D and S Sports: Free Agency

Showing posts with label Free Agency. Show all posts

Jordan Leopold Reaction

7/06/2010 | Posted by Devin

The news on July 1^st that the Sabres only signed Jordan Leopold was met with this type of reaction.

Sabres: "The Sabres have reached an agreement with Jordan Leopold"

Generic Fan A: "Who is that?"

Generic Fan B: "Some guy from Pittsburgh."

(Frantically Googling 'Jordan Leopold')

Generic Fan B: "He isn't a big name, I hate this."

Generic Fan A: "Wow, the Sabres are awful. How could they do this to me?"

Needless to say, it was an overreaction of epic proportions. Is Jordan Leopold the answer? Hardly. Is he a great signing? Not really. Was it that terrible? No, it wasn't.

Combine this with the overreaction to losing Toni Lydman and Henrik Tallinder and what you're left with is a massive headache. Just to review a few things, Lydman and Tallinder are easily replaceable. Neither was overwhelming during their time in Buffalo. In fact, before last season, most of the Sabres fan base wanted Tallinder run out of town. You can put me in that crowd. In fact, I wrote numerous times last offseason that I wanted the Sabres to dish off both contracts before they expire, even if it resulted in them getting a bag of pucks in return.

Flash forward to this season and all of a sudden losing both guys is a bad thing. Just for the sake of argument, here are the numbers for all three players for the past two seasons. Numbers don't tell the whole story, but they help paint a picture.

2009-10

	GP	Goals	Assists	Points	PP Points	+/-
Leopold	81	11	15	26	1	-2
Tallinder	82	4	16	20	0	+13
Lydman	67	4	16	20	0	+10

2008-09

	GP	Goals	Assists	Points	PP Points	+/-
Leopold	83*	7	17	24	1	-15
Tallinder	66	1	11	12	0	-2
Lydman	80	3	20	23	0	0

*Traded at deadline which accounts for one extra game played.

Leopold got identical money as Lydman got from Anaheim. +/- is the only real stat that Lydman was better than Leopold in. Otherwise, they are basically the same. The real difference between the two is that Leopold scores more goals. Just throwing this out there, but the Sabres could use some more goal scoring from their blue line.

As for Tallinder, where do we start? I already mentioned how nobody wanted him around but what changed this past season? Well for one, he had a major bounce back season that must have brain washed the fans' minds into thinking he was good again. So why did he have a bounce back season? Contract year? Paired up with Tyler Myers? You decide. I'm no expert (obviously), but watch New Jersey regret his contract roughly halfway through its tenure.

Again, I'm not getting on my soap box and backing this decision 100%. In fact for the sake of argument, here is what I wrote about him just before free agency started. But I also realize that it's only July 6^th and the Sabres don't lace up the skates for a number of weeks still.

In a solid and under the radar signing, the Sabres re-inked Cody McCormick to another one year deal. The big difference this season compared to last is that this year it's a one way deal, which would indicate that he'll be spending the entire season up with Buffalo as opposed to Portland.

I was extremely high on McCormick in my Sabres season preview, maybe even a little too high on him seeing that he didn't even make the roster. That being said, he was called up during the playoffs and played very well in the final three games. Apparently the Sabres front office agrees because it looks like he'll be replacing Adam Mair or Matt Ellis. Actually, both might not return with this move.

From what I know about McCormick, I'm pretty excited to see him in Buffalo all season long.

So what's the next move gonna be?

Labels: Buffalo Sabres, Cody McCormick, Free Agency, Jordan Leopold

2010 NHL Free Agency – Forwards

6/24/2010 | Posted by Devin

NHL Free Agency kicks off July 1^st, so I figure that now is a good time to review the upcoming UFA and RFA class. Unlike last season, I won't be ranking them in terms of overall worth, but instead the rankings will reflect their worth to the Sabres and how bad I'd like to see the particular player in blue and gold next season. Please remember, these rankings are completely biased.

Finally, we've made it to the forwards. This might be the biggest problem area for the Sabres this summer. Buffalo has put a ton of faith in their system and their guys, and so far it hasn't exactly worked out. Thomas Vanek has had his moments where he's been that guy, but other times where we all bash our head against the wall when we realize he is the highest paid player on the team. Jason Pominville is still living off his 15 minutes of fame for a big playoff goal he scored over four years ago. Derek Roy has been the leading scorer for the Sabres in the regular season but failed to show up in the playoffs. Tim Connolly opted not to play at all in the playoffs. I could go on and on, but you get the point. The Sabres need some more muscle up front and a true number one center.

If I had my choice, the Sabres trade Connolly and get a decent return. He has a $4.5 million dollar cap hit this season and then his contract expires. I'd like to see the Sabres get something from him because I think there is a 0.03% chance the Sabres bring him back after this season. I know other fans are quick to jump on the trade Derek Roy bandwagon, but I'm a little more hesitant on that one. Facts are facts. He has been the team's leading scorer for the past three seasons and he only makes $4 million per season. He is also locked up for the next three seasons. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

As if everyone needs this reminder again, but these rankings reflect my personal opinion on players the Sabres need and should go after, not overall UFA rankings like done in the past. That means no Ilya Kovalchuk in these rankings. Not happening, nor should it.

1. Patrick Marleau (SJ) – I would crack a bottle of champagne and celebrate the day if the Sabres signed Marleau. His point totals since the lockout have been 86, 78, 48, 71 and 83. He would instantly improve the Sabres goal scoring and be their best forward. Maybe he'd even show Pominville a thing or two about earning his contract.

(Ed. Note: After the writing this article, Marleau re-signed with San Jose for a massive $6.9 million per year.)

