Screen Shots: Free agency winners and losers
Brian Campbell will ply his trade with the Blackhawks next season. (Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images)
Adam Proteau
2008-07-03 14:07:27
Some 48 hours after the NHL’s unrestricted free agency season kicked off, the prevailing sense among hockey observers was one of utter bewilderment. For example, if Michael Ryder can receive a million-dollar raise after a 27-point drop in production, there is no predicting anymore what pressure-crazed GMs will dole out each summer.
Still, it’s not like every team in the league distributed all of its available salary cap space as if it wouldn’t be allowed to spend it in the coming weeks and months. Some franchises were thrifty for strategic reasons, while others pulled back on the purse strings with more regard for their fiscal bottom line.
How to sort out the winners and win-challenged among the spenders and misers? How about this handy ranking?
WINNERS
Chicago Before you bombard me with angry emails pointing out how much the Hawks overpaid Brian Campbell, let me point out that I don’t think Campbell is worth that much, either. But there’s no denying he was the top puck-moving blueliner available, just as there’s no denying that, of all the UFA goaltenders, Cristobal Huet was the one who performed best last season.
The two newest Hawks won’t always make GM Dale Tallon’s life a walk in the park – especially while goalie Nikolai Khabibulin is still on the roster – but their additions make Chicago an odds-on favorite to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. And taking the next step in a team’s evolution is what the buying of UFAs is all about.
Detroit On the first day of free agency, Ken Holland said, “Let there be a backup goaltender (Ty Conklin) and top-four defenseman (Brad Stuart) signed for a combined total of less than $5 million a season”, and lo, it was so. On the second day, He said, “Let me win a frenzied bidding derby for Marian Hossa by tendering only a one-year contract”, and lo, it, too, was so.
It’s less work to attract high-end free agents when your organization is as successful as Detroit’s, but make no mistake, there’s a fine balancing act of egos that’s a big part of the process; Holland has mastered that and deserves a lot of credit.
Edmonton Kevin Lowe’s Oilers don’t make it into the winners category based on any free agent they signed; instead, it’s the trades Edmonton’s GM made that put his franchise in a good position to end its two-season-long absence from the playoffs.
The Oilers won’t be bona fide Stanley Cup contender with former Hurricanes winger Erik Cole, former Blue Jackets prospect Gilbert Brule and ex-Kings defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky now in tow. But they almost certainly will challenge for a playoff spot – and still have some of new owner Daryl Katz’s millions to work with.
Montreal I know what you’re saying right about now: “Wait, did the Canadiens sign anybody new so far?” The answer is, no, they haven’t signed a single new player. However, once they take care of their restricted free agents, the Habs will have upwards of $8-9 million in available cap space to play with.
That means, once the regular season has started, GM Bob Gainey will be able to swoop in and pluck talented players off of teams that are struggling. When that happens, Canadiens fans will be more than pleased he decided to play it safe at the start of July.
New Jersey Yet again, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello has pulled his team back from the brink of the draft lottery with the major surprise signing of Brian Rolston, a welcoming-back of Bobby Holik, as well as the retaining of key veteran Jay Pandolfo.
Rolston and Pando
Related Links
LOSERS
Boston Perhaps in some alternate universe, the idea of rewarding Michael Ryder for a 27-point drop in production last season with a more-than-million-dollar-a-year raise makes sense. It makes no sense in this universe, though, which is why Ryder’s three-year, $12 million deal moving him from Montreal to the Bruins was met with howls of derisive laughter anywhere it’s mentioned now.
Colorado Let’s hope Joe Sakic isn’t basing his retirement decision on whether or not Colorado’s off-season moves, because the Avs’ newest and biggest additions – Maple Leafs castoffs Andrew Raycroft and Darcy Tucker – do not exactly inspire visions of deep playoff runs.
Granted, losing Jose Theodore was very much a blessing in disguise, but even if Sakic and Peter Forsberg return, the Avs as presently constituted could face a tough battle just to secure a post-season berth.
Phoenix Don’t get me wrong – I like what Don Maloney and Wayne Gretzky are doing in the Arizona desert; I also liked the big deal they made at the draft that brings Olli Jokinen to the Coyotes.
That said, Todd Fedoruk? For three years? When you’ve already got Dan Carcillo and Brian McGrattan in the fold? Did nobody see what happened to Minnesota last season when they stocked up on tough guys?
Vancouver With relatively new ownership and a brand new GM in Mike Gillis, the idea of a fresh start had some of the more optimistic Canucks fans awaiting a flurry of new faces being brought into the organization.
Well, they’re still (a)waiting, though it’s not from lack of trying on management’s behalf. Gillis attempted to make deals at the draft, while his lucrative offer to Mats Sundin trumped all others tendered to the longtime Leafs cornerstone.
Nevertheless, the NHL is a results-oriented business – and as it currently stands, the only result of consequence made by the Canucks this off-season is the waiver-wire acquisition of Kyle Wellwood. That’s just not going to cut it, especially in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
Washington The Capitals have been doing a lot of things correctly the last few years and those moves culminated in a standout late-season run to the playoffs. Nevertheless, much of that progress could be undone – or at least, stalled – by the decision to sign Jose Theodore as their No. 1 netminder.
