SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF
NHL 7/7/2013
Anaheim Ducks
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Boston Bruins
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Jarome Iginla: 'Thrilled they gave me another opportunity'
Bruins to use bonus cushion with Jarome Iginla contract
arome Iginla excited to get second chance with Bruins
Bruins are gearing up for another season
Agent says 3 teams interested in 41-year-old Jagr
Iginla expects big year as Bruin
Jarome Iginla ‘thrilled’ by B’s deal
Buffalo Sabres
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Blue line updates: Sulzer signs again, Pardy heads to Peg
Rochester Amerks lose three key players to free agency
Sulzer stays with the Sabres, Pardy leaves
Buffalo Sabres re-sign Alexander Sulzer
Calgary Flames
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Steady as she goes as Calgary Flames enter dark before the
dawn
Six centres the Calgary Flames could chase
Bruins GM welcomes former Calgary Flames captain
Jarome Iginla
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Player evaluation: Fraser
Minnesota Wild
Wild Insider: Roster changes provide opportunity for younger
players
Montreal Canadiens
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Canadiens sign free agent Fournier to three-year deal
Jaromir Jagr interested in playing for Canadiens
New Jersey Devils
Columbus Blue Jackets
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Blue Jackets: Horton finds ‘home’
Blue Jackets notebook: Next step for Horton is shoulder
surgery
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Shawn Horcoff’s history makes him a good fit with the new
look Stars
684236 Stars sign Valeri Nichushkin to entry level contract; hoping to
do everything they can to have him in NHL next
684237 Boston writer: Stars C Tyler Seguin was 'great waste of
talent' with Bruins
684238 Stars hire Joe McDonnell as director of amateur scouting,
add Mark Leach as amateur scout
684239 Stars sign top draft pick Valeri Nichushkin to three-year entry
level contract
Oilers sign goalie Bachman to one-year deal
Edmonton Oilers sign up Ryan Jones, who “hopes to prove
the doubters wrong.”
Edmonton Oilers sign goaltender Richard Bachman to a
one-year contract
Ryan Jones signs one-year contract with the Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Coach Q brings the Stanley Cup to Wrigley
McDonough the Hawks' biggest long-shot story
Goal by Blackhawks’ Seabrook had special meaning for
Riordan family
Khabibulin back with Blackhawks, leg problems and all
Avalanche defense remains mediocre despite improvements
to team
Detroit Red Wings scouts Joe McDonnell, Mark Leach
leaving to join Jim Nill in Dallas
Detroit Red Wings free agency: Daniel Cleary likely to return,
Damien Brunner is not
Helene St. James: Mike Babcock sees Detroit Red Wings
'going in the right direction again'
Red Wings remain silent on second day of free agency
Glut of forwards doesn't worry Red Wings GM Ken Holland
Detroit Red Wings director of amateur scouting hired in
Dallas by former assistant G.M. Jim Nill
Red Wings want Daniel Cleary back, but would need to shed
some salary first
What they're saying: Daniel Alfredsson tarnished image
forever by signing with Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' outlook brighter after 'tremendous upgrade' with
Stephen Weiss, Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Cleary not close to re-signing with Wings
Stephen Weiss compared to Steve Yzerman growing up
Edmonton Oilers
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Dallas Stars
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Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
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Detroit Red Wings
Sorensen feels at home with Ducks
For Pankowski, jersey's 'USA' lettering makes all the
difference
NHL: Ducks trade Ryan, Kings lose Scuderi on first day of
free agency
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Devils believe they more-than-adequately replaced David
Clarkson
Michael Ryder and Ryane Clowe are Devils' Newfoundland
connection
Newest Devils Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder were friends
before they were teammates
Ryane Clowe, Nathan Horton signings show that NHL teams
are still spending despite lower salary cap
New York Islanders
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NHL's compliance buyouts are similar to NBA's amnesty
concept
New York Rangers
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Rangers, McDonagh ‘closer’ to new deal
Ottawa Senators
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Philadelphia Flyers
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Lecavalier being put on Giroux's line?
Inside the Flyers: Flyers look improved, but how much?
Lecavalier says he can bring leadership to Flyers
Did Holmgren make all the right moves?
Lecavalier says he still has something to prove
Flyers, Paul Holmgren pay Claude Giroux as ‘one of the top
guys’
Flyers get Ray Emery back in orange and black
Lecavalier chose Flyers before an offer was made
Flyers' moves excite Giroux
Ray Emery, making a save last season playing for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
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Sharks and Oilers swap unsigned prospects
Gordon: Blues remain a work in progress
Blues find play-making center in Roy
Blues land a playmaking center in Derek Roy
Bolts' prospect camp gets underway
Fennelly: Time for Yzerman to deliver
Vinny Lecavalier is heading into his 16th season in the NHL.
Lightning still has needs, salary cap crunch
NHL free agents: Ex-Leaf Mikhail Grabovski still available
Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert tie knot in P.E.I.: DiManno
NHL free agents: Jaromir Jagr weighs offers
Several teams interested in Grabovski: Agent
Grabovski on Carlyle sounds like Kadri on Wilson
New Leaf Brennan raring to go
Leafs' Bolland is proudly Mimico
Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf marries Elisha Cuthbert in
private ceremony
Vancouver Canucks
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San Jose Sharks
Toronto Maple Leafs
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Tampa Bay Lightning
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Another Cup fueled Adams’ return to Pens
Pens corner market on ‘hometown discounts’
General manager Shero nothing short of Penguins’ hero
Penguins defensive corps crowded after Rob Scuderi's
signing
Former Penguins forward Matt Cooke is not bitter, ready to
help Minnesota Wild
St Louis Blues
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Websites
Brennan: Jason Spezza should be next captain of the
Ottawa Senators
Jarome Iginla knows exactly how Daniel Alfredsson is feeling
Daniel Alfredsson goes golfing on his first day as a Detroit
Red Wing
Ottawa Senators looking for a player to step up as a
second-line forward
Botchford: Canucks clear up roster questions but Luongo
remains in limbo
Canucks signing Mike Santorelli shocks the Vancouverite’s
family
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FOXSports.com / Ducks trade winger Bobby Ryan to Ottawa
Senators
FOXSports.com / Rob Scuderi leaves Kings to return to
Penguins
NBCSports.com / Wings want Cleary back, but need to shed
salary
NBCSports.com / Jets sign defenseman Pardy — one year,
$600,000
NBCSports.com / Iginla loving everything about Boston now
NBCSports.com / Oilers sign former Stars backup Bachman
to one-year deal
NBCSports.com / Jagr flirting with Montreal once again
NBCSports.com / Canucks sign Santorelli
NBCSports.com / Lecavalier likes Flyers system ‘better than
staying on your heels’
NBCSports.com / Big names still to be had on Day 2 of free
agency
NBCSports.com / Sabres re-sign Sulzer to one-year deal
NBCSports.com / Ribeiro excited to be reunited with Tippett
in Phoenix
NBCSports.com / Sharks keeping Burns at forward next
season
NBCSports.com / Toronto newspaper compares Clarkson to
Wendel Clark
USA TODAY / Vincent Lecavalier expects a great season
with the Flyers
USA TODAY / 2013 NHL free agent tracker
USA TODAY / Who's available on Day 2 of free agency
Winnipeg Jets
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Jets sign defenceman Adam Pardy
Jets hold onto IceCaps Albert, add Jerome Samson, Andrew
Gordon
Chevy says team better today due to trades
Jets keep their heads
Winnipeg Jets Pardy Saturday, signing 4 and losing 1
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
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Anaheim Ducks
Sorensen feels at home with Ducks
ERIC STEPHENS
2013-07-06 18:57:36
ANAHEIM – Nick Sorensen is wearing a Ducks sweater for the first time,
but the young winger might as well be donning the familiar blue-and-yellow
colors of Tre Kronor.
Sorensen is already feeling right at home at the club's week-long
conditioning camp for its prospects in college, junior hockey and the minor
leagues. Familiar faces abound.
Wherever he turns around, there seems to be a teammate of Sweden's
national junior team to run into. Hampus Lindholm. Rickard Rakell. William
Karlsson. Max Friberg wasn't on the silver medalists this year but Sorensen
knows him well.
"It's fun with all the Swedish guys here," Sorensen said. "They're good
friends of mine. There's a lot of great guys here too that's not Swedish.
Everybody welcomed me perfectly.
"I feel just like home after three days. It's awesome to be here."
After meeting with the team in the days before the 2013 NHL draft,
Sorensen called it an awesome feeling when the Ducks took him with the
45th selection last week.
The club is high on him even though Sorensen has battled through injuries
during his two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major
Junior Hockey League. Damaged ligaments in his left knee that cost him
the majority of his 2011-12 season.
Sorensen also played with bum shoulder this past season but still managed
20 goals and 27 assists in 46 games. He also had another seven goals in
eight postseason contests.
"He's a hard-working player that's really quick and fast, from zero to 100,"
said Lindholm, the sixth overall pick in 2012. "He knows where to put the
puck in the net too. You can get a lot out of him.
"I trust the Ducks. They know who to pick and stuff. He was a good pick and
I know him so that's just (icing on) the cake."
Sorensen, 18, thanks former Remparts coach Patrick Roy for sticking with
him through his injuries. Roy, the Hall of Fame goalie, is the new Colorado
Avalanche coach.
"He helped me adjust to the North American style [of hockey]," Sorensen
said. "I only have good things to say about Patty on and off the ice."
Born in Denmark but also a Swedish citizen through his mother, Sorensen
idolizes Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg and readily says he
patterns his game after the two-way star forward.
The Ducks can only hope there is similar development. Sorensen
considered it an honor to train with Zetterberg a couple of times back in
Sweden and noted how he took over the Wings' first-round series over the
Ducks at the end.
"I want to play like him," Sorensen said. "I have high goals. That's the way I
am. He's a good player and he's a great guy off the ice. He's a big role
model for me."
SCRIMMAGE NOTES
Peter Holland, who could make a push for the No. 2 center job, scored
twice to lead Team White to a 2-1 win over Team Black in a two-period
scrimmage at Anaheim Ice.
Nic Kerdiles got the goal for Team Black. Kerdiles also got the only goal in
a 4-1 loss Friday to White, which got scores from Antoine Laganiere,
Thomas Gobeil, Rakell and Kevin Lind. Another scrimmage is scheduled for
Monday at 10 a.m.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 07.07.2013
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Anaheim Ducks
For Pankowski, jersey's 'USA' lettering makes all the difference
That's just fine, since playing as an American means a whole lot more than
playing as a Badger. Yes, these are exciting times for Pankowski and those
close to her, like her sister, Ali, who plays at Princeton, and her parents,
Rich Pankowski and Diane Craig.
By JEFF MILLER
Rich was the one who, for three days after the announcement, couldn't tell
anyone without tears filling his eyes. He was in a Chicago airport, traveling
back to Orange County, when he received the official word.
2013-07-06 18:06:39
LAGUNA HILLS – It was the biggest moment of her life, but it still wasn't big
enough for her to miss it completely.
It was the realization of a dream, even if she thought she was only
dreaming.
It was the one time she absolutely wanted to hear her name, but then she
thought she was hearing things.
How intoxicating is just the prospect of the Olympics? Intoxicating enough
that, by moving one step closer to the 2014 Winter Games, Anne
Pankowski, who graduated from Santa Margarita High with a 4.0 and is
smart enough to get into Wisconsin, forgot something as basic as her
ABCs.
"I was listening, but I was trying to calm down at the same time," Pankowski
says. "They got to the L's and I was like, 'Oh, they skipped me.' Then I was
thinking, 'No, that's not right.'"
It most certainly wasn't. "P" does come after "L" in our alphabet. Always
has, probably always will.
So, as the names were being called off for the U.S. women's hockey team,
"Pankowski" arrived right on time, after "Lamoureux" and before "Stack."
"When I heard my name, I was like, 'That wasn't my name,'" Pankowski
says now. "'That didn't just happen. Did they really just call my name?' That
battle on the inside went on for a while."
Not until her friend Courtney Burke tapped her on the leg and said
congratulations did Pankowski know she had made the 25-player roster
from which the final 21 Olympians will be selected.
The team will reconvene near Boston in early September to continue
preparing for the Games in Sochi, Russia, in February. The final roster will
be announced in late December.
Sitting in a meeting room at the Olympic Center last month in Lake Placid,
N.Y., as famous an ice hockey setting as we have in this country,
Pankowski, 18, experienced her own Miracle off Ice.
"It's what you've been working for since you were 8 years old and saying, 'I
want to play in the Olympics,'" she says. "Now, it's right in front of me."
Yeah, it is that close, close enough to reach out and grab, just like the red,
white and blue jerseys that awaited the 25 players when they returned to
the locker room after the official announcement.
The first thing Pankowski did when she saw the crisp No. 27 jersey hanging
in her stall was reach for her phone. She had to take a picture.
The players then were corralled to a news conference, after which the real
photographs began. Casual headshots, formal headshots, team pictures,
even each player made up and modeling a fancy dress.
Following an autograph session for a group of local kids, more pictures.
Then the folks from NBC had their chance, shooting still photos and video
and asking the players to read the team's mantra – "We are a part of
something bigger than ourselves. We are Team USA. We are team first." –
into the camera.
It can keep a person busy, this business of being famous.
"If you would have told me I'd be in this position two or three years ago, I
wouldn't have believed you," says Pankowski, who came up through the
Junior and Lady Ducks programs. "I would have said, 'No, I'm going to play
college hockey. Maybe after that.' This is pretty crazy."
Because of the national team camp this fall, Pankowski had to defer her
acceptance to play at Wisconsin a year, meaning she won't begin her
college career until 2014.
"I was so excited, but I'm sitting in O'Hare all by myself," Rich says. "Who
was I going to tell? I felt like stopping the pilot and telling him. When I got to
baggage claim (at John Wayne Airport), I started crying again. I'm sure
people were thinking, 'What's wrong with him?'"
Pankowski has won national titles and played for world championships. The
Olympics went from being something to fantasize about to something to
seriously consider three years ago when she made her first 18-under
national camp.
While there, the reality hit Pankowski that she could play – and even stand
out – among the best in the country, no small step for a girl who, out of
necessity, played mostly with boys growing up.
She was so thrilled by this prospect that she shared her excitement with
exactly no one.
"It was something that was so scary because it was so real," Pankowski
says. "I couldn't really put it into words and it felt weird saying it out loud. It's
still kind of scary to say I could potentially play on the Olympic team."
She is only one more roster cut away from representing all of us on the
other side of the world, a California girl playing a Canadian game in a
Russian town. That's a lot of international flavor, and it only adds to a full
belly of national pride.
Pankowski was at a 14-under development camp the first time she wore
anything official with "USA" written across the chest.
The first thing she did that day, too, was reach for her phone.
"Am I actually really putting this thing on that says 'USA' and I get to wear
it?" Pankowski remembers thinking then.
She pauses, smiles.
"That feeling doesn't really go away," she explains. "I kind of get it every
time before a game. You turn around and the first thing you see in the
mirror is 'USA' on the front. It gets you excited and gives you butterflies."
And just think, for Pankowski, the butterflies could be just starting to take
flight.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 07.07.2013
684213
Anaheim Ducks
NHL: Ducks trade Ryan, Kings lose Scuderi on first day of free agency
By Elliott Teaford
Posted: 07/05/2013 11:37:24 PM PDT
Updated: 07/05/2013 11:38:08 PM PDT
Bobby Ryan was traded again and again and again over the last few years
on the Internet, most often going to Philadelphia in dozens of rumored deals
that never transpired. The Ducks shipped him for real Friday to Ottawa for
two young players and a draft pick.
"Ottawa ... Im coming in hot," Ryan wrote on his Twitter account, breaking
the news.
The Ducks received right wing Jakob Silfverberg, prospect Stefan Noesen
and a first-round pick in 2014 from the Senators, whose general manager,
Bryan Murray, held the same job with the Ducks from 2002-04 and was
their coach in 2001-02.
The Ducks also re-signed unrestricted free agent center Saku Koivu to a
one-season contract worth $2.5 million. General manager Bob Murray said
he agreed with Koivu some time ago, but there was some wording that
needed to be ironed out before the deal was completed.
Silfverberg, 22, scored 10 goals and added nine assists in 48 games during
his rookie season with the Senators in 2012-13. He was MVP of the
Swedish Elite League after he had 54 points, including 24 goals, in 49
games in 2011-12.
"He's a total two-way, top-six forward at either wing," Murray said of
Silfverberg, who was the Senators' second-round pick in the 2009 draft
(39th overall). "We really, really like him.
"There was no way of doing the deal without Silfverberg."
class="TXBody"> Can he replace Ryan on the Ducks' big line, joining
center Ryan Getzlaf and right wing Corey Perry next season?
"Oh, yeah," Murray said without the slightest hesitation. "He's a smart,
smart hockey player. He's capable, no doubt about that."
Noesen, 20, was the Senators' second-round choice in 2011 (21st overall)
and scored 220 points (99 goals, 121 assists) over the last four seasons
with the junior-level Plymouth (Mich.) Whalers of the"¨Ontario Hockey
League. He hails
from the Dallas suburb of Plano.
Ryan was the Ducks' third-leading scorer with 30 points (11 goals, 19
assists) in 46 games during the lockout-shortened season. The 26-year-old
left wing teamed with Getzlaf and Perry to form the Ducks' top line for most
of his six seasons.
By trading Ryan, the Ducks increased their salary cap space to $11.7
million from roughly $7 million before the deal, according to the website
capgeek.com. They can use the extra cash to re-sign several of their own
free agents, including forward Teemu Selanne.
Murray said he hasn't spoken to Selanne recently, but intends to next week.
"He's watching what I'm doing," Murray said, laughing.
Kings lose Scuderi
Free agent defenseman Rob Scuderi, a key piece of the Kings' puzzle
during their charge to the Stanley Cup championship in 2012 and a second
consecutive run to the Western Conference finals in 2013, signed a fourseason, $13.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
"I still think I have a lot of good hockey left in me," the 34-year-old Scuderi
told Pittsburgh reporters within hours of the opening of the NHL's free-agent
signing period. "I'm here to clean up a mess if I have to.
"It's not the prettiest game in the world, but I'm still effective."
The Kings also signed free agent defenseman Jeff Schultz to a one-season
deal worth $700,000.
LA Daily News: LOADED: 07.07.2013
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Boston Bruins
Jarome Iginla: 'Thrilled they gave me another opportunity'
Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff July 6, 2013 12:52 PM
Jarome Iginla was a Bruin in theory several months ago. Today, Iginla is
officially a member of the organization.
“I’m very happy and appreciative of another opportunity to talk and see if we
could find something,” Iginla said during a conference call with GM Peter
Chiarelli. “I was thrilled when we did. I wasn’t sure how it would be received.
Peter and the organization were great. I’m thrilled they gave me another
opportunity.”
Talks began on Thursday night. Don Meehan, Iginla’s agent, called Chiarelli
to relay his client’s interest. The Bruins were still chasing Daniel Alfredsson
at the time.
When Alfredsson informed Chiarelli he would sign with Detroit, the Bruins
turned their focus solely on Iginla. They did not kick the tires on Bobby
Ryan, who was traded to Ottawa.
The sides agreed on a one-year, $6 million deal last night. Iginla’s base
salary will be $1.8 million. Iginla will make $4.2 million in performance
bonuses, most of which will be attainable.
Iginla projects to be the team’s No. 1 right wing next to Milan Lucic and
David Krejci. Iginla played mostly on the left side in Pittsburgh. Iginla said
he feels more comfortable on the right side.
Iginla will also help replace the leadership vacuum caused by the
departures of Andrew Ference, Nathan Horton, and Rich Peverley.
“We acquired a terrific player, a Hall of Fame player,” Chiarelli said. “We
lost some leadership when Andy Ference left, and Pev and Horts. I feel
Jarome will bring us terrific leadership and terrific performance. He’s a
highly motivated, elite player.”
* Chiarelli said they’re very close to extending Tuukka Rask and Patrice
Bergeron. The Bruins will use the long-term injury exception with Marc
Savard to create space for Rask. Chiarelli does not expect to make any
more major signings or trades.
* The Bruins did not pursue Anton Khudobin because they wanted a lower
cap number for their backup goalie, said Chiarelli. Khudobin signed a oneyear, $800,000 deal with Carolina. The Bruins signed Chad Johnson to a
one-year, $600,000 contract.
Boston Globe LOADED: 07.07.2013
684215
Boston Bruins
Bruins to use bonus cushion with Jarome Iginla contract
Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff July 6, 2013 11:08 AM
Jarome Iginla will have a base salary of $1.8 million. However, Iginla’s cap
hit will most likely top out at $6 million. Iginla will make $4.2 million in
performance bonuses, most of which will be attainable.
Because Iginla, 36, is working on a 35-and-older contract, the Bruins can
apply the $4.2 million in incentives toward the bonus cushion. Teams can
exceed the $64.3 million cap by 7.5 percent ($4,822,500) by using the
bonus cushion.
If a team exceeds the cushion, it must carry an overage penalty by that
number the following season.
By exercising the bonus cushion with Iginla’s 35-and-older contract, and by
using the long-term injury exception with Marc Savard, the Bruins have
enough cap space to sign Tuukka Rask.
Boston Globe LOADED: 07.07.2013
684216
Boston Bruins
arome Iginla excited to get second chance with Bruins
By Fluto Shinzawa
July 07, 2013
On Thursday night, Peter Chiarelli received an unexpected call. Don
Meehan, Jarome Iginla’s agent, was on the line. Meehan delivered some
surprising news. His client wanted to play for the Bruins.
“I raised my eyebrows,” recalled the Bruins general manager, “and I said,
‘Really?’ I was excited.”
On March 27, Iginla had said no to the Bruins, and instead was traded to
Pittsburgh.
Less than four months later, Iginla had a different idea. The Bruins were
happy to accommodate his change of mind.
On Friday night, Iginla signed a one-year deal that could total $6 million.
Iginla’s base salary will be $1.8 million, and he could earn $4.2 million in
performance bonuses, most of them attainable.
“I wasn’t sure how it would be received,” Iginla, during a Saturday news
conference with Chiarelli, said of his desire to play for the Bruins. “Peter
and the organization were great. I’m thrilled they gave me another
opportunity.”
The Bruins were recruiting Daniel Alfredsson at the time of Meehan’s call.
Once Alfredsson informed Chiarelli he preferred Detroit, the Bruins trained
their sights on Iginla.
The 36-year-old Iginla should be the first-line replacement for Nathan
Horton, who scored a seven-year, $37.1 million payday with Columbus.
Like Horton, Iginla is a gritty, right-shot right wing.
Iginla is eight years older than Horton. Iginla’s 0-to-60 time may be a tick off
Horton’s straight-line speed, and Iginla will have to develop chemistry with
Milan Lucic and David Krejci.
But Iginla’s snarl, smarts, competitiveness, and wrist shot should make him
the go-to shooter on the line. Iginla has scored 30-plus goals in 11 straight
82-game seasons. Last year, he scored 14 goals and 19 assists while
splitting time between Calgary and Pittsburgh.
“Jarome is a Hall of Fame forward,” Chiarelli said. “We coveted him from
before. Now we’re very fortunate to have him join our mix. Jarome, based
on talking to him, is highly motivated and wants to win.”
Iginla will be a go-to presence in the dressing room after being the captain
in Calgary.
“Leadership and experience is very important,” Chiarelli said. “It can help
settle things down, and help run the pulse of the team with the coach. It’s
very important when you’re building a Cup contender.”
In Pittsburgh, Iginla played left wing, and was not going to displace Pascal
Dupuis or James Neal, Pittsburgh’s top two right wings. During the Eastern
Conference finals, Iginla played mostly alongside Neal and Evgeni Malkin.
In Boston, Iginla will return to his natural position.
“I probably do feel more comfortable on the right side,” he said. “I didn’t
think there’d be that much of a difference. There is a little bit of a difference
in seeing the ice and how you’re receiving the puck.”
Iginla would have been a Bruin — Matt Bartkowski, Alexander
Khokhlachev, and a 2013 first-round pick were headed to Calgary — had
he approved the trade in March. Instead, the Penguins sent Ben Hanowski,
Kenny Agostino, and their 2013 first-rounder to the Flames.
At the time, Chiarelli fumed about losing Iginla. Chiarelli maintained,
however, that he did not think less of Iginla because of his decision. Iginla
had a no-trade clause.
“My opinion of him hasn’t changed as a person or player,” Chiarelli said. “I
know he’s a terrific player. He plays the type of game we’re looking for. He
plays a heavy game — heavy shot, heavy forecheck, a power forward-type
of game.”
At the time of the trade, the Penguins had ticked off 13 straight wins. They
already had acquired veterans Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray.
Malkin and Sidney Crosby are the NHL’s two best centers. Pittsburgh
looked to be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, a prize Iginla has never
won.
“They were on a real roll,” Iginla said. “At the time, leaving at the deadline, I
believed it was a great chance to win. We did make the final four. It was a
great experience, great organization. We would have liked to have gone
further. But we ran into the Bruins.”
Iginla’s one-year deal could be a Boston audition. He wants to continue
playing beyond 2013-14. Iginla said he still enjoys training near his summer
home in Vernon, British Columbia. Offseason workout partners include exBruins Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew.
“I still feel very good,” Iginla said. “Last year was an average year. I know
as you get older, once you have one, people start thinking how much you
have left in the tank. I still feel great. If you look over my career, I’ve had
some average years. I think I’m going to bounce back. I don’t think it was a
bad year. I think I got better.”
Because Iginla is working on a 35-and-older contract, the Bruins can apply
his $4.2 million in incentives toward the bonus cushion. Teams can exceed
the $64.3 million cap by 7.5 percent ($4,822,500) by using the bonus
cushion.
Teams are penalized and must carry an overage the following season if
they exceed the cushion. The Bruins carried a $1.13 million cap penalty in
2011-12. They exceed the 2010-11 cap by that number, mostly because of
performance bonuses due to Mark Recchi.
The Bruins are close to extending the contracts of Tuukka Rask and Patrice
Bergeron, according to Chiarelli. To accommodate Rask’s expected cap hit,
the Bruins will likely place Marc Savard on long-term injured reserve at the
start of 2013-14. The Bruins can then exceed the cap by all or part of
Savard’s $4,007,143 annual hit . . . The Bruins signed Chad Johnson to a
one-year, $600,000 contract on Friday to replace Anton Khudobin, who
signed a one-year, $800,000 deal with Carolina. Chiarelli said he wanted to
save money by signing a cheaper backup goalie.
Boston Globe LOADED: 07.07.2013
684217
Boston Bruins
Bruins are gearing up for another season
By Kevin Paul Dupont
July 07, 2013
The Bruins came within two victories of winning the Stanley Cup two weeks
ago, and now here they are, with a couple of new high-profile right wingers
and what some obviously believe is a vastly different team than the one that
was ousted by Chicago.
Truth is, it’s not all that different when you take a closer look and examine
what I like to call the spine and limbs of the team. To wit:
■ The essential three players, the spine, of the 2013-14 Bruins will be the
same: Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara, and Patrice Bergeron. When it came
time for the Blackhawks to make their push from a 2-1 deficit in the Final,
they did so first and foremost because of injuries to Chara (hip flexor) and
Bergeron, the latter of whom needed time in the hospital to recover from a
collapsed lung, which came soon after he received a pair of nerve-block
injections in his chest in order to play in Game 6.
Rask in the next few days is expected to sign a long-term contract
extension, reflecting the fact that he is now among the game’s elite goalies.
Bergeron most likely will do the same any day now, with one year remaining
on his deal. “We’re very close on both,’’ general manager Peter Chiarelli
said during a noon conference call on Saturday. Chara’s contract virtually
guarantees he will retire a Bruin, although Daniel Alfredsson’s surprise
decision Friday to leave Ottawa reminds us once again we should never
assume that players, like the NHL’s owners, view this as anything but a
business.
■ The limbs of the team, the next four players (two arms, two legs) who are
essential to the Bruins’ success next season, actually were upgraded last
week — despite the abundant fan keening and crying over the
trade/unloading of Tyler Seguin. Loui Eriksson, the key piece of Thursday’s
trade with Dallas, immediately became one of Boston’s essential limbs,
joining forwards Milan Lucic and David Krejci, and defenseman Dennis
Seidenberg. Eriksson is Boston’s first legitimate 30-40—70 winger since
Glen Murray, more durable and a greater scoring threat than the departed
Nathan Horton (Blue Jackets property for the next seven seasons).
For the record, Horton has had one 30-goal season (with Florida in 200607) and his top production in three seasons with Boston was 53 points. Few
likely will agree, but I never viewed Horton, despite his being slotted as the
No. 1 right winger, as one of the club’s seven essential players. He was far
too inconsistent and perennially delivered less than his talent package and
frame (6 feet 2 inches, 229 pounds) promised. Eriksson easily should equal
Horton’s point production, likely surpass it, whether he’s receiving passes
from Krejci or Bergeron. In fact, it could be that his skill set makes either
Krejci or Bergeron more productive.
Jarome Iginla, signed on Friday, turned 36 last week, and only has to be
here what he was for the Penguins once he joined them at the trade
deadline this past season. Flipped to his off wing (left), he went 9-14—23 in
28 games (regular season and playoffs). No question, Iginla will be an
essential part of Boston’s success in 2013-14. If not for his age, he would
be considered one of the four limbs. But his age, in part, is why he was still
left on the shelf Friday afternoon, with Boston’s base salary of $1.8 million
($100,000 above Gregory Campbell) his best offer. By the way, had
Eriksson hit the open market, he likely would have seen bids as high as $7
million a year (vs. his cap number of $4.25 million).
So, all in all, last week’s moves by Chiarelli and Co. did nothing but improve
the club’s body of 7-8 players. Rich Peverley, shipped to Dallas in the
Seguin deal, was never part of that body. He was an overpaid role player.
Seguin, despite his speed, flash, and promise, also was never part of it. He
coulda, shoulda, mighta been, but he was not. Not yet. I am not going to
join the lengthening line of character assassins who now portray him as a
party boy gone wild, because, well, I didn’t do that when he was here.
Granted, there was plenty of innuendo, and it only takes limited digging on
the Internet to find abundant pictures of Seguin living out the after-hour
fantasies of most 19-, 20-, and even a few 50- and 60-year-olds. He is a
kid. Teammates found his act frustrating. Same for coaches and the front
office.
Better and fairer, in my opinion, to stick with what really damned Seguin —
his overall game and paycheck. For all his flash and dash, he too often
didn’t get the job done. He often looked skittish, if not downright afraid,
when in possession of the puck. When first in the zone, rather than hold the
puck and wait for teammates to present options, he would opt time and
again to dash wide along the boards or head behind the net. We saw very
little stop and start, little inclination or ability to find the open man, endure a
hit, carry the puck strong-man style to the net. In short, he did not want to
own the puck, the trait that often separates the greats from the wannabes.
To be a great scorer, or at least a consistent offensive threat, forwards have
to win on muscle or on skill. Seguin does not have the size or mind-set to
win on muscle. However, he has the skill, similar to Phil Kessel in his time
here before he forced his trade to Toronto. Kessel, who remains somewhat
skittish with the puck, has gone on to accept his life as a winger instead of a
center — something I believe Seguin also will have to accept. Kessel was
turning into more of an offensive force than Seguin by his third season (last
in Boston), and since punching his ticket out of here he has gone on to
augment and improvise his game on a team that finally made it to the
playoffs.
Seguin can be as effective as Kessel. Had he not been promised some $35
million over the next six seasons, and had he lit the lamp more often than
he lit both ends of the candle, he would still be here. In fact, had he scored
6-8 times instead of only once during the playoffs this year, he might still be
here. And, had he done that, the Bruins and not the Blackhawks might have
been dancing around with the Cup.
NEVER SAY NEVER
Chiarelli got man after all
Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli was told by Calgary at the trade deadline that he
won the Jarome Iginla sweepstakes, only to learn hours later that Iginla
forced Flames GM Jay Feaster’s hand to choose a deal to Pittsburgh
instead of Boston.
So, when Iginla’s agent called Friday, suggesting the Bruins sign Iginla as a
free agent, Chiarelli would have been well within his right to remind Don
Meehan how badly the deal for Iginla was bollixed months earlier.
Not Chiarelli’s style.
“No, I raised my eyebrows and said, ‘Really?’ ’’ Chiarelli said Saturday
when I asked his reaction.
Very much a departure from Bruins’ old-world management. Had Meehan
and Iginla played it that way under Harry Sinden’s rule on Causeway Street,
“Give ’em Hell Harry’’ likely would not have accepted Meehan’s call, or
picked up the phone purely for the delight of telling him to go sell bags of
ice in Antarctica.
ETC.
Seguin’s mom voices opinion
The Toronto Star on Friday published a story that had Jackie Seguin,
Tyler’s mom, defending her son as an upright citizen during his time with
the Bruins. “Boston is now trying to justify why they’re getting rid of Tyler,’’
she told reporter Curtis Rush. “Obviously, they don’t want a fan backlash
against [Bruins GM Peter] Chiarelli.”
Jackie Seguin added that her son is a “professional in capital letters,’’ and
believes he will thrive when put back at his natural center position in Dallas.
Moms, always an uncomfortable fit in sports, especially when their sons
have a few years in the league to make their way. I recall a particularly
seething, searing letter I received from Joe Thornton’s mother in the spring
of ’98, following his first year with the Bruins.
Jumbo (the nickname I gave him) went 3-4—7 in his rookie year, then 0-0—
0 in six playoff games that spring. Her letter took me to task, and wished me
a good amount of ill will, because I noted in a story about Joe that the
league’s new fortunes guaranteed NHL rookies would not have to head
home to scoop ice cream during the summer (yes, there was a time
athletes had to prepare for alternative careers).
I pocketed the letter and contacted Thornton’s agent, Mike Barnett, to
discuss the story, noting to him how ridiculous everyone would look if the
letter saw print. Weeks later, at the start of training camp, I discussed it with
Thornton, who, in his carefree teenage way, laughed it all off and said
everything was fine. Just a mom thing, he said.
“At the end of the day,’’ Jackie Seguin told the Star, “I’m just the mom. I just
want Tyler to be happy.’’
To this day, and I expect forever more, I think of Thornton, his mother, and
that letter every time I step up to a counter to order ice cream. In deference
to age, diet, and that letter, I always ask for a children’s portion.
Loose pucks
Nathan Horton, hired in essence to replace Rick Nash in Columbus,
received a whopping seven-year deal that will pay him just over $37 million
($5.3 million cap hit). He set the market for another free agent right winger,
ex-Devil David Clarkson, who signed essentially the same deal in Toronto.
Huge paydays for a couple of guys who’ve never really delivered the
numbers of true power forwards . . . Nice deal and fit in Edmonton for exBruins defenseman Andrew Ference, who was among Boston’s top handful
of performers throughout the playoffs. I figured he would bring offers in the
three-year/$9 million range, given his role, age, and injury history. The
Oilers stepped up with four years for $13 million . . . The Devils responded
to the loss of Clarkson by signing ex-Shark/Ranger Ryane Clowe (five
years/$24.25 million) and former Bruin Michael Ryder (lately of Dallas and
Montreal) for two years/$7 million. Clowe is tough but a bit slow afoot, and
had his brief Rangers tour cut short by concussion. Ryder likely will be as
inconsistent as ever, but he has a way of paying attention come playoff
time. Now 33, he’ll probably sign two-year, $7 million deals three or four
more times over the next decade . . . One of the few good (if not best) deals
Friday: Rob Scuderi leaving Los Angeles to head back to Pittsburgh for four
years/$13.5 million. He provides precisely the back-end presence the
Penguins lacked vs. Boston in the Eastern Conference finals . . . If you want
to catch some of the Bruins’ best and brightest kids, head to Wilmington this
week (Wednesday through Sunday) to take in development camp. Best to
arrive by 10:30 a.m. for the first workout session at Ristuccia. Admission is
free.
Boston Globe LOADED: 07.07.2013
684218
Boston Bruins
Agent says 3 teams interested in 41-year-old Jagr
Saturday, July 6, 2013 -- The Associated Press
Jaromir Jagr wants to extend his NHL career, and his agent said some
teams are "very interested" in his 41-year-old client.
Jagr might have to wait a while, and the league's active scoring leader
might not be the only free agent without a new job this weekend.
"He definitely still wants to play and there is some interest in him," Jagr's
agent, Petr Svoboda, told The Associated Press on Saturday afternoon. "I
think it's going to take some time, but you never know for sure because
there are three teams that are very interested."
Svoboda declined to say which teams wanted to sign Jagr.
J.P. Barry, who represents two of the top free agents available, Daniel
Cleary and Mason Raymond, also expected a relatively slower pace of
moves around the league.
"We've touched based with several teams and many of them are being
patient at this point," Barry said Saturday. "We've got options for (Cleary
and Raymond), but we're in a holding pattern with each of them because I
think everyone is taking a breath this weekend.
"I've been through about 15 of these, and there is always a frenzy of moves
then a pause to reassess and then a second wave. It's tough to predict
when that second wave will happen, so we're always on call when teams
are ready."
Day 1 of the free agency flurry included dozens of deals, including Jarome
Iginla signing a one-year deal worth as much as $6 million with Boston,
which almost acquired the six-time All-Star last season when Pittsburgh did
from Calgary. Nathan Horton cashed in on his second strong postseason
performance for the Bruins with a $37.1 million, seven-year contract in
Columbus.
Daniel Alfredsson made perhaps the most surprising move. The 40-year-old
forward is taking what might be his last shot at winning a Stanley Cup with
the Detroit Red Wings, jilting the Ottawa Senators after being the face of
the franchise.
The Senators tried to bounce back by making a bold trade for Anaheim
forward Bobby Ryan in exchange for a pair of promising players and a firstround draft pick.
On Saturday, the second day NHL teams could sign free agents, the
pickings were slim after top-tier players were taken off the market by teams
that agreed to and signed deals following two days of talks.
Among the relatively notable names available Saturday afternoon: Jagr,
Cleary, Mason, Mikhail Grabovski, Ilya Bryzgalov, Tim Thomas, Damien
Brunner, Mason Raymond, Toni Lydman, Derek Roy, Brad Boyes and
Brenden Morrow.
Technically, Teemu Selanne is an unrestricted free agent, too.
No one, though, expects the 43-year-old Finnish Flash to leave the
Anaheim Ducks if he chooses to keep playing in North America. Ducks
general manager Bob Murray plans to contact Selanne next week to find
out if he is close to making a decision on returning or retiring.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray, though, was among the many
shocked when Alfredsson said he was ready to leave the only franchise he
has played for in his 17-season NHL career.
"He indicated winning a Stanley Cup was an opportunity he couldn't pass
up," Murray recalled. "He told me the two teams he was talking to. He told
me he thought they were in a position ahead of us to make that happen."
While Alfredsson could've stayed in Ottawa to make more than the $5.5
million he'll be paid next season by the Red Wings to chase a Cup, Horton
is leaving a championship-contending team to be well-compensated by a
franchise in Columbus without a postseason win in its 12 seasons of
existence.
"This is a team on the rise with great players and I'm looking forward to
being a part of it," Horton said.
Jagr, a five-time scoring champion and former NHL MVP, was able to
continue his career in the league during the shortened season when the
Dallas Stars gave him a $4.55 million, one-year contract last summer.
After Jagr had 14 goals and 26 points in 34 games for the Stars, showing
he could still produce in his 40s, Dallas dealt him to the Bruins. He had nine
points in 11 regular season games in Boston and 10 assists in 22
postseason games in which he didn't score, but made key plays that didn't
show up on the scoresheet. Jagr teamed with Mario Lemieux to help lead
the Penguins win a pair of Stanley Cup championships as a teenager in his
first two NHL seasons in 1991 and 1992, and was the league's MVP in
1999.
AP Sports Writers John Wawrow in Buffalo, N.Y., Dan Gelston in
Philadelphia and Rusty Miller in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.
Boston Herald LOADED: 07.07.2013
684219
Boston Bruins
Iginla expects big year as Bruin
Saturday, July 6, 2013 -- Stephen Harris
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said he got a call Thursday from
Jarome Iginla's agent, Don Meehan, informing him the free agent would like
to discuss the possibility of signing with the B's.
"I had some raised eyebrows and said, 'Really?'" said Chiarelli. "I was
excited."
Iginla, of course, is the newest Bruin -- having signed a one-year contract
worth up to $6 million Friday on Day 1 of NHL free agency. He and Chiarelli
discussed the deal in a conference call with the press early this afternoon.
If Chiarelli was surprised that Iginla -- who spurned the Bruins' attempt to
acquire him late this season, opting to go instead to Pittsburgh -- would
have interest in coming to Boston, Iginla wasn't sure he'd be given a second
opportunity to join the team.
"I wasn't sure if there was going to be an opportunity," said Iginla. "I wasn't
sure how Peter felt, or how the organization felt."
But Chiarelli was delighted to add Iginla -- especially after talks with
Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson failed. Iginla, who'll skate on either the David
Krejci or Patrice Bergeron line, negotiated a cap-friendly contract, which will
involve only a $1.8 million salary cap hit next season, with the remaining
$4.2 million as performance bonuses.
Teams can give up to $4.8 million of such bonuses before they start to
count against the following year's cap. Chiarelli said he's already spoken to
Iginla about staying with the team past next season.
"Jarome is Hall of Fame forward," said Chiarelli. "He's a player that we've
coveted from before and now we're very fortunate to have join our mix.
Based on talking to him, Jarome is highly motivated and wants to win.
That's kind of our M.O. also."
Iginla, who had 5-6--11 in 13 games after joining the Penguins, was good in
the playoffs (4-8--12 in 11 games) before going scoreless as the Bruins
swept the Pens in the conference final.
The 36-year-old right winger, who has 530-576--1,108 career totals, said he
is excited to have a full off-season and pre-season to settle himself and his
family with his new team.
"I still feel very good," he said. "I had last year an average year (14-19--33
in 44 games). I think I'm going to bounce back. I expect to play well. I
expect to produce for the Bruins, help contribute to a great regular season
and then be a contending (playoff) team."
Chiarelli also said that a new deal is close for RFA goalie Tuukka Rask, and
also on a longterm extension for center Patrice Bergeron.
Boston Herald LOADED: 07.07.2013
684220
Boston Bruins
Jarome Iginla ‘thrilled’ by B’s deal
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Stephen Harris
On Thursday, the day before the opening of the NHL free agent market,
Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli was hard at work trying to sell
Ottawa Senators free agent Daniel Alfredsson on signing with the Bruins.
The B’s were facing a rather dramatic dearth of right wingers, with Tyler
Seguin gone in a trade to the Dallas Stars, Nathan Horton committed to
leaving via free agency and Jaromir Jagr unlikely to be brought back.
Chiarelli’s prime focus was Alfredsson, still a highly desirable player at age
40.
And then Chiarelli, out of the blue, received a most unexpected phone call
from a veteran player agent.
“Don Meehan called and it raised my eyebrows,” Chiarelli said. “I said,
‘Really?’ And I was excited.”
Meehan was calling with some surprising news: Client Jarome Iginla, an
unrestricted free agent, was interested in signing with the Bruins.
If Chiarelli was surprised that Iginla, who spurned the B’s attempt to acquire
him late in the regular season, opting instead to allow the Calgary Flames
to send him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, would have interest in signing, the
right winger wasn’t sure he’d be given a second opportunity to join the
team.
“I wasn’t sure if there was going to be an opportunity. I wasn’t sure how
Peter felt or the Bruins felt about possibly having me,” Iginla said on a
conference call with local media yesterday that also involved Chiarelli. “I did
ask my agent to explore it. I wasn’t sure how that would be received, (but)
Peter and the organization were great. And I’m thrilled that they gave me
another opportunity.”
As things turned out, there was interest on both sides. And when Alfredsson
broke hearts in Ottawa by jumping from the Senators to the Detroit Red
Wings, Iginla became the newest Bruin, signing a one-year contract worth
up to $6 million.
Iginla, who, along with newly acquired Loui Eriksson, will fill an opening on
either the David Krejci or Patrice Bergeron line, which should give the B’s
two strong scoring lines. Chiarelli said he’s already mentioned his interest in
keeping Iginla beyond next season.
The 36-year-old negotiated a contract for 2013-14 that will entail only a $1.8
million salary cap hit for the Bruins, with the remaining $4.2 million available
as easily attainable performance bonuses. Unlike most NHLers, guys over
35 are eligible for such bonuses.
Teams can hand out up to $4.8 million of performance bonuses (which is
7.5 percent of the salary cap, which has been set at $64.3 million for next
season). Any overage would have to be subtracted from the following year’s
cap number.
“Jarome worked hard to get us into a deal that was friendly for us and would
get him properly paid, too,” Chiarelli said. “It’s actually a very good gesture
by Jarome, similar to the one Mark Recchi made two years in a row, that is
a cap-friendly deal.”
