Silly Season 2009: Free Agents and Trades--Who Goes Where?

Thats exactly it, and at 27 and a low cap hit, his value may never be higher than it is now.

Neely4Life wrote:Thats exactly it, and at 27 and a low cap hit, his value may never be higher than it is now.

IMHO Neely is correct in this respect...solid d-men like Volchenkov have tangible value, and there are more than a few teams who would welcome his combination of character and ability.

The available UFA pool continues to shrink and we are moving into the 'trading' part of the summer.

Bryan Murray may find himself among the GMs who decide on looking towards the future, rather than simply next season.

These GMs take the view that accumulating young, inexpensive talent means they have to forego short term success for the opportunity to build a strong team over the long term.

Dean Lombardi and John Davidson are two examples whose clubs are starting to emerge as a result.

The next few months will show us which GMs follow that philosophy; which ones have decided that spending now to go for the Cup is worth the risk; and which ones are somewhere in between.

Interesting how some observers praise Ken Holland for signing his stars to 'lifetime' deals (Zetterberg, Franzen et al) and then are 'surprised' when other GMs follow suit. Getting 'creative' with the cap is now part of the business...and a necessary one.

How many mid-range UFAs will remain unsigned? While about 50 deals were done over the last few days, I believe some 300 UFAs are on the market. We may see what NHLPA Director Paul Kelly meant when he called some players 'cap casualties'--players out of contract who can't find new homes--very soon.

Here's the updated UFA list from TSN:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=11850

TSN's Matt Cullen also has an article today that reviews a number of UFA signings, especially the less flashy ones.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283421

Are these players 'worth the money?' is always the question asked...but the answer is simply that the market dictates the price.

You either play the game, or you watch the others...

Is there a 'right' or 'wrong' way to build your team? The contrast between Pittsburgh and Detroit's approaches in winning their respective Stanley Cups, and what the previous winners, Anaheim and Carolina, have done since then, reveals that the answer is far more complex than most of us imagine.

The Rangers just signed Tyler Arnason to a two-way contract, as well as Corey Locked and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau. I'm kind of shocked Arnason accepted the fact that it was a two-way, but after only amassing a paltry 22 points last season, guess that's what he deserves.

Oh Tyler.

Another Red Wing takes flight elsewhere. From Spector's Hockey:

TSN reports the Vancouver Canucks have signed former Detroit Red Wings forward Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

SPECTOR'S NOTE: A good signing by the Canucks. Samuelsson's had three seasons of 40 or more points and his versatility and playoff experience makes him a solid addition.

Per MaxHockey.com Free Agent Live blog @ 2:11 PM ET, Wild sign ex-Bruin d-man Shane Hnidy and the Pens re-up Fedo at $1,8MM/1yr.

http://www.maxhockey.com/Freeagents/Freeagents_070109.php

Doesn't this give the Wild too many d-men?

Neither capgeek nor CapCentral list Martin Skoula as being on the Wild roster. Is he a free agent?

asq2 wrote:Neither capgeek nor CapCentral list Martin Skoula as being on the Wild roster. Is he a free agent?

Per TSN's list, he is.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=11816

Don't think this has been posted yet, but Ryane Clowe has just re-signed with the Sharks. It is a 4 year contract, worth a total of $14M. That translates to $3.5M a year.

Seems awfully high to me, but I know a few of you are pretty high on this kid.

What's notable about this move is that they are 1.5M from the cap, with 4 forwards and a back-up goalie needed to complete their roster.

Bass Destruction wrote:Don't think this has been posted yet, but Ryane Clowe has just re-signed with the Sharks. It is a 4 year contract, worth a total of $14M. That translates to $3.5M a year.

Seems awfully high to me, but I know a few of you are pretty high on this kid.

What's notable about this move is that they are 1.5M from the cap, with 4 forwards and a back-up goalie needed to complete their roster.

Posted on the Sharks thread when it was confirmed.

2.5 to 3.5 seems to be the going rate right now for guys like Clowe, Samuelsson, Bolland, Pahlsson etc.

davetherave wrote:

Bass Destruction wrote:Don't think this has been posted yet, but Ryane Clowe has just re-signed with the Sharks. It is a 4 year contract, worth a total of $14M. That translates to $3.5M a year.

Seems awfully high to me, but I know a few of you are pretty high on this kid.

What's notable about this move is that they are 1.5M from the cap, with 4 forwards and a back-up goalie needed to complete their roster.

Posted on the Sharks thread when it was confirmed.

2.5 to 3.5 seems to be the going rate right now for guys like Clowe, Samuelsson, Bolland, Pahlsson etc.

My apologies for the redundancy.

BD>no apologies needed...systems redundancy is a good thing sometimes

PS reported by RDS
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/277689.html

...and from The Fourth Period:

DEVILS, RANGERS PURSUING KOIVU
http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/njd090703.html

Unrestricted free agent center Saku Koivu is pretty popular these days, as several clubs appear to be knocking on his door.

The Minnesota Wild has already presented Koivu with an offer, which sources tell TFP is for three-years.

It's believed the Anaheim Ducks may have also pitched an offer, while the Columbus Blue Jackets have reportedly inquired.

However, two teams are supposedly upping their efforts in an attempt to sign the former Canadiens captain.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers are believed to have submitted multi-year offers to Koivu, who has spent his entire 13-year NHL career in Montreal.
Koivu has not indicated a timeframe as to when a decision will be made.

You know, the most improved team IMO are The Thrashers. They have only added and really nothing has been taken away.

If by some miracle Lehtonen can stay healthy, they are going to be a real surprise. Kubina is a solid, solid D man and Antropov will get his anual 20 goals. Bogosian has a year under his belt and more support, Kovulchuk has a little more ot play with... watch out they may squeek into the playoffs.

asq2 wrote:Neither capgeek nor CapCentral list Martin Skoula as being on the Wild roster. Is he a free agent?

This capgeek place is the Dung.

SpezDispenser wrote:

asq2 wrote:Neither capgeek nor CapCentral list Martin Skoula as being on the Wild roster. Is he a free agent?

This capgeek place is the Dung.

Agreed.

It's the only place who has the info on Karlsson's contract.

rooneypoo wrote:Agreed.

It's the only place who has the info on Karlsson's contract.

That Alfie cap hit isn't right, is it?

Oh wait, there's a 700K buyout, so 4.9 + 0.7, 5.6. That sounds about right.