Av's have 8 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed as of July 1st. There are still a couple notable RFA's who should reach deals like Erik Johnson and Jamie McGinn. With some ...
I am new to the site, and plan on giving a different perspective on Buffalo Sabres hockey. My knowledge of the Sabres is extensive as my 20 year hockey career. Today is as fitting a day as ever as it was 5 years ago today that the Sabres lost Briere and Drury. New ownership, a different looking team, but the same diehard fans. Here is to a great 2012-2013 season!
Don't ...
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Preface: Everyone can feel free to bark and scream at the title to this blog post, but if you manage to read through this long-winded explanation then you will begin to understand (and appreciate) its meaning.
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I'll start by saying this is one of my days of the year (behind Trade-Deadline Day, in which I have been "sick" my fair share to watch the entire ...
The Philadelphia Flyers entered July 1st searching for three players:
[b]
[ ] 1 Top 6/Top 9 Winger
[ ] 1 Defender
[X]A backup goaltender. [/b]
As you have read already, only one of the three was achieved. Michael Leighton, the man who lead the Flyers to the 2010 Finals, was signed as the presumed backup to Ilya Bryzgalov at a small price tag of $900k. This ...
Pretty quiet July 1st for the Rangers this year. It was heartbreaking to watch Brandon Prust sign elsewhere, but good for him getting the contract and secondary city that he wanted. I don't mind the Arron Asham signing to help ease the pain. Asham is one of those guys you hate to play against. He toes the line on being dirty at times, but does his job well and will drop th...
[b]The Stars were one of the few teams that made some moves on day one of free agency. While the Avalenche in my mind not only made the most noise but also made the best moves, the Stars in my summation didn’t do so bad themselves. Let’s take a look at each of the two players they picked up in short order. Starting with the least important piece…[/b]
Aaron Rome is...
Why does every year feel more and more painful as a Leaf fan? I think that after this year the new CBA will work to the advantage of the leafs or at least put the on a level playing field with the rest of the NHL teams. Burke doesn't believe in these long term contracts, and even though it sucks to see big names pass up Toronto year after year, there is a method to his mad...
Tony Dean writes...
MN Wild 2012-2013 Opening Day Lineups Optimal Scenario
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
On the night before #Parisewatch could come to a close I am inspired to lay out an opening game lineup look with explanation. I submit these ideas without the benefit of much information given that it is July 3rd but going to lay it out now.
OPTIMAL OPENING DAY LINEUP
LINE 1
LW-Parise/C-Koivu/RW-Heatley
LINE 2
LW-Cullen/C-Granlund/RW-Setogucci
LINE 3
LW-Coyle/C-...
The Philadelphia Flyers were unable to sign Jaromir Jagr by July 1st due to obvious differences. The Flyers are putting their eggs in the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter baskets. I'm not saying the Flyers would have signed Jagr if they weren't in this limbo, he was unhappy with playing time and wanted more money than last year, but they would have certainly given more attention to ...
Happy 4th of July everyone. I’ve been waiting and stalling on writing this in hopes that there’d be more to look at. However, I’m going to play the card that’s been dealt to myself, and the fans of Buffalo.
First, let’s look at the signings for Buffalo to this point. John Scott, 6’8”, 270. Perhaps he can play defensive line for the Bills as well. There is ...
What a day for the Minnesota Wild.
On the fourth day of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter chase, and America's birthday, the Wild completely transformed their franchise. Both Parise and Suter, who are childhood friends, decided to accept matching 13 year/$98M contracts to play in the "state of hockey." Instantly the Wild emerge as a viable playoff team in the West.
At...
Is there one piece still missing ? With over 17 million left in Cap space, O'Reilly will get a raise somewhere around the 3+ million mark Jamie McGinn should get a raise probably around 1.5-2 million area. Leaving close to 12+ Left so Im thinking between 3-4 million on another top 6 forward would be a bonus plus you must lose salary with a D-man going somewhere hate to say...
