Entries with the tag: free+agents

Under the Radar

by Alanah McGinley on 07/11/08 at 02:36 PM
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From Wes Goldstein at CBS Sports,

High-profile names and big-buck contracts are usually the attention grabbers when the free-agent market opens, but many teams help themselves with signings that go under the radar.

Here’s a look at a dozen of those deals:

Ty Conklin, Detroit: With so much focus on Detroit’s stunning signing of Marian Hossa, the other player the champs grabbed from Pittsburgh has been all but forgotten. But getting the former Penguins backup goalie for a one-year, $750,000 deal is a coup for Detroit.

read on for more on Conklin, plus 11 other deals that deserve some extra attention

Intriguing Free Agents Still Out There

by Alanah McGinley on 07/07/08 at 10:54 AM
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From Kevin Allen at USA Today,

•Brendan Shanahan: He’s 39, but he had 23 goals last season for the New York Rangers. He still can be effective on the power play with his one-timer.

•Jason Williams: Teams would look at him to improve their special teams. The right wing owns a big shot on the point on the power play and has nifty moves in the shootout.

•Ladislav Nagy: An intriguing scorer, his 2007-08 season was undermined by injury.

and more

Looking at those Free Agent Salaries

by Alanah McGinley on 07/04/08 at 02:16 PM
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CBC asks the question, “What’s behind the big NHL free-agent salaries?”

“Shocked."

That’s the word New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello used when asked for his reaction to the amount of money tossed around on July 1, the first day of the National Hockey League’s free-agency period.

read on

Atlanta Signs Ron Hainsey—5 Years, $22.5 million

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 03:37 PM
Comments (7)

From Sportsnet,

Sportsnet has learned defenceman Ron Hainsey has signed a $22.5 million five-year deal with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Senators Sign Jarkko Ruutu, 3 Years

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 03:20 PM
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via TSN’s tracker:

Ottawa Senators sign UFA Forward Jarkko Ruutu to a three-year, $3.9 million contract.

Hossa To Wings

by Paul on 07/02/08 at 12:28 PM
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via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

The Penguins have lost free-agent right winger Marian Hossa to Detroit.

Team officials are believed to have been informed this morning that he will not re-sign.

Terms of Hossa’s contract were not immediately known, but the Red Wings are believed to have been offering a shorter-term contract than most other clubs.

update 12:37pm, on NHL Live, per TSN, 1 year 7.4M.

update 12:38pm, Done deal!

Update 12:50pm (Alanah): Link to story at TSN

Update 12:50pm (Alanah): Just want to say thanks to the boys at NHL Live on the NHL Network for this!

Reported Flames Signings: Glencross and Vandermeer

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 11:44 AM
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From Jean Lefebvre at Flames Insider,

The Calgary Flames have raided the roster of their northern rivals. The club today will officially announce the signing of Edmonton Oilers forward Curtis Glencross (see last night’s entry for more details), who scored 15 goals in 62 games this past season.

No terms yet, but one unconfirmed report suggested the deal is for three years and $3.2 million.

The Flames are also expected to announce the signing of incumbent defenceman Jim Vandermeer.

more to come

Update 12:55pm ET: The above signings have been confirmed by the Flames via press releases a few minutes ago. Additionally, the Flames also signed Peter Vandermeer.

In the Eye of the Storm

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 11:35 AM
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From Bruce Dowbiggin at the Calgary Herald,

It’s July 1—free-agent liberation day—and agent J.P. Barry rolls through the door of his Calgary office at Creative Artists Agency. The burly Barry has already had a full morning—and the clock has not even hit the magic 10 a.m. opener for offers and signings.

continued... following the day of agent J.P. Barry yesterday. 

Hurricanes Sign Melichar, 1 Year

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 11:13 AM
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From Luke DeCock at Lord Stanley’s Blog,

The Canes continued to retool their defense Wednesday, signing defenseman Josef Melichar to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Melichar, 29, spent six seasons with the Penguins before playing last season in Sweden and his native Czech Republic. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder has seven goals and 33 assists in 310 career NHL games.

continued...