The Bruins did not have much free cap space, especially since restricted
free agent goalie Tuukka Rask will likely command a deal worth $6 million$7 million per year (Chiarelli said a new deal for Rask and a multi-year
extension for Bergeron are nearly finalized). But the terms of Iginla’s pact
makes it just about doable.
Despite being jilted by Iginla at the trade deadline, Chiarelli remained a big
fan of the longtime Calgary star.
“I don’t want to go through the events from the trade deadline,” Chiarelli
said, “but I can tell you this: My opinion on him as a person and a player
has not changed since then. We tried to get him then and we’re very happy
to have him now. He’s a highly motivated, elite player and we look forward
to him helping us win the (Stanley) Cup again. We lost a few guys who’ve
been part of Cup teams and (who) have experience, so just looking at
Jarome’s career, he’s got obviously tremendous experience of success and
he’s, in my mind, an elite, offensive player who’s a warrior. Any time you
can get someone like that, you go after it. His style of play fits in with our
team.
“Jarome is a Hall of Fame forward. He’s a player that we’ve coveted from
before and now we’re very fortunate to have join our mix. Based on talking
to him, Jarome is highly motivated and wants to win. That’s kind of our M.O.
also.”
Iginla was good for two playoff rounds (four goals, eight assists in 11
games) before going scoreless as the Bruins swept the Penguins in the
conference finals.
The Edmonton native — whose full name, Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle
Tig Junior Elvis Iginla, is a mouthful — has 530-576-1,106 career totals. He
attempted to explain his decision not to OK the late-March trade to the B’s.
Simply: He thought he had a better chance of winning his first Stanley Cup
with the Penguins.
“At the time, Pittsburgh was really — they were rolling,” Iginla said. “They
are two great organizations and (the Penguins) were just on a real roll. At
the time, leaving at the deadline, I believed it was a great chance to win.
We did make the final four. It was a great experience, a great organization.
We would have liked to go further, (but) ran into the Bruins.”
If Iginla had doubts back in March about the B’s, they’re gone now.
“They’re a team that year in, year out is extremely competitive,” he said.
“They are very hard to play against. They play a physical, aggressive style.
I like that. I’m thrilled to get the chance to join them and another opportunity
to be a part of it. I’m happy it was able to work out.
“I didn’t know if the opportunity would still be there, but when I saw the
moves and stuff, I thought why not try and just see if it’s a possibility? And I
was very happy and appreciative of another opportunity to first of all talk
and see if we can find something. And I’m thrilled that we did.”
Boston Herald LOADED: 07.07.2013
684221
Buffalo Sabres
Blue line updates: Sulzer signs again, Pardy heads to Peg
July 6, 2013 - 4:00 PM
By Mike Harrington
The Sabres have brought back a familiar face to their defense corps today,
re-signing Alexander Sulzer to a one-year contract with terms not disclosed
(Sulzer made $725,000 last season). The team has also confirmed the twoyear, two-way deal with Drew Bagnall that we reported late Friday night.
Sulzer, 29, was acquired from Vancouver at the trade deadline in 2012 for
Marc-Andre Gragnani and acquitted himself as a solid third-pair blueliner.
Expected to contribute last year when the lockout finally ended, he played
just 17 games before suffering a knee injury on a hit against the boards in
the Feb. 23 loss to the New York Islanders -- Ron Rolston's first game as
coach in First Niagara Center -- and did not play the rest of the season. He
eventually had surgery on the knee.
Sulzer had three goals for the Sabres each of the last two years. He did not
score in 23 combined games with Florida, Nashville and Vancouver earlier
in his career.
GM Darcy Regier said at this week's free agency preview press conference
that he would not offer a contract to Sulzer or fellow UFA Adam Pardy prior
to Friday. But any team, like the Sabres learned the hard way in 2006,
needs depth at defense and in the minor leagues.
(Afternoon update: Pardy has signed a one-year, $600,000 deal with the
Winnipeg Jets)
So the Sabres now have nine defensemen with NHL experience -- Christian
Erhoff, Tyler Myers, Mike Weber, Mark Pysyk, Jamie McBain, Chad
Ruhwedel, Brayden McNabb, Sulzer and Bagnall. Of course, the
experience of Ruhwedel (seven games with the Sabres) and Bagnall (two
games with Minnesota) is limited. And No. 1 draft pick Rasmus Ristolainen
is expected to be given an opportunity to make the NHL roster in training
camp as well.
Buffalo News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684222
Buffalo Sabres
Rochester Amerks lose three key players to free agency
Jul. 5, 2013 10:15 PM
Kevin Oklobzija
And just like that, in Day 1 of free agency, the Rochester Americans have
lost two stalwarts from their forward lines, as well as a top-four
defenseman.
Not that the departure of right winger Mark Mancari, left winger Nick
Tarnasky or defenseman Alex Biega is surprising. The parent Buffalo
Sabres weren’t too keen on re-signing any of them.
But other teams were anxious to scoop them up as free agency began.
Mancari, the Amerks’ leading scorer, signed a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL
contract with the St. Louis Blues.
Biega signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks,
whose AHL affiliate is in Utica.
Tarnasky, second on the team in goals and the leader in penalty minutes,
has agreed to terms but may not be finalized until Saturday. The three were
unrestricted free agents.
The Sabres did sign six-year veteran defenseman Drew Bagnall for the
Amerks. He was captain of the AHL’s Houston Aeros last season and
Minnesota Wild assistant GM Jim Mill said, “He’s one of the best
warrior/team guys you ever want to have on your club.”
Biega, 25, has been under the Sabres’ umbrella since he was drafted on
the fifth round in 2006. He played three seasons for them in the American
Hockey League (the first in Portland, the past two with the Amerks).
“They’re the team that drafted me, that helped me and I have some life-long
friendships that developed in that organization,” Biega said.
“But it comes down to, do you want to achieve your childhood dream of
playing in the NHL? That’s really just the practical and realistic view.”
For Mancari, who turns 28 on Thursday, it’s a new opportunity with a
different NHL organization. At the same time, it also brings him back to a
familiar AHL home: the Chicago Wolves.
The Blues are the new parent team for the Wolves, and Mancari played
with Chicago’s AHL franchise in 2011-12 when under contract to the
Vancouver Canucks.
“I really looked hard at what they’ve done and they’ve always given guys in
their system opportunity,” Mancari said of the Blues.
He used Adam Cracknell as an example. The seventh-year veteran winger
played 20 NHL games on recall from Peoria and was rewarded with a oneway contract for the upcoming season.
Mancari, a veteran of eight pro seasons, led the Amerks in goals (22),
assists (39) and points (61). He was also the only player to skate in all 76
games. He receives a $50,000 raise in AHL salary (to $300,000) as well as
NHL (to $600,000).
Biega receives a hefty raise (from $60,000 AHL to a guarantee of $125,000,
and $577,500 to $600,000 NHL).
“I wasn’t expecting anything to happen until maybe the 7th or 8th and the
bigwigs were out of the way,” Biega said.
“The only way to describe it was fast and quick. I probably made 10 to 15
phone calls in a 30-minute window with my agent and it was done.”
Tarnasky, 28, had his best season as a pro in terms of production, scoring
16 goals. He was tied with Brian Flynn for second on the Amerks.
More importantly, however, Tarnasky provided toughness — he led the
team in penalty minutes with 138. His willingness to drop the gloves and
inflict punishment served as a deterrent to opponents and enabled others
on the team to simply play.
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Buffalo Sabres
Sulzer stays with the Sabres, Pardy leaves
By Mike Harrington
on July 6, 2013 - 11:43 PM
The Buffalo Sabres’ two unrestricted free agents on defense made their
decisions Saturday as Alexander Sulzer opted to re-sign with the team
while Adam Pardy moved on to play for the Winnipeg Jets. Both signed
one-year deals.
The Sabres also confirmed the two-year, two-way deal with Drew Bagnall
that was reported late Friday night. Bagnall, who was the captain of
Minnesota’s Houston affiliate in the AHL, is expected to serve as depth for
the Rochester Amerks.
Sulzer, 29, was acquired from Vancouver at the trade deadline in 2012 for
Marc-Andre Gragnani and has acquitted himself as a solid third-pair
blueliner. He thrived last season with more minutes while playing with fellow
German Christian Ehrhoff.
Expected to contribute on a nightly basis last year when the lockout finally
ended, Sulzer played just 17 games before suffering a knee injury on a hit
against the boards in the Feb. 23 loss to the New York Islanders – Ron
Rolston’s first game as coach in First Niagara Center. Sulzer did not play
the rest of the season and eventually had surgery on the knee.
Sulzer had three goals for the Sabres each of the last two years. He scored
one total goal in 74 combined games with Florida, Nashville and Vancouver
earlier in his career.
Sulzer will make $725,000, the same as he made last season.
Pardy, acquired from Dallas with Steve Ott last summer for Derek Roy, got
$600,000 from the Jets.
Pardy split last year between Buffalo and Rochester after spending most of
the previous four years in the NHL with Calgary and Dallas, and he had to
take a big cut in pay from his $2 million salary. Pardy had four assists in 17
games for the Sabres, and two goals, seven assists in 19 games for
Rochester.
The Sabres currently have nine defensemen with NHL experience –
Ehrhoff, Sulzer, Tyler Myers, Mike Weber, Mark Pysyk, Jamie McBain,
Chad Ruhwedel, Brayden McNabb and Bagnall. Of course, the experience
of Ruhwedel (seven games with the Sabres) and Bagnall (two games with
Minnesota) is limited.
No. 1 draft pick Rasmus Ristolainen is expected to be given an opportunity
to make the NHL roster in training camp as well.
The second day of the league’s free agent period was virtually silent, with
names like Jaromir Jagr, Tim Thomas, Ilya Bryzgalov, Mikhail Grabovski,
Brendan Morrow, Dustin Penner, Dan Cleary and Brad Boyes among those
still available.
The biggest signing was the one-year, $4 million deal ex-Sabre Derek Roy
inked with St. Louis, which will be his third team since the Sabres traded
him last summer.
Roy went to Dallas for Pardy and Ott and then was traded to Vancouver at
the deadline.
Winger Mark Mancari, who has been in the Sabres’ chain seven of the last
eight years in either Buffalo, Rochester or Portland, will be joining Roy in St.
Louis. Mancari signed a one-year deal for $600,000 in the NHL or $300,000
in the AHL.
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684224
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres re-sign Alexander Sulzer
Jul. 6, 2013 7:06 PM
Associated Press
BUFFALO — The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Alexander
Sulzer to a one-year contract.
The 29-year-old German had three goals and one assist in 17 games with
Buffalo before suffering a knee injury Feb. 23. He has seven goals and 20
points in 106 career NHL games for Buffalo, Vancouver, Florida and
Nashville.
Buffalo acquired the 6-foot-1 Sulzer at the 2012 trade deadline, when they
shipped right wing Zack Kassian and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani to
the Canucks for center Cody Hodgson and Sulzer.
The Sabres also signed defenseman Drew Bagnall to a two-way contract.
He appeared in two games for Minnesota during the 2010-11 season.
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684225
Feaster’s shown in the first couple days of what can be a frantic free-agent
frenzy is the correct wait-and-see approach needed for a team that’s
essentially starting from scratch.
Calgary Flames
Steady as she goes as Calgary Flames enter dark before the dawn
1
Most important, though, will be the club’s reaction during the upcoming dark
days.
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:47 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 10:54 PM MDT
Unless they surprise everybody outside their own dressing room, the
Flames are destined to have ugly times over the next year or two or three,
akin to what the Edmonton Oilers experienced en route to picking first
overall after three consecutive seasons.
Just because it’s Stampede Week doesn’t mean hockey season is
forgotten.
It’s during those days when fans are apt to get frustrated about paying big
bucks to watch a struggling team, owners tend to panic with the fear their
fan base will turn its back and teams make moves to try winning a few more
games.
By RANDY SPORTAK
,Calgary Sun
For the Calgary Flames, all the ropin’, ridin’ and yahooing around the city
doesn’t provide an escape from the pot-shots coming from all corners of the
hockey world.
Just look at the response by Denver Post and si.com writer Adrian Dater
Saturday afternoon when a Twitter follower brought up the Flames current
roster. “Flames are my early pick to finish 30th” Dater responded.
By no means is he alone in that sentiment.
Expect to hear that sentiment from all sides -— be it fans, media and
oddsmakers — and expect it to ring out louder and louder as summer
moves along and we head into the 2013-14 NHL season.
Frankly, when you look at the current makeup of the Flames — with too
little on the depth chart at centre, all kinds of unproven youngsters, too few
top-flight players and question marks everywhere — they’re an easy target.
It’s going to be tough to take, but the Flames and their faithful had better get
used to it over the next several months, if not handful of years. You bet the
mocking will come over the fact the top two centres right now appear to be
Mikael Backlund and long-time whipping boy Matt Stajan — even if both
had something of bounce-back seasons in the lockout-shortened ’12-13
campaign.
The big hope would be that ’13 first-round draft Sean Monahan steps into a
spot on the top two lines immediately and exceeds all expectations — and,
by that, we mean a campaign that makes him Calder Trophy-worthy with a
whack of points.
Rest assured, fans and pundits everywhere will want to make fun of the
Flames for the fact they have all kinds of wingers who would be perfect for
third-line duty and too few that would be among the top-six of a legitimate
Stanley Cup contender.
Bank on the defence corps having a bulls-eye, too, with Dennis Wideman’s
big contract doled out last summer a favourite sticking point, Mark Giordano
logging too many minutes and too few people realizing how many steps
unheralded youngster TJ Brodie has taken.
Between the pipes, unless Miikka Kiprusoff surprises darn near everybody
and announces his return, the netminding corps will consist of Karri Ramo,
who struggled early in his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning but hopes
for better after a four-year stint in the KHL, and Joey MacDonald, the former
Detroit Red Wings backup claimed off waivers, while 26-year-old Swiss
league netminder Reto Berra waits in the wings.
More importantly, the test for the Flames will be how much restraint they
practise amidst the slings and arrows and with losses likely adding up.
Patience will be the key for the Flames and their faithful, and everyone
involved over the next few years will need to show more of it than a
kindergarten teacher trying to herd the youngsters and quiet them down for
nap-time.
Step 1 is GM Jay Feaster and the rest of the braintrust wisely continuing to
avoid any ridiculous bidding wars for free agents who would simply be stopgap additions to prevent a true rebuild.
Sure, the Flames could have grossly over-paid for the services of a bigname player or two, but that really wouldn’t help the club in its long-term
need to build a Stanley Cup contender. We’re talking about a team likely to
finish in a spot that means great odds of winning the draft lottery next
spring. A few more wins aren’t worth it if you’re not in the playoffs and a
serious contender for the championship.
The Flames may still make a move to bring in a free agent or acquire a
player, especially if they want to add a centre on the top two lines. But what
That’s the true test of a franchise’s dedication to a rebuild.
Done right, the short-term pain — and feeling like being a punching bag —
will be worth it in the end.
Just be ready to take all those body blows. Even during Stampede Week.
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Calgary Flames
Six centres the Calgary Flames could chase
By RANDY SPORTAK
,Calgary Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 06:14 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 06:23 PM MDT
Marcus Kruger, Chicago Blackhawks
2012-13: 47GP 4G 9A 13Pts
The Stanley Cup champs are in a bit of a pickle against the salary cap.
They’ve alleviated some pressure by trading away Dave Bolland and
Michael Frolik, but if they believe Andrew Shaw and Michal Handzus are
their second- and third-line centres, they may be willing to part with the
restricted free agent Kruger, 23.
Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche
2012-13: 40GP 9G 15A 24Pts
The Avalanche have Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and first overall pick
Nathan MacKinnon to play centre. Stastny, 27, is in the final year of a
contract with a US$6.6-million cap hit, which would be a lot of money to
play in a limited role. He’s young enough to be a key player going forward.
Peter Mueller, UFA
2012-13: 43GP 8G 9A 17Pts
After one season with the Florida Panthers, the 25-year-old, who was the
eighth overall pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2006 is looking for a deal.
Mueller appears to have put those horrible concussion woes behind him,
but a one- or two-year deal may be perfect for both the Flames and a player
who is working to reach his potential.
David Perron, St. Louis Blues
2012-13: 48GP 10G 15A 25Pts
The Blues are another team with salary-cap considerations to make, still
with a couple of big-ticket players to sign in defenceman Alex Pietrangelo
and forward Chris Stewart. It’s unlikely they’d deal away Perron, who has
three more years on a contract with a $3.812-million cap hit, but the 25year-old could be worth chasing if the price is right.
Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers
2012-13: 46GP 4G 11A 15Pts
Speaking of teams up against the salary cap, the Flyers once again are
trying to juggle the payroll. Couturier has one more season on his entrylevel deal, but he may be available if the Flyers don’t move a high-paid
defenceman. He’ll likely cost a first-round pick — which could be No. 1
overall for the Flames next summer — but could be worth it if they believe
he’s a franchise player.
Damien Brunner, UFA
2012-13: 44GP 12G 14A 26Pts
Whether Brunner is a true centre isn’t really proven. Nor is it 100% he can
be an impact player in the NHL. Brunner, 27, spent last season with the
Detroit Red Wings after several years starring in Switzerland, but they’ve
looked elsewhere instead of meeting his salary demands. With the Flames,
he would be a countryman for Sven Baertschi.
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684227
“I expect to play well and I expect to produce and be good for the Bruins
and help contribute to a great regular season and be a contending team.
Calgary Flames
Bruins GM welcomes former Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla
By RANDY SPORTAK
,Calgary Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 03:39 PM MDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 05:27 PM MDT
Peter Chiarelli’s reaction speaks for all of the hockey world.
When Don Meehan, representative for free-agent right-winger Jarome
Iginla, contacted Chiarelli to gauge his interest about his client, the Boston
Bruins GM had to snap out of an original shock.
“I raised my eyebrows and said, ‘Really,’ ” Chiarelli relayed during a
conference call Saturday morning. “I was excited.”
So began the somewhat surprising but almost poetic marriage between
Iginla, the long-time Calgary Flames captain, and the Bruins, the club he
spurned a few months ago when he accepted a trade to the Pittsburgh
Penguins amidst rampant rumours he’d been dealt to the Bruins.
You bet Iginla wasn’t sure the Bruins would welcome him with open arms,
but they did when their chase for Daniel Alfredsson proved fruitless — he
signed with the Detroit Red Wings.
“I didn’t know if the opportunity was still there,” Iginla admitted Saturday
from his off-season home in Vernon, B.C. “I’m very happy and appreciative
of another opportunity to talk and see if we could find something.
“I was thrilled when we did. I wasn’t sure how it would be received. Peter
and the organization were great. I’m thrilled they gave me another
opportunity.”
Iginla inked a one-year contract with the Bruins late on the first day of freeagency, a deal with a US$6-million salary cap hit — $1.8 million in salary.
It’s obvious bygones are bygones.
“Those things happen, they just don’t become as public as they did,”
Chiarelli said of being jilted by Iginla in late March. “You don’t harbour any ill
feelings, and I told Jarome that (Friday) night.”
Iginla and the Penguins lost to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference final of
the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Iginla said he made no push to return to the rebuilding Flames and didn’t
believe the Calgary club approached his camp.
Nor was a return to the Pens — who used him as a left winger because of
their depth at right wing — in the cards.
“I could see Pittsburgh is pretty tight up against the cap,” he said. I didn’t
ask my agent the last few days to call and see if we could do an incentivebased deal. I have a lot of respect for the organization — it was an amazing
experience — but I didn’t think I was going back ... once you see their
signings and what they did.”
Instead, he’s all about looking to the future, with better preparations of
joining a new team.
“I think things were going well until the last series, but it will be a little bit
easier of a transition,” he said. “I felt like I’ve been through changes before.
Spending that many years in Calgary and never leaving, it was different. My
family was home, they came a few times, but it’s something you have to go
through. People can tell you what it’s like, but you’ve got to go through it. I
think it will be easier to deal with because of training camp but also because
of going through it once before.”
What remains to be seen is whether Iginla still can contribute as expected,
although it will help being on a team which has Patrice Bergeron and David
Krejci as its top centres and Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand on the left
wings.
“I still feel very good. I think last year was an average year, and I know as
you get older and have one, people start thinking, ‘Oh how much is left in
the tank?’ but I still feel great,” Iginla said. “If you look over my career, I’ve
had some average years, and I think I’m going to bounce back. I don’t think
it was a bad year, but think I got better (as it went on).
“I’m having as much fun as ever. It was tough in Calgary near the end
knowing the possibility I could be leaving and the unknown, and also we
weren’t reaching the goals we had set as far as being a playoff team and
having a chance to win.
“I experienced a lot last year.”
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Chicago Blackhawks
Coach Q brings the Stanley Cup to Wrigley
By Fred Mitchell, Tribune reporter
5:53 PM CDT, July 6, 2013
Joel Quenneville continues to enjoy the spoils of victory.
The Chicago Blackhawks coach hoisted the Stanley Cup on Saturday
before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field as the crowd
roared. Cubs manager Dale Sveum was on the receiving end of
Quenneville's toss.
Completing the Blackhawks theme, renowned national anthem singer Jim
Cornelison led the crowd in "Take Me Out To The Ballgame."
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684229
Chicago Blackhawks
McDonough the Hawks' biggest long-shot story
McDonough's resume. Stern wanted an energetic young executive to help
sell tickets and, buoyed by Swirsky's recommendation, hired McDonough.
In 1981, the Sting won their first championship and once drew 39,600 to old
Comiskey Park. Working for the bombastic Stern prepared McDonough for
the city's sports culture in which he immersed himself.
"By the time I went to the Cubs I was fully broken in,'' McDonough said.
David Haugh's In the Wake of the News
3:22 PM CDT, July 6, 2013
During a commercial break in the middle of Chicago's only nightly sportstalk show on WCFL-AM 1000 in November 1979, host Chuck Swirsky took
a personal phone call.
"The guy says, 'I don't know if you recognize the voice,' " Swirsky said. "Of
course, I did.''
It belonged to John McDonough, a frequent caller to Swirsky's program who
was an ambitious 26-year-old sports nut selling corporate sponsorships for
Avis. Hi, it's John from Edison Park He asked a favor.
As a teenager growing up a Sox fan, McDonough scoured box scores like
so many kids of his generation but was the only one he knew who was
fascinated by attendance figures. He struggled athletically at Notre Dame
High School in Niles, kidding that he never bothered checking the list of
players who survived tryouts because, "I was so confident I didn't make it.''
McDonough developed other dreams.
"I had an insatiable desire to get into sports,'' the Blackhawks president
recalled last week. "I knew this was what I wanted to do.''
One night, McDonough shared that goal over the phone with Swirsky, who
invited the passionate listener to the WCFL studios to hear the advice he
sought. When McDonough showed up during an Illinois basketball
broadcast that freed up Swirsky, the two men spent several hours fattening
McDonough's first Rolodex.
"We took out every press guide, laid it flat on a Xerox machine, and copied
all the numbers and addresses,'' said Swirsky, now the voice of the Bulls for
WMVP-AM 1000. "John walked out of there with a stack thicker than the
Chicago white pages.''
Never having shared this part of his professional story publicly before,
McDonough chuckled recalling how, over three decades, dialing a radio
show as a Chicago sports fan ultimately contributed to establishing a legacy
as a Chicago sports executive.
"It was a rather ignominious beginning but true,'' said McDonough, 60.
From nettlesome fifth-round draft pick Andrew Shaw to newly minted $4
million-a-year forward Bryan Bickell, a Blackhawks organization celebrating
its second Stanley Cup title in four years contains numerous examples of
people who rose from obscurity. None defied longer odds than McDonough,
an inspiration to youths lacking direction who relishes pointing out he
graduated 311th out of 356 students in high school.
"There was a rumor Georgetown, Marquette and Notre Dame heard I was
contemplating applying to their institutions so they sent me rejection
letters,'' the self-deprecating McDonough said.
Acceptance came at St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn., where
McDonough encountered a speech teacher named Brother Raymond Long.
After class one day, Long helped restore a sagging inner confidence
McDonough's parents always nurtured.
"I didn't realize how insulting it was till years later, but he said, 'John, you
have a very limited skill set with a good vocabulary and a good voice that I
think we can work with,' '' McDonough said. "That was first time someone
imparted that to me. I built off that.''
A foundation of fortitude always supported whatever McDonough
envisioned building.
McDonough kept his first rejection letter from the Pirates, which he
interpreted as encouraging. His wife, Karen, who at the time was
McDonough's girlfriend, carefully typed every letter and mailed them to the
addresses McDonough tracked down with Swirsky's help.
"It was real incentive that somebody responded back,'' McDonough said.
Just before the 1980 North American Soccer League season, Chicago
Sting founder Lee Stern responded by calling Swirsky, a reference on
That came in 1983, after the late Jim Finks left the Bears to become
president of the Cubs, who were owned by Tribune Co. Finks called
Swirsky, then at WGN-AM 720, at home.
"I'll never forget it, he said, 'Charlie, I've got a question: Would you hire
John McDonough?' '' Swirsky recalled. "It was an eight-second
conversation.''
It led to a 24-year tenure with the Cubs for McDonough, a proud Finks
protege. McDonough lists his mentors as Blackhawks Chairman Rocky
Wirtz, Brian McIntyre, the former NBA executive who as Bulls PR boss
interviewed McDonough after receiving one of his letters, Stern and Finks.
"The ultimate big-picture guy,'' McDonough said of Finks. "He took a liking
to me and I couldn't always understand it.''
The memory of Finks walking into meetings with a Styrofoam cup of coffee
and an ashtray still makes McDonough smile. When Finks left Chicago in
1986 to run the Saints, he asked McDonough to follow him to New Orleans.
Tempted, McDonough chose to stay in his hometown and raise his three
children as he pursued his professional path — one that originally opened
after a quick detour to a Chicago radio station when a dear friend picked up
the phone.
"I always felt like I belonged here,'' McDonough said.
Good call.
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684230
Chicago Blackhawks
Goal by Blackhawks’ Seabrook had special meaning for Riordan family
BY KALYN KAHLER
Last Modified: Jul 6, 2013 11:36AM
The average Blackhawks fan won’t soon forget Game 4 of the Stanley Cup
finals, when the Blackhawks evened the series with a thrilling 6-5 overtime
victory.
But for the Riordan family of Norwood Park, Game 4 will transcend the level
of an average fan’s devotion and become the material of a beloved family
legend to be told and retold at every Riordan reunion for generations to
come.
On the morning of Game 4, the seven Riordan children buried their
patriarch David Riordan, who passed away from cancer at 74 years old. A
dedicated Blackhawks fan, David was buried with several meaningful items,
including a Seabrook sweater.
“Everyone had the opportunity to throw something into the casket with him
that reminded them of him,” said David’s youngest son Danny. “He was a
heavy smoker, so we had a pack of cigarettes, a deck of playing cards
because he loved gambling, an American flag and an Irish flag, and I put in
my Seabrook jersey.”
That night, the family gathered to watch the Blackhawks game. When the
referee signaled for the Blackhawks winning goal with 9:51 gone in
overtime, David’s oldest son Pat said the family naturally broke out into
shouts and cheers. The commotion paused when Pat wondered aloud,
“Wait, what jersey was it that was in dad’s casket?”
It was Seabrook who scored the slap shot goal that beat Tuukka Rask to
even the series, and it was the defenseman’s number 7 that was buried that
same day with David.
“We were all like, ‘Hey thanks dad!’” Pat said. “To have that jersey in his
casket and then to have him score the winning goal then was just a very
cool feeling. I had the sense that he was involved in it.”
Pat and Danny said hockey was the only American sport that their father,
who was raised in Ireland, was ever interested in.
“Hockey was the only sport he ever watched,” Danny said. “He would come
home from work and sit in his recliner, and when the ‘Hawks weren’t being
televised, he would have the game on the radio while watching another
hockey game on TV and reading the paper about the game from the night
before-all at the same time.”
“You couldn’t bother him, he was in his ‘Hawks zone and that was it,” Pat
said. “We had one TV in the house and you couldn’t watch what you
wanted, it was only the ‘Hawks in the house.”
After the symbolic finish of Game 4, it’s clear that David Riordan isn’t ready
to leave his ‘Hawks Zone’ anytime soon.
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684231
Chicago Blackhawks
Khabibulin back with Blackhawks, leg problems and all
By Tim Sassone
In a matter of a few hours Friday, the Blackhawks went from having Ray
Emery as their backup goalie to Nikolai Khabibulin.
"Brandon has had some good seasons in Rockford, and I think he's ready
for the next step," Bowman said. "We have a lot of depth at center, and
they're all young players.
"Brandon is the furthest along, but we've also got Drew LeBlanc, Phillip
Danault and Mark McNeill. These are four young players who we're going to
give a chance in training camp."
As for bringing back Rozsival, Bowman said it was a no-brainer.
"We're going to have our same group coming back that we won the Stanley
Cup with," Bowman said. "We've got some young players who are really on
the verge of breaking through, as well.
Once Emery departed for Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent for
$1.65 million and the promise to compete for the starting job, Hawks
general manager Stan Bowman went looking for a backup and turned to a
familiar face.
"I think with defense it's critical that you have depth and experience, and
you have players that you are really confident can get the job done."
"We spoke to Ray quite a bit down the stretch after the season and it
became apparent, talking to his agent, he was looking for a different
opportunity," Bowman said.
"We're getting closer with Marcus," said the GM. "We're not quite to the
finish line, but we've had a couple of good discussions and we're getting
close."
"I can't speak for him, but it sounded like he wanted to go somewhere that
he had the chance to be the No. 1 guy, or a different opportunity.
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
"So at that point, we turned our attention to other goaltenders. It was pretty
apparent when we looked at the list of goalies that were available that Nik
was the best candidate for that position."
Bowman is confident that Khabibulin can work well with Corey Crawford.
Khabibulin signed a one-year contract worth $2 million with incentives.
"We're really thrilled to add him to our team for a number of reasons,"
Bowman said. "No. 1 is that I think he will be able to be the tandem with
Corey. We've got a goaltender who's had an accomplished career and still
got a lot of game left in him. He's a competitive guy and wants the chance
to help our team and try to come back with a strong season.
"For that reason, it was very appealing for both sides. We have a lot of
familiarity with Nik. He was a really good goaltender with us and he sort of
helped us get back on track as a franchise.
"It's nice to have him here now as our team is even stronger than before."
Khabibulin, who has a history of leg and groin injuries, played for the Hawks
previously from 2005-09. He was the NHL's highest-paid goalie at the time,
signing a four-year, $27 million deal.
His last game with the Hawks was Game 3 of the 2009 Western
Conference finals. He missed the last three games of the series with a leg
injury as the Hawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings in five games.
The next year Khabibulin moved on to Edmonton and the Hawks won the
Stanley Cup with Antti Niemi in goal. Now 40, Khabibulin was 4-6-1 with the
Oilers last season with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .923 save
percentage.
Khabibulin was 33-66-13 in four years in Edmonton playing behind the
young Oilers.
"We were looking for someone who had not just been a backup goalie,"
Bowman said. "Nik has always been a No. 1 guy. I think it's nice that he
sees enough in our group to want to come back. He knows that Corey is the
guy here and is comfortable in supporting him.
"One of the things that was so evident last year was we had two top-notch
goaltenders and our team never had to change their style depending who
was in net. We just played the same way every night because both goalies
were excellent. That's what we see next year as well."
Michal Handzus signed a one-year deal for $1 million, while Michal Rozsival
got a two-year contract.
"We had a lot of success with this group last year, and I think Michal
(Handzus) came in and in a short amount of time we could really see his
value in a number of ways," Bowman said.
"He certainly brings some size and his faceoff ability was well-documented,
along with his experience level and just the fact that our coaches are really
comfortable with his ability playing many roles on our team."
Bowman said the plan still is for Brandon Pirri to come to training camp with
an opportunity to win the second-line center job.
Bowman still must re-sign restricted free-agent center Marcus Kruger.
684232
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche defense remains mediocre despite improvements to team
By Adrian Dater
There has been so much change with the Avalanche since last season, and
much of it has been refreshing. A new role for Joe Sakic, the return of
Patrick Roy, the drafting of Nathan Mac- Kinnon — even a new JumboTron
coming soon to the Pepsi Center.
One thing that did not change enough, though: the Avs' mediocre defense.
True, the Avs acquired veterans Cory Sarich and Andre Benoit. True, five of
their seven picks in the draft last weekend were defensemen, including
Chris Bigras with the 32nd pick. But none of those changes will make the
Avs much better on defense next season.
Sarich has seen better days and Benoit, though he could prove to be a
bargain pickup, had a journeyman minor-league career before getting ice
time with Ottawa last season after Erik Karlsson was injured.
Otherwise, this still looks like the Avalanche defense of the past few years,
a defense that gets pinned in its own zone too easily and can't do anything
offensively. Colorado's defense contributed only four goals — that's right,
four — to the offense last season.
The key defensive numbers also weren't pretty. Colorado's average of 3.12
goals allowed per game ranked 26th in the NHL. Two years ago, it was 3.5
allowed per game allowed — dead last.
The Avs allowed an average of 31.4 shots per game last season, ranking
25th in the league.
As it stands, the Avs will go into next season with possibly the same top six
on defense. Sarich or Benoit could change that, but otherwise we're still
looking at a possible top six of Erik Johnson, Jan Hejda, Ryan Wilson,
Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliott and Matt Hunwick.
That group isn't nearly good enough. The Avs believe Wilson's return from
an injury should make the defense better, and that probably will be true. But
he probably wouldn't crack the top four on a lot of NHL teams. We're not
talking about a game-changing player here.
People in Ottawa who saw Benoit play tell me that he could be a good
pickup. But you have to wonder how good he really is if the Senators, who
have a lot of salary cap room, didn't bother to keep him at such a modest
price.
It's tough to rip on the Avs for not doing more on free-agent Friday, because
this wasn't a great class for defensemen. The Avs probably would have
liked to get Andrew Ference from Boston, but he wanted to go back home
to Edmonton. Otherwise, it was mostly older guys and scrap parts such as
Benoit.
The only way the Avs can change their defense now is through trade, but
things seem quiet on that front. The most obvious player who could bring
the best D-man in return remains Paul Stastny, who can be an unrestricted
free agent next summer. With a glut at center — and Ryan O'Reilly not
eligible to be traded until Feb. 28 — Stastny would make the most sense to
deal.
But the Avs seem to be stubbornly clinging to the belief that Stastny can
regain his former ways. I don't know. Personally, I'd take a top-three center
lineup of Matt Duchene, O'Reilly and MacKinnon and use Stastny to get
help on defense.
Who knows? Maybe a new system under Roy and the addition of Adam
Foote as a part-time coach will make the Avalanche's defensemen a lot
better.
Maybe so, but they have a big job ahead of them.
Denver Post: LOADED: 07.07.2013
684233
Columbus Blue Jackets
Blue Jackets: Horton finds ‘home’
FRED SQUILLANTE | Dispatch
Nathan Horton signed a seven-year, $37.1 million contract that includes a
no-move clause for the first four years and a no-trade clause for the final
three.
Nathan Horton knows it will be hard for some people to understand,
especially those in Boston who cheered him on during two long Stanley
Cup playoff runs over the past three seasons.
But the forward was looking for the best of both worlds — a winning team
and a quiet life away from the rink — and said he thinks he has found it in
Columbus.
“I was only here for a short time earlier this week, but I have to say, it felt
like home right away,” Horton said. “It feels like a place where me and my
family are going to be very happy.”
The Blue Jackets landed perhaps the biggest free agent in their history in
one of the biggest deals on the opening day of free agency. Horton signed
a seven-year, $37.1 million contract that includes a no-move clause for the
first four years and a no-trade clause for the final three. His salary-cap hit
will be $5.3 million through the 2019-20 season.
“This is the place I wanted to be, and with (president of hockey operations
John Davidson) and (general manager) Jarmo Kekalainen, it’s in the hands
of the right people, and it’s headed in the right direction.”
The Blue Jackets had targeted Horton as the No. 1 free agent available,
taking advantage of the NHL’s two-day window this week to recruit free
agents.
“We went into the market looking for a scorer, a proven scorer who could
bring skill and a power-forward type to our team, and we got the No. 1 guy
on our list,” Kekalainen said. “He scores goals the right way, in the hard
areas. And he scores them in the big games. He’s been a good player for
Boston in their playoff runs, and he’s just coming into his prime as a hockey
player.”
But it might be a little while before fans see Horton. He might not play until
December as he recovers from surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder, an
injury he suffered during the playoffs.Horton, a 28 year-old native of
Welland, Ontario, said he determined late last month, just after Boston lost
in the Stanley Cup Finals to Chicago, that he wanted a “new beginning.” He
and his wife, Tammy, have two sons — Dylan, 5, and Zach, 15 months.
“When you get older, what you want is different,” Horton said. “We want to
live in a house, with a yard. And maybe we want it a little more quiet.”
The Blue Jackets hosted Horton on Wednesday, showing him the
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Easton Town Center, the Downtown parks
and the surrounding neighborhoods.During a nine-year NHL career spent
entirely in the Eastern Conference — the Blue Jackets will move there from
the West next season — Horton had only played four games at Nationwide
Arena.
“You don’t know what a town is like until you spend some time there,”
Horton said. “This was a part of the city I’d never seen before just coming in
to play games. They even have Tim Hortons here.”
Horton was so sure he was going to sign with Columbus that he flew back
to the city late Thursday. The deal was completed before 1 p.m., less than
an hour into free agency.
“I’m excited, man,” Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky said. “We have
a real good team, a great group of guys, and this just adds to it. Horton is a
tough player, a tough guy to play against. He’s a prototypical power
forward. He’s going to give us something we needed more of, so I welcome
this with open arms.”
Kekalainen said he would consider bringing back veteran winger Vinny
Prospal, if the contract fits under the salary cap.
“We’re never done; we’re always looking for ways to improve,” Kekalainen
said. “We still have a little room there. But I really like our team.”
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.07.2013
684234
Columbus Blue Jackets
Blue Jackets notebook: Next step for Horton is shoulder surgery
league Springfield. Craig, the Springfield captain, got a two-year deal. The
others are one-year. … Defenseman Thomas Larkin, a fifth-round pick
(No. 137) in 2009, signed a two-year entry-level contract. He could have
become a free agent on Aug. 15.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 07.07.2013
By Aaron Portzline
The Blue Jackets signed free agent Nathan Horton yesterday with the
understanding that they won’t get to enjoy his impact until December at the
earliest.
Horton needs surgery to repair a dislocated left shoulder suffered while
playing for Boston in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against Chicago
last month.
“It’s going to be four to six months,” Horton said. “I’m hoping for four. I just
want to be 100 percent, come back and never have a problem with it
again.”
This will mark the second major surgery on the shoulder. The last
happened in March 2004 during his rookie season after he played through a
torn rotator cuff, torn labrum and dislocated biceps tendon for more than a
month. He has also had the shoulder scoped.
Blue Jackets team doctors examined the shoulder this week during his visit
to Columbus, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said he’s confident
Horton will have a full recovery.
“We feel like it’s going to be as good as new when it’s done,” Kekalainen
said. “We felt good with the report. The next step is to get surgery
scheduled and decide where he’s going to go.”
Horton will either have the surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, where Anthony
Miniaci has done several shoulder surgeries for the Blue Jackets, or by a
specialist in Boston. If Horton has the surgery by the middle of this month,
the earliest he could return is Nov. 15. The far end would be Jan. 15.
“It’s something I want to get behind me,” Horton said. “The sooner it’s done,
the better.”
Horton also had two serious concussions in his three seasons with the
Bruins. He missed the final four games of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, but
he returned to hoist the Cup after a Game 7 victory over Vancouver. He
missed the final 36 games of the regular season because of a concussion
the following season.
“Yes, he’s had two concussions, and they were legitimate concussions,”
Kekalainen said. “But he’s had a full recovery and no lingering issues.”
Kekalainen said Horton would not be allowed to play until he’s 100 percent
and there are no restrictions. The way Horton plays as a classic power
forward, he really needs his shoulders.
“When we get the shoulder taken care of, he should be good to go. We’re
confident he’s going to be able to play the way he’s always played,”
Kekalainen said.
Not gone yet
Kekalainen said that signing Horton doesn’t necessarily mean Vinny
Prospal is done in Columbus.
Prospal has said he wants to stay with the Blue Jackets, but Kekalainen
wanted to see how the roster changed through the draft and free agency
before committing to the 38-year-old.
“We’ve had I don’t know how many conversations about Vinny today, about
all the good things he brings to our team, the scoring, the leadership,”
Kekalainen said. “We’ve kept talking about him all day long around the
building, even after we signed Nathan.
“Now it’s become a salary-cap issue, and we’ll see where we’re at, see how
he, among the other candidates, would fit under the cap room we have left.”
Slap shots
Defenseman Ryan Murray, the Blue Jackets’ No. 2 overall pick in 2012, was
cleared for contact and will participate fully in next week’s development
camp. Murray had surgery last January to repair a dislocated shoulder. …
Forwards Ryan Craig and Cody Bass and goaltenders Mike McKenna and
Jeremy Smith signed two-way contracts with a focus on playing for minor-
684235
Dallas Stars
Shawn Horcoff’s history makes him a good fit with the new look Stars
By Mike Heika / Reporter
8:00 am on July 6, 2013
Jim Nill and Shawn Horcoff go way back.
It’s not like they’re best friends or anything, but the new Stars’ GM and the
new Stars’ center both have lived in the Detroit area for a long time, and
have run into each other on numerous occasions. Horcoff works out in the
off-season with players from the Detroit area, and the former Michigan
State center also works out in East Lansing and keeps up with his college
program on a regular basis.
Nill’s son Trevor played four years at Michigan State and graduated in
2012, so there have been plenty of chances to cross paths with Horcoff.
And if there was anything Jim Nill was sure of Friday as he wrapped up a
whirlwind week that included the acquisitions of Horcoff, Tyler Seguin, Rich
Peverley, Dan Ellis and Valeri Nichushkin, it’s that Horcoff will 100 percent
help the Stars. Each one of the acquisitions can be deemed as question
marks, and Nill said he did his due diligence on all, but the Horcoff trade
from Edmonton might have been the easiest.
“I’m not worried about him at all,” Nill said of the 35-year-old who has seen
his numbers steadilty decrease. “I’ve had Shawn in two world
championships and won gold medals with him both times. Character guy
through and through, he’s a fitness fanatic, he’s a great player.”
Horcoff was once a very great player. He worked his way up the Oilers
system and peaked out in 2005-06. He was second on the team in scoring
that season with 73 points (22 goals, 51 assists) in 79 games. He then was
second in playoff scoring with 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) as he
helped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Nill believes the older players not only can be rejuvenated in Dallas, but that
they’re necessary with a big crop of youngsters coming up. Seguin will be
penciled in as the No. 1 center at age 21, first-round draft pick Valeri
Nichushkin could play in the NHL at 18. Cody Eakin and Brenden Dillon are
22. The trade that sent Loui Eriksson to Boston could open the door for
Alex Chiasson, 21, or Brett Ritchie, 20, to be in the lineup.
Horcoff knows all about kids. he’s been surrounded by Taylor Hall and
Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov in recent years in Edmonton. Ironically
enough, Hall was taken one spot in front of Seguin in 2010 and the two
have shared similar hockey paths, and Yakupov was a Russian player who
made the NHL at 18.
“That’s one thing I’ve got good experience in, being surrounded by real
good young players,” Horcoff said. “I think the biggest thing is they just have
to realize the dedication it takes to be an elite player in the NHL. The best
players find a way to produce every night, and the only way to do that is to
keep yourself in great shape and take care of yourself. That’s not saying
you don’t have a good time, it’s just being smart about it.’’
That last comment might have been in reaction to some of the heat Seguin
has been receiving for criticism in Boston that he partied too much.
However you want to look at it, it’s clear that Nill’s lineup has some
convenient connections. Sergei Gonchar is from the same hometown as
Nichushkin. Peverley and Horcoff are centers who can help Seguin move
back into the pivot and give instruction both on the ice and off.
Nill is trusting his more than two decades in the NHL as a scout and
assistant GM, and he’s building with players that seem to fit together. He
watched Seguin play his best junior hockey for Plymouth in the suburbs of
Detroit. He goes way back with Horcoff. He just signed Dan Ellis as a backup goalie. Ellis just happened to be one of Nashville’s goalies when Stars
goaltender coach Mike Valley was working in the Nashville system.
“He has so many ties and so much knowledge of every player,” Stars
president Jim Lites said. “It’s just been amazing to watch him the last few
weeks reshaping the roster, because he knows what he needs and he goes
after it. This has been done with a very clear plan in mind.”
And Horcoff is an important part of that plan.
His numbers trailed off after that, as the Oilers went through transitions, but
he was still a solid contributor. 51 points in 80 games, 50 points in 53
games, 53 points in 80 games. He played in the NHL All-Star Game in 2008
and earned a six-year, $33 million contract that summer.