After a busy off-season last summer, the Washington Capitals have had a relatively quiet summer in 2012. With the strong possibility of losing Alexander Semin to free agency, many fans were expecting GM George McPhee to make a big more or two and sign some high-profile free agents to address glaring needs. I'm sure Jack Hillen and Joey Crabb are good guys, but they are cer...
He saved the Penguins on the ice and raised two Cups as their captain. After his retirement, he saved them financially. He rolled what salary he deferred as a player a primary ownership share in the franchise. He also saved the team once more time by securing a new facility for the Penguins, which ultimately prevented them from moving cities.
All of the above-mentioned...
understanding about how the proposals compare, the better. The one thing that has been sorely missing from all of the talk, though, has been the possible flaws in each side’s proposal and whether new problems are created.
Let’s rewind to August, 2005. The NHL and NHLPA had finally signed off on a new CBA, the 2005 Entry Draft had been held, and the free agent fren...
Every morning, I open the hockeybuzz website as well as other websites to get updated from the news around the NHL and around the world, and I see on TSN more and more players migrating to Europe, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about this migration.
Now a lot of people are on the player's side, often because they've been part of unions or strikes ...
Now I used to get into a lot of arguments online, so I know a lot of the tricks that people do in order to gain the upper hand. One of them is being employed by both sides of the negotiation, and it came more to life yesterday.
Most arguments have to do with language, words (semantics), what meanings they package, and how they're contextually used. Since language is a...
100 mile per hour slap shot. Hopefully this will help move us in the right direction. The Flyers are on the road to strengthening their hurting defense in the acquisition of Kurtis Foster. He fills the Flyers need for a sixth defenseman and brings some different skills to the Flyers’ defense. Foster has bounced around the league quite a bit due to injuries which make...
Oh Me Oh My, theres a LOT of work to be done this summer. I would like annnounce that this is what I would do, I'm not saying Holmgren will do anything like this. First I'll address the defense, then the upcoming draft, then offense, then .... *Dun Dun Dun Duh* Goaltending. Finally I will give you what my roster would look like.
[b]DEFENSE[/b]
Okay so first I want t...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
As we're getting ready for what should be a very exciting and eventful offseason, this season should see a lot of goalie movement. I will list off all the Goalies of importance (aka not backups) who i think will be moved, or sign somewhere else
Buffalo: Miller (trade)
Calgary: Kipper (retire)
Chicago: Emery (UFA)
LAK: Bernier (RFA)
Minny: Backstrom (UFA)
NYI: Nabak...
Jayo1808 writes...
Oil Country Exploding!!!!! Part II: Offseason Targets
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before I get started here, I'm going to apologize for my last blog. for some reason, it didn't register any paragraph separation when it posted. I will try to make sure the format of this one is proper before I post it. Again, my apologies. On with the show.
Oilers GM Craig MacTavish has wastes no time making his mark on this franchise. He has already re...
Coming off a wildly disappointing season that saw Philadelphia miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007, we all knew that Paul Holmgren would have his hands full this summer. With the cap dropping $6M and the Flyers already needing to shed a hefty contract just in order to be compliant, Homer is stuck with a tricky deck to work with.
So what's in the cards with P...
With the Cup Finals over and teams officially able to use their compliance buy outs, there should be plenty of activity before free agency opens up. I'm being asked fairly often who I think will be out in the free agent pool after the amnesty period. Well, I actually don't believe there will be a ton of buy outs - at least not during this summer.
I think teams will ...
Vincent Lecavalier was bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, Lecavlier will now be a free agent on July 5th. There is a estimated guess of about 15 teams interested in him including Montreal, Toronto , Philadelphia, Detroit, San Jose, Vancouver and Minnesota the list goes on. Teams will be offering Lecavalier between 4 million to 5 million for 4 to 5 years in...