2. Tomas Plekanec (MTL) – There is a part of me that wonders if Plekanec is one of those guys who over-achieved during his contract year and will ultimately cash in and let down his next team but I'm willing to ignore those thoughts for the time being. This past season was definitely a bounce back season but he also chipped in 69 points in the 2007-08 season so maybe it's unfair to label him as a one hit wonder. Like I said in the defenseman rankings, another positive to signing Plekanec would be stealing him away from a division rival.

(Ed. Note: After writing this article, Montreal did in fact resign Plekanec to a 6 year deal.)

3. Alexander Frolov (LA) – Since the lockout, Frolov hasn't scored less than 50 points in any season. That would instantly put him in the top five for scoring on the team. Frolov's cap hit was $2.9 million but I'm guessing he'll be looking at about $4 million per season coming up. Judging on his numbers, he looks like a near identical image of Derek Roy, which probably isn't a heartwarming thought for most Sabres fans but I can live with it.

4. Ray Whitney (CAR) – Whitney isn't exactly young and won't exactly provide a ton of toughness, but there are other added benefits to signing him. I advocated for him at the trade deadline and nothing has changed, except the Sabres can now get him without giving up any players or draft picks. Because of his age (38), I'd be uncomfortable with anything more than a two year deal.

5. Lee Stempniak (PHX) - Stempniak flamed out in Toronto big time, but blew up after the trade deadline while in Phoenix. Stempniak grew up in the Buffalo area which automatically means he'd be a great Sabre. /sarcasm. But seriously, I think he showed his true potential in Phoenix. There are plenty of reasons why he struggled in Toronto. For one, putting it nicely, the Leafs weren't a very good team. Two, his game was examined under the strongest microscope with some of the toughest fans to please. When the pressure was off while playing in a non-hockey town, he lit it up. Granted he'd be going back into a big hockey city with large expectations, but I'd like to think he has his confidence back.

6. Manny Malhotra (SJ) –Malholtra falls into the bargain category. His cap hit was a miniscule $700,000 last season in San Jose. In return he scored 14 goals and 19 assists. That is essentially the same amount of money Adam Mair made while providing double the scoring. I will absolutely sign up for that. In fact, Mair has never even scored double digit goals during his seven seasons in Buffalo. His highest total is eight goals in the 2008-09 season. In a similar six year span, Malhotra scored nine goals one season and eclipsed double digit goals in the other five. This would be a very good under the radar signing for Buffalo if they went in that direction.

7. Matthew Lombardi (PHX) – Lombardi has a few aspects that stand out to me. He's only 28 years old and his cap hit was $1,816,667. To put that into perspective, that is a little more than what Mike Grier makes. It's less money than what Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad and the majority of Sabres forwards bring home. With that in mind, Lombardi scored 19 goals last season and contributed another 34 assists. So no he isn't a top line 40 goal scorer, but for the cap hit and the production, he's a great bargain that would improve the team.

8. Bill Guerin (PIT) – Like Ray Whitney, Bill Guerin is a little too old for my taste, but I'd sign up for a one or two year deal. Guerin has the ability to chip in 20 goals but would also provide a great deal of toughness and leadership. Having someone like Guerin on the roster would help a great deal during the playoffs when the young guys are busy being invisible. All of that being said, Pittsburgh would be crazy to let him go. He's a perfect fit for them.

9. Matt Cullen (OTT) –Cullen would be a decent signing for the right price, mostly for the veteran presence and leadership. I can't stress this enough, the Sabres need more players that will take control of the locker room. There is a reason the Sabres wasted no time signing Mike Grier before letting him hit the open market. It was refreshing to see them recognize his importance and place a value on it.

10. Saku Koivu (ANA) –I'm lukewarm on the thought of Koivu in a Sabres uniform, but I needed a nice even list of 10 for this article so here he is. I'm all for adding another 50+ points to the Sabres group of forwards, but I wouldn't be crazy about him taking up three million or more against the cap. Now if you were to tell me that the Sabres were able to unload Drew Stafford and his $1.9 million cap hit and replace it with Koivu and a $3 million cap hit, I can easily live with that. Again, the Sabres need some more consistent scoring.

If I have one internet pet peeve, it's people playing GM on the internet with unrealistic scenarios that would only happen on Xbox. However, now that we've seen my rankings for goalies, d-men and forwards, allow me to play the role for a few minutes.

The Sabres currently have around $10 or $11 million in cap space for the upcoming season. They have 10 forwards, 5 defensemen and one goalie under contract.

Sign Martin Biron for $1.2 million. Sign Carlo Colaiacovo for $2 million. Trade for Tomas Kaberle, in the process trading Drew Stafford and whatever draft picks Brian Burke wants. Re-sign Patrick Kaleta and Tim Kennedy, each getting a minor raise. Sign Ray Whitney and Matthew Lombardi. Raise another division champion banner in HSBC.

Labels: Buffalo Sabres, Forwards, Free Agency

2010 NHL Free Agency – Defensemen

6/24/2010 | Posted by Devin

Since the lockout, Kaberle has contributed point totals of 67, 58, 53, 31 and 49. Factor in that his 31 points came in 57 games, and it's all the more impressive. Kaberle would instantly be the best scoring defenseman on the Sabres, along with Tyler Myers. The idea of Kaberle in Buffalo also excited me because he's a power play specialist and the power play for Buffalo is horrendous. Literally, it's to the point where I wish the Sabres could actually decline penalties and just play 5 on 5.

