2006 NHL Offseason Thread

[Chief Rum]

Because such a wonderful sport shouldn't spend more than seconds without a relevant thread about it.

[DeToxRox]

Expect fireworks at the draft where I fully expect Carolina to trade Jack Johnson to Pittsburgh.

Then FA begins and chaos ensues.

NHL Offseason will be a sight to see yet again.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DeToxRoxDVHStyle

Expect fireworks at the draft where I fully expect Carolina to trade Jack Johnson to Pittsburgh.

Then FA begins and chaos ensues.

NHL Offseason will be a sight to see yet again.

Really? I haven't really heard much rumors yet, except that everyone who wants a goalie will be knocking on the Ducks' door to see if they can get Jiggy (and the Ducks haven't even said which goalie they want to go with either).

Johnson is quite a young talent to be let go, especially when you're the champs. What will the Canes get in return?

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Really? I haven't really heard much rumors yet, except that everyone who wants a goalie will be knocking on the Ducks' door to see if they can get Jiggy (and the Ducks haven't even said which goalie they want to go with either).

Johnson is quite a young talent to be let go, especially when you're the champs. What will the Canes get in return?

The Canes will get the Pens pick (#2 overall) where they will draft Jordan Staal.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by bsak16

The Canes will get the Pens pick (#2 overall) where they will draft Jordan Staal.

Nice. Great move for both clubs.

[Chubby]

Sabres need to resign McKee

[Karim]

Apparently Lidstrom will not budge from his current $7.6 million salary. Will he actually be playing for a team other than the Red Wings?

[Karim]

The NHL Awards are on Thursday night:

CALDER MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding rookie): Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins; Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals; Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames.

FRANK J. SELKE TROPHY (outstanding defensive forward): Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes; Mike Fisher, Ottawa Senators; Jere Lehtinen, Dallas Stars.

HART MEMORIAL TROPHY (most valuable player to his team): Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers; Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames; Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks.

JACK ADAMS AWARD (outstanding coach): Peter Laviolette, Carolina Hurricanes; Tom Renney, New York Rangers; Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres.

JAMES NORRIS MEMORIAL TROPHY (outstanding defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings; Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Mighty Ducks; Sergei Zubov, Dallas Stars.

LADY BYNG MEMORIAL TROPHY (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct): Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings; Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks; Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning.

LESTER B. PEARSON AWARD (most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA): Jaromir Jagr, New York Rangers; Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals; Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks.

VEZINA TROPHY (outstanding goaltender): Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils; Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames; Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers.

[Karim]

And the draft starts at 6:00 p.m. EST on Saturday...

http://hockeysfuture.com/nhlentrydraft.php

[Pyser]

elias signed with havlats agent. the 2 are lifelong best friends.

good news is ott probably cant afford elias, havlat, redden and chara, all fa's. bad news is neither can the devils.

at this point, i wouldnt be shocked to see elias in rangers blue.

then id jump off a building or something.

[Wolfpack]

This thread already? C'mon! Let me savor things for a while longer, will ya?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Wolfpack

This thread already? C'mon! Let me savor things for a while longer, will ya?

Sorry, but you've already been fitted for a bullseye by the entire Southeast Division

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bsak16

The Canes will get the Pens pick (#2 overall) where they will draft Jordan Staal.

I am all for it. While the Pens have pretty nice depth with young D, they don't have a true #1 (jury out on Ryan Whitney). According to the Pens beat writer, Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford have not spoken.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Dola (wow, my very first dola!)

What moves are everyone's team expected to make?

Pens...ideally, a top 4 D, a 3rd line C / faceoff specialist and top six wing to go with either Crosby or Malkin.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Pyser

elias signed with havlats agent. the 2 are lifelong best friends.

good news is ott probably cant afford elias, havlat, redden and chara, all fa's. bad news is neither can the devils.

at this point, i wouldnt be shocked to see elias in rangers blue.

then id jump off a building or something.

Save some room on the top of that building for me. I've had to see Bruce Driver, John MacLean, Mike Dunham, Bobby Holik, and Petr Sykora leave New Jersey and eventually end up with the Rangers. Who ever left New York and found his way to the Devils? What did we ever get? A John Vanbiesbrouck cameo appearance?

It's going to make me sick if Elias ends up with the Rangers. I was looking forward to him coming to his senses and staying with the Devils. Maybe he would finally accept that "C" on his sweater that he deserves. If he DOES go to New York, I hope he realizes he'll never get close to holding the Stanley Cup again. Screw the Rangers.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Who ever left New York and found his way to the Devils? What did we ever get? A John Vanbiesbrouck cameo appearance?

Bernie Nicholls!

Oh, and Kryzstof "The Krusher" Oliwa left, went to about 18 teams including the Rangers, and came back...I think.

Edit: Valeri Kamensky too???

[Pumpy Tudors]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Bernie Nicholls!