The ex-Avs and Canadiens goalie showed flashes of his MVP-winning form last season in Colorado, but crapped out in a very visible way during the Avalanche’s second-round playoff series against the Red Wings. He represents a huge gamble for a team that was starting to resemble a sure thing.
Adam Proteau is The Hockey News' online columnist and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Mondays and Wednesdays, his Ask Adam feature appears Tuesdays and Fridays, and his column, Screen Shots, appears Thursdays.
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James (Posted 2008-07-18 21:08:49)
I hope barry Melrose has had alot of time of planning an extremely offensive game, because if another team can get the puck into tampa's end, the lights are out. another year of the bolts not making it into the playoffs im afraid. smith will be good on a defensive team, with actual NHL defensemen but not with the ragtag bunch that Jay feaster and who ever else is calling the shots in tampa have gathered. Paul ranger, filip Kupa and andrew huntchinson comeon. Even I could skate by them and im not that fast anymore
Olie The Goalie (Posted 2008-07-10 08:46:45)
*** How can this be a serious article without talking about all the TB Lightning moves? No opinion... winner or loser??? Ryan Malone, Radim Vrabata, Gary Roberts,Vinnie Prospal, Adam Hall, Olaf Kolzig, Matt Carle, TY Wishart, Mark Recchi. + 3 two-way signings. OK you're right, completely un-important. It remains to be seen if this group can be lead by a coach w/20 year old hairstyle & coaching style. A Hollywood director and ex-player owners without question shook things up & changed the face of ONE team more than any other for good or Bad in the NHL. JUST MY 2 LOONIES!!!!
Hawks76 (Posted 2008-07-09 06:17:36)
LOL... please keep ripping the Hawks. I mean after all how could a team win with the rookie of the year, a runner up who's actually better, 2 all star defenseman, a cup winning goalie, the goalie leading in save percentage since the lockout, a 36 goal scorer making only 4 million..etc..etc.etc Oh ya and all we have to do is move a minor leaguer to make the cap.
See ya in the playoffs...
Tom Voeckler (Posted 2008-07-08 19:51:13)
The problem with Ryder is that he's alway's been a "shot" and nothing else. Last year, Carbonneau asked him to be a real hockey player, and Ryder was lost on th ice : he proved he can't skate, check or pass. That's also how he played with the Junior Gatineau Olympiques, and was booed more than once by local fans. But then again, maybe Claude Julien, his coach in Montreal and Gatineau, knows how to light a fire under him. You never know, but I doubt it - very, very much.
James Finney (Posted 2008-07-08 19:00:56)
At first, I looked at the Ryder signing like Chiarelli was crazy. However, looking deeper, it may be a good signing. A) Ryder's 30-goal seasons were with Julien behind the bench (could Julien have asked to get Ryder? Maybe.) B) Ryder had about 100 less shots last season than his average. Did his style not fit into the new offense? Finally, C) He had 122 hits last season - which is a good number and the type of guys I want the Bruins to get. I'm not saying for sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if Ryder returns to his 30-goal performance.
vince morgan (Posted 2008-07-08 14:21:23)
The bruins are now the deepest team in the league,so think what ya want but Ryder didn't want to be in montreal from the beginning of the year.He will return to 30 plus goals with Savard or oh yeah Bergeron on his line,The B's used their back up goalie,lost their best player in like oct or nov and thier leading goal scorer didn't play in the playoffs,add all that back,a young team team that is a a year older,they now have some chemistry as last year was there first real together.I say stanley cup win over thier old friend jumbo Joe.watch and see.Peter Schaefer was a second line player in ottawa and they made the finals,he is going to be line four on this team when everyone is healthy.
Tim (Posted 2008-07-08 14:21:13)
the Caps gave Huet what he wanted. He asked for a certain amount, the Caps matched it, and Huet decided to not take it and test the market. This wasnt GMGM's decision with Huet.
Ben Hubbard (Posted 2008-07-07 10:12:03)
All i know is that the Detroit Red wings will be back in it next year because they have a new big 3 datsyuke zetterburg and the killer Hossa and also they have decent goalkeeping plus defense with the pro lidstrom and rafalski.
Eldrick (Posted 2008-07-07 02:35:45)
Redge- don't get to excited, they are still the Bruins!
Gary Casey (Posted 2008-07-06 12:49:06)
Proteau:I've read some of your predictions and comments over the last few years. Believe me, you are not one to talk or write about howls of laughter over other peoples decisions or actions. Get real!
Caps fan (Posted 2008-07-05 18:28:10)
For those saying not signing Huet was a big mistake, they don't see the full picture. The Caps have a couple goalie prospects with alot of potential but just need a little bit more work. Huet being around for four years would not have been the best thing for which ever goalie becomes the man in the near future. Two years is the perfect amount of time according to GMGM. Huet did play well in the regular season, but he was not spectacular in the playoffs. Theodore wasn't bad in the playoffs until he saw Detroit. Also, letting go of Huet gives the Caps more cap room to resign Federov and to lock up RFAS Laich, Fehr, and Morrison. GMGM knows what he's doing. Although it doesn't look like a great move, in the long haul, it probably will be.
