Buyouts & UFAs thread

[Yeti]

It just started... The Flyers got rid of Leclair and Amonte

sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2114888

[franko]

It's going to be an interesting week . . . and then the draft . . . and then . . .

I'm going to be out of touch with the real hockey world for the next three weeks . . . I guess I'd better be prepared for the unexpected (and a solid day of catching up on the board) when I get back!

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

I wouldn't throw money at them or try to build a future with them, but if there is one year left in the tank the picture of the Hab's with small forwards would change quickly.

[Yeti]

Well, according to RDS, Khabibulin will end up with Phoenix this coming season... If true, not a good start for the defending champion... do they have any prospect in goal ready to step up?

www.rds.ca

[Deleted]

yeti said:

Well, according to RDS, Khabibulin will end up with Phoenix this coming season... If true, not a good start for the defending champion... do they have any prospect in goal ready to step up?

www.rds.ca

"Khabibulin retournerait à Phoenix"

Sounds like RDS isn't completely confident with that title, but regardless, it'll be interesting, seeing Khabibulin returning to the only other team for whom he played.

I smell Tampa pulling a New Jersey Devils (Cup win in 1995, missing playoffs in 1996) if they're not careful.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Report: Coyotes buy out Brian Savage

Canadian Press

7/25/2005 12:01:10 PM

PHOENIX (CP) - The Coyotes have bought out left-winger Brian Savage, the Arizona Republic reported quoting ''multiple NHL sources''.

Savage, 34, was scheduled to make $2.85 million US this season. The Coyotes bought him out for $1.9 million, as per the new collective bargaining agreement which allows a one-time window to buy out contracts.

Phoenix acquired Savage and a third-round pick in the 2002 NHL draft in January 2002 for left-winger Sergei Berezin.

Savage, who missed 46 games in two-plus seasons in Phoenix due to injuries, had 24 goals in 134 games for the Coyotes. Phoenix traded Savage to St. Louis near the end of the 2003-04 season, but Savage's rights, and his remaining contract, were returned to the Coyotes after the season as a condition of the deal.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Red Wings drop the axe
Detroit has begun clearing its deck in preparation of the Aug. 1 free agent frenzy

Sportsnet.ca -- The Detroit Red Wings have started their house cleaning.

Sportsnet has learned Detroit has placed Derian Hatcher, Darren McCarty and Ray Whitney on waivers.

Pending clearance following a 24 hour period, the Red Wings will undoubtedly buy the trio out.

Also, according to the Arizona Republic, the Coyotes' Brian Savage has joined the list of bought out players.

Savage was scheduled to make $2.85 million this season. The Coyotes bought him out for $1.9 million.
Phoenix acquired Savage, 34, and a third-round pick in the 2002 NHL draft on Jan. 25, 2002, for left wing Sergei Berezin.

Other rumblings around the league:

According to the Ottawa Sun, the Senators aren't the only ones who will be pursuing free agent Gary Roberts. The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks are also interested in the unrestricted free agent. Although Roberts' preference is to remain in Toronto, sources told the Sun his second choice would be Ottawa.

- www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050725_111722_5028

[Forum Ghost]

mrbozo said:

Although Roberts' preference is to remain in Toronto, sources told the Sun his second choice would be Ottawa.

Yikes! Imagine how much this makes Leaf fans cringe.

Ottawa's offering Roberts love from down the 401.

[Deleted]

forumghost2 said:

mrbozo said:

Although Roberts' preference is to remain in Toronto, sources told the Sun his second choice would be Ottawa.

Yikes! Imagine how much this makes Leaf fans cringe.

Ottawa's offering Roberts love from down the 401.

Ottawa could really benefit from Roberts. It would be a good move for them. He's aging, but his performance still is pretty good.

[Forum Ghost]

Other news from around the league...

• The St. Louis Blues won't buy out high-priced stars Keith Tkachuk ($7.6 million) or Doug Weight ($5.7 million), not wanting to spend the money needed to cut them loose. "That's just cash thrown into the river as far as I'm concerned," Blues president Mark Sauer told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Let's not sugarcoat this, this isn't a fantasy sports league here. That's real money being paid. Some teams are being forced to do that. Thank goodness we don't have to do that."
  
  
• The Boston Bruins hope to re-sign Sergei Gonchar and Martin Lapointe before they hit the unrestricted market Monday. "We talked," Bruins GM Mike O'Connell told the Boston Herald. "I think it's probably going to proceed slowly, just because of the new market. ... I think players want to wait and see how the new market shakes out. I don't know for sure that they're planning to wait until free agency starts. We'll see. We're going to try and sign them before that."
  
