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

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.

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

Actually, I don't think that is quite right.

Alfie's contract is super weird. His cap hit is actually not constant, like every other contract in the league, because the Sens had to buyout his option years, which only cover 3 years (I think) of the 4-year deal. The last year of his deal, I think, has a different cap hit than the first 3. Something like that.

I think I worked out this question in detail in the thread that announced the Alfie re-signing, whenever that was.

Worth checking out IMHO...the MaxHockey Live Blog:

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

Day Three: Plenty of free agents remain on the open market as we begin July 4, including:

Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Sergei Zubov, Maxim Afinogenov, Robert Lang, Mike Zigomanis, Francois Beauchemin, Todd Bertuzzi, Manny Malhotra, Ales Kotalik, Kyle Calder, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Travis Moen and Mats Sundin...

---

Done in real time via Twitter. Participants include Stan Fischler, James Mirtle, Greg 'Puck Daddy' Wyshynski, Darren Dreger, Paul Kukla, Damien Cox, among others. Fun and informative.

rooneypoo wrote:

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

Actually, I don't think that is quite right.

Alfie's contract is super weird. His cap hit is actually not constant, like every other contract in the league, because the Sens had to buyout his option years, which only cover 3 years (I think) of the 4-year deal. The last year of his deal, I think, has a different cap hit than the first 3. Something like that.

I think I worked out this question in detail in the thread that announced the Alfie re-signing, whenever that was.

Do you remember the number you came up with? It must be close to that. I remember 5.4, but I can't swear to that.

ESPN's Scott Burnside gives his opinion on what the teams who were less than active in the UFA frenzy of the past few days, need to do next.

FOR SOME, CHANGE MUST COME (AND QUICKLY)
Scott Burnside, ESPN.com, July 3, 2009

We've spent a lot of time trying to gauge who the winners have been through the first two hectic days of free agency.

Chicago, the New York Rangers, Montreal (the Habs get consideration simply for the volume of changes they've made) and Toronto are all teams that have changed their identity since the beginning of the week. Such changes don't necessarily guarantee success on the ice, but they do suggest, well, change.
But what of the teams that maybe had high hopes or a desire to effect change when the free-agency period began but haven't been able to get the job done?


Here's a look at some teams that still have some work to do, or give the impression of having unfinished business, as the free-agency period quickly gives way to the dog days of summer:




Ottawa Senators

Wonder what's holding things up in the Canadian capital? Oh, yeah, the Sens' best player wants out, has a no-movement deal, snubs Edmonton (who hasn't?), leaving team and his own reputation in tatters. Ho hum. Until the Dany Heatley mess (and really, "mess" doesn't adequately cover this fiasco) gets resolved, the Senators will be in limbo, unable to sign free agents and fill the holes they have up front and along the blue line.

GM Bryan Murray was unable to fully chase sniper Mike Cammalleri, who ended up in Montreal, and now the forward cupboard is bare save for the leftovers from Montreal (Saku Koivu, Robert Lang, Alex Tanguay and Alexei Kovalev). All in all, it's shaping up to be another long summer in Ottawa.




Vancouver Canucks

We praised GM Mike Gillis for being proactive in signing the Sedin twins to long-term deals, but the team many think is a blink from becoming a Stanley Cup contender is actually at least half a step removed from where it was when it was ousted in the second round by a young Chicago squad. Although Daniel and Henrik are locked up, the Canucks still need more dynamic scoring up front.

With tired Mats Sundin out of the picture, Gillis needs to get busy in shoring up the offense or the Canucks will fall to the back of the pack in the ultracompetitive Western Conference. Gillis did bring in another complementary scorer in former Red Wing Mikael Samuelsson, who signed a three-year deal worth $7.5 million Friday. Then, there's the hole on the blue line created by the departure of Mattias Ohlund (Tampa Bay).