The Blizz (Posted 2008-07-05 16:00:18)
Tom, no, I would be someone who watched Hossa and Staal both play last year a fair bit. Hossa is a great player, but he's not someone who can carry a team. Staal has that kind of ability. Moreover, he's one of the smartest players in the league. A number of actual GMs said it best about Staal -- he is a guy who with whom you win Stanley Cups.
tom (Posted 2008-07-05 00:58:14)
blizz you would be a terrible gm if you didn't trade staal for hossa.
bostongm (Posted 2008-07-04 23:13:38)
Washington not signing Huet was a BIG mistake. MASSIVE. This guy had the highest save percentage since the lock-out ended. Seriously. Look it up if you want. How much were they off? Salary wise? 500K? Thats peanuts. Washington was one of the better teams with Huet in net. They no longer look scary. Oh well........as long as huet went west,i am one happy dude. The dude owned Boston. High 5 Washington!!!!!!
David Kramer (Posted 2008-07-04 21:34:04)
I predict that Huet outplays any first-string goalie on the Caps for the next 4 years. He will maintain his .920 save percentage, and assorted Caps goalies will have .900 to .910 save percentages. That will mean an extra 15 to 30 goals against, and an extra 8 to 15 losses per season for the Caps, versus what they could have had with Huet. Theodore might even revert to .890. Not re-signing Huet was a mistake. (I hope I'm wrong.)
Redge L Cole (Posted 2008-07-04 20:03:48)
Who's all these highly paid pro's that make pre-season piks? I remember last years piks, were'nt the Bruins & Habs suppose to end up 12th and 13th respectively, hummmmm i think so. The Bruins, my favorite team, quote me on this, will end up in 4th in the East 3pts out of Division lead. Remember this, they have Savard (95 plus pts), Bergeron (75-90pts), Sturm, Ryder, Kessel, Kobasew all between 28-35 goal scorers. Not to mention the other guys, Lucic, Brad Marchand(World Jr MVP, 2 GOLDMEDALS), Wheeler a nice signing, too bad for Phoenix, Krejci another very talented center, Axellson( on of the best defensive forwards in the league. Oh yah, CHARA WARD and WIDEMAN are'nt bad either. Almost forgot about RASK, kind of a gamble at this point but so was Price, who remember , BARELY beat Boston. So all you HAB fans, watch out for the B-Train, Later Redge
The Blizz (Posted 2008-07-04 17:06:25)
I love how numerous people were commenting that the Penguins could never keep their core together. They now have Fleury, Crosby, Orpik, Whitney, and Malkin signed for the next 5-7 years with Staal to be next. If the Penguins sign Hossa, then longer terms deals with Fleury, Orpik, and Staal are more difficult. Marian Hossa is a great player. There is no doubt about that and Detroit is lucky to have him. But I wouldn't trade 19 year old Jordan Staal for 28/29 year old Hossa let alone Staal, Orpik, and Fleury. This summer has been unmitigated success for the Pens. They signed the second best player in the league (Malkin) to a 5 year deal at only $8.7 million a season when he was one of 3 players in the league that could have asked and would have received the league max (note: one of the other two also gave the Pens a discount and signed for just $8.7 million). They also signed the best young goalie in the league (he's only 23 and is moving into the elite goalie status) for $5 million/season for 7 years.
What other team can become twice as good next year just from the development of their 19, 20, 21, and 23 year old superstars?
james boston (Posted 2008-07-04 15:59:16)
Hhahahahahaha. You tell 'em Frank. I have more prediction skills than these guys....combined. They even predicted Pens in 6 games. Hhahahahahahha.
frank campbell (Posted 2008-07-04 14:58:18)
Right: Chicago is the big winner here with 4 players, two goaltenders, a weak defenceman in Campbell and a non-existent winger in Havlat signed for about $25 million.
And the Bruins are flogged for signing a player who has a history of scoring 30 goals per season. Go back to your predictions about Boston finishing 15th. That was just about as credible as this winners, losers segment.
james boston (Posted 2008-07-04 13:40:27)
How can the Bruins be losers in free agency? Ryder is over-paid,we can all agree on that. Dont forget that Ryder will get to play with Savard and/or Bergeron. Thats an upgrade at center for Ryder. No ofence to Montreals centers. We now have a trigger man that can finish off our scoring chances. Our line-up : Lucic-Savard-Ryder. Sturm-Bergeron-Kobasew. Wheeler/Schaefer-Krejci-Kessel. Nokelainen-Sobotka-Thornton. We upgraded our team. How is it we are "losers"? lets see.....Ottawa loses Redden and Stillman and they bring in Rutuu? Ottawa got weaker. Montreal loses Streit and Ryder (no loss to them i know)and they bring in tanguay and Laraque? Thats an iffy one. i think this team may be even. Buffalo loses Kalinen and they bring in nobody? They got worse. Toronto loses (gets rid of) Tucker,Raycrap,Wellwood, and they bring in Finger and 3 nobodies? Out of all the teams in my division,my team IMPROVED. Ryder will score 35 goals with us this season and justify his contract.
murray (Posted 2008-07-04 13:22:47)
I can agree with you on the yotes to a point. It would have been nice for the yotes to pick up some veteran talent to help with the youth, in saying that not paying big money for undeserving players is a very smart move! Phoenix will be the team to watch over the next few years!!