Oh, and Kryzstof "The Krusher" Oliwa left, went to about 18 teams including the Rangers, and came back...I think.

Edit: Valeri Kamensky too???

Ah, I'd forgotten about Bernie Nicholls. Even though his career was made in LA, I really only remember him in his last few years with the Blackhawks and Sharks.

I had forgotten that Oliwa was back with the Devils this year. Looking up his stats, I see that he must be REALLY washed up. He appeared in 3 games for the Devils and had NO penalty minutes. Krzyzstof Oliwa with no penalty minutes? Are you kidding me?

The whole Valeri Kamensky thing is a blur. Even after you mentioned his name, I didn't remember that he played half a year in New Jersey.

Like Oliwa, Vladimir Malakhov was with New Jersey, moved to the Rangers, and eventually came back to New Jersey. Of course, he was actually somewhat decent with New York, but he didn't do a hell of a lot in New Jersey. THANKS FOR THE EFFORT ANYWAY, VLAD. (SARCASM SARCASM SARCASM)

This is a fun game. Any other players moving between the Devils and Rangers in the past 12 years or so? I just hope Patrik Elias doesn't ever join that list.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Here's a link to TSN's "Offseason Gameplans" for each team (well, almost each team). It's a pretty good breakdown of who each team is losing, what they will be looking for in free agency and the draft, etc. Good stuff as always.

http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/featu...e=fantasy_news

As for the Wings. . . It will be one of the more interesting off-seasons in a while for them. Despite three consecutive early play-off flameouts, I don't see Holland tearing the team up and starting over, but there are a few big questions out there that will likely be resolved in the next couple of weeks.

1. Goaltending. Other than a few decent prospects (e.g., Howard and Liv), the Wings have no goalie signed. Legace is not coming back. He had a great regular season, but crumbled in the play-offs. That's been the knock on him throughout his career, that he just didn't have the correct mental make-up (whatever that is) to be a big-time playoff goalie. If you heard him interviewed at all during the playoff run (or after), it was quite evident. I feel bad for Legace and I am sure he'll get good money somewhere, but his time in Detroit is done. It's possible Osgood could be re-signed as a back-up. He should come relatively cheap and I like him in that role.

The rumor mill has been churning here in Detroit for about 2 weeks or so already. The hottest rumor is the Wings making a play for Luongo. It appears as if Keenan is looking to move him and there will plenty of suitors. The Wings make some sense, since they are in the West, but there are a number of issues with this move. First, what do the Wings trade them? Datsyuk? Datsyuk and Howard for Luongo and someone else? It will be tricky. Second, Luongo is a RFA at the moment and will be a UFA next year. His signability will be a huge issue for whatever team gets him. He's looking to make big time money. He's a great goalie, but has never been in a playoff series. That's a lot of money to invest there. If he plays as well as he can, it's well worth it, but you just never know. It would also force the Wings to cut bait on other established guys (more on this later) to work within the cap.

There have been plenty of other names mentioned. Pretty much the same names as you hear for any team in need of a goalie (e.g., Toronto and Tampa). Giguere is often mentioned because of his moderately sized contract, connection to Babcock, and Bryzgalov. Gerber is mentioned too because of the Babcock connection. Nabokov is pretty much a "no go" because of the size of his contract. The other names mentioned are Roloson and Biron.

The Wings could look to enter the season with an Osgood/Howard duo, but I don't think that will be too likely. I think the Wings want Howard to get a little more seasoning in Grand Rapids.

2. Lidstrom. Lidstrom is a UFA. There have been a ton of rumors swirling around about how the Wings are looking for a "hometown discount" and Lidstrom (and his agent) aren't really interested in giving them one. Lidstrom made $7.6 million last year. He will likely win the Norris Trophy (again!), so he certainly can command big bucks. This is a huge decision for Holland and could sort of mark the official end of the Wings' era as The Big Money Team. The Wings don't have a ton of cap room at the moment and, like most, have plenty of holes to fill. Signing Lidstrom to the deal he is looking for would eat up a ton of cap room. Given the goalie situation, I am just not sure how feasible it would be to re-sign him at that level.

There are plenty of big name defensemen on the market: Chara, Jovo-Cop, Redden, McCabe, etc. If the Wings think they can sign McCabe or Jovo for $6 million instead of Lidstrom at $8 is that a good move? I don't know. Lidstrom is still one of the best defensemen in the league. He logs a ton of minutes, has been amazingly healthy, and does it all. He's been the cornerstone of 3 Cups and an amazingly long run of very successful teams. Losing him would hurt a lot.

It's a tough spot. I am just not sure what to think yet. I am still processing. . .

3. Other positions. The Wings need to get bigger, stronger, and faster. It's been pretty evident in both series against Calgary in '04 and Edmonton this year that the Wings could be pushed around quite a bit, in both ends of the ice, and also lacked team speed.

