DeadsetAce
Supporter
- 105,963
- 51,878
- Joined
- May 31, 2004
i expect the bruins to do a whole lot of NOTHING 
OFFICIAL HOCKEY THREAD: NHL, KHL, NCAA, IIHL
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by philballa09,
- Start date
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
Wild will not make an offer to Niskanen. GMCF is not comfortable extending another 6-7 yr deal 6m+ yr.
Smart move.
Smart move.
- 2,483
- 351
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2007
i expect the bruins to do a whole lot of NOTHING
I agree. What they really need to do is sign Krug and Smith if they can. If not Smith, they have got to sign Krug.
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
I really want the Wild to improve the blue line. At least have a stop gap for a couple yrs.
Nisky wouldve been perfect but not for that term/money hes looking for. Idk where the Wild turn to but we have so many d prospects now its kinda ridiculous.
I want Vanek and hope he accepts the term/money to come here and is understanding. Id be ok with a 4yr term (MAX)
Iggy is also being targeted ... Id be ok with that. for sure
Wild Killer joins the Wild?
I really like Vrbata. Quite point producer. Statsny would be nice but it looks like he could be a STL Blue.
The CENTRALS ARMS RACE THOUGH :x :x
Nisky wouldve been perfect but not for that term/money hes looking for. Idk where the Wild turn to but we have so many d prospects now its kinda ridiculous.
I want Vanek and hope he accepts the term/money to come here and is understanding. Id be ok with a 4yr term (MAX)
Iggy is also being targeted ... Id be ok with that. for sure
Wild Killer joins the Wild? I really like Vrbata. Quite point producer. Statsny would be nice but it looks like he could be a STL Blue.
The CENTRALS ARMS RACE THOUGH :x :x
Last edited:
If you guys wanna keep up minute to minute, ESPN is doing an all day chat with their writers. Just go to the NHL front page and you'll see it. You can auto refresh and it looks like they're all in there right now answering questions and posting news/quotes.
Stastny decision could alter Western race.
It’s the one day a year teams that can close the gap on the NHL’s best without giving up an asset outside of cap space. The prices today at the start of free agency are going to be inflated -- and GMs are going to be a little uneasy about it -- but that’s how it goes when parity rules and there’s a gap to erase between the best and those trying to catch them.
There’s no better example of this than the battle to fortify the center position in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Kings are set, with four high-end centers, anchored by Anze Kopitar. The Anaheim Ducks took care of their business early with the Ryan Kesler trade. The Chicago Blackhawks have an advantage simply because they have Jonathan Toews.
That leaves teams in the middle such as the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild figuring out the best ways to counterattack these powerhouses down the middle.
Today becomes a critical day in that effort, with Paul Stastny in the middle of it.
Stastny is the best center available, the only one on the free agent market who can be in the same conversation as some of these other elite Olympians. Where he ends up could help shift the power of the West.
His agent, Matt Keator, has said he’ll give the Avalanche the opportunity to match any offers out there, and Stastny loves playing in Colorado, so they still have that edge. If it’s not them, the Blues are the other leaders. Chicago is a wild card if GM Stan Bowman decides he’s willing to make the space for him.
That puts pressure on the other Western Conference teams to find a way to keep pace with the contenders at center.
“I can’t control that part,” said Stars GM Jim Nill, who is on the prowl for a center. “Of course, you have to keep up with them. Maybe our 'keeping up' is our kids getting better. We can’t speed up our process. That’s when we get in trouble. If I try to speed this up... that’s where you get in trouble.”
In Minnesota, GM Chuck Fletcher has a similar philosophy. He saw strides from Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula last season, and Haula played really well for the Wild in the playoffs.
[+] EnlargeWild
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Wild rookie Erik Haula had five points during the six-game series against the Blackhawks.
The Wild may close the gap, not by entering the arms race at center, but by strengthening the team around incumbents Mikko Koivu, Granlund and Haula. They have cap space, would like to add help on defense and for the right price (and term) will be in on Thomas Vanek.