“I know I can play both sides of the puck and I feel like I am a player that
can still contribute offense in a top six role. I am not that far removed from
that,” Horcoff said. “The last couple years in Edmonton, with us going to a
rebuilding mode and pushing with the youth, I’ve been out of that
opportunity, out of that kind of role. I am looking forward to going out there
and proving myself again.”
He was becoming the face of the Oilers as players like Ryan Smyth moved
on, and in 2010, they named him captain.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.07.2013
But something happened along the way. His numbers started to drop. He
produced just 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 77 games in 2009-10,
battled injuries and had just 27 points (9 goals, 18 assists) in 47 games in
2010-11, followed that with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) in 2011-12, and
then had just 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 31 games in the lockoutshortened season.
That’s a pretty big fall from grace, with a pretty big pricetag. While the Oilers
were welcoming in a slew of great draft picks, Horcoff kept getting pushed
down the lineup and kept getting negative reviews from fans and the media.
“Unfortunately, he’s had to live under the umbrella of this contract he’s
signed, and I think he can be free from that now and just come down here
and play hockey,” Nill said. “I think he’s going to be a real pleasant surprise
for people. He’s a competitive player, and he’s just what our dressing room
needs and what we need on the ice.”
Now, the critic will say that Horcoff deserves the pressure of that contract,
and he’d probably agree. He was a stand-up guy in the Oilers locker room
during bad times, and was clearly frustrated by his decline. But Nill points
out that while he still has a $5.5 million cap hit, he will make $4 million next
season and $3 million the next. That brings him in as an affordable veteran
presence who might regain his offensive game.
“There were a lot of teams that wanted him, for the same reasons we did,
but they didn’t have the cap room to do it,” Nill said. “That’s why we’re
blessed to have the cap room we do.”
The Stars are crawling up near the $64.3 million cap at $59 million, but Nill
has some future flexibility in that some of his biggest contracts are for older
players _ Sergei Gonchar, Horcoff, Ray Whitney, Erik Cole _ and have only
a year or two remaining.
684236
Dallas Stars
Stars sign Valeri Nichushkin to entry level contract; hoping to do everything
they can to have him in NHL next season
By Mike Heika / Reporter
6:35 pm on July 6, 2013
The Stars signed first-round draft pick Valeri Nichushkin Saturday to a
three-year entry level contract, setting up a scenario where the 18-year-old
winger should play in the NHL next season.
Nichushkin played in the KHL last season and had to receive clearance
from Moscow Dynamo to sign in the NHL. So if he does not make the NHL
roster, he will return to the KHL.
Stars general manager Jim Nill said he is moving forward with the thought
that won’t be an issue.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we signed this deal and
we’re preparing in a manner where we believe Valeri will be in the lineup,’’
Nill said. “Honestly, I’m not really thinking about the other options right now.
We’re moving forward and getting him ready for the NHL.’’
Nichushkin is a 6-4, 202-pound winger who many thought might go in the
top five in the NHL draft. However, he slid to 10th because of issues
concerning his transfer from Russia, and the Stars said they couldn’t pass
him up. His contract will have a base salary of $832,500, an average
signing bonus of $92,500, and performance bonuses that could reach $1.2
million per season. He will carry a salary cap hit of $2.125 million per
season.
Nichushkin played 18 games with Chelyabinsk (KHL) during the 2012-13
regular season, and had six points. He appeared in 25 playoff games,
helping Chelyabinsk to the KHL Finals. He had nine points (six goals, three
assists) and a +5 rating in the post-season. Nichushkin earned the KHL’s
2012-13 Aleksei Cherepanov Award given annually to the top rookie.
He currently is working with the Stars prospects at development camp in
Frisco, and is expected to stay in North Texas during the summer and
prepare for training camp.
“We have an opportunity to do everything we can to help make sure he’s
fully prepared, and that’s what we’re trying to do,’’ Nill said.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684237
Dallas Stars
Boston writer: Stars C Tyler Seguin was 'great waste of talent' with Bruins
Staff reports
Published: 06 July 2013 08:04 PM
Updated: 06 July 2013 08:04 PM
In the days following Dallas' blockbuster trade for Tyler Seguin, hockey
pundits have espoused a common message -- if Seguin hits his substantial
ceiling, the deal could blow up in Boston's face.
But Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley sees it a different way. Buckley
recently wrote that regardless of whether Seguin reaches his potential with
the Stars, it was time for the Bruins to move on.
"Bet on Tyler Seguin. You know he can do it. The Stars know he can do it.
And surely Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, who engineered the
Fourth of July megadeal that sent Seguin, Rich Peverley and prospect
Ryan Button to the Stars, knows it as well as anybody," Buckley wrote. "But
are we all agreed that it just wasn’t going to work here for Tyler Seguin?"
Buckley called Seguin "one of those infuriating sports teases" who flash
top-end talent in spurts but never the sort of consistency needed to become
a star. That inconsistency was never more apparently than during the
Bruins' run to the Stanley Cup Finals this season, when he score one goal
and tallied seven assists in 22 games.
"So now we sit back and wait — and watch — to see if Seguin can be a
great player," Buckley wrote. "But as we close the book on the kid’s Boston
years, Tyler Seguin was a great waste of talent."
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684238
Dallas Stars
Stars hire Joe McDonnell as director of amateur scouting, add Mark Leach
as amateur scout
By Mike Heika / Reporter
6:27 pm on July 6, 2013
The Stars have hired Joe McDonnell as their new director of amateur
scouting and Mark Leach as one of the head scouts, Stars GM Jim Nill
confirmed Saturday. Both worked under Nill in the Detroit Red Wings
system, but both were without contracts and free to sign with any team.
“They’re great at their jobs and I asked if they were interested, and they had
hard decisions,’’ Nill said. “We’re very lucky to get them.’’
Former Stars GM Joe Nieuwendk fired Tim Bernhardt as director of
amateur scouting in 2011, and never replaced him. Assistant GM Les
Jackson filled the role for the past two seasons, but will be able to step back
now and do more work with the pros and the Texas Stars. In addition, the
Stars lost scout Shane Churla to Montreal in the spring, and Leach helps fill
his void.
McDonnell has been a scout with the Red Wings since 1995 and director of
amateur scouting there since 2003. Leach has worked with the Red Wings
since 1998. Leach is based on the East Coast, while Stars scout Dennis
Holland is based in the West for the Stars. They will be the top scouts
reporting to McDonnell, Nill said.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684239
Dallas Stars
Stars sign top draft pick Valeri Nichushkin to three-year entry level contract
By Mike Heika / Reporter
4:49 pm on July 6, 2013
Numbers for Nichushkin deal are:
$832,5000 in base salary each season.
$92,500 in signing bonus each season.
A bonuses that can push as high as $850,000 each season.
B Bonuses that can push as high as $350,000 each season.
Some of the bonuses are reachable, some are for leading scorer on the
Stars or Hart Trophy.
Cap hit is expected to be $2.125 million per year.
Here is the press release:
Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has
signed right wing Valeri Nichushkin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Per
club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nichushkin, 18, appeared in 18 contests with Chelyabinsk (KHL) during the
2012-13 regular season, recording six points (4G-2A=6P) and a +6
plus/minus rating. He also appeared in 25 postseason contests with the
club, posting nine points (6G-3A=9P) and a +5 rating. A three-time KHL
Rookie of the Month award winner last season, Nichushkin earned the
KHL’s 2012-13 Aleksei Cherepanov Award given annually to the League’s
top rookie.
The Russian winger represented his home country at the 2013 Under-20
World Junior Championship. Nichushkin finished the tournament with two
points (1G-1A=2P) in six games, and scored the game-winning goal in the
bronze medal game against Canada. He also competed in the 2013 Under18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia where he recorded seven points
(4G-3A=7P) in six contests. During the 2012 Under-17 World Hockey
Challenge with Team Russia, he took home the gold medal at the 2012
notching nine points (5G-4A=9P) to finish second on the team and fifth
overall in tournament scoring.
“Valeri is a skilled and competitive forward who we feel was at the top of the
talent pool in this season’s NHL Draft,” said Nill. “He spent the last season
playing against men in a very strong league and we feel that he can come
in and immediately compete for a job at the NHL level.”
The 6-foot-3, 196-pound native of Chelyabinsk, Russia was selected by
Dallas in the first round (10th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684240
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings scouts Joe McDonnell, Mark Leach leaving to join Jim
Nill in Dallas
5:55 PM, July 6, 2013
By Helene St. James
The Red Wings will be naming a new head of amateur scouting in the
coming week, as Joe McDonnell has left the team to join his former boss in
Dallas.
McDonnell and amateur scout Mark Leach are joining Jim Nill, the former
assistant general manager in Detroit who left in April to take the head job
with the Stars.
One key guy who Nill has not been able to pry from the Wings: Swedish
superscout Hakan Andersson, whom Holland said has been signed for four
more years.
Andersson is considered one of the best in the business, and was the force
behind two of the picks in last week’s annual draft, where he masterminded
the Wings selecting forwards Mattias Janmark and Hampus Melen.
Amateur scout Jeff Finley, meanwhile, was behind two of the other eight
picks, defensemen Mitchell Wheaton and Marc McNulty.
The Wings also still boast a staff headlined by director of pro scouting Mark
Howe, a staff which includes former players Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper. As
big a loss as Nill was, and as easy was it was to hand the reigns to his
right-hand man, McDonnell, selecting picks never was a one-man
operation.
The Wings already had split Nill’s duties between two people, as McDonnell
was charged with running the draft table while salary cap specialist Ryan
Martin’s duties expanded to managing the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.07.2013
684241
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings free agency: Daniel Cleary likely to return, Damien
Brunner is not
4:24 PM, July 6, 2013
By Helene St. James
Here’s your Saturday Situation Report regarding the Detroit Red Wings:
They’re working on signing one more player, but need to trim the roster first.
The Wings reeled in two big fish Friday on opening day of the NHL’s annual
money madness, signing right wing Daniel Alfredsson and center Stephen
Weiss.
Detroit had three of its own players cross over into unrestricted free agency:
Valtteri Filppula, Damien Brunner and Daniel Cleary. Filppula had long ago
signaled he wasn’t coming back, and in fact he ended up signing with
Tampa Bay for five years and $25 million.
The Wings had talked many times with Brunner, but his asking price of $3
million to $3.5 million per season for two-to-three years was more than the
Wings were willing to give a one-dimensional player with one NHL season
to his credit.
Cleary remains likely to return, at a rate of around $2.5 million to $2.75
million per for three years, but the Wings need to get someone off their
roster of forwards, first. Alfredsson and Weiss have put Detroit at 14
forwards, a number that will grow by two when restricted free agents
Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist get new deals.
This is where being able to buy out Mikael Samuelsson would have helped.
The Wings debated it, but Samuelsson could have fought being a
compliance buyout because even though he doesn’t need surgery for the
pectoral muscle injury that ended his season, he could still claim he isn’t
fully healthy — and injured players cannot be subjected to buyouts.
So, what’s left is trading someone. Candidates are Samuelsson (hard to
think anyone would take him, though) and Jordin Tootoo (Mike Babcock
didn’t use him late in season and into the playoffs). Patrick Eaves might be
in play, because the Wings re-upped Drew Miller, and the two bring much
the same to the table. Cory Emmerton is on the bubble, but he’s needed for
now as insurance in case Darren Helm has another setback in his recovery
from a sore back.
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 07.07.2013
684242
Detroit Red Wings
Helene St. James: Mike Babcock sees Detroit Red Wings 'going in the right
direction again'
July 7, 2013
By Helene St. James
In talking about their program to prospective clients, the Red Wings stress
all the reasons a player shouldn’t bother coming to Detroit.
Taking a break from waterskiing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Mike
Babcock revealed the conversation he and general manager Ken Holland
had with Stephen Weiss before signing Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson on
opening day of NHL free agency. Alfredsson got a different talk because
he’s an elite player, the type who will fit in well with Henrik Zetterberg and
Pavel Datsyuk, other superstars whose skills match their work ethic and
their humility.
With Weiss, the Wings just wanted to make sure he knew the program.
“We made that clear to him,” Babcock said. “If you’re not ultra-competitive
and you don’t want to be pushed and battle for ice time and situation, and
play for a coach that’s going to push you hard, if you don’t want to commit
to off-season training and training during the year, you can’t come here.”
Some players use free agency to move to quiet hockey markets, some use
them to move to Detroit, where playoffs are a rite of spring. It’s what
appealed to Alfredsson and to Weiss. And now, with those two on board,
with a defense that features three pairs that can move the puck, and a solid
goaltender in Jimmy Howard, the Wings have so much more appeal to
Babcock.
Babcock looks back fondly to the Wings teams that in 2007, 2008 and 2009
swaggered into the playoffs and pushed their way into the third round, into
the arms of the Stanley Cup, and into the Finals again, respectively. This
coming season’s group could herald a resurgence.
“What’s happened is, we have much more depth now,” Babcock said. “Alfie
is a guy who is ultra-competitive. He plays his best when it matters. He
gives us a right-handed shot. He’ll help our power play immensely.”
Imagine a power play with Alfredsson on the right point opposite Niklas
Kronwall, with Zetterberg and Datsyuk down low, with Johan Franzen or
Justin Abdelkader in front of the net. It’s hard to think such a group couldn’t
be the shot in the arm the Wings have needed on their power play after two
unimpressive seasons.
Babcock is as thrilled about adding Weiss, because for the past two
seasons the Wings have had to use Zetterberg and Datsyuk as centers,
because Valtteri Filppula wasn’t effective in the middle.
“We liked Fil better as a wing,” Babcock said. “Now we’ve got Weiss, we
think he’s a great fit. ... We think with our group, and the leadership we
have, that he can be a real good player for us.”
There’ll be some more tinkering with the roster: For starters, the Wings
need to get their restricted free agents, Joakim Andersson, Gustav Nyquist
and Brendan Smith signed. At the moment, they’ve got just enough cap
space left to do that. That means that until Holland moves an existing
contact, Daniel Cleary can’t get done. The Wings very much want Cleary
back — “he’s one of our leaders,” Babcock said — and Cleary wants to
return, but someone else has to go. Trade possibilities include Jordin
Tootoo and Patrick Eaves.
Regardless of what else happens, Alfredsson and Weiss already promise a
much better team for next season. Datsyuk and Zetterberg can play
together, like they prefer, like Babcock prefers. Weiss can center the
second line. “Alfie,” Babcock said, “can play in a lot of different slots, we
can have more combinations, and that’s a real positive thing for us.”
Are the Wings back among the elite? It’s harder and harder to stand out in a
salary cap world.
At the very least, though, the Wings “are like night and day compared to
where we were at last summer,” Babcock said. “I think we’re going in the
right direction again. Now, sometimes you can have the best team and
sometimes things don’t work out — but sometimes you knock on the door,
and sometimes it opens.”
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Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings remain silent on second day of free agency
Ted Kulfan
Detroit— After landing two big names in the first day of free agency, the
Red Wings remained silent Saturday.
And they may likely remain so for a while, as they whittle away at a bloated
roster.
The Red Wings are close to an agreement with unrestricted free agent
forward Daniel Cleary, but are stuck from a roster standpoint at the
moment.
They’ll have 25 players under contract — including 16 forwards — once
restricted free-agent forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson and
defenseman Brendan Smith are signed.
Even without those three and Cleary signed, the Red Wings already have a
$65 million payroll — which is acceptable for the summer; teams can be up
to 10 percent the salary cap limit of $64.3 million.
Cleary has drawn intersest from other teams, but appears focusing on the
Red Wings, likely on a three-year contract.
General manager Ken Holland said the issue of sizing down the roster back
to a 23-man limit will be a process over the summer.
Front office shuffle
Joe McDonnell, director of amateur scouting, and Mark Leach, Eastern
scouting, have left the Red Wings to join Dallas general manager Jim Nill,
the former Red Wings assistant general manager.
McDonnell has been with the Red Wings for the last 18 seasons, and just
last week ran the Red Wings Entry Draft.
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Detroit Red Wings
Glut of forwards doesn't worry Red Wings GM Ken Holland
Filppula slumped to nine goals and eight assists in 41 games last season
with the Red Wings, with a minus-4 rating.
Filppula told Tampa Bay reporters Friday that the sprained knee he suffered
during the lockout while playing in Finland kept him off the ice for two
months and contributed to his subpar season.
Ted Kulfan
Yzerman, the Lightning general manager who obviously knew Filppula well
from his days with the Red Wings, wasn’t concerned about Filppula’s
offensive slump.
Detroit — So what happens now to the Red Wings roster?
Yzerman told the Tampa Times the Lightning is getting “a real professional.
I’m not worried about the production from last year.”
With the additions of Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss — and
departure of Valtteri Filppula, likely departure of Damien Brunner and
possibly Daniel Cleary — the Red Wings still have a logjam among the
forwards.
The Red Wings have 16 forwards under contract once restricted free
agents Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson are re-signed (not counting
Cleary or Brunner), meaning general manager Ken Holland will have to
make further moves.
Cleary remained in touch with the Red Wings on Friday night, and both
sides expressed hope a deal could still be reached.
Brunner was expected to land with another team in the free-agent market.
And Holland is planning on doing removing and adding players.
“Obviously we have a couple of extra players,” Holland said. “This is going
to be a work in progress over the course of the summer. Our roster is still
going to take shape over the course of the next month or two.
Holland would like to make “a move or two,” but it won’t happen soon.
There are several unknowns on the Red Wings roster because of injuries.
Darren Helm (back), Todd Bertuzzi (back, leg) and Mikael Samuelsson
(pectoral muscle) all missed substantial playing time last season.
Jordin Tootoo, signed as a free agent last summer, was a healthy scratch
except for one game in the playoffs, while fellow fourth-liner Cory Emmerton
would seem to be vulnerable to being traded.
The next Yzerman
When newly signed Stephen Weiss was playing junior hockey for the
Plymouth Whalers, there were many comparisons to Steve Yzerman, who
was then in the latter stages of a Hall of Fame career with the Red Wings.
Weiss talked about that comparison Friday — “kind of scary” for a junior
player, he said — after signing with the Red Wings.
“It came from playing a two-way game and being responsible at both sides
of the puck and that’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Weiss said. “I like
going up against the best players and shut them down and also be
accountable offensively, too.
“That’s where those comparisons came from. We’ve had pretty different
careers to this date, but it’s neat to come back to a city I’ve played in
before, I watched the Red Wings and watched Steve play, and wondered
about maybe playing for that franchise one day.
“It’s kind of surreal.”
Helm 'feeling very good'
Speaking of Helm, he’ll be skating at next week’s prospect development
camp in Traverse City.
Helm said trainer Piet Van Zant spoke with Helm this week and received
good news.
“Helmer is feeling very good,” said Holland, saying the addition of Helm to
the lineup would be significant.
Helm played only one game last season because of the back problems.
“Darren Helm is a very key piece to our team,” Holland said. “Hopefully next
week in Traverse City we get good news, and he’s on the ice and can push
and feel good.
“(Adding) a healthy Darren Helm to last year’s team would be a tremendous
upgrade.”
No worries about Filppula
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Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings director of amateur scouting hired in Dallas by former
assistant G.M. Jim Nill
Brendan Savage
on July 06, 2013 at 4:30 PM, updated July 06, 2013 at 4:31 PM
The Detroit Red Wings director of amateur scouting is following former
assistant general manager Jim Nill to Texas, G.M. Ken Holland told
MLive.com today.
Nill, the Red Wings former assistant general manager who was hired to be
the Dallas Stars G.M. in April, has lured Joe McDonnell away from the Red
Wings.
McDonnell has been a Red Wings scout for 18 years and became their
director of amateur scouting in 2003.
Nill also hired Red Wings scout Mark Leach to accompany McDonnell to
Dallas.
Holland said the Red Wings hope to have their scouting staff in place by
next week. They're going to make a few additions and will give more
prominent roles to scouts Jeff Finley and David Kolb.
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Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings want Daniel Cleary back, but would need to shed some salary
first
Brendan Savage
on July 06, 2013 at 3:42 PM, updated July 06, 2013 at 4:53 PM
The Detroit Red Wings would like to have forward Daniel Cleary back, but
the only way that will happen is if they can shed some salary.
The Red Wings have 22 players signed for $65 million, just over the $64.3
million salary cap. Their payroll will increase and they will have 25 players
signed, two over the roster limit, once they come to terms with restricted
free agents Brendan Smith, Nyquist and Andersson.
Teams can go 10 percent over the cap during the off-season but the Red
Wings don't want to add a significant contract and not be able to dump
salary before the season.
The Red Wings initially made Cleary a two-year offer and agreed to tack on
a third year at a reduced rate. But that offer came off the table once free
agency started at noon on Friday and the team signed Daniel Alfredsson
and Stephen Weiss.
In the meantime, Cleary is free to sign with any team.
Cleary, 34, has spent the last eight years of his 15-season NHL career with
the Red Wings after being signed by Detroit a free agent prior to the 200506 season.
He's scored at least 20 goals three times with the Red Wings and was a
member of their 2008 Stanley Cup championship team.
In 48 games last season, Cleary had nine goals and six assists. During the
playoffs, he was Detroit's second-leading scorer behind Henrik Zetterberg
with four goals and six assists in 10 games.
Cleary made $3 million last season.
Also, the reason forward Damien Brunner is exploring the market is the Red
Wings declined to meet his asking price of $3.5 million per season.
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Detroit Red Wings
What they're saying: Daniel Alfredsson tarnished image forever by signing
with Detroit Red Wings
Brendan Savage
on July 06, 2013 at 12:18 PM, updated July 06, 2013 at 1:01 PM
Daniel Alfredsson isn't the first NHL player to change teams late in his
career.
Mats Sundin left Toronto after 13 years to play his final season in
Vancouver, Raymond Bourque departed Boston after two decades to finish
his playing days in Colorado and Mike Modano said farewell to the only
franchise he had played in 20 years to end his career in Detroit.
days when they seemed to acquire whomever they wanted on free agent
signing day. The Red Wings significantly improved their defense last
season, and they improved their offense on Friday. Goal scoring was a
problem last season, and it shouldn't be now. These two moves could reenergize the team's offensive attack."
• CBSSports.com: The opening day of free agency wasn't a good one for
the Red Wings, writes Adam Gretz . "They didn't have a terrible day, but I'm
not wild about what the Red Wings did. Daniel Alfredsson was the signing
that caught everybody's attention, but he's 40 years old. How good is he
going to be? The Red Wings seem to have a way of squeezing every last
drop of productive hockey out of veterans, but there's still visions of Mike
Modano's final NHL run fresh in my mind here. It doesn't appear that
Damien Brunner will be back, and that might hurt, and five years and $25
million for Stephen Weiss also seems to be a bit much. It wasn't the worst
day for an NHL team in free agency, but it wasn't one of the better ones,
either. Detroit isn't going away anytime soon, and the Red Wings are still
going to be a playoff team, but it's not because of the guys they brought in
on Friday."
INTERNATIONAL
But what they did isn't the same as Alfredsson leaving the Ottawa Senators
Friday to sign as a free agent with the Red Wings, writes Michael Grange of
Sportsnet.ca.
Grange says Alfredsson has forever tarnished his impeccable image in
Ottawa by deserting the Senators and his loyal fans to sign a one-year deal
with the Red Wings and pursue the Stanley Cup that has eluded him
throughout his 17-season career.
His departure doesn't compare at all to the likes of Sundin, Bourque and
Modano.
"A more apt comparison for Alfredsson leaving Ottawa might be Brett Favre
leaving the Green Bay Packers," Grange writes. "In situations like that it's
hard to make it to the other side alive.
"It's hard to be so closely woven into the fabric of a city — to help coach his
boys in minor hockey and be a spokesman for mental health and other
charity work — and to be present for every meaningful hockey memory
every Senators fan has ever had and then leave and not feel the wrath. It's
a thin line between love and hate and Alfredsson just might find out how
delicate that line is.
"As someone said on Twitter Friday: 'Good luck selling your house when it's
covered in egg.' Every hockey fan in Ottawa had only one image in their
minds when they thought of Alfredsson. He was No. 11: the gritty, smart,
caring captain who was front and centre of nearly everything that had ever
happened to their team, for better or worse.
"Good luck to him. No matter what happens from here, his career will never
be the same."
LOCAL
• Detroit News: Give general manager Ken Holland credit for making the
Red Wings a better team with the moves he made – and didn't make –
during the first day of free agency, writes Gregg Krupa. "Last season,
Holland's club was thrice within a game of eliminating the eventual Stanley
Cup champions, the Blackhawks, a team so stacked with talent it easily was
confused with a pre-cap club. And now, amid cat-calls from the bleachers,
Holland entered the game and produced once again. That loud popping you
heard this week, sounding like tightly wrapped cowhide into leather? It was
Holland's fastball. Alfredsson. POP! Weiss. POP! Not signing Vincent
Lecavalier for nearly $5 million per each of five years? POP! Not signing
David Clarkson for slightly more than $5 million per seven years? POP! So
much for Holland's problems with velocity, eh, folks?"
NATIONAL
• ESPN.com: Adding Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss makes the Red Wings
contenders for a division championship, writes Pierre LeBrun. "The Red
Wings will challenge the Bruins for the division title in their new Eastern digs
next year, which is why it's no small achievement Daniel Alfredsson chose
Detroit over Boston. Overall, what a day for the Wings in finding a No. 2
center in Stephen Weiss plus the luxury of adding a veteran presence in
Alfredsson. It allows Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to play on the
same line. And it gives Detroit a more productive second line that they had
this past year. The Wings are back, baby."
• USA Today: No team did better than the Red Wings on the first day of free
agency, writes Kevin Allen. "When the Red Wings landed Daniel Alfredsson
and Stephen Weiss, it was as if the franchise turned back the clock to the
• Ottawa Sun: Alfredsson's decision to leave Ottawa had more to do with
better odds of winning his first Stanley Cup in Detroit, wirtes Bruce
Garrioch. It boiled down to negotiations that quickly went sour with general
manager Bryan Murray after Alfredsson played for $1 million last season. "A
45-minute meeting between the two sides may have been the beginning of
the end for Alfredsson in Ottawa, It's believed during the session, the two
sides exchanged ideas about numbers. The Senators were in the $4-million
range on a one-year deal, while Alfredsson's camp wanted a two-year
contract at $6 million per season. The reasoning? Alfredsson felt he'd get
that much on the open market.Though Murray didn't disagree, the Senators
wanted him to return on a one-year deal. That was the first hurdle the two
sides had to climb to get a contract done. The word is Alfredsson wasn't
thrilled with the initial meeting. He had played out the contract for $1 million
when he had really wanted an extension last summer and didn't like what
(agent J.P.) Barry heard from Murray in the meeting. While all of this was
happening, Alfredsson was reminded by Barry that, as a UFA, he had the
right to 'shop himself around.' That gave Alfredsson pause. It was then he
started thinking about moving on and chasing a ring."
• Ottawa Sun: Alfredsson was the "greatest and most popular athlete"
Ottawa has ever known, writes Don Brennan, but that doesn't mean fans
should let him off the hook for leaving town. "Yes, Alfredsson earns the right
to work where he wants after all he has done in Ottawa. But his timing for
making this decision sucks. The Flames traded Jarome Iginla to Pittsburgh
for a first-round pick and two college prospects at the deadline. It stands to
figure Alfredsson would have fetched the Senators a similar return. Instead,
they get zip for a guy that has made about $70 million from the organization
-- granted while giving plenty back -- in the last 18 years. It would have
even been easier to stomach had Alfredsson not waited until late Thursday
night to let the Senators know of his plans. Nobody is wishing ill will on
Alfredsson now, but if I'm the Senators I may be less inclined to offer him a
cushy front office job after he retires. At the very least, I don't go out of my
way to create one for him, whereas that would have been the case before
all this went down. The thing is, Alfredsson might have had a better chance
to win a Cup in Ottawa than Detroit, with Ryan as a teammate here. He
knew Murray was poised to make that trade. Yet the captain still decided to
jump ship, tarnishing his legacy in the process."
• CBC.ca: Not all Canadian hockey fans are upset that Alfredsson left
Ottawa to sign with the Red Wings. In fact, many of them wish him well and
hope he enjoys success in Detroit. A poll asked "Do you hope Daniel
Alfredsson wins a Stanley Cup with Detroit?" and as of noon Saturday, the
majority of the voters said yes. There were 2,672 voters (58.87 of all ballots
cast) who answered "Yes, he gave his all with Ottawa" while 1,867 voted
"No, I wish he would have won a Cup in Ottawa."
• Ottawa Sun: Alfredsson's decision to leave Ottawa and sign with the Red
Wings stunned his former teammates, writes Garrioch. "Nobody ever
envisioned Alfredsson not being in an Ottawa uniform, but all good things
must end. In this case, he decided he wanted to chase his dream of winning
a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings.That doesn't mean his former
teammates have to like it. Senators defenceman Marc Methot wasn't
expecting the news. 'It's very disappointing,' said Methot. 'The biggest thing
is it caught a lot of us off guard. We all were pretty adamant that he was
going to return because he is grounded in this city and so well-loved that
(everyone figured) something would work out. 'He's got the right to do what
he wants to do. He has meant everything to this city. It's just a really a
tough situation because it's happening in the middle of the summer. If it was
happening at the trade deadline and the team wasn't doing so well, it'd be
different. It's something we have to deal with.' "
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Detroit Red Wings
They need to shed salary and clear roster spots, but there is no rush.
Rosters must be finalized a day or two before the season.
Red Wings' outlook brighter after 'tremendous upgrade' with Stephen
Weiss, Daniel Alfredsson
“We obviously got a couple of extra players; we think we’re a work-inprogress,'' Holland said. “I’d still like to look at making a move or two, but it
might take a month or two to finally shape our roster.''
Ansar Khan on July 06, 2013 at 7:01 AM
Last summer was a huge disappointment for the Red Wings. The premier
free agents – defenseman Ryan Suter and left wing Zach Parise -- spurned
lucrative offers to sign even bigger deals with the Minnesota Wild.
DETROIT -- The first day of free agency Friday was a good day for the
Detroit Red Wings.
With the exception of Brunner, most of the players the Red Wings acquired
(Mikael Samuelsson, Jordin Tootoo, Jonas Gustavsson and Carlo
Colaiacovo) had limited or no impact, several spending a good chunk of the
season on injured reserve.
General manager Ken Holland called it a great day.
It was like the old days, when the Red Wings made headlines every offseason by acquiring big-name players.
Twelve months later, they have a lot of the right pieces.
The Red Wings landed their main target – skilled second-line center
Stephen Weiss – plucking him out of the Florida sunshine for five years at
$24.5 million.
“I feel good about our nucleus,'' Holland said. “I feel good that Pavel
Datsyuk re-upped ( three years) and we have Pav around for four more
years. We believe that we have a tremendous goaltender in Jimmy Howard
(signed for six years). With the addition of Alfie and Stephen, we think we’re
going to be a lot deeper up front.''
That came shortly after they reeled in right wing Daniel Alfredsson for one
year at $5.5 million in a stunning move, convincing the future Hall of Famer
who spent his entire 17-year career in Ottawa that he would have a better
chance to win his first Stanley Cup in Detroit.
The annual forecasts of demise for the franchise will take a hiatus this year.
The 22-season playoff streak should not be in jeopardy. Their acquisitions,
coupled with growth from young players, should make the Red Wings a
formidable club once again.
The Red Wings lost a couple of skilled forwards: Valtteri Filppula sought
greener pastures in Tampa Bay (five years, $25 million) and Damien
Brunner turned down their offers to seek a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
Michigan Live LOADED: 07.07.2013
Holland isn't done making moves – he's still talking to forward Daniel
Cleary. If Cleary leaves, Brenden Morrow is a potential replacement.
Whatever transpires, this summer already is guaranteed to be much better
for the Red Wings than last year.
“It’s certainly an extremely exciting day in Detroit for our team,'' Holland
said. “As we headed into this offseason and into the free agency period we
had some needs. We wanted more scoring. Daniel’s been one of the great
scorers in the National Hockey League, and Stephen Weiss, one of the
finest playmakers in Florida.
“Both players provide leadership and character. I think it’s going to allow
(coach) Mike Babcock more balance as we put our lines together coming
into training camp.''
The Red Wings have a much brighter outlook heading into 2013-14 as they
move to the Eastern Conference, joining a division with Boston, Buffalo,
Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Florida and Tampa Bay.
This is a deeper, more confident club, one that battled to make the playoffs
on the final day of the season and then came within a goal of eliminating
the Chicago Blackhawks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup, in the
second round of the playoffs.
Young players gained valuable experience, several of them playing key
roles in the Grand Rapids Griffins' AHL championship run.
Stephen-WeissStephen Weiss was the Red Wings' priority in filling their
second-line center spot.The Associated Press
Now, the Red Wings have upgraded their skill level with Alfredsson and
Weiss, who make players around them better.
Also consider that they will have talented defenseman Danny DeKeyser for
a full season and young forwards Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson
will be with the club from the start.
In addition, Holland said he's been told third-line center Darren Helm is
feeling good heading into development camp next week, when he'll test his
ailing back, which limited him to just one game all season. A healthy Helm
would be akin to adding a key free agent.
“When you think about adding Steve and Alfie and Darren Helm to our
team, from last year’s team, would be a tremendous, tremendous upgrade,''
Holland said.
The Red Wings have 22 players signed for $65 million, just over the $64.3
million salary cap (a team can exceed the cap by 10 percent in the offseason). They will have 25 players, two over the roster limit, once they sign
restricted free agents Brendan Smith, Nyquist and Andersson.
684249
Detroit Red Wings
Daniel Cleary not close to re-signing with Wings
By CHUCK PLEINESS
Saturday, July 6,2013
DETROIT – The Wings would like Daniel Cleary back, but as of now there’s
nothing close to being done.
Detroit has not agreed with Cleary on a three-year contract that will pay him
roughly $2.6 million a season.
The sticking point is the salary cap.
They’d like to have Cleary back, but only if they’re able to shed some salary
first.
Teams can go 10-percent over the salary cap during the offseason, but
that’s something they don’t want to do.
In the meantime, Cleary is free to sign with any other team if he gets the
deal he’s looking for.
The Wings, who signed Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss on Friday,
currently have 14 forwards under contract and two more restricted free
agents – Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson – that will be resigned
sometime this summer.
Cleary, who had nine goals and six assists in 48 games during the lockoutshortened season last year, has flourished since he joined the Wings for the
2005-06 season.
He’s spent eight seasons in Detroit and has reached the 20-goal plateau
three times.
He was also the team’s second leading scorer in last year’s playoffs with
four goals and six assists in 10 games.
Cleary was a first round draft pick, 13th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks
in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
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Detroit Red Wings
Stephen Weiss compared to Steve Yzerman growing up
every year is to win the Stanley Cup and to come to a team and be a part of
that is really exciting. I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to come to this
team and do everything in my power to help out and fit in and do what I can
to help the Red Wings reach that ultimate goal.”
The Wings have made 22 straight postseason appearances.
By CHUCK PLEINESS
Saturday, July 6,2013
DETROIT – When Stephen Weiss was growing up and playing juniors in
Plymouth, a comparison to his style of game surfaced quickly and thus a
nickname was born.
Weiss was simply known as “Weisserman”.
His play was comparable to former Red Wing Steve Yzerman.
“The comparisons at that age were a little scary,” Weiss said. “But I think it
came from playing a two-way game and being responsible one both sides
of the puck and that’s something that I take a lot of pride in.
“The Red Wings were always a team I looked at growing up,” Weiss
continued. “I always dreamt of playing for the Wings one day. And to have
them interested in me and to have that opportunity is just awesome. Words
can’t really express that right now.”
Weiss played three seasons with the Whalers, averaging nearly 75 points a
season. His best season was 2000-01 when he scored 40 goals and had 47
assists in 62 games.
“Playing up against the best players and trying to shut them down and also
being accountable offensively too, I think that’s where those comparisons
came from,” Weiss said. “Obviously, we’ve had pretty different careers to
this date, but it’s neat to come back to a city where I’ve played before and
used to watch the Wings and watch Steve play there before, and wondered
about maybe playing for that franchise one day.”
Weiss will get to do just that at least for the next five seasons after inking a
deal on the opening day of free agency Friday for $4.9 million a season.
“It’s kind of surreal, but I’m not coming there looking to be anything that he
was,” said Weiss, who averaged nearly 30 goals in three seasons with
Plymouth. “I’m going to play my own game and do what’s asked of me and
just try to help the team win in all of our games and listen to the guys who
have been there before.”
Daniel Alfredsson was the first to sign on Friday with the Wings, one year at
$5.5 million.
Weiss, who was able to attend a number of games at Joe Louis Area while
playing for Plymouth, was that second-line center Detroit coveted in free
agency when it became apparent that Valtteri Filppula had priced himself
out of the Wings’ plans.
Weiss, who missed the final 26 games of last season with a wrist injury,
does lack size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), but has an offensive upside, scoring
20 or more goals four times in the past seven seasons.
With Weiss the Wings have more flexibility in their forward lines and could
allow them to play Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk together more
often.
“I think when you look at Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk and when
coach said he wanted to put those two together and have me in the two
spot it’s pretty exciting,” Weiss said. “Getting a chance to play with those
two players and learn from them, those are two of the top (forwards) in the
game and see what they do on a daily basis and try and get better as a
player.”
In 654 career games he has 145 goals and 249 assists.
Weiss, 30, was the fourth overall pick by the Florida Panthers in the 2001
NHL Entry Draft and spent his first 11 seasons there.
He made the playoffs just once with Florida, which what made Detroit that
much more appealing.
“Coming from Florida and being there for about (11) years, only playing in
the playoffs one year it was a pretty easy decision to come and play for the
Red Wings organization that’s had the culture of winning over the years,”
said Weiss, who made $4.1 million last season with Florida. “Their goal
“I’m looking forward to the pressure of playing in that type of market,” Weiss
said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done it, but I’m hungry to be a part of
that type of situation again. I think my game will thrive.
“(I’m going to) listen to the Zetterbergs and Datsyuks, Kronwalls and
Franzens, and guy like that who have played years in the playoffs and guys
like Alfie as well, who have a lot of experience,” Weiss continued. “I’m going
to come there and learn and help out as much as I can.”
Weiss will have to face his former team four or five times next season with
at least two of the meetings taking place in Florida.
Detroit jumps to the Eastern Conference next season to compete in a yetto-be-named division with the Panthers, Ottawa, Boston, Toronto, Montreal,
Buffalo and Tampa Bay.
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Edmonton Oilers
Oilers sign goalie Bachman to one-year deal
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal July 6, 2013 3:52 PM
EDMONTON - A few more check marks were added to Craig MacTavish’s
to-do list on Saturday.
In need of a goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers farm team, the general
manager signed goaltender Richard Bachman to a one-year deal, one day
after the initial flood of free agent signings around the NHL.
The 5-foot-10, 172-pound native of Salt Lake City had spent the last four
seasons in the Dallas Stars organization, playing 84 games for the Texas
Stars in the American Hockey League.
Bachman does have 32 games in the NHL to draw on, including the 13 he
played in 2012-2013 in place of Kari Lehtonen, so he’ll pick up where Yann
Danis left off. Danis, who had been the Oklahoma City Barons netminder
since 2011, left the Oilers farm team on Friday, signing with the
Philadelphia Flyers.
Bachman, 6-5 for the Stars in 2012-2013 with a .885 save percentage and
a 3.25 goals against average, was not qualified by the Stars and entered
the free agent market. The Stars, in turn, signed veteran Dan Ellis to back
up Lehtonen this season.
The 25-year-old Bachman is the only Utah-born goaltender to play in the
NHL. He’ll be challenged by Olivier Roy and perhaps Tyler Bunz, who had
spent last season with the ECHL Stockton Thunder.
The Oilers, in a swap of defensive draft picks with the San Jose Sharks,
also acquired defenceman Lee Moffie from in exchange for Kyle Bigos. The
2009 draft pick has spent the last four seasons at Merrimack College and is
in need of a contract.
Moffie, a six-foot-one, 205-pound selection of the Sharks in the 2010 draft,
has been at the University of Michigan registering 13 points and 46 PIMs in
40 games in 2012-2013.
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Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers sign up Ryan Jones, who “hopes to prove the doubters
wrong.”
July 6, 2013. 2:22 pm
David Staples
On his Twitter feed, Oilers winger Ryan Jones announced he has signed
with Edmonton for another year.
“In the words of Eminem, ‘It feels so good to be back!!’ #OilCity”
Jones later added, “Excited to get to wear the Oil drop for another year.
Hoping to prove the doubters wrong and help this team return to the ‘glory
days!’”
Jones had two solid seasons as third and fourth line winger on the Oilers
from 2010-12, scoring 18 and 17 goals, but after a freak eye injury, scored
just two goals in 27 games last season. He was a healthy scratch a handful
of games, and looked like he might be on the way out.
Take Our Poll
My take
I like the signing. In the right role, that of a crasher and checker, Jones, 29,
can be a useful bottom-line NHL player. He’s a decent penalty killer as well.
He’s more than 200 pounds, a hustler, a fast skater, a decent along the
boards.
Jones played weak hockey against mediocre competition last season, but
how much of that was due to the lock-out and his injury? It seems to me
that after initial burst when he got into the line-up, he was out of sync all
year. This is not uncommon with hockey players, and it’s no good reason to
discard a useful player, unless you’re convinced the drop in play is
permanent, due to age, injury or motivation.
He’s got no shortage of critics in Oil Country, bloggers and fans who accuse
him of “cheating for offence,” but he’s can play strong defensive hockey if
tasked with that job, as he’s demonstrated on the penalty kill. He’s
sometimes been part of units that have struggled to cycle the puck and
defend, but playing with the likes of failing players such as Eric Belanger
and Ryan Whitney will not help your shots-at-net (Corsi) plus-minus
numbers. One major mistake by one of them and you can tally up a good
number of shots against on a shift through no fault of your own.
On the attack, he plays direct hockey, going straight to the net, and on a
team of fancy pants types, his crash adds to the mix.
On a line with newly-acquired centre Boyd Gordon, Jones could be part of a
group that holds in check the strongest attacking units of opposing teams.
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Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers sign goaltender Richard Bachman to a one-year contract
July 6, 2013. 9:44 am •
Jonathan Willis
After securing a backup NHL goaltender in the first day of free agency, the
Oilers turned their attention to their minor-league affiliate in Oklahoma on
day two, adding a new starting netminder for the Barons. The team
announced early Saturday that Richard Bachman, formerly of the Dallas
(and the AHL’s Texas) Stars, had agreed to a one-year contract. Bachman
will fill a need at both the minor and major-league level, providing Oklahoma
with a number one goalie and the Oilers with a third-string recall option who
can fill in as needed if injuries hit.
The addition of Bachman was necessary after the club decided not to resign incumbent Yann Danis. Danis, a 32-year old with more than 50 games
of NHL experience, had been exceptional for the Barons in 2011-12,
winning the AHL’s goalie of the year award, but suffered through a much
more difficult 2012-13 campaign. Danis will move on to the Philadelphia
Flyers organization, where he will likely fill the same role.
Bachman, who turns 26 later this month, is significantly younger than Danis
and brings a professional resume that has had some ups and downs. He
spent most of the last two seasons as the Stars’ backup goaltender,
winning the job on merit in 2011-12 with a 0.909 save percentage over 18
contests but then losing it the same way in 2013 by posting a 0.885 save
percentage over 13 games. 2011-12 also wasn’t an especially good year in
the minors, as he managed a lousy 0.887 save percentage in 15 games
with Texas.
Why would the Stars promote an AHL goaltender who had struggles to the
NHL backup job? Why would the Oilers take on a player who had
subsequently fallen out of favour with Dallas? Circumstances doubtless
played a role, but the fact is that the short-term track record likely doesn’t
do Bachman justice as a goalie.
The following are Bachman’s career numbers in the last four leagues he
played in:
- WCHA: 70 games played, 0.922 save percentage
- ECHL: 35 games played, 0.910 save percentage
- AHL: 84 games played, 0.920 save percentage
- NHL: 32 games played, 0.901 save percentage
Aside from the ECHL numbers – Bachman’s first year as a professional
goalie – everything there indicates a player capable of starting at the AHL
level. Bachman’s work in college was strong. He had a so-so debut as a
professional in the lower minors, but his AHL track record taken as a whole
is quite strong. He hasn’t performed at a backup level in the majors but his
numbers aren’t miserable, either – essentially, he has played like a typical
fill-in goalie.
Bachman doesn’t bring the same level of experience that previous
Oklahoma starters such as Danis and Martin Gerber have, but then the
Oilers don’t need it now the way they have in past years. With injury-prone
Nikolai Khabibulin in one of the top two jobs in the NHL, having an NHLready third goalie was a necessity; now, depth in that position is still ideal
but not nearly as vital.