Summer of Lunacy

by Alanah McGinley on 07/02/08 at 12:56 AM
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From James Duthie at The Good, the Bad and the Duthie,

Bingo!  Welcome to The Summer of Lunacy!  Seriously, I knew there would be silliness, but this was a cartoon.  You’ve heard of spending like drunken sailors?  How about spending like billionaire sailors on crack. 

10 million dollars a year offered to Mats Sundin?  Twenty-two million dollars for Cristobal Huet?  (When you already have an overpaid goalie in Khabibulin.) Michael Ryder, a healthy scratch in Montreal, four million a year?  Fourteen million over four years for Jeff Freakin’ Finger!?!

read on

Kings Need Defense

by Alanah McGinley on 07/01/08 at 11:52 PM
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Rich Hammond at Inside the Kings spoke with Kings GM Dean Lombardi tonight.  Some highlights from that conversation:

-- The Kings were right there on Brad Stuart, and apparently didn’t have a problem with either the term or the money, but Stuart decided that he wanted to play for the Red Wings. To this, Lombardi basically tipped his hat and said, ``I can’t blame him for that.’’

-- Lombardi still has his eye on a defenseman who, in his words, fits with both the present and the future. He’s not at liberty to name names, obviously, but I don’t think it’s hard to do some reading between the lines, right?

-- Rob Blake is still there as a strong possibility, and discussions are ongoing.

read on

This Morning with Bill Daly

by Alanah McGinley on 07/01/08 at 10:54 AM
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This morning, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke with Scott Laughlin on Hockey This Morning (NHL Home Ice XM 204), discussing the free agent frenzy today. 

Daly also talks about the new Russian league and provides other updates on NHL happenings.

Our thanks to the guys at XM radio for providing this audio.  You can download it here, or listen on the player below:

Continue Reading »

Busy Day in Hockey

by Alanah McGinley on 07/01/08 at 10:10 AM
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From Paul Kukla at NHL.com,

While many of you will be sitting back and keeping tabs on all of the UFA movement, some of us will be hard at work.  How hard will we be working, well I went to Lyle Richardson, aka Spector and asked him what his UFA days will consist of.

How busy will you be Lyle?

The NHL’s unrestricted free agency period is one of the busiest times of year for me, topping even the NHL trade deadline for sheer volume of traffic. It’s the first two days that are the most hectic as that’s when the bidding for, and the signing of, the top UFA players is at its most frenzied. I’m almost a shut-in during those two days, rarely venturing outside my home as I track the rumors and signings.

much more...

Note: For a list of places to watch & listen to updates today, check out this post from Steve yesterday. 

A Little Bit Of Everything

by Paul on 06/30/08 at 10:50 PM
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

The only way Montreal is not a player for Sundin’s rights, whenever he is ready to start contract negotiations, is if they win, against long odds, the Marian Hossa sweepstakes. Hossa is the top forward up for grabs tomorrow; Brian Campbell the premier defenceman; and Hossa’s long-time of suitors will include two-thirds of the Original Six teams in the NHL (Montreal, Boston, New York, Detroit), plus Pittsburgh, where he finished last season. Even Edmonton and San Jose will make overtures.

Campbell will get offers from half-a-dozen teams, beginning with the Sharks, but also including Chicago, Ottawa and Atlanta. What’ll be really interesting is what happens when Campbell makes his choice, at which point the runners-up that need a boost on the blue line will either turn to Wade Redden as a free-agent possibility, or one of a trio of defencemen that’ll be dangled as trade bait: Mathieu Schenider in Anaheim, Joni Pitkanen in Edmonton and Dan Boyle in Tampa, who starts a six-year, $40 million contract extension signed back in February with the team next season, which will include a no-trade clause (usually they kick in on July 1).

more

Long Term Contracts Set Up Future Trouble

by Alanah McGinley on 06/30/08 at 04:12 PM
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From Ken Campbell at The Hockey News,

Many of those deals will be for terms that were once unfathomable - with seven to 10 years the going rate for a star player in the prime of his career. One thing that obviously hasn’t changed under the new system is the mentality of GMs to get the player now and damn the cost to the franchise later.