The complication with the Wild is that they have restricted free agent contract negotiations coming over the course of the next couple years with Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Haula, Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin and others. With Zach Parise and Ryan Suter already locked in long term, Fletcher will be trying to lure players without a big appetite to match some of the term other teams will offer.
“Our fear is going out too far with too many players, without knowing what the young guys are going to cost us,” Fletcher said. “What exactly is the role? Last year by the end of the playoffs, we had Niederreiter and Coyle on the second line. We had Pominville and Parise on another line. If you’re fitting someone in, how does that change our lines? There’s a lot into this.”
In Winnipeg, they made a bid for Stastny, but according to colleague Pierre LeBrun, didn’t find themselves on the pared-down final list.
Like the others, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is leaning on drafting and developing, but he’s also open to being creative to find other ways to fill their need at center.
“You’re looking at free agency, a lot of times those things aren’t necessarily there for everybody. Someone might get the couple players that are there. You look at it from a trade perspective,” Cheveldayoff said. “Sometimes you end up staring at it. It’s something you’re consciously trying to do, but there are only opportunities maybe to do it at different times. Nothing is ever final. You’re always looking.”
The Stastny domino is a key one, but there are a lot of other moving parts as free agency gets rolling at noon ET today:
• Vanek was offered some monster contracts from Buffalo and the Islanders, but has been insistent since day one that he’s going to test the market. While the preference is always to go long-term for the player, that won’t be a deal-breaker for him today. If there’s a fit on a team Vanek is comfortable with, he’s willing to go shorter on the term of the deal. It all depends on what’s out there at the opening bell.
“You have a checklist of things you’d like to see. If someone doesn’t offer the terms I’d ideally like, does that trump everything else? No,” said his agent, Stephen Bartlett. “If there are two equal teams that make offers and one is three years and the other is seven, that’s a pretty big difference.”
Bartlett said he’s more than comfortable letting this play out over the next several days to get the right fit. This may not be a deal that gets done at 12:05.
“I don’t think there’s urgency,” Bartlett said. “He’s going to be a good player on July 1 and a good player on July 5.”
• It will be an interesting day on the goalie market, where Vancouver is the only team with an obvious need for a legitimate No. 1 goalie.
[+] EnlargeHiller
AP Photo/Alex Gallardo
Jonas Hiller has a .916 career save percentage in the regular season, and .932 in the playoffs.
Ryan Miller makes a lot of sense there, which is great for him if it works out. Where does that leave Jonas Hiller?
“We are talking to three teams, seriously. Two other teams have shown interest,” said Hiller’s agent, Alain Roy. “So there are five teams in the mix; it’s a matter of where that falls that is the big question.”
Roy declined to share which teams those finalists are, but one strategy free agent goalies might have to take is looking at teams that have starters on short-term deals and try to win the job there. If you’re a free-agent goalie, Pittsburgh might be the best spot to try to do that.
Meanwhile, the Capitals, Islanders and Coyotes are among the teams looking for a backup. One name drawing interest on the backup goalie front is Carolina's Justin Peters, who had a good campaign in 2013-14, with a .919 save percentage.
• Ilya Bryzgalov won’t be back in Minnesota, but he expects to play in the NHL next season. Fletcher had nothing but praise for his time with the Wild.
“I’m a big fan of Bryz. He was really good for us,” Fletcher said. “What we expected him to do, he did.”
• Bartlett and client Brian Gionta were expected to touch base with the Canadiens on Monday about trying to find the right role for him in Montreal. He might be able to get better term and money elsewhere, but there still appeared to be a desire to stay with the Habs.
“Our first focus is to see where we’ll go with the existing team and make every effort to listen to what their proposal is,” said Bartlett.
If he doesn’t sign with the Canadiens, one option for the Rochester, New York native will be the Sabres, who are looking for strong veterans to help guide the influx of young talent coming.
• The Sabres will be an interesting team to watch today, with plenty of money to spend to get to the salary floor. Expect them to be aggressive in their pursuit of Steve Ott, another player that GM Tim Murray envisions being a mentor to the young players he’s assembling. Defenseman Tyler Myers has drawn plenty of interest on the trade market, but as of Monday afternoon the Sabres weren’t looking to move him. That can always change with the right offer.