Defense:
The Wings never really replaced Jiri Fischer. He's not coming back. They need someone with size who actually uses it (e.g., NOT Andreas "Fucking" Lilja) and can move people out in front of the net (an area where they were COMPLETELY dominated by the Oilers) and play opposing forwards physically. The Wings have been looking for this elusive defensive for the almost 20 years now that I've been a fan of the team. Seriously, it's always been the same. Konstantinov was that guy, but he had the accident. Chelios was brought in to be "that guy", but he's 900 years old and just isn't any more (he did re-sign already and will be back). Before Konstantinov the Wings had a littany of these guys brought to try this. Guys like Denis Vial, Bob McGill, Terry Carkner, etc. After Konstantinov they looked at big, young guys like Jan Gobulsky, Maxim Kuznetsov, etc. None of them worked out. Ever.

Currently the Wings have: Kronwall, Chelios, Schneider, and Lilja. Lebda is likely to re-sign on the cheap. Not a horrible defensive corps, but not one that will strike fear into the hearts of opponents on either end of the ice.

Offense:
It looks like the Wings will re-sign Shanahan. I think it's a decent move. He is really the only "power forward" the Wings have. He's the begining and end of the team's "muscle" and he's not really all that physical. He's had a horrible stretch of playoff runs, but did score 40 goals last year. I like him. I don't mind him coming back at around the same price.

Draper and Maltby are still around. They are valuable at what they do and wont be going anywhere. Holmstrom and Samuelsson (horrible playoffs for this guy) are the same. The Wings will likely re-sign RFA's Cleary and Franzen to small deals. Decent 4th line guys. Nothing more really.

Zetterberg is an untouchable. He's the future of the franchise.

Lang had a decent playoff. He's big, but slow. The Wings may try to trade him during the off-season because of his contract, but I am not sure what they would get in return. He had a decent, but unspectacular season.

Yzerman is still deciding. Nothing new to report there.

Datsyuk is interesting. He's an amazing player. He led the team in points this year, but he's disappeared in each and every playoff series he's played. He was coming off an injury this year and showed some sparks later on in the series, but not enough. He needs to be one of the Wings' best players come playoff time and he hasn't shown the ability to do that. For whatever reason. Holland has come out and said that he will NOT be trading Datsyuk, but you never know. Like the Lidstrom thing, I am just not sure how I feel on this one.

The Wings need more size and speed upfront. They also need some scoring from the Wings. Other than Shanahan they really don't have a "sniper" per se. There was some talk about the Wings making a push for Samsonov. He's a UFA and his family live in the area and loves it (I guess someone has to). I watched him pretty closely throughout these playoffs. He has talent and speed, but I am just not sure he's the answer. He's a small, shifty forward. We have that guy. He also has a history of injuries. At the right price, sure, but I don't think what I would consider the "right price" is what Samsonov is looking for.

What the Wings need up front are some forwards with size who play more than 7 minutes a game. It's hard to say who (if anyone) like that will be available, but it needs to be addressed. I would like to see Mike Grier, for example, come home to Detroit. He's big, strong, and has a decent set of wheels. He'd look good in red and white.

That's all. . . For now.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Ah, I'd forgotten about Bernie Nicholls. Even though his career was made in LA, I really only remember him in his last few years with the Blackhawks and Sharks.

I had forgotten that Oliwa was back with the Devils this year. Looking up his stats, I see that he must be REALLY washed up. He appeared in 3 games for the Devils and had NO penalty minutes. Krzyzstof Oliwa with no penalty minutes? Are you kidding me?

The whole Valeri Kamensky thing is a blur. Even after you mentioned his name, I didn't remember that he played half a year in New Jersey.

Like Oliwa, Vladimir Malakhov was with New Jersey, moved to the Rangers, and eventually came back to New Jersey. Of course, he was actually somewhat decent with New York, but he didn't do a hell of a lot in New Jersey. THANKS FOR THE EFFORT ANYWAY, VLAD. (SARCASM SARCASM SARCASM)

This is a fun game. Any other players moving between the Devils and Rangers in the past 12 years or so? I just hope Patrik Elias doesn't ever join that list.

Forgot about Vlad the Impaler...although does that count if he quits half way through the season?

I am sure there are more guys...great thing about the NHL, especially in the late 80's, early 90's, guys played for just about every team in the league.

[sachmo71]

Stars big free agents are Jason Arnott, Willie Mitchell andTrevor Daley (RFA). As they state in the article, including Guerin's contract, the Stars are at $30 million right now. Buying out Guerin is a priority. It just didn't work out. Then maybe we can bring Arnott back. Getting Mitchell back is also a priority.

Turco is puzzling. I think he'll grow to be a contender one day, but I think he confidence in the playoffs must be shattered. He may be able to overcome it, you just never know.

