09/10 NHL Off-Season Thread

[ninersdd]

Clearly right now it's Detroit and Anaheim the absolute favorites in the west with Chicago right behind them. We all know San Jose will be good regular season and choke away in the playoffs. I don't think the Ducks are all that worried after losing Pronger and Beauchemin. If they were, they wouldn't be gone. Is Beauchemin a top flight defenseman? Absolutely, I just wonder if he'll struggle like all good young players after signing their first big contract. Where is the Ducks strength? In the net, Hiller played well and Giguere is probably still one of the top 20 net minders. I trust Giguere more than pretty much 90% of the net minders in the league right now. He is a Conn Smythe trophy winner in a losing year and a Cup winner a few years later. Give me Giguere over Luongo any day, Luongo has yet to prove anything.

And the Sharks stilll haven't made the promised moves to improve themselves.....................

[Lee.]

Clearly right now it's Detroit and Anaheim the absolute favorites in the west with Chicago right behind them. We all know San Jose will be good regular season and choke away in the playoffs. I don't think the Ducks are all that worried after losing Pronger and Beauchemin. If they were, they wouldn't be gone. Is Beauchemin a top flight defenseman? Absolutely, I just wonder if he'll struggle like all good young players after signing their first big contract. Where is the Ducks strength? In the net, Hiller played well and Giguere is probably still one of the top 20 net minders. I trust Giguere more than pretty much 90% of the net minders in the league right now. He is a Conn Smythe trophy winner in a losing year and a Cup winner a few years later. Give me Giguere over Luongo any day, Luongo has yet to prove anything.

And the Sharks stilll haven't made the promised moves to improve themselves.....................

They have no cap space left to improve themselves.

Most interesting thing I read is that apparently Phoenix has no TV deal in place for next season. Clearly, we know the reason, but hopefully they'll work it out since television is quite integral these days.

Good thing the NHL is hanging on to those major US media markets, huh? Oh, the exposure!

[charger77]

I am not sure this will happen but things are lining up for the Wings to have an off season...by their standards.

1. They have gone to 3 consecutive conference finals. This equals a lot of wear and tear and short summers.

2. They have lost 4 forwards and the back up goalie from last years team and they will be replaced by players that have not had a full year of NHL experience.

3. They are starting the season in Sweden. Jet lag, promos, etc.. could equal a poor start.

Now they could overcome all of this, win 60 games and The Cup or they could finish 2nd in the Central and 4-6 in the West. Which would be a bad year by Red Wing standards.

-Dan

[ninersdd]

Clearly right now it's Detroit and Anaheim the absolute favorites in the west with Chicago right behind them. We all know San Jose will be good regular season and choke away in the playoffs. I don't think the Ducks are all that worried after losing Pronger and Beauchemin. If they were, they wouldn't be gone. Is Beauchemin a top flight defenseman? Absolutely, I just wonder if he'll struggle like all good young players after signing their first big contract. Where is the Ducks strength? In the net, Hiller played well and Giguere is probably still one of the top 20 net minders. I trust Giguere more than pretty much 90% of the net minders in the league right now. He is a Conn Smythe trophy winner in a losing year and a Cup winner a few years later. Give me Giguere over Luongo any day, Luongo has yet to prove anything.

And the Sharks stilll haven't made the promised moves to improve themselves.....................

They have no cap space left to improve themselves.

Well the GM did promise changes after the playoffs, whether through trades and free agency

[oddball]

I am not sure this will happen but things are lining up for the Wings to have an off season...by their standards.

1. They have gone to 3 consecutive conference finals. This equals a lot of wear and tear and short summers.

2. They have lost 4 forwards and the back up goalie from last years team and they will be replaced by players that have not had a full year of NHL experience.

3. They are starting the season in Sweden. Jet lag, promos, etc.. could equal a poor start.

Now they could overcome all of this, win 60 games and The Cup or they could finish 2nd in the Central and 4-6 in the West. Which would be a bad year by Red Wing standards.

-Dan

They will be where they always are, at the top and contending for the Cup. The idea of going to Europe and it ruining your team, obviously that's was proven wrong by Pittsburgh who went to Europe. The Red Wings will find talent to replace the talent they lost, they always do. And really if you're going to use the excuse of going to 3 finals as a reason for them to have an off season, them losing will motivate them to win the Cup again.

[charger77]

Is there a list out of the 2010 UFAs?

Im seeing that Colorado is saving a ton of cash with Sakic retired and Smyth traded. Plus Hejduk may retire next year.

-Dan

[BryceHockey]

I am not sure this will happen but things are lining up for the Wings to have an off season...by their standards.

1. They have gone to 3 consecutive conference finals. This equals a lot of wear and tear and short summers.

2. They have lost 4 forwards and the back up goalie from last years team and they will be replaced by players that have not had a full year of NHL experience.

3. They are starting the season in Sweden. Jet lag, promos, etc.. could equal a poor start.

Now they could overcome all of this, win 60 games and The Cup or they could finish 2nd in the Central and 4-6 in the West. Which would be a bad year by Red Wing standards.

-Dan

While the Wings really have downgraded during the off-season on paper, I don't agree with these points. It's always amusing to me when people think that professional athletes will be worn out easily. They have been to 2 consecutive SCF, but so have the Pens. Do you think that the Penguins are going to be tired?

Your second point is true, losing Hossa, Kopecky, Samuelsson, and most likely Hudler is a loss for the team. However, I think that Detroit has proven that they know how to develop players quickly (think Datsyuk, Ericsson, Helm, etc) and will be in top form come playoff time.