Ryder is overpaid, Finger as well, and Huet hasn't proven all that much!!
Craig (Posted 2008-07-04 13:18:01)
Canuckfan's post, spelling issues aside, was genius... it made me cry. In march of 1994 I celebrated my tenth birthday by going to my first Hockey game. The 'nucks won 11 nothing over Calgary. That same year we went to the Cup final and played the Rangers to the bitter end. I was hooked. If anyone had an ounce of decency they would have told that young boy that this would be the highlite of his fandom and he should invest his emotions in a franchise that doesn't act like a bunch of donkeys. In 32 years The Canucks have managed to lose two stanley cup finals, miss the playoffs 18 times. Waste 20 first round draft picks. They have had exactly one player number retired, a great human being, gritty hard nosed player, but not a super star in Stan Smyle; and have only one more to come in Linden. They have failed to keep any of thier superstars, Neely, Bure, Larionov, Peca and now Naslund; and have never had a player go into the hall of fame. Canucks fans should not be surprised by this completely bungled off season it's simply par for the course. My advice to anyone that isn't emotionally invested in this team yet is to get out. Go cheer for Calgary, or Montreal, or Detroit. Give Pittsburgh a try they seem to have a pretty good 7 year cycle going. The new Chicago looks good too; but don't get attached to the Canucks. Just like that girl your mom warned you about, they'll only break your heart in the end. To the bitter end just as Canuckfan said, Go Canucks Go...
keith (Posted 2008-07-04 12:47:03)
What about the Sean Avery deal. That deal is as much of a joke as any.
Another overpaid overrated 3rd or 4th line player.
Todd Bush (Posted 2008-07-04 12:17:41)
Michael Ryder wasn't a bad move. He's young and didn't have a good enough chemistry with Kovalev to get prime playing minutes. His upside is worth the gamble. 3 years isn't for ever.
This article could have been alot longer as well. Ottawa was absolutley horrible. They could have had Naslund for a little more than what Boston paid Ryder.
Bryan Murray should be fired...weasel
colin (Posted 2008-07-04 11:44:28)
Phoenix is a loser, eh? All you could do is mention the Fedoruk deal (which was probably Phoenix's worst deal of UFA), without mentioning the absolute steal of Kurt Sauer (compare and contrast Toronto's signing of Jeff Finger, along with a half dozen other AWFUL Leaf moves, which somehow didn't get a single mention in this article) and making SENSIBLE free agent deals that don't break their bank or put them in dutch for 7 or 8 years...? No, no bias there. Sheesh...
Pat Stewart (Posted 2008-07-04 11:18:06)
I agree with Rob that Dale is clearly off base here - not only with his comments on the Oil - who made themselves significantly better, in my opinion - but on the Hossa analysis as well. How can Detroit have paid too much for a guy when they paid him as much as $1.5 mil less a season than other teams were offering him? And to only commit to it for a year? THAT pick-up was the coup of the free agent season this year. Leafs should have been on the Losers list though, for sure, that Finger signing is at the top of a long list of retarded contracts handed out in the last couple days...
Rob (Posted 2008-07-04 10:31:40)
"Dale" - I'm curious to know how Edmonton got the short end of any deals? Eric Cole, a 25 - 30 goals scorer for a defenseman that has based the last three of his contracts on his "potential"? Raffi Torres, a spare part, for a 6th overall draft pick that's style fits perfectly with Edmonton's and Jarret Stoll and Mike Greene (the former in decline since a concussion and the latter a 7-8 dman) for a 50 pt offensive Dman that was swamped on a bad team?? I don't see anything wrong with any of those deasl.
bruinsguy (Posted 2008-07-04 09:04:54)
IF Ryder scores 30 goals this season is it still a bad contract?
RDR (Posted 2008-07-04 08:55:36)
I understand that writing articles about the recent Free Agent signings stimulates discussion. However, it is a bit premature to pick winners and losers. No one has stepped on the ice with their new teams. New environments sometimes mean new results. We should hold off on judgements until at least Christmas.
Cheers and Happy holiday our American friends!
Dale (Posted 2008-07-04 08:47:39)
This article is a joke. Edmonton got the shorter end of deals, Montreal did NOTHING and Detroit paid too much money for an overrated Hossa! This overview is laughable!
neilw (Posted 2008-07-04 08:46:11)
No wonder people on this website complain about Toronto favouritism. How could you leave out Toronto? Buying guys out so that they could spend the money on Jeff Finger seems like a cruel joke for Toronto fans.
teddy b (Posted 2008-07-04 08:35:20)
Perception sure is a funny thing, isn't it Adam? Huet is a great pickup for Chicago because he had a great season last year and then lost in the first round while Theodore is a bad move even though his regular season last year was statistically about the same as Huet's and he lost in the SECOND round. Does that make sense?
