T1B

Likely to happen after he declined the Sabres' offer:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212162&hubname=nhl

Looks to me like Buffalo was just going through the motions, tendering an offer that basically matches what he's already making, and which they had to know he'd refuse. I guess this means the Sabres are going to try and keep Drury, if he wants to stay.

Call me crazy, but I'm not sure Briere is worth what he's bound to get on the open market, which is upwards of $6 million per. I think he's a classic case of being a product of his environment; he thrived in Buffalo, under Drury's leadership, but I'm not convinced he'll be as good anywhere else. I don't really want the Avs to try for Briere; the last thing they need is another small forward. Smyth is an interesting possibility, as is Gomez, and the Forsberg rumours won't go away. I don't really see what bringing Forsberg back is going to do unless it's at a significantly reduced price.

Two more days and the fun begins. The Avs need help on defense more than anything. I think Hannan would be a good fit. Not necessarily a Norris-quality guy, but he's tough and physical and will eat 20+ minutes a game.

Not too surprised by this. Drury would be the guy I would want to keep as well.

The cap is going up for this next season...
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212226&hubname=nhl

I wonder if this will help the Sabres with keeping Briere or perhaps that ship has sailed. Briere may be younger but hard to let a guy like Drury go with all the intangibles he brings to the table.

That extra money should help the Sabres keep Vanek.

Remember way back when Gary's band of assclowns shut the league down because they said they were losing money and teams like the Sabres who could only afford payrolls in the $30 million range couldn't afford to compete with teams paying $50 million in salaries...

But apparently now they are making money and can...

:roll:

Oh and I distinctly remember the Sabres GM Regier stating he would not be spending anywhere near what the then projected cap of $48 million was said to be. Something about sticking to a self imposed budget and being fiscally responsible because the Sabres couldn't afford it...

Wait, this just in, apparently the Sabres ownership has managed to find a few more million kicking around that can be spent on player salaries..

So just how does a team which couldn't afford it before suddenly find itself loaded with money..

It sure as hell isn't from any TV deals Bettman's negotiated in the U.S.

Briere to the Flyers...8-year deal

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212425&hubname=

Also, the Ducks sign Mathieu Schneider for 2 years. I sense a pattern, the Ducks beat the Wings in the playoffs and then they sign one of their free agents during the summer. Same thing happened with Fedorov.

Rafalski signed with Detroit.

Rafalski is a very nice replacement for Schneids...right hand shot and a good skater and passer.

Other notable moves:
Rangers sign Scott Gomez and Chris Drury
Maple Leafs sign Jason Blake
Avalanche sign Scott Hannan
Capitals sign Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti
Lightning sign Maxime Ouellet
Panthers sign Radek Dvorak, Richard Zednik and Brett McLean
Blackhawks sign Yanic Perreault
Flames sign Cory Sarich
Thrashers sign Todd White
Bruins sign Thornton...Shawn Thornton

Also, a big trade...Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul to the Flyers for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212468&hubname=nhl

I'm very happy with the Caps signings. They needed vets at centre & d. I'll take it.

Add that they're putting Backstrom in this year...wow. The Caps are going to score a ton of goals.

Couple of big signings just after 11 p.m. capping off a wild first day of free agency...

Ryan Smyth signs with the Avalanche
Paul Kariya signs with the Blues

July 1 Winners and Losers:
Winners
Rangers: Make two high impact additions...team desperately needed a #1 center but they add not one but two giving them arguably the best group of forwards in the NHL...this team is a big time contender for next year
Avalanche: They sign arguably the best winger available in free agency and Hannan is a great addition to their defense
Maple Leafs: Pick up a very good #2 center to help Sundin...they're definitely a team in need of depth
Flyers: They add a #1 center...he and Gagne should be a great duo...they've had a very active offseason so far with adding Hartnell, Timonen and Smith

Losers
Islanders: Lose their two big free agents after cutting Yashin loose...that move really helped, eh Garth?
Sabres: To lose their top two centers, not many teams can recover from that...good team still but two huge losses in free agency
Ducks: I say this only if Scott Niedermayer does retire...Schneider is not a parallel replacement

Darryl Sydor signs with Pittsburgh...a much needed addition to that young blueline.

Also, Michael Nylander appears to be going to the Oilers...no link yet, just something I saw on another board. Makes sense with the two huge moves by the Rangers at center.