Jet lag? That's why the Wings are going to suck? We all know how many European (and especially Swedish) players are on the roster. If anything, they'll embrace the chance to play in front of their home crowd.

This free agency period has seemed very strange. Teams that should have been making some big acquisitions pretty much did nothing. I think more and more of them are relying on the draft and trying to "rebuild".

[DelayedPenalty]

Is there a list out of the 2010 UFAs?

Detroit is targeting the high profile FAs next year, Lebron James and Dwayne Wade

[charger77]

While the Wings really have downgraded during the off-season on paper, I don't agree with these points. It's always amusing to me when people think that professional athletes will be worn out easily. They have been to 2 consecutive SCF, but so have the Pens. Do you think that the Penguins are going to be tired?

No, I don't think they Penguins will be as tired. The Wings are an older team on average and have had three long playoff runs in a row, that has to have some effect.

Your second point is true, losing Hossa, Kopecky, Samuelsson, and most likely Hudler is a loss for the team. However, I think that Detroit has proven that they know how to develop players quickly (think Datsyuk, Ericsson, Helm, etc) and will be in top form come playoff time.

True they have had success bringing up players from G.R. however it is usually done as a player here and there. They are having turn over of 25% of thier forwards and are losing 111 goals of offense and are couning on rookies to shoulder that load.

Jet lag? That's why the Wings are going to suck? We all know how many European (and especially Swedish) players are on the roster. If anything, they'll embrace the chance to play in front of their home crowd.

I didn't say they would suck, I said they may have an off season by their standards. 2nd in the division and 4th or 5th in the West is an off year by Red Wing standards.

No doubt the Swedish Wings will embrace the return home but how many teams "hit the wall" early in the season after playing overseas? The Rangers and Penguins started out on fire but slumped following the start of the season.

-Dan

[BigEd76]

After saying he was heading to Russia to replace Ray Emery's spot, Antero Niittymaki changed his mind this morning and signed with Tampa Bay instead...

[Geoff]

I don't think he said he was definitely heading to Atlant but that they were working on a deal. I'm glad we got it and it sounds like he wanted to stay in the NHL as he was being offered more than the just under $600,000 the Bolts are giving him.

[Linus]

- NHL is going to challenge Hudlers signing in the KHL. They say he's still property of the Wings, which he still is.

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/darren_dreger/?id=284300

- Leafs signed Rickard Wallin. Its a 1 year deal and Im guessing the money is similar to the Gustavsson signing. His numbers from the Swedish Elite League arent amazing but there decent. I guess it doesnt hurt to give the guy a shot. He's 6'2 so it gives us some size up front.

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?servic...rticleid=436747

[charger77]

Using the legal process to force a person to work for you... that will make for a productive employee.

-Dan

[Lee.]

Using the legal process to force a person to work for you... that will make for a productive employee.

-Dan

He's trying to skirt the legal process by signing with a league that has no regard for North American contracts.

[BigEd76]

Niittymaki

His constant hip injuries will prevent him from being a starter but he was a good backup when healthy....

[DelayedPenalty]

Using the legal process to force a person to work for you... that will make for a productive employee.

-Dan

He's trying to skirt the legal process by signing with a league that has no regard for North American contracts.

What's the legal differences between a UFA and an RFA? If he was a UFA then his signing in Russia would be a non-issue, but because he's an RFA the Red Wings have the say over where he signs, correct?

[NEW.ERA]

Flames will be the pests of the NHL this season and annoy the competition and as for 2010 UFA's

Notable UFA's next season

Nicklas Lidstrom

Roberto Luongo

Scott Niedermayer

Ilya Kovalchuk

Patrick Marleau

Paul Kariya

Marty Turco

Evgeni Nabokov

Olli Jokinen

Pavel Kubina

Sergei Gonchar

Full list here

http://www.capgeek.com/contracts.php?Year=...on=APPLY+FILTER

[BrySmalls]

- NHL is going to challenge Hudlers signing in the KHL. They say he's still property of the Wings, which he still is.

http://www.tsn.ca/columnists/darren_dreger/?id=284300

- Leafs signed Rickard Wallin. Its a 1 year deal and Im guessing the money is similar to the Gustavsson signing. His numbers from the Swedish Elite League arent amazing but there decent. I guess it doesnt hurt to give the guy a shot. He's 6'2 so it gives us some size up front.

http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/team/app/?servic...rticleid=436747

I knew the "gentleman's agreement" between the two was completely screwy.

[charger77]

Using the legal process to force a person to work for you... that will make for a productive employee.

-Dan

He's trying to skirt the legal process by signing with a league that has no regard for North American contracts.

So as an "at will" employee of the Red Wings they can cut him at any time but he can't leave on his terms? As an RFA he is not under contract with the Wings. They just have the right to match any contract that any NHL team offers him.

-Dan

[CJR]

Using the legal process to force a person to work for you... that will make for a productive employee.

-Dan

He's trying to skirt the legal process by signing with a league that has no regard for North American contracts.

What's the legal differences between a UFA and an RFA? If he was a UFA then his signing in Russia would be a non-issue, but because he's an RFA the Red Wings have the say over where he signs, correct?

The league is saying it's not a UFA vs. RFA issue but rather that he had filed for arbitration. As arbitration awards are binding to the player (the team, of course, can reject them), they're saying he had already agreed to play in the NHL next season at whatever rate the arbitrator decided.