Our forwards are getting old, but we have some nice youngsters. Depending on how things go, we could be knee deep in Finns around here.

My expectations for this year, assuming we don't get Arnott back, are to see a big drop off in the standings. Get Arnott back, and have some of the youngsters step up, and we'll be fine. That's a lot to ask, though.

[Honolulu_Blue]

The Devils have $7.1 million in "dead money" going against their cap this year?

Sweet jeebus!

[AgustusM]

a couple of things about the season that just ended before I am ready to move on to the off-season

Cam Ward - damn that was impressive, curious to see what you more experienced hockey guys think this guys future is. was he right place, right time or the reason they won the cup? either way I was very impressed with this young mans play and demeanor.

Edmonton Oilers - I am no Oilers fan, in fact a Sharks fan who kind of wanted to see them get their ass handed to them - but I have to say I was totally impressed with how resilient this team was, down 2-0 sharks, down 3-1 in the finals, losing their goalie for the finals this team truly NEVER gave up - I actually found myself a little disappointed when the empty netter when in last night, not that I wanted Edmonton to win - but I would have like to see them continue to battle down to the last second.

[Maple Leafs]

The big story in Toronto right now is Bryan McCabe, who still hasn't signed the sweetheart deal the Leafs have offered him. Apparently his wife wants him to play in Long Island. I like the guy, but sorry Bryan, if you can't sign the best contract you're ever going to see because your wife won't let you then maybe your not the sort of character guy we thought you were.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Priority 1 for the Penguins is what to do with the #2 pick. Their first choice would be have the Blues pass over Erik Johnson, and they scoop him up. Assuming that doesn't happen, there are many ways to go, including the rumored deal of the #2 to Carolina for Jack Johnson. Or keeping it and filling a weakness on the wing with Phil Kessel. Or, going the BPA route and taking Jordan Staal.

Priority 2 is figuring out what is going to happen with Evgeni Malkin. If the IIHF agreement is signed, he should be here in the fall. If he is not, looks like Ryan Malone would be the #2 C behind Crosby (more on that later).

Free agent outlook-- they need a top 4 defensemen. Gonchar was a totally different player the 2nd half of the season. And Ryan Whitney played reasonably well for a kid who started the year at 22 years old. After that, I don't think anyone has claimed a top 4 job. Brooks Orpik is the top thumper-type guy, but he still takes too many bad penalties. Noah Welch looked fantastic in a 3 game call-up, but do you count on him to play that way over 82 games? Rob Scuderi and Joe Melichar are decent depth guys, Scuderi a pretty nice PK guy, and are suitable for bottom pairing work.

The Pens will NOT be a player for the top tier d-men like Chara or Redden, and probably not even the next tier of Kubina or Willie Mitchell, who will probably command more money then they might be worth. A guy like Spacek would fit nicely--he had a great postseason, playing top minutes alongside Pronger. Or, they could look at lesser known but solid guys, like Mark Eaton, who are steady but not flashy. Or shot-blocker deluxe Jay McKee.

Hopefully, they sign at least one top 6 wing, to play with either Crosby or Malkin. And, depending what happens with Malkin, possibly a 3rd line center. While Michel Therrien played Ryan Malone the 2nd half of the season at C, and considers him to be a nice fit on the 3rd line to play against the bigger C's in the Eastern Conference, New GM Ray Shero has said "I don't see a 3rd or 4th line center on the roster currently." That could mean Malone moves back to LW on to play next to Crosby/Malkin. In that case, I'd love to see Mike Sillinger center the 3rd line.

The top 6 winger brought in, same as on defense, will not be the premier names available like Elias or Samsonov. Much like Joe Thornton did for Cheechoo this year-- Cheechoo was a productive, steady 25 goal producer in his first few season, and exploded next to a great center--the Pens might not feel the need to get a 40+ goal scorer. They might be comfortable signing a guy who has consistently scored 25-30 a season, and allow Crosby to move him to the next level. A guy who stands out to me as that type would be Mark Parrish. They could also look at the Carolina/Edmonton model where the top 9 forwards are nearly interchangeable, and go after speedy guys like Mike Grier

Returning players-- Colby Armstong will no doubt start the year as Crosby's RW, the two showed great chemistry together. Many in the organization were question whether Armstrong would ever make it at this level. He actually had to clear waivers at the beginning of the year after training camp and went unclaimed. He surprised many people with his touch--he was mostly seen as a scrappy, decent scoring, 3rd line type player (Darcy Tucker might be a good comparison)--but showed he could hang as Crosby's partner on the top line (a stretch here, but a poor man's Ryan Smyth??). All while still continuing to annoy the hell out of people (a few of his classic this past season were blowing kisses to Ryan Kesler after leveling him with a hit, and telling Rod Brind'amour he looks like a camel.)