Los Angeles Kings

This is an important season for the evolving Kings after they hung around the playoff hunt until well past the midpoint in 2008-09. Signing solid blueliner Rob Scuderi is a great step forward in terms of getting L.A. into the postseason. He knows a thing or two about evolving young teams after spending his entire NHL career in Pittsburgh, where he won a Cup last month.

But there is a lot of work to be done up front. GM Dean Lombardi would like to add an impact player to his forward unit. Ideally, he'll get character and skill in the process. You can count Heatley out, given the recent comments made by assistant GM Ron Hextall, who said Heatley's inability to get along with coaches is a big red flag for the Kings.

So who's left? Ryan Smyth might be available (now signed by the Kings--Ed.), especially as it looks as if Joe Sakic might hang them up in Denver and the Avs will be in full rebuild mode. Is there enough offense left in gritty Smyth's tank to make it work for the Kings? What about Daniel Briere or Patrick Marleau? Kovalev doesn't look to be the answer, but Lombardi needs to do something.



San Jose Sharks

GM Doug Wilson promised change after the Sharks' annual playoff dive in April, and word on the street is he did try to move forward Ryane Clowe at the draft but couldn't. Clowe ended up signing a four-year deal with San Jose worth north of $3.5 million a year. Out of the Sharks' big pieces, it was largely believed Wilson might have tried to move captain Marleau. Yet Marleau, too, remains in the fold. The Sharks were one of four teams chasing the services of Swedish free-agent goalie Jonas Gustavsson, but that, too, remains unresolved.

After San Jose was embarrassed in the first round by Anaheim despite having won the Presidents' Trophy as the top regular-season team, Wilson will have to make some significant moves to try to tilt the scales in the Sharks' favor. Fans in San Jose are still waiting for a sign that will happen.



New Jersey Devils

Devils maestro GM Lou Lamoriello is like the Alfred E. Neuman of the hockey world this summer -- what, me worry? Lamoriello's coach flees town. One of his top forwards, Brian Gionta, bolts to Montreal, and his best defensive forward, John Madden, heads to Chicago. Gone, too, is Scott Clemmensen, the backup goalie who saved the Devils' season when Martin Brodeur went down with injury.

But Lamoriello insists all is well. Guess he's counting on Zach Parise to double his 45 goals and 94 points from last season because we're not sure who else will be carrying the load. And look for Brodeur to play, what, 80 games? Yes, the Devils re-signed defenseman Johnny Oduya before he hit the market as a free agent and this is a Devils team that continues to confound, losing key pieces and still making the playoffs this past season. But remember this, the Devils have failed to advance beyond the second round since winning the Cup in 2003 and have been bounced in the first round in two of four post-lockout seasons. It's a record of futility that is caused in large part by shortcomings in personnel.



Minnesota Wild

As we write this, rookie GM Chuck Fletcher is reportedly in hot pursuit of former Montreal captain Koivu, but the Wild are still a team that needs a solid offensive boost if it is to create a new identity for itself after years of mind-numbing, offense-second hockey that has tested the patience of one of the most loyal fan bases in the game.

Defense, the cliché suggests, wins championships, but that hasn't been the case in Minnesota, where the Wild have had one successful playoff season, advancing to the 2003 Western Conference finals. The Wild boast new management and coaching staffs as a result. With brittle Marian Gaborik now a New York Ranger, Fletcher signed Martin Havlat to a long-term deal. Havlat has his own durability issues, though, and he's more a complementary scorer than a leading actor.

Can Fletcher find someone to help shoulder the burden in Minnesota? Given that the team's leading scorer, Koivu's younger brother Mikko, had just 67 points and no one scored more than 25 goals last season, it would seem imperative.



Buffalo Sabres

OK, the Sabres did nominally replace underappreciated defenseman Jaroslav Spacek with journeyman rearguard Steve Montador. But Spacek, who was wooed to Montreal with a three-year deal, was the Sabres' top-scoring defenseman last season, and Montador won't fill that offensive void.