Buffalo is clearing right around 5.5 million with Tallinder and Lydman leaving and I'd be perfectly okay with them giving that money to Kaberle for roughly four years. Rumors I've read have said Buffalo would have to give up a couple of draft picks and possibly Drew Stafford to acquire Kaberle. For me, that just sweetens the deal. Maybe Stafford will pan out and become a very good player, but my patience has run out on him and the sooner he's gone, the better. If Buffalo traded for Kaberle and locked him up, they would head into the season with Kaberle, Rivet, Montador, Myers, Sekera and Butler. Call me crazy but I'm more than okay with that. Rivet will most likely miss the beginning of the season but the Sabres have two players in Mike Weber and Marc-Andre Gragnani that could easily fill in and even challenge Sekera and Butler for regular playing time.

There is always the chance that the Sabres don't get this deal done, so with that in mind, let's see who will be available on the open market. Keep in mind, this isn't an overall ranking, but a ranking on who I think would be a good fit for the Sabres. I'm also only ranking the top 10 players to keep this as short as possible. Salary, age and scoring are the three things I'm factoring in here. If there has been one thing lacking in the past few seasons, it's been consistent scoring from the defensemen.

1b. Anton Volchenkov (OTT) – Volchenkov doesn't fit the bill for a scoring defenseman like I highlighted above, but I'd still love to have him in Buffalo for a few reasons. Volchenkov is only 28 years old and has been one of the better defensemen for Ottawa over the past few seasons. He'll be looking for a large payday since he's arguably the top defenseman overall, so the odds of Buffalo making a play on him are pretty rare. Part of the allure in my eyes is not only would the Sabres be upgrading their blue line, they would be directly hurting a division rival in the process.

2. Carlo Colaiacovo (STL) – Colaiacovo isn't a household name for most hockey fans but he would be a very solid signing for Buffalo. His current salary was $1.4 million, so even with a raise; he would bring a modest cap hit at best. Combine that with his age (27) and his recent point production, and I'm all for this signing. After being drafted by Toronto and constantly being injured, he has been relatively healthy for the past two seasons playing in 73 and 67 games respectively. In those two seasons he chipped in 30 and 32 points, which would make him the second highest scoring defenseman in Buffalo.

3. Joe Corvo (WAS) – Corvo doesn't have the highest point totals, but I would definitely be on board with him signing in Buffalo. I'm guessing he'll be looking at a contract right around three million per season for about four years, and I could live with that. I think I've mentioned it at least 80 times in this article, but the Sabres power play is an absolute joke. Corvo isn't quite in the class of Kaberle or Gonchar, but he'd still help upgrade that particular aspect for the Sabres.

4.
Sergei Gonchar (PIT) – Gonchar's salary and age go directly against my rules for signing a defenseman in free agency. However, if it was a one or two year deal and he took a significant pay cut of two million or more, I could talk myself into that signing. Gonchar would be a veteran presence on the blue line (with Cup winning experience) and possibly someone who could breathe some life into the power play as well. Like Kaberle, Gonchar would immediately be the best offensive defenseman the Sabres would have. Tyler Myers led the Sabres last season with 48 points in 82 games. In only 62 games with Pittsburgh, Gonchar had 50 points.

5. Marc-Andre Bergeron (MTL) - Bergeron's point totals aren't anything to write home about, but his cap number is rather modest and he's only 29 years old, so I wouldn't mind this signing at all. In the past two seasons his point totals have been above 30, so if anything, he'd instantly be the second highest scoring defenseman on the team. The biggest concern I have about Bergeron is how much he's bounced around so far in his career. Since the lockout he's played for the Oilers, Islanders, Ducks, Wild and Canadiens. That's an awful lot of teams in such a short time span.

6. Dan Hamhuis (NAS) – Hamhuis would help upgrade the blue line for Buffalo, but not necessarily in the scoring department. His point totals since the lockout have been 38, 20, 27, 26 and 24. Combine that with is current salary (2.5 million) and the likelihood of a significant raise, and his odds of signing in Buffalo are pretty slim. The biggest thing I noticed about Hamhuis is his durability. In the past five seasons in Nashville, Hamhuis has missed a total of seven games.

(Ed. Note: Nashville has already traded Hamhuis' rights to Philadelphia, so unless they really screw up and don't sign him, he is already off the market.)

7. Paul Martin (NJD) – Martin's price tag is a bit much for my liking, but he'd be a solid signing nevertheless. Martin was hurt for the better part of last season but still managed to net 11 points in 22 regular season games. I'd have to defer to the experts on this, but I do wonder how much of his success is tied to the system in New Jersey

8. Jay McKee (PIT) – This is more of a nostalgic pick because to be honest, I really don't know how much McKee has left in the tank. He's only 32 which isn't terribly old, but he's blocked so many shots over the course of his career that he might as well be 40. With all that in mind, he still suited up for 62 games last season in Pittsburgh and among the games he missed, many were because he was the 7^th defenseman and ended up being a healthy scratch. His cap hit was only $800,000 which is a tremendous bargain considering what you're getting in return. If he would be willing to accept a similar amount of money with similar circumstances to come back home to Buffalo, I'd be more than fine with it.

9. Pavel Kubina (ATL) – At 33 and carrying a price tag of five million per season, Kubina would be a tough sell for me. Besides a veteran presence, Kubina really doesn't fit into any of the three categories I'd be looking for. However, if he took a minor pay cut and Buffalo signed him, I'd definitely be able to talk myself into it.

10. Jordan Leopold (PIT) – Leopold will be 30 heading into next season and looking at a cap hit around two million, so I wouldn't be too excited if the Sabres were to sign him. He's only eclipsed 30 points in a season once (in 2003-04) and didn't make a huge difference for Pittsburgh in their latest playoff run. There are obviously worse choices, but signing Leopold would most likely be a 'more of the same' type signing for Buffalo.