Also back, Konstantin Koltsov (maybe the fastest skater in the league, but hands can't keep up), Andy Hilbert (played well with Crosby as well), Andre Roy, Max Talbot.

John Lecalir could also return. He has not made a decision on playing another season. He would claim his spot as the 3rd line LW.

A few of the interesting players to be returning--
Erik Christensen. He played well in brief stretches, but his future would need to be on the wing rather than center, with Crosby/Malkin claiming the top 2 spots.
Tomas Surovy. Has been on the verge a few seasons now, but has never put it all together.
Michel Oullett-goal scorer in both the ECHL and AHL....and flashes last year. At one point scored 10 G in 13 games...but below average skater who, if not scoring goals, not contributing much to the team. Oullett seems the ideal type to claim Leclair's spot should he not return, getting 3rd line time, and a PP specialist.

In goal, Marc-Andre Fleury is an RFA, but he'll be back. Jocelyn Thibault was a bust, and then got injured, but is under contract for another season. Sebastien Caron is a nice player, but will never be a #1 here with Fleury.

Other potential scenarios to consider--

Players like Surovy, Oullett, Christensen, also Krys Kolanos (previous #1 pick of the Coyotes) in the AHL currently, could present cheap alternatives for teams close to the salary cap. While difficult to call these guys "NHL ready", they all have game experience, and played fairly well. Teams could do worse than Christensen as a #2 center, if they can pair him with some vet players. Same goes for Surovy as a 2nd/3rd line wing.

Teams like Tampa Bay, who have large chunk of cap tied up in their top players, might be looking to shed salary for younger players. Tampa could look to move a guy like Freddie Modin (filling the Pens top 6 wing need) or RFA dman Cory Sarich (Pens lack any right handed D on their roster) for cheaper alternatives, and provide the Pens with players they need.

If the playoffs taught the Penguins anything, they need more speed on the wings, and another consistent goal scorer. On the back end, they need to add at least one defensemen, preferably someone capable of eating top 4 minutes. A reasonable guess for next year--

Parrish - Crosby - Armstong
Malone - Malkin - Hilbert
LeClair - Sillinger - Kolstov
Oullett - Talbot - Roy

Gonchar - Spacek
Whitney - Orpik
Welch - Scuderi

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

The big story in Toronto right now is Bryan McCabe, who still hasn't signed the sweetheart deal the Leafs have offered him. Apparently his wife wants him to play in Long Island. I like the guy, but sorry Bryan, if you can't sign the best contract you're ever going to see because your wife won't let you then maybe your not the sort of character guy we thought you were.

Agreed. Especially if said wife wont let him because she wants to live on Long "Freaking" Island.

[bbor]

Roloson to the Leafs as a hold over till Rusk and Pogge are ready?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Gerber would be a nice, realtively cheap option to for a few teams looking for a 1 or 2 year stop gap. I don't know that he'll be back in Carolina.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

The big story in Toronto right now is Bryan McCabe, who still hasn't signed the sweetheart deal the Leafs have offered him. Apparently his wife wants him to play in Long Island. I like the guy, but sorry Bryan, if you can't sign the best contract you're ever going to see because your wife won't let you then maybe your not the sort of character guy we thought you were.

Wait, you're complaining about the character of a guy who would choose family interests over money?

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by bbor

Roloson to the Leafs as a hold over till Rusk and Pogge are ready?

Id rather see Manny Legace come here. Still not a Roloson fan. I wouldnt exactly be thrilled with Legace though.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

The big story in Toronto right now is Bryan McCabe, who still hasn't signed the sweetheart deal the Leafs have offered him. Apparently his wife wants him to play in Long Island. I like the guy, but sorry Bryan, if you can't sign the best contract you're ever going to see because your wife won't let you then maybe your not the sort of character guy we thought you were.

News story from today's Toronto Star

McCabe contract should be resolved
Jun. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM

Contract dealings between Bryan McCabe and the Maple Leafs have been stalled because of a pressing family medical situation that the defenceman hopes will be resolved by the end of the week.

McCabe, who stands to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, told Howard Berger of The Fan 590 yesterday that the medical situation "has been all-consuming" and that he hasn't had the time nor the inclination to address the new contract.

McCabe said he anticipates that things should be back to normal by the end of this week and that he still hopes to sign the five-year, $28.75 million (U.S.) contract that he has already agreed to with the Leafs.

Leafs general manager John Ferguson could not be reached for comment last night, but a source close to the team said that the offer remains on the table and will be honoured by the Toronto team should McCabe choose to accept it.

That means that McCabe could be under contract in time for the NHL draft Saturday, which is usually a key time for teams to make trades to fill holes in their rosters.

The deal includes a no-movement clause, which means the Leafs can't trade or waive McCabe or buy him out.

Ken Campbell

[Cards4ever]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

A reasonable guess for next year--

Parrish - Crosby - Armstong
Malone - Malkin - Hilbert
LeClair - Sillinger - Kolstov
Oullett - Talbot - Roy

Gonchar - Spacek
Whitney - Orpik
Welch - Scuderi

Parrish's first choice is the Wild. If they are willing to give him a decent contract he will be playing here. Pens(or any other team) will have to overpay to get him.

[Honolulu_Blue]

TSN is reporting Sakic re-signed with the Avs. A 1 year deal at $5.75 million. I think that sounds about right. Not a bad deal for Colorado.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169248&hubname=nhl

Report: Sakic signs 1-year deal with Avs

Joe Sakic has signed a one-year with the Colorado Avalanche worth $5.75 million US, according to TSN's sister station in Quebec RDS.
Sakic, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, scored 32 goals and 55 assists in 82 games last season.
The Burnaby, B.C. native is entering his 18th season with the franchise since being taken 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
Sakic led them to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 1996 playoffs.
In 2001, he won a trio of awards including the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's MVP, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly conduct, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league MVP voted for by his peers.

[mooreadamc]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

TSN is reporting Sakic re-signed with the Avs. A 1 year deal at $5.75 million. I think that sounds about right. Not a bad deal for Colorado.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=169248&hubname=nhl

Report: Sakic signs 1-year deal with Avs

Joe Sakic has signed a one-year with the Colorado Avalanche worth $5.75 million US, according to TSN's sister station in Quebec RDS.
Sakic, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, scored 32 goals and 55 assists in 82 games last season.
The Burnaby, B.C. native is entering his 18th season with the franchise since being taken 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
Sakic led them to the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the 1996 playoffs.
In 2001, he won a trio of awards including the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's MVP, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly conduct, and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league MVP voted for by his peers.

A great deal indeed. I wonder if we'll hold onto Blake or not. I just hope Theodore comes back to what he can be next season otherwise he's a huge cap hit.

[sachmo71]

Sakic is worth every penny.

[bronconick]

San Jose's needs are primarily a 1st line winger and maybe a top 4 defensemen. A faceoff specialist would be nice, but when your top 2 centers are Thornton and Marleau, all you can really do is hope they get better at winning them, since you can't exactly take them off the ice.

To get those holes filled, they have two #1 goalies in Nabokov and Toskala, and a few extra young defensemen that are glutting the bottom 4-5 spots. Hannan and McLaren aren't going anywhere, nor are Ehrhoff or Preissing. Carle also has a spot locked up. That leaves Rob Davison, Josh Gorges and Doug Murray for the last three spots. I'd like to keep Murray and one of the other two, because Murray had more big hits in his 30 odd games this season then the rest of the team combined, and Edmonton basically pummelled the Sharks into submission, just as the Flames did in 03-04. Nils Ekman is possibly also trade bait, as he was absolutely dreadful in the playoffs alongside Cheechoo and Thornton.

The goalie thing is the interesting part, as Doug Wilson has basically said that they "probably won't" go with those two to start next season, and a lot of it depends on what each guy would gain them. Nabby had a down year, but did play injured much of the time, and was pretty darn good in the Olympics. Toskala finally ripped the starting job away from him and finished 24-7-4 and I think didn't lose a home game in regulation from mid-December until game 5 vs. Edmonton. He was 19-3-3 in his last 25 starts in the regular season.

I'd *assume* Nabokov will be the one traded if any major moves are made, as his $5.2 million a year salary would balance out picking up a top winger or defensemen, and the Sharks aren't going to spend to the cap, and will probably like to stick around $35-37 million (this season, I believe they ended around $33 or so.) The contract makes it likely that they won't get anything other then a hefty salary coming back or less then his actual value.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by mooreadamc

A great deal indeed. I wonder if we'll hold onto Blake or not. I just hope Theodore comes back to what he can be next season otherwise he's a huge cap hit.

Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen just that way if he keeps hitting the night life with Paris Hilton...

Don't know how his wife is dealing with it while she's dealing with a three month old baby...

FM

[mooreadamc]

Reading the TSN information and thinking about it some more, I think the Avs should let Blake go. He wasn't spectacular this year and is certainly not worth as much as he's being paid. Misewell go for a guy like McKee and pick up another vet. Or maybe Jovo

[mooreadamc]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen just that way if he keeps hitting the night life with Paris Hilton...

Don't know how his wife is dealing with it while she's dealing with a three month old baby...

FM

Really? This is the first mention i've heard of this. What a nice guy

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Wait, you're complaining about the character of a guy who would choose family interests over money?

No, I'm saying a guy who's only allowed to play for the Islanders because his wife says so may not have the "win at all costs" attitude that you want from your franchise player.

Sounds like a moot point, though, based on the article in today's Star.

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by mooreadamc

Really? This is the first mention i've heard of this. What a nice guy

nto sure if you're just being sarcastic with the rolling eyes and all, anyway, take a look:
http://www.canada.com/topics/enterta...cbb022&k=80081
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rtainment/home
http://thebosh.com/archives/2006/06/...ns_new_man.php
http://www.tmz.com/2006/06/19/paris-...ts-she-scores/

FM

[DeToxRox]

Wings, if they can get Lulungo to sign a 3-5 year deal, have to pull the trigger and say buh bye to Datsyuk.

HB said it best, Zetterbeg is future, and down the road you won't be able to keep both, so get rid of Dats and get a "potential" and I stress potential, hall of fame caliber goalie.

[Travis]

Well, let's see where the changing of the guard starts in Edmonton. Here's their lineup (and status) from Game 7:

Smyth (signed) - Horcoff (RFA) - Hemsky (RFA)
Samsonov (UFA) - Stoll (RFA) - Dvorak (UFA)
Torres (signed) - Peca (UFA) - Pisani (UFA)
Moreau (signed) - Murray (UFA) - Harvey (UFA)
Winchester (signed) - Petersen (RFA) - Laraque (UFA)
Jacques (signed) - Schremp (signed) - Pouliot (signed)

Pronger (signed) - J. Smith (signed)
Staios (signed) - Spacek (UFA)
Tarnstrom (UFA) - Greene (signed)
Bergeron (signed) - Syvret (signed)
D. Smith (RFA)

Roloson (UFA)
Markkanen (signed)
Conklin (signed)

As far as I look at it, Peca is definitely gone. Samsonov/Tarnstrom/Dvorak/Laraque/Harvey/Murray are likely gone. I see Edmonton making a strong play to resign Spacek, if that fails, then possibly a move for Tarnstrom. The only other scenario that Tarnstrom says is if they look to move one of J. Smith/Staios/Bergeron/Greene in a trade.

Pisani has possibly priced himself out of Edmonton's range and has become, along with Horcoff, two potential stumbling blocks for building this organization. Hemsky has already proven that while he may be inconsistent, that he's the most talented forward on the team, and should get a nice contract, and is deserving of being a first liner in this league. Where we can get in trouble is by giving guys like Horcoff too much money for too many years in too big of a role. Schremp is supposed to be our #1 center, so signing Horcoff for anything more than 2 years would be a sign to me that Stoll is being shopped around. Pisani on the other hand may be the second line replacement for Dvorak while Torres replaces Samsonov on the wing. Moreau back to his third line status. I can't help but give benefit of the doubt for now to Pisani, but I personally believe that he's an ideal third line winger who I would love to have back at third line price, but with the way his playoffs went and his unrestricted status, I really fear that second line time and money will be needed to keep him, and with all the other movement, I think the brass will be under pressure to keep him.

Samsonov, when he's on, what a great player, but we already have one Raffi Torres, no need to sink first line money into Sergei, and again, I think somebody out there will be willing to show him that kind of money, so let him walk too.

The big question will be in net. If we resign Roloson, then it's an extra third rounder to Minnesota, but can Roli be an answer for more than one more year? Is he even an answer for next year? Personally, and this is likely not a very popular opinion in Edmonton right now, but I'd like to see them explore other avenues for a 28-32 year old to hold the fort for 3 years while Deslauriers and Dubnyk battle it out to see who is our future between the pipes.

In the end though, I'm hoping we sign Horcoff to a 2 year deal, ink Hemsky long term, hang onto Stoll, let Tarnstrom walk while keeping Spacek, bring up Schremp/Pouliot/Winchester/Jacques/Petersen next year. At that point, your top two lines are pretty good offensively, you have a wonderful defensive corps, and you can focus on a second line winger and in net with likely some decent money to spend back there.

Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky
Torres-Stoll-?
Moreau-Schremp-Pisani
Jacques-Pouliot-Winchester
Petersen-?

Pronger-Smith
Staios-Spacek
Greene-Bergeron
Syvret

?
Markkanen

Not necessarily a lot of big names there, but add the right compliment on that second line RW spot, and there is a nice amount of offensive upside to every line with a lot of young up and coming talent. Might not be the veteran fourth line most coaches like, but it would be a vast improvement to Harvey-Murray-Laraque.

[mooreadamc]

Originally Posted by FrogMan

nto sure if you're just being sarcastic with the rolling eyes and all, anyway, take a look:
http://www.canada.com/topics/enterta...cbb022&k=80081
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...rtainment/home
http://thebosh.com/archives/2006/06/...ns_new_man.php
http://www.tmz.com/2006/06/19/paris-...ts-she-scores/

FM

of course I was being sarcastic with the rolling eyes. I really never heard of this until today but I think it's wrong of him to do that to his wife.

[mooreadamc]

Originally Posted by Travis

?
Markkanen

I actually think it will look like:

Markkanen
?

He played very well in the Finals and still has 4 more good years left. I believe he's 31 isn't he?