JASON BOGUSKI (Posted 2008-07-04 08:06:17)
Michael Ryder????? I have been a Bruins fan all of my life, and I was just starting to see the light with this teams 15 year rebuilding program and then Michael Ryder? Maybe he does have something to offer, but when are GM's going to go and say" well, Montreal does not want you, but if you want to play for us, we'll give you 1.5 for 3 years, if not, happy hunting for a job." The players forced a one year absence, and it seems that the GM's are going to do the exact same when this agreement is due.
Ben (Posted 2008-07-04 07:43:12)
How can Chicago be a winner? Any team with $12 million tied up in the crease is not winning. Good luck trading 'Bulin's contract too. Stupid move. So they signed an unnecessary, redundant goaltender and an overpaid (and slightly overrated ... see San Jose, 08 playoffs) defenseman. I'm not impressed.
Mchael E Gillivan (Posted 2008-07-04 07:16:06)
The Kings got "burned" in the free agency market last year.
By staying very quit this year was a very good thing for this origination.
They have some nice young talent in their origination, and by staying the course with them, was the right thing to do.
Only time will tell.
Joe Willix (Posted 2008-07-04 02:45:49)
Eldrick's dead on, except he forgot Johnny Mac in the "m" section of the Rolodex. Maybe Lou can get Chico Resch out of retirement as well. I can give Lou credit for turning water into wine for years, but the "let's get the band back together" mentality won't get it done in Newark.
Peter Fberg (Posted 2008-07-04 02:08:53)
Saying Phoenix is a loser is wrong, they are making all the right moves right now. They are setting the table for a solid future, and they're doing it without a spending spree. They could be the best nobody to somebody story, and even hang around for a few years. Kudos to the Coyotes organization, I think they have been the most intellegent club lately thus far. I hope they win the Cup within 5, and piss off everybody; Im tired of hearing about markets and Goliaths, theyre just making smart moves right now.
JayR (Posted 2008-07-04 00:51:00)
I've been (was) a Canuck fan for 32 years,a long 32 years.I cannot believe the state the team is in now.The owner,Aquillini,is in real estate,and knows NOTHING about hockey.He fires Nonis,bad decision,hires a player agent for GM,worse decision.Then Gillis arrogantly says he will make "bold" moves and build a winner??? Where's the "bold" moves Gillis?? 10 million a year for a guy who may retire? You could have had Brunette,Rolston,Huselius,Hossa....but instead you got NOTHING!! I'm done!!
ajhill (Posted 2008-07-03 23:49:10)
Ken, I think you are making a lot of assumptions that just arent true. First off, the whole age thing. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Cleary, Filppula, Kronwall, Hudler,Hossa, and Stuart are all under 30. Those are most of their main contributers, and the main guys like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, and Hossa are just entering their prime. Detroit also has a ton of prospects just waiting to crack the line up. You were also talking about Detroit losing players next year due to lack of cap space. Once again, you are pretty far off. They already have their entire defensive corps signed for the following season. A lot of the core forwards are locked up for the following season, except Zetterberg and Franzen. It will likely be Ozzy and Howard in net that following season, which will cost the Wings less than $3 million for the starter and backup combined. After all that, they still only have $40 million tied up for 2009/2010, and the cap will likely jump up near $63 million, which would leave the Wings around $23 million to sign a few key players. Dont kid yourself, the Wings are pretty well set for years to come.
llavan (Posted 2008-07-03 22:41:54)
adam, i dont agree with your critiscm of teh caps, when huet said he was going to chicago, the caps didnt have many options, it was jt or emery, and i dont think emery would have been suited to the coaching style of bourdrea, jt is only for 2 years and in 2 years many goalies will be available none otehr than luongo, and if canucks keep struggling u never know. Sure JT has been incostistent of late, but he has experience.
Another thing paying 5.4 mill for huet is reaching far too high and it was a good decison not to match that offer,
Green was the important signing and it was done, caps have space now to move and come february they have room to make anymoves to make a run into playoffs.
thedeke (Posted 2008-07-03 22:14:20)
I fully agree with canuckfan. I didn't like Gillis when he was brought in because of his comments about Nonis, and I really dislike him now. I think he is trying to prove that you can win with no footspeed, strength, or grit, and a 38-year old overpaid captain that hasn't won anything.
caps fan (Posted 2008-07-03 21:32:36)
canuckfan has the best comment, period.
Theodore is a gamble for the Caps, but he might put in a great season, too--which could be easier in DC with an improving defense that I hope includes prospect Karl Alzner. The important part of Theodore's deal is that they leave room for top prospects Varlamov or Neuvirth to take over in a couple years. The caps are a young team and have even more talent coming in from recent drafts, and while I liked Huet, it'd be foolish to commit to him for four years.
There are much bigger losers than the Caps.