So, once again, the Sabres are hoping to close holes from within. That is a reasonable and certainly cost-effective way to manage a team -- when it works. But when you miss the playoffs for two straight seasons and have a track record of being unable to keep your talent in-house, patience grows thin for even the hardiest of fans, and the Sabres boast one of the most loyal fan groups in the NHL.

Scott Burnside covers the NHL for ESPN.com.

SpezDispenser wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

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

Actually, I don't think that is quite right.

Alfie's contract is super weird. His cap hit is actually not constant, like every other contract in the league, because the Sens had to buyout his option years, which only cover 3 years (I think) of the 4-year deal. The last year of his deal, I think, has a different cap hit than the first 3. Something like that.

I think I worked out this question in detail in the thread that announced the Alfie re-signing, whenever that was.

Do you remember the number you came up with? It must be close to that. I remember 5.4, but I can't swear to that.

Again, check the original thread. The answer will be there.

TSN regular Scott Cullen gives his opinion from his column this past week, on the less publicized 'second wave' of UFA signings and other deals.

THE SECOND WAVE OF FREE AGENCY
Scott Cullen, TSN.ca, July 7, 2009

After covering the big signings in the first couple days of free agency, it's time to start looking at the second wave of NHL free agency.

To start, here are Numbers Game pieces on the Smyth trade and the Canucks' signing of Samuelsson.

NASH
It wasn't cheap, but the Columbus Blue Jackets got franchise cornerstone Rick Nash locked up to an eight-year, $62.4-million deal. While the Blue Jackets are building more depth around Nash, which would have helped them overcome his potential departure, getting Nash signed eliminates the possibility that the Blue Jackets would be dogged by Nash rumours the same way that the Florida Panthers faced Jay Bouwmeester rumours all last season.

The 25-year-old power forward is coming off the second 40-goal season of his career and had a career-high 79 points and plus-11 rating last season. If he has promising centre Derick Brassard as his setup man for the forseeable future, there's little reason to think that Nash won't be a point-per-game performer for many years to come.

More Numbers Game -- this time it's Kovalev to Ottawa and Beauchemin to the Leafs.

KOISTINEN
It was such an underrated signing, I missed it when doing my first recap of Free Agent Frenzy and it's too bad because I think Ville Koistinen will be a terrific addition for the Panthers.
He couldn't get into the Predators' lineup consistently, but the 27-year-old Finn was effective when he did play and he could end up in a top-four role on the Panthers blueline before his two-year, $2.4-million deal is done.

CROMBEEN
Picked up off waivers from Dallas last season, B.J. Crombeen proved to be a useful fourth-line winger, finishing the year with 12 goals and 16 fights.
He's not a pure enforcer, but provides toughness on the third and fourth line and is signed for two years at a total cost of $1.745M, enough of a commitment from the Blues that he should have an opportunity to keep playing regularly.

LEINO
Even though the 25-year-old only played in 13 games with the Red Wings last season, he showed enough potential, with five goals, nine points and a plus-5 rating, that he can be expected to take on a regular top-nine role next season.
Ville Leino had a respectable 15 goals, 46 points and a plus-2 rating in 57 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL, but his skill level seemed better suited to Detroit's elite puck-possession game. Leino is signed for two years and $1.6-million, which could make him a real bargain if, with a year of North American experience, he can handle the NHL grind.

O'BRIEN
A tough guy defenceman who played fewer than 15 minutes per game last season, Shane O'Brien did get called out for not scrapping enough at one point last year, yet he still finished second in the league with 196 penalty minutes, thanks to the worst 5-on-5 penalty differential in the league, drawing six penalties while taking 36.

If he can play with some discipline, yet still keep his edge when it comes time to scrap, O'Brien can be a solid contributor and his toughness is why O'Brien earned a one-year deal for $1.6-million, effectively a chance to prove that he can be better than he was last season, when he had ten points, all assists, and was a career-high plus-6.

