Call the movers....First day of Free Agency Post

The first day of free agency... We'll be checking the Free Agent trackers and rumor mills for signs of life and whats going on around the league.

Lets start this off with some news from yesterday:

Michael Leighton - Resigned in Philly for 2 years averaging out to 1.55 per [TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - Looks like the flygirls want to invest two more year in Leighton to see if he can hone his skills while he splits time with a Vet. Rumors had the Contacting the Nabakov's People and looking into Khabibulin. Affording Nabakov would likely require them to move someone big.

Kris Versteeg - to Leafs with rights to winger Bill Sweatt in exchange for forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis going to the Hawks [ESPN's Pierre LeBrun via Twitter] -

Martin Biron - From the barn on Long Island to The New York Rangers for 2 years averaging out to 875K per [TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - Looks Like Larry Brooks was right (wow does that phrase leave a bad taste in your mouth or what...) Biron a pick up supports Torts cause in cutting back Henriks work rate. Biron came at a very affordable price for the number of games he can play as a back up... An upgrade over Valiquette and buys time for Chad Johnson to polish his game.

Dan Paille - Re-signed in Boston averaging 1.075 per on a 2 year contract.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]

Sergei Gonchar- Goes from the Pitts to Ottawa for 3 years averaging 5.5 per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - We knew this was gonna happen. Pittsburgh didn't seem interested in keeping Gonchar. Apparently anyone over 25 creeps out the kiddies. Ottawa gets a vet on their blueline, though there isnt much hope for a return to their defense's heydays. Just for the hell of it. I say they give it a shot. We hear at the the Dark Ranger would like to contend that Redden was the catalyst for that Ottawa defense and they'll need him back if they ever want to get back to those times. Make us an offer... REALLY!

Alex Tanguay - Signed in Calagary for a 1 year deal @ 1.7 mil.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - Calgary continues the shuffle and fold waiting for the click that makes the team greater that the sum of their parts.

Zbynek Michalek - Signed with Pittsburgh for 5 years at 4 million per. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - Apparently the Yotes were strapped for cash despite prioritizing this kids contract. Clearing Gonchar's money by not re-signing him freed up some cash for the pens.

Marty St. Louis - supposedly resigned with the Bolts for 4 years [ESPN's Pierre LeBrun via Twitter] - Just a rumor at this point as the news was tweeted by the bolts organization. - Not at all surprising seeing as the have seemed quite content to remain stagnant the past few seasons. The latest brass seems to be linked to this mentality.

Alex Auld - Signs with Montreal for 1 year at 1 Million,[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - I actually liked Auld for the short time he was here. He's not the top guy to have in net, but he won't be the cause of any riots in Hab Land. Don't quote me on that.

Colby Armstrong - Signs with Toronto for 3yrs at 3M per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - Good player that can score or sit back in a team dynamic. It may have finally sunk in that All knuckle draggers all the time won't work for the Leaves in the "new" NHL.

Antero Nittymaki - Signs with San Jose for 2 years at 2M per. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]. This may be good move for Nittymaki as the bolts were just hanging on at best towards the end of the past season.

Joel Perrault- Goes from the scorching deserts of Arizona to Vancouver for 1 year at 510K. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]Just enough to buy a sweater and a cup of Tim Hortons in one those resort towns up there.

Sean O'Donnell - To Philly for 1 year at 1 million.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] - From LA to Philly.. let us know how that sub tastes with wheat grass and a soy latte. On second thought, don't...Blech.

Manny Malhotra - Signs with Vancouver for 3 years averaging 2.5 per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]

Derek Morris - back with the Yotes for another 4 averaging 2.75M. Something about the desert and warm weather makes this guy play better. Well that and Jovanowski.

Jody Shelley - After telling Sather to cram his 100k raise, signs with those cheapshot artists in Philly for 3 years at 1.1M per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] I knew there was a reason I didn't like this guy. This Rivalry just got uglier, for us anyway. We need a heavyweight who isn't on the slide, can actually skate and patrol the ice and send a message. Instead we'll get someone like that douche, Andrew Peters... Thanks again Slats..$%^#$@%!@

Derek Boogaard - The Boogeyman is a Ranger! 4 yrs @ 1.625 each. Ok, I may have been a little hasty in calling Sather a tightwad that would get us Peters instead of a Name enforcer. No I wasn't, even a blind chicken finds a worm sometime. Anyway, Stogie Face went out and got us the BOOGEYMAN, BOOYAH! At least this evens the odds in the division rivalries a little and reunites Master (Gaborik) and Blaster (Boogaard). Can we hold those preseason bonding exercises at his fight school?

Dan Ellis - Heads to Tampa Bay for 2 years @1.5 each. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]

Paul Martin - has left the barren industrial wastelands of Newark for the Barren industrial wastelands of Pittsburgh for 5 years at 5M per. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]If nothing spectacular, Martin has always been a solid defenseman. His transition from trap to run and gun will either highlight him or expose him.