Paddy (Posted 2008-07-03 21:07:25)
Hey desertheat! I like what you wrote, but my opinion is that Carcillo, Fedoruk, and McGratton will make up the bang and crash line, with a scoring flair to make them dangerous, while reinforcing the very, very young 2nd and 3rd lines. Carcillo was a pest last year, and even fought a few big names...say, Avery without the attitude! Add Fedoruk and McGratton, and you have a great get in your face line!
desert heat (Posted 2008-07-03 20:56:56)
I don't see how the coyotes are losers because they picked up Fedoruk. The plan here is for Carcillo to develop into a Bredan Morrow type. I know that 99 is looking for 20 goals from him, this or next year. And McGratton isn't going to play alot of games. Like it or not, Fedoruk is just a veteran forward that we are slim on here. With all of the kids on the ice, they have to have a couple of bigs. He is going to get some ice time but in the grand scheme of things, they aren't looking for much. Turris is our big FA.
hockeyskpy (Posted 2008-07-03 20:25:29)
Ken - I think you are wrong in your assertion - Outside of Lidstrom, I don't think the core players on Detroit are not all that old. Pittsburgh just lost at least 4 or 5 players who played key roles in the Stanley Cup finals for them. How could they not have lost? It's okay to be mad...but don't deny the obvious. The thing to note however is that what happened should not have been unexpected!
Ken (Posted 2008-07-03 20:15:54)
It's a crap shoot to predict who was winners and losers. I disagree with the guy below who said Pittsburgh was a big loser...Don't forget, we made it to the top of the Division last year without Hossa...He looked great in the Playoffs, but who wouldn't skating on Crosby's line...Detroit is another year older and they are only one bad knee from a disaster...I liked Malone, but Satan and Fedotenko can score just as much as Malone could....Also, next year when Detroit is trying to find $ to sign Zetterberg and some others like we were this year....Pittsburgh will be setting there with Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Whitney, Letang,and probably Staal sewed up for years....As Detroit gets older, we get younger....... but look out you other NHL teams in years to come.
KillahB (Posted 2008-07-03 19:57:37)
Well, here we are again with yet another media prognosticator who has some sort of special crystal ball to look into the future. Let's be totally honest, no matter what teams paid whatever type of salary to whichever player is a moot point at this time. There truly are no winners and losers until all the dust settles and we can see what type of impact these players had. Sure Ryder, Theodore and Wellwood(to name a few) were overpaid for past services this wasn't nearly as bad as Jeff Finger getting 3.5 MILLION for only playing a total of 94 NHL games before you turn 28, now that's a real LOSER deal to me.
Øyvind Schiøtt (Posted 2008-07-03 19:30:47)
To 7-up: Oh, my God!?! Did you read more than the first sentence in Canuckfan's entry? Please read the whole post if you're going to comment on it!
To Canuckfan: I feel for you! Being a Blackhawk fan, I've had some rough years behind me now (hopefully, there won't be any immediately ahead of me as well), so I think I know what you're talking about. You should comfort yourself with the fact that some experts really thought Chicago's signings of Campbell and Huet should put Chicago on the bottom of that list, not the top. So if these gentlemen should be considered real experts, maybe you'll have a better year than us.
It seems to be hard to get players to sign for the Canucks right now (but that may change; the windy city had the same problem for years in the not so distant past, and look at them now!), and it wouldn't surprise me if they were in on the Hossa sweepstakes and maybe even offered him as much or maybe even more than they reportedly offered Sundin. As lots of people have noted, the financial terms of the deal he eventually signed suggest that he didn't take the offer which would have made him the richest he could be. Don't fret, though. I think you're seeing a new owner desperately trying to make some names for themselves. They still have a lot of (a LOT OF) cap space left, and maybe their desperation dampens a bit, once most decent UFA are signed (oh, that is about now, isn't it?). There are more than a few observers who believe that the teams who haven't signed anyone yet are the big winners because this year's crop of FAs look to be severely overpaid this coming season. As such, maybe trades for other players is the way to go, and they can certainly upgrade their team substantially that way. The season's not over yet (and the Wings haven't won the Cup for 2009 yet, either!)!
Habnot (Posted 2008-07-03 19:28:53)
Ok Habs Fans... watch as Kovalev pulls up his turtleneck and pulls an 'off year'. Carb will be wondering where Ryder (top scorer for 2 seasons) went. Good move Boston.
Adam has nothing bad to say about the Leafs today... very strange - as that is his bread n' butter/paycheque - or so it seems.
Fletcher is building from the net-out as promised and is not claiming to have a cup contender this season... so B+.
He's far superior to JFJ.
Go Leafs!
Dr. Pepper (Posted 2008-07-03 19:13:00)
No list of "Losers" is ever complete without the Leafs, and certainly this year it has to include the Penguins who lost almost everybody they could besides Orpo and Geno.
7-up (Posted 2008-07-03 18:48:36)
Hold there Canuckfan. Canucks deserve to be losers. 10 mil a year for Sundin? C'mon. remember what happened to Scott Gomez, tomas vanek, dustin penner? they all got HUGE deals but didn't play for what the're worth. i don't think sundin is an exeption...