Which brings us to the question, what exactly is going to happen to all these long-term deals once the current collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2011-12 season?

read on

Panthers Sign Olesz to 6-Year Deal

by Alanah McGinley on 06/30/08 at 12:53 PM
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From TSN,

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Rostilav Olesz to a multi-year contract.

Sources says it’s a six-year, $18.75 million deal with an annual salary cap hit of $3.125 million.

read on

Free Agent Tracker

by Alanah McGinley on 06/30/08 at 10:09 AM
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To keep track of all the free agent signings, TSN has a handy tracker set up. 

Malone & Roberts Officially Signed by Lightning

by Alanah McGinley on 06/30/08 at 09:24 AM
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From TSN,

Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts are officially members of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and defenceman Dan Boyle might be the player in the team’s cross-hairs.

Malone has agreed to a seven year, $31.5 million contract, while Roberts agreed to terms on a one year contract that pays him a base salary of $1.25 million plus $10,000 for every game that he plays in the 2008-09 NHL regular season. So if Roberts were to play in all 82 games, he would earn $820,000 in bonuses, which could make his total income for the season $2.07 million.

continued... plus some speculation on Dan Boyle’s future

Top UFA Dmen

by Paul on 06/29/08 at 06:42 PM
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from Darren Dreger of TSN,

TSN asked a group of 12 general managers, coaches and player agents to submit a list of the 10 defencemen expected to generate the most attention on Tuesday.

Needless to say, Campbell and Redden are 1-2.

The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks are in on the hunt, however many more teams are expected to join the bidding when the market opens.

Michal Rozsival ranks high among general managers in search of a ‘go-to’ defenceman. Rozsival chews up big minutes and can score, a combination that guarantees he’s a hot commodity.

read on

Where to Spend the Money

by Alanah McGinley on 06/25/08 at 01:54 PM
Comments (1)

From Pierre LeBrun at Sportsnet,

The NHL’s money season is just around the corner. Come Tuesday, July 1, the wallets come out in full force from the NHL’s 30 teams. Here’s my look at some notable players slated for unrestricted free agency (with age and current team also listed):

FORWARDS
Marian Hossa, 29, Pittsburgh Penguins:
GM Ray Shero is off the hook here. He offered Hossa $7 million a year and a chance to continue playing alongside the best centre in the world. That’s a darn generous offer given all the other moving parts Shero has to figure out on his roster.

read on for the estimated values of a pile of UFAs

UFA Time—Hockey Fun in the Summer

by Alanah McGinley on 06/25/08 at 12:07 PM
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From Paul Kukla at NHL.com:

Can it get any better for us, hockey fun in the summer time? All teams are at 0-0-0-0. All teams have an equal shot at the Stanley Cup. We all believe, all our team needs is a little tweak here and there, and we are on our way to hockey in June.

These are the days we have been waiting for. An opportunity exists for our team to get better quickly, giving us hope for a dream season. Some teams will go all out, making a big splash in the UFA market while other teams will continue to build from within. Which way is correct? Well, we won’t know until the games are played, but it sure is fun knowing every team has a chance to improve by signing that key player(s)!

read on

Price Will Be High

by Paul on 06/25/08 at 08:59 AM
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from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Calgary Herald,

Knowing the panicked proclivity of teams seeking a PR splash, Marian Hossa, Bryan Campbell, Ryan Malone, Sean Avery and even Mr. Huselius will find themselves rich boys by the time September rolls around. Given the fulsome praise heaped on him every night of the Stanley Cup final by Don Cherry, Gary Roberts should break the UFA mint as well.  (No? How could Don be wrong?)

Once again, the NHL has achieved the neat trick of creating scarcity in free agents, a sure recipe for overpaying the likes of Hossa, Huselius, Pavol Demitra or Avery.

more

Weight a Fit in St. Louis?

by Alanah McGinley on 06/10/08 at 10:52 AM
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From Jeff Gordon at STLtoday.com,

[Doug] Weight is looking to play another year and St. Louis has become home. Is there a fit here?

Maybe, maybe not. I recall that Weight was unhappy with how coach Andy Murray was using him last season, before his deal. Murray saw Weight as more of a role player at this late stage of his career, a designation that Weight resisted.

