2012 NHL Off-Season

[kronovan]

Hmm...Pavel Bure inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame over Dave Andreychuk - do not like! I guess I have to look at the positive side of it; Jeremy Roenick didn't get in and I hope he never does.  

I thought Brendan Shanahan was supposed to be a lock for the Hall?

I'd have him in over Bure too. I don't have problems with the rest that made the cut - Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Adam Oates.

[gellar]

No Shanahan is fucking retarded.

[pr0ner]

Flames trade for Dennis Wideman's rights, then immediately sign him to a 5 year, $5.25 mil/year deal.

[gellar]

I LULZ.

[Arkon]

Well thanks to that ridiculous over payment for Wideman, Suter will be getting an insane amount of money thrown at him I am guessing.  If Wideman is worth 5.25 mil/year, surely Suter can get 8 - 8.5 mil/year.

[pr0ner]

Well thanks to that ridiculous over payment for Wideman, Suter will be getting an insane amount of money thrown at him I am guessing.  If Wideman is worth 5.25 mil/year, surely Suter can get 8 - 8.5 mil/year.

In a free agent market where the top defensemen are Suter, Wideman, Carle, and Garrison, and then not much else, I'm not surprised Wideman got that.  You're right, though, that Suter will probably get 8+ now.

I LULZ.

I'm going to wait and see what else the Flames do before passing judgement on the Wideman deal.  Rumors are flying that Bouwmeester's out the door soon as a result of this move, though.

[Devil]

I'd enjoy Bouwmeester in NJ

[pr0ner]

I'd enjoy Bouwmeester in NJ

I think he gets maligned a lot because of his ridiculous cap hit (and utter lack of offensive production since coming to Calgary).  He still plays gobs and gobs of minutes against top competition every night, though, so I think he'd be an asset where he wouldn't have so many expectations placed on him.

[Devil]

Exactly what I was thinking. He only has 2 years left at that money and would immediately become their #1 D-Man (which wouldn't be hard). Worth a shot.

[pr0ner]

Exactly what I was thinking. He only has 2 years left at that money and would immediately become their #1 D-Man (which wouldn't be hard). Worth a shot.

Bouwmeester for Kovalchuk.

Get it done!   

[gellar]

Look, Calgary.  Just trade Iggy to LA already.  He deserves to go out a winner.

[Devil]

Exactly what I was thinking. He only has 2 years left at that money and would immediately become their #1 D-Man (which wouldn't be hard). Worth a shot.

Bouwmeester for Kovalchuk.

Get it done!   

I have a nice, shiny, Volchenkov all ready for you.

[gellar]

Quick signs for 10 years in addition to the one he has left on his current deal.  So he's a King for the next 11 years.

Money details coming, but initial reports will be lower than $6M AAV.

Edit: $5.8M AAV.  Good job, Kings.

[Arkon]

Word is Crosby has agreed to a 12 year deal (Can't be signed until Sunday), cap hit of 8.7 million per, meaning his cap hit won't be going up at all.

[walTer]

Big relief that they wrapped things up quickly and nicely with Quick.  I just remember for years watching the organization lose good players over money...in a bad way too.  It seems that they are now finally willing to spend the money they have to make sure the team is actually a team.

And good for Quick.  Now he can buy lots of toys for his kid. OR maybe more M&M's.

[kronovan]

Canucks signed Corey Schneider to a 3 year deal @ 4 million/year. I'm very happy with it, but I would have liked it to have been 1 year longer. There's some fresh rumors from some of the Miami sports press that the Panthers are "internally preparing for the return of Luongo."  Read that whatever way you like.

[Jiffy]

Brodeur leaving NJ? I can't picture him in anything other than a Devils jersey.

[Devil]

I was kinda hoping Marty retired, but if he wants to leave, I'm good with that.

[gellar]

Hooray!  Now the Devils can overpay LA for Bernier!

[Devil]

Nope - Bring up a kid. Cheap!

[Kagath]

I haven't seen much activity on the Wings front yet despite all their talking on getting some big talent. Kinda getting me worried.

[kronovan]

I haven't seen much activity on the Wings front yet despite all their talking on getting some big talent. Kinda getting me worried.

I know its a down the road sort of thing, but you did notice their 2nd round pick of Martin Frk - right? IMO one of the best picks in the latter half of the 2nd round. At 6' and 204 lbs, he cound be in the lineup sooner than later - probably the 2013-14 season at the latest.

[Kagath]

Yeah, but I was thinking something a little closer in time.

[Koz]

The shenanigans kick off today at noon. I can't wait to see LA and/or Detroit sign every single free agent!

[gellar]

The shenanigans kick off today at noon. I can't wait to see LA and/or Detroit sign every single free agent!

I'm not greedy.  I just want one of Suter or Parise.  JUST ONE.

[Devil]

Kinda looking forward to life without Zach and Marty. it'll be fun.

Hoping Gomez... I mean Parise, goes to Pitt. I'll get to see him on national TV every weekend!

[gellar]

Early reports saying Parise has agreed to a deal with the Pens.

Oh wellz.

[Koz]

Don't worry, you got Penner back.

[gellar]

Don't worry, you got Penner back.

Pancakes for everyone!

[leo8877]

Brodeur resigns with Devils for 2 years

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nhl/story/_/id/8121896/2012-nhl-free-agency-martin-brodeur-re-signs-new-jersey-devils

[Devil]

Ehh, still wish he retired.

@TGfireandice: Brodeur on ZP: "but I think the Devils went to the forefront with him and I’m pretty positive that he’ll come back to us, but we’ll see.”

We'll see...

[Blackjack]

My Caps signed the Predators' Jack Hillen, no doubt because the SB Nation's blog scouting report on the "puck moving" D-man was:

Flaws: Lacks the physicality required to keep forwards honest in the defensive zone. Doesn't shoot the puck enough.

Awesome! He'll fit right in!  

I don't expect us to go crazy, I'm just tired of GMGM (McPhee) constantly -- without specifically saying so -- referring to his disastrous Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander long-term contract signings. imho he's basically scared of signing anyone to more than a 2-year deal, regardless of how much cap space they have. And I mean, he signed Joel Ward to an excessive deal last year based on one productive playoff season (he had mediocre regular season stats). So he's always whining like Debbie Downer how free agents are always priced and you always end up regretting it.

And I'm always thinking, "George, maybe you need better scouts and you need to stop signing depth players, unproductive players and players on their last legs." Now we have a Crabb and a Hillen, and who knows if they'll even make the roster, much less improve it.

It is funny to read all the speculation by columnists, reporters and bloggers around here that the Caps "need" another top 6 winger, a tough defenseman etc. If they only put on their George McPhee glasses (aka rose-colored classes), they'd know that George thinks Ribeiro is the second coming of Adam Oates, and they don't need any big time players at all. Which I and most fans think is folly, but George didn't ask us.   He said pretty much the same a year ago when he was convinced Marcus Johannson or Cody Eakin would rise up to be a successful 2nd line center for us (most of us hoped for a 2nd line center free agent signing or trade). Oops. History repeats itself, imho.

[kronovan]

Canucks signed D-man Jason Garrison, formerly of the Florida Panthers, to a 6 year deal with an average annual salary of 4.6 million. Hmm, it sounds a bit pricey, but it's to make up for the loss of Sami Salo and Aaron Rome to free agency. IMO there's no loss with Rome going, but I'm not sure this completely makes up for the exit of Salo. Of course Salo is the player that once managed to miss half a seaon due to injuring himself in the offseason roller skiing. Add to that his 38 age and the many seasons in which he was injured for lengthy periods, and I'm thinking this signing has more plus than minus. Plus Garrison's a local boy that always dreamed of playing for the Canucks.  

[Devil]

Zach?

[gellar]

Parise and Suter both to Minnesota. Good for them. Wild are relevant again.

[Arkon]

Bah, I wish the Penguins would have gotten one of them, but it looks like they will be turning to the trade market now, not sure there are any free agents out there worth taking a chance on at this point...perhaps Semin if he came at the right price.

[Koz]

Parise and Suter both to Minnesota. Good for them. Wild are relevant again.

I'm not sure how good of a team it makes them, but Minnesota definitely needs some big names. It's the biggest hockey hot bed in the US and they've been cursed with boring and mediocre teams for too long.

Also, $7.5m per year for each. I'm not surprised the price is that high and I'm glad my team didn't go anywhere near either of them.

[kronovan]

Parise and Suter both to Minnesota. Good for them. Wild are relevant again.

I just hope it translates into some true competition in the NorthWest. The Canucks being the only team in that division to make the postseason for years running is complete BS. I think they're both an excellent addition to the Wild, but I also think the Wild have more work to do before they're competitive again - we'll see.

[Edit] Oh yeah, and we always have to remind ourselves that one of their key forwards is Dany Heatley.  

[gellar]

They'll be in the playoff hunt.  Adding Parise to Heatley/Koivu/Setoguchi/Brodziak is a good add.  I think Suter is actually underrated given that he played under Weber's enormous shadow.  I could be wrong, but I really think him being the clear #1 will push him to stardom.

Backstrom/Harding is a good and deep goalie tandem. 

I'm excited to see what they can do.  I'd say they'll fight for the bottom half of the top eight of the West, and that's really all you need these days.

That being said, I'm also glad the Kings didn't pony up $7.5M for 13 years for either player, much less both of them.

[Devil]

Guys would rather play with their brothers and others want to go home to play.

Devils can't compete with these things. Sucks, but nothing they could do about it.

Need to fill that spot with something now.