The Oilers tried hard to land a legitimate NHL prospect like Antti Raanta to
fill the same role. They weren’t able to land one, but they did acquire a
player who can help keep the Barons competitive and fill in if necessary.
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Edmonton Oilers
Ryan Jones signs one-year contract with the Oilers
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal July 6, 2013
EDMONTON - So Ryan Jones will have a chance to hit the reset button,
after all.
The winger will be back for another season with the Edmonton Oilers,
signing a one-year contract one day after he had been on the free agent
market.
An Oiler since 2010, Jones had expressed all along that he wanted to
return, that his preference was to stay with the organization, but there were
times in 2012-2013 when it looked like his days in Edmonton might be over.
He got into the lineup 17 games after the lockout-shortened season was
underway — because of an eye injury — then he struggled to find traction.
He was a healthy scratch under head coach Ralph Krueger for five games,
and by season’s end, admitted he was frustrated with the way he was being
utilized.
But Krueger has since been replaced by Dallas Eakins and Craig
MacTavish has replaced Steve Tambellini as the general manager, so
Jones will get another shot.
He re-signed for $1.5-million, which is what he was making on his previous
deal.
“It was no secret that there wasn’t a place for me under the (former)
management, then MacT took over and I had had some dialogue with him,”
Jones said on Saturday. “He had expressed to me that he wanted me to
come back but that he also wanted to see what their options were and he
wanted me to look at mine.
“I just told (MacTavish) that I wasn’t sure if there was a player more excited
in wanting the season to start, more than me, just because of what I went
through last year. Whatever the circumstances were, I underperformed —
for my own goals and ultimately what people were expecting of me.
“But I’m working hard this summer to return to the numbers and position I
hope to be in to help the team,” he said.
“I need to be a guy who can go up and down the lineup, penalty kill, just be
a versatile player. He wants me to be more of a pest out there, a guy who’s
hard to play against, and I agreed. That’s something I need to have in my
game to make me effective.”
Jones, 29, was an effective bottom-six winger before the lockout. Then he
was hit by a puck in a conditioning skate on Dec. 31 – an injury that
required not only surgery but a stretch of time where he couldn’t even
workout, setting him back for his return.
He played just 27 games last season, registering two goals and five assists.
The season before, he scored 17 goals and added 16 assists in 79 games.
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Los Angeles Kings
Player evaluation: Fraser
Posted by JonRosen on 6 July 2013, 12:20 pm
COLIN FRASER
This season: 34 games, 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points, 25 penalty minutes,
minus-4 rating.
The good: An energy line center, Fraser continues to etch out his role in the
game’s less glamorous moments. Though he was only one point off his
2011-12 production despite playing in 33 fewer games, the offense that
Fraser provides is an added bonus, and his responsibility gravitates more
towards his ability to create tough minutes for the opposition as he throws
his body around while generating energy and momentum for his
teammates. He was a physical presence when called upon and recorded a
“hit” for every 4:29 he was on the ice this season. Only Kyle Clifford, who
registered one hit every for every 3:17 of ice time, logged more hits per
minute on the team – even Dustin Brown recorded one hit for every 5:45 of
ice time he earned. The Kings are built strongly down the middle, and
Fraser’s skill set allows him to forecheck and remain useful within the
team’s heavy identity. He averaged roughly a shift of penalty killing time per
game and has succeeded in such situations in the past. There’s nothing
surprising in Fraser’s game; the two-time Stanley Cup winner understands
his responsibility well and rarely strays from a north-south effort. Jocular,
opinionated and mature, he’s well thought of by reporters and broadcasters
as much as he’s admired by his teammates, amongst whom he has
seamlessly meshed with since joining the organization in the summer of
2011. “Leadership” and “support of his teammates” will always be hockey
abstracts associated with the former Red Deer Rebels captain who is never
tentative in inserting himself into the game’s edgier moments.
The bad: As Jewels from the Crown pointed out in their Fraser analysis, the
fourth line disproportionately opened shifts against easier competition and
in the offensive zone. He took a forward corps-low 19 shots on goal all
season – a number eclipsed by Simon Gagne and Tyler Toffoli, both of
whom played in a third of as many games. Fraser is not among the highskill players on the team and won’t be associated with an ability to generate
much offense, and considering he scored twice on his 19 shots, a
significant spike in production isn’t likely to come over the course of the next
82 games. His 46.4% success rate on faceoffs was the lowest amongst
regular centers (Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Stoll, Fraser). Any negatives
associated with Fraser have to be shared with the skaters he shared his
time on the ice with, as Los Angeles’ fourth line wasn’t as consistently
effective as it was late in the 2011-12 season and during the 2012 Stanley
Cup Playoffs, when it provided the team a significant advantage in head-tohead matchups.
Going forward: Fraser enters the final year of his two-year, 1.65 million
dollar contract motivated by his desire to remain in the lineup for the full 82
games and to bolster his NHL stock beyond July 1, 2014. Sutter has
praised Fraser’s hockey intelligence in the past, and the Kings are generally
at their most effective when he pivots the fourth line. There will be
competition for ice time even with the removal of Brad Richardson from the
rotation, and Fraser will need to maintain the ferocity in his play to remain
an effective role player under Sutter’s good graces. As a tireless worker
who plays the game honestly, Fraser should be well equipped for the
challenge.
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Minnesota Wild
young players up against anybody,” adding, “I’m just telling you, the calls
I’m getting, I could trade every one of those kids today.”
Wild Insider: Roster changes provide opportunity for younger players
With Fletcher, you always feel he’s got a splash in the works. If so, it’s
probably next summer — not this one.
Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune
The Wild has more than $20 million of cap space next summer, plus the
cap’s expected to increase. That’s before a Pominville extension that is
likely on the horizon.
Updated: July 6, 2013 - 11:21 PM
With the departure of several veterans, now is the time for many of the
Wild’s younger players.
The Wild made the playoffs for the first time in five years last season.
Gone from that team are forwards Matt Cullen, Cal Clutterbuck, Devin
Setoguchi and Pierre-Marc Bouchard and defensemen Tom Gilbert and
Justin Falk.
If the Wild’s going to avoid taking a step back next season, recently
acquired 20-year-old winger Nino Niederreiter and second-year forwards
Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker and Mikael Granlund will need to contribute
significantly.
“The kids are a huge part of our upside and potential, and with that we have
to give them a chance to grow,” coach Mike Yeo said Saturday — one day
after the Wild lost Cullen and Bouchard to free agency, traded Setoguchi
and signed veterans Matt Cooke and Keith Ballard.
“With that also comes mistakes, and certainly there’s pressure to win and
we’re going to be expecting to win, but on top of that, we have to
understand that the kids can’t be perfect and we have to have some
patience to try to help them next year. It’s our job as coaches to develop
them.”
Yeo reminded that the Wild has a solid base of veterans returning, from
captain Mikko Koivu to leading scorer Zach Parise to last year’s tradedeadline pickup, Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville, to goal scorer
Dany Heatley to, of course, Norris Trophy finalist and first-team All-Star
Ryan Suter.
Yeo will be expecting a bounceback year from Kyle Brodziak and vows Wild
fans will grow to appreciate all the areas the 34-year-old Cooke can
contribute.
Many fans freaked Friday night when General Manager Chuck Fletcher
signed Cooke, controversial for his long list of questionable hits, to a threeyear, $7.5 million deal.
“I’ve got firsthand knowledge of the person and the teammate and the
player he is, so we’re real confident that he’s going to come in and be a
great fit,” said Yeo, who coached Cooke as an assistant in Pittsburgh.
Yeo continued with a laugh: “I don’t want to say he’s misunderstood, but
he’s evolved. He’s a smart guy and as he’s gotten older and the game’s
changed, his game has changed with it. He plays a hard but honest game.”
Cooke is a terrific penalty killer. The Wild’s penalty kill ranked 18th last
year. Pittsburgh’s ranked 25th, but it was in the top 10 (and top three twice)
in Cooke’s first four years there.
“He was a huge key for us when we won the Stanley Cup [in 2009],” Yeo
said.
With the Wild leaving just enough cap space for injury call-ups, there’s not a
lot left Fletcher can do in free agency.
As of now, the answer to replace the 36-year-old Cullen (1,073 NHL
games) as second-line center will be 21-year-olds Coyle or Granlund
(combined 64 games).
“We’ll see if they’re ready for it,” Fletcher said. “Granlund’s a talented,
young player and we feel he’ll be a good NHL player in time. Whether that
happens right away or not will be up to him. Charlie Coyle’s a player that
proved to all of us that he can play in the NHL last year.”
A center for much of his career, Coyle played right wing on the Wild last
season. But in exit meetings in May, Coyle was told to prepare for a
potential position change. He says he’s ready for it.
Fletcher says he is confident with the Wild’s forward depth, loving the mix of
veterans and kids. Talking about all his prospects, Fletcher said, “I’ll put our
Unless he’s going to dip into his prospect pool, Fletcher doesn’t have a ton
of trading options. Some speculate Heatley and his $7.5 million cap hit are
on the block, but Heatley has an annual provision in his contract where he
supplies a list of 10 teams to which he won’t accept a trade.
One player the Wild may be interested in is former Gophers star Thomas
Vanek. The Buffalo Sabres are shopping him because he is one year from
unrestricted free agency. But the Wild can’t currently take on next season’s
$7.14 million cap hit. Plus, after already trading Buffalo four assets for
Pominville in April, the Wild may as well wait and try to sign Vanek as a free
agent next summer.
The Wild likely has the inside shot anyway. He lives here, went to the U and
was linemates and buddies in Buffalo with Pominville. Vanek isn’t worrying
about his future, his agent, Steve Bartlett, said.
“Despite the rumors that Thomas may be traded, at this point, he’s just
taking it day to day,” Bartlett said. “If he’s back with the Sabres, fine, and a
year from now he’ll get to decide his ultimate destination.”
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Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens sign free agent Fournier to three-year deal
MONTREAL — The Canadian Press
Published Saturday, Jul. 06 2013, 3:17 PM EDT
Last updated Saturday, Jul. 06 2013, 3:26 PM EDT
The Montreal Canadiens have signed free agent forward Stefan Fournier to
a three-year contract.
Fournier had 35 goals and 72 points for the Memorial Cup-champion
Halifax Mooseheads in the 2012-13 regular season.
He added 16 goals and 13 assists in 17 playoff contests, including three
points in the tournament final last May in Saskatoon.
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Montreal Canadiens
Jaromir Jagr interested in playing for Canadiens
By QMI Agency
Free agent forward Jaromir Jagr is interested in signing with the Montreal
Canadiens.
Jagr's agent, Petr Svoboda, confirmed that the eighth leading scorer in NHL
history is in talks with the Habs in the hopes he can play with Czech
compatriot Tomas Plekanec.
"Jaromir always wanted to play in Montreal," Svoboda told TVA Sports. "We
discussed with [CEO] Marc Bergevin [Friday]. The interest is mutual, but the
decision is now up to the Canadiens."
Svoboda knows the city of Montreal as he played for the Habs from 1984 to
1992, hoisting the Stanley Cup in 1986.
"This is probably the best hockey market," said the former Habs
defenceman.
Jagr, 41, split his time last season with the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins,
scoring 16 goals and 35 points in 45 games.
But he struggled in the playoffs, netting only 10 assists in 22 games as the
Bruins lost the Cup final in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Montreal Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684259
New Jersey Devils
Devils believe they more-than-adequately replaced David Clarkson
Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger
on July 06, 2013 at 3:26 PM, updated July 06, 2013 at 5:10 PM
The Devils never did get over the loss of Parise, but they feel they more
than adequately made up for the departure of Clarkson with Ryder and
Clowe.
“I don’t think too much about it. Zach was a big part of the Devils for a long
time. When he moved on he was a tough player to replace,” Ryder said. “I
think Lou is doing a good job.
“For me it’s just playing the way I can. If I do that and produce I think I’ll
help the team win.”
The Devils do not yet have an assistant coach to replace Matt Shaw.
The moment David Clarkson and his representative rejected the Devils’
contract proposal on draft day (June 30), general manager Lou Lamoriello
had a backup plan.
And while the GM was hoping Clarkson would accept what he called “a
subsantial offer” and continue his career in New Jersey, Lamoriello wasn’t
the least bit flustered at losing the 29-year-old right winger. Not like he was
when Zach Parise left last summer.
In fact, Devils management believes Clowe could be an upgrade to
Clarkson.
“Once draft day went by we made a decision that, after the offer we made,
we were going to turn the page no matter what,” Lamoriello said today, “so
we focused on one person—Ryane Clowe. That’s obvious after what we
did.”
What surprised many people was the five-year, $24.25 million deal the
Devils gave Clowe. Is the former Rangers winger really worth that?
“You can be tough (with negotiations) and have no one,” Lamoriello said.
“You still have to win. You still have to fill the holes.
“It was (Clarkson’s) prerogative to leave. Look at what Zach was given by
Minnesota. I understand why he left. And Clarkson went home.”
Clarkson left for a seven-year, $36.75 million contract that averages $5.25
million per season. It wasn't Parise's 13-year, $98 million contract, but it
was too rich for the Devils.
So Lamoriello turned his attention to left wingers Clowe and Rostislav
Olesz, along with right winger Michael Ryder.
“When all was said and done I think we satisfied needs with proven players.
Not young players,” Lamoriello said. “We wanted to add a right wing scorer
and we were able to do that with Ryder.
“Olesz is one of those players who could be a real plus. It was a $700,000
contract. It’s only if he plays 60, 70 and 80 games that he gets (the
$300,000 bonus). He has a tremendous amount of skills and I really think
Patrik (Elias) can help him. He played for Pete (DeBoer) and Pete was
really high on him. We’ll have to see where Olesz fits.”
Ryder, 33, is a three-time 30-goal scorer, including 35 for Dallas in 2011-12.
His choice came down to the Bruins and Devils.
“I think it’s a great fit for me. I talked to Lou a couple of times and it seemed
like he really wanted me there,” Ryder said of the Devils. “It’s a good
situation. They’re going to give me an opportunity. It’s going to be great. I
think we’re going to have a good team and we’re going to have a lot of
success.
“I think Lou wants to win. They had a tough year last year, but the year
before they went to the Finals. I think he just wanted to put a few more
pieces of the puzzle together. Looking at the roster I think we’re going to
have a good team and I think we’re going to turn a lot of heads.”
Ryder (Bonavista) and Clowe (Fermeuse) are both from Newfoundland in
Canada. They got together back home on Friday after signing with the
Devils.
“We got together and chit-chatted about how it will be pretty neat to play
together,” Ryder said. “It’s not a big place here so we all pretty much know
each other.”
Asked about Clowe, Ryder said: “I haven’t played against him too much.
He’s a big power forward with offensive skills. He did well in San Jose. Last
year was a tough year for him, being traded and all that. I think he’s looking
forward to getting a fresh start.”
“We’re going to address that real soon. It really wasn’t a priority at this
point,” Lamoriello said.
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New Jersey Devils
Michael Ryder and Ryane Clowe are Devils' Newfoundland connection
Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger
on July 06, 2013 at 2:49 PM, updated July 06, 2013 at 2:53 PM
The Devils turned to Newfoundland in Canada yesterday in their effort to
begin improving a team that missed the 2013 playoffs.
So after Michael Ryder signed to a two-year, $7 million contract and Ryane
Clowe agreed to a five-year, $24.25 million deal with the Devils, they got
together in their home province. Ryder is from Bonavista and Clowe from
Fermeuse.
“We got together and chit-chatted about how it will be pretty neat to play
together,” Ryder said today. “It’s not a big place here so we all pretty much
know each other.”
Ryder said he spoke to another Newfoundland native, Darren Langdon,
about playing for the Devils. Langdon played 14 games for the Devils in
2005-06.
“I think it’s a great fit for me. I talked to Lou (Lamoriello) a couple of times
and it seemed like he really wanted me there,” Ryder said of the Devils. “It’s
a good situation. They’re going to give me an opportunity. It’s going to be
great. I think we’re going to have a good team and we’re going to have a lot
of success.
“I think Lou wants to win. They had a tough year last year, but the year
before they went to the Finals. I think he just wanted to put a few more
pieces of the puzzle together. Looking at the roster I think we’re going to
have a good team and I think we’re going to turn a lot of heads.”
Ryder, 33, said he spoke to a couple of NHL clubs early but it came down
to the Devils and Boston Bruins. He was a member of the Bruins team that
won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
“I just felt New Jersey was the best place for me,” he said.
No serious thoughts of returning to Boston?
“A little bit, but I was leaning more towards New Jersey than Boston,” Ryder
explained. “I had a good year there because we won the Cup, but they
didn’t re-sign me. I kind of wanted to move on.”
As for moving on, the Devils have lost two top forwards in the last two
summers via free agency. Zach Parise signed with the Minnesota Wild last
year and David Clarkson signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday.
The perception is the Devils were never able to replace Parise, but they feel
they replaced Clarkson with Ryder and Clowe.
“Other than (Clowe) I don’t know too many guys too well,” Ryder said with a
laugh.
“I don’t think too much about it. Zach was a big part of the Devils for a long
time. When he moved on he was a tough player to replace,” Ryder said. “I
think Lou is doing a good job.
“For me it’s just playing the way I can. If I do that and produce I think I’ll
help the team win.”
Ryder said right wing is his best position.
“I prefer right wing but I played left wing a few times last year in Montreal
and in Dallas,” he said. “I have no idea who I’ll play with. They just said I’d
be a top forward and get some power play time.”
Asked about Clowe, Ryder said they skate in summer together twice a
week.
“I haven’t played against him too much. He’s a big power forward with
offensive skills,” Ryder said. “He did well in San Jose. Last year was a
tough year for him, being traded and all that. I think he’s looking forward to
getting a fresh start.”
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New Jersey Devils
Newest Devils Ryane Clowe, Michael Ryder were friends before they were
teammates
Sunday, July 7, 2013
BY TOM GULITTI
After signing with the Devils as unrestricted free agents Friday, Michael
Ryder and Ryane Clowe didn't waste time starting their relationship as
teammates.
They already knew each other because both are from Newfoundland –
Ryder, 33, is from Bonavista and Clowe, 30, is from Fermeuse – so they
met up to talk about their future playing together in New Jersey.
"We just got together and just chit-chatted about it," Ryder said Saturday.
"It's going to be pretty neat playing with one another, that's what we said."
As Ryder explained about Newfoundland, "It's not a big place here."
"So, we all pretty much know each other and hang out," Ryder said. "We
golf with one another quite often."
It turns out Clowe is the only one of his new teammates whom Ryder knows
well. They skate together sometimes during the summer, So, it worked out
that they signed with the Devils on the same day – Clowe getting a five-year
contract for $24.25 million and Ryder signing for two years, $7 million.
Ryder, a three-time 30-goal scorer, said he spoke "to a couple of teams
earlier in the day" Friday, but the Devils and Boston were the two finalists.
Although Ryder won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, they opted not
to re-sign him after that season.
In the end, he decided against going back for a second go-around.
"I was leaning a lot more towards New Jersey definitely than Boston," he
said. "I just didn't know if I wanted to go back there. We had a good last
year, obviously, because we won the Cup, but then they didn't re-sign me. I
kind of wanted to move on, I guess."
After talking to general manager Lou Lamoriello, Ryder felt the Devils would
give him the best opportunity.
"I think it's a great fit for me," Ryder said. "I was talking to Lou a couple of
times, and it seemed like he really wanted me there and it was a good
situation. They were going to give me an opportunity, and I think it's going
to be great. I think we're going to have a good team, and we're going to
have a lot of success there."
Although the Devils missed the playoffs two of the past three seasons,
Ryder believes he's joining a team with a good chance to win, noting they
reached the Stanley Cup Finals just a year ago.
"Lou, I think, he wants to win," Ryder said. "When I was talking to him, he
mentioned they really want to win, and they had a tough year last year, but
the year before [they] went to the Finals. I think Lou wants to put a little
more pieces of the puzzle together, and by looking at the roster I think we're
going to have a good team and we're going to turn a lot of heads."
Bergen Record LOADED: 07.07.2013
684262
New Jersey Devils
Ryane Clowe, Nathan Horton signings show that NHL teams are still
spending despite lower salary cap
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Sunday, July 7, 2013, 12:26 AM
Former NY Ranger Ryane Clowe earns a nice payday with the Devils,
thanks to a 5-year, $24.25 million contract.
So much for a slow opening to free agency.
Despite nearly half of the NHL’s 30 teams entering Friday with fewer than
$10 million to upgrade their roster according to Capgeek.com, dollars flew
out of owners’ wallets and into the pockets of players who just weeks ago
had been uncertain of their bargaining power in a seemingly shrinking
market.
Ryane Clowe, 30, a forward the Rangers had traded three draft picks to
acquire on April 2 but couldn’t afford due to their lack of salary cap space,
signed a whopping five-year, $24.25 million deal with the rival Devils just an
hour into the free agency window. Scoring winger Nathan Horton, 28, who
played in two Finals series with Boston and won the 2011 Stanley Cup,
raked in a max-length seven-year, $37.1 million contract from the Columbus
Blue Jackets.
That was just in the Rangers’ division, realigned in the NHL’s new format.
Though operating in a new labor climate with more restrictions, owners and
general managers proved just as they had during the previous collective
bargaining agreement that they will take as much room as the NHL and
players’ association give them.
In the days leading up to free agency, one agent suggested that while the
previous CBA had impacted players under contract the most — with a 24%
rollback in their existing pay — the short-term casualties of the new
agreement would be this summer’s free agents.
In theory, the argument made sense: the salary cap upper limit is shrinking
from this season’s $70.2 million to $64.3 in 2013-14, shrinking the pool of
available money for teams to spend. The early spending spree could fizzle
out, but nobody saw this flurry coming.
Rangers GM Glen Sather worried aloud Wednesday on behalf of players: “I
think there’s gonna be an awful lot of guys that aren’t gonna get jobs. I
mean, there’s a lot of guys around this year. The cap has dropped, and
people are making changes. And you’re signing kids — you want to give
them a chance. You don’t want to eliminate anybody that is good enough to
play.”
That was part of Sather’s rationale for holding onto Brad Richards’ $6.67
million cap hit for one more season. The GM valued the certainty of
knowing who Richards is over replacing him with an unknown from the free
agent market.
But many teams also freed up cash by using at least one of two allowed
compliance buyouts afforded them in the new agreement to eliminate
similar dead-weight cap space. The Rangers, who used their first buyout on
defenseman Wade Redden this past winter, will have to use that buyout on
Richards next summer anyway, with potential cap penalties looming if he
retires early, but their election to wait cost them flexibility in this summer’s
market.
Meanwhile, the division rival Flyers used one of their buyouts on goalie Ilya
Bryzgalov and freed room to sign center Vincent Lecavalier to a five-year,
$22.5 million deal, after Lecavalier was bought out by the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Another division rival, the Penguins, had contracts expiring in free agents
Jarome Iginla, Brenden Morrow and Douglas Murray, so they found room to
bring back defenseman Rob Scuderi from the L.A. Kings on a four-year,
$13.5 million deal. All of the players receiving buyouts and signing new
contracts, meanwhile, are now successfully double-dipping into two teams’
bank accounts to pad their own.
In a summer expected to drag, NHL players have gone green.
COYOTES STAYING — FOR NOW
Quebec City and Seattle won’t get their NHL franchises this season.
The Phoenix Coyotes are remaining in Glendale, Ariz., at least for the next
five years, after its new ownership group struck an arena deal with the city
that will complete the NHL’s sale of the team. The Glendale City Council
passed a 15-year, $225 million arena-management deal with Renaissance
Sports and Entertainment (RSE) at the 11th hour on Tuesday night.
The Coyotes also are expected to change their name to the Arizona
Coyotes by the 2014-15 season, a marketing decision to cast a larger net in
the southwest.
“It is nice to get this passed, but now the work begins,” said mayor Jerry
Weiers, who actually opposed the deal that passed by a 4-3 vote. The NHL
has owned the Coyotes since buying the franchise in bankruptcy court in
2009, and the league had threatened in recent weeks to pursue relocation
options if the city council had not struck a deal with RSE, the willing buyer
of the team. The Coyotes franchise originally relocated from Winnipeg in
1996, but in recent years it has operated under uncertainty, unable to match
an investor with the franchise, its arena and the city.
RSE will operate the Coyotes as IceArizona as soon as the NHL’s Board of
Governors approves the sale of the team in the upcoming weeks, which it
gained partially by guaranteeing the city of Glendale reimbursement for any
annual losses over $6 million in the event RSE exercises a five-year outclause.
But because that out-clause exists, speculation no doubt will resurface in a
few years if financial losses pile up in Glendale.
Seattle’s plan to attract an NHL franchise took a hit when Sacramento
succeeded in keeping the NBA’s Kings in California, potentially halting
plans for a new multi-purpose arena. Seattle’s existing KeyArena was
floated as an option for the Coyotes, though it is not ideal with a seating
capacity of just 17,000.
Quebec City, meanwhile, is in the process of constructing a $400 million
arena scheduled to be finished by 2015, assembling an Olympic-style bid to
lure a franchise in a city without one since the Nordiques left for Denver to
become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995.
These are just two options for future relocation, or even expansion, and with
a 10-year collective bargaining agreement in place and no opt-out until at
least 2020, the NHL hopefully won’t even have an opportunity to get in its
own way.
New York Daily News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684263
New York Islanders
NHL's compliance buyouts are similar to NBA's amnesty concept
Originally published: July 6, 2013 7:39 PM
Updated: July 6, 2013 8:33 PM
By ARTHUR STAPLE
Rick DiPietro was one of the NHL players on the negotiating committee
during the four-month lockout that preceded the 2013 season. Even before
he began sitting in on some of the meetings between the NHL Players
Association and the league, before things got so contentious that the first
half of the season disappeared, DiPietro knew of the possibility that
compliance, or amnesty, buyouts could be part of a new collectivebargaining agreement.
Compliance buyouts allow a team to pay two-thirds of the remaining value
of a contract (one-third if the player is under 26) over twice the remaining
length. DiPietro had eight years and $36 million remaining on his deal. With
his buyout, he gets $24 million total, paid out over 16 years.
"You saw it happen with the NBA deal and it's happened in hockey before,
so it's always possible to have that," DiPietro said in April 2012, when the
Islanders gathered for the final time after missing the postseason. "But
that's out of my control even if it happens."
It did happen to DiPietro this past week, just as it happened to 17 other
players with contracts during the buyout period that ended with the start of
free agency on Friday. It was 18 players and more than $120 million in
payouts to not play. DiPietro's is the longest buyout; he'll receive $1.5
million for each of the next 16 seasons from the Islanders.
Close behind are the 14-year buyout periods for Vinny Lecavalier ($32.67
million total, the largest buyout number) and Ilya Bryzgalov ($23 million
total). Of the 18 players, six already have new deals, led by Lecavalier's
five-year, $22.5-million deal from the Flyers, who already have used both of
their allotted compliance buyouts.
Teams get two compliance buyouts to use either this summer or next; the
Rangers, with Wade Redden, and the Canadiens, with Scott Gomez,
already used one in a special buyout period before the shortened season
began in January.
As DiPietro noted, the NBA has had amnesty buyouts. Major League
Baseball doesn't need them because there is no hard salary cap. The NFL
has non-guaranteed contracts and allows for restructuring, so amnesty
buyouts aren't necessary there, either.
The owners' side was content to have its general managers work within the
confines of the new CBA, with a salary cap that dropped from $70.3 million
(prorated) in 2012-13 to $64.3 million for next season, to get under the cap.
It was the NHLPA that proposed adding compliance buyouts, according to
two people familiar with the talks.
It came down to money paid out to the other side: Compliance buyouts
allow for more contracts to be signed, and a lucky few, such as Lecavalier
and Danny Briere (who got an $833,333 buyout check from the Flyers for
each of the next four years plus a two-year, $8-million deal from the
Canadiens), even got a payment from two teams. Regular-course buyouts,
in which the cap hit stays on the books, don't allow for added room.
"I don't have a view on that one way or another," NHL deputy commissioner
Bill Daly said in an email. "It's part of the landscape that was negotiated and
the teams are dealing with this new, temporary feature of free agency."
Some on the owners' side clearly were looking to punish a few of their
colleagues with the tightening of rules on "back-diving" contracts and the
new "cap recapture" feature, which means that a player with a front-loaded
deal who retires early will generate a sizable cap hit for his team.
That meant some decisions, such as the one the Rangers had to make on
Brad Richards, became tougher. The Rangers wrestled with whether to use
their second compliance buyout on Richards, just two seasons into a nineyear, $61-million deal. Glen Sather chose to keep Richards, believing that
the marquee free agent brought in by the Rangers can rebound next
season.
Of course, there's risk. Should Richards be injured during next season's
buyout window, he can't be bought out. The Wild's Dany Heatley fell into
that category this past week, staying on with Minnesota most likely because
he currently is hurt.
So this buyout frenzy will return again next June, 48 hours after the last
Stanley Cup Finals game. Some teams may even look to use a compliance
buyout on a player who signed Friday; to some high-revenue clubs, it's only
money.
The Islanders felt differently. There wasn't much agony in the decision to
buy DiPietro out, not with him healthy and no longer a fit in the team's
plans. But the $1.5-million payouts through 2028-29 would be notable for a
lower-revenue team, and that plays a role for some clubs as well.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 07.07.2013
684264
New York Rangers
Rangers, McDonagh ‘closer’ to new deal
By BRETT CYRGALIS
Last Updated: 4:27 AM, July 7, 2013
Posted: 12:51 AM, July 7, 2013
With possible doom looming, a good sign came for the Rangers Saturday
concerning restricted free agent defenseman Ryan McDonagh. His agent,
Ben Hankinson, said in an email to The Post the two sides “are getting
closer” to a deal.
There was no exact timetable for when it might be completed, but the
sooner it could be done, the less chance there is for the Rangers to have to
deal with a major headache.
With Wednesday the deadline for McDonagh to file for salary arbitration,
there still is a significant window of time for another club to send the 24year-old top-pair defenseman an offer sheet, therefore forcing the Rangers
into a very undesirable financial situation.
It is believed McDonagh is looking for a deal between four and six years at
around $5 million per, which is just about the maximum of what the Rangers
would be able to pay in their current state of salary-cap restriction. If a team
with money to spend and the cap space to spare decided to throw
McDonagh a longer offer of more value, it could force the Rangers into
either matching — thereby crippling their remaining space under the cap —
or allowing him to leave with the compensation of draft picks commensurate
with the monetary value of the new club’s offer.
The Rangers don’t have the depth for next season to allow McDonagh to
leave, and don’t have the cap space to give him any more than what they
currently are trying to nail down. Though NHL offer sheets have become a
rare (and frowned-upon) event, it is not impossible a rival general manager
would try to force Rangers GM Glen Sather into a lose-lose situation. If
there were one player who seems worthy to risk that on, it would be
McDonagh.
The Rangers’ two other prized restricted free agents are speedy winger
Carl Hagelin, also arbitration eligible, and first-line center Derek Stepan,
who is not. If neither McDonagh nor Hagelin files by Wednesday, the
Rangers have the option of filing for arbitration on Thursday.
Sather did extend the requisite qualifying offers to all three RFAs — as well
as to restrcited winger Mats Zuccarello — but as of yesterday, the
negotiations had not resulted in any completed contracts. When free
agency opened on Friday, Sather signed forwards Dominic Moore and
Benoit Pouliot, along with defenseman Aaron Johnson, and is now left with
about $12 million of space left under the new $64.3 million cap.
There is a 10-percent summer allowance, meaning between now and the
start of training camp in September, they would be allowed to carry another
$6.43 million in hopes of moving it in a trade. With Ryan Callahan and
Hagelin both out for the opening of the season after undergoing labrum
surgery, the depth up front is an issue, as well.
New York Post LOADED: 07.07.2013
684265
Ottawa Senators
Brennan: Jason Spezza should be next captain of the Ottawa Senators
By Don Brennan
,Ottawa Sun
But he should be the Senators' next captain not just because of all the
above, but also because he's a great player. And he could become even
better wearing the 'C.'
Before it belonged to Alfredsson, the letter was on Alexei Yashin's jersey.
That was a bad call. Yashin was the Senators' most productive player, but
he was also a selfish dog. Spezza is not. He gets more pleasure setting up
goals than scoring them. But he's happiest with wins.
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:00 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 11:55 PM EDT
Of all the qualifications for the job, Alfredsson is a better captain than
Spezza in work ethic only. Spezza's could improve, and with the 'C' on his
chest, it just might.
There should be no surprises when the Senators name their next captain.
Right now he will be a different captain than Alfredsson, who never was
able to lead the Senators to the top of the mountain.
Jason Spezza will get the 'C' unless he is traded -- which is extremely
unlikely but hey, did you hear Daniel Alfredsson bolted as a free agent? All
bets are now off.
"If they held a vote in the room by show of hands," one recently retired
player said Saturday, "they'd all pick Spezz."
From the outside looking in, there are other options. Chris Phillips, now the
team's elder statesman, would make a good captain. He is well liked by his
teammates. He is respected around the league. He is a dedicated
employee. He is a good communicator and hard worker. But he is no longer
a front-line player and there's no certainty the Senators will bring him back
when his current contract expires.
As for the Senators' other leaders, well, Erik Karlsson is still too young,
Marc Methot hasn't been on the team long enough, Chris Neil spends too
much time in the penalty box and Craig Anderson is a goalie.
Spezza is not only the right choice, but he could also turn out to be a better
captain than Alfredsson. Oh I know, some will consider it sacrilegious to
make such a statement in Ottawa. And they need to move on.
The truth is, Spezza ran the Senators dressing room even when Alfredsson
was in it. He is more engaging. He welcomes the new players and shows
them around. He asks questions and gets involved in the lives of his
teammates. He befriends them all. He organizes the parties.
The Senators didn't have the traditional "Rookie Night" last season because
Spezza had a back injury and was not around. That might not seem like a
big deal, but getting everyone out for dinner, drinks and laughs -- with the
first-year guys picking up the hefty tab -- is a bonding event.
The group shows up to work the next day closer than it was. The tighter the
players are, the more apt they will be to go to the wall for each other.
Spezza sticks up for his teammates. A couple of winters ago, he pulled
aside a reporter who was often critical of defenceman Filip Kuba, then in
the final season of his contract.
"We need Kubs," said Spezza. "He's a good player, especially on the power
play. Instead of writing that we should trade him at the deadline, you should
be saying we need to re-sign him."
Doesn't matter if he was wrong. The point is he had Kuba's back.
Spezza reads, watches and listens to everything. He knows what's going on
in the league. He is involved in the union. He is friends, it seems, with just
about everybody.
When the Senators were trying to trade for Rick Nash last summer, they
hoped his good buddy Spezza would convince him to put Ottawa on his list
of acceptable locations.
The sales pitch obviously didn't work, but Nash did think long and hard
about living in the nation's capital and having Spezza as his centre.
Spezza is also pals with David Clarkson, which is probably why Bryan
Murray had more hope of signing the former New Jersey Devil than he
should have had when the free agent market opened Friday.
Part of why Spezza is so connected has to do with the fact he is a Toronto
native and a grad of the OHL, two huge resources for the NHL. And part of
it is his personality. He is a good guy who is quick to respond to text
messages -- except from reporters the last few years. But he never ducks a
media request, whether the team wins or loses, and he is both thoughtful
and insightful with his answers.
Down the road, he could be better.
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684266
Ottawa Senators
Jarome Iginla knows exactly how Daniel Alfredsson is feeling
By Bruce Garrioch
,Ottawa Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:31 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 10:36 PM EDT
Jarome Iginla has sat in Daniel Alfredsson's shoes.
The former Calgary captain knows what it's like to play for only one team for
an extended period. After making the decision to leave the rebuilding
Flames last February for the Pittsburgh Penguins to try to win a Cup, he
understands the difficult decision Alfredsson had to make.
Though Iginla spurned the Bruins at the deadline, he did end there in the
end after agreeing to a one-year deal with Boston Friday. But, the decision
he faced in February was very similar to the one Alfredsson had Thursday.
"It would be a very, very tough decision and I don't think he took it lightly at
all. By going through it, I know it's not an easy thing as far as leaving a team
you've been with for a long time and made a lot of lifelong friends," said
Iginla Saturday.
"And I know he knew there would be a lot of people that would be upset
about that. But I read that he said he made the decisions for a big part for
him and his family. And he wants to win. We want to win. As players you
want to win, and I don't know which team he thinks is better or anything like
that. That's not for me to say. But obviously he still loves playing and has
that fire and I guess he probably feels that's his best shot. But I do feel for
him, it would be a tough decision. I guess that's all I can really say."
Boston GM Peter Chiarelli, who spoke with Alfredsson at length about
coming to the Bruins, said he wasn't taken aback that he left Ottawa in the
end.
"After my discussions with him, I wasn't surprised. There's a lot of
similarities here too with Jarome. These guys are lead players in the league
for a long time, and they want to win," said Chiarelli, who had targeted
Alfredsson in free agency before signing Iginla.
"And they have a thirst and a hunger, both, to win. So again I don't know
what his assessment is of who is the better team, as to why he thought that
was the benefit. But I respect it the same way I respect Jarome coming
back to us and wanting an opportunity."
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684267
Ottawa Senators
Daniel Alfredsson goes golfing on his first day as a Detroit Red Wing
By Bruce Garrioch
,Ottawa Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:22 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 10:29 PM EDT
No question the departure of Alfredsson leaves a leadership void that will
have to be filled.
"Losing Alfie is a big blow. You lose a presence in the room, all the
intangibles and still a good player," said Murray. "I've said this to him, 'You
deserve a championship and if you have to beat us to do it, I'm not cheering
for you. If we're not around and you have a chance, we wish him good luck.'
"
If Alfredsson has a lot of time to play golf next summer, then everybody will
know he made the wrong decision.
Only time will tell.
On his first official day with the Detroit Red Wings, Daniel Alfredsson swung
different kinds of sticks — his golf clubs.
The former Senators captain spent at least part of Saturday at the golf club
near his home in a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden. A world away,
meanwhile, the city Alfredsson left behind -- Ottawa -- tried to get over the
shock of his sudden departure Friday.
While it will take awhile for the sting of his decision to join the Wings to wear
off, the blow was softened when GM Bryan Murray swung a big deal by
picking up Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan.
Murray didn't stop there, either.
He signed winger Clarke MacArthur from the Toronto Maple Leafs in free
agency with a two-year deal. Both are good additions. The question being
asked: Are the Senators a better team than they were before free agency
opened?
"I think we got a star in Bobby Ryan," said Murray. "He's over a 30-goal
scorer every year. He's a big, strong guy. He's played behind two very good
players (Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry) in Anaheim.
"Now, he gets a chance to come as a No. 1-line player on our team. He
scores goals. He plays big minutes. He's good around the net -- with and
without the puck ... We're younger. It's hard for me to say we're better
because we haven't started to play yet. I think we're equally good, if that's
the right word."
At some point or another, there was going to come a time when the
Senators were going to have to learn live without their captain. It may have
happened sooner than the club anticipated, but Alfredsson noted he
wouldn't be around forever.
Though he felt the right steps were being taken here, he doesn't think the
club is ready to be a Stanley Cup contender and that's why he jumped to
Detroit. He didn't want Murray to have to trade him at the deadline to be a
rental.
"I felt a week ago, I was not going to go anywhere and I was going to play in
Ottawa. Then, I waited a few days and just started thinking, 'Ottawa is in a
great spot I think'," said Alfredsson. "They're going in the right direction and
have a lot of things going for it.
"If this was my last season, I don't want to change anything that's going on
there. I don't want to demand Bryan or (owner) Eugene (Melynk) that you're
going to have make a push for me here to go for it. I think there's too many
good things going on there. The torch was going to have to be passed
sometime pretty soon anyway."
The onus will now be on the young players to step up. The face of the
Senators changed when this rebuild started in 2011 with mainstays Mike
Fisher dealt to Nashville Predators and Chris Kelly sent to the Boston
Bruins.
The Senators sent defenceman Sergei Gonchar to the Dallas Stars last
month, where he signed a two-year, $10-million contract. Craig Anderson,
Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil are the only players 30 and
older.
This club will be a better team next year if Ryan comes in and contributes
the way he's expected. Younger players like Kyle Turris, Zack Smith, Jared
Cowen, Patrick Wiercioch and backup goalie Robin Lehner have to
continue to improve.
Murray is still on the hunt for another defenceman, maybe one that can
contribute points once in awhile. If Erik Karlsson, Milan Michalek and
Spezza are able to stay healthy, the Senators should be able to contend for
a playoff spot in the East.
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684268
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators looking for a player to step up as a second-line forward
By Don Brennan
,Ottawa Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 10:07 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 10:19 PM EDT
Unless something changes in the next couple of months, the Senators will
start training camp with a hole in the heart of their lineup.
Not in goal or, necessarily, on defence, positions of question in previous
Septembers. Bryan Murray could use and will look for another blueliner, a
veteran, on the free agent market.
But right now he seems intent to stay in-house with his search for a secondline winger.
The candidates are unproven, for the most part. They should be led by Mika
Zibanejad, a 20-year-old who the team believes is on the verge of
becoming a big-time player. Whether it's as a winger or centre, it's probably
still too early to tell. Likely, Zibanejad will get every chance to grab a job
alongside Kyle Turris and Clarke MacArthur.
Also certain to get a look will be Mark Stone, Cory Conacher and Mike
Hoffman, while Murray mentioned Dave Dziurzynski as an option Friday.
Versatile Colin Greening could also be auditioned, but he looked best in the
spring on a line with J-G Pageau and Erik Condra.
"My goal this summer is to work hard and to make the team next fall,"
Stone, who the Senators believe is "close" to making the jump from
Binghamton, said Saturday at development camp. "I feel I get closer and
closer every year. I've been through a couple of experiences, two years ago
and this year in the playoffs and last year a couple of regular season games
to get my feet wet, then back to watch most of the playoffs and get to play
in that one game.
"You really learn what it takes to be an NHL player every day, just being
around the guys. They just do things the right way."
Stone's chance in the playoffs ended when he was victim of a slew-foot
during a race for a puck. He suffered a high ankle sprain that he is just now
getting over.
"It's getting better ... this is the first time I've been on the ice (since)," said
Stone, who is due for some good luck after suffering cracked ribs, a broken
finger and "you name it" last season, his first as a pro. "It feels pretty good,
so definitely leaving here with a better mindset of how it feels.
"It would have put me out for over a month if it was regular season."
Conacher, obtained from Tampa at the deadline after a great start to his
rookie season, is something of a wild card. When the season starts, he
could be in the second line or in the press box.
"I think so," Conacher said when asked if he felt ready for a Top 6 role. "I
like to set the goals pretty high. You want to have goals you're scared
you're not going to reach, because it makes you go that much harder.
Definitely it's a role I'd like to be in, if not this year then the near future.
"It's good to have that competition," he added. "Hopefully I can have a good
summer, show them here at camp I'm willing to work hard, eat well and
sleep well and come into camp ready to go."
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684269
Philadelphia Flyers
Lecavalier being put on Giroux's line?
POSTED: Saturday, July 6, 2013, 12:24 PM
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
The Flyers are at least kicking around the idea of moving recently signed
center Vinny Lecavalier to RW on Claude Giroux's first line.
That was one of the many interesting aspects of a conference call Saturday
with Lecavalier and reporters.
From here, if the Flyers placed the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Lecavalier on
Giroux's unit they would be putting all their eggs in one basket.
It makes more sense to have two strong units, with Giroux centering Scott
Hartnell and Jake Voracek, and Lecavalier centering Brayden Schenn and
Wayne Simmonds. The third line might have Sean Couturier centering Max
Talbot and Matt Read.
The Flyers should want BOTH Giroux and Lecavalier to take draws. Both
are excellent in the faceoff circle. Giroux won 54.5 percent last year, while
Lecavalier won 54.4 percent.
The Flyers were 23d in the 30-team NHL last season, winning 48.5 percent
of their draws.
Faceoff wins should be more common in 2013-14. The Flyers recently resigned Adam Hall, who won 59 percent of his draws in 11 games with the
Flyers last season.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684270
Philadelphia Flyers
Inside the Flyers: Flyers look improved, but how much?
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, July 7, 2013, 1:09 AM
Are the Flyers better or worse than they were when the season ended and
they watched the playoffs on their big-screen TVs?
Better.
How much better? Ah, that's open to debate.
They added puck-moving defenseman Mark Streit, playmaking center
Vincent Lecavalier, and resurgent goalie Ray Emery since the season
ended.
They subtracted injury-prone Danny Briere and goalie/stand-up comic Ilya
Bryzgalov, among others.
Briere's great leadership qualities will be absorbed by Lecavalier, and the
locker room will have more focus and fewer distractions because
Bryzgalov's sometimes-hilarious sideshow has left town.
