NHL 2010/2011

[TGWL]

The edit button isn't working for me right now.

Coyotes re-signed Vrnbata 3 years /9 Million

Coyotes signed Raffi Torres 2 years /3.5 Million

Coyotes signed goalie Mike Smith 2 years /4 Million.

Washington signed Joel Ward 4 years /12 Million.

[TGWL]

Vancouver signs Marco strum. 1 year /2.25 Million

Carolina signs Alexei Ponikarovsky. 1 year /1.5 Million.

Sheldon Souray 1 year /1.65 Million

Flyers have traded Kris Versteeg to Flordida for a 2nd round pick (2012 or 2013) and a 3rd round pick in 2012.

Bruins sign Benoit Pouliot. 1 year /1.1 Million.

Devils re-sign Greene and Hedberg.

Ottawa signs goalie Alex Auld.

Sharks sign James Vandermeer 1 year /

Buffalo signs Leino 6 years /27 Million.

[TGWL]

Sheldon Souray signed with Dallas. Sorry for all the bumps. Edit isn't working on google chrome for me.

[caucasianheat]

Toronto...lol.

Just got back in after having lunch with a friend and well, yeah, this. I thought fans were pretty stupid for wanting to put all the eggs in the Brad Richards basket - I guess management was of the same mind though.

[Cactus Drags]

JS Giguere to the Avs, 2 year deal? Interesting, especially since I just read they just traded for Varlamov. I was hoping for Emery, although I think I was perhaps swayed by the comeback story somewhat. Although he did do well for the Ducks.

Also signed Chuck Kobasew to a 2 year, $1.25m deal. I don't know a lot about him, other than he once scored a hat trick against the Avs and has an awesome hockey name. Any good?

Elliott and Buds gone. Don't care about the former, I was hoping the latter would stick around as a back-up. No room for him though.

It's novel, all this actually signing players to improve your team malarky, I could get used to it

[SeanDMan]

http://www.crossingbroad.com/2011/07/flyers-free-agency-madness.html

Featuring vampires!

[NobBe Nobbs]

C-Heat - given the choice between putting all our eggs in the Brad Richards basket or spreading them about and making another catastrophically stupid signing like Finger's or Komisarek's in years gone by, I'm picking that first option a hundred and one times out of a hundred. I understand Potato Head going lol because a) he's a troll, b) he takes every opportunity to troll and c) his team traded a probable lottery pick and a second-round pick for a goaltender who was neither going to play for the Capitals next year and who's clearly overrated, but I expect better from you.

[Plubby]

and c) his team traded a probable lottery pick and a second-round pick for a goaltender who was neither going to play for the Capitals next year and who's clearly overrated.

How is Colorado's (already well-established) horrendous recent trading record remotely relevant to Toronto's Free Agent signings?

[caucasianheat]

C-Heat - given the choice between putting all our eggs in the Brad Richards basket or spreading them about and making another catastrophically stupid signing like Finger's or Komisarek's in years gone by, I'm picking that first option a hundred and one times out of a hundred. I understand Potato Head going lol because a) he's a troll, b) he takes every opportunity to troll and c) his team traded a probable lottery pick and a second-round pick for a goaltender who was neither going to play for the Capitals next year and who's clearly overrated, but I expect better from you.

Suffice to say, MPH and I are not really in agreement. I think his lol actually predated free agency opening, I at least waited until 5 or so to start bagging my team.

I think Brad Richards is totally overrated for the contract he wants and will get - that money over that term is not appealing to me. Putting yourself solely in a race for one player that's highly sought after by many other teams is foolish. Toronto has unfilled holes up and down the lineup and it was pretty frustrating to see quality role players taken off the market or heart and soul guys from the organization like Tim Brent carelessly permitted to walk away. Go after Richards if you must, but don't ignore the fact that you have to suit up a whole team, m'sayin? Richards can't play on every line.

I know Burke considers free agency to be silly season (some of yesterday's deals don't dispel that) but you've got to have a few irons in the fire because every other GM is out there making moves and trying to get better too. I wanted to see some small depth improvements, nothing blowaway.

[caucasianheat]

Bump. Richards to NYR, 58.5 over 9 which works out to a 6.5 annual cap hit.

[Ruki]

Well, poop :/

So....plan B, what do we do now?

[SeanDMan]

Try and trade another lottery pick for Stamkos?

[caucasianheat]

Jason Arnott was the guy I had my eye on for a bit. He's hovered around 50 points for over a decade, knows how to create space for a sniper like Kessel, and might be able to teach Colborne a thing or two about playing like a big centerman should. He's not the star everybody wants (not like Richards was going to put Toronto in the Finals anyway) but he's a good short-term patch with some upside and leadership that can be had at a decent price.

[Ruki]

Try and trade another lottery pick for Stamkos?

Deal!

I was kinda hoping that Tampa would sign Richards, that way they'd struggle to sign Stamkos.

Jason Arnott was the guy I had my eye on for a bit. He's hovered around 50 points for over a decade, knows how to create space for a sniper like Kessel, and might be able to teach Colborne a thing or two about playing like a big centerman should. He's not the star everybody wants (not like Richards was going to put Toronto in the Finals anyway) but he's a good short-term patch with some upside and leadership that can be had at a decent price.

I think I would be ok with that for a year or three....I just don't want another year of failing

Although, if we DO fail, we have our own pick this year, and the draft is supposed to be great....so yay?

[Gabriel]

The problem with going after a highly sought player like Richards through free agency, is that you put all of your cap space on the line for a potential signing... meaning that the time it takes for him to make up his mind, a bunch of other guys are being taken off of the market... and only one team can get him. So the Rangers get Brad Richards, and the Flames, Kings, Leafs, Lightning all miss out on guys like Max Talbot, Ville Leino, Tomas Fleischmann, Joel Ward, Scottie Upshall, Jeff Halpern and more. Guys who maybe aren't the same quality of player as Brad Richards, but who legitimately fill holes in line-ups and make teams much better just for having them.

I wonder if dominoes are going to fall now, with all of the other teams who were in the running for Richards trying to fill up their roster holes with what's left in free agency.

[Gabriel]

Dominoes start falling. Tim Connolly signs a 2 year deal with the Leafs worth $9.5 million.

He'll be an upgrade at the number 1 center position alongside Kessel, but I'm not so sure about the money. He's often injured and only put up 42 points in 68 games last year.

[Guest mr. potato head]

Brad Richards was massively overrated this year simply because he's the best forward out there. On a real cup contender, he's probably only on the second line.

Free agency's no longer a sure path through the playoffs, and the Toronto mindset of "leave some cap room and wait for July" just isn't going to cut it. Look at all the top teams of the past few years - Vancouver, Chicago, Philly, Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, all got where they are/were primarily by developing their own stars and at most augmenting their team through free agency.

[Toe]

I am cool with Connelly. He is a big upgrade at center, and is very good. Health is the issue.

Salary is a little high, but for two years its a good risk. I like this better then Komisarek's deal.

Edited July 2, 2011 by Toe

[NobBe Nobbs]

Brad Richards was massively overrated this year simply because he's the best forward out there. On a real cup contender, he's probably only on the second line.

You don't actually know anything, do you?

[Ruki]

I'm ok with the signing....he's only on the books for 2 years, and you know who is a free agent in 2 years?

Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Jordan Staal....we're getting these guys in 2013