Labels: Buffalo Sabres, Defensemen, Free Agency

2010 NHL Free Agency - Goaltenders

6/22/2010 | Posted by Devin

When Biron left Philadelphia last summer, his main objective was to get a starting gig with any NHL team. Buffalo had actually approached him last summer about returning to the Sabres as Miller's backup, but Biron turned the offer down because like I said, he wanted to start. This year I think things will be a little different for Biron. He struggled big time to even find a job last summer and once he settled on Long Island, he got a whopping 29 starts total. Now based on the ideal situation of the Sabres backup playing around 22 games this season, wouldn't it make sense for Biron to return to Buffalo, get the same workload as last season, and be on a winning team? I think so.

Here is my biggest reason for wanting Biron back. He's played in Buffalo, he's comfortable in Buffalo, the Sabres team is comfortable with him, and he won't lose the confidence of the coaching staff. I highlighted this above but recent goalies have been quick to lose the confidence of Lindy. I'm assuming someone like Biron wouldn't fall into that category. Biron is also very familiar with the Sabres system and there would be a short learning curve. Biron made $1.4 million last season, which is a number the Sabres could easily fit into their budget.

2. Michael Leighton (PHI) – I'll admit it, I'm totally jumping on the Leighton bandwagon based on this past season. I realize he's been released and sent down to the minors by a handful of teams multiple times, so his recent string could've been blind luck. Then again, he played pretty good for the most part in the Cup and had the Flyers one goal and one game away from hoisting Lord Stanley. For those who weren't following the Flyers before the playoffs, Leighton was a big reason for their turnaround and played a huge part in getting them into the playoffs. During the regular season, Leighton posted a 16-5-2 record along with a 2.48 GAA and .918 save percentage. He then suffered an injury that opened the door for Brian Boucher to take over which is the reason most people were caught by surprise with Leighton came back in and did so well. It was very ironic that Boucher replaced Leighton because of injury and became a playoff hero until he suffered his own injury that allowed Leighton to step back in. Speaking of the playoffs, Leighton went 8-3 with a 2.46 GAA and .916 save percentage, along with three shutouts. Leighton did struggle at times during the Stanley Cup, but let's be honest here; the Sabres wouldn't need Leighton to fill that kind of role in Buffalo. If he backed up Miller and posted similar numbers to this past regular season, the Sabres would coast to another Northeast Division crown. Just for reference, Patrick Lalime won a combined nine games the past two seasons for Buffalo.

3. Antero Niittymaki (TB) – Niittymaki falls into the same category as Johan Hedberg (below), someone who would have to accept a lesser role in terms of playing time to suit up for the Sabres. The positives for Niittymaki are his numbers (2.87/.909) and the fact that he'll only be 30 when the season starts. In fact, his age is the reason I have him ranked as high as I do. He has played regularly in the NHL since the 2005-06 season so he has the experience necessary in case something happens to Miller along the way. Niittymaki had his fair share of rough games for Tampa Bay so the Sabres would have to take that into account, but again, he'd be filling a different role in Buffalo. I'd also like to think that his numbers would be more consistent playing for a team less dysfunctional than the Lightning.

4. Patrick Lalime (BUF) – It's been well documented that I've had a very on and off relationship with Lalime during his two year tenure in Buffalo. Fact is that when he gets decent goal support, he usually does well. The problem is that he usually doesn't get that goal support. I can only assume after watching the Sabres play that they sacrifice offensive chances to make sure they are helping out defensively, since they know they don't have Miller in between the pipes for that particular game. Regardless, the last two seasons in Buffalo could've been worse. Jocelyn Thibault anybody?

Lalime only played in 16 games last season, which just isn't enough, although it is close. Lalime is getting older and that worries me as well, but he is also familiar with Buffalo and seems to like it (and his teammates seem to really like him). I'm not advocating the re-signing of Lalime if the above players are still available, but if they are gone, I would have no issue with another season of Lalime.

5. Johan Hedberg (ATL) – Sabres fans are probably familiar with Hedberg because it's almost a guaranteed Sabres loss when facing the guy. Hedberg posted a 2.62 GAA and .915 save percentage last season for the woeful Thrashers, which speaks volumes about his ability. The biggest red flag for me personally is that he's 37 years old. Then again, if he's only playing for a season or two in Buffalo, that shouldn't be too much of an issue, as long as he can stay healthy. Hedberg hasn't played less than 30 games since the 2006-07 season so he would have to be willing to accept a much lesser role to play in Buffalo, but wouldn't winning factor into that decision? Or playing in front of a capacity crowd?

6. Andrew Raycroft (VAN) – I would be horribly unimpressed if the Sabres signed Raycroft, but he isn't the worst choice available. He only played 21 games last season in Vancouver which tells me he's already accepted his role as a backup and he did well in that role, going 9-5-1 as the starter and posting a 2.42 GAA and .911 save percentage. Raycroft also sat behind Roberto Luongo, so coming to Buffalo to sit behind Ryan Miller wouldn't be a drastic change at all for him.

If the Sabres were to sign anybody other than the six listed above, I have a feeling I'd have to really talk myself into it being a solid signing. The six goalies listed above all come at a reasonable price and all would fill the backup goaltender position fairly well. Although, there is one other option.

The Sabres could bring Jhonas Enroth up from Portland and allow him to take over the backup role. I don't see them doing this however because the Sabres have already stated that they want a "veteran" to fill the role of backup. That doesn't bode well for Enroth. He also only has one game of NHL experience so the Sabres would be taking a huge chance on letting him take over, not to mention they might stunt his growth as a hockey player by cutting his games by such a large amount.

With all that being said, I'd be okay with Enroth filling the role, or any of the six free agents listed above.

Let's see what the Sabres decide to do.

Labels: Buffalo Sabres, Free Agency, Goaltenders

NHL Free Agency Reaction

7/13/2009 | Posted by Devin

NHL free agency started on July 1st and it was much more active than I first thought. With the initial rush mostly over and most teams looking forward to training camp, I figured now would be a good time to review some of the moves that were made.

I’ll refrain from using the terms “winners” or “losers” right now because nobody will really know that until the season is played out. If someone were to write a winners and losers column a year ago, I’m sure the Red Wings would’ve been the winners for signing Marian Hossa and Pittsburgh the losers for letting him go…how did that work out again? So with that thinking in mind, I’m just going to give my two cents on some of the deals (and only some of the teams) that took place during draft day and during the signing period. We’ll just have to revisit this column after next season to see how accurate I was (or wasn’t).

Anaheim

- I like what Anaheim has done so far. Signing Saku Koivu to a modest one year deal to play with friend Teemu Selanne should work out well. Trading Chris Pronger away as he headed into the last year of his deal was a good move. They got a very good return from Philadelphia out of an expiring contract so instead of losing him for nothing or getting next to nothing for him at the trade deadline, they maximized their return during the off-season. Very nice. If I were the GM, my next move would be trying to move J.S. Giguere and his $6 million dollar cap hit, then sign Jonas Hiller to a long term extension.

Atlanta

- Unless the words “contraction” or “relocation” are involved, I highly doubt I’ll be excited about Atlanta hockey. They have a chance to lock up Ilya Kovalchuk as he heads into the final year of his deal, but realistically they should be looking at trading him and getting something for nothing. I’d be very surprised if he re-signs with the Thrashers. Granted he would be getting a big pay day, but one would think he would actually like to win at some point in his career (and play in front of more than 128 fans per night).

Buffalo

- I would’ve liked the Sabres to have been slightly more active, but I didn’t expect it. I hear a ton of bashing by hockey fans about how the Sabres are so cheap and they just let everyone go. I’d like to mention that the players they have let go (Briere, Drury, Campbell, McKee) all have busted with their new team, or they are very close to busting in Campbell’s case. It’s almost as if the Sabres knew these guys weren’t worth that much money and decided to bite the bullet. Sure they took their hits at the time, but they are looking pretty smart right now. I could sit here all afternoon and rattle off some of the dumb contracts that were handed out this summer. I’ll take a cheap team any day to a team throwing $4 million dollars down the drain per season to drag Nik Antropov on the ice and have him act like he gives a damn.

Now that I’m done ranting, I can talk about what the Sabres actually did do so far. One area they had to address was blue line toughness and they did just that by signing Steve Montador. I was highly in favor of this move before free agency started so I was quite pleased when they announced the deal. If they were to acquire another defenseman and move Henrik Tallinder and/or Toni Lydman I’d chalk this up as a successful off-season. That will be a tough sell though and I don’t see it happening. Re-signing Matt Ellis doesn’t exactly excite me either. There has to be another move made before the season starts.

Losing Jaroslav Spacek hurts on the offensive side, but I really could care less. I said prior to free agency that I would only want him staying in Buffalo if he took a pay cut and it was evident from the start he wouldn’t do that. After seeing what Montreal paid for him, I’m very happy the Sabres didn’t offer a similar deal. Sure they will have to replace his 45 points, but that is where players like Chris Butler and Andrej Sekera will come into play.

Regardless, they were only two points out of the playoffs and most likely missed out on those points when Ryan Miller was out. Miller will be back and he’ll have some more attitude protecting him this time around (or so I hope). If he stays healthy next season, I see post-season hockey in Buffalo’s future. Then again, Scott Gomez is now in their division so all bets are off.

Calgary

- The Flames made a big splash on draft day by acquiring the rights to Jay Bouwmeester. I’m not exactly crazy about the overall makeup of the Flames roster, but I am very impressed with the back end. They still have Miika Kiprusoff between the pipes and will now have Bouwmeester and Dion Phaneuf also protecting the net. I’m glad the Sabres aren’t in the Western Conference. It was a good move but I’m not sure if it will be enough to push them over the edge.

Chicago

- Let’s see…the Blackhawks botched the paperwork for their restricted free agents which caused quite a large mess, then they throw a 12 year deal at Marian Hossa. Granted it’s a modest cap hit for Hossa, but 12 years? How many years will they be into that deal before they are sick of Hossa? Four? Seven? Nine? I think that contract is completely ridiculous. He is a great player, don’t get me wrong, but a 12 year contract is a bit much. One a side note, they have roughly $43 million already committed to the salary cap next year and still have to deal with the pending restricted free agency of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith. Good times in Chicago.

Colorado

- Sad to see Joe Sakic retire but it was his time to go. Props to Sakic for knowing when it was

time to call it quits. He was one of those players where you just had to sit back and respect his game. He will be missed by the entire league for sure. In other moves made by Colorado, I’m horribly unimpressed. I really don’t see how they will be improved at all next season. The mighty have fallen and they have fallen hard.

Columbus

- Nice job locking up Rick Nash. It would’ve been a disaster to make the playoffs and then lose their franchise player in the upcoming season. Smart move to give him his money and ensure he’ll be the face of the franchise for many more years to come. Steve Mason should improve after his highly successful rookie season so Columbus fans should be looking forward to more post-season hockey (and maybe even a win or two).