Assuming the Flyers do not re-sign Simon Gagne, here is how the four lines
may look in 2013-14: Claude Giroux centering Scott Hartnell and Jake
Voracek; Lecavalier centering Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds;
Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Matt Read; and Adam Hall
centering Tye McGinn/Jay Rosehill and Zac Rinaldo.
Center Scott Laughton, the hotshot 19-year-old prospect, could also be in
the mix.
On paper, the offense is slightly better than last year, when the Flyers were
ninth in the 30-team NHL, averaging 2.75 goals per game. The Flyers failed
to upgrade their wings, a glaring weakness last year. And if they are going
to avoid missing the playoffs again, they need Hartnell to bounce back from
an injury-plagued year, and Couturier and Schenn to rebound from
disappointing sophomore seasons.
The Flyers got much tougher to play against. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound
Lecavalier and Hall (6-2, 212), who played briefly with the Flyers last
season, are skilled at winning puck battles - another glaring weakness last
year - and are dominating in the faceoff circle.
Lecavalier won 54.4 percent of his draws last year, and Hall won 59 percent
with the Flyers, who were 23d in faceoff percentage (48.5). The Flyers are
kicking around moving Lecavalier to right wing on Giroux's unit. From here,
that would put all your eggs in one basket. Keep Lecavalier on the second
unit and have him and Giroux (54.5 percent) both take face-offs.
Defensively, the Flyers were tied for 22d in the league, allowing 2.90 goals
per game. Ritch Winter, Bryzgalov's agent, ripped the Flyers' style in a radio
interview, saying their defensive system makes it terrible for a goalie to see
shots. (Hmmm. Steve Mason had a 1.90 goals-against average and .944
save percentage in seven games with the Flyers.)
The defense figures to improve dramatically if Braydon Coburn, Nick
Grossmann, and Andrej Meszaros return to good health, although one of
them may be dealt. Streit is not known for his defense, but he will jump-start
the offense with his puck-carrying ability.
The goaltending looks improved. Yes, Emery's eye-opening numbers - a
17-1 record, a 1.94 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage were in part the result of playing behind a great team in Chicago. But he
seems totally recovered from major hip surgery, and he and Mason will
stage an intriguing battle for the No. 1 spot.
They will work out and skate together near Toronto for the third straight
summer.
"The fact we know each other and have a healthy relationship will help us
moving forward," Mason said.
Bottom line: The Flyers have taken some positive steps and look like a
playoff team, but they don't have the overall depth or speed to be a serious
Stanley Cup contender.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684271
Philadelphia Flyers
Lecavalier says he can bring leadership to Flyers
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Sunday, July 7, 2013, 1:09 AM
Center Vincent Lecavalier, a likely future Hall of Famer, said that the Flyers
are "Claude Giroux's team," but that he will try to bring his experience and
leadership to his new organization.
"I've been through some tough years and I've been through some really
great years," Lecavalier, 33, said in a conference call with reporters
Saturday. "So I'll bring that in the room, and definitely at my age, [as] older
players, we have to bring that leadership. It's not just having one leader you need a lot of good leaders to make sure that the team goes in the right
direction, and I'm going to try to do that."
Lecavalier signed a five-year, $22.5 million free-agent deal with the Flyers.
He is expected to center the second line, with Brayden Schenn and Wayne
Simmonds as his wingers.
A four-time all-star, Lecavalier revealed that Flyers officials asked him if he
could play wing if placed on Giroux's unit, and he told them he would feel
comfortable playing the right side.
If he changes positions, "it's not something I really worry about, especially
when you're being told you might play with Claude Giroux," Lecavalier said.
"I'm really open to that and I'd be really excited about that."
Lecavalier was bought out of his contract by Tampa Bay. He helped lead
the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004.
"I was part of an organization for 14 years, so it was a tough few days," he
said, adding his parents and wife took the news of leaving Tampa "pretty
hard."
But after meeting with general manager Paul Holmgren and coach Peter
Laviolette, Lecavalier said, "I really liked what they had to say and where
the organization is going. So that made my decision a lot easier."
Lecavalier said being bought out gives him motivation to "prove the Flyers
right" rather than Tampa Bay wrong. He said that he had about 10 teams on
his list, but that the Flyers quickly jumped to the top "even before any offers
were made."
"I just liked what they were saying, and looking at their lineup and
everything," he said.
Lecavalier said he liked Laviolette's "point of view on the game" and his
attacking system.
"They play hard, they play well defensively, but offense is also something
they can bring that's very solid, so I thought I'd fit well in that mold," he said.
"I like that better than staying on your heels."
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 07.07.2013
684272
Philadelphia Flyers
Did Holmgren make all the right moves?
Wayne Fish Staff writer
Posted on July 6, 2013
Nobody ever seems to make all the right moves but the Flyers appear to
have improved themselves with at least a few good ones over the last little
while.
Just this past week alone, they bolstered their goaltending situation, gave
their best player peace of mind by making him the highest-paid player in
team history and added a potent scoring weapon up front.
So general manager Paul Holmgren has reason to express optimism over
his team’s immediate chances.
By signing netminder Ray Emery to a one-year deal two days ago,
outbidding about half the NHL to secure Vinny Lecavalier last Wednesday
and establishing Claude Giroux as the face of the franchise for years to
come, Holmgren pretty much had business taken care of by the end of
lunch hour on Friday, shortly after free agency started at noon.
Do all these transactions suddenly make the Flyers a contender again? The
answer to that is a definite maybe.
It looks like Emery and Steve Mason will sort of platoon in goal. That
system could work and certainly won’t be any worse than Ilya Bryzgalov
and whoever.
Lecavalier gives the Flyers a winning player/mentor in the Jaromir Jagr
mold, only at 33, he’s eight years younger than the savvy Czech.
Meanwhile, Giroux can just concentrate on hockey and not worry about
finances.
Things look promising but then again, the hockey season is a long way off.
“We made a couple tough decisions with (compliance buyouts) Danny
Briere and Ilya to free up some (salary) cap space,’’ Holmgren said during a
Friday media conference call, “but I think we’ve improved our team a lot.
We added a very good puck-moving defenseman (Mark Streit), one that’s
going to bring us more offense from the back end. We added a player who’s
still one of the best in the game in Lecavalier . . . he gives us more options
up front, more things the coach can do with his lineup.
“And adding Ray to bring along with Steve Mason, I think solidifies our
goaltending. I think we’ve improved our team a lot.’’
Holmgren did all this without really taking any wanted parts off his roster.
“More importantly, we kept a real good nucleus together,’’ he said. “We
didn’t dismantle anything. We have Streit and we expect (Braydon) Coburn,
(Andrej) Meszaros and (Nick) Grossmann to bounce back and have the
type of years we expect them to have. If they do, we’ll be in good shape.’’
Holmgren was asked why he went after Emery, who already put in one year
of service with the Flyers back in 2009-10.
“Seventeen and one,’’ Holmgren said, referring to Emery’s record last
season with Chicago. “I certainly have a positive memory of when Ray
played for us. It ended in February (followed by season-ending hip surgery).
Now we’re excited to have him back. We have a good combination to go to
bat with.’’
As for Giroux, both sides wanted to get it done. While eight years and $66.2
million might seem like a lot, that’s the going rate for players like him and
Evgeni Malkin.
“For him to go into his last year (without a contract) is risky for both sides,’’
Holmgren said. “It’s a huge commitment on our part, but we believe Claude
is worthy of it. We’re happy to put it to bed and we can all move forward
now.’’
Lecavalier’s availability last week changed the Flyers’ plans.
“He all of a sudden moved to the top of our list of forwards,’’ Holmgren said.
“We were aggressive, talked to his agent. We had a good meeting with
Vinny. We told him we would love to have him.’’
Holmgren said it will be difficult to sign someone like Simon Gagne (who
finished the season with the Flyers on his second tour of duty here) simply
because the team is closed to “(salary) capped out.’’
The Flyers probably would have to move a roster player by way of trade to
open up cap space and Holmgren doesn’t sound too keen on that idea.
And why should he be? He believes he’s addressed all the team’s needs
and now he’s hoping that with a return to order of a normal 82-game
season, the Flyers’ fortunes are about to turn.
Burlington County Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
684273
Philadelphia Flyers
Lecavalier says he still has something to prove
“Five years ago, I was just trying to get a spot in the NHL and make sure I
get as much ice time as I can to be able to prove what I can do. A lot of that
credit goes to the coaching staff and the management to have that trust in
me.”
Burlington County Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
Posted: Saturday, July 6, 2013 4:53 pm | Updated: 10:25 pm, Sat Jul 6,
2013.
By Wayne Fish Staff writer
When the list of NHL compliance buyouts rolled in, hockey people shook
their heads and said two things about those players:
Past their prime. Salary cap dinosaurs.
And, truth be told, there are some doozies on that compilation, including
Rick DiPietro, Ilya Bryzgalov (remember him?) and Mikhail Grabovski.
But the biggest star in that cast of characters was Vincent Lecavalier, who
had a whopping $32,666,667 left on his contract when the Tampa Bay
Lightning bought him out.
Suddenly free to choose his next team, Lecavalier was pursued by a
number of NHL clubs.
He chose the Flyers, not only for the five-year, $22.5-million contract offer,
but because he liked the current situation in Philadelphia, where coach
Peter Laviolette’s high-tempo system fits his style of game.
Having been dumped after 14 years with the Lightning, Lecavalier will enter
his 15th NHL season on a mission.
Even at age 33, with a Stanley Cup on his resume, he said he still feels he
has something to prove.
“I guess I want to prove the Flyers right,’’ Lecavalier said during a Saturday
morning media conference call. “It’s not about proving anybody else wrong
or the Lightning wrong. When you get bought out, it’s definitely motivation.’’
Lecavalier went on to say he believes the Lightning’s reasons for letting him
go were legitimate.
“In my case, with talking to (Tampa Bay general manager) Steve
(Yzerman), I think it was the contract structure that would penalize the team
if I retired a little earlier than when my contract expired,” he said. “I think it
was more of a structure that would really hurt the Lightning if they did keep
my contract. But anytime something like that happens ...’’
Lecavalier suffered an ankle injury last year that limited him to just 10 goals
in the lockout-shortened season. But he feels like he’s back to 100 percent
and ready to get his career back on track.
“I feel great,’’ he said. “When I came back from my injury, I felt really good.
Honestly, I felt like I was playing some really good hockey, probably the
best in five years.
“I think with Lavi’s style and the players, I feel very confident that I’ll have a
really good season and help the Flyers.”
Giroux’s new contract
Claude Giroux agreed to an eight-year, $66.2-million contract extension on
Friday that will, in theory, keep him a Flyer until 2022.
During a Friday media conference call, Giroux expressed relief that the
process is over and he can concentrate on what he does best: play hockey.
“That’s one thing me and (general manager Paul Holmgren) wanted to do,
to make sure we get this out of the way and from now on we can start
focusing on the right thing,’’ Giroux said. “It’s done with.’’
No one doubts Giroux can live up to the deal.
“It’s a great honor to be able to have that kind of contract,’’ Giroux said. “It
just shows the trust they have in me, and I’m going to do my best to not let
them down.
“A little bit of pressure like that never hurts. I have a lot of good teammates
that are playing well, so I’m just pretty excited to move on from this.
“I just go out there and play hockey. I just love playing the game, and I just
try to play my best to help the team win.
684274
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers, Paul Holmgren pay Claude Giroux as ‘one of the top guys’
Saturday, July 6, 2013
By ROB PARENT
While most other teams were heralding new players Friday, the Flyers
pulled out a pomp-and-circumstance announcement about one of their own.
They felt it was the perfect time to put the finishing touches on Claude
Giroux’s contract extension, which will add eight years and $66.2 million to
his contractural stature.
It was an announcement most people knew was coming, something Flyers
general manager Paul Holmgren said he’d been working on since May.
It was also a confirmation of something else everyone knew.
“We think he’s one of the top players in our game,” Holmgren said of
Giroux. “To have him go into this season on the last year of his current deal
… it’s risky for both sides. I think Claude’s going to have a great year. It’s a
huge commitment on our part, but we believe Claude’s worthy of it. ... He’s
not only our best player, he’s one of the top guys in the game, in our
opinion.”
Giroux mostly showed that in the Flyers’ playoff season of 2012. Following
a regular season of 28 goals and 93 points, he registered 14 points in a sixgame ouster of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Appointed captain for the 2013 labor-shortened campaign, Giroux got off to
a slow start with linemates Jaromir Jagr (who signed with Dallas) and Scott
Hartnell (foot fracture) not by his side. But he’d go on to score 13 goals and
47 points in 48 games, helping new top-line winger Jake Voracek to step up
as one of the league’s better scorers.
“We’re happy to have it done, get it put to bed and we can all move forward
now,” Holmgren said.
Consider this contract extension an affirmation of the Flyers’ feeling that
Giroux is the kind of guy that makes everyone around him better. Even
when the team isn’t faring all that well.
“It is always tough to watch the games after you are done,” Giroux said
Friday. “You kind of want to be there, especially when you had a taste
before of the NHL Finals (in 2010). It is really something to watch. But it is
something that motivates you.
“It is a great honor to be able to have that kind of contract, and it just shows
the kind of trust they have in me. I am going to do the best I can to not let
them down and you know what? A little pressure like that never hurts. I
have a lot of good teammates that are playing well. So I am just excited to
just move along from this.”
Giroux might be looking forward to seeing new free agent Flyer Vinny
Lecavalier once training camp starts.
“I don’t know him personally, but I hear a lot of good things about him,”
Giroux said. “And growing up, I have been watching him play a lot and I
think he is going to be a player that the Flyers’ fans are going to enjoy
watching. He’s an intense guy and he goes into the corners and he can put
the puck in the net. I have been talking to some of the guys and everybody
is pumped to have him.”
In this year before Giroux’s contract extension kicks in, the Flyers are again
running up against salary cap problems. The free agency signings of Vinny
Lecavalier, Mark Streit, Adam Hall and Ray Emery alone added $12 million
onto this season, almost taking up the entirety of the $12.2 million they
saved off the cap by buying out Danny Briere and Ilya Bryzgalov. All told, it
leaves them about $1.05 million over the projected $64.3 million cap.
The Flyers can stay 10 percent above the cap during the offseason, but
they also have to sign restricted free agent Erik Gustafsson. Walking this
fine line, Paul Holmgren said he’d like to add unrestricted free agent
forward Simon Gagne to the mix, but even though Gagne is willing to be
had at a discount, it doesn’t appear now that the deal will be done.
Or will it?
“I don’t know,” Holmgren said. “It’s probably too soon to say. We don’t have
a lot of cap space right now. So it’s pretty difficult to say right now.”
Gagne, for all the respect he garners in the Flyers’ locker room and the
standout player and person he’s been for his two tenures here, seems a
nice fit on the third line for this Flyers team. But it appears the club will wait
to see if his annual cap hit can be as low as their strict needs would
necessitate.
If not, last year’s impressive rookie pair Tye McGinn and/or Scott Laughton
would likely be counted upon.
Delaware County Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
684275
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers get Ray Emery back in orange and black
Saturday, July 6, 2013
By ROB PARENT
For the Flyers, the actual start of the free agency period Friday was more
about re-starts than renovation.
To go along with their early agreements with likely future Hall of Famer
Vincent Lecavalier and defensive veteran Mark Streit, the Flyers kicked off
this “official” start to free agency by cementing Claude Giroux’s star status
with an inflated contract. Then they threw their top goaltending job up for
grabs.
At least that’s the way newest old Flyer Ray Emery should look at it.
A failed Flyers experiment four seasons ago due to an unfortunate bout with
avascular necrosis in his hip, Emery, 30, has returned to Philadelphia to
make good on one of the NHL’s most remarkable recent comeback stories.
He signed a 1-year, $1.65 million deal with the Flyers, but don’t deem that
to be mere backup goalie money.
“When I was younger I wanted to play all the games, and got a pouty
attitude when I didn’t,” Emery said. “Now, you start to realize that if the team
is successful, that everyone does well. It’s a better working relationship that
way. It’s kind of a different philosophy. You learn and you grow and that’s
where I’m at.”
That statement alone should alleviate any doubts as to whether Emery has
matured from a young player who had a few off-ice missteps in Ottawa.
Having his career almost ripped from him at the age of 28 probably had a
profound effect.
Emery was in the midst of a 2009-10 Flyers season that had its ups and
downs, and with a coach in Peter Laviolette who was quick to change
goalies in times of need. It was also a club that was slow to play up to par,
and Emery was caught up in that. But in February, he was fresh off a
shutout in Calgary when he woke up with stiffness in his hip the next day in
Edmonton.
It would keep him out the remainder of the season while Michael Leighton
and Brian Boucher teamed to take the club to the Stanley Cup finals, and
would require subsequent surgery on a condition best known in sports as
the one that ended Bo Jackson’s career. Emery would need bone graft
surgery in the offseason.
“I understood that there was a possibility that I might not play again,” Emery
said, “but it was just kind of ‘what’s the next step’ after I found out I had that
condition. The next step was finding the best doctor, the best procedure.
The next step after that was taking care of it, and just getting off crutches
and getting out of a hospital bed, just one step at a time. You normally get
what you want when you look at it that way.”
Emery was encouraged by his doctors that the procedure went well and he
started working out in the summer of 2010. But he had a long way to go.
“The time immediately after the surgery was pretty crazy pain-wise,” Emery
said. “I’m missing a bone in my lower leg and they kind of hacked and
whacked at it. It’s amazing how much pain and how crazy that part was,
and it’s amazing how great it came back, and how I don’t notice it now. To
come from that much pain and such a crazy process coming back to feeling
fine and dandy is pretty amazing for me.”
His first real step back was signing a two-way contract with Anaheim in Feb.
2011. By playoff time Emery was starting for the Ducks. He was invited to
training camp the following fall by Chicago, and proceeded to put in two
solid years for the Blackhawks while sharing time with Corey Crawford.
This season, Emery was a standout in 21 starts, becoming the first goalie to
ever start a season with 10 consecutive victories. He’d go on to win 12 in a
row and fashion a 17-1 record with a 1.94 goals-against average and .922
saves percentage. But he’d sit behind Crawford as he took the Hawks to a
Stanley Cup title.
Now comes a real chance to win a starting job again, though Emery is well
aware that the Flyers are high on the 25-year-old Mason. Asked what made
him look past other available free agents like Tim Thomas and Evgeni
Nabokov, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said, “17-1 helped.”
So did knowing what kind of a competitor Emery has proven to be.
“I certainly have strong and positive memories of when Ray played for us,”
Holmgren said. “He’s been a good player here now for two or three years.
We’re excited to have him back. With Ray and Steve as our two goalies, we
have a good combination in net, a good duo that we can go to bat with.”
The Flyers also have only a $3.15 million salary bill for the two of them this
season, though both would be pending free agents at season’s end. And if
it doesn’t work out due to injury or some other reason, the Flyers can
always turn to that other goalie they signed Friday.
That would be 6-0, 185-pound free-agent Yann Danis, a mostly minor
league player who at 32 has 50 NHL games to his credit through stays with
Montreal, New Jersey, the New York Islanders and Edmonton.
For the time being, however, Emery reiterated there shouldn’t be any
concerns about a rivalry over playing time, and his new partner feels the
same way.
“This past season was such a success with Ray. To be on a championship
team, he can take a lot from that,” Mason said Friday in a phone interview.
“For him to be a huge part of that speaks a lot about where his game is right
now. I’m just going to take as much as I can from him. I look forward to his
being around day in and day out.”
Mason has done that in the past. The two lived relatively close to each
other in the Toronto area and have skated in the offseason together. Emery
made sure he reached out to Mason shortly after making official his new
contract.
“He’s a guy who’s had success and he’s going to continue to get better,”
Emery said of Mason. “I look at it as kind of a tandem relationship. Last
year with me and Corey, it was more about the team success and we both
kind of helped each other get better. As far as I know, that’s the best way to
treat a goaltending relationship.”
Delaware County Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
684276
Philadelphia Flyers
You can’t ruin the obvious chemistry by moving Voracek to the left side.
Lecavalier chose Flyers before an offer was made
“If you watch me in a game, if I have a choice of going on the left side with
the puck or right side, I choose, 99 percent of time, going on the right side,”
said Lecavalier, who is a left-handed shot.
July 6, 2013, 2:00 pm
“It’s not something I really worry about, especially after being told you might
play with Claude Giroux. I’m open to that and would be excited for that.
Staff
Even before the first legit offer came in, Vinny Lecavalier says he knew
where he was headed.
It wasn’t Montreal or Boston or Dallas or Detroit or any of the four other
clubs vying for his services.
No, the 33-year-old centerman pretty much had his mind made up after
visiting with general manager Paul Holmgren and coach Peter Laviolette in
New York City the weekend of the NHL draft.
“I would be very comfortable [there]. That is something they asked me at
the meeting if I could play wing and I said, certainly. I’m a lot more
comfortable on the right wing than on the off-wing.”
That will be Laviolette’s problem to deal with in training camp unless he
makes the obvious move and puts Lecavalier between Brayden Schenn
and Wayne Simmonds.
“You look at Schenn and Simmonds, they play really hard,” Lecavalier said.
“I played against them. They play hard and are great hockey players. They
fit well with the Philadelphia Flyers mold.”
He wanted to be a Flyer.
Rick Tocchet, Jeremy Roenick and Keith Jones all said this past week that
Lecavalier will come here as a “motivated” player after having been bought
out by the Lightning. He’ll have something to prove.
“The meeting I had with them, that was the place I really wanted to go,”
Lecavalier said Saturday during his first conference call with the Philly
media.
Lecavalier had a full week to think about what was inevitable after being
told in late June by Bolts GM Steve Yzerman that a compliance buyout was
likely going to happen.
“I started off with a pretty big list of about 10 teams. After I talked with Philly,
even before any offers, they went right to the top of the list. I just liked what
they were saying and looked at their lineup.”
“I was part of that organization for 14 years,” Lecavalier said. “It was a
tough few days. ... When you hear it, it’s tough. My mom and wife took it
pretty hard.”
Lecavalier signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract this week after his
buyout in Tampa Bay.
Financially, the Bolts have 14 years to pay Lecavalier $33.2 million. That’s a
helluva retirement check to get him past the feeling of being unwanted.
“We were aggressive, we spoke to his agent right away, we were here in
Voorhees and went up to New York [last] Saturday -- Peter Laviolette, Peter
Luukko and myself,” Holmgren recalled.
As for revenge or motivation, it’s not quite in Lecavalier’s character to feel
anger.
“We had a good meeting with Vinny and with his agent and Vinny’s brother,
who’s another agent in their group. And it kind of just went from there.
“We told him this is what we have, we’d love to have you, we'd like to put
you in our lineup with our young centers that we already have in place and
the forwards that we have in place.
“I guess I want to prove that the Flyers were right,” Lecavalier said. “It’s not
about proving someone else wrong. Or the Lightning wrong.”
Oh, one more thing. About that fight last January with Luke Schenn that you
lost ...
Lecavalier started laughing.
“We think we're a much better team and we think you can give us a real
good chance to be competitive and compete for the Stanley Cup.”
“Luke Schenn texted me and said, ‘At least we won’t get to fight, anymore,’”
Lecavalier said. “That was good news for me.
It helped that Lecavalier's wife visited the Philadelphia and liked what she
saw.
“He’s a big boy, strong boy. In the heat of the moment, things happen. In
the middle of that fight, I realized that maybe I should not have [fought
him].”
“It just kind of went from there,” Holmgren said.
Lecavalier said he was impressed with how Laviolette explained his
offensive approach to the game -- his attack system.
Lecavalier isn’t quite as fleet as he was five years ago, yet says playing an
“up tempo” style will be better for him because it will keep him locked into
the game and keep his feet moving.
“I like that better than staying on your heels,” he said. “When you are on
your heels ... you are not in the game as much. Not as sharp or as quick. If
you are on your toes, the way the Flyers play, it makes you a better hockey
player.
“You are always on the go, aggressive in the offensive zone. Obviously, you
have to play well defensively, but once you are out of that zone, you’re
skating and you have to skate. It makes you skate harder. Makes you
quicker for those 18-20 minutes [ice time].”
Now here’s the catch: Just like Danny Briere, Lecavalier is a natural
centerman. Briere was switched to left wing much of his time last season
under Laviolette and wasn’t effective.
Lecavalier said he would be “very comfortable” on right wing and admitted
he was asked about that by Laviolette in their meeting. The Flyers need
scoring on the right side and once again have a log jam of centers.
There’s just one more thing, however.
Lecavalier said he would love to play right wing on Claude Giroux’s line.
That’s a problem because Jakub Voracek on the right side was an
outstanding fit for the Flyers last season, when he scored 22 goals and was
second to Giroux (48 points) in total points with 46.
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684277
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' moves excite Giroux
Randy Miller
The morning after learning his fortune will grow by $66.2 million over the
next eight seasons, Flyers captain Claude Giroux sounded just as excited
about the team making a major financial commitment to bring in four-time
All-Star center Vinny Lecavalier.
“I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about him,”
Giroux said of Lecavalier, who was bought out last week by Tampa Bay and
days later agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Flyers.
“Growing up, I watched him play a lot. I think he’s going to be a player the
Flyers fans are going to enjoy watching.
“He’s an intense guy. He goes to the corners and he plays pretty rough.
And, obviously, he puts the puck in the net. It’s great to have him. I was
talking to some of the guys, and everybody’s pretty pumped to have him.”
Giroux’s contract extension, which goes into effect in 2014-15 and includes
a full no-move clause, came as no surprise to anyone in hockey.
“We’ve been talking about this since back in late May, just going back and
forth,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “Obviously, we think
the world of Claude. He’s one of the top players in our game. To have him
going into the season on the last year of his current (3-year, $11.25 million)
deal is risky for both sides. It’s a huge commitment on our part, but we think
Claude’s worthy of it.”
Giroux, 25, has been spending his summer training back home in Hearst,
Ont., and this offseason he’s worked with added motivation after the Flyers
missed the playoffs last season. He led the Flyers with a career-best 93
points in 2011-12, then again last season with 48 in 48 games.
“Last year was a tough season as a team, but we’re going to learn from it,”
he said. “We’re a young team and we’ve got new players on the team. I
think everybody is pretty excited about the team, and they should be.”
His new deal is the second-richest in franchise history in dollars to an 11year, $69 million contract extension signed in December 2007 by Mike
Richards, who was traded three seasons into the deal. The $8.41 million
Giroux will make per year is a franchise high.
“A little bit of pressure like that never hurts,” Giroux said. “It’s a great honor
to be able to have that kind of contract. It just shows the trust they have in
me, and I’m going to do my best to not let them down.”
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684278
Philadelphia Flyers
Ray Emery, making a save last season playing for the
Chicago Blackhawks
Written by Randy Miller Courier-Post Staff
Jul. 5, 2013 11:45 PM
Ray Emery
never forgot how much fun he had during his one season
the first goaltender in NHL history to open a season winning his first 12
starts.
Asked what sold him on bringing back Emery, Holmgren deadpanned, "17-1
helped! When Ray was here the last time, I certainly have a strong and
positive memory even though it ended in February in a game in Calgary
when he shut out Calgary, and then the next morning we were in Edmonton
and he wakes up with a sore hip.
"Then (Emery) went through a real difficult surgery, obviously battled his
way back. He’s been a good player here now for two or three years. We’re
excited to have him back. With Ray and with Steve as our two goalies, we
have a good combination in net, a good duo that we can go to bat with.”
His return to Philadelphia comes one day after Claude Giroux agreed to an
eight-year, $66.2 million contract extension and three days after four-time
All-Star center Vinny Lecavalier, bought out last week by Tampa Bay,
agreed to a five-year, $22.5 million deal.
as a Flyer ... the one that began with the goaltender
shutting out Carolina on opening night and ended with
him watching Brian Boucher and then Michael Leighton
get his team to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final after he’d
been sidelined for months with a career-threatening hip
injury.
A roller-coaster ride and three seasons later, Emery didn’t let an opportunity
to return to Philadelphia
Earlier, the Flyers bought out Bryzgalov and forward Danny Briere, and
added former All-Star defenseman Mark Streit by dealing with the New York
Islanders for the unrestricted free agent’s rights, then signing him for four
years at $21 million.
The Flyers also re-signed fourth-line forward Adam Hall Thursday, a deal
that probably means Simon Gagne won’t be re-signed.
Besides adding Emery, the Flyers signed journeyman goalie Yann Danis to
a one-year, two-way contract Friday. The 32-year-old French Canadian,
who has 53 games of NHL experience, will play in the AHL and be an
insurance policy.
Cup.
“I think we’ve improved our team a lot,” Holmgren said. “We added a very
good puck-moving defenseman that’s going to bring us more offense from
the back end. We added a player, who in my opinion, still is one of the
better players in the game in Vinny Lecavalier.”
"I was really excited when I kind of got wind that (rejoining the Flyers) would
be an option," Emery said
Interestingly, Holmgren suggested Lecavalier, a long-time center, “maybe
can play right wing or left wing” on Giroux’s top line.
after agreeing to a one-year, $1.65 million contract Friday, the start of the
NHL's free-agent signing period.
"I'm happy to be back in a situation where the first time around I was really
pumped about it and it didn't
Emery’s deal leaves the Flyers $6.17 million over next season’s $64.3
million salary cap. Teams are allowed to be 10 percent over during the
offseason, not counting player bonuses. The Flyers will need to trim to get
their payroll down to the cap ceiling by the start of next season.
work out the way I wanted."
“We are sort of capped out,” Holmgren said.
pass, even when it meant leaving a Chicago Blackhawks team not yet two
weeks removed from winning a
Emery, 30, returns after a record-setting season in Chicago as an oftenused backup to Corey Crawford.
He fills a pressing need the Flyers had for an established veteran goalie to
share duties with Steve
Mason, who temporarily was the lone netminder after the Flyers opted two
weeks ago to buy out Ilya
Bryzgalov, their starter the last two seasons.
"I had the chance to play with Emery before and he's an unreal guy - a
good teammate and a great
goalie," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said.
General manager Paul Holmgren said it’ll “be decided once we get going”
whether Emery and Mason
compete for the starting job, or if they share the goaltending duties next
season.
“Right now, we’re happy to have two good goalies,” Holmgren said.
“They’re both extremely competitive,
both athletic, both good teammates. I think it’s a real positive for the team.”
They’re neighbors in Toronto, too, and in recent summers have skated
together.
“I didn’t even know that,” Holmgren said. “I know Ray called in earlier in the
day and asked for Steve’s
phone number to reach out to him, which is always a real positive.”
Although not seeing any action during the 2013 postseason, Emery played
a big role in Chicago building the league’s top regular-season record. In 21
games, he posted a near-perfect 17-1-0 record along with a 1.94 goalsagainst average and .922 save percentage. Along the way, Emery became
It was a busy first day of NHL free agency , the most intriguing signings
included Daniel Alfredsson leaving Ottawa for Detroit, Jarome Iginla signing
with Boston after choosing Pittsburgh over the Bruins in a trade late last
season, Nathan Horton jumping from Boston for Columbus and Toronto
signing David Clarkson.
The big trade of the day sent Cherry Hill product Bobby Ryan, long rumored
to be headed to the Flyers, from Anaheim to Ottawa for Jakob Silfverberg,
Stefan Noesen and a 2014 first-round pick.
“Over the last year and a half, we’ve had conversations (with Anaheim), but
nothing ever made sense for us,” Holmgren said of Ryan, who scored 30plus goals in each of his first four NHL seasons before dropping to 11 last
season.
Defenseman T.J. Brennan, a Moorestown native who currently is the only
other South Jersey-born NHL player, also is on the move again — this time
via trade from Nashville to Toronto. A rookie last season, Brennan was
dealt from Buffalo to Florida last March, then from Florida to Nashville last
month.
Emery's deal leaves the Flyers $6.17 million over the cap. Teams are
allowed to be 10 percent over during the offseason, not counting player
bonuses. The Flyers will need to trim to get their payroll down to the cap
ceiling by the start of next season.
With Mason set to make $1.5 million next season on a one-year deal, the
Flyers will go into next season with the cheapest goalie combination in the
league, paying a combined $3.15 million. More importantly, it'll cost the
Flyers just $3.15 million against the salary cap, which is dropping next
season from $70.2 million to $64.3 million.
Emery agreed to a new deal without discussing how much playing time he'll
get next season. He says he's looking forward to working with Mason, who
recaptured his 2009 Rookie of the Year form late last season after being
traded from Columbus to the Flyers.
"I just look at it as kind of a tandem relationship," said Emery, who has a
126-63-19 record, 2.63 goals-against average and .908 save percentage in
228 career NHL games for four teams since 2002-03. "Last year with me
and Corey in (Chicago), it was more about the team success and we both
kind of helped each other get better. As far as I know, that's the best way to
treat a goaltending relationship."
Emery needed some maturity to develop that mentality.
As a younger player with the Ottawa Senators, Emery earned a bit of a
reputation as a hockey rebel, in part when acting on not playing as much as
he wanted.
The season after goaltending Ottawa to its only appearance in the 2007
Stanley Cup Final, Emery was late for practice twice after losing his starting
job to Martin Gerber. He also had spats during practices with teammates
Brian McGrattan and Chris Neil, which probably helps explain why he
couldn't find an NHL job in 2008-09 and ended up playing a season in
Russia for a Kontential Hockey League team.
"I think I've kind of changed my outlook," Emery said. "When I was younger
I wanted to play all the games, and got a pouty attitude when I didn't. Now,
you start to realize that if the team is successful, that everyone does well.
"It's a better working relationship that way. It's kind of a different philosophy.
You learn and you grow and that's where I'm at."
Emery was the Flyers' starting goalie when healthy in 2009-10, a season in
which they changed coaches from John Stevens to Peter Laviolette, made
the playoffs by winning a shootout in their final regular-season game and
then went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Emery started 20 of the Flyers' first 26 games that season, then missed a
month with an abdomen muscle tear that required surgery. When returning,
he start eight more games in a row before being shelved again with a
serious hip injury that was similar to one that ended two-sport star Bo
Jackson's NFL and Major League baseball careers.
Emery was expected to miss just six weeks, but wound up not playing for
11 months recovering from avascular necrosis.
"I got a chance to speak with (Jackson)," Emery told the Courier-Post last
March. "His hip collapsed and he had a hip replacement. They caught mine
earlier and did the surgery to save my hip from collapse. I was really
fortunate to have access to that type of surgery. It was a setback, but I try to
look at the positives ... being able to get the surgery and save the hip."
Emery return in February 2011 with the Anaheim Ducks, and his comeback
led him to becoming a finalist for the Masterton Trophy, awarded annually
to the NHL player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance,
sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
After playing part of one season in Anaheim, Emery moved on to Chicago
for two seasons, and now he's back with the Flyers. He's happy he figures
to play more, happy to have Mason as his goaltender partner.
"I feel the writing was on the wall in Chicago as far as myself goes," Emery
said. "In Philadelphia, it would be a new situation for both me and Steve. I'm
excited to work with him, teach him what I know about the game and what
I've learned about the game, and I'm excited to work with a great young
goalie.
"Whenever I evolve, I end up watching the young guys because they're kind
of the pioneers. You go and watch these young kids. They're amazing in
net. I'm just excited to work together with Steve."
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684279
Pittsburgh Penguins
Another Cup fueled Adams’ return to Pens
By Josh Yohe
Updated 40 minutes ago
Even as Craig Adams drove home to Boston for the summer on Saturday,
only one thing was on his mind.
It explains why he signed a two-year deal with the Penguins on Friday even
though other teams were interested in his services.
“I think about winning another Stanley Cup every day,” Adams said. “I've
been fortunate enough to win it twice. Once you get that taste of it, you
want it again. It's all you think about.”
And so, Adams' decision to return ultimately became a simple one.
He signed a deal that will pay him $700,000 annually for the next two
seasons late Friday afternoon.
He said receiving a two-year deal was important and that “it was never a
sticking point” with the Penguins.
“It was always our priority to stay in Pittsburgh,” Adams said. “The Penguins
had a lot of things to square away first. I understood that. They made it
clear that they wanted me back.”
Adams is delighted that, on the same day he signed for two more years with
the Penguins, another veteran known for defensive reliability returned.
Defenseman Rob Scuderi and Adams were two of the five Penguins
skaters on the ice at Joe Louis Arena in the final seconds on June 12, 2009,
when the Penguins held off the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup.
Now they will reunite on the Penguins' penalty killing unit.
“You can never have enough guys like Rob Scuderi around,” Adams said.
“I've watched him play in L.A. the last few years. He keeps getting better.”
Adams acknowledged that the loss of left wing Matt Cooke is significant, but
still clearly believes that enough depth remains to complement the
Penguins' stars as they attempt to win a championship in 2014.
“It will be different,” he said. “But I feel like we have a really good team.”
One thing that won't be difficult is Adams' conditioning. He is among the
NHL's fittest players and is not the least bit concerned about performing
well for two more seasons.
“I feel great and I don't mean for that to sound like a cliche,” Adams said. “I
feel as good now as I did six, seven years ago. I really do feel good.”
Tribune Review LOADED: 07.07.2013
684280
Pittsburgh Penguins
Pens corner market on ‘hometown discounts’
“There are no worries here,” Letang said. “Not like in New York, with the
media. Not like in Montreal, where you can't go to dinner without everybody
knowing what you had to eat. Yeah, in Montreal, it would have been fun to
play in my hometown, but it would have been tough for my family.”
Letang meant no disrespect to the great cities of Montreal or New York, but
as Dupuis said, the comfort level here is priceless.
By Joe Starkey
Updated 6 hours ago
“The Penguins treat their players well, but Mario and Ray do great things for
players' families, as well,” Letang said. “I've seen that with guys like Dupuis
and Geno. I thought about all that. Maybe it's the same way other places. I
don't know. I know what it's like here.
It's a pretty good bet that a professional athlete is lying when he makes one
of the following proclamations:
“I want to win. I also want to be where it feels right.”
• “It's not about the money.”
• “Free agency? I love it too much here to ever leave.”
There is one place, and maybe one place only, where those words
consistently ring true: The Penguins' locker room.
These guys have left enough money on the table to buy their own franchise.
They tell of former teammates who left for bigger paychecks wishing they
could come back (Rob Scuderi just did).
How is this happening?
Players will tell you it's a combination of things: The city's livability, the
chance to win each year, the way the organization treats people, the
chance to play with two of the world's best players, the camaraderie. All of
that and more.
Start with the city. That might sound hokey, but when Pascal Dupuis
sacrifices maybe $400,000 annually to accept the Penguins' four-year, $15
million offer, I listen.
“You notice that people who go away to college, go away to work, end up
coming back to Pittsburgh,” Dupuis said. “I've been here for six years, and I
can see why. I've made a lot of friends away from hockey. My kids have
made a lot of friends. By the time this contract is done, it'll hopefully be 10
years.”
But what about the money?
“How much more do I need?” Dupuis said. “I thought of it that way. Do you
want to mess with how things are working for the chance to get $200,000,
$300,000 or maybe $400,000 more a year? I didn't.”
We can disagree with some recent Penguins decisions but cannot dispute
that ownership and management have created an alluring atmosphere for
players. Right down to the smallest details.
“You guys don't even know,” Dupuis said. “We have the biggest stick
budget in the NHL by about a million. Everybody is A1 — the athletic
trainers, the equipment guys. Anything you need, you'll get.”
In the locker room, it starts at the top. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin
have kissed many millions of dollars goodbye on their past two contracts.
They also set a daily example at the rink.
“They work their (rear ends) off,” Dupuis said. “You always know who the
leaders are.”
More of the many hometown-discount tales:
• Chris Kunitz just finished a season in which he was named a first-team
NHL all-star. What might another good season have gotten him in a league
where Alexander Semin makes $7 million and creaky Vincent Lecavalier
just signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract in Philly?
We'll never know. Kunitz accepted a paltry $125,000 raise on his new deal
— up to $3.85 million per year, or more than $700,000 less than Lecavalier.
Granted, $3.85 million is a lot of money to me and you (assuming you are
not Bill Gates). In NHL terms, it's an unbelievable bargain.
• Brooks Orpik could have taken more money in New York (Rangers) or Los
Angeles the last time his contract expired.
• Kris Letang might have gotten, what, $10 million more had he waited to
test the market next summer, especially if he had a Norris Trophy in tow?
Letang isn't given to elaborate quotes, but he opened up to the Trib's Rob
Rossi about why sticking around was important to him.
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684281
Pittsburgh Penguins
General manager Shero nothing short of Penguins’ hero
By Rob Rossi
Ray Shero is having some fun this summer — at his own expense.
This week, Shero acknowledged learning on the job during his first seasons
with the Penguins. He admitted that letting Rob Scuderi go was a mistake.
He also proposed a scenario in which he would not be employed by the
latter seasons of Kris Letang's new eight-year contract.
Shero has been so self-deprecating that it has almost seemed like a
calculated response to being named general manager of the year for a
season that ended with another disappointment in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Or maybe, as Shero said Friday, “I'm just joking with some of that stuff.”
This is Shero's time, and that is no joke.
Peers voted him the NHL's best boss, and USA Hockey has tabbed him to
serve as No. 2 to general manager David Poile for the 2014 Olympics
hockey squad.
Also, his offseason has been the stuff of legend.
Despite a shrinking salary-cap, the first decrease in NHL history, Shero
somehow managed to not only re-sign Letang, co-franchise center Evgeni
Malkin, top-line wingers Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis and trusted roleplaying forward Craig Adams, but he also upgraded the defense with the
free-agent acquisition of Scuderi.
“You look at what Ray's done, how he's been able to keep that group
together and still find ways to improve it,” Scuderi said. “The Penguins are
always in win-now mode. That is because of Ray.”
Lesson: Move on quickly
The Penguins' previous big free-agent signing of a defenseman happened
because of perhaps the most educational experience of Shero's career.
Paul Martin signed a five-year contract worth $25 million about three hours
into Day 1 of free agency in 2010. He was offered that deal because of a
situation from two years earlier.
Negotiations with winger Marian Hossa had dragged on for weeks and past
Day 1 of free agency in 2008. Hossa ended up signing with Detroit the next
day, and Shero considered himself fortunate a couple of proven NHL
wingers, Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko, still were available on Day
2.
His vow was always to have a contingency plan and never again be part of
a left-at-the-altar narrative.
Shero acquired the rights to defenseman Dan Hamhuis at the 2010 Entry
Draft. Talks did not produce an agreement going into Day 1 of free agency.
Sergei Gonchar, the Penguins' top defenseman, signed with Ottawa within
an hour of the market opening. Shero anticipated that and had targeted
shot-blocking defenseman Zbynek Michalek, who signed with the Penguins
less than 60 minutes after Gonchar's departure.
Hamhuis had opened talks with other clubs, and Shero sensed stall tactics
after a conversation with his agent around 2 p.m. Shero phoned Martin's
agent, asked if Martin was in the room, then asked Martin a direct question.
Did he want to play for the Penguins?
Martin said he did.
Shero transferred the call to assistant general manager Jason Botterill, who
worked out the contract.
Shero then dialed Hamhuis' agent, saying only that the Penguins had
signed Martin.
Martin was graded by coaches as the Penguins' best defenseman last
season.
Lesson: Avoid gut calls
Lesson: Go with what you know
Shero has proven to be many things since replacing Craig Patrick in May
2006.
Kunitz, 33, and Dupuis, 34, remain with the Penguins for a couple of
reasons. The first is Shero knows the good and bad of both players. The
second is their replacements would have proven costly on the open market.
Minnesota Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher described Shero as a
“cool” trade talker. Agent Allan Walsh labeled Shero a “fair” negotiator.
Malkin said Shero is “caring to players.” Penguins CEO David Morehouse
called Shero an “extremely organized” manager.
Coach Dan Bylsma agreed with those statements but added that the secret
to Shero's success — the Penguins have played for the Cup (2008), won it
(2009) and reached the conference final (2013) under him — is his overall
approach.
“Ray makes decisions based on that information, not his gut,” Bylsma said.
“And he takes a lot of things into consideration before making a decision.”
Shero said Friday he is a better, more confident general manager because
of lessons learned over the years.
Lesson: Fix your own mistakes
The Penguins never replaced Scuderi's steadying, workmanlike contribution
on the back end, and Shero knew it. A salary cap casualty in July 2009,
Scuderi signed with Los Angeles as a free agent and flourished as a stayat-home presence for offensively gifted defensemen such as Drew Doughty
and Slava Voynov.
Shero long had sought a similar fit for Letang, not to mention an ideal
mentor for a handful of prospects on the back end. That is why Shero
phoned Scuderi on Wednesday, the start of a two-day window for teams to
speak with impending free agents.
“I told Ray I was surprised to be talking with him because I thought there
was no way the Penguins had cap room,” Scuderi said. “Ray laughed and
said, ‘I didn't think you'd be available, so we were both wrong.'