As of midnight today, teams around the NHL are able to start talking to unrestricted free agents. With no deal being done yet for right winger David Clarkson, it is pretty much almost certain that he will not be returning to New Jersey next season. If he does choose to leave, the Devils will certainly need replace his scoring help on the wings.
To be honest, I did not ...
The Bruins enter the offseason with a few question marks, those questions mainly being what to do about the RW position. Nathan Horton sent shockwaves through the HUb when he announced he was moving on from Boston in order to pursue a quieter lifestyle. Along with Horton, the Bruins decided to walk away from Jaromir Jagr another key contributor on the right side. With the ...
These are my predictions on where the top free agents will go.
Jarome Iginla will sign with Calgary Flames (Signed with Boston) X
David Clarkson will sign with Toronto Maple Leafs ***
Danny Briere will sign with New Jersey Devils (Signed by Montreal) X
Patrik Elias will sign with St. Louis Blues (Resigned with New jersey) X
Mike Ribeiro will sign with Dallas Stars ...
The Maple Leafs have gone ahead and bought out Grabovski and have now left themselves almost 24 million dollars to spend. With the almost certain resignings of Kadri, Bernier, Franson, and Gunnarson the Leafs have far better options than resigning their 1st line centre (by default) for 1st line money. If we look at the money that will be spent on the RFA's that were just m...
As July 5th approaches, Don't expect the Detroit Redwings to be in on many of the available free agents. Why? Because, The Redwings already have a 20 players signed for next season and they still need to sign some of their own RFA's. Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Anderson still need contracts. These are players the Redwings want to keep in the fold. Sign...
With already 22 contracts, and the soon to be signed MacKinnon, the Avalanche already had a full roster making for a slow free agency season. The Avs put both Hunwick and Zanon on waivers with the hopes that one or both would get picked up by another team. No one was interested, leading to Zanon being bought out earlier today. The Avs did not use one or their two complianc...
Daniel Briere, as reported by Pierre LeBrun, has agreed to terms to a 2-year $8 million deal with the Montreal Canadiens. With that in mind, I thought I'd weigh in with my thoughts on the deal.
I actually like the deal. Briere, though no spring chicken at 34, is still a useful winger who can play top six minutes. Despite his age, he can still produce offence, as evidenc...
Well with the free agent market opening tomorrow I'm thinking a lot about who the Oilers should sign and if they should make any trades. With MacTavish trading Horcoff today he lifted the spirits of fans but he still has a lot of work to do.
The Oilers have 16 players under contract as of right now with 40, 791, 666$ tied up with them. They have 21, 860, 233$ of cap sp...
[u][b]Anaheim[/b][/u] - While Anaheim did not sign a single free agent yet this off season, they may have made the biggest headlines. They did this when the news broke that Bobby Ryan was officially traded. Ryan, the target of much speculation when it came to trades over the past year or two, was finally traded. Ryan was shipped off to the Ottowa Senators in exchange for J...
The New Jersey Devils agreed with free agent power forward Ryane Clowe on a 5 year $24.25 million contract on Friday.
When I woke up on Friday morning, checked twitter and I saw that the Devils were the front runners to sign Clowe because they knew that Clarkson was not coming back, I had mixed feelings. Not because I wanted Clarkson back because I certainly did not. ...
Despite losing David Clarkson, who parted ways with the Devils for greener pastures and a chance to play for his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, the Devils efficiently utilized the opening of the unrestricted free agent period by supplementing their offensive depth. As we all know, the Devils brought in wingers Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder, and Rostislav Olesz, respectively si...
The Flyers made a big splash in free agency when they acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier after being a victim of a compliance buy out. The terms of the deal were for 5 years and $22.5M - an annual cap hit of $4.5M.
While more people than not seem to be in favor of this acquisition, there are still some echoes - and even the occasional ridicul...
rockthered24 writes...
A Predictably Active Off-Season for Jersey's Team
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A frenzied off-season for the New Jersey Devils began not on July 5th as unrestricted free agents became free to explore and sign with new teams, but in their own arena five days prior with a blockbuster trade at the 2013 NHL Draft. The question that has been looming around the devils for the past five seasons was finally answered as it seems the team has finally accepted...