Edmonton

- While the possibility of acquiring Dany Heatley still exists, it’s not looking very good for the Oilers. Already having him turn the trade down once hurts. Personally, I was rooting for the trade. Anything to get that guy out of the Eastern Conference is a good deal in my eyes. Signing Nikolai Khabibulin could be a good move as well, assuming he returns to form. I was very unimpressed with him in Chicago but you never know what a change of scenery will do for the guy.

Montreal

- Hmmm…where do I start with Montreal? If you recall in my defenseman rankings and above, I said Spacek would be a good deal if he took a pay cut. He’s getting older and really wasn’t worth the money Buffalo was paying him. So what do the Canadiens do? They sign him to a three year deal AND give him a raise. But wait, it gets better. They also acquired the horribly

overpaid Scott Gomez effectively bailing the Rangers out of that TERRIBLE signing. Seriously, can anybody honestly tell me Gomez is worth over $7 million per season?

Ah yes, it gets better. They then sign Mike Cammalleri to a $6 million per season deal and throw another $5 million per season towards Brian Gionta. When I spoke earlier about getting drunk and running a tab up, this is pretty much what I was talking about. Do you think Bob Gainey rolled over one morning with a bunch of empty bottles next to bed and a pile of fresh contracts and said to himself, “What the hell did I do last night??”

NY Rangers

- As said above, the Rangers got bailed out of the terrible Scott Gomez contract which was a good move, but then they used that money to sign Marian Gaborik to a long term deal. But hey, if he can actually stay healthy it will be a good deal. I’m thinking the odds aren’t very good with that. Oh but wait, it gets better. The Rangers also decided that Ales Kotalik was worth three million per season for the next three seasons.

Examine that last sentence again. THREE MILLION PER SEASON. Are you kidding me? If you asked me, “What potential signing by the Sabres would force you to jump off a bridge with concrete shoes on?” I would definitely answer “Signing Ales Kotalik to a three year, three million dollar contract.”

The only way this contract turns into a good one is if Kotalik finishes with more than 25 goals (this has never happened in his six NHL seasons) OR the Rangers participate in 82 shootouts this season.

And please, if you’re a Rangers fan, try to defend this signing. I want to know why giving this guy a raise is a good idea. I want to know why signing him to a three year deal is a good idea. I know I was a little harsh above, but I guess I’m just basing it on watching the guy play for almost a decade. I’m sure a change of scenery is all he needs. Just like Dmitri Kalinin last season…right?

Ottawa

- Ottawa has severely screwed up this Dany Heatley situation. Instead of looking for that perfect deal, they should’ve been looking at as a chance to escape from his monster contract. I’m sure there were offers good enough, but Brian Murray is a complete idiot so that probably didn’t matter. On the positive side, they signed Alexei Kovalev and he’ll probably tear it up just to stick it to Montreal.

Philadelphia

- In the race for stupidity with Montreal leading the way, Philadelphia vowed to not be outdone and threw their hat into the ring. First they tried to find a few trade partners to unload the “great” Daniel Briere but couldn’t find any takers. What? They couldn’t find anybody to take an undersized, aging, $6.5 million per season forward who missed 53 games last season? I’m shocked.

I initially thought the trade for Chris Pronger was a good move, despite what they gave up, until I saw the contract they gave him. Hey, Chris will be in his early 40’s by the time this contract is up, but let’s do it anyways! Did I mention that Ray Emery is going to be their goaltender? Yeah, this is going to work out just fine in Philly.

Pittsburgh

- Re-signing Bill Guerin was a very smart move for both sides. Guerin was smart to take a pay cut for another shot at the Cup, and Pittsburgh was smart for recognizing his benefits and making that a priority.

Despite losing Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill, the Penguins did sign Jay McKee for a cheap price. Smart move. When McKee was in Buffalo he was a shot blocking machine. The Sabres let him go because he wasn’t even close to being worth $4 million per season and I think St Louis proved that by buying out the final year of his contract this summer. However, the price is cheap and if he stays healthy for 60+ games, it will be an extremely good deal for Pittsburgh.

Toronto

- A few years ago when Anaheim beat Ottawa in the Stanley Cup Finals, while all the Buffalo fans were still lamenting their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals (again), I thought to myself that even if Buffalo made it to the Cup they would’ve been plowed over by Anaheim. That year the

Ducks were big, tough, and mean. Well, Brian Burke has taken that model to Toronto and things are looking up for the Leafs.

He started last season by getting rid of all the soft overachievers and continued this summer by bringing in loads of toughness. He took a low risk/high reward chance on Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and has brought in a ton of defense to basically overhaul the roster. One would think they will have to deal some of those defensemen for some scoring, but it’s early and I’m sure Burke will get it done. I’m going to miss the days of Toronto being a pushover in the Northeast Division.

Vancouver

- The Canucks locked up the Sedin twins which was smart for both sides and also signed Mikael Samuelsson from Detroit. Now they just have to lock up Roberto Luongo before he puts that Red Wings sweater on next summer.

Washington

- Did you hear that the Capitals might actually sign Maxim Afinogenov? Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Labels: Avalanche, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Canucks, Capitals, Ducks, Flames, Flyers, Free Agency, Maple Leafs, N.Y. Rangers, NHL, Oilers, Penguins, Sabres, Senators, Thrashers

Ranking The NHL Free Agents - Defensemen

6/25/2009 | Posted by Devin

With NHL free agency getting started on July 1^st, we’re going to take a quick look around the league to see who is available and who the best option is.