RAYCROFT
While he had his moments in Colorado last season, the end result was still subpar for 29-year-old Andrew Raycroft, as he finished with a 3.14 goals against average and .892 save percentage.

Signed for one year at $500,000, Raycroft is an inexpensive backup to Roberto Luongo, a job that only requires 8-12 starts as long as Luongo stays healthy and it means either another year of seasoning or time for top prospect Cory Schneider to be considered trade bait.

HIGGINS
Picked up in a trade with the Canadiens last week, Christopher Higgins signed a one-year, $2.25-million contract with the Rangers. My opinion of him as a player hasn't changed since the trade.

BROUWER
Troy Brouwer worked his way into a regular spot in the Blackhawks lineup as a 23-year-old and the right winger finished with 26 points and a plus-7 rating in 69 games.

A big forward, who can be a punishing hitter and effective presence in front of the net, Brouwer's offensive upside could be realized more readily with improved speed, but if he doesn't climb the depth chart, he's still a solid winger and good value for the next two years at a total of $2-million.

EAGER
25-year-old enforcer Ben Eager is coming off the best season of his career with career highs of 11 goals, 15 points and a plus-1 rating.

Eager isn't a true heavyweight, but has racked up 36 fights over the last three seasons, making him a presence that needs to be accounted for on the fourth line and his deal -- one-year, $965K -- is reasonable enough for that contribution.

Aaron JOHNSON
Though 26-year-old Aaron Johnson was limited to just 38 games last season, he was an important player for the Blackhawks to re-sign because while playing just over 14 minutes per game, he was a stunning plus-19.

Johnson has the size and mobility to warrant a legitimate chance in the top six and it appears he'll get it next season and he's signed for the bargain rate of $540,000.

FRASER
A character checker, Colin Fraser had 17 points in 81 games as a rookie for the Blackhawks last season.

Without some changes, Fraser may be in a battle just to get a regular spot in the Blackhawks lineup, but he's signed next year for $700,000.

BARKER
It took some time, but Cam Barker, the No. 3 pick in the 2004 Draft, broke through last season with 40 points -- 29 on the power play -- in 68 games.

Barker still has work to do in terms of positioning and play in his own end, as his minus-6 rating was worst on the Blackhawks, but the 23-year-old has started to achieve some of his potential and that was enough (along with some possible leverage from a qualifying offer mixup) to get a three-year, $9.25-million deal.

D.JONES
His 2008-2009 season was cut short by shoulder surgery, but 24-year-old David Jones has good size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) and speed and has shown enough in 67 NHL games over the last couple years that the Avs can take a longer look at him over the next two years, at a cost of $1.675-million.

While he would figure to be a third or fourth-line forward, Jones has an outside chance to do better than that given the Avalanche's current crop of forwards.

LUNDMARK
A 28-year-old who has played with four different teams in his 259-game career, Jamie Lundmark re-signed with Calgary after showing well, scoring a career-high eight goals in 27 games last season.

Signed to a one-year deal, Lundmark offers depth; he can play on the fourth line or move up to fill in on a scoring unit in a pinch.

GUSTAVSSON
After a sensational season with Farjestads in the Swedish Elite League, 24-year-old Jonas Gustavsson was in a bit of a recruiting war and ended up signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gustavsson led the SEL with a 1.96 goals against average and .932 save percentage in 42 games this past season. In 20 games in 2007-2008, his first year in the Elite League, Gustavsson posted a 2.40 goals against average and .919 save percentage. In the World Championships this year, he had a 2.83 goals against average and .914 save percentage in five games.

None of those numbers guarantee that he'll be able to do it in the NHL, but are good enough to suggest 'The Monster' deserves a chance and he'll get a good opportunity in Toronto.

Signed to a one-year deal for $810,000 (plus a possible $90,000 in bonuses) Gustavsson will challenge Vesa Toskala for the starting job, but with Toskala going into the final year of his contract, the 2009-2010 season could be a year of getting used to the NHL game before possibly moving into the starting role a year later.