Well this years biggest fish in Free Agency landed with the leafs and the fans and media have drooled all over the signing. David Clarkson is a hulking, moderately young winger, who can bang, and score at a good pace. I feel like its irrelavent to sit here and worry about the contract since teams have proved that it is possible to trade long contracts see: Flyers and also ...
For those who did not attend, I got a huge problem with top prospect Mikhail Grigorenko after what I saw at the scrimmage at First Niagara Center. Mikhail Grigorenko, last year's 12th overall pick, centered the top line on Team Gold and had the chance to stand out amongst the other prospects. That is not what happened. Fellow first rounder Zemgus Girgensons centered the to...
There are arguments to be made for what age range actually defines a players "prime years". The differing opinions on the topic leave us with no concrete definition, only speculation.
The typical range goes anywhere from 24, on the low end, and 32, on the high end, which is spread out through several websites, posts and on-air discussions. The typical labeling stretche...
Terry Pegula, Terry Murry! pick up it's Mark calling with urgent business! If by any chance the Sabres and Ducks are tickling each others toes if I was Terry, either one I'd be asking about two ducklings by the name of Jakob Silfverberg & Nick Sorenson then I'd be calling Tampa Bay about Adam Erne. Seeing the talent pool is more like a pond in this years draft I'd be fishi...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]
After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.
I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]
After the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.
I think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
[i]You can follow me on twitter @jcimms9[/i]rnrnrnAfter the leafs disappointing end to the season, they must quickly make decisions on the 11 players set to become FA’s on July 1.rnrnI think we will see be a big turnover this year with most of the Maple Leafs free agents either walking or being traded. With the core of the team set for the forseeable future, I believe if...
For the fifth straight season the Red Wings will not be in the Conference Finals. No logical fan should be surprised by their first round ouster by the Bruins. The Bruins were the worst possible team for the Wings to play against in the playoffs in my opinion. Now the question is where do the Wings go from here? Their UFA's are Legwand, Samuelsson, Bertuzzi, Cleary, Al...
With an absolutely amazing career and now turning free agent, one of the biggest, if not the biggest, questions of this upcoming offseason is where Marty Brodeur will end up. After spending his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, many applaud his great work and achievements that he's made over his 20 years in the NHL, however, there are many doubters that he is the ...
After eight years of this. After eight years of false promises, excuses, and mistakes. I think this is the one thing fans need to hear the most. The Edmonton Oilers have been a shining example of mediocrity for almost an entire decade. Yes, we have had the likes of Tambellini, Mactavish, and Lowe stand in front of media and say things like "obviously we aren't where we wan...
When Gary Bettman announced, over a loud chorus of "boos", at the Prudential Center that the New Jersey Devils had acquired goaltender Cory Schneider, it is understandable that the home-town crowd reacted with jubilation. Now, with a season with Jersey's Team under his belt, Cory Schneider is in the driver's seat for negotiations for a long-term contract. Many Devils fan...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."rnrn"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."rnrn"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" rnrnThese, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Pe...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term." "I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy." "The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?" These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new Penguins Gen...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
neilsonnn18 writes...
Give Jim a Chance -- Pittsburgh Penguins New GM Evaluation
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"In a new General Managers first press conference, we want to hear his 5-year plan, - not that he sees his time here as short term."
"I wanted a young, new, fresh general manager, not this old guy."
"The Hurricanes haven't made the playoffs in five years, how is this an improvement for the Penguins?"
These, among others, are the complaints I've heard about new ...
Let me start off this blog by telling anyone who reads this that I have had [b]difficulties separating my blogs into paragraphs[/b]rnrnThe Stanley Cup finals is in its final stretch of games and I find myself wondering about the upcoming summer. As a Oiler fan I've thought about countless scenarios that I thought would change the fortunes of this lowly franchise. However, ...