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by mooreadamc

of course I was being sarcastic with the rolling eyes. I really never heard of this until today but I think it's wrong of him to do that to his wife.

I thought you were being sarcastic about having never heard about it, heh. And I also think it's wrong of him to do that to his wife but I guess we don't hold ourselves to the same standards as these guys seem to do. That, and he's got a pea for a brain.

FM

[johnnyshaka]

Travis...I agree with a lot of the moves you'd like to see...especially the goalie situation. I'm not convinced Rollie is the right option despite his great playoffs simply because he's going to want big money for more than a year or two and I don't think that's what we need to be doing. First of all, we really need a youngster to step it up and make a play for the fulltime job in Edmonton...up to this point, nobody has. Do we look at grabbing somebody on draft day...hmmmm...sure, why not...but that isn't going to help us now. What the answer is, I don't know...but Rollie isn't it.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by mooreadamc

I actually think it will look like:

Markkanen
?

He played very well in the Finals and still has 4 more good years left. I believe he's 31 isn't he?

Six games shouldn't erase his previous performances. He definitely got a fair shot at winning the starting role this season and didn't take advantage of it and I'm guessing he'll probably only get that same oppurtunity if Lowe can't find a better alternative at an affordable price.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by DeToxRoxDVHStyle

Wings, if they can get Lulungo to sign a 3-5 year deal, have to pull the trigger and say buh bye to Datsyuk.

HB said it best, Zetterbeg is future, and down the road you won't be able to keep both, so get rid of Dats and get a "potential" and I stress potential, hall of fame caliber goalie.

What is the story on Grigorenko's recovery? Is he ready to step in, if healthy? Or, after missing time, will he need another year?

[DeToxRox]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

What is the story on Grigenko's recovery? Is he ready to step in, if healthy? Or, after missing time, will he need another year?

He was going to come over this yeae, but his Russian team are paying him $1 mil tax free to stay in Russia, so he's going to play there another year. His agent states he wants to play in the NHL and that he'll be a Wing in 07-08.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by DeToxRoxDVHStyle

Wings, if they can get Lulungo to sign a 3-5 year deal, have to pull the trigger and say buh bye to Datsyuk.

HB said it best, Zetterbeg is future, and down the road you won't be able to keep both, so get rid of Dats and get a "potential" and I stress potential, hall of fame caliber goalie.

Signability is the biggest problem with Luongo. I reckon he'll be asking for quite a bit.

Here's a look at the numbers:

Currently, the Wings have eleven players signed for next season.

Holmstrom ($1.475 million), Maltby ($1.444 million), Datsyuk ($3.9 million), Zetterberg ($2.65 million), Lang ($3.8 million), Draper ($2.128 million), Samuelsson ($1.2 million), Lilja ($1 million), Kronwall ($840,000), Schneider ($3.3 million), and Chelios ($850,000). That brings us to $22.587 million.

Now let's factor in the free agents. Shanahan will likely resign, and very likely get a raise. However, he is a reasonable guy, so it is doubtful he will get up to $3 million. Suppose he gets $2.8 million. Franzen is an RFA, and he isn't a big-name player. Suppose he gets a small raise to $750,000. Lebda will resign, probably for about $850,000, maybe a little less. Osgood will take a pay cut, perhaps down to $850,000. Cleary made $450,000 last season. Assuming we keep him, he might get $500,000. Williams is sort of a wild card. He also made $450,000 last season, and was grossly underpaid. Supposing he signs, he could probably get $1 million. Lidstrom will sign, hopefully for around $8 million. That puts the total at $37.337.

Now, take away Datsyuk's salary, and say the Wings sign Luongo for $7 million. That brings them to right around $40 million. The cap is going to be about $44 million. That leaves $4 million to play with. The Wings need one, maybe two, additional depth defensemen. There goes a mil. Replacing Datsyuk could easily take $2 mil. Assuming Yzerman comes back, and assuming he takes very little money (say, $750,000), that leaves us with
$350,000, approximately. We end up with a hole in our offense, an unproven (and pricey) goaltender, and no wiggle room.

It's possible that Luongo will settle for less than $7 million, but I can't see him settling for too much less. $6 million? Maybe. $5 million? Not too likely.

Unless the Wings do actually aquire Luongo, they'll have some cap room to
play with.

Not all of the above players are returning, of course, but replacements that fit the tough/fast bill won't be vastly more expensive since they'll have to be lesser-known guys anyway.

One opinion on the goaltending issue is that the Wings shouldn't risk so much on Luongo and should instead go for a cheaper veteran with the intention of ushering in their own young goalies within a couple years. They need to spend money on their skaters, not their goalie.

The opposite view is that goaltending is the most important position by far and the Wings would be foolish to pass up on an opporunity to get a potential hall of fame goalie who likely hasn't even reached his prime.