Toni Lydman - To the ducks for 3 yrs at 3M per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]

Ray Whitney - Signs with Phoenix for 2 years at 3M per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]- Whitney was a sought after guy by a few teams.

Curtis Sanford -Resigns in Montreal for one more year at 550K. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]. Rumor has it, Hab fans threatened to torch a Cop car if he didn't.

Henrik Tallinder signs with New Jersey for 4 years at 3.375!?!?! [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]umm ok..

Kurtis Foster - is off to Edmonton to be coached by Mr. Rogers err. Tom Renney for 2 years at 1.8M.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker] Kurtis, every time he says "battle level" just nod and smile. If he pisses you off, refuse to shake his hand, he hates that...

Dan Hamhuis - the wait is over and he's headed to the Nucks for 6 years at an average of 4.5M.[Pierre Lebrun, then TSN's Free Agent Tracker]. What, no hometown discount? For that type of money, he better perform for the nuck fans... No pressure though, just ask Naslund.

Chris Mason - is headed out of saint Louis and over to equally obscure Atlanta to tend goal for 2 yrs at 1.85M.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]

Olli Jokinen - is going home to Calgary, where they apparently have a short memory, for 2 yrs at 3 mil a piece. [TSN's Free Agent Tracker]Yowsa. Glad our name isn't on that deal. Perhaps for him and Iggy the distance has made the heart and hopefully the hands grow stronger. I won't besmirch him. When he first got here, he seemed to quickly grasp the situation that our team didn't have any balls or worked hard enough at playing a well rounded game... and quite frankly, for that its better that he's not here if he wasn't given a role where he could do something about it...those would be big skates for him to fill anyway... Noone shrugs like Drury.

Anton Volchenkov - Signs in New Jersey for 6 years averaging 4.25M per.[TSN's Free Agent Tracker]. Don't really know what to make of this. Its a good sign but considering the mass exodus out of Newark, is this the foundation for a rebuild or case of having the money and desperation at the same time... Considering they brought Arnott back, I'd guess the latter.

Alexander Frolov - Apparently we are singing this guy a song, but he can't hear us over the cash registers sounds in his head.[ESPN'S Pierre Lebrun via Twitter] We're either too hoarse or too broke to sing any louder.

Vinny Prospal - He's back for another season as a Ranger. 1M up front and the other 1.1M in bonuses. - As predicted, he got the Shanny treatment and we'll see how much he has left. With Frolov being a Gold diggin' !@#$@!#$, this is a secure move to make, I suppose... because of how he responds to Torts and as secondary scoring he still elite enough on this team to do some primary scoring.

Johan Hedberg - Licking the spoon in New Jersey with a patchwork contract, that includes bonuses and a no movement clause... amounts to about 1.5M for a year.[ESPN'S Pierre Lebrun via Twitter] Adds another piece to the Newark Puzzle. Could all this be a ploy to keep money free to sign Kovalchuk and bait him with being able to play with Volchenkov?

Free Agency 2007 - Part II

(Posted by TML 2007-2008, a Toronto Leafs fanatic)

Western Conference - a summary thus far

Detroit – Lost a couple of key players through Free Agency in Bertuzzi and Calder who were both rental players for the run last season. Losing Schneider is a loss but the addition of Rafalski gives the Wings a great one-two punch on defense with Lidstrom. Detroit will once again battle for tops in the West but needs to sign Hasek and pray for an injury free season.

Anaheim – Stanley Cup Hangover isn’t happening anytime soon with this great franchise. Burke has created a team built to win next year and compete for many more to come. Will Niedermayer retire? Does Selanne walk away a champion? The Ducks took a proactive approach and grabbed Schneider and Bertuzzi to help fill offset the potential loss. Look for Bobby Ryan to crack the Mighty lineup this season.

Vancouver – This team is on the cusp of something special. Teams that win in the playoffs all have one thing in common – great goaltending and Luongo’s the best there is. Unfortunately the new NHL economic landscape has capped Vancouver’s opportunity to win the big one for all of Canada. The twins cannot do it themselves as shown in last years playoffs. Without the budget to add suitable support, this team is in a holding pattern. Sanford is a nice pickup for a backup goalie and Ritchie and Isbister are decent 3’rd liners. Krajicek another decent pickup doesn’t get this team over the hump. Where have you gone Mr. Naslund? Pick up the phone and call your buddy Forsberg.

Nashville – Wow have things turned ugly in a hurry. The only music coming from the Predators is the smooth sound of Kansas City. They lost the majority of their stars and Greg De Vries won’t become Timmonen anytime soon. Radek Bonk and Ortmeyer won’t make the fans forget Kariya, Forsberg or Hartnell. Mason has big shoes to fill in becoming a starter for the first time in his NHL career. I feel bad for Arnott who signed a long contract last season.

San Jose – All this money to play with and they were unsuccessful in landing tier 1 free agents. This team is real close to bringing home Lord Stanley and Rivet on Defense helps bolster a young great lineup. Look for San Jose to dangle Marleau to bring in some strong supporting help of Thorton. I like the look of this team and consider them my favorite team (on paper) going into next season. They will be active on the trade deadline 2008. Rumor has Sourray signing with San Jose or New Jersey.