I'll miss Gator but Lupul can rot there for all I care.

I'll miss Nylander. Sather apparently offered him 4 years for $20 million and he said no thanks. I'm very happy about the additions of Drury and Gomez. It was smart of Sather to front load Gomez in year 1. The Rangers still have about $12 million left under the cap and I would presume they will use that to re-sign Lundqvist, Shanahan, Avery and Prucha.

Penguins sign Petr Sykora
Predators sign Jed Ortmeyer

Fuck me, this is great! When Drury went off the market, I figured the best the Avs could do would be to maybe lure Shanahan out of New York. As I fell asleep last night, I offered up a little prayer that there might be some way to get Ryan Smyth, but I figured it was a true snowball's chance in hell. I was already really pleased with the Hannan signing; I think he's an excellent fit for the Colorado blueline. But then to get Smyth too, that was too much to hope for. Imagine what a guy like that can do with Joe motherfucking Sakic feeding him the puck. So now we have:
Liles-Leopold (Jordan better get healthy)
Hannan-Skrastins (I like this pairing on the PK verrrah much)
Clark-Sauer/Boychuk/Cumiskey/whomever makes the team

and up front:

Smyth-Sakic-Hejduk
Wolski-Stastny-Svatos/Richardson (if they keep Svatos)
Brunette-Arnason-Laperriere/Guite
and whomever is left for 4th line duty

Of course, goaltending is still a very big question mark, but if Budaj can pick up where he left off, that will go a long ways toward answering that question.

On a related note, Oilerfan, how does that taste? Not only is the heart and soul of your franchise gone, but now you get to see him 8 times a year in a different team's uni. The only course of action is to organize a lynch mob for Oiler management.

Caps sign Michael Nylander...not the Oilers, not sure what happened with that report. Washington adds their second center in as many days...something they needed desperately.

Also, Roman Hamrlik signed with Montreal...have to wonder what becomes of Souray.

Tom Preissing signs with the Kings

It just keeps getting beter and better. There's now a glut at center.

I'm so psyched about Backstrom playing with the big team. He had the most amazing development year that an 19 year old player can have. 2006 Junior Hockey Player of the Year, gold medal World Championship in 2006. He's a natural center...but he can definitely play the wings.

You know you have made it when you're throwing out the 1st pitch.

Big time activity going down during the dinner hour...

Flames sign Owen Nolan
Predators sign Radek Bonk and Greg de Vries
Blackhawks sign Robert Lang
Kings sign Ladislav Nagy, Kyle Calder and Michal Handzus

and Todd Bertuzzi signs with the Ducks (SHIT! :x)

Well, I wonder if bringing Shanny back is an option. Hell, Slava Kozlov is available too...let's have a big ol' reunion.

Not a bad foursome the Kings signed today, Preissing had a +40 last season for Ottawa. Didn't get the big guns, but this helps build the pieces the Kings need to get to the playoffs.

Your Kings did well today...nice additions. Question still remains: who is going to be your goalie? Sean Burke?

I like Bertuzzi in Anaheim. I think that's a great fit for him.

Flames sign Owen Nolan? Hmm.. I want to laugh at that signing....but you just never know. He might just have an unbelievable year. He could end up being the diamond of the free agency frenzy.

Nashville picking up dregs like Radek Bonk. They're not even in rebuild mode. They're going into hibernation for multiple seasons.

And LA needs all of those players. Like you said...pieces.

The Kings have a nice trio of young forwards to build around in Frolov, Kopitar and Cammalleri...all three of those forwards will fill out their top 6 or 9 forward spots.

The Ducks are essentially replacing Selanne and Niedermayer with Bertuzzi and Schneider...it's a downgrade at defense but Bert could still score 30 goals and be a force if he doesn't take any bumps on the noggin.

Jagr: “I am little disappointed the Rangers were not able to keep Nylander on the team. It was really good for me to play with him.
We played together for 2 years with the Rangers and 1 year in Washington. We worked well together and knew what to expect from one another.”

hohoho Suck it, JJ!

I'm really hoping that JJ, Gomez & Drury have terrible chemistry. With the Rangers that's always a possibility. I love a good Rags soap opera as they spiral down the tubes.

Burke is retiring.

Training camp it is wide open between Cloutier, Jason LaBarbera (had a great season in Manchester), and a Euro prospect whose name I can't remember.