Canuckfan (Posted 2008-07-03 18:31:47)
Why is everyone mocking my Canucks? we didn't just get Kyle Wellwood, we also got Darcy Hordichuck and Dale ( or is it Dave, or maybe Dan) Johnson. Are you saying you don't think that Johson, Hordichuck and Wellwood will find the same magic that made Alfredson, Spezza and Heatley so dominant. And your overlooking the return of two of the greatest all time Canucks, Sanford and Baumgartner. By resigning Sanford Gillis has exponentially improved the teams chances of winning every night because this way Vigneault will have to play Luongo all 82 games; and then there's Baumgartner, who will be gret because his pentient for getting beat, badly, will allow our new superstar in the making Johnson to show case his shot blocking skills. All in all, gillis has made a team that will allow our one true superstar Luongo, to showcase his talents, and allow the Sedins to be like a late night talk show, everynight greeting a new guest to their line. This was Canucks fans can enjoy a fun new interactive ctivity, everynight at GM place the team could give out a sticker of the twins linemate for that night, and sell a special memorabilia book. Who doesn't want a Taylor Pyatt sticker? or Rick Rypien? who wants to watch the same boring line everynight; Whoopy doo, 82 nights of Zetterberg Holmstrom and Hossa, like that won't get old? Yep, mock away people, when we'le get even at the end of the year, once Luongo demands his trade we'll have multiple firstround picks next year, and be keenly positioned to pass on John Tavaras for someone with more character and less of that annoying footspeed, size or grit. Go Canucks Go!!!
JayR (Posted 2008-07-03 18:01:25)
As A Vancouver fan I am disgusted with the new regime.20 million for a guy who may retire?? Meanwhile every decent UFA is now gone.Hiring a former player agent was a stupid move,in case you haven't noticed!!
Christoffer The King Wedenmar (Posted 2008-07-03 17:37:08)
We (Penguins) are the biggest loser this far. I hate the signings today and I have lost my belief that we can win the cup.
Nicholas (Posted 2008-07-03 17:32:02)
As much as I always liked Ryder, the guy played 70 games last season and had plenty of chances to turn his game around. But the matter of the fact is that the younger Kostitsyn brother beat him out of his job in the end by playing a superior all around game. Good luck to Ryder, but there is simply better talent coming through the ranks in Montreal, to waste time hoping Ryder would get his scoring touch back.
Cary (Posted 2008-07-03 17:28:38)
Oh yeah, Boston's going to kick Montreal?? Yeah, right. They meet the first place Canadiens in the first round, Montreal will sweep now. Montreal got tougher, and they got smarter than most teams out there. They will be the team to challenge Detroit from the east this coming season. The Habs will be one of the toughest teams to play against, period. They are hell bent on redemption and the whole idea is to be patient, from management down to the players, and finally show that there are two teams in the running now. This team is going to be to good for most teams in the east. Talent, youth, experience, toughness, and cap space. Go Habs Go!!!
Confidential... (Posted 2008-07-03 17:05:39)
Now..as a canuck fan i would love to know if gillis made any pitches to anyone but fricken sundin?...i mean really ryder woulda looked good with the sedin twins even satan would have been nice...did he make an effort for hossa?...that woulda been faaaaantastic or even malone on the wing...but no u have two swedes who have no gunman an allstar goalie that gets pummeled night after night and 20 3rd line checkers i mean what the...am i on crazy pills?...or is it really that hard to make hossa the same offer he made sundin?....I dont know, I think I'm gonna move to India and watch kricket!
Confidential (Posted 2008-07-03 16:55:58)
Well Mr.William the reason montreal gets a yes and the canucks a NO!...is because Montreal has a good balanced young team that had a fantastic season last year and a good playoff run...the canucks on the other hand have 2 good players in the sedin sisters and 1 all star goalie that sees more rubber than the autobahn...but they stink and missed the playoffs...thus one team is ok and by not making any moves they retain there chemistry and balance while the other will be mini putting and wondering why luongo isnt answering his phone!
Patrick M (Posted 2008-07-03 16:41:36)
The Capitals turned a draft pick they acquired from Anaheim in the fall of 2007 into Cristobal Huet a goaltender that happened to get hot down the stretch to help them into the playoffs. That is what a trade deadline deal is supposed to do. It may have been nice to have him sign for a couple of years but not 4 years at 5.6 million? The Capitals surely would have been losers at that price and that length of time. Maybe the money they saved will help them get Sergei Fedorov back in the fold who they can use killing penalties. If you would have told ANY Capital fan back in January that they would have Jose Theodore as a goaltender in 2009 for $4.5 million instead of Olaf Kolzig for $5 million they would have taken it. He is not $1 million worse than Huet. In fact his winter and spring numbers were similar (save percentage etc) to Huet's. The forwards on the Caps are better than the forwards on the Avs. The need: The Caps needed "a goaltender". Solution: They got Theordore now and that is "do-able in their division and conference with their scoring ability. Theodore is much better than most of what was available without tying up extra dollars. They could have been stuck with Ray Emery or Dan Cloutier afterall! The goaltender decision to not pay Huet more and to take Theodore for less makes sense if you consider where they were 6 months ago.
Tom Voeckler (Posted 2008-07-03 16:40:43)
You forgot to mention that Gainey got Alex Tanguay from Calgary for next to nothing. Now adding Laraque (at a relatively cheap price, all things considered) will also make things interesting in Hab City. Gainey dumped Ryder and wasn't dumb enough to pay Streit a fortune. He also traded an ineffective Grabovski to Toronto for a very promisisng 18 year old US college defenceman. If he doesn't land Sundin, there will be a trade during the course of the season. All this is not bad for a guy accused of sitting on his hands.
dan (Posted 2008-07-03 16:34:15)
Damn right Jay. Ryder is a hell of a player. He did great in montreal for two seasons and then they just stopped using him. It's hard to score 30 goals when the coach won't play you. I am sure he'll have a great year in boston.