  
• Injury-plagued centre Jason Allison, an unrestricted free agent come Monday, won't be back with the Los Angeles Kings. "We'll probably go in a different direction," Kings GM Dave Taylor told the Los Angeles Times. Expect Edmonton to show some interest in Allison, once an elite NHL centre who was felled by concussion problems.
  
  
• Alexandre Daigle can become unrestricted Monday but wants to stay with Minnesota. "I don't think it's going to be a tough negotiation," Daigle told the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press. "They gave me an opportunity, signed me and they played me. I definitely want to come back."
  
  
• The New York Daily News reports that defenceman Kenny Jonsson, a restricted free agent, will stay in Sweden this year rather than come back to the Islanders. "I'll call him in the next few days," Isles GM Mike Milbury told the newspaper. "Kenny was with us nine years, I'd expect at least a call from him."

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Looks like Blues have no choice but to move Pronger

BY JEFF GORDON
Post-Dispatch Online Sports Columnist
07/26/2005

Back in the day, Blues president Mark Sauer and general manager Larry Pleau would have hung onto defenseman Chris Pronger with all their might.

They would have made retaining No. 44 their top priority. He would have been the one Blue to build the entire franchise around. Norris and Hart Trophy-caliber players are nearly impossible to find.

But things change. Now Pronger appears to be the odd man out, for a host of reasons.

The NHL is just returning from a year-long lockout. There is a new salary cap, at $39 million. That cap could fall to $37 million next year, as the league recalculates its revenues.

With the Blues for sale -– after losing tens of millions of dollars for Bill and Nancy Laurie -– Sauer hopes to keep the team payroll well below the new maximum. Something in the $31 million to $34 million range would make far more sense, since the Lauries are sick of red ink.

The Blues could buy out Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight to clear more room under the salary cap. That was the move your cyber-correspondent advocated, but it’s not his money at stake.

Whacking Tkachuk and Weight would cost the Lauries two-thirds of the remaining contract dollars. Why would they do that when the team is for sale?

They made a prudent decision. Tkachuk and Weight will remain on the payroll, at least for the near term. Both will be overpaid in the New Economic Order, but the Lauries decided to pay them money for something rather than money for nothing.

- tinyurl.com/8sl45

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Bruins make contract offers

Boston Bruins General Manager Mike O'Connell today made contract offers to several of the team's restricted and unrestricted free agents.

O'Connell offered Joe Thornton a five-year contract. Sergei Gonchar was tendered a four-year deal. Sergei Samsonov, P. J. Axelsson and Martin Lapointe were made three-year contract offers.

"These players have made valuable contributions to our team," said O'Connell. "We hope these offers make clear to them how much we want them to be a part of building a championship team in Boston."

Thornton, Samsonov and Axelsson are restricted free agents. Gonchar and Lapointe are unrestricted free agents. Teams have an exclusive window to negotiate with their own free agents through July 31.

Other upcoming, important dates of note are Sat., July 30 for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and Mon., Aug. 1, which is the first day of unrestricted free agency. The 2005-06 NHL season opens on Wed., Oct. 5 with all 30 teams in action

- www.bostonbruins.com/

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

From a poster on another board:

Zigmund Palffy is rumoured to sign a 3 year contract with LA.

Link: hokej.point.sk/spravy/?clanok=36431

He said:" My agent is talking and everything is going well".

He also says that Stumpel is holding talks with LA so they can play again together.

[jkr]

forumghost2 said:

mrbozo said:

Although Roberts' preference is to remain in Toronto, sources told the Sun his second choice would be Ottawa.

Yikes! Imagine how much this makes Leaf fans cringe.

Ottawa's offering Roberts love from down the 401.

I guess Muckler is recalling the series from about two years ago when Roberts carried a Sundin-less leafs team.

If he does go to Ottawa I can hear the Toronto fans now: Roberts is too old, who needs him ...

[Yeti]

Tampa is really motivated to keep Vinny... However, it seems Lecavalier is well aware that Montreal fans and reporters (and certainly Habs management) as monitoring very closely his status... He seems tempted to bolt...

Vinny could bolt

By PIERRE LEBRUN

Tortorella gets extension

(CP) - Vincent Lecavalier was chewing on some toast Tuesday morning when he opened the Journal de Montreal and saw a blown-up picture of himself with the headline - Lecavalier with the CH: Why Not?

Under terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the Montreal native will be able to go where he likes next summer. At 26, as an eight-year veteran, the World Cup MVP will be able to choose unrestricted free agency. That is unless Lecavalier, currently a restricted free agent, signs a long-term deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning this summer.

"To tell you the truth, I don't know what I'm going to do yet," he said in a phone interview Tuesday. "Obviously, if I sign a one-year deal then I'm free next year. Or I can sign a long-term deal. But I don't know what I'm going to do yet."