MARCHANT
35-year-old Todd Marchant has been a role player over the last couple of seasons with the Ducks, tallying 34 points with a minus-5 rating in 147 games, but his hustle and veteran leadership was apparently enough for the Ducks to sign him to a two-year deal for $2.25-million.

VEILLEUX
Although 27-year-old Stephane Veilleux set career marks with 13 goals and 23 points for the Wild in 2008-2009, it wasn't a particularly memorable season as his minus-17 rating was worst on the team; not an ideal situation for a checking winger.

He gets a fresh start in Tampa Bay, where his hustle should keep him in the lineup regularly.

WOYWITKA
Admittedly, he didn't play the toughest minutes for the St. Louis Blues, but 25-year-old Jeff Woywitka had an effective season in 2008-2009, posting 18 points and a plus-8 rating while logging more than 18 minutes per game. However, as a restricted free agent, he wasn't tendered a qualifying offer by the Blues, makin him an unrestricted free agent.

Signed to a two-year deal for a very reasonable $1.3-million, Woywitka could be an inexpensive third pairing defenceman.

Still more to come this summer....

A look at stars still looking for a job...

Biron, Tanguay among stars still on sidelines
Goalies under gun the most
Jim Matheson, The Edmonton Journal, July 11, 2009

If you are goalie Martin Biron --a guy in the prime of your career, a guy who has played 119 games the past two NHL seasons --you are likely wondering how you've become an afterthought as a free agent.

Nikolai Khabibulin has brought the Bulin Wall to the Edmonton Oilers. Dwayne Roloson has moved East, joining the New York Islanders. Ray Emery has returned from exile in Russia to become a Philadelphia Flyer. Craig Anderson, a career backup, is getting a shot to be a starter with the Colorado Avalanche. Ty Conklin may share duties with Chris Mason for the St. Louis Blues. Mathieu Garon has found new work with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

But Biron, just 31 and a starter the past two years for the Flyers, is still unemployed. He is arguably the biggest name--certainly among the goaltending fraternity --to remain unsigned since the NHL's free agent market opened July 1.

Forwards Alex Tanguay, who had a bad shoulder last season with the Montreal Canadiens and had postseason surgery on the other one, is on the free-agent sidelines, and Rob Niedermayer, a big part of the Anaheim Ducks' 2006-07 Stanley Cup win, is waiting to see if his old general manager, Brian Burke, comes calling for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On defence, Sergei Zubov is the best item still on the shelves, mainly because he's 39 and coming off hip surgery, but the New Jersey Devils are apparently interested. Ditto for Columbus, because he once played for coach Ken Wang while with the Dallas Stars.

Goalies are under the biggest gun. There are only 30 NHL starters. Biron is faced with the reality of doors slamming on him the longer he goes without a new deal.

He may have to sign a greatly reduced contract from last year's $3.5 million, and he might only get work as a backup. He had a legitimate shot at the No. 1 job in Colorado, but the Avalanche opted for the cheaper Anderson, who pushed Tomas Vokoun on the Florida Panthers last year.

The Los Angeles Kings have no established starter, but seem to want to go with Jonathan Quick, who quietly played 44 games with a 2.48 average and four shutouts, and see if farmhand Jonathan Bernier is ready.

Teams are moving backups around. Scott Clemmensen signed in Florida, Antero Niittymaki with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yann Danis in New Jersey, Brian Boucher in Philadelphia. Alex Auld was traded to Dallas. The Leafs got Swede Jonas Gustavsson to play behind Vesa Toskala.

"Biron's a good goalie," said agent Steve Bartlett, who was able to get Brian Gionta (Montreal), Rob Scuderi (Los Angeles), Erik Cole (Carolina Hurricanes) and Steve Sullivan (Nashville Predators) signed in the first two days of free agency.

"I'm surprised he's still there, but obviously there is a limit to the number of jobs for goalies.

"There's six or seven goalies still looking for work."

