The OFFICIAL 2008-09 NHL Offseason Thread

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

there's a quote going around from Fletcher saying that Joel Quenneville told him that he always used Finger against the top forwards (Thornton, Iginla, the Sedins).

I'm not sure who's blowing smoke here, but that's not at all true.

turns out, I misread the quote. it was Ron Wilson, coach of the Sharks, who said that Finger was out there all the time against Thornton. And by all the time, he seemed to mean "about 20% of the time and a lot of that was Thornton coming on when Finger was already on the ice".

I forget, Sean, where is the Ron Wilson Overactive Imagination Tour headed this fall?

[Draft Dodger]

here I am wasting my time entertaining myself writing about the Fletcher and Wilson stuff, and someone else has already done it better.

[Galaxy]

Hopefully you guys can clear something up for me. Is the salary cap figures for each player determine by the average salary (per year) of a contract, or is each year's salary counted individually?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Hopefully you guys can clear something up for me. Is the salary cap figures for each player determine by the average salary (per year) of a contract, or is each year's salary counted individually?

Average salary per year.

That is the advantage of front loading a deal-- appealing to the player to get the cash up front, but the team will have the same cap hit throughout.

A few deals structured this way. I believe Danny Briere received $10M this past season in Philly, although his cap hit is lik $6.8M or so.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Dola

Another one bites the dust

Kristian Huselius to Columbus, 4 years / $19M

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

I heard an interview with Ken Holland on the ride home today.

Some interesting info. Holland had spoke with the Hossa camp yesterday about a possible deal. Then the Pittsburgh and Edmonton offers came in and Holland figured he was out since the Wings couldn't match that much money over that much time.

Apparently Winter, Hossa's agent, along with Hossa called Holland around 8:00 this morning and said they were interested in a deal. Hossa wanted to know about ice time and how he'd fit in with the team, so Holland had him call Babcock.

Hossa gets off the phone with Babcock and calls Winter and Holland and said the conversation went great. They started talking money again and Holland told Hossa that when Lidstrom signed his new deal last year (at $7.5M a year), Holland had promised him that he'd be the highest paid Wing.

Holland offered to call Lidstrom and get his "ok" about paying Hossa more. Hossa said "Don't bother. If you pay me $7.45 for one year, I'm a Wing."

And it was done.

Great story. I still hate your franchise with a passion.

Teemu, time to announce you're coming back.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Great story. I still hate your franchise with a passion.

Teemu, time to announce you're coming back.

Chief,

|
|
|
|
\/

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I swear, it goes up tomorrow. I won't do anything else until I get it up.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Average salary per year.

That is the advantage of front loading a deal-- appealing to the player to get the cash up front, but the team will have the same cap hit throughout.

A few deals structured this way. I believe Danny Briere received $10M this past season in Philly, although his cap hit is lik $6.8M or so.

I think the other benefit is that you can then offload the player easier in the later years if he isn't playing up to the cap hit. Some cheap team like Atlanta will glady take a 6.8M cap while only paying 4M in actual cash.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Chief,

|
|
|
|
\/

Dude! Hockey!

I am an empassioned fan.

Actually already working on it. I am going to post it all at once, so that's why you don't see it yet.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

here I am wasting my time entertaining myself writing about the Fletcher and Wilson stuff, and someone else has already done it better.

Wow. That was very thorough and incredidly impressive.

I am entirely convinced now that Toronto actually signed the wrong guy.

I remember seeing an interview with Cliff Fletcher at the draft this year and he did seem kinda, well, old...

[DeToxRox]

Honestly, who could be worse then Toronto next year? It is a short list. Atlanta is probably their main competition I would assume. Not to be a shot ML but that team looks brutal.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Post Gazette reporting-

- Fleury deal nearly done: 6 years $33M ($5.5M per). Seems a little high to me

- Marcus Naslund getting long look with Hossa signing with the Wings

- Shero has said he'd consider multiple wingers now that Hossa is off the market. Originally it was assumed if they got Hossa, the other top 6 spots would be filled internally.

[Simms]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Wow. That was very thorough and incredidly impressive.

I am entirely convinced now that Toronto actually signed the wrong guy.

I remember seeing an interview with Cliff Fletcher at the draft this year and he did seem kinda, well, old...

Slightly different (and much less fatalistic) take here: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16047

Not sure yet exactly which side of the coin I fall on, but it's not like there's anything left to do except wait and see what happens.

Originally Posted by DeToxRox

Honestly, who could be worse then Toronto next year? It is a short list. Atlanta is probably their main competition I would assume. Not to be a shot ML but that team looks brutal.

Good. The more brutal the better. (And not to speak for ML, but I suspect he largely agrees.)

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Post Gazette reporting-

- Fleury deal nearly done: 6 years $33M ($5.5M per). Seems a little high to me

You called me crazy a few months ago when i said MAF would go for $5 mil or more. His play in the playoffs got him that pay raise. Plus look at what Huet got...MAF is better than him. It's just playing the market. Just like Randy Jones getting $2.75 mil. Is he worth it? No, but the market is dictating that he is, so teams have to pony up.

I expect Staal to ask for around 4 or 5 mil too when his contract is up after this year. The Pens will have something like $28 million locked up in 4 players. All good players though.

[MikeVic]

Haha, I like that link about the Leafs signing the wrong guy. Makes a pretty convincing argument.

[Logan]

Word is Orpik took passed on a larger deal with the Rangers to re-up with Pitt.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Dola

Another one bites the dust

Kristian Huselius to Columbus, 4 years / $19M

That's a lot of money for a guy who was benched at times last year.

[TurnerONU22]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

That's a lot of money for a guy who was benched at times last year.

If he can do this for us:



then I'm okay with it. We had to replace Zherdev, so this move is fine with me. I think the Jackets, with the additions of Torres, Commodore, Tyutin, ect.... are becoming much tougher to play against.

[bbor]

I'm surprised the leafs ONLY paid 14 mil for Finger.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by TurnerONU22

I think the Jackets, with the additions of Torres, Commodore, Tyutin, ect.... are becoming much tougher to play against.

Don't forget Umberger as well. I agree, the Blue Jackets are trying to acquire an identity of being a mean, tough physical team that's hard to play against. I think that's a start, especially since Columbus really has been a team without an identity for a long, long time.

If they really do play that way, it should also go over pretty well with the savages out there in the cesspool that is Columbus.

While I am not sure about Torres as a player, he is an incredible hitter. He's so thick and solid on his skates. He hurts people when he hits them or they hit him. That's certainly not the type of guy I'd like to see the Wings having to face 8 times a year.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by bsak16

You called me crazy a few months ago when i said MAF would go for $5 mil or more. His play in the playoffs got him that pay raise. Plus look at what Huet got...MAF is better than him. It's just playing the market. Just like Randy Jones getting $2.75 mil. Is he worth it? No, but the market is dictating that he is, so teams have to pony up.

I expect Staal to ask for around 4 or 5 mil too when his contract is up after this year. The Pens will have something like $28 million locked up in 4 players. All good players though.

Agree Fleury is the better player, but he was also restricted. I expected to see Huet (and the other UFAs) overpaid. But Fleury basically had a very good 2 month stretch. I expected similar to what Cam Ward got after his same stretch

Originally Posted by Logan

Word is Orpik took passed on a larger deal with the Rangers to re-up with Pitt.

He said on one of the local shows last night, he got some offers much larger than the Pens offer. But also alluded to being "where this team was 4 years ago", meaning, the basement. So I wonder who else, other than NYR, were throwing money around.

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

If they really do play that way, it should also go over pretty well with the savages out there in the cesspool that is Columbus.

You, sir, are my hero.

[Dr. Sak]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Don't forget Umberger as well.

I am going to really miss RJ

Saying that...

TEAMS BSAK LIKES FROM BEST TO LEAST
1 Flyers
2 Blue Jackets
3 Wings
4-27 Who cares
28 Rangers
29 Devils
30 Pens

[Dr. Sak]

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to fill out their roster for the 2008-09 season.

Toronto announced Thursday that the club has acquired forward Mikhail Grabovski from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the rights to Greg Pateryn and a second-round draft pick in the 2010 draft.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242375&l...headlines_main

[MikeVic]

Hmm. I thought the Leafs were building for the future? Haven't they traded away a couple of 2nds already?

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by bsak16

I am going to really miss RJ

Saying that...

TEAMS BSAK LIKES FROM BEST TO LEAST
1 Flyers
2 Blue Jackets
3 Wings
4-27 Who cares
28 Rangers
29 Devils
30 Pens

WTF??? How did Columbus move ahead of the Wings? You, sir, speak blasphemy.....

[Dr. Sak]

Columbus has RJ. One of my favorite players in the league...plus he grew up 5 minutes from my house.

[Dr. Sak]

The Penguins have signed Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko.

Both have signed 1 year deals. Satan will make 3.5 million per season.

The Penguins have officially signed Marc Andre Fleury to a 7yr - 35 million deal

[RomaGoth]

Originally Posted by bsak16

Columbus has RJ. One of my favorite players in the league...plus he grew up 5 minutes from my house.

Too bad he didn't go to the Wings then .

[Draft Dodger]

the Avs reportedly have signed Daniel Tjarnqvist. because, well, because they could.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by bsak16

I am going to really miss RJ

Saying that...

TEAMS BSAK LIKES FROM BEST TO LEAST
1 Flyers
2 Blue Jackets
3 Wings
4-27 Who cares
28 Rangers
29 Devils
30 Pens

Deal.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

the Avs reportedly have signed Daniel Tjarnqvist. because, well, because they could.

You can never have enough Swedes. That's reason enough.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Hmm. I thought the Leafs were building for the future? Haven't they traded away a couple of 2nds already?

Trading a 2010 2nd round pick for a 24 year old with skill seems to suggest it is a building block for the future.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I just saw on TSN that the Dallas Stars signed former Maple Leafs 1st round pick Landon Wilson to a two-way contract.

The only interesting thing about that (to me) is that in my EHM career, I signed Landon Wilson (who was called Mike Gasparini (a much better name)) from the Swiss league to play for the Wings. He was a great 3rd line checker type. He scored about 10 goals, fought, killed penalties. Quite an asset to the team, Mike Gasparini/Landon Wilson was.

That's all I got on that.

[Travis]

Supposedly there is interest on both the part of Laraque and the Oilers for him to return to Edmonton. Given what was said when he left, I'd love know what's been said to him (if of course the rumor is true) to make Laraque consider playing under MacT again.

Dan Boyle has apparently been asked to waive his NTC, but no further details were given (taken from Spector's site).

And if it's true that the Oilers are on the short list for suitors for Jagr right now, makes me happy to see that Lowe is at least knocking on the door even if it's highly unlikely that he could get him to come here. Adding an offensive player like that for 1 or 2 years would be (imho) perfect given the other pieces the Oilers have in place right now (and where they'll be in their development in a year or two).

[Travis]

Dola, or Laraque will sign in Montreal for 3 years instead.

Ah well, figured it was too good to be true. Guess we're in for at least another year of Stortini aka Huggybear.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by bsak16

Now I know why Maple Leafs hates Mats so much...When Mats was acquired, Toronto traded Wendel Clark as part of the deal to Quebec. Makes sense now.

I am going to waterboard you.

[Logan]

Naslund to the Rangers, 1 year for $4.5 mil.

Also signed D Kalinin.

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by Johnny93g

Trading a 2010 2nd round pick for a 24 year old with skill seems to suggest it is a building block for the future.

I didn't look into the player, sorry for the mistake.

[TazFTW]

Originally Posted by Logan

Naslund to the Rangers, 1 year for $4.5 mil.

Also signed D Kalinin.

TSN has Naslund as 2 years, $8 million.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=2423...s=topStory_nhl

I didn't think the Rangers would be in the running for Naslund.


In other news the Sharks signed Rob Blake for 1 year at $5 million.

[Draft Dodger]

wow - Rob Blake to the Sharks. 1 year, $5 million.

[Dr. Sak]

I wonder if the Rangers told Jagr that the window has closed.

[Logan]

Sather said the team is moving on.

[bronconick]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

wow - Rob Blake to the Sharks. 1 year, $5 million.

If they can move McLaren off the books in some sort of salary dump (1 year left at 2.5 million), this is a decent move. Blake's slowed down in his old age, but he's nowhere near as bad as McLaren, whose only useful skill, hipchecking, is negated by the fact that he's slightly faster then a pylon. One year of Blake right now is prefereble to me then 7 years of Campbell at his rate or 6 years of Redden at his.

Who knows, maybe Blake can teach a couple things to the kiddies on the backline. Supposedly, the Sharks are still in the running to try to acquire Dan Boyle from Tampa Bay, but I assume such a move would involved Ehrhoff (currently a RFA) or Carle (starting a 4 year-13.75 million deal that looks better every July 1 that comes by) and a prospect or two.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

wow - Rob Blake to the Sharks. 1 year, $5 million.

What the hell? Kings have a payroll of 27 million dollars right now. What are they going to do with the 13 million dollars they need to spend to reach the minimum cap level?

[Suburban Rhythm]

Jagr to........Russia

Avangard to be exact. And this is just beautiful-

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07042008...one_118481.htm

"I want to thank Glen and Tom and the Rangers. I want to thank all the people who supported me. Being in New York was special.
"And I also want to say to the people like Mike Milbury who made their living by criticizing me all the time, that they can kiss my [butt]."

[Suburban Rhythm]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

What the hell? Kings have a payroll of 27 million dollars right now. What are they going to do with the 13 million dollars they need to spend to reach the minimum cap level?

Not sure how accurate these are. Two sources-

http://www.nhlnumbers.com/compare.php?season=0809

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/

I knew Chicago was currently over the cap, but Philly?

Anyway, the Kings and Thrashers are still well below the floor. Columbus and Vancouver too. But Vancouver would easily be safe if they sign Sundin.

I am sure we can expect a few deals to ATL and LA similar to the deal made a few seasons ago with NJ and SJ, where NJ had to package a 1st round pick with Vlad Malakhov to dump to SJ, who had cap space to spare.

Would LA take Khabibulin for a one year?

If they are feeling extra generous, the Pens would love for Darryl Sydor to mentor the Kings young D.

[Suburban Rhythm]

Dola

Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to SJ

Matt Carle, 1st and 4th round picks in 2009, and unnamed prospect to TB

Carle couldn't crack SJ's D at times, but will be top 4 in Tampa. Seems like a step back overall, this season, for Tampa. So why sign the 400 forwards?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by Suburban Rhythm

Dola

Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to SJ

Matt Carle, 1st and 4th round picks in 2009, and unnamed prospect to TB

Carle couldn't crack SJ's D at times, but will be top 4 in Tampa. Seems like a step back overall, this season, for Tampa. So why sign the 400 forwards?

Well, at this point, pretty much anybody could be a top 4 defensemen in Tampa. Who in the hell is left?

Assuming this trade goes down as listed, according to NHLnumbers.com, here's Tampa's blueline:

Carle
Paul Ranger
Alexandre Picard
Filip Kuba
Shane O'Brien
Mike Lundin (I have no idea who this is)
Matt Smaby
Doug Janik (see, Lundin, Mike, above)

[bbor]

ML any info on the Swede D-man the Leafs signed today?