Lightning GM Jay Feaster, who received a contract extension Tuesday to stay on through the 2010-11 season, will meet with Lecavalier and his agent Kent Hughes in Ottawa later this week.

"There's no question we want to put him on a multi-year deal," Feaster said Tuesday from Tampa.


"I don't want to let him get away. We want him here. I told him his agent recently that I always envisioned Vincent Lecavalier would be someone we would retire his sweater and hang it from the rafter here when his career was over. That he would be like a Steve Yzerman who would spend his entire career with one franchise."

There's no denying Lecavalier's love for Tampa and the franchise.

"I'm happy in Tampa," said Lecavalier. "We won the Cup. It's a great bunch of guys there. I love living there, my sister lives there. My first couple of years were pretty tough there but now we're doing very well. But I definitely have to make some decisions."

Lecavalier has until Aug. 10 to decide whether he wants to go to salary arbitration and receive a one-year award. That would set him up for unrestricted free agency next summer.

Should Lecavalier choose arbitration and sign only a one-year deal, Feaster indicated he still would likely not trade him despite the risk of losing him for nothing next summer.

"The reason that I'm the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning is that I didn't agree with my predecessor's plan to trade Vincent Lecavalier," Feaster said of former Bolts GM Rick Dudley. "We drafted him as an 18-year-old, we have marketed him within this market to our fans."

Beside, Feaster sees the bright side of a one-year deal.

"A motivated Vincent Lecavalier on a one-year deal, where he's showcasing himself for unrestricted free agency, if that's the way it plays out, the upside for me is that we win another championship as opposed to we go out on the market and get taken by somebody and he helps somebody else win," Feaster said. "That's not the plan."

slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/TampaBay/2005/07/26/1148626-cp.html

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

It might be easier to list the players who are staying with their teams instead of the ones who are moving.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

It might be easier to list the players who are staying with their teams instead of the ones who are moving.

But chaos is the natural state of the universe.

[Doc Holliday]

yeti said:

"The reason that I'm the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning is that I didn't agree with my predecessor's plan to trade Vincent Lecavalier," Feaster said of former Bolts GM Rick Dudley.

That could be true. But the paradox is that if they lose a player like Vinny and get nothing back next summer just because Feaster couldn't stomach that his star is Montreal bound than that could be enough to show him the door as well.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Niedermayer, agent have discussed Pittsburgh

By Karen Price
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Defenseman Scott Niedermayer will test the NHL free agent market beginning Aug. 1, and Pittsburgh is one of the places he's spoken to his agent about playing.

"Me and Scott have talked about Pittsburgh because they have a lot of (salary cap) room and because of Mario Lemieux," said Niedermayer's agent, Kevin Epp, on Tuesday. "He thought Pittsburgh might have some interest. Pittsburgh has some things to offer with good talent and players and room in the cap to bring in a player of his stature."

- pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/penguinslive/s_357505.html

[PTH]

docholliday said:

yeti said:

That could be true. But the paradox is that if they lose a player like Vinny and get nothing back next summer just because Feaster couldn't stomach that his star is Montreal bound than that could be enough to show him the door as well.

It all depends, if he then signs Thornton, or Heatley a year or two later, he can still have a top team.

I think quality of life, and keeping players happy on their current teams, will become much more important than in the past, because when a player reaches 27 you want him to be happy to be where he is, which will be a challenge since most athletes have mega-egos and will think they deserve more and better, hence will look elsewhere.

A well-run team will show much more quickly in this new era; UFAs will only go to badly run teams for a serious premium, that will essentially kill off the badly-run teams chances of making it anywhere.

Thank God the Houle era is long gone, and even that Savard isn't GM anymore...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

mrbozo said:

From a poster on another board:

Zigmund Palffy is rumoured to sign a 3 year contract with LA.

Link: hokej.point.sk/spravy/?clanok=36431

He said:" My agent is talking and everything is going well".

He also says that Stumpel is holding talks with LA so they can play again together.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Palffy (and Stumpel) heading back to Los Angeles?

The big story out of Slovakia today is Zigmund Palffy's interview with Slovakian TV station 'Markiza'

In the interview, the 33 year-old Palffy proclaimed that his agent has been in discussions with the Los Angeles Kings about returning to the land of surgically enhanced people. Palffy is looking for a 3 year deal, and says things look 'good' in that regard.

The LA Kings are also in discussions with Jozef Stumpel, Palffy's long time partner in offensive crime. Both guys want to be re-united in LA, and Palffy said "I would be happy if we both signed."

Risky Business - Palffy and Stumpel are both fine players, but are still risky signings if the Kings intend to give both 3 year deals as it rumoured.

Palffy is already 33 and would be 36 by the time this contract is finished. Zigo is known for his poor off-season training habits and could very well age quickly and suddenly lose his effectiveness like Teemu Selanne.