“Pittsburgh getting in the mix changed everything. I talked with Ray, and he
said (the Penguins) have needed a player like me since I left.”
Shero echoed that sentiment Friday after signing Scuderi to a four-year
contract, a move that was preceded by reaching an agreement with Letang
on an eight-year deal Tuesday.
The public call for Shero to move on from his older players was ignored and
not because Shero has an aversion to young talent such as winger Beau
Bennett. Rather, Shero kept Kunitz and Dupuis with the Penguins for the
next four years because he projected the free-agent market would create
bidding wars that forced clubs to sign players at even longer terms.
The Penguins already have three players — Letang, Malkin and captain
Sidney Crosby — signed for at least the next nine years, and that is enough
for Shero's taste.
Last summer, Shero said he never could take the lead in talks with top free
agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter because they were chasing supersized deals. Each player signed for 13 years with Minnesota.
On Friday, Toronto inked center David Clarkson, 29, to a seven-year
contract, while New Jersey snagged winger Ryane Clowe, 30, for five
years.
The free-agent game — franchise-deal terms to non-franchise players —
did not appeal to Shero, so he kept his own players. Also, Kunitz and
Dupuis are Crosby's preferred wingers, and that top line provides the
Penguins the best chance to win next season, Shero said.
That also represents a change for Shero, who arrived in Pittsburgh
schooled in the Five-Year Plan philosophy.
“If you worry too much about three years from now, I'm not sure, from what
I've seen, how beneficial that is,” Shero said. “So I think you're always
learning, which is why I say I think I'm a better manager now than when I
started here.
“But, come on, nobody's perfect.”
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684282
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins defensive corps crowded after Rob Scuderi's signing
July 7, 2013 12:19 am
"People look at your team, what you might need or might need to get rid of,"
he said. "You might have an excess number of [players at a particular
position]. You just kind of see how it sorts itself out."
The most striking feature of Scuderi's contract might be that it covers four
years. That's a serious commitment to a 34-year-old defenseman, but one
Shero felt was necessary.
By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"If I only want to offer a guy a two-year contract, he's going to go to the next
team for a four-year contract," he said.
Ray Shero had a plan for this offseason.
"We know Rob Scuderi. If I'm going to pass on Rob Scuderi because I'm a
little worried about what he's going to be like when he's 38, I'm not going to
get him."
No surprise there. He might be able to react on the fly as well as any
general manager in the NHL, but Shero isn't in the habit of making it up as
he goes along.
Nothing in his vision for trying to preserve the Penguins' place among the
NHL's top teams, however, included Rob Scuderi.
Not until the middle of last week, anyway.
"I never thought we'd get Rob Scuderi back," Shero said. "That was never
on my radar. Things change pretty quickly."
Indeed, several things did when Scuderi accepted a four-year contract from
the Penguins Friday with a salary-cap hit of $3,375,000.
The Penguins' defense corps gained a reliable, responsible presence. One
who should help lower the stress level for goalies Marc-Andre Fleury and
Tomas Vokoun, along with the team's goals-against average.
Shero, meanwhile, got a revision in his summer to-do list: For the first time
in his career, he will have to make a personnel move simply to get under
the NHL's salary-cap ceiling.
That is set at $64.3 million for the 2013-14 season. CapGeek.com -- the
leading authority on such matters for anyone who doesn't have a teamissued cap specialist in an adjoining office -- reports that, after the
agreements Shero made with Scuderi and fourth-line forward Craig Adams
Friday, the Penguins have $676,667 to work with for the coming season.
Shero still has to sign three restricted free agents, defenseman Robert
Bortuzzo and forwards Harry Zolnierczyk and Dustin Jeffrey, so it's a given
that the Penguins will breach the cap maximum because those players
have received qualifying offers worth a total of more than $1.9 million.
Teams are allowed to exceed the ceiling by up to 10 percent in the
offseason, but must be down to it before the start of the regular season.
Assuming Bortuzzo, Zolnierczyk and Jeffrey accept their qualifying offers or
negotiate longer-term deals, it's unavoidable that the Penguins will end up
north of the ceiling, likely by a couple of million dollars.
Adding Scuderi leaves the Penguins with at least eight defensemen who
project onto the NHL roster this fall -- Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Kris
Letang, Matt Niskanen, Simon Despres, Deryk Engelland and Bortuzzo are
the others -- and teams generally carry no more than seven.
That might make it seem logical, even obvious, that Shero will slice the
Penguins' cap hit by dealing a defenseman. Which explains why Matt
Niskanen, whose cap hit for 2013-14 will be $2.3 million and who is
scheduled for unrestricted free agency next July if he isn't re-signed, has
been a popular subject of trade speculation.
Shero, though, declined to commit to moving a defenseman, perhaps
because there's no urgency to get under the ceiling.
"I haven't made that decision," he said. "I think it depends on what comes
our way in terms of value [in a trade] for guys.
"I've learned that what I'm looking at now might not be the same next week,
or might not be the same a month from now."
Transition rules for the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement had put
the ceiling at $70.2 million in the just-concluded season, so it will be
dropping significantly for 2013-14.
"It's coming down $6 million," Shero said. "Things are going to be tight this
year."
Nonetheless, there generally is a market for NHL-caliber defensemen, so
Shero probably wouldn't have troubling finding a taker if he offers one.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Former Penguins forward Matt Cooke is not bitter, ready to help Minnesota
Wild
July 7, 2013 12:18 am
By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Roughly a year ago, Matt Cooke was among a bunch of Penguins at
teammate Jordan Staal's wedding in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was going to
be a memorable day for Staal no matter what, but then word came that he
had been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. Saturday, Cooke recalled that
moment and the mixed feelings of sadness and excitement Staal
experienced.
"I remember telling Staalsie that it was just business," Cooke said. "We as
players don't always like to admit that, but it's true. It's a business."
Cooke had that same conversation with himself over the weekend after
leaving the Penguins as a free agent and signing a three-year, $7.5 million
deal with the Minnesota Wild. That's a raise of $700,000 per year from the
average of $1.8 million he earned with the Penguins.
"I understand the situation here," Cooke said. "I have no angst against the
Penguins. I'll be forever grateful to the organization and the fans here."
The Penguins would have loved to bring back Cooke, but ran out of money
under the salary cap after giving lucrative contract extensions to Evgeni
Malkin, Chris Kunitz and Kris Letang and signing free agents Pascal Dupuis
and Rob Scuderi.
"After Pascal signed, it didn't take a rocket scientist to do the math," Cooke
said. "It became pretty clear that I was going to be the odd man out."
Cooke came to the Penguins as a free agent in 2008, just in time to help
them win the Stanley Cup in 2009. He was a valuable role player as a
checking-line specialist and top penalty-killer, but also had his share of
baggage. He was suspended for the final 10 games of the 2010-11 season
and the seven-game playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning after
his brutal hit to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Ryan
McDonagh.
Penguins owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux and general manager Ray
Shero decided to stick with Cooke the next season after he promised to
eliminate the cheap hits from his game. The team's fans also welcomed him
back with open arms.
"Sure, they could have gotten rid of me," Cooke said. "That would have
been the easy thing to do. I'll be forever grateful to the fans, Ray, Dan
[Bylsma], Mario and Ron. The way they treated me was unbelievable."
With the Wild, Cooke will be reunited with a couple of former Penguins
staffers -- general manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo.
"They basically want me to bring to Minnesota what I brought to the
Penguins," Cooke said. "But they know my game has changed and they are
totally fine with that. They just want me to play the way I did the past two
seasons."
Cooke said he and his family will return to Pittsburgh to live after his career
is finished.
"We feel like this is home. There was initial sadness about leaving, but I'm
excited about the next step. I'm going to be given big responsibility in
Minnesota. I'm looking forward to that."
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San Jose Sharks
Sharks and Oilers swap unsigned prospects
July 6, 2013, 11:45 am
Staff
The Sharks completed a minor deal with the Edmonton Oilers Saturday,
sending prospect Lee Moffie to Edmonton in exchange for Upland,
California native Kyle Bigos.
Selected by the Oilers in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL entry draft, Bigos
is a six-foot, 235-pound defenseman currently playing for Merrimack
College in the NCAA.
Noted for his size and physicality, the 24-year-old rearguard potted four
goals and added seven assists for 11 points in 30 games last season.
Moffie heads to Edmonton after a significant decline in his production with
the University of Michigan last year. Drafted in the seventh round in 2010,
Moffie registered 32 points in 41 games with Michigan in 2011-12 but
managed just 13 points in 40 games last season.
Both prospects have yet to sign an NHL contract.
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St Louis Blues
Gordon: Blues remain a work in progress
7 hours ago • By Jeff Gordon
Blues general manager Doug Armstrong could have made his life much
simpler during the past week.
He could moved one of his three starting-caliber goaltenders at the NHL
Draft and bought a playmaking center in free agency.
But Armstrong didn’t want to just give away a netminding asset and he
didn’t want to spend extravagantly on a center.
So he has some more work to do going forward – as does coach Ken
Hitchcock -- unless some key roster changes occur before training camp.
Here are some thoughts on the state of the team:
Fans have no reason to panic despite this lack of major activity. The
Blues could contend for quite a while with the current group. Here are the
players 26 and younger: Alex Pietrangelo, Kevin Shattenkirk, Chris Stewart,
Patrik Berglund, David Perron, T.J. Oshie, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden
Schwartz, Vladimir Sobotka, Jake Allen, Ian Cole, Ryan Reaves, Dmitrij
Jaskin, Ty Rattie and Jani Hakanpaa.
With the exit of Andy McDonald, Jamie Langenbrunner and Scott Nichol,
the Blues feature more players in their athletic prime. Roman Polak is 27,
Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott and Maxim Lapierre are 28 and key veterans
David Backes, Alex Steen and Jay Bouwmeester are just 29 years old. By
not overpaying a free agent center, the Blues retained the flexibility to
match a hostile offer sheet for Pietrangelo and perhaps extend potential
2014 free agents Steen and Bouwmeester as well.
Like it not, the eight-year, $58 million contract extension for Penguins
defenseman Kris Letang impacts Pietrangelo. Letang is much deeper into
his career and had the threat of unrestricted free agency as leverage. But
I’m guessing most GMs would take Pietrangelo over Letang. Alex played
Norris Trophy-caliber hockey two years ago and could be a Top 5 NHL
defenseman for many years. He is Armstrong’s No. 1 asset, so Doug is not
bluffing when he promises to match any offer sheet. A massive bid from
another team could be a blessing, since it could lock Pietrangelo into a
long-term deal and end all the uncertainty. Armstrong is wary of such
contracts, but Alex is this team’s franchise player.
Re-signing Jordan Leopold – at a value price, two years for $4.5 million -left the Blues with an exceptional defensive corps. The signing gave added
value to last spring’s deal with Buffalo that sent two draft picks to the
Sabres. In the near term the Blues have a strong seven-man unit. In the
long-term, Armstrong could have trade leverage.
Armstrong can make the Big Trade when necessary. He doesn’t fall in
love with his own players, as some GMs do. He is willing to make changes.
But he tends to make changes on his terms, when circumstances favor the
Blues. If that means the team has to carry three goaltenders for a while or
experiment with myriad line combinations in the fall, so be it.
But . . . the three goaltender scenario is not ideal. Elliott earned his lead
role by starring down the stretch. Allen earned the No. 2 job by developing
right on schedule and saving the Blues through the middle of the season.
The Flyers could have alleviated this problem by trading for Halak. But GM
Paul Holmgren opted to sign retread Ray Emery instead.
Hitchcock seems eager to see what Berglund could do on the wing,
where he could size and “net front presence.” Armstrong likes Berglund in
the middle, where can use his size to control the puck in the offensive zone
and defend much ice in the defensive zone. If the Blues can’t add an impact
center for next season, Berglund could become especially important.
Schwartz was surprisingly strong with the puck during the playoffs,
despite his unimposing stature. Might he be capable of playing center on
one of the top three lines? Of the internal candidates to bolster the team’s
playmaking, he is the most intriguing.
Steen is another X Factor for next season. He turned heads in the
playoffs while scoring three times against the Kings. Injuries have caused
much fluctuation in his play here, but the good Steen makes his teammates
better. This is an element the forward lines lacked at times last season.
It’s easy to like the Lapierre free agent signing for the third or fourth line.
He is big, strong and unpleasant to play against. The Blues are a puckpressure, puck-control team and Lapierre will make them that much nastier.
Here are some thoughts on free agency:
Vincent Lecavalier would have been a great fit for the Blues. He is no
longer a game-changing performance, but he can do a lot of damage on the
power play with his size and strength. He chose to play for the Flyers, a
franchise that spends big season after season but generally disappoints its
rabid fan base. Media coverage of the team is, um, aggressive and
Holmgren tends to churn his top-end players. Vinny is in for quite a culture
change after enjoying a very comfortable career in Tampa. He may rue not
giving the Blues more consideration.
Stephen Weiss would have been a nice addition for the Blues, too. He is
a classic No. 2 center who can use his speed to back defensemen off the
blue line and create room for his linemates. But can anybody blame him for
signing with the Red Wings? The Blues talk about winning titles, but the
Red Wings have won titles. That gap cannot be overcome with a dandy
presentation.
Mikhail Grabovski is a skate-and-shoot center. He doesn’t make his
linemates better. He is skilled and he can help any team by skating and
shooting. Alas, he came off as self-centered and delusional with his not-sogracious departure from Toronto.
At the right price, Derek Roy would be worth a spin. Not so long ago he
was a point-per-game center. Serious injuries diminished his production
and he was just so-so for Dallas and Vancouver last season. He could be a
steal IF he dedicates himself to rebuilding his earning power. He would be a
speculative buy. A team like Calgary might overpay him, but the Blues
wouldn’t.
All of this points to an interesting summer and autumn for the Blues.
Armstrong refused to deviate from his principles and his game plan for free
agency to take a short cut, so there is still much work to do.
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St Louis Blues
Blues find play-making center in Roy
3 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford
The Blues found their play-making center Saturday, bringing in a player
whom general manager Doug Armstrong believes is “low risk, high reward.”
Derek Roy, who spent eight seasons in Buffalo before splitting time in
Dallas and Vancouver in 2012-13, has agreed in principle to a one-year, $4
million contract with the Blues. The deal is pending a physical, which is
scheduled for Wednesday.
Roy, who turned 30 in May, has 168 goals and 455 points in 591 career
NHL games, a majority of that with Buffalo. He was traded to Dallas and
had shoulder surgery in July 2012 that kept him shelved until late last year.
Because of the lockout, Roy didn’t miss any time, but after playing 30
games for the Stars, he was dealt to Vancouver, where he finished the
season with combined totals of seven goals and 28 points in 42 games.
When free agency opened Friday, several top-tier centers signed multi-year
contracts, but Roy’s offers were limited. He had a 20-minute conversation
Friday with both Armstrong and Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, and a day
later, the two sides came to an agreement.
“It’s a great opportunity for Derek to re-establish himself as a player he
believes he can be and we believe he can be,” Armstrong said. “I think he
saw what happened Friday (with the large contracts) and I think he’s got a
real drive to play himself back into that category of a multi-year deal.”
Roy had offers from other clubs but wanted to go where he felt comfortable.
He is familiar with Hitchcock, who coached him with Team Canada at the
2009 World Championships. He was also teammates with defenseman
Jordan Leopold in Buffalo and forward Maxim Lapierre in Vancouver.
“I had a good rapport with Hitch — he played me a lot and I was excited
about that,” Roy said. “I think coming to a team, a young skillful team like
this with a ton of grit, was right in my wheelhouse.
“I have confidence in myself, confidence in my abilities. I was really mad
about my season last year. So a one-year deal and play on a good team ...
I’ll bounce right back. The shoulder feels great, so I’m ready to have a great
season and put myself in a good position for next year.”
The shoulder injury happened during training camp of the 2011-12 season
when Roy was in Buffalo. He endured multiple dislocations throughout the
season but still played 80 games and had 17 goals and 44 points.
After Roy’s trade to Dallas, the Stars decided he needed surgery. He had
four goals and 22 points in 30 games but then went to Vancouver, where he
netted three goals and six points in 12 games.
“He played all last year and we’re very comfortable that he’s past all those
(injuries),” Armstrong said. “Last year was a rough year (because of the
surgery and trades) and he still had 28 points in 42 games. He’s a good
player and we think it’s a win-win.”
Roy, who had a career-high 32 goals and 81 points in 2007-08 with the
Sabres, believes that he can be the play-maker the Blues were seeking.
“I try to move the puck as much as I can, try to utilize my wingers,” Roy
said. “I need to score a little more, get a little more gritty around the net, and
those things will come with confidence. I think they’ve got tremendous skill
on the front end and on the back end, so we’ll move the puck out of our
zone early and get a chance to score and make plays and it’ll be an exciting
team.”
With Roy’s signing, the Blues have a payroll of $56.4 million, which leaves
them approximately $8 million under the NHL salary cap ($64.3 million).
The club still has restricted free agents Alex Pietrangelo, Chris Stewart and
Jake Allen to sign.
Teams can exceed the ceiling by 10 percent in the summer but must be
below it by the start of the season.
“I think we’re going to be able to get everyone under the umbrella,”
Armstrong said, “and if need be, we have very valuable pieces — if we
have to move players, that’s not going to be an issue finding a home for
them.”
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684287
St Louis Blues
Blues land a playmaking center in Derek Roy
"The shoulder feels great," he said. "I had a couple lingering issues last
year and those impacted my game. Now that's behind me and my
shoulder's healthy and ready to go. I'm looking forward to contributing in a
big way and being a big factor."
Published: July 6, 2013 Updated 7 hours ago
Armstrong said the Blues' current center group would include David
Backes, Patrik Berglund, Roy and Lapierre, though Hitchcock has
mentioned the possibility of playing Backes on the wing.
By NORM SANDERS — News-Democrat
"I think it has a chance to be a very difficult group to defend," Armstrong
said. "I think Ken's got a lot of different options. We have a lot of options
and we've found a natural center iceman that can produce points."
Remaining diligent in their pursuit of a center, the St. Louis Blues landed
former Buffalo Sabres standout Derek Roy on Saturday with a one-year, $4
million deal.
Still ahead for the Blues are trying to sign restricted free agents Alex
Pietrangelo, Chris Stewart and goalie Jake Allen.
The deal is pending a physical.
The 30-year old Roy reached the 60-point total in four straight seasons with
the Sabres from 2006-2010. He had seven goals and 28 points in a
combined 42 games last season with the Dallas Stars and Vancouver
Canucks.
He had three goals and six points in 12 games after being acquired by the
Canucks at the trade deadline. Before that he had four goals and 22 points
in 30 games with the Stars.
"This is a great opportunity to kickstart my career again, get on the right
path and work hard," Roy said. "They have a great young team and some
great young players. It's a tough team to play against, whenever you come
into St. Louis you knew you were coming into a battle, so it's good to be
playing for a team like that."
Roy has played previously for Blues coach Ken Hitchcock with Team
Canada at the 2009 World Championships, so the pair know each other
well.
"Hitch coached me and (Blues General Manager) Doug (Armstrong) was
there as well, so it was a good experience and we had a good rapport
among each other," Roy said. "That helped make my decision a lot easier."
Armstrong says Roy is the type of playmaker the Blues were looking for.
The Blues also signed center Maxim Lapierre and pursued free-agent
centers Vincent Lecavalier, Stephen Weiss and Valterri Filppula.
"We view it as a low-risk, high-reward type of situation," Armstrong said of
the Roy signing. "He's 30 years old and he's a very good player, the type of
player we think can have some success with our team."
Roy (5-foot-9, 184 pounds) is a feisty center whose best season was 32
goals and 81 points with Buffalo in 2007-08.
"I like to control the puck and one my best assets is the speed that I bring
and my ability to control the puck in the middle," said Roy, who understands
Hitchcock's overall system of using defense to create offense. "I'm excited
to be part of a team like that where everyone cares about one goal and
that's playing defense first and then going on offense. My best asset is
probably my two-way game."
Armstrong agreed.
"Derek has a good relationship with Ken and he likes his style of coaching,"
Armstrong said. "It's a really good opportunity for Derek to re-enter that
free-agent market a year from now, if we don't sign him before that, as a
much better player."
Injuries have been a concern in recent years, including shoulder surgery in
2012. He also missed 46 games at the end of the 2010-11 season and six
playoff contests because of surgery to repair his left quadriceps tendon.
"He played all year and hasn't had any problems, so we're doing our due
diligence," Armstrong said. "When you're investing $4 million you want to
cross all the T's and dot all the I's."
Roy said he believes he's healthy and ready to go after what he felt was a
sub-par 2013 season.
"I was pretty mad about my season last year," he said. "I don't take failure
too well, so I was really mad about it. I had a couple injuries and came off
my surgery, so I didn't perform like I'm capable of."
After two surgeries in two years, Roy believes he is ready to contribute a a
high level once again.
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684288
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bolts' prospect camp gets underway
By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff
Published: July 6, 2013
BRANDON - Even in the middle of sweltering summer heat, preparation for
hockey season amps up.
With the Stanley Cup champion crowned, the draft completed and the first
day of free agency in the books, the Lightning turned their attention to
preparing for next season.
Thirty-one players assembled at the Ice Sports Forum for the start of a fiveday prospect camp. The camp features some of Tampa Bay's top up-andcoming talent, including its last three first-round draft picks - Jonathan
Drouin, Slater Koekkoek and Andrey Vasilevskiy. The idea in holding these
minicamps is to give the players an introduction to life as a professional
athlete and provide a strong foundation of training to help advance their
careers while strengthening Tampa Bay's system of prospects.
Often, the improvements are tangible.
"We notice it with the off-ice training," Lightning director of amateur scouting
Al Murray said. "The exposure to a strength coach and knowing that you
are going to be held accountable in improving in that area is going to make
them work harder in the strength area and the conditioning component,
which is going to make them a better player."
Most of Tampa Bay's top prospects have come through these summer
camps the past few years, including Tyler Johnson, Brett Connolly,
Vladislav Namestnikov, Alex Killorn, Radko Gudas and Mark Barberio.
Forward Matthew Peca, a seventh-round pick in 2011 who pays his own
way to attend so he can maintain his NCAA eligibility at Quinnipiac
University, is attending his third prospect camp with Tampa Bay, and
understands the benefits. Since his first prospect camp with Tampa Bay
three years ago, Peca has added muscle to his 5-foot-8 frame. Though his
training regimen has remained primarily the same, he has learned what it
means to be a professional hockey player by attending the camps.
"It's about professionalism, you know how to act, you know what to do at
every given time," Peca said. "I think just knowing how to act around the
staff and everything like that, it certainly benefits the guys on and off the
ice."
Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who ran the camp the previous three
summers, notices the improvement from year to year when he sees the
players come in. The biggest benefit Cooper sees is offering a foundation
so when the players' pro careers start, the learning curve is quicker.
"Here at the Tampa Bay Lightning, we have a certain code of conduct of
your professionalism, how hard you have to work and things you have to
get done, and this is where it starts," he said. "When they get to Tampa or
Syracuse (in the American Hockey League), they know what is expected of
them."
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Tampa Bay Lightning
Fennelly: Time for Yzerman to deliver
By Martin Fennelly | Tribune Staff
Published: July 6, 2013
Much rides on whether either of Yzerman's choices, Anders Lindback and
Ben Bishop, work out as a true No. 1 in goal. I think the Lightning still need
more help on defense. All these years later, they're still trying to find a Dan
Boyle (great Cowboys move there, eh?). Real help on D was asking for too
much for this offseason, I guess. So was a true No. 2 center, I guess.
I understand moving Vinny. But it's about what's next. Right now, what's
next is Filppula, who, while four years younger than Vinny, has 11 fewer 20goal seasons.
In Philadelphia, Vinny will wear No. 40 and not know if he has a No. 1
goalie - again.
TAMPA - The Lightning did not drop leaflets from planes after the club
bought out Vinny Lecavalier, but they did email a letter to each and every
season ticket-holder, trying to explain the move, the primal economics
behind it. It was an unusual measure, and all in the name of Vinny's
Sasquatchian Lightning footprint.
Here? The Lightning GM has stocked the farm with talent, especially at
forward, once a dry gulch. Friday, the Lightning signed third overall pick
Jonathan Drouin, who seems the real deal, and better be, since the Bolts
passed on Seth Jones, the top-rated defenseman in the draft.
The letter ended:
Yes, Steve Yzerman's handwriting is all over this franchise. That means
they won't need to dust for fingerprints if it doesn't work.
Best Regards,
He has to deliver.
Steve Yzerman
Legend or no, Stevie Y still has to Stevie Win.
Vice President and General Manager
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 07.07.2013
Yzerman's handwriting is all over the Lightning's future. That said, he owns
it. It's on him.
Once upon a time, two (very, very) different Lightning general managers,
Jay Feaster and Brian Lawton, publicly stated they wouldn't be the GMs
who moved Vinny. Well, Yzerman just did, double daring the marketing
gods. Vinny is now a Flyer, of all things. In the letter, Yzerman rightly called
the Vinny buyout a "pivotal move" in the name of long-term progress.
Now what?
Does Stevie Y have an 'X' on his back, apply heat here?
I wouldn't go that far.
Still: It's on him.
Getting rid of Vinny has raised the stakes.
Now there's one less obstacle. There are no significant salary cap demons.
Yzerman better deliver.
Friday, the chase to replace Vinny didn't seem to yield much. Yzerman went
to the Red Wings well and paid $25 million over five years for Valtteri
Filppula, fairly overboard for a guy who had only nine goals and 17 points in
41 games last season.
True, Filppula had 23 goals and 41 assists two seasons ago - Vinny's
neighborhood. But he seems more like a No. 3 center about to be paraded
out as a No. 2, a temporary solution, a stopgap. Is that next season for the
Lightning?
OK, keep the hot seat handy.
Yzerman's run as Bolts GM began spectacularly, to the brink of the Stanley
Cup Finals. But now he's on his second head coach, and third and fourth
goaltenders (or is it fourth and fifth?) and the Lightning have missed the
playoffs for two seasons. Do I hear three?
Yzerman has always talked about "long term" and admits that this Vinny
move might mean a step back at first, though I'm not sure he really believes
that last part. So, why should we? It's about Now.
I like Yzerman. I believe he knows what he's doing.
But it's on him now. All roads lead to the GM.
Lightning owner Jeff Vinik is such a believer he just gave Yzerman $32.7
million to buy out Vinny. Yzerman, by his own admission, stepped outside
of the box by losing Vinny without a replacement in place. But in his mind,
the Vinny move was inevitable, so why wait another season?
Yzerman has believers all over the dressing room, including Steven
Stamkos and captain-to-be Marty St. Louis. I wonder, even now, if Marty
would have asked for a trade last season if a coaching change hadn't been
made midstream. He seems in a good place now, but couldn't that change if
things don't come together?
684290
Tampa Bay Lightning
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 07.07.2013
Vinny Lecavalier is heading into his 16th season in the NHL.
By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff
Published: July 6, 2013
AMPA - When Vinny Lecavalier hit the free-agent market for the first time in
his career after his contract was bought out by Tampa Bay, the demand for
his services exceeded his expectations.
But after spending draft weekend listening to pitches from nearly a dozen
teams, he settled on his new destination rather quickly, agreeing on a fiveyear contract worth $22 million with Philadelphia. The deal was officially
announced Saturday before Lecavalier spoke with the media on a
conference call.
"Philly, with the meeting I had with them, that's the place I really wanted to
go," Lecavalier said. "Right after I talked with Philly even before any offers
or anything, they went right to the top of the list. I just liked what they were
saying, and looking at their lineup. ... But I liked (head coach Peter
Laviolette's) point of view on the game. I just like their style of play. They
play hard, they play well defensively, but offense is also something they can
bring that's very solid, so I thought I'd fit well in that mold."
Considering some of the history between the Lightning and the Flyers
through the years - the 2004 conference final showdown, the infamous stall
game in 2011, the bad blood last year with Lecavalier engaging in two fights
during the teams' meetings - Lecavalier and Philadelphia might seem an
odd match. But playing against Laviolette's up-tempo style of play the past
several seasons proved to be an enticing element in Lecavalier's decision
to sign with the team some might consider Tampa Bay's most bitter on-ice
rival.
"I like that better than staying on your heels," Lecavalier said. "I think when
you're on your heels a lot more, you're not in the game as much, you're not
as sharp, as quick. If you're on your toes like the Flyers play, I think it
makes you a better hockey player. You're always on the go, you're
aggressive in the offensive zone. Obviously you've got to play well
defensively, but once you're out of that zone, you're skating and you have
to skate. So it makes you skate harder, and I think it makes you quicker."
Lecavalier, who has played center his whole career, mentioned that he is
even open to changing positions if asked to do so.
"I've never played wing, but honestly, I would feel very comfortable on the
right side," Lecavalier said. "It's not something that I really worry about,
especially when you're being told you might play with Claude Giroux. I'm
really open to that, and I'd be really excited about that."
The 33-year-old former Lightning captain will head into next season with a
bit of a chip on his shoulder, though not necessarily directed at Tampa Bay
or general manager Steve Yzerman.
"When you get bought out, it's definitely motivation," Lecavalier said. "I
guess I want to prove the Flyers right. It's not about proving anybody else
wrong or the Lightning wrong. I feel great.
"Honestly, I felt like (this season) I was playing some really good hockey
(before and after his ankle injury), probably the best in five years. I think
with Lavi's style and the players, I feel very confident that I'll have a really
good season and help the Flyers."
FREE AGENT: Jaromir Jagr wants to extend his NHL career, and his agent
said some teams are "very interested" in his 41-year-old client.
Jagr might have to wait a while, and the league's active scoring leader
might not be the only free agent without a new job this weekend.
"He definitely still wants to play, and there is some interest in him," said
Jagr's agent, Petr Svoboda. Svoboda declined to say which teams wanted
to sign Jagr.
OILERS: Edmonton re-signed forward Ryan Jones to a one-year contract.
STARS: Dallas signed top draft pick Valeri Nichushkin to a three-year entrylevel contract. The 18-year-old Russian winger was the 10th overall pick in
the draft.
684291
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning still has needs, salary cap crunch
Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, July 6, 2013 6:24pm
BRANDON — The Lightning on Friday fortified its second line with the
addition of free agent C Valterri Filppula.
Now comes the hard part: addressing needs on the blue line while
managing existing personnel and a salary cap crunch.
Not only does Tampa Bay have eight defensemen on one-way contracts, it
is about $1.7 million under the $64.3 million salary cap with one or two
spots at forward still to fill.
Just doing that could push the Lightning to the cap and force it to put D
Mattias Ohlund (knee) on long-term injured reserve. That would allow
Tampa Bay to exceed the cap by the amount of replacement salary minus
the cap space available at the time of the transaction. Ohlund's $3.6 million
hit would stay on the books.
It's no surprise, then, that GM Steve Yzerman said adding a defenseman
would have to be through trade so the Lightning could shed salary in the
process.
Yzerman said he is not shopping. Even with Ohlund out and D Brian Lee
(knee) iffy for training camp, Mark Barberio is close to being ready to jump
from AHL Syracuse.
Even so, "it's fair to say we need to be better defensively," Yzerman said.
"As a team we need to be better, but our defensive core as a whole has to
be better. Whether I can change it, I'm not sure. But the group we have we
expect to be better."
"They'll have a training camp. They'll have time to prepare. A little bit more
experience for the young guys. And our veterans, after the lockout and
shortened season, hopefully the normal routine and proper preparation,
they can play at a higher level as well."
NEWBIE: Jonathan Drouin, this year's No. 3 overall draft pick who signed a
three-year, $2.775 million deal, made his debut Saturday at prospects camp
at the Ice Sports Forum.
No nerves, the 18-year-old left wing said: "It's just practice. … Obviously,
everyone is watching, the coaches and stuff, so you've got to push hard
and just play the same way you've been playing."
"At 18, I wouldn't have had the poise that he has," coach Jon Cooper said.
"He's focused. … Just professionalism all the way around, with a little bit of
kid in him. It was fun."
ON HOLD: G Andrey Vasilevskiy wants "100 percent" to play next season
in North America but likely will finish the last year of his contract with Ufa of
Europe's Kontinental Hockey League.
That's not a problem for his development, said Al Murray, the Lightning's
director of amateur scouting, as long as Vasilevskiy, drafted 19th overall in
2012, plays with Ufa's KHL team and not its junior team, with which he
played most of last season.
Vasilevskiy, 18, seems ready to make the jump. In eight KHL games last
season, he was 4-1-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .924 save
percentage.
"If he stays in Russia," said D Artem Sergeev, interpreting for Vasilevskiy,
"he will play in the KHL."
ODDS AND ENDS: It's too soon to tell if D Slater Koekkoek, drafted 10th
overall in 2012 and recovering from last season's shoulder surgery, will
participate in the camp's three-on-three tournament. … Practices today are
at 1:15 p.m.
Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 07.07.2013
684292
Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL free agents: Ex-Leaf Mikhail Grabovski still available
By: Kevin Allen USA Today, Published on Sat Jul 06 2013
Although most of the high-profile unrestricted free agents agreed to deals
on the first day of the signing period, some interesting NHL players remain
available. Here are some who can still help a team:
Mikhail Grabovski: Although Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle might
disagree, Grabovski can help an offence. He’s a 50-point guy, capable of
scoring 20 to 25 goals.
Jaromir Jagr: Although he couldn’t find the net in the playoffs, he still
possesses some offensive magic. Even at 41, he can make things happen.
Brenden Morrow: He can still offer leadership, tenacity, character and
perhaps the odd goal here and there. Would be a good fit for a team on the
rise.
Ron Hainsey: He played almost 23 minutes a game on the Winnipeg Jets’
defence. He’s a smart man, a leader for the NHL Players’ Association
during the lockout, and always conducted himself professionally no matter
how heated the negotiations.
Tim Thomas: Not many teams are looking for goaltending, but those who
are have to be intrigued. Yes, he is 39 and didn’t play last season. But he
was spectacular the last time we saw him play. Plus, he can’t command a
big ticket after taking a year off.
Ryan Whitney: He’s big, can provide some offence and some teams are
looking for defencemen.
Nik Antropov: He’s six-foot-six, 240 pounds and can score 15 to 20 goals.
Could be a short-term fix for a team in need of some offence.
Tom Gilbert: The Minnesota Wild bought him out because of salary cap
issues. He was a 19-minute per game guy during the regular season and
he’s only 30.
Toronto Star LOADED: 07.07.2013
684293
Toronto Maple Leafs
Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert tie knot in P.E.I.: DiManno
Two buses had pulled up, decanting players, friends and family, Leafs
ambling in that jock-walk way as non-invitee civilians ogled: Who’s that?
Who’s that? Who’s that?
By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Sat Jul 06 2013
Well, that’s Phil Kessel and that’s James Reimer and that’s James van
Riemsdyk and that’s Tyler Bozak — newly re-signed — and that’s Carl
Gunnarsson and that’s just traded away Ben Scrivens. If Joffrey Lupul was
present, I never clocked him.
SUMMERFIELD, P.E.I.—The bride was a half hour late and the groom was
“a wreck’’.
Still, apparently, not enough Leaf-candy for some of the gawkers. “I thought
Sydney Crosby was supposed to be here,’’ grumped one lady, Wendy
Walker, on the highway verge. “He was seen at Cornwall yesterday. That’s
who I’m here for.’’
“Is this normal?’’ an anxious, fidgeting Dion Phaneuf asked the priest.
“Does this happen a lot? Uh, what am I supposed to do now?’’
Well, why would Crosby be at Phaneuf’s nuptials?
Rev. Paul Egan: “Calm down son. Brides are always late.’’ Pause. “Never
had one late by half an hour though.’’
“A beautiful ceremony,’’ Leaf chairman Larry Tanenbaum said afterwards.
“They looked like they were in love, as they should be and hopefully will be
forever.’’
Thirty minutes. A life time, or close to the Maple Leaf captain’s typical ice
minutes in any given game.
The Leaf suits flew in on a private jet Saturday morning.
The guests were already assembled, expectantly, inside St. James Catholic
Church, sticky and wilting in their pretty finery, no air conditioning on a
blistering hot Saturday afternoon. And what a sports glitterati crowd it was:
More than a dozen of Phaneuf’s teammates, Leaf executives, a slimmed
down Brian Burke — the kind of celebrity-studded roster this island has
never before witnessed.
Finally, well past the appointed hour, the bride came over the bench.
Actress Elisha Cuthbert, genuine Hollywood bold face, arrived in a froth of
veiling and silk, delivered to the church in a vintage black Camaro
convertible — top up — stopping only briefly outside to turn and wave to
cheering spectators who’d lined the highway.
Twenty minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Dion Phaneuf emerged, beaming. He
got behind the wheel and off they drove to Phaneuf’s sprawling shoreline
estate just outside New London, down a private road guarded by hired
security, no doubt to dance the night away.
The couple had tried mighty hard to keep their wedding in the vault, few
details leaking, and guests allegedly discouraged from tweeting out any of
the details. At Thursday’s rehearsal, Cuthbert remained inside the church
until a small huddle of paparazzi had given up and left photo-less. It’s not a
very aggressive media, here on Prince Edward Island. Really, yours truly
was the only trespasser attempting to crawl through the brush abutting
Phaneuf’s property, thinking, I’m getting way too old for this.
My usual go-to Leaf contacts weren’t having anything to do with abetting
the enemy. “Will not assist in any way,’’ emailed one insider. “The Star
looks like the Sun here.’’
See, that doesn’t bother me. The last time I was in P.E.I. on assignment,
stalking another individual — this one with a restraining order in hand — a
furious Supreme Court judge gave me 24 hours to get off the island or he
would throw my arse in jail.
Surely Phaneuf would not be so touchy. I mean heck, this is a guy I’ve seen
naked.
Okay, too much information.
But it was a beautiful wedding in a lovely setting, designed and arranged by
the couple without any professional help. Engaged for a year, they’d had
ample time to plan every detail.
Taking a cue from the royal wedding of William and Kate two years ago,
Elisha brought the outdoors indoors with half-a-dozen maple leaf saplings
scattered around the pews, bouquets of white roses and freesia festooned
along the aisle, ceremonial music provided by trio of flutist, violinist and
piano player, a bagpiper just beyond the threshold.
Egan, parish pastor for nearly two decades, recalls 11-year-old Phaneuf
coming to this church with his parents, both of whom hail from prominent
P.E.I. families. “Islanders have tried to be respectful about this wedding,’’
Egan told the Star. “Of course, we’re used to seeing Dion and his fiancée
around here in the summer. They’re just normal people.
“Maybe outsiders think this is a special wedding but, you know, all
weddings are special.’’
Indeed, yet there’s certainly an extraordinary component in what amounted
to a Leaf invasion.
GM Dave Nonis, fresh off a busy Day 1 of free agent wheeling and dealing,
was debonair in pale window-pane check suit. “It was perfect, just like you’d
expect. They looked very happy, you could see it in their faces.’’
He spent some time chatting after the vows were exchanged with now exLeaf Mike Komisarek, no hard feelings. “Not at all.’’ Asked what else he
might have up his sleeve on the player acquisition front, Nonis was cagey.
“We’re going to try to do a few more things. We’ll see. I’ll be back at it
tomorrow.’’
While Phaneuf has more than his share of critics — Lord knows they came
howling out of the woodwork during Toronto’s seven-game, first-round
playoff loss to Boston — he’s clearly held in high esteem by teammates. It’s
no small jaunt, humping out to P.E.I.
“I can’t say if he was nervous,’’ reported John-Michael Liles. “I was too far
back in the church to see anything.’’
One busload of Leafs left the church and stopped at a chip wagon not far
distant for popsicles en route to the reception and a bit of junk food to carry
them over, tummies apparently rumbling — though a groaning board
spread of lobster, chicken and a vegetarian dish awaited them.
“It’s great to see the players again,’’ said Burke, tie typically removed.
“Haven’t seen ’em since I got gassed.’’
The former Leaf general manager came stag. “I was told I could bring a
date but I wanted to spend time with the guys.’’
Looked like it would be a long night at the reception bash for Elisha Ann
Cuthbert and Dion Ronald Phaneuf — mister and missus now — under the
marquee tents erected on the lawns stretching down to the water, birds
twittering in the trees, almost impossibly romantic.
I, wedding crasher, backed off.
Got a bouquet from the church, though, and a formal wedding program.
“Go on, steal one,’’ urged the good-humored priest. “I’ll forgive you.’’
Toronto Star LOADED: 07.07.2013
684294
Toronto Maple Leafs
by a franchise in Columbus that is without a post-season win in its 12
seasons.
NHL free agents: Jaromir Jagr weighs offers
“This is a team on the rise with great players, and I’m looking forward to
being a part of it,” Horton said.
By: Larry Lage The Associated Press, Published on Sat Jul 06 2013
Jagr, a five-time scoring champion and former NHL MVP, was able to
continue his career during the lockout-shortened season when the Dallas
Stars gave him a $4.55 million, one-year contract last summer.
Jaromir Jagr wants to extend his NHL career, and his agent said some
teams are “very interested” in his 41-year-old client.
Jagr might have to wait a while, but the league’s active scoring leader is
hardly the only free agent still looking for a new job this weekend.
“He definitely still wants to play and there is some interest in him,” Jagr’s
agent, Petr Svoboda, told The Associated Press on Saturday. “I think it’s
going to take some time, but you never know for sure because there are
three teams that are very interested.”
Svoboda declined to say which teams wanted to sign Jagr.
J.P. Barry, who represents two of the top free agents, Daniel Cleary and
Mason Raymond, also expected a relatively slower pace of moves.
“We’ve touched base with several teams, and many of them are being
patient at this point,” Barry said Saturday. “We’ve got options for (Cleary
and Raymond), but we’re in a holding pattern with each of them because I
think everyone is taking a breath this weekend.
“I’ve been through about 15 of these, and there is always a frenzy of
moves then a pause to reassess and then a second wave. It’s tough to
predict when that second wave will happen, so we’re always on call when
teams are ready.”
Day one of the free agency flurry on Friday included dozens of deals,
including Jarome Iginla signing a one-year contract worth as much as $6
million with Boston. The Bruins almost acquired the six-time all-star late last
season when Pittsburgh got him from Calgary at the trade deadline.
Nathan Horton cashed in on his second strong post-season performance
for the Bruins with a $37.1 million, seven-year contract in Columbus.
Daniel Alfredsson made perhaps the most surprising move. The 40-year-old
forward is taking what might be his last shot at winning the Stanley Cup with
the Detroit Red Wings, jilting the Ottawa Senators after being the face of
the franchise.
The Senators tried to bounce back by making a bold trade for Anaheim
forward Bobby Ryan in exchange for a pair of promising players and a firstround draft pick.
On Saturday, the second day NHL teams could sign free agents, the
pickings were slimmer. Several top-tier players were taken off the market by
teams that agreed to and signed deals following two days of talks.
St. Louis agreed to a one-year deal with veteran forward Derek Roy,
pending a physical. The 30-year-old Roy split last season between the
Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks and finished with seven goals and 21
assists.
Among the other relatively notable names still available Saturday included
Mikhail Grabovski, Ilya Bryzgalov, Tim Thomas, Damien Brunner, Toni
Lydman, Brad Boyes and Brenden Morrow.
Teemu Selanne is an unrestricted free agent, too, but no one expects the
43-year-old Finnish Flash to leave the Anaheim Ducks if he chooses to
keep playing in North America.
Ducks general manager Bob Murray plans to contact Selanne next week to
find out if he is close to making a decision on returning or retiring.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray, though, was among the many
shocked when Alfredsson said he was ready to leave the only franchise he
has played for in his 17-season NHL career.
“He indicated winning a Stanley Cup was an opportunity he couldn’t pass
up,” Murray said. “He told me the two teams he was talking to. He told me
he thought they were in a position ahead of us to make that happen.”
While Alfredsson could have stayed in Ottawa to make more than the $5.5
million he will be paid next season by the Red Wings to chase the Cup,
Horton is leaving a championship-contending team to be well-compensated
After Jagr had 14 goals and 26 points in 34 games for the Stars, showing
he could still produce, Dallas dealt him to the Bruins.
He had nine points in 11 regular-season games with Boston and 10 assists
in 22 post-season games. He didn’t have a goal in the playoffs but made
key plays that didn’t show up on the score sheet.
Jagr teamed with Mario Lemieux to help lead the Penguins win a pair of
Stanley Cup championships as a teenager in his first two NHL seasons in
1991 and 1992, and was the league MVP in 1999.
Toronto Star LOADED: 07.07.2013
684295
Toronto Maple Leafs
Several teams interested in Grabovski: Agent
By Lance Hornby
,Toronto Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 08:06 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 08:10 PM EDT
TORONTO - The agent for Mikhail Grabovski says one day his client will be
able to laugh about his profane exit from Toronto — at the expense of the
Maple Leafs.