Continuing on with our free agent rankings, today we’ll take a look at the defensemen that are available. The list is a little bit longer so I tried to rank the top 15 available defensemen as opposed to the top 10 goalies that are hitting the market.

Defensemen are a lot harder to rank because every team wants something different. I could rank them based on offensive performance, but then I’m ignoring some of the better “defensive defensemen”. So keep that in mind when reading below whom I think are top 15 available on July 1^st.

1. Jay Bouwmeester (Florida) – It’s hard to argue that Bouwmeester isn’t the top d-man available on July 1^st. Websites and blogs went crazy around the trade deadline with tons of scenarios of where he could be traded to. Florida decided to hang on to him at the time in hopes of making the playoffs, but they fell just short and Jay-Bo is as good as gone. Former Florida GM Jacques Martin must have known this and took off to coach the Montreal Canadiens this upcoming season.

He played in all 82 games for Florida last season racking up 42 points in the process. He has six years of NHL experience playing in all 82 games in five of those six seasons and he is only 25 years old. I suppose based on those facts one could say he is definitely worthy of the big payday, but I’d be hesitant to throw the bank at him. We saw how that worked out for Chicago last off-season and I’m willing to bet they would love a way out of Brian Campbell’s enormous contract.

If Florida is smart (highly doubtful), they will trade his rights before July 1^st so they at least get something for him. Word is the Flyers are doing everything in their power to acquire his rights. In a recent Palm Beach Post article, it was said that “Bouwmeester, who is building a house in Edmonton, has made it known he wants to play somewhere hockey is taken more seriously than in South Florida."

2. Rob Blake (San Jose) – Rob Blake has consistently been one of the better defensemen in the league, but at age 39 he is running out of time. He tallied his best season last year with San Jose since his 2005-06 campaign with Colorado. He finished the regular season by playing in 73 games, tallying 45 points and finishing +15.

Blake made a cool five million last season so that is enough to scare off most teams. I’d say his best bet would be to stay in San Jose for another season or two before hanging up the skates. I could see San Jose signing him back since they were very successful during the regular season before choking it all way in the first round. The tandem of Blake and Boyle is something I’d want to hang on to if I were a GM. Then again, San Jose might go in a completely different direction after their most recent playoff debacle.

3. Mathieu Schneider (Montreal) – Schneider came to Montreal before the trade deadline and made an immediate impact with the Habs before getting injured and missing the rest of the season. In 44 games with the Thrashers last season he had 15 points and was a -10. In the following 23 games with Montreal, he had 17 points and finished -2. Schneider is no spring chicken but I think he would be a valuable asset to a team looking for help on the power play this upcoming year. Anything more than a one year deal might be a bit much though. I would have zero issues with my team signing him, assuming it was a reasonable short-term deal.

4. Steve Montador (Boston) – Like Schneider, Montador was a trade deadline acquisition except he went to Boston. He is a perfect example of what I wrote about before starting the rankings in terms of point production alone. This guy isn’t going to light up any scoreboards, but I would LOVE to have him on my team. He has that “Don’t Take Crap from Anyone” attitude that I love in a blue liner (when he isn’t playing my team). With him only being 29, I’d jump for joy if my team signed the guy to at least a three year deal. In fact, please excuse me while I write a letter to the GM.

5. Rob Scuderi (Pittsburgh) – Rob Scuderi is another type of defenseman I would love to see playing in Buffalo. He has shown he is durable by playing in 78, 71 and 81 regular season games in the past three seasons for Pittsburgh. This past season was his best in term of plus/minus finishing +23. The previous two seasons he was a +3 which is still good overall. Scuderi is only 30 years old and will no doubt be looking for a raise after only making $750,000 this past season. If Pittsburgh can’t bring him back, look for them to trade his rights like they did for Ryan Malone last off-season.

6. Mattias Ohlund (Vancouver) – Ohlund hits the market after spending his entire career with Vancouver. He has been a very consistent defenseman in the points department finishing with 30, 35, 20, 28, 36, 29, 34, 33, 31, 24 and 25 respectively. He made $3.5 million this past season for the Canucks and a contract similar to that is to be expected. He is only 32 so whichever team locks him down can do it with a solid three or four year deal and expect the same point production he has given in the past. I’m not sure if Vancouver will bring him back, only because of the fact that they need to deal with the Sedin twins and I would assume that they are the top priority.

7. Jaroslav Spacek (Buffalo) – I’ve been a fan of Spacek for most of his tenure in Buffalo, then again, it’s nice to see a defenseman actually score once in a while. He has said publicly that he doesn’t want to go somewhere new and start over again, but he would need to take a pay cut to stay in Buffalo and I just can’t see him doing that. This past season was his best with Buffalo playing in 80 games and finishing with 45 points. Like I said, I would like to see him back with the Sabres but it would need to be for less than the $3.3 million he made in his last deal.

8. Marc-Andre Bergeron (Minnesota) – Bergeron made approx. $1.7 million this past season in Minnesota and he produced accordingly. He had 32 points and was a +5 in 72 regular season games. At the age of 28, he is still a little raw in the experience department but some team will be calling for his services. I could see him getting a little bit of a pay increase but he shouldn’t get any more than $2.5 million per season.

9. Nick Boynton (Florida) – Lucky for Florida, they have two defenseman in the top 10 (and a goalie in the top 10 as well). Boynton is only 30 years old with seven years of NHL experience. He has had some durability issues in the past playing in 54, 59, 79 and 68 games in the past four seasons. This past season was his best statistically as he finished with 21 points and was +7. If Florida loses Jay-Bo on July 1^st (they will), they should look to sign Boynton so not all is lost.