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
http://nhlpenguins.sportsblog.com/posts/665899/penguins_realistic_free_agency_idea.html
Tim Thomas, Ilya Bryzgalov, Ray Emery. Under talked about and under appreciated potential difference makers in net for many teams. All three of these tenders could use a nice change of scenery, or if re-signed they need a confidence boost from their respected teams. These guys have potential to carry a good portion of the game load serving as back-up for any team, or they ...
The obvious choices for Ryan Miller are the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks. The only issue with Miller going to the Pens is his asking price, so a solid second option would be Hiller. The Capitals are in need of another tender, so which ever goalie the Pens don't go with between Miller and Hiller watch for Washington to try and court them to their team.
Penguins ...
According to all the NHL sites we are seeing teams like Ottawa, Toronto, San Jose and Carolina are all not shying away from trading their Captain's. rnrnNew York Rangers already bought out and traded their 2014 Captains and Montreal has yet to resign their's. Buffalo and Columbus don't even have one.rnrnSo why is the role of the captain so important and prestigious if so m...
According to all the NHL sites we are seeing teams like Ottawa, Toronto, San Jose and Carolina are all not shying away from trading their Captain's. rnrnNew York Rangers already bought out and traded their 2014 Captains and Montreal has yet to resign their's. Buffalo and Columbus don't even have one.rnrnSo why is the role of the captain so important and prestigious if so m...
The 2014 draft had Colorado walk home with 7 new prospects. I can honestly say I was shocked when the Avalanche did not talk Brendan Lemieux when he was available at #23, a natural wing, in which Colorado depth wise is in need of. He grew up around the Avalanche, was born in Denver Colorado his favorite player is Ryan O'Reilly. Instead Colorado takes CONNER BLEACKLEY a pla...
I wanted to start this on draft day, but that wasn't in the cards, so I'll take it from free agency on out. I'm going to start with a quick overview of each contracted guy on the roster (and a few on the Phantoms) which will include chances he makes the regular season roster. Then I'll head into moves we could, should and have to make. And then finally, what the roster cou...
B_Chapman writes...
Dallas Constructs 2nd Line in 1st day of Free Agency
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[url=http://victorygreen.wordpress.com]CHECK OUT MORE DALLAS STARTS CONTENT LIKE THIS ON "VICTORY GREEN", MY DALLAS STARS WEBSITE[/url]
[b]One of the few bright spots in the Ottawa Senator's 2013-2014 season, in which they missed the playoffs and ended the year 11th in the East, was the chemistry shown between Jason Spezza, and their trade deadline acquisition, Ales Hem...
Brian_Sloane writes...
Flyers Free Agency Thoughts / Giroux Being an Ass (Get it?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Happy Independence Day! Here we are, a few days into Free Agency 2014, and guess what? The Flyers have not made any crazy big trade, or signed an aging free agent past his prime to a deal worth too much money. What is going on here!? This is what happens when the salary cap limit works against a team. We have not been used to seeing anything like this in a few years. Sure,...
vettaco writes...
Five guys who are UFA's that aren't signed and should be
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As of today there are still a few good free agents out there that teams should be looking at. I am not sure what the players are asking for but if they have been on the market this long then I am guessing their price has gone down. My five picks are below.rrnrn1. Devon Setguchi (RW)rnThis guy can skate, hit, score and play on a 2nd or 3rd line. He was magic one year in San...
bred20 writes...
Will the 2014/15 season be David Krejci’s last in Boston
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
By Erik Caron
The common theme this offseason has been the Bruins stay in cap hell and some have even suggested next offseason will be just as hard when the Bruins have more of their own key free agents to sign to new contracts. First line center David Krejci is just one of the Bruins upcoming pending free agents who will be looking for a deal in the summer of 2015. Asi...
Thanks For Reading.
Well here we are again ladies and gentlemen. Your bellies full of turkey, pajama pants on (or no pants, I don't judge) and watching the World Juniors to get a chance to actually see some wins and decide what players would look good in copper and blue next season.