• Florida defenseman Tom Gilbert will test the market, and he quietly had a strong season for the Panthers. He’s a right-handed shot who put up strong possession numbers, with the Panthers controlling 51.7 percent of the even-strength shot attempts when he was on the ice. He could be an option in Detroit if GM Ken Holland decides the prices for the bigger names are too steep.
Another veteran defenseman drawing significant interest is Stephane Robidas. The Quebec native would prefer to play in the East, closer to family in Quebec, but location isn’t a deal-breaker. After breaking his leg in the postseason, he’s expected to be completely healthy for the start of the season.
• One defenseman to keep an eye on in the trade market will be Mike Green, depending on how well new GM Brian MacLellan does in his pursuit of help on defense.
There’s a strong appetite among teams to add defensemen who can pitch in offensively, especially right-handed shots. For teams that miss out on Matt Niskanen or Dan Boyle, grabbing Green -- who has just one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $6 million -- might be a better option than going to Plan B in free agency.
On Tuesday morning, two NHL executives said they haven’t heard that Green is available right now, but that could change depending on Washington’s activity in free agency.
There’s no better example of this than the battle to fortify the center position in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Kings are set, with four high-end centers, anchored by Anze Kopitar. The Anaheim Ducks took care of their business early with the Ryan Kesler trade. The Chicago Blackhawks have an advantage simply because they have Jonathan Toews.
That leaves teams in the middle such as the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild figuring out the best ways to counterattack these powerhouses down the middle.
Today becomes a critical day in that effort, with Paul Stastny in the middle of it.
Stastny is the best center available, the only one on the free agent market who can be in the same conversation as some of these other elite Olympians. Where he ends up could help shift the power of the West.
His agent, Matt Keator, has said he’ll give the Avalanche the opportunity to match any offers out there, and Stastny loves playing in Colorado, so they still have that edge. If it’s not them, the Blues are the other leaders. Chicago is a wild card if GM Stan Bowman decides he’s willing to make the space for him.
That puts pressure on the other Western Conference teams to find a way to keep pace with the contenders at center.
“I can’t control that part,” said Stars GM Jim Nill, who is on the prowl for a center. “Of course, you have to keep up with them. Maybe our 'keeping up' is our kids getting better. We can’t speed up our process. That’s when we get in trouble. If I try to speed this up... that’s where you get in trouble.”
In Minnesota, GM Chuck Fletcher has a similar philosophy. He saw strides from Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula last season, and Haula played really well for the Wild in the playoffs.
[+] EnlargeWild
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
Wild rookie Erik Haula had five points during the six-game series against the Blackhawks.
The Wild may close the gap, not by entering the arms race at center, but by strengthening the team around incumbents Mikko Koivu, Granlund and Haula. They have cap space, would like to add help on defense and for the right price (and term) will be in on Thomas Vanek.
The complication with the Wild is that they have restricted free agent contract negotiations coming over the course of the next couple years with Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Haula, Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin and others. With Zach Parise and Ryan Suter already locked in long term, Fletcher will be trying to lure players without a big appetite to match some of the term other teams will offer.
“Our fear is going out too far with too many players, without knowing what the young guys are going to cost us,” Fletcher said. “What exactly is the role? Last year by the end of the playoffs, we had Niederreiter and Coyle on the second line. We had Pominville and Parise on another line. If you’re fitting someone in, how does that change our lines? There’s a lot into this.”
In Winnipeg, they made a bid for Stastny, but according to colleague Pierre LeBrun, didn’t find themselves on the pared-down final list.
Like the others, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is leaning on drafting and developing, but he’s also open to being creative to find other ways to fill their need at center.
“You’re looking at free agency, a lot of times those things aren’t necessarily there for everybody. Someone might get the couple players that are there. You look at it from a trade perspective,” Cheveldayoff said. “Sometimes you end up staring at it. It’s something you’re consciously trying to do, but there are only opportunities maybe to do it at different times. Nothing is ever final. You’re always looking.”
