NHL Free Agency

[Mr. TM]

Well it is that big day for all Canadians. Not Canada Day, that other day. The Free Agency signings begin today. Some big names out there starting this morning. Jay Bouwmeester who had his rights traded to Calgary went there for big money. Canucks lost their long term player in Ohlund, but ended up keeping The Sedin twins. Gaborik leaves the North West for the Big Apple. Hossa became a Blackhawk for life.

With some big names still out there, as well as some people wanting trades, what else will happen before the season starts, and what do you think of the free agency so far?

 

[Thriller Ant]

My Blues picked up Ty Conklin. I don't know if him or Mason will start, but it's a good signing. The Blues have had shaky goaltending for awhile and this should help out.

 

[Mr. TM]

I am sure that Mason will be starting, after that good year this year. He was one of the reasons they returned to the playoffs and the only reason that St Louis should have been in the playoffs after the Canucks destroyed them. I am sure that Conklin, fresh off another Stanley Cup backup failure will proved backup, and force Mason, who grew up close to me, to pick up his game.

 

[NSL]

Today has had it's ups and downs. While we (Rangers) traded away Gomez, I got to see the Red Wings lose a star in Hossa, and watch the Islanders all but give up on DiPietro, by signing Roloson. He's also a goaltender that all but assures they'll be at the bottom of the Atlantic Division yet again.

I saw Vancouver re-signed the Sedins, which is a good move, and will probably be the most "under the radar" signing of the next few days/weeks.

 

[Mr. TM]

I like how in the signing boxes, the have the Sedins as one entity. Pretty much insures that they will never go anywhere without being a pair.

Rangers, hate to say it to you, might have made their worst choice. Gaborik is like signing a fault bomb. He can be incredible, he can also blow.

And I think they know DiPetro was a lost cause. Hey, St. Louis, want another goalie in a trade? Probably NYIs best chance.

Detroit losing Hossa was fine. I have to think Detroit has something up its sleeve still. They must.

Joe Sakic's career still is up there. Is he coming back to the mile high for another year, or is he finally going to sit down. Either way, from one West Coaster to another, I will miss him in the NHL.

 

[NSL]

I like how in the signing boxes, the have the Sedins as one entity. Pretty much insures that they will never go anywhere without being a pair.

It almost bothered me that they got identical contracts, and aren't nearly identical players. They should be treated as 2 people, not 1.

Rangers, hate to say it to you, might have made their worst choice. Gaborik is like signing a fault bomb. He can be incredible, he can also blow.

If we get the Gaborik that Minnesota had early on, I'd be happy. He replaces Gomez in my eyes, but I'd still like a little more leadership on the team.

And I think they know DiPetro was a lost cause. Hey, St. Louis, want another goalie in a trade? Probably NYIs best chance.

As a Ranger fan, I laughed when he signed a 15 yr deal. Then, I laughed as his knee got worse and worse, and he plays less and less. Great investment there guys. He wasn't even worth the contract when they signed him.

Detroit losing Hossa was fine. I have to think Detroit has something up its sleeve still. They must.

For them it's great. But, for all of us, it gives a false hope that they won't have that 7th piece to the puzzle. Datsyuk, Franzen, and everyone else they have are all locked up, so they aren't going anywhere. I like Chicago signing him though.

 

[z99zazn]

Thriller, I'm so happy to see another die hard Blues fan on the forum! I live about 20 minutes from Scottrade, so seeing us get Conklin and releasing McKee is looking great! Have you heard that we might be in the running for Heatley? That would give us a bonafied first line stud, and really help us out. Would you be up for dealing one of the kids off the kid line and a pick for him?

The Canadians seem to be the Yankees of the NHL right now, and the Rangers of the past few seasons. Gionta, Gomez, Cammalleri are all big name additions. I'm rooting for the Habs after this shitty year they just had. I really like Kovalev for some stupid reason, and I also respect the legacy. Hope next season is a little bit better. My dream would be Blues vs Habs in the finals, but I'm not gonna get my hopes up

 

[NSL]

So I saw today that we (Rangers) also signed Donald Brashear...Why??