10. Adrian Aucoin (Calgary) – Some might ask what my criteria is for coming up with these rankings and to be honest, there are several factors that go into it. For instance, last season Aucoin played in 81 games and finished with 34 points which is much better than Nick Boynton who is listed above. However, Aucoin also made $4 million last season (Boynton made approx. $2.95) and Aucoin is five years older. So if I were playing GM I might value Boynton a little bit more because he is younger and would help my cap situation slightly. Aucoin has also only played 70+ regular season games seven times in 15 seasons which is also something that might concern me.

11. Paul Mara (NY Rangers) – I’ve seen quite a few Rangers games and Mara isn’t exactly someone who strikes fear in me when he is on the ice. In fact, his play has dropped off dramatically since tallying 47 points in 2005-06 with Phoenix (23, 17 and 21). He has a career plus/minus of -95 which isn’t exactly a bargaining chip when going to the table this summer with league GM’s. However, his salary was only $1.95 million which isn’t much considering some of the other deals that will be flying around. If the Rangers are still trying to keep their fantasy team together, he’ll most likely be back with the Rangers next season.

12. Derek Morris (NY Rangers) – Morris was a trade deadline acquisition that basically had no impact for the Rangers as they choked in yet another post-season appearance. Kudos to the Rangers for giving it the old college try though. He was fairly productive in terms of points after only getting 12 points in 57 games with Phoenix, finishing with another eight in 18 for the Rangers. (I guess it makes a difference when you’re playing on a real NHL team). Regardless, his contract is a hefty $3.95 million and if he is looking to make anything around that, I’d rather he go to another team than mine because that money would be better off going to someone else.

13. Hal Gill (Pittsburgh) – Hal Gill hasn’t been the most durable defenseman for Pittsburgh, but has been one of the better ones. He only had 10 points in 62 games this season, but finished +11 which in my book is a pretty decent number. Before his injury plagued season a year ago, He finished two campaigns in Toronto scoring 20 points in both and finishing in the positives in both. He is a sound defenseman who hasn’t finished worse than -4 since the 1998-99 season. With a price tag of $2.1 million, I wouldn’t mind seeing him suit up for my team.

14. Jordan Leopold (Calgary) – In yet another trade deadline acquisition, Leopold was sent to Calgary to help them finally win the Stanley Cup. Obviously the Flames failed in that bid and Leopold didn’t really produce the way he was expected. In 64 games with Colorado he racked up 20 points, but was a - 10. In the following 19 games in Calgary, he only had four points and was a -5. He only made $1.5 million, but I don’t see anything in him that can’t be found in the AHL. If my team signed him I would just shrug my shoulders and sigh a little bit. In fact, if Buffalo made any play for Leopold I would have to wonder what exactly he brings to the table that Nathan Paetsch can’t already.

15. Karlis Scrastins (Florida) – Rounding out the top 15 is yet another Florida Panther. Scrastins played in 80 games last season racking up 18 points and finished +9. While those numbers are decent, they are somewhat misleading. Before last season, the last time he played in 70+ games was in 2005-06 with Colorado. Before last season, the last time he finished with a +1 or better was in 2003-04 with Colorado. So as you can see, he might be a decent pickup at the right price, but most GM’s might be leery of signing him to anything major or long-term. I can see Florida bringing him back as well to help hide the fact that they royally screwed up the Jay-Bo situation.

Labels: Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Florida, Free Agency, Minnesota, Montreal, N.Y. Rangers, NHL, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Vancouver

NFL Free Agency Madness!

2/27/2009 | Posted by Scott Lunn

Just a quick round up of what's happened so far during the opening day of NFL Free Agency:

The number one news story thus far has been Washington signing highly coveted DT Albert Haynesworth to a mind boggling deal. 7 years and $100 million is a huge contract for a defensive tackle, but nothing new for Washington. Every year they overspend for the big names and nothing much comes of it. Daniel Snyder clearly hasn't learned his lesson yet. The Redskins also signed DeAngelo Hall to a 6 year, $54 million deal.

Elsewhere notable signings and trade include:

- New England Patriots signed RB Fred Taylor (Jacksonville) and TE Chris Baker (NY Jets)
- NY Jets signed LB Bart Scott (Baltimore)
- Minnesota acquired QB Sage Rosenfels from Houston via trade
- Tampa Bay acquired TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. from Cleveland via trade

Plenty of scheduled visits are on tap league wide throughout the weekend and there will surely be plenty of signings as well. Be sure to check back for further updates on the moves that will shape next season in the NFL.

5:30 PM Update:

- Kansas City Chiefs acquire LB Mike Vrabel from New England via trade
- Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed G Chris Kemoeatu
- Detroit Lions sign RB Maurice Morris (Seattle)
- New Orleans Saints re-signed LB Jonathan Vilma

2/28 - 8:30 AM Update:

- Tennessee Titans re-signed QB Kerry Collins
- Denver Broncos signed WR Jabar Gaffney (New England), S Renaldo Hill (Miami), LS Lonnie Paxton (New England), RB Correll Buckhalter (Philadelphia), RB J.J. Arrington (Arizona)
- NY Jets acquire CB Lito Sheppard from Philadelphia via trade
- Washington Reskinds sign G Derrick Dockery (Buffalo)
- Buffalo Bills signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (Cincinnati)
- San Francisco 49ers re-signed LB Takeo Spikes

2:30 PM Update:
- Kansas City has acquired QB Matt Cassel from the New England Patriots in part with the Mike Vrabel trade that was announced yesterday.

Labels: Albert Haynseworth, Bart Scott, Fred Taylor, Free Agency, Kerry Collins, Lito Sheppard, NFL