UFA/Canada Day Moves and Signings and Rumours

Going through the teams, that's the first thing I thought of. Tallon will dispense of Clemmenson and have a Theodore/Vokoun set up.

The 7 teams that did the best job so far are Detroit, Vancouver, Pitts, Toronto, Boston, San Jose, and Ottawa. I hate to admit that I like what 3 or 4 of those teams did (or didn't do) but they stuck to the plan and made choices that won't affect the long term goals of their franchises or hurt them in the short terms.

All these teams going out and spending a ton of cash of marginal top 6 guys or top pairing d men are just ignoring what has been proven not to work over the last 20 games. Team chemistry counts for a lot and places like Florida, Columbus, and New York are just going to find themselves in the same spot they have been for the last 10 years at the end of the day.

That's why I love what Ottawa has done and Bingo. They are building a ton of chemistry and when they start to win a little (and it will be coming) they will all appreciate it that much more because they did it as a group. That's why I like Ottawa's chances next year in terms of fighting for a playoff spot.

Respect to NYI as well for not giving Erhoff that stupid deal. They seem to have turned the corner in a sense but their played development still lacks in a big way.

Who does Phoenix have now? Maybe Washington as well, outside chance at Edmonton.

SpezDispenser wrote:Who does Phoenix have now? Maybe Washington as well, outside chance at Edmonton.

Pheonix signed Smith. Washington has Holtby and Nveruth. Edmonton still has Bulin and Dubnyk.

It's hard to say right now. Buffalo did well adding Ehrhoff and Regher IMO, nice players to have insulating their D. Leino is too long a term with too much $$, not a smart move when players that really mean something come up for negotiations. Still...I like his potential to score 20-25 goals in a top six role in Buffalo.

Florida is an interesting scenario, they had no chemistry anyway, so this can't be any worse, it's an infusion of decent talent and decent character, I don't mind it. They won't get Tier 1 UFAs anyway - ever, so they ,might as well litter the team with Tier 2 guys and try to win some games.

The Flyers did okay, but they have zero team chemistry. I question the Jagr signing, these rarely end well in this day and age. Like the Talbot signing though.

Hurricanes did really well.

Didn't understand why TB gave Roloson 3 million instead of going after a younger and better Vokoun. Thought that odd, but whatever I guess.

NEELY wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Who does Phoenix have now? Maybe Washington as well, outside chance at Edmonton.

Pheonix signed Smith. Washington has Holtby and Nveruth. Edmonton still has Bulin and Dubnyk.

They're gonna bank on Mike Smith? If he's 100% healthy, I guess, but they better have a good backup. Florida sounds like a real destination and something I'd almost put $$ on right now.

@kuklaskorner
Kukla's Korner .com
Hurricanes sign Anthony Stewart to 2-year, $1.8 million contract: Via NHLGossip on Twitter, the Carolina Hurricanes... http://dlvr.it/Yj54H

That's a reasonable deal. We haven't seen many of those.

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Who does Phoenix have now? Maybe Washington as well, outside chance at Edmonton.

Pheonix signed Smith. Washington has Holtby and Nveruth. Edmonton still has Bulin and Dubnyk.

They're gonna bank on Mike Smith? If he's 100% healthy, I guess, but they better have a good backup. Florida sounds like a real destination and something I'd almost put $$ on right now.

Ya, Smith can't replace Bryz. I can't imagine that Phoenix isn't looking hard at Vokoun.

Points-wise, Shannon is now in the top-15 remaining free agents.

SpezDispenser wrote:It's hard to say right now. Buffalo did well adding Ehrhoff and Regher IMO, nice players to have insulating their D. Leino is too long a term with too much $$, not a smart move when players that really mean something come up for negotiations. Still...I like his potential to score 20-25 goals in a top six role in Buffalo.

Florida is an interesting scenario, they had no chemistry anyway, so this can't be any worse, it's an infusion of decent talent and decent character, I don't mind it. They won't get Tier 1 UFAs anyway - ever, so they ,might as well litter the team with Tier 2 guys and try to win some games.

The Flyers did okay, but they have zero team chemistry. I question the Jagr signing, these rarely end well in this day and age. Like the Talbot signing though.

Hurricanes did really well.

Didn't understand why TB gave Roloson 3 million instead of going after a younger and better Vokoun. Thought that odd, but whatever I guess.

Because he got them 1 game away from making in to the finals? It's amazing that even fans talk about how great teams like Florida, Buffalo, and other teams did when they "load up". They didn't load up, they overpaid for true 3rd line guys that are going to get 1st or 2nd line mins.

I love what Tampa did too, they did basically nothing. They decided to basically ice the exact same team as they did last year, goaltneder out. Why change anything?