He's not a good player, and has spent a good portion of his career pissing off guys that play for us. Colton Orr is fine enough as our enforcer, and there's no reason to have two. He doesn't fit in the modern game, and he doesn't fit on the team. Hopefully we can trade him off during the season, and bring in someone who will help us out a little.

 

[48.7 is Approximately 49 Times Better Than You]

Marián Hossa, a former Portland Winterhawk, signed a 12-year deal worth $62.8 million with the Chicago Blackhawks. ChiHawks Rock is likely very happy about this. Hossa is 30 years old. He's a 4-time allstar, former all-NHL rookie and averages 0.437 goals per game and 0.49 assists in the regular season. Last year with the Red Wings, he scored 40 goals. He's played for the Stanley Cup Finals runner-up the previous two years.

 

[CH David]

Marián Hossa, a former Portland Winterhawk, signed a 12-year deal worth $62.8 million with the Chicago Blackhawks. ChiHawks Rock is likely very happy about this. Hossa is 30 years old. He's a 4-time allstar, former all-NHL rookie and averages 0.437 goals per game and 0.49 assists in the regular season. Last year with the Red Wings, he scored 40 goals. He's played for the Stanley Cup Finals runner-up the previous two years.

You know I am stoked as hell. At first when I heard about it from my friend I was like what the hell?!?!?!?! I was kind of bummed that Havlat wouldn't be returning, but hell, as good as Havlat is, I consider Hossa better and more reliable. He should be a great addition to the first or second line, or maybe Coach Q can attempt the checking line again, doubtful but who knows. Don't forget about Tomas Kopecky signing a two year deal with the Blackhawks as well. This could be an even better year for the Hawks than last year. I am getting my hopes up and I don't care.

By the way, I am sigging your quote of me, just because I don't know how many of the veteran posters know of me, and I now feel accomplished.

 

[truk24]

You all can get excited about the free agency sigings that your non-Stanley Cup Champions of 2009 teams made this past weekend. For the next few years or so the NHL is going to have a new dynasty once again, and it is going to be the Pittsburgh Penguins. Let me explain.

First and foremost we have the two best up and coming hockey players in the game today. Ofcourse that would be Crosby/Malkin. Not one team can say that they have this kind of pair. May I also add that both of these young men still have plenty of time to get better than they are now. Even with that said they still won the Stanley Cup, and have been there twice. Sid has played 4 years of professional hockey in the NHL, and 2 of those years were spent in the Stanley Cup final.

Should Crosby or Malking become a prolific goal scorer, or the both of them I can't see how they lose in the East. Here is why I say this. Fleury is easily turning in to a "great" goaltender. His consistency can be a question at times, but overall he is excelling rapidly. When you have a goalie that has the potential to be consider one of the greats when it is all said and done that helps. Remember he was a 1st overall pick.

Most people think offense when they think of the Pens, but realistically they have a strong defense as well. This is one of the younger teams in the NHL on all sides. Their first round pick this year was a steal on most mock drafts, and this kid looks like the next Chris Pronger. Letang has proven his worth, and should be a top five defensemen in scoring. Gonchar is one of the best Power Play leaders in the game today. Look at the Pens power play stats with Gonch, and then without Gonch. Goligoski hasn't played much, but he looked far ahead of Letang when he first started, and that is saying a ton since Letang is now a top line defensemen. Lets not forget about Mark Eaton who is still a threat, and also Orpik who hits everything in his path.

May I also point out that the Penguins have one of the best farm league teams going today. The Wilkes-Barre Baby Pens have been consistently good now for years. Most of their core players have come from Wilkes-Barre. Basically this team is going to dominate the NHL. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade.

 

[CH David]

truk24, I must disagree with your assessment that no one team has a pair like Malkin and Crosby. The Blackhawks have a younger group of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. I would say they are a gifted 1-2 punch as well. I am sure that there are other teams as well, I just don't feel like looking them up.

Now the Penguins will probably be a powerhouse in the Eastern Division, I won't doubt that. But that doesn't automatically translate into dynasty. Hell the only dynasty that currently exists in the NHL is the Detroit Red Wings. Being a Hawks fan this kills me to say, but the Red Wings are the class of the entire NHL.

