NHL Free Agent Season - Day 5

[Oreo]

Day 5 of the free agent bonanza. Sounds like Kariya is talking to the Oilers. It'd be nice to see a canadian domination of the finals. They deserve it (except the canucks ;) )

Anybody watch Crosby on Leno? The dryer was pretty funny.

Thursday's Signings
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim - Signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Scott Niedermayer. Re-signed restricted free agent forward Rob Niedermayer.

Boston Bruins - Signed unrestricted free agent forward Alexei Zhamnov.

Buffalo Sabres - Signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Teppo Numminen. Signed restricted free agent forward Taylor Pyatt.

Calgary Flames - Re-signed restricted free agent forward Daymond Langkow.

Carolina Hurricanes - Signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Oleg Tverdovsky.

Chicago Blackhawks - Signed unrestricted free agent forward Martin Lapointe. Signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Jaroslav Spacek.

Columbus Blue Jackets - Signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Martin Prusek.

Detroit Red Wings - Re-signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Chris Chelios and forward Johan Franzen.

Los Angeles Kings - Acquired forward Jeremy Roenick and a third round pick from the Philadelphia Flyers for future considerations.

Minnesota Wild - Signed unrestricted free agents defencemen Scott Ferguson and Kurtis Foster.

Nashville Predators - Signed unrestricted free agents defencemen defencemen Mark Eaton and Sheldon Brookbank.

New Jersey Devils - Signed unrestricted free agent defencemen Brian Rafalski, Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakhov.

New York Rangers - Signed unrestricted free agent forwards Jason Ward and Ville Nieminen.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Signed unrestricted free agent forward Andre Roy.

Toronto Maple Leafs - Signed unrestricted free agent forward Tie Domi to two-year deal.

Washington Capitals - Acquired right wing Chris Clark from the Calgary Flames for a conditional draft pick.

[Ravenseye]

1. Best Day - Probably LA

They got Jeremey Roenick and a 3rd round pick for essentially nothing.

Otherwise I'd say Boston's pickup of Zhamnov makes them more of the team to beat in the East. I think Forsberg's contribution to Philly has been overstated. Boston is looking really really strong this year front to back.

[Baclava]

5. Pens goalie shopping today?

Burke update

Free-agent goalie Sean Burke, 38, is leaning toward accepting a two-year offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/coyotes/articles/0805yotesnb0805.html

...and the Pens have also made an offer to Curtis Joseph...

[Ravenseye]

10. I doubt they have two offers out.

If they made a 2 year offer to Burke, then I highly doubt they also made a firm offer to Cujo. Or they made an offer to Cujo, he asked for more, and then they put forward one to Burke for probably the same amount. Something like that.

No way they'll bring in both.

That said I'm torn. If one of the reasons they're bringing in a goalie is to help Fleury along I don't know who would be better. Burke is probably a bit more 'mentally' stable, but he's a very different style of goaltender. He plays a very stand up style, and blocks the net off. How he'll be with smaller pads remains to be seen. Also he's not too quick to get back up off the ice given his size. Cujo is more of an acrobat like Fleury.

Then again maybe the mental advice is far more important than style.

Dunno. Whoever they get is only gonna be with the Pens for a couple years. After that hopefully Fleury will be the full time starter for at least a decade.

[Oreo]

21. Burke already played for the Flyers

He was traded from Carolina after Burke was arrested for beating his wife. He didn't do all that well in his last stretch there so I'd be really surprised if they got him back. I would really think they would go for Cujo more.

[PunkPop]

2. I want to make a correction

Yesterday, I said Numminen was diagnosed with a "rare brain thing". Actually it's his heart - dialated aorta. One of those deals where the ticker can just go kaput on you with no warning.

[Ravenseye]

11. I can't speak for anyone else PunkPop

...but I'll never forgive you...never...

:) j/k

Yeah I remmeber reading about that. He's still a great player though, and as I mentioend before, he has an awesome Finnish name.

[Telly Savalas]

3. Chicago gets the Bulin wall!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132519&hubName=nhl

[Baclava]

9. I don't know what the fuck Chicago is doing...

They overpaid for Aucoin at $4M, then they throw $7M a year to Khabibulin?

Not that I really care, eh?:P

[Ravenseye]

12. To be fair

it was 6.75 or something like that :)

Yeah I don't know. They seem to be interested in shoring up their defense with a premeir goaltender and aucoin.

Thing is was Thibault that bad or did he just have NO TEAM in front of him? Seems to me they'd have been better off spending that 7 million on bringing in two 3.5 million forwards to add to their scoring.

[Baclava]

15. Sounds like the Hawks are really going after Paul Kariya too...

I can't worry too much about other teams...I'm still giddy we got Crosby!!!!

[Ravenseye]

20. Yeah Rumor

Rumor has it that Chicago offered him 4years-20-22 Miilion.

http://hockeyrumors.blogspot.com/

Eklund has been pretty accurate with his rumormongering.

[getmeouttahere]

25. Sounds like that one might have missed the mark...

because according to another DU poster, he took 4.5 mil for 2 years with Nashville. What the hell is so attractive about Nashville that he would take that money? Maybe it's a misprint, or maybe he's no longer a hot commodity.

[getmeouttahere]

17. From what I remember, because it's been so long....

Thibault was excellent almost every night. If I were an NHL GM or owner, I wouldn't offer Khabibulin HALF that much.