The Stastny domino is a key one, but there are a lot of other moving parts as free agency gets rolling at noon ET today:
• Vanek was offered some monster contracts from Buffalo and the Islanders, but has been insistent since day one that he’s going to test the market. While the preference is always to go long-term for the player, that won’t be a deal-breaker for him today. If there’s a fit on a team Vanek is comfortable with, he’s willing to go shorter on the term of the deal. It all depends on what’s out there at the opening bell.
“You have a checklist of things you’d like to see. If someone doesn’t offer the terms I’d ideally like, does that trump everything else? No,” said his agent, Stephen Bartlett. “If there are two equal teams that make offers and one is three years and the other is seven, that’s a pretty big difference.”
Bartlett said he’s more than comfortable letting this play out over the next several days to get the right fit. This may not be a deal that gets done at 12:05.
“I don’t think there’s urgency,” Bartlett said. “He’s going to be a good player on July 1 and a good player on July 5.”
• It will be an interesting day on the goalie market, where Vancouver is the only team with an obvious need for a legitimate No. 1 goalie.
[+] EnlargeHiller
AP Photo/Alex Gallardo
Jonas Hiller has a .916 career save percentage in the regular season, and .932 in the playoffs.
Ryan Miller makes a lot of sense there, which is great for him if it works out. Where does that leave Jonas Hiller?
“We are talking to three teams, seriously. Two other teams have shown interest,” said Hiller’s agent, Alain Roy. “So there are five teams in the mix; it’s a matter of where that falls that is the big question.”
Roy declined to share which teams those finalists are, but one strategy free agent goalies might have to take is looking at teams that have starters on short-term deals and try to win the job there. If you’re a free-agent goalie, Pittsburgh might be the best spot to try to do that.
Meanwhile, the Capitals, Islanders and Coyotes are among the teams looking for a backup. One name drawing interest on the backup goalie front is Carolina's Justin Peters, who had a good campaign in 2013-14, with a .919 save percentage.
• Ilya Bryzgalov won’t be back in Minnesota, but he expects to play in the NHL next season. Fletcher had nothing but praise for his time with the Wild.
“I’m a big fan of Bryz. He was really good for us,” Fletcher said. “What we expected him to do, he did.”
• Bartlett and client Brian Gionta were expected to touch base with the Canadiens on Monday about trying to find the right role for him in Montreal. He might be able to get better term and money elsewhere, but there still appeared to be a desire to stay with the Habs.
“Our first focus is to see where we’ll go with the existing team and make every effort to listen to what their proposal is,” said Bartlett.
If he doesn’t sign with the Canadiens, one option for the Rochester, New York native will be the Sabres, who are looking for strong veterans to help guide the influx of young talent coming.
• The Sabres will be an interesting team to watch today, with plenty of money to spend to get to the salary floor. Expect them to be aggressive in their pursuit of Steve Ott, another player that GM Tim Murray envisions being a mentor to the young players he’s assembling. Defenseman Tyler Myers has drawn plenty of interest on the trade market, but as of Monday afternoon the Sabres weren’t looking to move him. That can always change with the right offer.
• Florida defenseman Tom Gilbert will test the market, and he quietly had a strong season for the Panthers. He’s a right-handed shot who put up strong possession numbers, with the Panthers controlling 51.7 percent of the even-strength shot attempts when he was on the ice. He could be an option in Detroit if GM Ken Holland decides the prices for the bigger names are too steep.
Another veteran defenseman drawing significant interest is Stephane Robidas. The Quebec native would prefer to play in the East, closer to family in Quebec, but location isn’t a deal-breaker. After breaking his leg in the postseason, he’s expected to be completely healthy for the start of the season.
• One defenseman to keep an eye on in the trade market will be Mike Green, depending on how well new GM Brian MacLellan does in his pursuit of help on defense.
There’s a strong appetite among teams to add defensemen who can pitch in offensively, especially right-handed shots. For teams that miss out on Matt Niskanen or Dan Boyle, grabbing Green -- who has just one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $6 million -- might be a better option than going to Plan B in free agency.
