The Week BEFORE July 1: Go!

from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,

• A couple of things to remember as free agency begins. First, teams can go over the max by 10 per cent (that’s $6.43 million during the offseason). Second, all bonuses count immediately against the cap next season (whether they are reached or not), and that’s how some lower-spending teams will hit the floor.

• Half the league is convinced the Flyers are going after Brad Richards - hard. (I’m still wondering about Detroit making a run at him, especially since Valtterri Filppula appears available in a trade.)

• One Western coach said the trade was the best thing for Regehr: “He’ll be re-energized and better.” Several players who’ve gone from West to East add that kind of move can extend your career, because the travel is so much easier and the play is not as physical.

So, scratch off Brooks Laich and Kevin Bieksa so far.

PS, if Freidman is accurate and Fillipula is available, hopefully the Sens are after him hard. He's look good on our 2nd line IMO.

SpezDispenser wrote:PS, if Freidman is accurate and Fillipula is available, hopefully the Sens are after him hard. He's look good on our 2nd line IMO.

The Flipper?!?!?!

Big Ev wrote:

Michallica wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Godd I hope it's Carkner. Useless.

u have gotta be kidding me.....I know he's no Kris Letang but he's still very useful. Hell he's a better d-man than schubert. The guy can actually play defence and fight. Who cares if he's not as fast as others? He's still serviceable.

He's a goon, plain and simple. Can be replaced by Cowen, he fights and plays D.

and it's the bad guys like him who we still need to get rid of from this team. Him and Winchester are the two bad apples in an otherwise promising bunch.

No colton Orr is a goon. how many times has carkner been suspended? what gives him that title of a goon? again just cuz he's not going to be in the foreseeable future plans of ottawa (or most teams) doesn't mean he's entirely useless.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:PS, if Freidman is accurate and Fillipula is available, hopefully the Sens are after him hard. He's look good on our 2nd line IMO.

The Flipper?!?!?!

Comes with an instant relationship with our HC too.

rooneypoo wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:
I agree he seems like the logical odd man out. But I'm just saying the flack he's been taking around here for a calendar year is rather misplaced.

I agree. I did take him a LONG time to get back up to speed though, but yes, he had a terrible calender year last year.

People look for villains and scape goats too often. Kuba is still a useful player in the NHL, either on this team or on another. This whole team sucked Donkey for 5 solid months last year -- singling someone out as particularly bad seems like an exercise in redundancy.

Sens need to make room for Cowen & Rundblad... There are too many D right now?

Do you think that maybe the Sens could package something including Brian Lee to Minny for Havlat? We know if the past that Minny was looking at Brian Lee. Question is... what else would you provide in the deal.... and do we want Havlat back. He has been much healthier the past couple of seasons... and he played so good with Spezza.

Havlat is a big part of their offense, can't see the Wild trading him.

Would cost a LOT more than Lee as well.

I want Havlat bad.

Sounds like Florida may claim Cam Barker.

Our needs are: #2 Center and a back-up goalie. I am hoping that Zibanejad can fill the #2 spot this coming season; or Regin or Da Costa can fill that role temporarily. My preferred top-six would be:

Filatov - Spezza - Michalek
Butler - Zibanejad - Alfredsson

I don't think Zibanejad is ready but I don't want Ottawa to go out and get a top-six forward. Filatov should flourish with Spezza, but I think that line would be a defensive liability with Butler on it. I also realize Butler's a right-winger but I don't think Alfredsson should be playing on his off wing, nor do I think he's capable of playing top-three minutes given his back injury.

sandysensfan wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:
I agree he seems like the logical odd man out. But I'm just saying the flack he's been taking around here for a calendar year is rather misplaced.

I agree. I did take him a LONG time to get back up to speed though, but yes, he had a terrible calender year last year.

People look for villains and scape goats too often. Kuba is still a useful player in the NHL, either on this team or on another. This whole team sucked Donkey for 5 solid months last year -- singling someone out as particularly bad seems like an exercise in redundancy.

Sens need to make room for Cowen & Rundblad... There are too many D right now?

Do you think that maybe the Sens could package something including Brian Lee to Minny for Havlat? We know if the past that Minny was looking at Brian Lee. Question is... what else would you provide in the deal.... and do we want Havlat back. He has been much healthier the past couple of seasons... and he played so good with Spezza.

Has Havlat every played with Spezza? I'm drawing a blank here.

bobby mac is saying that vancouver is shopping rights to ehrhoff after they coudln't come to terms on a similar bieksa type deal for him

TheAvatar wrote:Has Havlat every played with Spezza? I'm drawing a blank here.

I don't recall much of it. He used to be Fisher's right hand man back in the day IIRC.

4.5 X 3 for Pitkanen from Carolina. I don't mind that deal at all.

SpezDispenser wrote:PS, if Freidman is accurate and Fillipula is available, hopefully the Sens are after him hard. He's look good on our 2nd line IMO.

I'm not sure that's a good idea. we'd have t give up too much to get him. i'draather stay the course and land a UFA if we need to. obviously he'd be great but with having a decent prospect pool i'm not keen on messing with it.

Hoags wrote:Havlat is a big part of their offense, can't see the Wild trading him.

Would cost a LOT more than Lee as well.

No way is Minny dealing Havlat. they're lacking offense, not trying to deal it away.

Flo The Action wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:PS, if Freidman is accurate and Fillipula is available, hopefully the Sens are after him hard. He's look good on our 2nd line IMO.

I'm not sure that's a good idea. we'd have t give up too much to get him. i'draather stay the course and land a UFA if we need to. obviously he'd be great but with having a decent prospect pool i'm not keen on messing with it.

That's ALWAYS the argument. Fact is, nothing is free. Besides, most deals end up being fair. Most recent example: Filatov. I recall, not so long ago, that it would have taken "too much" to get him too.