While Grabovski was not snapped up during rush hour of Friday’s free
agency and is still available as of Sunday, Gary Greenstin says that is partly
because he and the player are fielding multiple offers. “I never comment on
negotiations, but several teams are interested,” Greenstin said Saturday.
Asked if that meant, say, three, four or five, Greenstin repeated “several.”
“Somebody wrote in Toronto that he wasn’t a playmaker. That’s totally
wrong. He is a good playmaker,” Greenstin said.
There were some apparent exploratory talks with the Tampa Bay Lightning
early Friday, which came before Steve Yzerman inked centre Valtteri
Filppula from Detroit as his chosen replacement for Vinny Lecavalier. If
anyone thought that opened the door for Grabovski in Detroit, the Wings
opted for Stephen Weiss, who was among the Plan Bs for the Maple Leafs
if Tyler Bozak wasn’t re-signed.
Grabovski was shocked and angered earlier in the week when Leafs
general manager Dave Nonis cashed in the remaining four years of his
$27.5-million US deal, which translates to $14 million over the next eight
years. Grabovski blamed his leaving on coach Randy Carlyle’s alleged
mismanagement of his ice time last season and called Carlyle “stupid” and
an “idiot” for trying to turn him into a checker.
Greenstin does not think that the widely reported outburst will hurt
Grabovski’s future employment in the NHL. The agent said Grabovski had a
great time at his wedding in Toronto a couple of days ago and is looking
forward to a new team in 2013-14.
“He’s going to stay here, he’s not going back to the KHL. He wants to win a
Stanley Cup. Toronto is a nice spot and he played with great respect for the
fans. He wants to come back to that place (the Air Canada Centre) and a
score a goal against the Leafs. That would be really fun.”
Burke weighs in
Yup, that was former Leafs GM Brian Burke, author of the Grabovski
contract, doing a little draft day analysis for Rogers Sportsnet on Friday.
Burke made his remarks from a picturesque locale in Prince Edward Island,
where he was attending the wedding of Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf.
Burke said he wouldn’t have torn up the deal for Grabovski as a singular act
to free up cap space, but lauded successor Nonis for having a plan to
allocate those resources to land David Clarkson.
Burke, now a pro scout for the Ducks, said the Senators made a great trade
for Bobby Ryan, noting the connections to former Anaheim personnel in the
Ottawa hockey office. But Burke shared the view of many GMs that the new
two-day window to interview UFAs prior to the start of shopping day needed
clarification of its rules.
Net result: cheap
Late Friday came news of restricted free-agent goaltender Jonathan
Bernier’s two-year deal with the Leafs, valued at $5.8 million.
“It’s a great opportunity for Jonathan,” agent Pat Brisson said. “We’re happy
it got done relatively quick so Jon can focus ahead.”
The cap hit is just a million higher than James Reimer’s, and the combined
salaries of the two goaltenders are just $4.7 million in 2013-14 — or less
than 12 star goalies will make on their own.
Of course neither has really done anything to hit a home run at the
bargaining table. Reimer’s three-year deal from July 2011 was structured so
he could prove himself to the Leafs and presumably get big bucks in the
summer of 2014. Bernier is a former first-round pick, but he has played less
games than Reimer.
Loose Leafs
Reports say Clarkson’s seven-year contract, the longest ever awarded a
Leaf, has a limited no-movement clause that requires him to present a 14team list of prospective teams. Clarkson’s money breaks down to $4.5
million, $4.75, $5.5, $7, $7, $4.75 and $3.25 million ... Bozak, whose fiveyear, $21-million pact to return to the Leafs was announced 90 minutes
after Clarkson signed, will have his money spread out starting this year at
$3.5 million, then going to $4 million, $5 million, 4.5 million and back to $4
million ... Clarkson has a plan to launch a personal charity initiative in
Toronto for next year, similar to his various efforts in Newark, N.J., and
Kitchener, Ont. “That’s something near to my heart,” said Clarkson, father
of a young daughter. “As a pro athlete I’m very lucky to do what I do and if
you can give back to others, I will. I plan on doing that in Toronto and doing
something very big and special” ... Clarkson was asked what number he’ll
wear as a Leaf and was a little surprised he’ll get a say in the matter. Devils
GM Lou Lamoriello apparently decided such things. Clarkson can have his
23 from Jersey if the Leafs don’t bring back UFA Ryan O’Byrne. Neither
O’Byrne or Mike Kostka will be back if the Leafs promote any Marlies for the
defence next year ... RFAs Nazem Kadri, Joe Colborne, Cody Franson,
Carl Gunnarsson and Mark Fraser are next on Nonis’ contract talk agenda.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684296
Toronto Maple Leafs
Grabovski on Carlyle sounds like Kadri on Wilson
By Steve Simmons
,Toronto Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 06:09 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 08:21 PM EDT
TORONTO - If you listen between the bleeps, Mikhail Grabovski’s angry
and pointed criticisms of Randy Carlyle were almost word for word identical
to Nazem Kadri’s sentiment for Carlyle’s predecessor, Ron Wilson.
It goes like this: The coach didn’t use me properly. The coach didn’t
understand me. The coach didn’t talk to me. There was no communication,
no trust between player and coach.
When Kadri began to morph into an upper-end centre this past season, he
attributed much of the development to Carlyle’s belief in him, to the
communication and clarity between he and the coaching staff regarding
expectations and delivery.
Grabovski said the opposite. Carlyle, he said, rarely spoke to him. Kadri
said coaches were in his ear all the time. The year before, Kadri said,
Wilson rarely spoke to him. Grabovski loved playing in Wilson’s free-flow,
damn defence, system.
There is no right and wrong here, only altered perceptions by athletes
moving in different directions. Grabovski began the season as the No. 2
centre, played his way out of that role, wasn’t able to fit the No. 3 role at all
and was eventually bought out. His end with the Leafs was as much about
his own lack of performance and a contract that didn’t mesh with his
contributions. How players view their coaches — see Grabovski and Kadri
— is often relative to how much individual success they have. They hear
what they want to hear — it just sounds differently when you’re having
success or none at all.
THIS AND THAT
Everything always seems better when you’re 10 years old: When David
Clarkson was 10, Wendel Clark scored 46 goals and nine more in the
playoffs for a Leafs team that went to the Western Conference final ... The
Tyler Seguin stories going around these days have quoted both mom and
dad about their erstwhile superstar son: Wonder if anyone checked with
Brian Burke to clear those parent phone calls ... One thing I forget when I
got married 28 years ago: I didn’t sell the photo rights of my wedding to any
magazine. Apparently, Dion Phaneuf and Elisha Cuthbert have. The PEI
wedding is this weekend ... By the way, Wayne Gretzky invited some sports
writers to his wedding: Don’t believe Dion did ... Every time the Leafs have
a garage sale, the Carolina Hurricanes drive past and pick up something.
The latest buy: Mike Komisarek. And here’s hoping everything works out
well for Komisarek in Carolina. He’s a terrific young man who was eaten up
and beaten up in his time in Toronto ... Memo to Gregg Zaun: That story
you’re floating about how you got in the Mitchell Report and linked to PEDs
doesn’t pass the smell test. Time to misremember a new one.
HEAR AND THERE
What does Mike Babcock do with his centres on Team Canada. Sidney
Crosby, check. Jonathan Toews, check. John Tavares, check. Patrice
Bergeron, check. And does that mean Steven Stamkos, Eric Staal, Ryan
Getzlaf and Logan Couture are all playing the wing. Those have to be eight
of Team Canada’s forwards, don’t they, assuming an Olympic
announcement ever gets made ... Bet you didn’t know that new Coyotes
centre Mike Ribeiro had more points than Toews or Tavares last season. I
didn’t until I tripped over it playing with stats yesterday ... The free-agent
signing that made me feel good: The Rangers bringing in good guy Dominic
Moore, the 33-year-old, returning to the NHL after losing his wife to cancer.
The contract is one year, $1 million ... Also happy to see Jose Calderon
land with the Dallas Mavericks. He’ll help any team he’s on ... Do you ever
get the impression there’s an NBA off-season going on — Dwight Howard
and all — and we’re not really a part of it? ... The simple reason why the
Leafs preferred Tyler Bozak to Stephen Weiss. It’s the devil you know
versus the devil you don’t. Carlyle had a comfort zone with Bozak. And for
$700,000 a year more, the Leafs weren’t sure Weiss was the better buy. I
was. They weren’t ... This is why the Nashville Predators will always be the
Nashville Predators: On free agency Friday, the Preds signed Matt Cullen,
Viktor Stalberg, Eric Nystrom and Matt Hendricks. That is all.
SCENE AND HEARD
Teams that could use Tim Thomas, assuming he’s not completely lost his
body and mind: Colorado, Edmonton, Calgary, Florida, Dallas and maybe
Pittsburgh ... And no, he won’t be going to Washington for any kind of
visists ... For those counting, this is Day 7 of the Roberto Luongo hostage
situation: So far, not a word from Strombone1. We’re not sure if he’s eating
yet ... The rumblings out of Ottawa, which are much more than rumblings,
tell a story of a Senators team almost out of money and of an owner,
Eugene Melnyk, in trouble. Stay tuned: Melnyk may be losing more than
Daniel Alfredsson ... And just when I was starting to fall in love — in a
hockey way — with Alfredsson, he bolted Ottawa. And now I can resume
not caring about him anymore ... Funny story about Clarkson: When the
UFC held its first card in Toronto, he was at the show at Rogers Centre. He
tried to get in to the VIP room and told them he was David Clarkson, a New
Jersey Devils players. The security man at the door gave him the neverheard-of-you look. Clarkson then pulled out some ID. Still didn’t work. He
was shooed away. Bet that won’t happen anymore at big events in Toronto
... These days, you can show up at a minor-league ballpark and you never
know who you’re going to see play: Derek Jeter, Brett Lawrie, Manny
Ramirez, Michael Pineda, Ricky Romero ... For those wondering, before the
Leafs bought out Grabovski, they made serious attempts to trade him.
Couldn’t find a deal of any kind.
AND ANOTHER THING
Do you get the impression the Calgary Flames are tanking to get Andrew
Wiggins? ... Tough times at Wimbledon: I turned my television set on
Saturday hoping to see Serena and instead I got Sabine ... This paid
political announcement is brought to you me and not the Blue Jays: Buy
Jays tickets for July 22-24. Yasiel Puig is in town. His first big-league month
compares statistically to two previous players and one of them is Joe
DiMaggio. And yes, Puig should be in the all-star game ... Few radio
sportscasters have ever commanded a market the way Bill Powers and his
signature staccato dialogue did in Calgary. To learn of his murder this week
and that of his wife is tragic, stunning and shocking to those who knew him,
loved him and laughed with him ... Jack Gotta and Powers passing within
days of each other: Somebody go find a bottle opener up there ... For the
record, Leafs aren’t planning to re-sign Mike Kostka, but they would like to
keep Mark Fraser ... Just wondering: What was life like before cellphones,
the Internet, Twitter and capgeek.com ... I made the mistake of staying up
late and getting all the way through the Braley Bowl between the Argos and
B.C. Lions. Bad idea. Bad football ... Happy birthday to the captain, George
Armstrong (83), DeMar DeRozan (24), Joe Sakic (44), Jarmo Kekalainen
(47), Ricky Steamboat Jr. (26), Jack Capuano (47) and Patrick Lalime (39)
... And hey, whatever became of Brandon Convery?
HOCKEY CANADA GETS IT WRONG
With a string of national team defeats altering the sensibilities of Hockey
Canada, word was its development programs were going back to skill first,
everything else second. With that in mind, I was shocked when the Under18 national training camp roster was selected and Joshua Ho-Sang of the
Windsor Spitfires was not one of the players.
Yes, he struggled somwhat in his first year of junior as a 16-year-old, but as
a scout told me yesterday: “There aren’t eight people his age in Canada
with his skill level.”
He is exactly the kind of player Hockey Canada should be building with.
When I inquired if this was a mistake — the camp roster had its usual fill of
grinders and plumbers — I was told no.
Said the well-known scout: “The truth is, Hockey Canada doesn’t know.
There are so many layers there now and so many changes and so much
confusion that they don’t know who the best players are. And this is
absolutely one they have missed.”
PHWA HAS BAD WEEK
This was not a good week for the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association,
of which I am a proud member.
The voting of Alexander Ovechkin to both the first and second all-star
teams, at two different positions, was both a PHWA embarrassment and
one for the National Hockey League. Somehow, 45 voting members cast
their all-star ballots for Ovechkin as a left winger, even though he played
the right side.
The problem here was threefold:
1. The PHWA sent a memo to its membership in April, informing them of
the position Ovechkin played (because it was a switch from previous years);
2. The NHL’s own website nhl.com had listed Ovechkin position incorrectly
all season long.
3. The qualifications of some voting members has to come into question
when a number that high (45), and a player with that large a profile, and a
memo from your assocation executive all gets ignored.
The NHL could have — and probably should have — stepped in and
disqualified the improper ballots, but that’s easy to say in retrospect. The
process is now under review and so it should be.
HALL SHOULD’T OVERLOOK BUILDERS
On Tuesday, the Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its class of 2013. And
expected to be among the inductees: Chris Chelios, Scott Niedermayer and
the passed-over Brendan Shanahan from a year ago.
But what about coaches in the Hall? In the Builders’ category, they have
been largely overlooked and significantly overshadowed by both general
managers and owners. And no doubt the names of Fred Shero, Pat Burns
and the longtime Russian national team coach Viktor Tikhonov will be front
and centre in conversation.
The late Shero won two Stanley Cups in Philadelphia, was the first to bring
assistant coaches to hockey, positively or negatively, depending on your
view, changed hockey significantly.
Burns changed every team he was on: Eventually winning a Cup in New
Jersey but getting to the final in Montreal and the semifinal with the Leafs,
twice.
Tikhonov won everything internationally you could win. And then he won it
again and again, just to be clear.
All three men deserve a place in the Hall. Only one builder can get it at any
year and it takes 77.7% of the vote — 14 of 18 votes — to be elected to the
Hall. Hopefully one gets in this year. I’d put in Shero first, Tikhonov second,
Burns third. And after that, I’d find a place for Fran Rider, who did just about
everything to make women’s hockey important.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684297
Toronto Maple Leafs
New Leaf Brennan raring to go
The plan on Saturday was to hang at the beach on the Jersey shore and go
crabbing with his brother and a friend.
But workouts, including some in Toronto, are around the corner.
“I’m ready to play, bring what I can to the table,” Brennan said. “I can’t wait
for the season to start.”
By Terry Koshan
,Toronto Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 09:01 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday,
July 06, 2013 09:07 PM EDT
TORONTO - As much as he is enjoying the lazy days of summer, T.J.
Brennan wouldn’t mind waking up tomorrow and heading to the rink to
begin training camp.
Signed by the Maple Leafs to a one-year, $600,000 US contract, the 24year-old defenceman told the Toronto Sun during a telephone interview on
Saturday that he wants nothing more than to show the Leafs they were right
to have the trust to sign him to a one-way deal.
“I want to establish myself as an offensive, confident defenceman who is
stable and ready to play in the NHL in all situations, so having that one-way
contract is definitely something that gives me more confidence,” Brennan
said.
“(That the Leafs signed him on the opening day of free agency) seemed
pretty quick on my part. I’m excited to start this relationship.”
A native of Willingboro, N.J., Brennan is under no illusions, even though he
might represent the lone acquisition for the Leafs blue line this off-season
by general manager David Nonis.
Brennan was free to sign with any team because he was not qualified by
the Nashville Predators, who had traded for his rights in a deal with the
Florida Panthers in mid-June.
Originally drafted 31st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2007, Brennan
played in 21 games for the Sabres in two seasons before he was dealt to
the Panthers, with whom he had two goals and seven assists in 19 games.
Primarily an offensive defenceman — Brennan has had seasons of 15 and
16 goals in the American Hockey League — that he will have to bring a
healthy dose of grit to earn a spot in Randy Carlyle’s defence corps is not
lost on him.
“I really need to play well in my own end and add some grit and some more
depth,” Brennan said. “I think I can bring a bit of an edge.
“Credit to the Maple Leafs organization. In the past couple of years they
have really become a team that has created an identity that is hard to play
against. I’ve seen it personally.”
David Clarkson made the same note on Friday when speaking to reporters.
Part of Nonis’ to-do list in the summer is to re-sign restricted free-agent
defencemen Cody Franson, Carl Gunnarsson and Mark Fraser. On paper, it
might appear difficult for Brennan to crack the top six, but it should be
remembered that Fraser and Mike Kostka weren’t necessarily viewed as
having a strong shot when the lockout ended in January. Both wound up on
the blue line with significant playing time and Fraser became the Leafs’
biggest surprise, finishing with a team best plus-18.
It’s not to say the same can be expected, at this point, of Brennan. But as
Carlyle has demonstrated in his 16 months as Leafs coach, if you bring a
work ethic and can play, you will get ice time.
“I don’t know him personally, but Carlyle is a hard-nosed guy and someone
I’m looking forward to meeting and picking his brain a little bit,” Brennan
said. “There are a lot of positives.
“Signing a guy like Clarkson (and adding David Bolland and Jonathan
Bernier), guys who are respected around the league and want to come (to
Toronto) and win the Stanley Cup, I want to be part of that.”
The 6-foot-1, 213-pound Brennan has met fellow New Jersey native James
van Riemsdyk, and has been friendly with Nazem Kadri and Joe Colborne.
A year ago, Brennan was part of a Rochester Americans team that was
swept in the AHL playoffs by the Toronto Marlies.
Brennan plans on coming north soon to find a place to live, and will urge
those summer days along.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684298
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs' Bolland is proudly Mimico
By Steve Buffery
,Toronto Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 08:49 PM EDT
To get from the Bolland family home to the MasterCard Centre, where the
Maple Leafs practise, you make a quick right, then a quick left on to New
Toronto St., and go straight for a little more than three kilometres.
You’ll practically run into the place. Along the way, you’ll pass the David
Bolland Sports Performance and Rehab Centre.
Now, when you leave the Bollands and go straight past New Toronto St.,
you’ll pass Mimico Arena where David Bolland first played organized
hockey. If you drive past Mimico Arena, you’ll see St. Leo’s, where David
Bolland and his brothers went to school. And if you head north on Royal
York, go under a rail bridge, over a freeway bridge, make a right on The
Queensway and get on the eastbound ramp to the Gardiner Expressway,
you’ll be at the Air Canada Centre in no time flat.
It’s all very convenient, and sort of shows how seemingly perfect a fit David
Bolland playing for the Maple Leafs is.
Bolland, who scored the series-winning Stanley Cup-winning goal for the
Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 of the final against the Boston Bruins with
59 seconds to left (after teammate Bryan Bickell tied it 17 seconds earlier)
is certainly happy to be playing in his hometown, and undoubtedly Leafs
fans are thrilled to have him.
He’s a Toronto boy through and through — actually, Mimico, but we’ll get
into that later. His favourite NHL team growing up was the Leafs and one of
his favourite players was Doug Gilmour, as well as Brendan Shanahan, but
we’ll get into that later, as well.
“When he was little, people would call him Dougie Gilmour,” said Drew
Bolland, David’s dad.
Because he was some kind of pint-sized protege?
“Because he had no front teeth,” Drew said, with a laugh. “He fell on his
bike and knocked out his front teeth when he was about 21/2.”
Sitting at the Tim Hortons just up the street from the MasterCard Centre,
you’re kind of expecting Drew Bolland to say “wee” a lot, and not because
he has to go to the bathroom. Drew is originally from Scotland — from the
East Ayrshire town of Kilmarnock — where, in 1982, he met his Canadian
wife-to-be Carol-Ann when she was visiting her sister. Kilmarnock is also
the home of Orr and Coffey, though Drew knew nothing about hockey
growing up. Of course, we’re talking about John Orr, a noted biologist, and
Willie Coffey, a local member of Scottish Parliament, and not the two great
defencemen who share the same name. There’s also a famous Hewitt,
McCabe and Gardiner from Kilmarnock. And you know who else is from
Kilmarnock? A former This Hour Has 22 Minutes star.
But I’m rambling here.
Carol-Ann, a New Toronto girl who moved to Mimico in her childhood,
married Drew and they moved to Canada in 1985 and David was born the
following year. And they have lived in Mimico ever since.
So here’s the thing about Toronto and Mimico. Mimico is part of Toronto,
and it’s part of Etobicoke. But for long-time residents like Carol-Ann and
Drew, Mimico is Mimico.
“Nothing against Toronto,” said Drew. “But we’ve always made the point,
ever since David went into the OHL, that we didn’t want Toronto (listed as
his hometown). We wanted Mimico. Because that’s where he’s from.”
Sure enough, every time David did anything of consequence during this
year’s playoffs, and in playoffs past, the TV guys would say that he’s from
Mimico. As they did when Shanahan, another Mimico lad, played in the
NHL. And you know who else is from Mimico? (And by now, you probably
DO know who else is from Mimico). The other veteran forward the Leafs
went out and acquired last week, David Clarkson. Needless to say, there’s
been quite a buzz down at the old Blue Goose Tavern the past few days.
Mimico is an interesting place. An independent municipality from 1911, the
town amalgamated with Toronto in 1967. And even though it’s now part of
the great urban sprawl that is T.O., Mimico has somehow managed to
retain a real small-town feel. People from Mimico say they’re from Mimico,
not Toronto. And not Etobicoke. People who lived in Mimico for a relatively
short period time (like a certain bald sports writer. Mimico High, Class of
’79) like to say that they’re from Mimico. It’s a mostly blue-collar enclave
with a rich history and a proud and loyal populace, including the Bollands.
And the Clarksons. And the Shanahans. And Al Eagleson ... but we’ll leave
that one alone.
“I love it,” said Drew. “It’s a tight community. We’ve been lucky, we’ve got
lots of good friends here.
“Do you know what Mimico means?” Drew continues. “Home of the wild
pigeons.”
And he’s right. A few years ago, the yuppie Toronto Life magazine named
Mimico one of the best kept secrets in Toronto (or words to that effect),
which probably made a lot of people there nervous, because you know
what happens when word gets out that a certain neighbourhood is up-andcoming. All the beautiful people flock there, like, well, wild pigeons.
Anyway, the Bollands are Mimico folk through and through and are, of
course, over the moon that David will soon be playing for the team they all
grew up cheering for. David’s wife, Julia, no doubt, is also thrilled that her
husband is now playing for the Leafs (even though they loved being in
Chicago for six seasons). Julia is also from Mimico. She also attended St.
Leo’s and was, in fact, in David’s class for two years.
“They sat together in Grades 6 and 7,” said Carol-Ann.
Small world? Well, that’s Mimico.
The Bollands have a great picture from July, 1998, which shows a smiling
Brendan Shanahan standing behind a group of rambunctious kids, including
David Bolland, taken at Mimico Arena.
There have been other kids from Mimico who have made it to the NHL, but
Shanahan is the standard-bearer and anyone from that neck of the woods
speaks of him with some reverence. He’s the man. But during their NHL
careers, Bolland and Clarkson have blazed their own paths of glory and
have become Mimico legends in their own right. And though Shanahan was
the most skilled and the most prolific goal-scorer (656 goals, 1354 assists in
1524 NHL games), all Mimico boys tend to play the same way. Hard-nosed.
And they’ve all enjoyed great success — Shanahan and Bolland especially
(though Clarkson won a Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers in 2003).
In fact, if you look at Bolland’s background and compare it with Shanahan’s,
they’re remarkably similar. Brendan’s dad is Irish. Drew is Scottish. (Okay,
so they’re both from over the pond). The Shanahans had four boys, as did
the Bollands (Sean, David, Michael and Brandon). Both went to St. Leo’s.
Both were born at Queensway Hospital. Both played hockey and lacrosse
at Mimico Arena. And both were selected in the OHL draft by the London
Knights.
The only difference? Shanahan won three Stanley Cups, Bolland only two,
and Drew said his son is going to work hard to add to that.
Drew is pretty sure that if David grew up anywhere else, he probably
wouldn’t have made it to the NHL. He said David was never the biggest
player on the team, and often not the best. And Drew certainly didn’t have a
ton of hockey knowledge to pass on to his son. But Drew credits all the
great coaches David had over the years, including Brendan Shanahan’s
brother, Brian, who encouraged David to play lacrosse — a sport with a rich
tradition in Mimico.
“He said: ‘Drew, David’s got a lot of natural talent. But get him in lacrosse,
and that will toughen him up.’ So we put him in the next year and it’s the
best thing we ever did. It taught him to take hits and give hits. It taught him
eye/hand coordination. And he learned to pass.”
David played lacrosse right up to the junior B level until he had to quit when
he went to London to play major A hockey. There, he recorded 135 goals
over four seasons, including 57 in his final campaign and was selected in
the second round (32nd overall) by the Blackhawks in 2004, helping guide
Chicago to Stanley Cups in 2010 and ’13, before being traded to the Leafs
last month for three draft picks.
So what does Dave Bolland bring to the Leafs? Well, obviously, he’s a biggame player. He’s a shutdown forward who can get under the skin of the
opposition, on the ice and off, such as when he referred to the Sedin twins
during the 2011 playoffs as the Sedin “sisters”, prompting Vancouver coach
Alain Vigneault to respond: “(Bolland’s) obviously an individual whose IQ is
probably the size of a birdseed. And he has a face that only a mother could
look at.”
“I was going to get T-shirts made up with that (slogan on it),” said CarolAnn, laughing.
Bolland is also tough and he can score. And he’s a winner.
Shanahan is a member of the Triple Gold Club — the winner of a Stanley
Cup, a world championship and an Olympic gold. But Bolland has done
quite well for himself as well: Two Stanley Cups, a world junior title and a
Memorial Cup with the Knights. And every time he has won something, he’s
taken the trophy down to the Blue Goose — which he will again this
summer when it’s his day to have the Cup.
Not to put any more pressure on his son, but Drew is hoping that David,
along with Clarkson and the other pieces already in place down at the ACC,
will help lead the Leafs to their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
“Wouldn’t that be something?” he said. “We went to the Stanley Cup parade
in Chicago (in 2010), and they got two million people out for that.
“It was scary,” said Carol-Ann.
“But I can’t imagine what Toronto would do if the Leafs won it,” said Drew. “I
think they would have to go up to Downsview.”
Or maybe hold a parade down Mimico Ave. With a stop, of course, at the
Blue Goose.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 07.07.2013
684299
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf marries Elisha Cuthbert in private ceremony
Canadian Press | 13/07/06 6:39 PM ET
SUMMERFIELD, P.E.I. — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf
married actress Elisha Cuthbert at a private ceremony on Saturday.
Phaneuf, 28, and Cuthbert, 30, have been together since 2008 when the
defenceman was a member of the Calgary Flames.
Cuthbert is best known for her roles on the children’s program “Popular
Mechanics for Kids” and the television drama “24.”
The ceremony took place at St. James Catholic Church in Summerfield,
P.E.I., while the reception was held at the couple’s summer residence in
New London.
The couple drove away from the ceremony in a vintage Camero SS that
Cuthbert gave to Phaneuf as a wedding gift.
National Post LOADED: 07.07.2013
684300
Winnipeg Jets
Jets sign defenceman Adam Pardy
By: Staff Writer
Posted: 2:46 PM
The Winnipeg Jets have plucked left-shooting defenceman Adam Pardy out
of free agency to shore up their blueline corps.
The 29-year-old Pardy, who hails from Newfoundland, has played most of
the last five seasons in the NHL, including 17 games with the Buffalo
Sabres last year in which he registered four assists and 14 penalty minutes.
Pardy also did time in the AHL during the lockout-shortened season, suiting
up for 21 games with the Rochester Americans.
He started his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, who drafted him in
2004, and played 36 games with the Dallas Stars in 2011-12.
The Jets do not release the terms of their contracts. According to TSN
reporter Darren Dreger, Pardy signed a one-year, one-way NHL deal for
$600,000.
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.07.2013
684301
Winnipeg Jets
Jets hold onto IceCaps Albert, add Jerome Samson, Andrew Gordon
By: Staff Writer
Posted: 11:56 AM
Although the Winnipeg Jets stayed quiet during the free-agent frenzy on
Friday, the club did make some moves to bolster its minor-league depth.
On Saturday morning, the Jets announced they would bring back St. John's
IceCaps centre John Albert, and also added wingers Jerome Samson and
Andrew Gordon to the mix. Terms of the deals were not disclosed as per
club policy, though the three are most likely intended to fill the roster on The
Rock.
Albert, 24, is a former Atlanta Thrashers sixth-round draft pick who made
his pro debut with the IceCaps in their inaugural year. He scored 27 points
in his 64-game rookie campaign, and followed it up with five points in 24
games last season.
After two seasons with the AHL's Chicago Wolves, Gordon suited up for six
games with the Vancouver Canucks last year, though he was held
pointless. Last season, the 27-year-old Halifax product nabbed 19 goals
and 13 assists in 54 games with the Wolves. He also helped the 2009
Hershey Bears capture the Calder Cup, and was tapped for the 2011 AHL
All-Star game.
Samson, 25, is an undrafted six-foot winger who spent the last four seasons
bouncing between the AHL and the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes. He
played the last three seasons with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, notching
seven goals and 11 assists in 37 contests last year. He has 46 games of
NHL experience under his belt since 2009-10, during which he recorded
two goals and seven assists.
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.07.2013
684302
Winnipeg Jets
working on those deals and conversations continue and hopefully we won't
have to worry about any (arbitration) deadlines."
Chevy says team better today due to trades
The Jets have three high profile RFAs in centre Bryan Little, right wing
Blake Wheeler and defenceman Zach Bogosian.
By: Gary Lawless
Little's agent Anton Thun said Friday that he and the Jets had traded
proposals and both sides were hopeful a multi-year pact could be reached.
Posted: 1:00 AM
Representatives for Bogosian and Wheeler did not immediately respond to
emails.
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 07.07.2013
Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has been able to add 10 prospects
and two NHL roster players since the draft and is confident his team is
better today for it.
Cheveldayoff made the latest addition late Friday afternoon, sending his
second-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft to the Minnesota Wild for rightwinger Devin Setoguchi.
Setoguchi had 13 goals and 14 assists last season with the Wild and in 384
NHL games has scored 116 goals and 106 assists. The 26-year-old Taber,
Alta., native had his best season in 2008-09, scoring 31 goals and adding
34 assists.
The Jets also flipped draft picks to the Chicago Blackhawks on draft day to
pick up right-winger Michael Frolik.
"We feel we're a much better team today than we were entering the NHL
entry draft with the two players (Setoguchi and Frolik) we were able to
acquire," said Cheveldayoff.
Setoguchi is in the last year of a deal that pays him $3.25 million this
season, with a cap hit of $3 million.
Nothing is written in stone but Setoguchi will most likely open training camp
on a line with left-winger Evander Kane. The centre position will be up for
grabs with the likes of veteran Olli Jokinen and rookie Mark Scheifele vying
for the second-line opportunity.
Cheveldayoff said the Setoguchi trade talks also begin on draft day.
"I guess the first time I had a conversation with (Wild GM Chuck Fletcher)
was on the draft floor. We were looking to do something with some of the
picks we had acquired," said Cheveldayoff.
"At that point in time Chuck wasn't prepared to do anything so we went
ahead with the (Michael) Frolik deal but kept in touch as the days transpired
and then it kind of came together late this afternoon."
Setoguchi is in Mexico for a friend's wedding and was unavailable to speak
with the media on Friday. Cheveldayoff did speak with him for a few
minutes on Friday afternoon and said the player was enthused about the
deal.
"His cell phone battery was dying but he did get in that he was excited
before we hung up and I'm going to speak to him again later (Friday)," said
Cheveldayoff. "This is a great opportunity for us and we're real excited to
have Devin in our organization."
An NHL pro scout contacted on Friday night described Setoguchi as
follows.
"Classic shooter type, will score goals," said the scout via text message.
"Real good one-timer on the PP. Not much of a physical element to his
game."
Cheveldayoff said the Jets interviewed a number of players prior to the start
of free agency and were in on a number of deals but nothing panned out in
the end.
"We were in on some things. Very much in on some things. But players are
free agents and they get to make their choice," said Cheveldayoff.
Cheveldayoff said he has been in contact with the agents of some of his
players that are now unrestricted free agents but said nothing was really
cooking on that front.
The eight Jets players that are now restricted free agents are still job No. 1
for the GM.
"They remain the No. 1 priority. Anytime you put one of your RFAs in the
books as a signed player that's a good thing," said Cheveldayoff. "We're
684303
Winnipeg Jets
Jets keep their heads
By: Gary Lawless
Posted: 1:00 AM
Winnipeg Jets fans, having put down their money and agreed to keep it with
the team for years to come, are going to have to trust the organization has
winning on its mind.
The casual observer would have a hard time reaching that conclusion after
the lack of activity from the Jets camp on the opening day of free agency.
While lots of teams spend wildly, the Jets stood mostly on the sidelines until
late in the day when GM Kevin Cheveldayoff shipped a second-round pick
to the Minnesota Wild to acquire former 30-goal scorer Devin Setoguchi.
could go as high as $14 million. That leaves anywhere from $10 million to
as little as $6 million to sign five players.
All of this is assuming the Jets will spend to the cap of $64.3 million, which
is something the organization has yet to do in its short time back in
Winnipeg.
The Jets just got out of onerous contracts with Nik Antropov and Ron
Hainsey. Cheveldayoff, rather than pursue overpriced and aging free
agents, has chosen to spend his money on his own players.
Did they get better on Friday? Yes. And Cheveldayoff might argue he also
protected the future. Most of the big deals signed Friday included lots of
term and those signings will almost certainly end in frustration for the
organizations and the fans.
Take the Phoenix Coyotes signing Mike Ribeiro to a four-year deal worth
$22 million at an average annual value of $5.5 million.
Ribeiro is 33 and will likely live up to that value for the first and second
years of the contract. But by the final two years of the deal he'll be a salarycap buster.
There's little commitment in the deal, as the 26-year-old Albertan is in the
last year of a contract that will pay him $3.25 million.
Cheveldayoff has signed free agents for big money, Olli Jokinen and his
$4.5 million per year comes to mind, but is tight with term. Jokinen got just
two years.
Cheveldayoff said he wanted a top-six right wing to play with Evander Kane
and he got him. It wasn't expensive or splashy. We'll see if it was effective.
The Jets have saved term for their own players such as Andrew Ladd,
Ondrej Pavelec, Kane and Toby Enstrom.
On the surface, the quiet day at the office on the opening of free agency
could suggest the Jets are only interested in taking your money and icing a
subpar hockey team. That owners Mark Chipman and David Thomson don't
want to win on the ice as much as they do at the bank.
Cheveldayoff has taken the approach of signing UFAs as placeholders until
his own drafted and developed talent can flesh out his roster. Not many
placeholder deals were done on Friday. Those second-tier deals get done
in the coming days when the market has substantially cooled.
It's easy for me, having known Chipman for some time and seen his
competitive streak on display again and again, to reach a different
conclusion. To believe there is a plan, which stipulates spending money on
overpriced free agents is counterproductive to the long-term benefit, is not a
stretch from where I sit.
Sometime down the line, if his draft, develop and retain plan spits out a
contender, Cheveldayoff will likely want to use the UFA market to add some
final pieces. But he's not there yet.
The Jets will have to open the chequebook at some point and get over the
hump or the doubters will have their day
But no one is going to take my word, or Chipman's for that matter, forever.
The Jets will have to open the chequebook at some point and get over the
hump or the doubters will have their day.
The opinion of the fans matters. It can't rule the day when hockey decisions
are being made, but if the ticket-buying public doesn't trust the intentions of
the organization are pure and in the pursuit of a championship, they can be
turned off. The Jets, even with their current bulletproof economy, can't
afford such a plight. They need to keep their fans engaged just like any
other organization.
But now isn't the time to give Nathan Horton a seven-year deal that will
almost certainly be regrettable in the not-so-distant future.
Not now, or never for that matter, is the time to hand Ryan Clowe and his
three goals from last season a deal worth $24.25 million.
Some teams made deals to augment their contender status. Those deals
made sense. But lots were simply cases of chasing the market. Sorry, but
the Jets should be applauded for sitting out on those deals.
Were there good deals to be made on Friday? Maybe. But lots of the highpriced UFA deals included crippling long-term contracts the Jets were wise
to avoid.
Still, the "be patient," mantra is wearing thin in many corners. If and when
the Jets are on the outside looking in this spring, it will be even harder to
take.
But the Jets are in the midst of a rebuild and abandoning their strategy for a
quick surge is like eating that burger you know you shouldn't put in your
body. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips. Or salary cap in this
instance.
Some fans were asking why the Jets weren't spending the money they've
been handed for tickets, merchandise and corporate sponsorships.
Well, first of all, there isn't that much money to spend. The Jets have $20
million in cap space but need to sign seven players for a complete roster.
Getting RFAs Zach Bogosian, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler under
contract will eat up a minimum of $10 million against next year's cap and
This part of the process is painful. It's the most tempting point to veer off
course and chase a quick fix. But those almost always end up in heartache.
In the end you really have no choice but to trust Jets management. To trust
they're not taking your money and loyalty for granted.
The Jets have everything going their way in terms of financial support. They
know this. Breaking your trust is likely the only way they can mess this up.
They know that, too.
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Winnipeg Jets Pardy Saturday, signing 4 and losing 1
By Kirk Penton
,Winnipeg Sun
First posted: Saturday, July 06, 2013 03:54 PM CDT
BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 22: Adam Pardy #27 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a
backhand pass behind the net alongside Kyle Wellwood #13 of the
Winnipeg Jets as goaltender Jhonas Enroth #1 watches the play at First
Niagara Center on April 22, 2013 in Buffalo, New Yo Adam Pardy #27 of
the Buffalo Sabres makes a backhand pass behind the net alongside Kyle
Wellwood #13 of the Winnipeg Jets as goaltender Jhonas Enroth #1
watches the play at First Niagara Center on April 22, 2013 in Buffalo, New
York.
The Winnipeg Jets lost one player but gained four on the second day of
NHL free agency.
The Jets signed unrestricted free agent defenceman Adam Pardy, a hulking
blue-liner who spent last season with the Buffalo Sabres and before that the
Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Bonavista, N.L., native was a sixth-round draft pick
of the Flames in 2004. He has four goals and 29 assists in 200 NHL games.
He had no goals and four assists last year with the Sabres, and he
appeared in 21 games with the AHL’s Rochester Americans. He is unlikely
to go to the AHL this season, however, as TSN’s Darren Dreger reported
the Jets signed Pardy to a one-way, $600,000 deal.
The Jets also added three players who have spent most of their careers in
the minors.
Right-winger Andrew Gordon appeared in 57 games last season for the
AHL’s Chicago Wolves, although he did get six games with the parent
Vancouver Canucks. The 27-year-old from Halifax has three goals and four
assists in 55 NHL contests.
The Jets also signed right-winger Jerome Samson, who has 46 games of
NHL experience with the Carolina Hurricanes under his belt. Samson spent
last season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, where he registered seven
goals and 11 assists in 37 games.
Finally, Winnipeg inked centre John Albert to a new deal. He spent the last
two seasons with the St. John’s IceCaps, where he scored 12 goals and
added 20 assists in 88 games.
Unrestricted free agent Mike Santorelli officially left the Jets on Saturday,
signing with his hometown Vancouver Canucks instead. The Jets claimed
the shootout specialist off waivers from the Florida Panthers in early April.
He had one assist and was minus-5 in 10 games with the Jets.
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Botchford: Canucks clear up roster questions but Luongo remains in limbo
“That was a big thing,” Richardson said. “Getting there and sitting down with
them and seeing that role could be the third-line centre. I thought that was
going to be a great fit for me.”
By Jason Botchford, The Province July 6, 2013 5:06 PM
It’s a hole the Canucks haven’t filled adequately since Manny Malhotra’s
eye injury. Richardson will be in tough to hold that job all year, and the
Canucks are hoping now one of their prospects earns it by the end of the
season.
Many offseason questions surrounding the Vancouver Canucks have been
answered by now.
Richardson is a nice utility player and he could flourish for a while with an
expanded role. But he could easily find himself out of his depth if he’s
playing consistently in the top nine. He was a healthy scratch in 27 of the
LA Kings first 29 games this past season and played just 16 games in all.
They have their new coach, and a couple of new centres after signing Brad
Richardson and Mike Santorelli on the weekend.
“It was really tough,” Richardson said. “They didn’t give me a whole lot of
feed back on why I wasn’t playing, which was tough.
But there is no answer yet to what Roberto Luongo will do next.
“At the end of the year, it turned around. I started playing and played well.”
People, including Vancouver management, can speculate. But they’re
guessing with the rest of us. Luongo hasn’t revealed his intentions, even
refusing hockey-related interviews as he prepares for the World Series of
Poker, continuing his sponsorship deal with the BCLC.
Santorelli, 27, is from Vancouver and said he signed a two-way deal with
the Canucks, with a $550,000 NHL cap hit, to re-establish his career.
It’s left the Canucks twisting in the wind just a little.
In 2010-11 Santorelli put up 20 goals and 21 assists on a line with David
Booth in Florida.
Most believe the goalie who desperately wanted a fresh start will report for
training camp in Vancouver.
At least Santorelli is a shootout specialist, something the Canucks lacked
last season. In his NHL career, he’s 10-for-20 in the skills competition for a
deadly 50% success rate.
In fact, GM Mike Gillis starkly outlined Luongo’s options Friday.
That’s at least some news which could make Luongo smile.
“Play or not play,” Gillis said.
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Is that blunt enough for you?
He can play for the Canucks, or he can sit out, turning his back on a
contract that’s still worth $40.5 million over the next nine years.
Gillis will travel to Florida to explain to Luongo what most know by now. His
contract was unmovable. A big reason why is he, and the Canucks,
essentially got screwed by the CBA.
When the new agreement was ratified it included a so-called Luongo Rule,
a way of penalizing teams who circumvented the cap with those mega longterm deals.
With cap penalties tacked on near end of those deals, after the player
retires, it made Luongo’s contract as appealing as a pine beetle infestation.
“I have the utmost respect for this guy,” Gillis said of Luongo. “I think he’s a
fantastic person. He’s done tons in the community here.
“Situations happen in professional sports and we have to learn how to deal
with them.”
That is going to take some time.
What Gillis probably won’t be able to sell Luongo on are any noticeable
improvements to his club.
He still has a chance to alter the dynamic of the team by trading away one
of the Canucks top four defencemen. The Canucks have continued to listen
to offers for Alex Edler, and maybe even Kevin Bieksa. This, even after the
Keith Ballard buyout.
With their no-trade clauses, it will be difficult to find the right deal. But one
can’t help but wonder whether the arrival of John Tortorella has greased the
path for players to waive their NTCs to get out of Vancouver.
Until a trade drops, however, the cap-strapped Canucks can only boast
about bringing in two depth centres, and a depth defenceman in Yannick
Weber. By signing free agents Santorelli, Richardson and Weber, they have
managed to replace Andrew Ebbett, Max Lapierre and Cam Barker.
Hands up if you think that qualifies as a “reset.”
Even if those acquisitions are upgrades, the Canucks roster is not
definitively better now than it was at then end of the season.
You can make the argument with Derek Roy gone, it’s worse. Then again,
what exactly did Roy do in Vancouver?
Richardson, who joins Vancouver on a two-year $2.3 million contract, was
told he’d have every chance to be the team’s third-line centre.
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Canucks signing Mike Santorelli shocks the Vancouverite’s family
July 6, 2013. 10:03 am
Jason Botchford
With the salary cap issues staring the Canucks in the face heading into free
agency, they were always going to be relegated to sifting through the thrift
shop for bargains.
They signed one versatile forward, Brad Richardson on Day 1, and another,
Vancouver native Mike Santorelli, on Day 2 to a two-way contract with a
$550,000 cap hit in the NHL.
“My family, they didn’t believe it at first. They were all calling me to see if it
was true,” Santorelli said.
“I come from an Italian family so I have a big family.”
Santorelli is two years removed from a 20-20 season and was a waiver wire
claim for the Winnipeg Jets this year.
He spent a lot of time playing on a line with David Booth in that 20-20
season in Florida.
“We definitely had some good chemistry there and then he got moved,”
Santorelli said. “We had a lot of fun together and we’re actually close
buddies as well.”
Santorelli can play wing, which he did for most of the past two seasons.
And he can play centre, which he’s done most of his career. The Canucks
are most in need of a centre right now.
He has decent top end speed and impressive acceleration and won 61.9%
of his faceoffs (out of 46 total in 10 games) with the Jets.
Check out his speed here:
He’s too good for the AHL, and not good enough for a long-term role in the
top-six on an NHL team. He seems right now like a fit as a 13th forward,
replacing Andrew Ebbett.
“It’s a great team, and I’ve played with a couple of those players before in
Florida and I’m excited to play with them again,” Santorelli said.