But if Doug did return to the Blues as a free agent, he would have to embrace a third- or fourth-line assignment if the lines fell that way.

more on the Blues summer priorities

Buyout Time

by Alanah McGinley on 06/09/08 at 04:49 PM
Comments (1)

From Lyle Richardson at Fox Sports,

The NHL’s buyout period runs from June 15-30, with most usually occurring within the first week.

Unlike in previous years when buyouts were few in number, the increase of the salary cap to an anticipated $56 million could see teams more receptive to buying out contracts of players who for various reasons may no longer fit into their future plans.

Topping the list of this year’s potential candidates is Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery…

much more

NHL’s Summer Agenda

by Alanah McGinley on 06/06/08 at 12:48 PM
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From TSN:

With the NHL’s 2007-08 campaign in the books, the drama now shifts from the ice to the front office as the league’s 30 teams begin their mad scramble to prepare for next season.

As of Friday, half a dozen teams are still in need of a new head coach, with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Thrashers, San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators conducting searches. And the list of ‘free agent’ bench bosses is impressive to say the least.

Names being circulated over the last month include…

read on for an overview of the coach quest, and other matters on the NHL summer agenda

Tales of Free Agency

by Alanah McGinley on 06/03/08 at 01:55 PM
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From Mike Smith at The Hockey News,

The new CBA has been successful in creating, while not in excess, a healthy supply of free agents. The growing number of “Powerball lottery” contracts for players entering restricted free agency for the first time results in older players, either free agents or those making too much money, being more readily available.

The art is to pick the right ones, the ones who want to play and play well, not just be paid well. All managers make judgment errors signing players; the good ones make fewer.

I have had different free agent signing experiences as a manager. While in Winnipeg, we did not place much, if any, emphasis on free agents. To put it simply, Winnipeg had no money to spend on the older free agent.

more

Juggling the Salary Cap in Philly

by Alanah McGinley on 05/26/08 at 02:15 PM
Comments (1)

From Lyle Richardson at The Hockey News,

GM Paul Holmgren would like to re-sign restricted free agents Jeff Carter, R.J. Umberger and Randy Jones, but with over $47 million already committed to next year’s payroll, Holmgren probably won’t have enough cap space to retain the three even though the upper limit is expected to rise to around $56 million next season.

Holmgren also has to consider whether to retain any of his unrestricted free agents. Vaclav Prospal, Jason Smith, Jaroslav Modry and Jim Dowd fall into that category and if speculation in the Philadelphia media is anything to go by, Holmgren will cut those players loose and focus on re-signing his younger talent.

But not retaining his impending UFAs won’t solve Holmgren’s cap problem; he’s going to have to consider other options.

more... plus a look at the Dallas Stars

Killing Off Some Wild Yashin Rumors

by Alanah McGinley on 05/16/08 at 03:44 PM
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From Michael Russo, Russo’s Rants at the Star Tribune,

Funny, last year when I wrote at the Draft that the Wild was going to pursue Alexei Yashin, people didn’t believe me even though it was true. Now it’s being reported the Wild has interest in Yashin and people believe it when it’s not true.

I’ve been told as of now Yashin’s name has not come up within Wild offices and it has not had conversations with Yashin’s agent, Mark Gandler, as has been reported.

Here’s the deal: the Wild had genuine interest in Yashin last summer when it was reported he’d be willing to sign for little money. The Wild made an offer, and Yashin responded by asking for multiple millions of dollars, according to people in the know.

That left a sour taste in the Wild’s mouth, and as of now, it has no interest in revisiting him despite the strong season he had in Russia. That could change, of course, but this is what I’m being led to believe now.

more on the off-season in Minnesota

Comparing Prices

by Alanah McGinley on 01/16/08 at 01:13 PM
Comments (2)

From Jeff Marek at CBC,

As much as it’s been a slow year for trades building buzz for the NHL, you can’t say the same for contracts.

As the CBA and the salary cap have made swapping players challenging if not impossible at times Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe’s offer-sheet summer made all 29 other GMs in the league snap to attention and make sure