It's not hard to say at all, the more things change the more they stay the same and UFA day in The NHL is proof of that. Florida will be out of the race by the end of Feb again and depending on Miller's season, Buffalo will finish between 7th-10th again. The teams that win or are truly rebuilding changed very little.

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Who does Phoenix have now? Maybe Washington as well, outside chance at Edmonton.

Pheonix signed Smith. Washington has Holtby and Nveruth. Edmonton still has Bulin and Dubnyk.

They're gonna bank on Mike Smith? If he's 100% healthy, I guess, but they better have a good backup. Florida sounds like a real destination and something I'd almost put $$ on right now.

The real destination? Who is that team built around? I'm actually asking because I literally have no idea. They have no identity, no top line players, no top 2 D men, and as it stands, no number 1 goalie.

Nice weather and huge money, I would sign there too if that's what was offered, especially guys who already have a cup.

spader wrote:Points-wise, Shannon is now in the top-15 remaining free agents.

He will sign a 1 way deal in Florida, 3 years, 3 mil. That's basically what's happening right now.

Watching what happened yesterday and today just makes me that much more optimistic about The Sens future.

NEELY wrote:The real destination? Who is that team built around? I'm actually asking because I literally have no idea. They have no identity, no top line players, no top 2 D men, and as it stands, no number 1 goalie.

Nice weather and huge money, I would sign there too if that's what was offered, especially guys who already have a cup.

Campbell?

NEELY wrote:
Because he got them 1 game away from making in to the finals? It's amazing that even fans talk about how great teams like Florida, Buffalo, and other teams did when they "load up". They didn't load up, they overpaid for true 3rd line guys that are going to get 1st or 2nd line mins.

I love what Tampa did too, they did basically nothing. They decided to basically ice the exact same team as they did last year, goaltneder out. Why change anything?

It's not hard to say at all, the more things change the more they stay the same and UFA day in The NHL is proof of that. Florida will be out of the race by the end of Feb again and depending on Miller's season, Buffalo will finish between 7th-10th again. The teams that win or are truly rebuilding changed very little.

I have nothing against Roloson, but it's a scenario where he could fall off real quick. He's not exactly young.

The thing that baffles me about Florida is not really the signings, they got some character, they had no chemistry etc. etc. etc., but I don't understand where their prospects fit in now. And they signed everyone to such long term that they'll be stuck when their talent develops - which is gonna be like....now.

Buffalo, I liked the D signings, thought the Leino one was poor in term and $$, but they've developed some nice talent, time to try to go for it. Leino is a nice player, I've always liked him, Ehrhoff/Regher are solid additions to go with Ennis, Gerbe, Meyers, Miller, Roy (underrated player IMO), Vanek, Boyes. Nice, solid core IMO, didn't get weaker yesterday.

spader wrote:

NEELY wrote:The real destination? Who is that team built around? I'm actually asking because I literally have no idea. They have no identity, no top line players, no top 2 D men, and as it stands, no number 1 goalie.

Nice weather and huge money, I would sign there too if that's what was offered, especially guys who already have a cup.

Campbell?

Haha yah, exactly.

This does nothing to change the overall complection of the team. It's still a joke of a franchise that handed out stupid money becuase they needed to reach the cap floor.

A rookie coach that's going to come in without a true number 1 goaltender, no number 1 center, no real number 1 or 2 D man, and basically no scoring up front, Dineen is going to have his work cut out for him. Seems everyone goes down to Florida to retire, including NHLers.

2 years, 4.75 per year for Connolly from the Leafs.

NEELY wrote:

spader wrote:

NEELY wrote:The real destination? Who is that team built around? I'm actually asking because I literally have no idea. They have no identity, no top line players, no top 2 D men, and as it stands, no number 1 goalie.

Nice weather and huge money, I would sign there too if that's what was offered, especially guys who already have a cup.

Campbell?

Haha yah, exactly.

This does nothing to change the overall complection of the team. It's still a joke of a franchise that handed out stupid money becuase they needed to reach the cap floor.

A rookie coach that's going to come in without a true number 1 goaltender, no number 1 center, no real number 1 or 2 D man, and basically no scoring up front, Dineen is going to have his work cut out for him. Seems everyone goes down to Florida to retire, including NHLers.

Stupid money? What are you talking about? They got a 35 year-old Jovo locked into a 4 year contract for only $16.5M! He'll be worth a whole lot more than $4.125 when he's 39.

SpezDispenser wrote:2 years, 4.75 per year for Connolly from the Leafs.

@DarrenDreger
Darren Dreger
Paperwork being worked on between the Leafs and Tim Connolly. 2 year agreement @ $4.75 aav.

What does the "aav" mean?