Mr. William (Posted 2008-07-03 15:53:17)
How do you put Montreal on the winners list for not getting anyone but then put Vancouver on the losers list for the same reason? If the Canucks have extra cap room it will be just as easy for them to make an early season trade. I would also put the Leafs and the Islanders on the losers list. The Leafs should be rebuilding but instead they are overpaying players who may be younger but are still unproven. They should be saving their money for a bigger name player next year. The Isles have big holes to fill and although Streit and Weight are nice to have they are not going to make a difference. Both teams should be battleing it out for the number 1 pick next year.
Jay Hamilton (Posted 2008-07-03 15:39:31)
We will see who is laughing after Ryder scores a few goals against his former team and the B's win the division. (you can stop laughing now) I have to agree with steve and jim regarding the Maple Laughs though, no mention of Toronto's failure thus far is a clear indication of somebody living in denial! Let me guess... THN office is in T.O.??? I am used to giving Leaf fans the finger, but it looks like Fletch did that for me this time. He must be there on an "interim" basis. He will get out once he collects a few more pay checks and over pays a few more no-name players.
Jennifer Towert (Posted 2008-07-03 15:29:28)
Seems to me that no one is willing to put their neck out and start questioning the Aquilini Bros hiring of Mike Gillis in Vancouver. Is everyone holding their breath, waiting for some miraculous deal to happen that will blow our minds? Seems fairly obvious to me it's not going to happen. If his most creative idea is to offer a potential retiree more money than Crosby, Malkin, Luongo or Ovechkin make, doesn't that speak volumes? I've been a season ticket holder in Vancouver for 9 years, and today I decided to let some other poor sucker have my seats. I'm going to use the $14,000 to go on a nice vacation this winter, somewhere where there's no Canucks games on tv.
Eldrick Woods (Posted 2008-07-03 15:26:09)
Like what Lou did in Jersey....He's probably running his fingers through his rolodex right now..."Let's see... M's ...McCabe, no...McDonalds, no...here it is, McKay-Randy 555-1212....next.....P's ...Port Authority, no...Punk Bettman,no ...hmmm...back up more...got it.. Peluso-Mike...666-7777... I'll sign these two and get the CRASH LINE back and up and running!"......see what you started Holik.
Dave Lee (Posted 2008-07-03 15:25:13)
I agree with your list of winners/losers in the free agent frenzy. I am a passionate Habs fan and at first was disappointed that Mr.Gainey didn't sign anyone like Sundin,Hossa or for that matter (anyone) but seeing the outrageous salaries being paid for alot of under achievers then my opinion changed. There will be other chances to fulfill his shopping list. I am hoping that they will sign Naslund from Vancouver as I believe that he has a few good years left. AND here's one to think about...Todd Bertuzzi ...No I haven't lost my marbles (at least not yet ) sign him to a bonus laden contract for one year and an option and I believe that he still has the talent to succeed. Montreal has been looking for a big forward, why not give him a try??? What have we got to lose? Keep up the good work Adam .
Steve Sicard (Posted 2008-07-03 15:11:06)
I think that Toronto should have been included in the Loser category. For all the mistakes Ferguson is said to have made overpaying players, Fletcher just did the same thing signing Finger! It's kind of like Burke blaming Lowe for all the overpriced signings when Burke went out and paid $4million/year for 2 years on Bertuzzi. Don't you think that was mindless given Bertuzzi'e previous 3 seasons? Now he cuts him lose. I'm sure a lot of players not playing to their potential and/or sat out long periodes of time on injury reserve loved that signing!
Jim Reinecke (Posted 2008-07-03 15:06:15)
I'm surprised at you, Adam! No comment regarding the Maple Leafs? Judging by the quantity (quality is another kettle of fish entirely) of posts that usually amend these blogs, the Leafs, love 'em or hate 'em seem to inspire more responses than any team in the league, any player in the league or any issue facing the league. Fletcher's moves have left furrows in my brow the size of speed bumps. . .Jeff Finger breaks the bank. . .Curtis Joseph, at 41, is brought back to the fold. . .and there are people who thought the Leafs were a joke 20-30 years ago when Harold Ballard was running this team? Those seem like to good old days now, don't they Leaf lovers? Like my beloved Blues, it looks like the playoffs are still firmly entrenched on the wish list for at least another two or three seasons. And the Wings signed Hossa! Let's all tie one on. As Jackie Gleason said in the movies "Requiem for a Heavyweight", "The rich get richer and the poor get drunk!"
RobG (Posted 2008-07-03 14:59:55)
Very much agreed on the Jose Theodore gamble in Washington. That signing left me shaking my head. I still like Michael Ryder though. Not for 4 million per but I'd bet he scores at least 20 to 25 a year in Boston. He needed to get away from Charbonneau.
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