The Oilers are a train wreck. I think if anyone told you that this team was going to be worse than last year...
LazarBeam writes...
Pre-Game Post: Sens take on Habs During Offensive Roll
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Sens are set to take on Dustin Tokarski and the Canadiens tonight in their fourth straight home game out of five in a row. In a stretch that has seen them play 10 of their last 13 games in Ottawa, the Sens have gone 5-6-2 and have seen a boost to their offence. The Senators have 41 goals for in their last 13 games, 3.15GF/game, a jump from their 2.8GF/game on the seaso...
Four years ago, I pondered the different draft lottery systems that could better distribute the first three overall picks every year so that the spread of talent in the lower tier teams doesn't fall to a team that just super-tanks for two years and then becomes one of the best teams in the league.
Should the Penguins have Malkin and Crosby? Should the Hawks have both ...
Well it's been quite the week in Oil Country. Exactly one week ago, morale was about as low as it's ever been at the end of a season. The Oilers finished 28th overall, and while in previous years fans had been dissapointed, the draft was still a chance to look optimistically at the future. This year, even though this draft has been called one of the deepest drafts of the l...
Watching the Western Conference Final (and if you aren't then shame on you) makes it abundantly clear how far the Oilers are from being a Cup contender. We all know the work that needs to go in to improving the defence and the goal-tending. That is a given. Unfortunately it is the current makeup of forwards that is cause for concern as well. Anaheim is getting production f...
This year's draft looks particularly strong; the free agent pool looks exactly the opposite of that. But next year's free agents will make you salivate. Now, more than ever, teams are starting to prevent their players from bolting for free, since it damages their franchise too much when it does happen. Nobody wants to have the forward core of the NJ Devils right now.
...
KABOOM.
Many have speculated and this week starts the changing of the guard in the NHL. The LA’s, Chicago’s, and Boston have run into a huge obstacle… Namely the salary cap. With so many teams rebuilding, retooling and shifting gears this week promises to be the beginning of the most active off season in over a decade. So what can we expect?
Anaheim – One mu...
Now before people go off half cocked just remember all of these teams had a chance to negotiate contracts with these players for fair market value before the day after the NHL draft or file for arbitration.
As soon as an offersheet is put down as an NHL GM i would look at the other RFA's on the team and find the one I like and put an offer sheet down.
So here is how ...
Draft McDavid - Check
Bring in Talbot without giving up too much - Check
Fix the Defense - Check?
Let's get right to it. It wasn't bad enough that Boston traded Hamilton to a team not named Edmonton, but it was Calgary, and they accepted less from them than what we supposedly offered. It was good to see that Chiarelli was right in the mix, obviously identifying what m...
There's been a lot of buy-outs leading up to July 1. The Canes buying out Semin, Wings buying out Weiss, Sabres buying out Hodgson and much more.
Could the Leafs take advantage of these buyouts?
Yes, and they should.
They should do what they did with Winnik and Santorelli. Sign players to a short-term deal and flip them for picks and prospects at the deadline to ...
We are almost three weeks passed the start of free agency, and there are still some good players just sitting there waiting for a contract. The thing is contract spots are all but used up on most teams and the teams that do have contract spots open don’t have the cap to sign anyone else. For this blog is just going to be a quick reference guide to each team’s contracts...
There’s no argument, the biggest acquisition GM [b]Don Sweeney[/b] has made thus far in his first offseason is winger [b]Matt Beleskey[/b]. The former Anaheim Duck was signed to a four year contract worth $3.8mil / per. Coming off of a 22 goal performance (Beleksey’s first of 20 or more) in the 2014-2015 season the 27 year old was widely considered among the top forw...