I won't doubt the Pens defense, they can shut it down when they need to and Marc-Andre Fleury is a hell of a goalie.

But I think they need to win the Cup again next year before they can be considered a dynasty to start. Hell they could end up being the best team in the regular season next year, and pull a SJ and lose in the first round. I want results before naming any team a dynasty. The only team that gives consistent results are those damn Red Wings. If the Blackhawks win next year I could give the same speech you did, but it won't make a damn difference. I say we wait before deciding who is a dynasty and who isn't.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

It almost bothered me that they got identical contracts, and aren't nearly identical players. They should be treated as 2 people, not 1.

Well actually NSL, the Sedins are pretty much identical. If you look at their stats I believe that have the same amount of games played (maybe one off), they have only 4 points separating them overall, and their playoff stats are near identical also. Let's face it, if one of them scores, the other is getting the assist. If you going to sign one, sign the other and maximize both of their talents.

 

[Mr. TM]

Canucks did well with signing Samuelsson for more than the Red Wings had to offer. 2.5 Million, and maybe the Sedins have someone to play with now. I hope they can make something with the twins, but the other people they have put with him have come cheaper. If he does well, then I am excited, hooking him up with his teammate from the Olympics. Hope the 2.5M a year will solve that problem.

 

[gd]

Samuelsson was really impressive when I watched him in the cup last year. He was definetly one of the Wings 5 best players than. Of course Detroit wants to spend their money on guys like Hudler instead, but I think they should've pushed to keep Samuelsson.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

Really excited about the recent signings for the Leafs. Beauchemin will replace Kaberle as the puck-moving defenceman. He's also strong on the puck and can control the power play from the back end. I was waiting for this signing because I loved him in Anaheim.

Also, they finally signed "The Monster" Jonas Gustavsson. Alot of hype on this kid and hopefully he lives up to it. He should be a solid back-up to Toskala, and who knows maybe he may take over the job and things fall in certain ways. Either way, he should be a good back-up to push Toskala to the top of his game.

The defence looks really good right now for the Leafs. They are packed there, though, so people have to be moved. I believe Kaberle is gone, especially with the Beauchemin signing. They have to get a top 6 forward and they can get one for Kaberle. I am very excited for the start of the season.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

End of an era in Montreal. Saku Koivu signed a 1 year deal with Anaheim. He'll be a good second line center for Anaheim and it is good that Koivu and Selanne will get to play alongside each other once again. They did so in the olympics and had a good tournament. Now Montreal needs to find a new captain and face for the franchise.

 

[Mr. TM]

This had been the most disappointing move in the free agency. Ohlund leaving the Vancouver Canucks was one thing, and end of a dynasty there, but for Saku Koivu to leave Montreal is heart breaking. They are my favorite non Killer Whale team, and for them to literary have their heart extracted from them is so sad. When Saku came back from cancer for the last game of the regular series, a game Montreal needed to win to make the next round, and he led them to victory, it was the most heartwarming story ever in the NHL. But for him to leave the team, and go to my most hated team, the Anaheim Ducks, where sportsmen ship left the building is too much for me to bare.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

I hope you're not mad on the part of Koivu. It was made clear that Montreal did not want him back. He wanted to spend his career in Montreal, but they wanted to cut ties with him. It's a shame really. He gave a lot to the franchise and near the end, they gave up on him.

 

[Mr. TM]

Oh I understand completely. Montreal was going in a completely different route, one that I think is a little strange, and perhaps a little dark. I just wish Koivu would have found a better place to call home. I would have thought Dallas, Phoenix, or Florida would be interested in him, but Anaheim? That is too bad. Luckily though, I will get to see him play the Canucks at least 4 times.

 

[simpsons_fanatic742]

I thought he would end up in Anaheim or Minnesota (to play with his brother Mikko). Turns out he didn't choose Minnesota because he said that was Mikko's team and he didn't want to interfere with that. That's pretty admirable once you think about it. Either way, Anaheim is a great fit for him and for the team. Selanne was definitely the deciding factor.