“I’m not sure what happened with Winnipeg. It was an option but once I
heard from Vancouver I thought it was a great fit.”
Getting Santorelli is not some windfall for the team that could use one, but it
is a good depth pickup for the Canucks, and should make you wonder
about the immediate future of Jordan Schroeder.
At 27, Santorelli is obviously more developed than Schroeder, and the two
appear destined to be competing for the same roster spot at some point this
season. Schroeder had offseason shoulder surgery and there’s no
guarantee he’ll be healthy enough to start training camp.
But don’t count out Schroeder yet. He had nine points in 31 NHL games this
year and is 22 years old. Santorelli had four points in 34 NHL games and is
27 and is looking to “re-establish” himself, as he put it, in the NHL.
At 6-foot, 190-pounds, Santorelli has some abilities the Canucks could
make use of, most intriguing just may be his hands and the fact he’s a
shootout specialist.
Santorelli is a deadly 50% (10-for-20) all-time in the skills competition. After
Alex Burrows, the Canucks don’t have another player who has a success
rate of more than 30%.
This is his go-to move here where he goes five-hole:
Santorelli’s time in Winnipeg was a mixed bag. He was something of a
catalyst early on a line with Alex Burmistrov and Eric Tangradi, after he was
picked up off waivers.
In 10 games, he only managed one point.
This is the third time he’s changed franchises after being a Nashville 6th
round pick in 2004.
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Vancouver Canucks
Canucks signing Mike Santorelli shocks the Vancouverite’s family
July 6, 2013. 10:03 am •
Jason Botchford
Canucks signing Mike Santorelli shocks the Vancouverites family
With the salary cap issues staring the Canucks in the face heading into free
agency, they were always going to be relegated to sifting through the thrift
shop for bargains.
They signed one versatile forward, Brad Richardson on Day 1, and another,
Vancouver native Mike Santorelli, on Day 2 to a two-way contract with a
$550,000 cap hit in the NHL.
“My family, they didn’t believe it at first. They were all calling me to see if it
was true,” Santorelli said.
“I come from an Italian family so I have a big family.”
Santorelli is two years removed from a 20-20 season and was a waiver wire
claim for the Winnipeg Jets this year.
He spent a lot of time playing on a line with David Booth in that 20-20
season in Florida.
“We definitely had some good chemistry there and then he got moved,”
Santorelli said. “We had a lot of fun together and we’re actually close
buddies as well.”
Santorelli can play wing, which he did for most of the past two seasons.
And he can play centre, which he’s done most of his career. The Canucks
are most in need of a centre right now.
He has decent top end speed and impressive acceleration and won 61.9%
of his faceoffs (out of 46 total in 10 games) with the Jets.
Check out his speed here:
He’s too good for the AHL, and not good enough for a long-term role in the
top-six on an NHL team. He seems right now like a fit as a 13th forward,
replacing Andrew Ebbett.
“It’s a great team, and I’ve played with a couple of those players before in
Florida and I’m excited to play with them again,” Santorelli said.
“I’m not sure what happened with Winnipeg. It was an option but once I
heard from Vancouver I thought it was a great fit.”
Getting Santorelli is not some windfall for the team that could use one, but it
is a good depth pickup for the Canucks, and should make you wonder
about the immediate future of Jordan Schroeder.
At 27, Santorelli is obviously more developed than Schroeder, and the two
appear destined to be competing for the same roster spot at some point this
season. Schroeder had offseason shoulder surgery and there’s no
guarantee he’ll be healthy enough to start training camp.
But don’t count out Schroeder yet. He had nine points in 31 NHL games this
year and is 22 years old. Santorelli had four points in 34 NHL games and is
27 and is looking to “re-establish” himself, as he put it, in the NHL.
At 6-foot, 190-pounds, Santorelli has some abilities the Canucks could
make use of, most intriguing just may be his hands and the fact he’s a
shootout specialist.
Santorelli is a deadly 50% (10-for-20) all-time in the skills competition. After
Alex Burrows, the Canucks don’t have another player who has a success
rate of more than 30%.
This is his go-to move here where he goes five-hole:
Santorelli’s time in Winnipeg was a mixed bag. He was something of a
catalyst early on a line with Alex Burmistrov and Eric Tangradi, after he was
picked up off waivers.
In 10 games, he only managed one point.
This is the third time he’s changed franchises after being a Nashville 6th
round pick in 2004.
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FOXSports.com / Ducks trade winger Bobby Ryan to Ottawa Senators
JONATHAN DAVIS |
After two years of trade rumors surrounding Bobby Ryan, the Anaheim
Ducks finally pulled the trigger on Friday, sending Ryan to the Ottawa
Senators in exchange for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen and a firstround draft pick.
"Relieved is the best way to describe my feelings," Ryan via phone just
hours after the trade. "I'm looking forward to a fresh start and embracing my
new teammates. I am excited to be joining a team with such a good young
core.
"Ironically, the Senators were a team that I watched throughout the playoffs
this past year. I love the way they play."
Ottawa.... Im coming in hot
— Bobby Ryan (@b_ryan9) July 5, 2013
Silfverberg has been described as a younger and less-accomplished Bobby
Ryan who may score 20-25 goals, while Noessen, a former first-round draft
pick of the Senators in 2011, has twice cracked the 30-goal plateau in the
Ontario Hockey League.
Despite some ups and downs with Ducks GM Bob Murray, Ryan and
Murray had a good final conversation when he was informed of the trade.
"I told him thanks for giving me an opportunity and I wished him well,"
added Ryan.
The departure to Ottawa also means saying goodbye to some good friends
in Anaheim.
"I am going to miss that group," Ryan said. "I sent text messages to both
(Ryan) Getzlaf and (Corey) Perry thanking them for everything they did for
me and my career. Those guys really helped me and I told them, 'Sorry we
didn't get a chance to do what we set out to accomplish (another Stanley
Cup).'"
"I think we got a star in Bobby Ryan," Ottawa GM Brian Murray told the
media following the trade. "He's a guy that scores goals and plays big
minutes."
Ryan can play in all situations. Despite being relegated primarily to the
Ducks' second power-play unit, in his previous two full seasons Ryan
scored 31 and 34 goals. Of those goals, 54 came at even strength. He
added three more goals with the Ducks shorthanded and scored seven on
the power play.
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FOXSports.com / Rob Scuderi leaves Kings to return to Penguins
JONATHAN DAVIS |
It came with little surprise when former Kings defenseman Rob Scuderi
decided it was time to leave Los Angeles and sign a deal that would bring
him closer to home.
Scuderi, who is from New York and spends his summers in the Boston
area, signed a four-year deal with the Pittsburg Penguins on Friday that will
pay him a reported $3.375 million per season.
Scuderi won his first Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009.
"I think to me it was just the geography of the equation, and at this stage of
my career,” Scuderi told TSN. "I'd like to be a little closer to my home and to
my parents and in-laws. It came down as a family decision. I thought L.A.
tabled a very fair offer, and I wasn’t going to leave Los Angeles to play for
another team in the Western Conference. So it had to be an East Coast
team, and it wasn't a very long list. Pittsburgh wasn’t even on it, because I
didn’t think that they would make me an offer, and then when it came down
to it and they offered, I was very intrigued by the possibility. I get to go to a
place that I’m familiar with. The management, the coaching the area — it
just helps me make a smooth transition, because now that my children are
older, that’s important to me."
The loss of Scuderi is both significant both on and off the ice. He has the
ability to settle a game down on the ice with his solid defensive play and is
a calming influence inside the lockeroom.
With the loss of Scuderi the Kings made a move to try and compensate by
signing former Washington Capitals first-round draft pick defenseman Jeff
Schultz. The Alberta native shouldn't be hard to spot on the ice. At 6-foot-6
and 230 pounds he will be an imposing figure on the Kings blueline and fits
the big mold that the Kings always seek.
With the loss of Scuderi and Willie Mitchell's status still in question, Schultz
helps fills a void left by Scuderi. He is a strong stay-at-home defenseman
who led the NHL in plus/minus during the 2009-10 season at plus-50.
During the 2011 Capitals' playoff run, he set a post-season record by being
on the ice for 119 consecutive minutes without the Capitals being scored
upon.
The Kings also officially parted ways today with forward Brad Richardson.
Richardson signed a two-year deal on Friday with the Vancouver Canucks
for just over $1 million per season.
A great player to have in any lockeroom, he can play all three forward
positions, and kills penalties while providing speed and grit to the Canucks
lineup.
As of Friday night, the status of Dustin Penner was still unclear. The Kings
still have a little over $5 million in cap space with four players left to fill the
roster. Regardless, for Penner to remain an L.A. King it would require a
significant pay cut.
Stay tuned.
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NBCSports.com / Wings want Cleary back, but need to shed salary
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 4:55 PM EDT
Detroit has a surplus of forwards and a shortage of salary cap space, but
that doesn’t mean they want to part ways with Daniel Cleary.
Brendan Savage of Mlive.com says the team would like to bring the veteran
forward back into the fold, but would have to lose salary to do it. The Wings
are currently at $66 million on their payroll and have to be down below
$64.3 million at the start of the season.
The Wings also have an unbalanced number of forwards.
According to CapGeek.com, the Red Wings currently have 16 forwards
under control at the moment either via contract or as restricted free agents.
To bring Cleary back as the 17th, that would mean moving out more than a
couple players. As it is, Wings GM Ken Holland still has to get Gustav
Nyqvist and Joakim Andersson signed to new deals as RFAs and wanting
Cleary back only adds to the intrigue.
Trades on the horizon in Detroit? If the Wings are going to bring Cleary and
his bad knees back to Motown, there’s going to be some action.
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NBCSports.com / Jets sign defenseman Pardy — one year, $600,000
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 3:36 PM EDT
Adam Pardy is leaving Buffalo for another winter wonderland in Winnipeg.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Pardy signed a one-year, one-way deal with
the Jets worth $600,000.
Pardy spent this past season with the Sabres and found himself bouncing in
and out of the lineup playing in just 17 games. He had no goals and four
assists in that time. He was also part of the Steve Ott-Derek Roy deal last
summer.
Pardy joins a Winnipeg blue line corps that’s waiting to see when restricted
free agent Zach Bogosian re-signs. There, he’ll be a depth guy as the Jets
have Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, Mark Stuart, and Grant Clitsome
ready to go while rookie Jacob Trouba is poised to take the scene by storm.
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NBCSports.com / Iginla loving everything about Boston now
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 2:47 PM EDT
Jarome Iginla signing with the Boston Bruins helped everyone think back on
the madness that erupted the night he was traded by Calgary. While he
chose the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Bruins on that night, he says he’s
happy to be a Bruin now.
CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty shares the story on Iginla’s elation with what
the Bruins have going on.
“My family and I are very excited to be joining the Bruins,” said Iginla. “I love
the way they play. They are extremely hard to play against, and they have
lots of grit and determination.
“I feel like there’s a great chance for me to win here.”
Everything about Boston’s style of hockey could be used to describe how
Iginla plays it. Skilled but tough, Iginla will get to move back to the right wing
with the Bruins now that Nathan Horton (Columbus) and Jaromir Jagr (free
agent) are headed elsewhere.
Now he’ll just have to hope B’s fans can forgive and forget what happened
this season.
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NBCSports.com / Oilers sign former Stars backup Bachman to one-year
deal
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 2:14 PM EDT
There could be a battle for the backup job in Edmonton.
The Oilers announced the signing of former Stars backup Richard Bachman
to a one-year deal. He joins former Coyotes backup Jason LaBarbera who
signed with Edmonton yesterday.
Bachman spent part of last season in the AHL but at 25 years-old, he gives
the Oilers the option of having him get more work in with their affiliate in
Oklahoma City. While LaBarbera has the edge on backing up Devan
Dubnyk in Edmonton, it’ll be worth watching to see if Bachman pushes him
for the job.
That said, Bachman’s NHL numbers weren’t very good last year as he went
6-5-0 in 13 games with a 3.25 goals-against average and a .885 save
percentage.
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NBCSports.com / Jagr flirting with Montreal once again
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 1:25 PM EDT
It’s not really free agency time until Jaromir Jagr starts his courtship with the
Montreal Canadiens. We can now say that it’s all really finally underway.
Louis-Andre Lariviere of TVA Sports reports (in French) Jagr and the Habs
are again spending time chatting this summer and it’s possible he could
wind up signing with the Canadiens. His agent Petr Svoboda says Montreal
is a place Jagr loves (poor translation ahead).
“Jaromir always wanted play in Montreal,” insisted Svoboda. “We discussed
with [CEO] Marc Bergevin yesterday. The interest is mutual, but the
decision is now up to the Canadiens.”
Jagr flirting with the Habs is nothing new as they’re a team that’s come up
each of the previous two summers in free agency. He of course signed with
Philadelphia two years ago and Dallas last year before winding up in
Boston at the trade deadline.
At 41 years-old he’s still got some game left in him and reuniting him with
fellow Czech Republic star Tomas Plekanec might do wonders for both of
them.
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NBCSports.com / Canucks sign Santorelli
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 12:37 PM EDT
Vancouver didn’t wait long to find a way to replace Maxim Lapierre by
signing centerman Mike Santorelli away from Winnipeg.
Last season, he suited up for both the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets
and had two goals and two assists combined with both teams. His 10
games with the Jets saw him net just one helper.
Back in 2010-2011, however, he scored 20 goals for the Panthers. Perhaps
there’s a bit more to his game than lets on. At the very least, signing a local
guy should go over well.
With Lapierre off to St. Louis, the Canucks have a hole to fill on their fourth
line. Santorelli has been a depth player in all of his NHL stays and will fill
the same kind of role in Vancouver.
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NBCSports.com / Lecavalier likes Flyers system ‘better than staying on
your heels’
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 12:19 PM EDT
Vincent Lecavalier finally spoke with Philadelphia media and may have
gotten a dig in at his former coach, Guy Boucher, while doing so.
While the Flyers finally announced Lecavalier’s deal, he was asked his
thoughts about the Flyers’ up-tempo system under Peter Laviolette and if
he liked that. It turns out he’s a big fan.
“I like that better than staying on your heels” Lecavalier said. “I think when
you’re on your heels a lot more, you’re not in the game as much. You’re not
as sharp and as quick. I think if you’re on your toes like the Flyers play, I
think it makes you a better hockey player.”
When Boucher was let go in Tampa, it was believed there was tension
there between himself and some of the veteran players and his defensive
system may have been part of that.
If you’ll recall, it was against the Flyers when Boucher’s 1-3-1 forecheck
system was challenged via stalling as the Flyers sat back in their own zone
waiting to be pursued.
Perhaps all that staying back on their heels was why Tampa’s defense was
so poor the last couple seasons and not the motley crew of blue liners that
took part in it. Oh, right.
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NBCSports.com / Big names still to be had on Day 2 of free agency
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 11:30 AM EDT
Yesterday was a monster day for signings as free agency kicked off. As
you’ll see in our free agent tracker, there were a lot of players finding new
addresses to play next season.
Not everyone is off the board yet and there are quite a few big names still
left to be had. Who might we see go this weekend? Soak it in.
The best value and talent might be found amongst the forwards with these
five standing out:
Mikhail Grabovski
Derek Roy
Jaromir Jagr
Damien Brunner
Teemu Selanne
You’d have to think for Selanne it’s Anaheim or retirement, but hey, Daniel
Alfredsson showed you can do whatever you want and probably get a lot of
grief for it.
If you’re itching for a defenseman or goalie, things get a bit riskier there.
Amongst the blue liners, there’s Marek Zidlicky, Douglas Murray, Ryan
Whitney, Joe Corvo, Wade Redden, and Ian White. Each player has a role
they fill, but you’re not changing the outlook of your team with them.
The same could be said of the goalies left to pick from: Ilya Bryzgalov, Tim
Thomas, Jose Theodore, and Johan Hedberg are still out there.
If a solid backup is what you need, Hedberg or Theodore is your man. If you
want to shake up the ranks, however, Bryz and Thomas are as good as it
gets.
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NBCSports.com / Sabres re-sign Sulzer to one-year deal
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 10:37 AM EDT
The Sabres defense is going to stay a bit crowded next season.
The team announced the re-signing of defenseman Alexander Sulzer to a
one-year deal. Specifics were not immediately available.
Sulzer emerged a bit last season when teamed up with fellow German
Christian Ehrhoff and put up three goals and one assist in 17 games. Now
he joins a crowded house of mostly inexperienced (at the NHL level at
least) blue liners.
With Ehrhoff, Tyler Myers, Mike Weber, and newly acquired Jamie McBain,
four spots on the Sabres’ defense seem set leaving Sulzer, Mark Pysyk,
and Chad Ruhwedel to battle out for the other two spots. Minor leaguer
Drew Bagnall (who also signed a multi-year, two-way deal today) factors
lightly into the mix as well.
Of course, the picture could become more muddled if they sign someone
else.
NBCSports.com / LOADED: 07.07.2013
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NBCSports.com / Ribeiro excited to be reunited with Tippett in Phoenix
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 10:25 AM EDT
Mike Ribeiro signing with the Phoenix Coyotes may have caught some by
surprise, but he had special motivation to head to the desert.
Coyotes coach Dave Tippett knows Ribeiro well from their three seasons
together in Dallas and for Ribeiro, he couldn’t wait to get back together with
his old mentor as NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman shares.
“I think that was my No. 1 goal” he said. “To go somewhere knowing the
coach and knowing a little bit of what they were looking for and what my
role was going to be and being comfortable, and being able to communicate
with the coach. He’s done a great job there in Phoenix. He knows what he
can get from me and I know what he wants and I’m ready to work for that.”
Ribeiro had two of his biggest seasons as a pro under Tippett. In 20072008 he had 27 goals and 56 assists for a career-high 83 points. He
followed that up with 78 points the next year.
While his production hasn’t been quite that high lately, if he can bring his
deft touch in setting others up, the Coyotes will be more than happy to have
it.
NBCSports.com / LOADED: 07.07.2013
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NBCSports.com / Sharks keeping Burns at forward next season
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 9:50 AM EDT
Brent Burns won’t be returning to the blue line anytime soon.
Sharks GM Doug Wilson says the team will keep the converted
defenseman up front next season. As Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com
shares, it’s as much about the current defense as it is Burns’ skill as a
forward.
“We feel very strong how our defense is constructed and how we expect
them to continue to grow,” the general manager said. “How we want to play
up front and go after people and make them defend, Burnzie just fits
perfect. He still will be able to play the point on the power play and we can
utilize his big shot, but we saw how good he can be and how he can impact
games as a forward.
“I think it’s only going to get better if he trains specifically for that this
summer, giving him that clarity and focus. I think he is a dominant power
forward in this league.”
Burns’ move up front seemed to awaken the Sharks forwards last season
as the team tore it up late in the year. He made it all worthwhile scoring nine
goals and adding 11 assists last season.
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NBCSports.com / Toronto newspaper compares Clarkson to Wendel Clark
Joe Yerdon
Jul 6, 2013, 9:24 AM EDT
Many fans in Toronto didn’t go crazy for the big contract the Maple Leafs
signed David Clarkson to during yesterday’s first day of free agency. The
Toronto Sun, however, couldn’t resist comparing Clarkson to Leafs legend
Wendel Clark.
Check out the front page lauding of the signing and the comparisons made
between Clarkson and Clark. Also soak in the handlebar mustache and
mullet they slapped on Clarkson’s photo to make him look more Wendellike.
source:
Wendel Clarkson is a pretty great mash-up.
Clarkson’s game is aggressive and he’ll likely blend into Randy Carlyle’s
system without a problem. Comparing him to a player that’s so beloved like
Clark is, however, just heaps even more pressure on him to perform.
And you thought signing a monster contract would be the part that puts the
most pressure to perform. The legend of Wendel is not to be messed with.
NBCSports.com / LOADED: 07.07.2013
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USA TODAY / Vincent Lecavalier expects a great season with the Flyers
Randy Miller, USA TODAY Sports 7:33 p.m. EDT July 6, 2013
A phone call a few weeks ago from Tampa Bay Lightning general manager
Steve Yzerman really got Vinny Lecavalier to thinking about his hockey
future. Hearing a decision would be made within a week on buying out his
contract was jarring.
Before knowing for sure he'd become a free agent let alone join the Flyers,
Lecavalier realized he was a prime candidate for a buyout due to his big
contract, age and last season's lockout leading to a salary-cap drop next
season. Still, the thought of moving on was upsetting.
He'd gone from being drafted first overall by Tampa Bay to playing there 14
seasons, four as an All-Star center. He'd won a Stanley Cup there. It's also
become home to the 33-year-old Montreal native, his wife and their two
daughters.
NHL: Free agent tracker
A week after the call from Yzerman, Lecavalier was summoned to a
meeting two Thursdays ago in Tampa for a final decision. Wanting cap
relief, the Lightning opted to buy out the remaining seven seasons of his
$110 million contract.
For Lecavalier, the development would become $32.67 million in buyout
money over the next 14 seasons, immediate unrestricted free agency, plus
disappointment and uneasiness about his uncertain future.
"My mom took it pretty hard," Lecavalier said Saturday in conference call
that was his first interview as a Flyer. "My wife as well. We all enjoyed it
there (in Tampa). It's a good organization. ... There was a lot of thinking of
what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go. I've never been in that situation
before. That's why I wanted to meet with a lot of teams."
FLYERS: Claude Giroux gets extension
When a bunch showed interest, Lecavalier headed to New York City last
weekend to do some speed dating with suitors, as NHL execs for every
team was in the area for the draft, held last Sunday in Newark.
Ten meetings were lined up, and of the eight on Saturday and two Sunday
morning, one stood out.
Hearing what Flyers president Peter Luukko, general manager Paul
Holmgren and head coach Peter Laviolette had to say and offer, Lecavalier
pretty much made up his mind right then that he wanted to join a franchise
that was coming off a rare no-playoff season but littered with skilled young
forwards.
"We had a good meeting," Holmgren said. "We told him, This is what we
have. We'd love to have you. ... We think you can give us a real good
chance to be competitive and compete for the Stanley Cup.'"
Lecavalier was sold, but before committing he visited Philadelphia and
South Jersey with wife. When she approved, the sides quickly agreed on a
five-year, $22.5 million contract ... one that according to some reports
wasn't his richest offer.
NHL BUYOUTS: A complete list
"I really don't want to get into that, but let's just say Philly, with the meeting
that I had with them, that's the place I really wanted to go," Lecavalier said.
"I gotta tell you, right after I talked with Philly, even before any offers or
anything, they went right to the top of the list. I just liked what they were
saying."
Lecavalier sounds willing to do everything to help the Flyers rebound next
season. The Lightning's captain the last four seasons, he plans on being a
leader right away while conceding "it's Claude Giroux's team." And although
he's played center his entire career and early speculation is that he'll center
a second line with Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn as his wings,
Lecavalier emphatically is embracing a possible moving to wing so that he
can play on a line with Giroux.
"They asked me in the meeting if I could play wing," said Lecavalier, a lefthand shot. "I said certainly. I'm a lot more comfortable at right wing, my off
wing, than on my left side. So right wing for me would be very, very
comfortable. ... If you've watched me in games, if I have a choice of going to
the left side with the puck or the right side, I would choose 99 percent of the
time the right side. So it's not something I really worry about, especially
when you're told you might play with Claude Giroux. I'm really open to that
and I'd be really excited about that."
Although known for his scoring - he has 383 career goals and 874 points in
1,037 games - Lecavalier is a 6-foot-4, 215-pounder with a tough side. He's
fought 22 times in his career, and two of his three last season (which were
his first since 2008-09) were against Flyers forward Max Talbot and
defenseman Luke Schenn.
"Luke Schenn did text me and said, 'At least we wouldn't get to fight
anymore,'" Lecavalier said with a laugh. "That was good news for me
because he's a big boy and a strong boy. In the heat of the moment, things
happen. In the middle of that fight, I realized that maybe I shouldn't have."
Lecavalier can't wait for next season. He's scored at least 20 goals 12
times, the exceptions his rookie year and last season - one in which he had
10 goals in 39 games in a lockout-shortened campaign in which he missed
games and played several others with a bad ankle.
This season, he expects to be more like the player he was when scoring 52
goals in 2006-07, in part because he believes Laviolette's up-tempo system
fits his game.
"When I came back from my injury (last season), I felt really good," he said.
"Honestly, I felt I was playing some really good hockey, probably the best in
five years. So I think with Lavy's style and the players, I feel very confident
I'll have a really good season and help the Flyers."
Lecavalier also will be extra motivated.
"I guess I want to prove the Flyers right," he said. "It's not about proving
anybody else wrong or the Lightning wrong."
USA TODAY LOADED: 07.07.2013
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C Nathan Gerbe, 1,250,000 (u)
LW Jochen Hecht, 1,000,000 (u)
USA TODAY / 2013 NHL free agent tracker
D Alexander Sulzer, 725,000 (u)
C Brian Flynn, 925,000 (r)
8:03 p.m. EDT July 6, 2013
C Cody Hodgson, 787,500 (r)
Calgary Flames
Who signed, for how much, who left and where they went. This chart will be
updated throughout the offseason.
Free agents
In
Out
D Anton Babchuk, 2,500,000 (u)
Key — u: unrestricted free agent, either because of age, a buyout or
because he didn't receive a qualifying offer. r: restricted free agent.
D Kris Russell, 1 yr., $1.5M after trade (Blues)
FREE AGENTS
RW Brian McGrattan, 600,000 (u)
(salary, status)
RW Brian McGrattan, 2 yrs., $1.5M (re-signed)
PLAYERS SIGNED
(contract terms, former team)
PLAYERS LOST
LW Steve Begin, 525,000 (u)
(new teams)
D Chris Butler, 1,200,000 (r)
Anaheim Ducks
C Mikael Backlund, 725,000 (r)
Free agentsInOut
D TJ Brodie, 525,000 (r)
RW Teemu Selanne, 4,500,000 (u)
Carolina Hurricanes
C Saku Koivu, 1 yr., $2.5M (re-signed)
Free agents
D Nate Guenin (Avalanche)
D Joe Corvo, 2,000,000 (u)
C Matthew Lombardi, 3,500,000 (u)
D Mike Komisarek, 1 yr., $700,000 (Maple Leafs)
C Teemu Selanne, 3,000,000 (u)
G Dan Ellis (Stars)
D Toni Lydman, 3,000,000 (u)
C Chad Larose, 1,900,000 (u)
C Saku Koivu, 3,000,000 (u)
G Anton Khudobin, 1 yr., $800,000 (Bruins)
C David Steckel, 1,100,000 (u)
D Marc-Andre Bergeron, 1,000,000 (u)
D Jordan Hendry, 600,000 (u)
C Tim Brent, 800,000 (u)
D Nate Guenin, 525,000 (u)
D Bobby Sanguinetti, 700,000 (u)
LW Matt Beleskey, 850,000 (r)
G Dan Ellis, 650,000 (u)
In
Free agents
Out
RW Nathan Horton, 5,500,000 (u)
plus $4.2M in bonuses (Penguins)
Jackets)
RW Jarome Iginla, 1 yr., $1.8M,
RW Nathan Horton (Blue
D Andrew Ference, 2,250,000 (u)
LW Rostislav Olesz, 4,000,000 (u)
G Nikolai Khabibulin, 1 yr. (Oilers)
D Michal Rozsival, 2 yrs., $4.4M (re-signed)
G Ray Emery (Flyers)
G Anton Khudobin (Hurricanes)
D Steve Montador, 2,300,000 (u)
G Anton Khudobin, 800,000 (u)
C Michal Handzus, 1 yr., $1M (re-signed)
D Aaron Johnson (Rangers)
LW Rostislav Olesz (Devils)
D Wade Redden, 800,000 (u)
D Michal Rozsival, 2,000,000 (u)
D Aaron Johnson, 650,000 (u)
LW Kaspars Daugavins, 635,000 (u)
G Ray Emery, 1,150,000 (u)
LW Viktor Stalberg, 850,000 (u)
LW Jay Pandolfo, 600,000 (u)
RW Jamal Mayers, 600,000 (u)
G Tuukka Rask, 3,500,000 (r)
C Marcus Kruger, 900,000 (r)
Buffalo Sabres
Out
D Adam Pardy, 2,000,000 (u)
D Alexander Sulzer, 1 yr., $725,000 (re-signed)
D Adam Pardy (Jets)
Out
C Michal Handzus, 2,500,000 (u)
D Andrew Ference (Oilers)
In
In
LW Viktor Stalberg (Predators)
RW Jaromir Jagr, 4,500,000 (u)
Free agents
Out
Chicago Blackhawks
Boston Bruins
Free agents
In
Colorado Avalanche
Free agents
In
Out
D Greg Zanon, 2,500,000 (u)
D Andre Benoit, 1 yr., $900,000 (Senators)
RW Milan Hejduk, 2,000,000 (u)
RW Chuck Kobasew, 1,250,000 (u)
LW Magnus Paajarvi, 900,000 (r)
RW Aaron Palushaj, 600,000 (r)
Florida Panthers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Free agents
Free agents
In
Out
In
C Stephen Weiss, 4,100,000 (u)
C Vinny Prospal, 2,500,000 (u)
C Stephen Weiss (Red Wings)
RW Nathan Horton, 7 yrs., $37.1M (Bruins)
D Filip Kuba, 3,800,000 (u)
C Nick Drazenovic (Penguins)
C Peter Mueller, 1,725,000 (u)
D Adrian Aucoin, 2,000,000 (u)
G Jose Theodore, 1,500,000 (u)
LW Blake Comeau, 1,250,000 (u)
RW Jack Skille, 825,000 (u)
G Michael Leighton, 900,000 (u)
D Tyson Strachan, 600,000 (u)
LW Colton Gillies, 650,000 (u)
C Shawn Matthias, 900,000 (r)
C Nick Drazenovic, 600,000 (u)
G Jacob Markstrom, 875,000 (r)
Dallas Stars
Free agents
Out
Los Angeles Kings
In
Out
Free agents
In
Out
LW Eric Nystrom, 1,400,000 (u)
D Rob Scuderi, 3,400,000 (u)
D Dan Ellis, 2 yrs., $1.8M (Hurricanes)
D Keaton Ellerby, 1 yr., $735,000 (re-signed)
LW Eric Nystrom (Predators)
D Rob Scuderi (Penguins)
C Tom Wandell, 892500 (u)
LW Dustin Penner, 3,250,000 (u)
G Richard Bachman, 625,000 (u)
C Brad Richardson (Canucks)
Detroit Red Wings
C Brad Richardson, 1,350,000 (u)
Free agents
In
Out
D Keaton Ellerby, 700,000 (u)
C Valtteri Filppula, 3,500,000 (u)
D Alec Martinez, 737,500 (r)
RW Daniel Alfredsson, 1 yr., $3.5M, plus $2M in bonuses (Senators)
C Trevor Lewis, 700,000 (r)
C Valtteri Filppula (Lightning)
LW Kyle Clifford, 680,000 (r)
RW Daniel Cleary, 3,000,000 (u)
D Jake Muzzin, 577,500 (r)
C Stephen Weiss, 5 yrs., $24.5M (Panthers)
C Jordan Nolan, 540,000 (r)
D Ian White, 2,750,000 (u)
Minnesota Wild
D Carlo Colaiacovo, 2,150,000 (u)
Free agents
C Damien Brunner, 925,000 (u)
RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 4,300,000 (u)
D Brendan Smith, 875,000 (r)
RW Matt Cooke, 3 yrs., $7.5M (Penguins)
C Gustav Nyquist, 837,500 (r)
RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard (Islanders)
C Joakim Andersson, 637,500 ( r)
C Matt Cullen, 3,500,000 (u)
Edmonton Oilers
D Jared Spurgeon, 3 yrs., $8M (re-signed)
Free agents
In
Out
In
Out
C Matt Cullen (Predators)
D Ryan Whitney, 5,500,000 (u)
D Tom Gilbert, 3,500,000 (u)
D Andrew Ference, 4 yrs., $13.5M (Bruins)
D Brett Clark, 900,000 (u)
G Nikolai Khabibulin (Blackhawks)
D Jared Spurgeon, 535,000 (r)
G Nikolai Khabibulin, 3,750,000 (u)
Montreal Canadiens
C Boyd Gordon, 3 yrs., $9M (Coyotes)
Free agents
LW Ryan Jones, 1,500,000 (u)
D Tomas Kaberle, 4,250,000 (u)
G Jason LaBarbera, 1 yr., $1M (Coyotes)
RW Michael Ryder (Devils)
D Mark Fistric, 1,475,000 (u)
RW Michael Ryder, 3,500,000 (u)
LW Ryan Jones, 1 yr. (re-signed)
D Yannick Weber (Canucks)
C Eric Belanger, 1,250,000 (u)
RW Colby Armstrong, 1,000,000 (u)
D Theo Peckham, 1,075,000 (u)
D Yannick Weber, 900,000 (u)
C Jerred Smithson, 800,000 (u)
C Jeff Halpern, 700,000 (u)
C Sam Gagner, 3,200,000 (r)
C Petteri Nokelainen, 575,000 (u)
In
Out
C Ryan White, 687,500 (r)
C Josh Bailey, 1,300,000 (r)
Nashville Predators
D Travis Hamonic, 875,000 (r)
Free agents
In
Out
D Thomas Hickey, 700,000 (r)
D Hal Gill, 2,000,000 (u)
LW David Ullstrom, 687,500 (r)
LW Viktor Stalberg, 4 yrs., $12M
G Kevin Poulin, 612,500 (r)
G Chris Mason, 1,250,000 (u)
New York Rangers
C Matt Cullen, 2 yrs. $7M (Wild)
Free agents
RW Matt Halischuk, 825,000 (u)
LW Ryane Clowe, 4,000,000 (u)
LW Eric Nystrom, 4 yrs., $10M (Stars)
D Aaron Johnson, 1 yr., $600,000 (Bruins)
RW Brandon Yip, 750,000 (u)
LW Ryane Clowe (Devils)
F Matt Hendricks, 4 yrs., $7.4M (Capitals)
D Ryan McDonagh, 875,000 (r)
D Jon Blum, 650,000 (u)
F Benoit Pouliot (Lightning)
C Nick Spaling, 1,100,000 (r)
C Derek Stepan, 875,000 (r)
D T.J. Brennan, 550,000 (r)
C Dominic Moore (Sharks)
New Jersey Devils
D Justin Falk, 825,000 (r)
Free agents
In
Out
In
Out
LW Mats Zuccarello, 700,000 ( r)
LW Patrik Elias, 5,000,000 (u)
LW Carl Hagelin, 687,500 (r)
RW Michael Ryder (Canadiens)
Ottawa Senators
RW David Clarkson (Maple Leafs)
Free agents
D Marek Zidlicky, 4,000,000 (u)
LW Guillaume Latendresse, 1,250,000 (u)
RW Ryane Clowe, 5 yrs., $24.25M (Rangers)
RW Daniel Alfredsson (Red Wings)
C Dainius Zubrus, 3,400,000 (u)
D Mike Lundin, 1,150,000 (u)
LW Patrik Elias, 3 yrs, $16.5M (re-signed)
C Peter Regin (Islanders)
RW David Clarkson, 3,000,000 (u)
RW Daniel Alfredsson, 1,000,000 (u)
C Dainius Zubrus, 3 yrs., $9.1M (re-signed)
D Andre Benoit (Avalanche)
LW Steve Sullivan, 1,850,000 (u)
C Peter Regin, 800,000 (u)
LW Rostislav Olesz, 1 yr., $700,000 (Blackhawks)
D Andre Benoit, 650,000 (u)
RW Matt D'Agostini, 1,800,000 (u)
D Patrick Wiercioch, 875,000 (r)
LW Alex Ponikarovsky, 1,800,000 (u)
RW Erik Condra, 650,000 (r)
G Johan Hedberg, 1,400,000 (u)
Philadelphia Flyers
RW Tom Kostopoulos, 600,000 (u)
Free agents
C Jacob Josefsen, 900,000 (r)
C Danny Briere, 7,000,000 (u)
C Adam Henrique, 525,000 (r)
C Vincent Lecavalier, 5 yrs., $22.5M (Lightning)
New York Islanders
C Danny Briere (Canadiens)
Free agents
In
Out
In
In
Out
Out
G Ilya Bryzgalov, 6,500,000 (u)
G Rick DiPietro, 4,500,000 (u)
RW Adam Hall, 1 yr., $600,000 (re-signed)
D Travis Hamonic, 7 yrs., $27M (re-signed)
LW Simon Gagne, 2,500,000 (u)
G Tim Thomas, 3,000,000 (u)
D Matt Walker, 2,000,000 (u)
G Evgeni Nabokov, 1 yrs., $3.25M (re-signed)
D Kurtis Foster, 950,000 (u)
G Evgeni Nabokov, 2,750,000 (u)
LW Jody Shelley, 900,000 (u)
RW Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 1 yr., $2M (Wild)
D Kent Huskins, 750,000 (u)
C Marty Reasoner, 1,400,000 (u)
RW Mike Knuble, 750,000 (u)
C Peter Regin, 1 yr., $750,000 (Senators)
RW Adam Hall, 650,000 (u)
RW Brad Boyes, 1,000,000 (u)
D Erik Gustafsson, 900,000 (r)
C Keith Aucoin, 650,000 (u)
Phoenix Coyotes
D Radek Martinek, 600,000 (u)
Free agents
RW Cal Clutterbuck, 1,700,000 (r)
C Boyd Gordon, 1,350,000 (u)
In
Out
C Mike Ribeiro, 4 yrs., $22M (Capitals)
G Jake Allen, 787,500 (r)
G Jason LaBarbera (Oilers)
D Alex Pietrangelo, 787,500 (r)
G Jason LaBarbera, 1,300,000 (u)
Tampa Bay Lightning
G Thomas Greiss, 1 yr. (Sharks)
Free agents
C Boyd Gordon (Oilers)
C Vincent Lecavalier, $10M (u)
C Kyle Chipchura, 675,000 (u)
C Valtteri Filppula, 5 yrs., $25M (Red Wings)
LW Lauri Korpikoski, 4 yrs., $10M (re-signed)
C Benoit Pouliot (Rangers)
C Alexandre Bolduc (Blues)
C Benoit Pouliot, 1,800,000 (u)
C Alexandre Bolduc, 650,000 (u)
G Mathieu Garon, 1,250,000 (u)
C Kyle Chipchura, 3 yrs. (re-signed)
Toronto Maple Leafs
LW Lauri Korpikoski, 1,850,000 (r)
Free agents
D Mike Stone, 3 yrs. (re-signed)
C Mikhail Grabovski, 6,000,000 (u)
LW Mikkel Boedker, 1,200,000 (r)
RW David Clarkson, 7 yrs., $36.75M (Devils)
D Mike Stone, 575,000 (r)
D Mike Komisarek (Hurricanes)
Pittsburgh Penguins
D Mike Komisarek, 3,500,000 (u)
Free agents
In
Out
In
In
Out
Out
C Tyler Bozak, 5 yrs., $21M (re-signed)
RW Jarome Iginla, 7,000,000 (u)
LW Clarke MacArthur (Senators)
D Rob Scuderi, 4 yrs., $13.5M (Kings)
LW Clarke MacArthur, 3,250,000 (u)
RW Jarome Iginla (Bruins)
D Ryan O'Byrne, 2,000,000 (u)
D Douglas Murray, 2,500,000 (u)
C Tyler Bozak, 1,400,000 (u)
RW Craig Adams, 2 yrs., $1.4M (re-signed)
LW Matt Cooke (Wild)
LW Matt Cooke, 1,250,000 (u)
D Mike Kostka, 600,000 (u)
C Nick Drazenovic, 1 yr., $550,000 (Blue Jackets)
G Jonathan Bernier, 1,525,000 (r)
D Mark Eaton, 725,000 (u)
D Carl Gunnarsson, 1,250,000 (r)
RW Craig Adams, 625,000 (u)
D Cody Franson, 1,200,000 (r)
C Dustin Jeffrey, 625,000 (r)
C Leo Komarov, 850,000 (r)
D Robert Bortuzzo, 525,000 (r)
C Nazem Kadri, 810,000 (r)
San Jose Sharks
LW Frazer McLaren, 632,500 (r)
Free agents
In
Out
D Mark Fraser, 600,000 (r)
D Scott Hannan, 1,000,000 (u)
Vancouver Canucks
D Scott Hannan, 1 yr., $1M (re-signed)
Free agents
C Scott Gomez, 700,000 (u)
C Derek Roy, 5,500,000 (u)
C Tyler Kennedy, 2 yr., $4.7M (re-signed)
C Mike Santorelli (Jets)
LW Tim Kennedy, 675,000 (u)
D Keith Ballard (Wild)
C Tyler Kennedy, 2,000,000 (r)
D Keith Ballard, 4,200,000 (u)
St. Louis Blues
D Yannick Weber (Canadiens)
Free agents
In
Out
In
Out
C Maxim Lapierre (Blues)
RW Jamie Langenbrunner, 1,250,000 (u)
C Manny Malhotra, 2,500,000 (u)
C Maxim Lapierre, 2 yrs. (Canucks)
C Brad Richardson (Kings)
D Kris Russell (Flames)
C Derek Roy (Blues)
D Jeff Woywitka, 700,000 (u)
LW Mason Raymond, 2,275,000 (u)
C Keith Aucoin, 1 yr. (Islanders)
D Andrew Alberts, 1,225,000 (u)
RW Chris Stewart, 3,000,000 (r)
C Maxim Lapierre, 1,000,000 (u)
C Alexander Bolduc, 1 yr. (Coyotes)
D Cam Barker, 700,000 (u)
D Kris Russell, 1,300,000 (r)
D Chris Tanev, 900,000 (r)
C Derek Roy, 1 yr. (Canucks)
RW Dale Wiese, 615,000 (r)
Washington Capitals
Free agents
In
Out
C Mike Ribeiro, 5,000,000 (u)
C Mike Ribeiro (Coyotes)
D Jeff Schultz, 3,000,000 (u)
C Matt Hendricks (Predators)
D Tom Poti, 2,750,000 (u)
C Matt Hendricks, 800,000 (u)
D Karl Alzner, 1,270,000 (r)
C Marcus Johansson, 900,000 (r)
Winnipeg Jets
Free agents
In
Out
C Nik Antropov, 4,750,000 (u)
G Al Montoya, 1 yr., $601,000 (re-signed)
C Mike Santorelli (Canucks)
D Ron Hainsey, 3,000,000 (u)
D Adam Pardy (Sabres)
C Mike Santorelli, 1,600,000 (u)
C Kyle Wellwood, 1,600,000 (u)
LW Antti Miettinen, 1,500,000 (u)
G Al Montoya, 601,000 (u)
D Zach Bogosian, 3,000,000 (r)
RW Bryan Little, 3,000,000 (r)
RW Blake Wheeler, 2,650,000 (r)
C Alex Burmistrov, 900,000 (r)
D Zach Redmond, 737,500 (r)
LW Eric Tangradi, 726,000 (r)
USA TODAY LOADED: 07.07.2013
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USA TODAY / Who's available on Day 2 of free agency
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 11:52 a.m. EDT July 6, 2013
Although most of the high-profile unrestricted free agents agreed to deals
on the first day of the signing period, some interesting players remain
available. Here are 10 players who can still help a team:
1. Dan Cleary: High character, feisty, capable of scoring 20 or more goals.
Good playoff guy. Several teams interested.
2. Mikhail Grabovski: Although Toronto Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle
might disagree, Grabovski can help an offense. He's a 50-point guy,
capable of scoring 20 to 25 goals.
3. Jaromir Jagr: Although he couldn't find the net in the playoffs, he still
possesses some offensive magic. Even at 41, he can make things happen.
COLUMN: Who improved the most?
4. Derek Roy: Several teams are still looking for centers, and he can step in
and fill the No. 2 hole.
5. Brenden Morrow: He can still offer leadership, tenacity, character and
perhaps the odd goal here and there. Would be a good fit for a team on the
rise.
6. Ron Hainsey: He played almost 23 minutes a game on the Winnipeg
Jets' defense. He's a smart man. He was a leader for the NHL Players'
Association during the collective-bargaining negotiations, and always
conducted himself professionally no matter how heated the negotiations.
OVERVIEW: Wrapping up Day 1
7. Tim Thomas: Not many teams are looking for goaltending, but those who
are have to be intrigued. Yes, he is 39 and didn't play last season. But he
was spectacular the last time we saw him play. Plus, he can't command a
big ticket after taking a year off.
8. Ryan Whitney: He's big, can provide some offense and some teams are
looking for defense.
9. Nik Antropov: He's 6-6, 240 and he can score 15 to 20 goals. Could be a
short-term fix for a team in need of some offense.
10. Tom Gilbert: The Minnesota Wild bought him out because of salary cap
issues. He was a a 19-minute per game guy during the regular season.
He's only 30.
USA TODAY LOADED: 07.07.2013