I bet you guys wish you could have Cristobal Huet back, eh?

The Rat Pack wrote:I'm really hoping that JJ, Gomez & Drury have terrible chemistry. With the Rangers that's always a possibility. I love a good Rags soap opera as they spiral down the tubes.

Jagr is going to have Straka on his line. The C will more than likely be Gomez. Drury will play on the second line.

Maybe the Kings can get Dainel Berthiume back.

Cross Traffic wrote:Burke is retiring.

Training camp it is wide open between Cloutier, Jason LaBarbera (had a great season in Manchester), and a Euro prospect whose name I can't remember.

Erik Ersberg?

Oilers try to nab Vanek and Buffalo responds with, "Not so fast."

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=212929&hubname=nhl

Two things about this. First, Lowe is obviously a desperate man. I suspect at this point, they will go after anyone that isn't signed into a contract already. What's the over/under on a riot in Edmonton before the month is over?

Second, 7 million per (averaged) for a guy only in his second year? He had a great year, sure, but that's a fairly big risk to take. I can see why Buffalo would match, though. Lose Briere, lose Drury, they had to keep someone. Sheesh, remind me again why there was a lockout and a salary cap? The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.

No way does Buffalo sign Vanek for that much but they had to since Lowe forced their hand. Either let their 40 goal guy go or cough up the huge price tag for it. Edmonton needs a guy to replace Smyth...I think Lowe wanted to make a splash no matter how much it cost. The Sabres got reemed but they had to keep him.

The Sabres could have let him go and gotten the 4 draft picks if they felt $7 million was too much. I think the Sabres take a serious hit in the standings next season after the departures or Drury and Briere.

Shanny is back for another season and it was reported in the NY Daily News that Lundqvist is close to signing a 1 year deal for 2.5 million with the notion that his contract will be extended after January 1, where he will also get a huge pay raise. If that were to occur, then this is probably Jagr's last season.

Quite a contract Sid the Kid just picked up. I'm too lazy to google it up, but I'd guess that makes him the top paid player in the league. The only other player I can think of making upwards of 8 million per is Jagr. Wow, highest paid player in a professional sport at the ripe old age of 20. When was the last time in any sport a second year player did that?

Lundqvist signed the one year deal for $4.25 million. The contract is expected to be extended after January 1.

Now if Sather can waive Kasparaitis and maybe make a trade the Rangers should be in good shape.

Souray gone to Edmonton. The Habs will miss him for his leadership, on powerplays, but certainly not for his defensive qualities (-25, pylon prone). I think Harmlik will do a better job at the blue line, defensively wise of course. Good luck Sheldon and the Oilers!

Hamrlik won't give you the offense Souray did but he will be better in his own like you mentioned. Edmonton's blueline should be one of the better offensive groups around with the additions of Pitkanen and Souray but trading away their captain Smith...the pressure falls on the shoulders of Roloson because he'll face a lot of rubber.

Lowe grabbed Souray only because of his situation. The fans would never stand for the organization to have done nothing in the off season and Lowe was TOLD to grab what he could. Its was a beggars cant be choosers play. Until the stigma of being stuck in Edmonton goes away (maybe never) the Oil will forever be stuck with taking what we can get regardless of how much bank we throw at these guys. But who knows. Now that the blueline is taken care off perhaps Lowe can make a deal with satan and get and amazing forward next year on UFA day.

carl soderberg to boston
hannu toivenen to stl


actually, i like the deal. u can neevr have enough good goalies. soderberg could be a top 2 center, but his eye injury is a major concern. gives the blues a backup to legace as blues will deal cash/dman for a forward.



blues not done dealing yet. too many dmen on the roster.

Kevin Lowe strikes again...throws out a pretty hefty offer sheet to Dustin Penner. With Ducks up against the cap already with the status of Niedermayer and Selanne up in the air, I can't see Burke matching. I think Penner is going to be an Oiler. He's a guy the Wings should've looked at after they lost Bertuzzi but not at the price the Oilers are paying. This is the flaw or the risk of restricted free agency. A team can still throw out a huge offer at a team and you can either match it and pay more than you would've wanted or let the guy go and get compensation for it.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=214708&hubname=

4.3 for Penner? Lowe must high to offer that kind of money to a player with 1 decent year.

Anaheim probably will not match, those picks will be high ones since Edmonton is going to suck next year.