Dallas – This team is getting old and quickly. The young players must step up this season and make an impact. Having

their captain Morrow for a full season will help. Turco having exercised his playoff demons will once again show why he’s one of the best in the business. Playoffs – Yes. Stanley Cup threat – No.

Minnesota – This team is a gr

eat blend of veteran leadership and young stars. If Gaborik can stay healthy they will once again be a strong playoff team. Re-signing Welz is a good move. Backstrom will have huge pressure as Fernandez has found a new home in Boston. Belanger only adds more offensive depth to a good team.

Calgary – Welcome back Iron Mike. Good Bye Tanguay. Ooops that hasn’t happened yet. The Flames lost a couple of key defenseman but brought in Sarich and Aucoin. They made their biggest splash re-signing Iginla and Regehr. Along with Toronto and Ottawa, remain Canada’s greatest hope in bringing Stanley home.

Colorado – Things are looking great here. How long before Forsberg returns home to the Avalanche. This team has great forwards and a solid defense. An injury free season for Leopold will only help turn this playoff team (YES) into a cup threat. Colorado has one of the best recruiters in the game in Sakic whose call to Smyth and Hannan closed the deal at hello.

St Louis – The future is bright in St Louis although a trip to the post season is still a couple years away. Bringing back Tkachuk was a smart move although I suspect there was a secret handshake deal last fall. Kariya is a winner who helps this team on both ends of the ice. The Blues had an underrated defense corps that will surprise many this season and are well coached.

Columbus – Who knows…Worse off who really cares? Rick Nash, Brule and Vyborny (a star who people aren’t aware of) are being wasted highlighting their skills in a poor market. Columbus must trade Zherdev who has been a big distraction on this franchise. Look for Federov to been traded at the deadline this year to help push a team over the hump as a third line center. Federov (greatest NHL career by any Russian)

Edmonton – Wake up Lowe and drop the lawsuit. Tarnstrom, Grebeshkov and Greene won’t bring back the winning tradition. Trading Lupol for Pitkanen is solid for both organizations looking to develop these young stars. Garon adds depth between the pipes, as Rolly needs help with all the rubber he’ll see this season. Glad to see they re-signed Torres.

Chicago – I love what this team is doing. Can you hear the bandwagon start playing.. LOL!!! The addition of Toews, Samsanov and Lang help bolster the BlackHawk’s firepower. Havlat is a superstar in the making and their defense is deep. Can Ruutu finally play a full season? Congratulations on landing Kane.

Los Angeles – Welcome back to the NHL Kings. A great off-season will see this franchise back in the cup hunt. The Kings have one of the best defense corps in the NHL. The additions of Stuart and Pressing help bolster a great lineup. Calder, Handzus and Nagy round out some great young forwards in Cammalleri, Brown, Frolov and Kopitar. How may 20 goals scores will this team have at seasons end? How about Visnovsky who can score with the best of them on the power play.

Phoenix – Gretzky get out! This team is in real trouble. This is a team that should be moved to Hamilton. Loaded with strong defense Morris, Ballard, Boynton and Jovanovski. The rumor has Jovo rejecting the idea of being traded with his no trade clause contract. Prediction – Last in the NHL.

TML 2007-2008

The Russian Is Coming!

A little luck and The Rangers pick a young superstar.

So tonight we were treated to the NHL entry draft -- straight from beautiful Columbus, OH - home of the Blue Jackets and shamed-former-fired Flyers coached Ken Hitchcock.

With the New York Rangers in a paltry 17th pick in the first round, we got our hands on GM Glen Sather's first pick of all of the first-rounders, Alexei Cherepanov - controversial and straight from the Russian hockey league -- home of Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malken.

It may be a year before he skates as a Ranger at MSG, as he's promised his Communist home team at least another year - also made difficult with the ongoing negotiations between the Russians and the NHL. His agent is reassuring the press that he'll be here sooner.

Don't know much about this 18-year old kid, the upside is a world-class talent surpassing more recent trades from Russia, someone who will fit into the European-friendly Ranger lockerroom; the downside is he has a crappy work ethic -- another lazy one, being referred to as 'brilliant but aloof." Nothing worse than a kid who doesn't honor the game - a punk! But...Sather had taken four separate trips scouting Cherepanov personally. As a developing prospect, this could lead to a wonder kid for the Blueshirts. The Dark Ranger was told that Cherepanov was the New York Rangers' first pick and vice versa. The risk is minimal providing the Russians let him play for New York.

In other trade news, last year's #1 pick and this year's #8 pick- Eposito - is now a Pittsburgh Penguin - giving Pittsburgh one of the youngest and dangerous roster of developing and world-class forwards in the entire league. The Dark Ranger fears that Pittsburgh will an enormous team this and many seasons to come.

Free agent bonanza approaching in one week. Wait. July 1. I also hear Sather left a $12-million, 3-year contract offer for Nylander -- take it or leave it. Woh.

tdr