First and foremost before I begin . I should introduce myself. No I'm not a writer . Maybe the more I type the more it will become obvious . Iam a union ironworkers so I am usually breaking my back instead of breaking a fingernail typing . Iam however a hockey fan . Like most fans of the game Iam constantly seeking anything to read , watch or listen to that relates to hoc...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tPBRYcD.jpg[/img]
[url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url]
The new top line of Hoffman-Turris-Stone has been one of the best-looking in the league through the first couple games of the season and has been carrying the Sens offence. Last nights 3-1 loss to Montreal and rookie goalie Mike Condon showed why having one line play so much better than the rest ...
You can win OR you can cash in... should be Stamkos' choice. But...
You know, I really hate the precedence set by Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.
Let's not kid ourselves. The two of them are vital to the success of the Chicago Blackhawks. (Of course they are; they're the product of tanking). So now the GM can manoeuvre his team around these two guys and they'l...
One thing is for sure. July 1st in hockey season and the Rangers go together like peanut butter and jelly. The Rangers have always had a history of striking and landing the big fish on hockey's Christmas, Free Agency day one. This year is different. There is Steven Stamkos, a 26 year old franchise center on the market and he will have no shortage of teams looking to land ...
After collectively catching their breath (or exhaling a sigh of relief, depending on the perspective) Leafs Nation prepares for life after Stamkos. (Steven, we hardly knew ye, but it was fun to dream for the last year or two!) Now, the hard-hitting fact that the Shannaplan will go on as scheduled is inevitably sinking in.
The Bay St. Brain-Trust will ...
JosephOchs writes...
B's Offer Sheet For Trouba The Right Idea (At This Juncture)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Sending out an offer sheet for Jacob Trouba has been one of the more polarizing concepts heading into the 2016 edition of NHL Free Agency, due to the steep price as well as possible blowback for exercising a rarely utilized right of NHL execs. Because the Bruins used second and third round picks on Lee Stempniak and JM Liles, the B’s would have to offer Trouba $9.3 milli...
July 1 came and went, and the Jackets are mostly the same roster, despite heavy rumors of big acquisitions. There were rumors of Frans Nielsen and David Backes (per Rob Mixer), Eric Staal (per Eklund and Kevin Allen), Sam Gagner (per Hockey Press and Eklund), and Jason Demers and Dan Hamhius (per Michael Grosso).
Nielsen, Backes, and Demers took long term deals with lo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Ex Blue Jackets Signed And Those On The Open Market
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
D Kevin Connuaton (from Arizona to unrestricted free agency)
G Jeremy Smith (from Boston to Colorado)
D Justin Falk (from Columbus to Buffalo)
LW Jerry D'Amigo (from Buffalo to unrestricted free agency)
D James Wisniewski (from Carolina to unrestricted free agency)
RW Tim Jackman (from Chicago to unrestricted free agency)
G Michael Leighton (from Chicag...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ- Ex Blue Jackets Signed And Those On The Open Market
Posted Monday | Comments 0
D Kevin Connuaton (from Arizona to unrestricted free agency)
G Jeremy Smith (from Boston to Colorado)
D Justin Falk (from Columbus to Buffalo)
LW Jerry D'Amigo (from Buffalo to unrestricted free agency)
D James Wisniewski (from Carolina to unrestricted free agency)
RW Tim Jackman (from Chicago to unrestricted free agency)
G Michael Leighton (from Chicago ...
While there will undoubtedly be fireworks this Fourth of July, they most likely won't come in the form that most Bruins fans would hope. Though Don Sweeney was busy on day one of free agency with the five-year, $30 million contract offered to David Backes (as well as depth signings Riley Nash, John Michael Liles, and Tim Schaller), he has yet to address the Bruins most gla...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made their biggest free agent acquisition in the month of August. While the news broke over the weekend of a deal being finalized, the Jackets have signed center iceman Sam Gagner. His cap hit is $650K. Wow.
Gagner was a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After management changes, the Oilers flippe...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made their biggest free agent acquisition in the month of August. While the news broke over the weekend of a deal being finalized, the Jackets have signed center iceman Sam Gagner. His cap hit is $650K. Wow.