[Ravenseye]

19. Yeah it's just sort of weird

I mean Thibault seemed good enough that there would be no need to plug that hole ya know? It's not like they didn't have a decent goaltender or something.

I totally agree though. I'm not saying that Khabibulin is overrated i'm just saying the past couple of years the CW has been that he's a goaltending god, but I just don't see it.

[getmeouttahere]

24. I'm with ya, there are lots of better goalers in the NHL...

I'm a little more harsh, I think he is overrated. I think the numbers would show that Thibault has been better, playing with a mediocre team.

[kcr]

31. Thibault was that bad

Thogh bad might be a poor way of putting it. Thibault could make some outstanding, even amazing saves. And then let in three of the softest goals you have ever seen and lose the game. he has tons of talent, bit, for whatever reason, never seemed to use that talent consistantly.

The Hawks seem to use free agenecy to shore up their defense and add some defensive players who can skate and score. They have some young guys up front who can skate and shoot, in addition to Daze, and they seem to be reling on them to step up. This is not entirely wishful thinking as most of those guys played for Yawney in the minors, and he won wit them. They also added a couple of second tier veteran forwards to help stabalize the lines.

All in all, its been a pretty good offseason. They got much better in goal, on defense, on power plays, on pentalty killing, and in coaching. if their young forwards take the next step, this team could be very dangerous.

[Oreo]

4. Pens might get Cujo

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132492

I'd love to see him do well there. I'm glad they're not going to rush Fleury.

[Ravenseye]

6. Lots of rumors about this

Pens fans seem to be mixed on it, but I think it'd be good to get a veteran netminder to split time with Fleury. Any talks with a goalie coming to the Pens would have to be about what their role would be, which is obviously to help Fleury along while splitting time with him as he develops.

Cujo probably fits that role, as long ast hey don't overpay him.

[getmeouttahere]

7. Story of Crosby's appearance on Leno

http://www.cbc.ca/story/sports/national/2005/08/05/Sports/crosby050705.html

[Ravenseye]

13. I wonder

as long as the kid performs, I wonder how long it will take before they stop mentioning in every article about him that he's 'the next gretzky' or something like that.

Even in canadian hockey magazines they either start or end the freaking story with 'the boy called the next one' or 'Crosby has been called the next gretzky' or something...

When will those comparrisons stop?

[getmeouttahere]

26. After the first 10 games or so...

when everyone realizes that he is no Gretzky. He's not big enough to be compared to Mario.

The one advantage that the kid will have is playing with someone who had to live through those kinds of comparisons. Lemieux made it through it, and maybe he can guide Crosby along that part of the journey.

[getmeouttahere]

8. Boston still overpaying, Lapointe still overpaid

Zhamnov wasn't even the highest scorer on the Blackhawks, for crissakes! And based just on his points, Lapointe certainly isn't worth more than 1 mil per year.

[Ravenseye]

14. Zhamnov is worth it imho

Lapointe is one of the most consistenly overpaid players out there.

Zhamnov though is a solid player.

Then again, maybe everyone is getting overpaid this year. I"m starting to think that the GM's who are sitting it out mostly are the smart ones. The free agents now are mostly older players asking alot. For all we know the cap will come down next year. Also younger and younger UFA's will becoming up.

I think the ones that wait now will be in much better position next year and the year after. There must be pressure to win now, but hey. Just wait one more year. If I were a GM I'd rather pay 4 million for a 31 year old all star, than 6 million for a 37 year old one.

Ya know?

[getmeouttahere]

16. I would wait to see how much the game changes

if it opens up like I think it will, slower and/or older players would be even less desirable.

[Cush]

18. Caps signed Ovechkin (not a FA)

http://washingtoncaps.com/news/index.cfm?cont_id=286900

[Oreo]

22. Kariya to the freaking Predators!!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132540&hubName=nhl

Man... what a waste.

Kariya signs two-year deal with Predators

Paul Kariya

TSN.ca Staff

8/5/2005 4:54:05 PM

Unrestricted free agent forward Paul Kariya has signed on with the Nashville Predators, TSN has learned. The deal is worth $4.5 million US over two years.

Kariya played nine seasons with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and last season with the Colorado Avalanche. He was taken by Anaheim with the fourth pick of the NHL entry draft in 1993 - the year the expansion Ducks came into the league.

Kariya, with Teemu Selanne at his side, was among the most productive offensive players in the NHL, totalling 669 points in 606 games with the Ducks.

Both players also made a huge splash in the free agent market in 2003, signing one-year contracts with the Avalanche. He was limited to 36 points in 51 games with Colorado, missing 21 games with wrist and ankle injuries.

[getmeouttahere]

23. No kidding...

I guess he didn't like what they are building in Edmonton. I just didn't see him going to Chicago, but I was even more surprised to see Nashville. I thought he would take less money to play in a Canadian city.

[Baclava]

28. The Predators?? Why?

Damn - I almost forgot that team even existed.

[sk8tenn]

30. PREDS TO THE PLAYOFFS AGAIN!!!!!! MAYBE THE CUP!!!!!!!!!

Our goalie Vokun was the main reason the Czechs won the World Championships this year, and now this!!!

Wonderful player and eye-candy too!

If teams like Calgary and TB can play for the Cup, why can't Nashville get there....

[Telly Savalas]

27. Leafs sign Jason Allison.

Terms not yet disclosed, but there's supposed to be a press confrence at 6 EST.

On edit: Here's the link: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132542&hubName=nhl

[getmeouttahere]

29. If he's healthy, this is big!

He's a good one for sure.