Useful links:
http://www.nhl.com/
http://www.thehockeynews.com/
http://tsn.ca/nhl/
http://www.capgeek.com/

Transaction log: http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockey...y/movements.cgi

Brad Richards will probably sign a long-term deal with the Rangers for some ungodly amount of money. Somewhere between 5yr/30m and 7yr/$51m

Chris Drury will probably sign a one-year deal for $1m or less in exchange for being allowed to play hockey. Scott Gomez still has a job because Canada doesn't have union-stripping laws yet so his contract hasn't been burned yet. Rick DiPietro unavailable for comment.

Jaromir Jagr will probably sign with the Penguins for 1yr/$2m. Jagr scored 19 goals last year in a league where Chris Simon scored 16 goals. Dominik Hasek also plays in the same league, perhaps another Pennsylvania team should have looked there?

Vokoun will probably stay in Florida where he has access to some of the world's finest golf courses by the end of every April, plus he'll get overpaid with this free agent market.

Ed Jovanovski, Bryan McCabe will either float around looking for more money than they are worth, then sign with teams with young guys who need a veteran to add leadership that they can dump next year.

NHL.com: What does your favorite team need this summer? http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=567706

CBJ just added Wiz to their roster: http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/roster.htm

Awaiting contract announcement

Speculation about the top 15 UFAs http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=567543&...od-rr-headlines

Interesting to think that the Rangers could add Kaberle, they already have a solid top two (Staal/Girardi) and Sauer/McDonagh are both young and inexperienced but not looking like it, they played well as a second pair last year. Rangers didn't make a qualifying offer to Matt Gilroy (he sucks), so they have the aforementioned four, plus Michael Del Zotto signed for next year (might spend another year in the AHL). Kaberle might want a bit too much money for a guy who could primarily see power play time since he can do more, but I wouldn't take too much time away from the promising young guys who led the team in +/- (Sauer was +20 in 76 games, McDonagh +16 in 40 games). They need someone to play the power play, they could use a veteran, but they were looking good defensively when Steve Eminger was their veteran. Speaking of Eminger, it took him a month or two to get used to the system, but he played really well for most of last year and got cut from the roster in favor of guys who sucked (Gilroy, Rozsival), and he had a really cheap contract. I'd like to see him back as an extra blueliner in case MDZ needs more time in the minors, but he isn't much of an offensive player, which is why Torts didn't like him.

brad richards doesnt want new york

he didnt want to resign in dallas because of the media, I HIGHLY doubt he will sign in new york

It might be a downside, but there are some strong bonuses to playing in New York - they bought out their Captain and have a ton of cap space, lots of money there. First-line spot with Marian Gaborik, a dream for a top-notch setup guy, and Brandon Dubinsky, a low-ego, defensively responsible left wing, who currently have Brian Boyle or Derek Stepan as their top center (Dubi was originally a center, moved to LW early this year and played well there). Mostly feeding passes to Gaborik though.

The guy obviously works well with John Tortorella, who just signed a contract extension. Between training camp and winning the cup and Conn Smythe, this coach had a connection with the dude.

Glen Sather's insane history of free-agent contracts. The difference in pay could be millions of dollars, and Sather wants to win any bidding war for this guy.

The world's most famous arena, the biggest stage in hockey. Recent rivalries, original six hockey, bad blood with half the teams in the East? Certainly looks like the right place.

But fuck the media, in New York at least they usually just spout bullshit for no reason (i.e. SEAN AVERY IS DYING). My team has been cursed to mediocrity by its ways, and the next thing I want to see is Brad Richards having a good year for them before subsequently becoming a third-liner who makes more than all-stars.

JETS

Michael Ryder to Dallas

everyone hated him in Boston, but I respect his game.

how bout them sabres

working my shitty internship job, i listen to a lot of buffalo local sports talk shows.

sabres did step up though, gotta love the new owner.

fuck buffalo could use a championship...

buffalo, nope

best sports teams us east

LOL and he signs with the rangers for 9 years

well i guess he'll never get another cup

yes steve i am just mad

hopefully since dallas wont win next year, me saying NYR never will will lead them to the cup

as it lead them to richards

Tortorella worked well with the young guys, finally he has a veteran who he should work wonders with. I hope Richards and Gaborik work well together, those two have the skills to make the best duo in the league, but only if they click.

They certainly can be the sedins, or better

LOL

if they click, it should certainly be pretty impressive

and if both can stay healthy, both have a history that says otherwise

Sedin worthy? I do not think so. But definitely should be very interesting watching them play together.
Likelyhood of Gaborik staying healthy to have a significant impact on the Rangers success? Low.

And heatlol to Wild for Havlat, quite the interesting trade.

cap dump

You do not usually dump previous 50 goal scorers and current 40 goal scorer and a point per game player for a 60 point per season player.

jonathan cheechoo

Ouuu touché mon ami.
Just checked and he's not even playing in the NHL right now lawl.

cap killer for killer

>implying anyone is better than zett/dats

Marchmont and Bergy >

who

Stanley Cup champs, bro

May I offer you Stanley Cup champion Brett Lebda?

Definitely a tits combo, but they are just tits by themselves

they individually can make any line good.

gaborik nor richards can say that, but together they will be way better than they are individually

well said

some secret santa me a Jordan Caron jersey

sweater

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-D09wj5VtU

Steve Ott is awesome.
Sean Avery is Sean Avery.
Bruins announcers are terrible homers.

Weber gets 7.5M through arbitration. Highest paid defence in the league.
Too high imo.

Top cap hit, but the other contracts this season have been front-loaded. That salary is easily justified as it is a one-year contract and this off-season has seen some huge contracts for lesser players. The cap hit would be lower if he was signed through age 40 (i.e. Ehrhoff, Richards), and he is also younger than those dudes who signed ~10 year deals as UFAs. I still think it is fair to give him the same salary as Stamkos, as both are top-notch players, one plays on a better team so he puts up better numbers.

Tough call for RFAs though, because if he went out and looked for a one-year deal, he could easily get more than 7.5m, but you can't really consider that for an RFA.

True say.

It's all about the precedent that is being set here, is just ehhhhh. I don't like it.

One year deal for one of the top 3, less than open market value.

Don't get me wrong, he is a hell of a player and could very well make that money elsewhere but I think this is ridiculous.
Highest paid D Man didn't come from both parties agreeing on a price, simply a third party saying a certain amount.
Arbitrators are suppose to award based on comparable players salaries. In this case, there is absolutely no one comparable. So the 7.5M is just crazy. Darts on a dartboard basically

It had to go that high anyway, the team had been offering him 7m+ and there are few, if any, players who really compare to him all-around.