By Chris
Happy Canada Day!
The market is open. Let’s have at it.
Some useful links:
TSN’s Free Agent Tracker
Puck Daddy’s Chatter Box
Darren Dreger’s Twitter
The Fourth Period
12:14: The Canucks formally agreed to terms with the Sedin Twins about an hour ago. Each received a five-year, $30.5 million contract. Will be interesting to see how a potential extension for Luongo plays out.
12:25 Mattais Ohlund has signed with the Lightning. Seven years/$3.75 million per. It’s the first true UFA signing of the day and definitely favors length over salary. He’s 32 so by the time the contract runs out, he’ll be pushing 40 at almost $4 million. For now, though, it’s a very good signing for the rebuilding Bolts.
1:07 After some technical difficulties, we’re back. Dvorak re-ups with Florida and The Fourth Period is reporting that Kovalev is staying in Montreal.
1:11 Fourth Period reporting two-year, $8.8 million for Kovalev and that the Habs have extended offers to Hossa, Gaborik and Havlat. Sounds to me like Koivu is on the way out and we’ll be looking at a very different Canadiens team next season.
1:59 Gotta love technical difficulties. Anyways, the Avalanche have just signed Craig Anderson to be their man between the pipes for the next two seasons. He’ll likely split some time with Peter Budaj, but the Avs filled a need and with a decent player. I think this makes Martin Biron to Edmonton more likely.
2:04 Apparently, Marian Hossa thinks the Blackhawks are the new team to beat. TSN reporting he’s signed a 12-year deal worth $5.2 million per season. The Blackhawks do realize that their current starting goaltender, Cristobal Huet, has a cap hit of $5.625 for each of the next three seasons and that both Towes and Kane are entering contract years (no doubt they’ll both get offer sheets as restricted free agents next summer if they’re available). Chicago now has nine forwards signed for 2009-10.
2:10 Ty Conklin won’t be playing in the Winter Classic this year. Darren Dreger reporting he’s signed a two-year contract with St. Louis.
2:34 Roloson is an Islander and the Sabres have just signed Steve Montador to a two-year contract. We’ll have a full post on this shortly.
3:18 Scott Niedermayer re-signs with the Ducks. One-year, $6 million. They can probably say goodbye to Beauchemin now.
3:26 Martin Biron is most definitely out of Philadelphia now as the Flyers have signed Brian Boucher to a two-year contract. Anyone else think he’ll be starting ahead of Ray Emery by January?
3:53 Word is Jaroslav Spacek has signed with Montreal. Three years, $11.5 million. Good for Spacek, but the Habs are seriously overpaying.
5:34 Back from a break. Updates galore: Eric Cole is staying in Carolina (not a shocker). Looks like Cammalleri is going to join Hal Gill in Montreal and collect $30 million over five years. Khabibulin is an Oiler (My guess is Biron will be in Los Angeles before all is said and done). Scott Clemmenson signed with the Panthers so Vokoun still has some healthy competition down on South Beach. Pittsburgh added a character guy in Mike Rupp. Mike Knuble signed with Washington and the Toronto Maple Leafs finally made some noise, trading Kubina for Exelby.
5:47 Greg Zanon signs with Minnesota. If the Wild continue to be a trap-ish team, he should fit in nicely. He blocks a ton of shots, too.
5:54 Heading out again. Will have more updates and comments soon (Now I know how Ryan feels…) -Chris
5:56: But before I leave, Dreger reports Komisarek is a Leaf. Toronto and Montreal making some very big changes. If Ottawa is able to deal Heatley, we’ll be looking at a very different Northeast Division in the fall.
8:37 Finally some big news from the Rangers. They bring in Marion Gaborik with a five-year, $37.5 million contract. So they unload one bad contract (Gomez) and add this one. No way he plays out this contract as a Ranger.
8:55 Brian Gionta is now a Canadien as well (five years, $25 million). So with the big contracts of Cammalleri, Gionta, Gomez, Spacek and Hal Gill, the big question is in goal (apparently the Kovalev deal isn’t quite done yet).
9:03 TSN reporting that the Oilers are arranging a face-to-face meeting with Dany Heatley. Good. Get him out of the division.
9:08 Chris Neil remains a Senator (boo). John Madden signs a one-year deal with Chicago.
9:30 Big names still out there: Beauchmin, Havlat, Tanguay, Kovalev, Zubov, Antropov, Comrie, Koivu, Sundin, Morris, Bergeron and Biron. And with that I’m calling it a night. Tomorrow we’ll have a look at teams up against the cap and who the Sabres might be interested in trading for. Good night!
I like Spacek and all, but at his age, he is not worth 3.83. At all.
I just remember that goal he almost scored on Miller in the Washington game towards the end of the season. It didn’t go in, but it was scary and very close. And entirely a mental screwup on his part.