Gagner was a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. After management changes, the Oilers flippe...
This is another huge blog of mine, similar to the one I did at the draft. This blog will discuss the winners and losers of the free agency period, wrapping around who signed where and who was traded where.
What each time has done:
Anaheim Ducks
After an early first round exit from the playoffs, they let go of a slew of veteran forwards with salary in Brandon Pi...
Ottawa Senators: - Pierre Dorion
No offence to Bryan Murray but his time was long overdue he did good for what he could but last couple years showed that the Senators needed a fresh face. Enter Dorion and at the moment we cannot say much about Dorion as he hasn't done much other than the coaching hire. I totally disagree with Murray's comments on Cameron as Cameron could...
The Wild are at a crossroad. The changes made last off season resulted in the best regular season the team has had in their 17 year existence, but the quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of an "inferior" St Louis Blues team has left all of Minnesota wanting more. For the last couple of years, Chuck Fletcher's goal has been to increase the scoring of the team and la...
At the bottom of this blog I will have the answers for "Would You Draft Me" original blog can be found here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=103583&post_id=17880[/url]
We are one day closer to the draft and one day closer to the horrifying realization that Chiarelli has no intention of "improving" the roster anymore than he has. To recap he has replac...
The Devils have acquired some much needed offence over the past week and now need to focus on their defence. With the amount of cap space left, the Devils will most definitely pick up a defencemen either through trade or the free agent market. Since there are few options left in the market, the best option may be to look for a trade.
Possible Free Agents
- Francois Bea...
Seems to be a popular title around the web. It seems rather obvious but many people go near the correct answer. It is three steps much easier said than done. I will go hardest to easiest.
1. Dump the players Chiarelli has signed as UFA's
2. Grab key UFA's
3. Dump Chiarelli (McLellan should go to if they want a cup but he can get them to the playoffs)
The first o...
With the news that players like Anthony Duclair and Tobias Rieder are heading toward UFA status, I've figured now would be as good a time as any to layout my idea of a reasonable offseason plan for the Oilers to (not) follow.
The primary focuses for the Oilers should be as follows:
[b]1.) Secure significant RFAs (Nurse, Strome and Benning)
2.) Pursue cheap skill
3....
Peter Chiarelli left the Oilers in terrible shape when he was fired as GM however the team is not far off of a playoff spot this year. I don't like the Oilers odds of making the playoffs but they are still competing with really only 3 good players and some filler. Still we know this and I will get to the point. The future might not be as dark as it looks for the Oilers ...
The draft can not get here soon enough. Mostly as it should be the start of Holland fixing the Oilers. I can say this with certainty because they can't get anymore broken. Also the draft's arrival will stop sites like TSN.ca claiming that Kakko is "closing the gap" on Hughes. There is no actual gap. NJ is picking one player and that is going to be Hughes. Are they lo...
Detroit has 14 RFAs after this season. https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/redwings
6 of 7 listed on the main roster are arbitration eligible. That helps. Three of the RFAs listed as “in the system” (Hirose, Kuffner, Kaski) are interesting cases. Hirose made an immediate impact last year. Kuffner didn’t really get going but he may have a good year as well. Oliwer Ka...
hockeyaddict89 writes...
5 pause worthy moments of the 2020 NHL Offseason
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Stud of a year for movement. A lot of excitement for tons of teams. I can't tell you how many times I full on stopped what I was doing to tune in to what was happening. Here are a few of them:
1) [b]THE HABS EXTENDING JOSH ANDERSON FOR A BAZILLION YEARS DESPITE NOT PLAYING A GAME. [/b] It's the sign of a risk taker to give a long term deal to a player who had a good yea...
Last week, the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Mikko Lethonen from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goalie Venni Vehivalinen. VV was stuck in a prospective netjame between himself, Danil Tasarov, and Matias Kivelinkins. VV now gets the change to compete and learn from the Maple Leaf veteran netminders of Andersen, Campbell, and Hutchinson.
Mikko adds t...