On Tuesday morning, two NHL executives said they haven’t heard that Green is available right now, but that could change depending on Washington’s activity in free agency.
- 7,180
- 1,856
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2006
I'm very happy with what we gave up for Spezza. Would have loved to see a potential Spezza/Chiasson pairing on that second line, but that obviously won't be happening.
- 2,239
- 646
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2004
Ehrhoff to Pittsburgh 1yr 4mil.
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
Christian Ehrhoff has agreed to terms on a one-year deal at $4M with PIT. #TSN #FAF
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
Oilers get Fayne for 4 years. Benoit Pouliot for 5 years. Per Oilers Twitter Acct
Puoliot has so much skill but hes damn lazy 5 yrs though..
Puoliot has so much skill but hes damn lazy
5 yrs though..
Last edited:
St. Louis Blues
The Blues have signed Jori Lehtera to a two-year contract. #stlblues http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BreJyPGCMAAl_4W.jpg
St. Louis Blues
Lehtera is a third-round pick (65th overall) of the Blues in 2008. Last season, he had 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in 48 KHL games.
Pierre LeBrun
Stralman's agent Marc Levine says Rangers are officially out on his client
Pierre LeBrun
Oilers sign Benoit Pouliot to five-year, $20 M deal
The Blues have signed Jori Lehtera to a two-year contract. #stlblues http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BreJyPGCMAAl_4W.jpg
St. Louis Blues
Lehtera is a third-round pick (65th overall) of the Blues in 2008. Last season, he had 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists) in 48 KHL games.
Pierre LeBrun
Stralman's agent Marc Levine says Rangers are officially out on his client
Pierre LeBrun
Oilers sign Benoit Pouliot to five-year, $20 M deal
- 2,483
- 351
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2007
Mark Fayne to Edmonton Oilers for 4 years
- 20,396
- 14,184
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
Darren Dreger
Chad Johnson signs with Islanders. 2 yr. approx 1.3 aav.
Ottawa Senators
BREAKING: #Sens agree to teams with forward Milan Michalek on a three-year contract.
Ottawa Senators
Michalek’s three-year deal has an AAV of $4M . #WelcomeBackMilo ! #Sens
Chad Johnson signs with Islanders. 2 yr. approx 1.3 aav.
Ottawa Senators
BREAKING: #Sens agree to teams with forward Milan Michalek on a three-year contract.
Ottawa Senators
Michalek’s three-year deal has an AAV of $4M . #WelcomeBackMilo ! #Sens
- 20,396
- 14,184
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2012
ChuckGormleyCSN: I'm told the Caps are 'very close' to landing D Matt Niskanen. #CapitalsTalk
CanadiensMTL: Canadiens acquire a second round pick in 2016 from the Sabres in return for Josh Gorges. DETAILS -> http://t.co/tE7FQaQqlv
ChuckGormleyCSN: Also hearing former Predators C David Legwand's name connected to Caps as third-line centerman.
#CapitalsTalkalex_prewitt: Two-year deal for Justin Peters to the Capitals.
Last edited:
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
Gorges to BUF for a pick.
Last edited:
St. Louis Blues
BREAKING NEWS: The Blues have signed free agent center Paul Stastny to a four-year deal. #stlblues http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BreOPytCIAIbDbx.jpg
BREAKING NEWS: The Blues have signed free agent center Paul Stastny to a four-year deal. #stlblues http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BreOPytCIAIbDbx.jpg
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
BREAKING NEWS: The Blues have signed free agent center Paul Stastny to a four-year deal. #stlblues
STATS a BLUE
STATS a BLUE
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
CAMMY to NYJ 5x5
Last edited:
- 3,509
- 157
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2009
Jeez the Central is going to be ridiculous next year :x
And of course the Jets will do nothing, so looks like another year missing the playoffs
And of course the Jets will do nothing, so looks like another year missing the playoffs
- 2,385
- 280
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
Last edited:
