Big Names On The Move...or Not?

asq2 wrote:Would these players have to pass through waivers, or is that only if they sign mid-season?

EDIT: That was probably a pretty stupid question. :oops:

No, it's a fair question...my understanding is that Jagr, Emery and Radulov do not.

Jagr and Emery are free agents, and Radulov belongs to the Preds.

I think the Dubieliewicz situation was a little different, but not sure...it may have had something to do with Dubie coming back mid-season.

There's another wrinkle to this year's free agent crop: the RFAs, some of whom have been known to attract serious attention.

Here's Lyle 'Spectors Hockey' Richardson's list of notable Restricted Free Agents...

Notable NHL Restricted Free Agents - 2009.
Mar 16, 2009
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/Spector/2009/03/16/Notable_NHL_Restricted_Free_Agents

The NHL's salary cap for next season is expected to flat-line and remaing around $56. 7 million and it is expected to drop substantially in 2010-11.

That's going to make life interesting for this summer's crop of restricted free agents both in re-signing lucrative new contracts with their current teams or attracting offer sheets from rivals.

Here's a list of this summer's most notable NHL RFAs:
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Erik Christensen, James Wisniewski.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: Colby Armstrong, Kari Lehtonen.
BOSTON BRUINS: Phil Kessel, David Krejci.
BUFFALO SABRES: Clarke MacArthur, Andrej Sekera, Drew Stafford.
CALGARY FLAMES: Dustin Boyd.
CAROLINA HURRICANES: Anton Babchuk, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Cam Barker, Dave Bolland, Kris Versteeg.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Peter Budaj.
DALLAS STARS: Tobias Stephen.
DETROIT RED WINGS: Jiri Hudler.
EDMONTON OILERS: Gilbert Brule, Denis Grebeshkov, Ladislav Smid
FLORIDA PANTHERS: David Booth, Steve Eminger.
LOS ANGELES KINGS: Jack Johnson.
MINNESOTA WILD: Josh Harding.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Tomas Plekanec.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Ryan Jones.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Andy Greene, Travis Zajac
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Blake Comeau.
NEW YORK RANGERS: Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Nikolai Zherdev.
OTTAWA SENATORS: Brian Elliott.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: None.
PHOENIX COYOTES: Petr Prucha, Scottie Upshall,Keith Yandle.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Alex Goligoski.
SAN JOSE SHARKS: Ryane Clowe.
ST. LOUIS BLUES: Jay McClement.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Lukas Krajicek.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Mikhail Grabovski, Justin Pogge.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Steve Bernier, Shane O'Brien, Kyle Wellwood.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Shoane Morrisonn, Eric Fehr

I've been re-thinking my position on RFA offer sheets. If salaries for new contracts are going to be lower because of the coming cap crunch, then this would be a great time for an offer sheet. Compensation is still based on the high cap, so if you can sign an RFA for less than last year's numbers, you will need to provide less compensation -- relatively speaking. For example, Meszaros almost got an offer sheet for $4M? That's a 1st, 2nd and 3rd. If the salary for a similar case gets dropped even a little, the compensation drops to a 1st and 3rd. If it drops substantially, to around $2.5M, then the compensation drops to just a 2nd. OK, so maybe Meszaros was not a great example, but surely there are some making $3M that would drop to $2.5M, and that's a difference between a 1st and 3rd and just a 2nd.

Mind you, if the compensation and salaries drop, then the home team is more likely to match, but it won't stop GMs from trying.

davetherave wrote:There's another wrinkle to this year's free agent crop: the RFAs, some of whom have been known to attract serious attention.

Here's Lyle 'Spectors Hockey' Richardson's list of notable Restricted Free Agents...

Notable NHL Restricted Free Agents - 2009.
Mar 16, 2009
http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/Spector/2009/03/16/Notable_NHL_Restricted_Free_Agents

The NHL's salary cap for next season is expected to flat-line and remaing around $56. 7 million and it is expected to drop substantially in 2010-11.

That's going to make life interesting for this summer's crop of restricted free agents both in re-signing lucrative new contracts with their current teams or attracting offer sheets from rivals.

Here's a list of this summer's most notable NHL RFAs:
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Erik Christensen, James Wisniewski.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: Colby Armstrong, Kari Lehtonen.
BOSTON BRUINS: Phil Kessel, David Krejci.
BUFFALO SABRES: Clarke MacArthur, Andrej Sekera, Drew Stafford.
CALGARY FLAMES: Dustin Boyd.
CAROLINA HURRICANES: Anton Babchuk, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Cam Barker, Dave Bolland, Kris Versteeg.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Peter Budaj.
DALLAS STARS: Tobias Stephen.
DETROIT RED WINGS: Jiri Hudler.
EDMONTON OILERS: Gilbert Brule, Denis Grebeshkov, Ladislav Smid
FLORIDA PANTHERS: David Booth, Steve Eminger.
LOS ANGELES KINGS: Jack Johnson.
MINNESOTA WILD: Josh Harding.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Tomas Plekanec.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Ryan Jones.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Andy Greene, Travis Zajac
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Blake Comeau.
NEW YORK RANGERS: Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Nikolai Zherdev.
OTTAWA SENATORS: Brian Elliott.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: None.
PHOENIX COYOTES: Petr Prucha, Scottie Upshall,Keith Yandle.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Alex Goligoski.
SAN JOSE SHARKS: Ryane Clowe.
ST. LOUIS BLUES: Jay McClement.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Lukas Krajicek.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Mikhail Grabovski, Justin Pogge.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Steve Bernier, Shane O'Brien, Kyle Wellwood.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Shoane Morrisonn, Eric Fehr

wow, there are definitely some guys on that list I wouldn't mind BM throwing an offer sheet at, the big three, Kreici (sp?), Zajac, and Booth.

Could be some hot RFA action this year...some real talent on this list.

davetherave wrote:
Here's a list of this summer's most notable NHL RFAs:
ANAHEIM DUCKS: Erik Christensen, James Wisniewski.
ATLANTA THRASHERS: Colby Armstrong, Kari Lehtonen.
BOSTON BRUINS: Phil Kessel, David Krejci.
BUFFALO SABRES: Clarke MacArthur, Andrej Sekera, Drew Stafford.
CALGARY FLAMES: Dustin Boyd.
CAROLINA HURRICANES: Anton Babchuk, Jussi Jokinen, Tuomo Ruutu.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Cam Barker, Dave Bolland, Kris Versteeg.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: Ole-Kristian Tollefsen
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Peter Budaj.
DALLAS STARS: Tobias Stephen.
DETROIT RED WINGS: Jiri Hudler.
EDMONTON OILERS: Gilbert Brule, Denis Grebeshkov, Ladislav Smid
FLORIDA PANTHERS: David Booth, Steve Eminger.
LOS ANGELES KINGS: Jack Johnson.
MINNESOTA WILD: Josh Harding.
MONTREAL CANADIENS: Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Tomas Plekanec.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS: Ryan Jones.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Andy Greene, Travis Zajac
NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Blake Comeau.
NEW YORK RANGERS: Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Nikolai Zherdev.
OTTAWA SENATORS: Brian Elliott.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: None.
PHOENIX COYOTES: Petr Prucha, Scottie Upshall,Keith Yandle.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Alex Goligoski.
SAN JOSE SHARKS: Ryane Clowe.
ST. LOUIS BLUES: Jay McClement.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Lukas Krajicek.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: Mikhail Grabovski, Justin Pogge.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Steve Bernier, Shane O'Brien, Kyle Wellwood.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Shoane Morrisonn, Eric Fehr

OMG, imagine putting Clowe with Foligno and Fisher.

Ah, now you're speaking my language Heater. I've been drooling over Clowe for a while now, and yes, if he could be inserted on a line with the two F's, LOOK THE HELL OUT!!

Cronie wrote:Ah, now you're speaking my language Heater. I've been drooling over Clowe for a while now, and yes, if he could be inserted on a line with the two F's, LOOK THE HELL OUT!!

queue the offer sheets, have we enough draft picks for this? a draft pick is a risk, so would rather take the chance of getting a proven player through an offer sheet. maybe that is what burkie has on his mind over in the lala land since he stockpiled a few picks.

Perhaps this has been addressed before, but I have missed it -

If a player signs a deal this summer, before the cap drops, then the cap drops, doesn't the lower cap, particularly the escrow provision, provide for a proportional reduction in the cap hit? Or does it just reduce the actual salary paid?

SensFan71 wrote:

Cronie wrote:Ah, now you're speaking my language Heater. I've been drooling over Clowe for a while now, and yes, if he could be inserted on a line with the two F's, LOOK THE HELL OUT!!

queue the offer sheets, have we enough draft picks for this? a draft pick is a risk, so would rather take the chance of getting a proven player through an offer sheet. maybe that is what burkie has on his mind over in the lala land since he stockpiled a few picks.

I think if the cap shrinks, RFA offer-sheets will probably go by the way-side. Rookie contracts and thus first-round picks will become more and more valuable.

So I am curious to see if a team that is looking for a good young goalie will throw some money at Elliott this off season knowing that Murray has already got Leclaire in the stables for 3.8/yr. If Murray doesn't resign Elliott before July 1 a team might be willing to throw a decent buck at Elliott to prior him away. Thoughts?

I was just checking and, man, a lot of teams don't have two goalies signed for next season. Some don't even have one -- like Buffalo. Realistically, though, by season's end he'll have a whopping 30 games under his belt, .909 SV% and no shutouts. He may not even be on anyone's radar out West. Back East, though, I'm sure Darcy (Buffalo) could be tempted. But it would still be a risk to give him anything more than $1.2-1.5M as a backup, and we should be able to match that. Ottawa's been good to him, unless someone throws $2.5-3M his way I don't think he'll sign. But stranger things have happened.

Phoenix30 wrote:So I am curious to see if a team that is looking for a good young goalie will throw some money at Elliott this off season knowing that Murray has already got Leclaire in the stables for 3.8/yr. If Murray doesn't resign Elliott before July 1 a team might be willing to throw a decent buck at Elliott to prior him away. Thoughts?

I have said on a number of occasions that Elliott could be the target of an offer sheet when he becomes an RFA. He's certainly making a strong case for himself, and as some of our esteemed members have said, a LOT of teams are looking for goalie help.

davetherave wrote:

Phoenix30 wrote:So I am curious to see if a team that is looking for a good young goalie will throw some money at Elliott this off season knowing that Murray has already got Leclaire in the stables for 3.8/yr. If Murray doesn't resign Elliott before July 1 a team might be willing to throw a decent buck at Elliott to prior him away. Thoughts?

I have said on a number of occasions that Elliott could be the target of an offer sheet when he becomes an RFA. He's certainly making a strong case for himself, and as some of our esteemed members have said, a LOT of teams are looking for goalie help.

I suspect that a team looking for a goalie and strikes out on the UFA market may consider going after Elliott as an RFA or trade with Murray. Boston, Philly, Oilers, Detriot, Colorado, Kings (maybe), and Caps (could do with an upgrade) could be in the market for a goalie. Is there enough to go around while factoring in Cap restraints. Elliott could be a cheap option for another team while being a little high priced for Murray.

I think Elliott will be resigned and Auld will be dealt. A team like Calgary needs a reliable backup and that is just what Auld is.

Elliott you can probably sign for 1-3 years at about 650-750K.

I seriously dont see how Spezza is going to fit into the team concept here in Ottawa and the new approch they are taking to defense. I also dont see how Smith is going to fit in with that contract and what he brings as the 5th, 6th D man. Between the 2 of them, thats freeing up almost 10 mil, not to mention the money you save dealing Auld and not having Brian Lee up here.

This team will soon go from being stacked up front to being stacked in the back end, goaltenders and defense. Ottawa will still have 2, 100pt guys up front and who knows what will happen with some kids in our organization. Thats how this team will be able to compete on a high level and for a long time.