Those still without work include Manny Fernandez, Martin Gerber, Kevin Weekes, Brent Johnson, Marc Denis and Joey McDonald.

"Thank God I don't have any goalies and I can sleep well at night," Bartlett said.

"There's still lots of bodies around, with teams thinking, 'Let's see if the price comes down after the early activity.' I know players are getting anxious. It becomes a case of musical chairs."

Tanguay, who made $5.375 million last year, may have priced himself out of most teams' range, although the Canadiens gave Gionta $5 million a year, a number Bartlett said was heartwarming. There is talk Florida and the Islanders may be interested in the former Calgary Flame. He's only 30, and he has 580 points in 659 career games, but also has a reputation of not necessarily going where the traffic is toughest. And those shoulder surgeries concern teams.

Zubov, because of his superior passing ability and his skill at running a power play, is still a hot item.

"Players of that calibre, there will be a job for them," said Bartlett.

We've seen more than a few of these over the past few weeks. Another example of a 'mid pack' player caught with his own price higher than the market might bear...

Tanguay remains in limbo

David Pagnotta, TheFourthPeriod.com/July 29, 2009

Unrestricted free agent Alex Tanguay has received a lot of interest from teams willing to sign him, but the offers to date has been less than impressive.

Tanguay, 29, made $5.325 million last season while playing for the Montreal Canadiens. The Ottawa Sun claims the best offer he's received so far has been for $1.2 million per season.

"A lot of teams simply don't have the cap space," an unnamed league executive told the Sun. "People were wondering how this free-agency period was going to shake out. The top players were still able to get their money. (The remaining top free agents) are going to have to fight for theirs.

"Now, they're all playing a waiting game. Both sides are waiting to see which side might bend. My belief is it’s going to have to be these players because the money just isn't there."

The Phoenix Coyotes, New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the teams that have inquired about Tanguay's services.

"I have had several conversations with the representative for Alex Tanguay," Coyotes GM Don Maloney told the Coyotes' website on Friday. "He is a very talented player yet his injuries are of some concern. We continue to have discussions to see if there is a way we can work out a contract acceptable to both the player and the Club."

It's uncertain when Tanguay will come to terms on a new contract.

Wow. Best offer is listed at $1.2M? Holy. He's gonna have to suck it up or else make a jump to the KHL...

Maybe Murray can grab him on the real cheap.

I hope once we clear some cap space we can add that guy on to our roster on the cheap. Give him $2 million and see if he bites.

PKC wrote:I hope once we clear some cap space we can add that guy on to our roster on the cheap. Give him $2 million and see if he bites.

Would be a very nice add at that price, but we got cap issues of our own... we'll see...

shabbs wrote:

PKC wrote:I hope once we clear some cap space we can add that guy on to our roster on the cheap. Give him $2 million and see if he bites.

Would be a very nice add at that price, but we got cap issues of our own... we'll see...

I know, but if you can move clear the cap overages we have right now just via the Heatley trade, move or waive Schubert, start the season with Smith on the LTIR, start Lee in the minors, then you can not only accommodate Tanguay, but also keep a reserve of roughly $2-3 million in cap space.

That's a lot of ifs, but I'd say almost all of them are certain to happen.

It would be nice to have Alfie, Spezza, Kovalev and Tanguay up front...

Well, just remember that the Ottawa Sun is responsible for reporting that "$1.2 mil" figure for Tanguay...

... which means I put zero stock in it.

My guess is that he'll get $3.5+ mil / yr on a short-term deal. Tanguay will not have to settle for a 400% or so discount.

rooneypoo wrote:Well, just remember that the Ottawa Sun is responsible for reporting that "$1.2 mil" figure for Tanguay...

... which means I put zero stock in it.

My guess is that he'll get $3.5+ mil / yr on a short-term deal. Tanguay will not have to settle for a 400% or so discount.

Agreed... he'll get a good offer but it may come down to the wire...