Neely4Life wrote:I think Elliott will be resigned and Auld will be dealt. A team like Calgary needs a reliable backup and that is just what Auld is.

Elliott you can probably sign for 1-3 years at about 650-750K.

I seriously dont see how Spezza is going to fit into the team concept here in Ottawa and the new approch they are taking to defense. I also dont see how Smith is going to fit in with that contract and what he brings as the 5th, 6th D man. Between the 2 of them, thats freeing up almost 10 mil, not to mention the money you save dealing Auld and not having Brian Lee up here.

This team will soon go from being stacked up front to being stacked in the back end, goaltenders and defense. Ottawa will still have 2, 100pt guys up front and who knows what will happen with some kids in our organization. Thats how this team will be able to compete on a high level and for a long time.

Elliott is already making 942,400 and is an RFA. I don't think he'll sign for less money but rather get a raise in which case he could be a target for an RFA contract. As well I think Ottawa is required to offer him a minimum of 10% more on his contract to qualify him since he is an RFA.

Phoenix30 wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:I think Elliott will be resigned and Auld will be dealt. A team like Calgary needs a reliable backup and that is just what Auld is.

Elliott you can probably sign for 1-3 years at about 650-750K.

I seriously dont see how Spezza is going to fit into the team concept here in Ottawa and the new approch they are taking to defense. I also dont see how Smith is going to fit in with that contract and what he brings as the 5th, 6th D man. Between the 2 of them, thats freeing up almost 10 mil, not to mention the money you save dealing Auld and not having Brian Lee up here.

This team will soon go from being stacked up front to being stacked in the back end, goaltenders and defense. Ottawa will still have 2, 100pt guys up front and who knows what will happen with some kids in our organization. Thats how this team will be able to compete on a high level and for a long time.

Elliott is already making 942,400 and is an RFA. I don't think he'll sign for less money but rather get a raise in which case he could be a target for an RFA contract. As well I think Ottawa is required to offer him a minimum of 10% more on his contract to qualify him since he is an RFA.

Elliott will not be making more than 1 mil a year, thats for sure. Plus, he could very well be the goaltender of the future (maybe present) for Ottawa. There is no way Elliott will be making more than, say, Halak in Montreal. That is his best comparable right now, which is around 750K I believe.

Ottawa not resigning Elliott would be an epic mistake, especially if its only a 250K diff.

Neely4Life wrote:

Phoenix30 wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:I think Elliott will be resigned and Auld will be dealt. A team like Calgary needs a reliable backup and that is just what Auld is.

Elliott you can probably sign for 1-3 years at about 650-750K.

I seriously dont see how Spezza is going to fit into the team concept here in Ottawa and the new approch they are taking to defense. I also dont see how Smith is going to fit in with that contract and what he brings as the 5th, 6th D man. Between the 2 of them, thats freeing up almost 10 mil, not to mention the money you save dealing Auld and not having Brian Lee up here.

This team will soon go from being stacked up front to being stacked in the back end, goaltenders and defense. Ottawa will still have 2, 100pt guys up front and who knows what will happen with some kids in our organization. Thats how this team will be able to compete on a high level and for a long time.

Elliott is already making 942,400 and is an RFA. I don't think he'll sign for less money but rather get a raise in which case he could be a target for an RFA contract. As well I think Ottawa is required to offer him a minimum of 10% more on his contract to qualify him since he is an RFA.

Elliott will not be making more than 1 mil a year, thats for sure. Plus, he could very well be the goaltender of the future (maybe present) for Ottawa. There is no way Elliott will be making more than, say, Halak in Montreal. That is his best comparable right now, which is around 750K I believe.

Ottawa not resigning Elliott would be an epic mistake, especially if its only a 250K diff.

The question was rather a team targeting Elliott as an RFA if a deal is not done by July 1. I agree it would be a mistake for Ottawa not to resign him but at the same time if he keeps playing well he does hold the cards because he could always wait until after July 1 to see what happens on the market. He could chose to sign elsewhere if someone offered him a starters spot.