Palffy has also had injury troubles in recent seasons and appeared in only 35 games in 2003-04. Still, Palffy is an incredibly smart player and would be a happy camper back in LA.

Stumpel, also 33, has often had trouble keeping healthy and will only get even slower as he gets older. His production the last 2 seasons was fairly weak (just 37 points in 64 games for the Kings in 03-04 and just 39 points in 52 games for Slavia last season).

If the Kings can get Palffy for a decent price, a 3-year contract wouldn't be so bad. If the Kings have to sign Stumpel for a 3-year deal just to get Palffy back, that could end up hurting them in the future and persent depending on the cost.

- jesgolbez.blogspot.com/2005/07/palffy-and-stumpel-heading-back-to-los.html

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

mrbozo said:

Looks like Blues have no choice but to move Pronger

BY JEFF GORDON
Post-Dispatch Online Sports Columnist
07/26/2005

Back in the day, Blues president Mark Sauer and general manager Larry Pleau would have hung onto defenseman Chris Pronger with all their might.

They would have made retaining No. 44 their top priority. He would have been the one Blue to build the entire franchise around. Norris and Hart Trophy-caliber players are nearly impossible to find.

But things change. Now Pronger appears to be the odd man out, for a host of reasons.

The NHL is just returning from a year-long lockout. There is a new salary cap, at $39 million. That cap could fall to $37 million next year, as the league recalculates its revenues.

With the Blues for sale -– after losing tens of millions of dollars for Bill and Nancy Laurie -– Sauer hopes to keep the team payroll well below the new maximum. Something in the $31 million to $34 million range would make far more sense, since the Lauries are sick of red ink.

The Blues could buy out Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight to clear more room under the salary cap. That was the move your cyber-correspondent advocated, but it’s not his money at stake.

Whacking Tkachuk and Weight would cost the Lauries two-thirds of the remaining contract dollars. Why would they do that when the team is for sale?

They made a prudent decision. Tkachuk and Weight will remain on the payroll, at least for the near term. Both will be overpaid in the New Economic Order, but the Lauries decided to pay them money for something rather than money for nothing.

- tinyurl.com/8sl45

Blues make qualifying offer to Pronger

TSN.ca Staff

7/27/2005 6:14:56 PM

The St. Louis Blues extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent defenceman Chris Pronger.

It is a somewhat surprising move, following the Blues' assertion that they would not be buying out forwards Doug Weight and Keith Tkachuk. With Tkachuk and Weight combining to take up $13.3-million of the new $39-million salary cap, it figures to be a challenge for the Blues to find room for Pronger's $7.22-million offer.

By extending the qualifying offer, however, the Blues do retain the right to match any offer that Pronger receives, as well as the right to draft pick compensation if they elect not to match.

- www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=131608

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

pth said:

docholliday said:

yeti said:

That could be true. But the paradox is that if they lose a player like Vinny and get nothing back next summer just because Feaster couldn't stomach that his star is Montreal bound than that could be enough to show him the door as well.

It all depends, if he then signs Thornton, or Heatley a year or two later, he can still have a top team.

I think quality of life, and keeping players happy on their current teams, will become much more important than in the past, because when a player reaches 27 you want him to be happy to be where he is, which will be a challenge since most athletes have mega-egos and will think they deserve more and better, hence will look elsewhere.

A well-run team will show much more quickly in this new era; UFAs will only go to badly run teams for a serious premium, that will essentially kill off the badly-run teams chances of making it anywhere.

Thank God the Houle era is long gone, and even that Savard isn't GM anymore...

BC take note. I'm agreeing with PTH for the second time in one month.

Quality of life will be a big factor. If a player like Iginla has played 8 years in Calgary, married and raised a family, integrated into the community, wife in the PTA, friends on the team, relationships with local businessmen, visited in community hospitals; becoming a mersonary and leaving for a new city that can't pay him much more than he's already getting becomes less attractive. It's not all about "Show me the money!" ref. Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Hockey is a team game and class organizations will prosper.

[Yeti]

The Rangers bought out the contract of Bobby Holik. Holik, 34, is now UFA.

www.tsn.ca

[roke]

yeti said:

The Rangers bought out the contract of Bobby Holik. Holik, 34, is now UFA.

www.tsn.ca

A more specific link for those as lazy as i am.

www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=131832

And finally there is one less UFA on the market because the Ducks re-signed Sandis Ozolinsh

www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=131827


Also, Sean McEachern's option was not picked up by Atlanta:

www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=131818

[Yeti]

Wow, Zubrus not qualified (Washington Post).

What a trade by Savard, what a trade.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

2005-08-01 - OILERS TRADE ISBISTER TO BRUINS

The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Brad Isbister to the Boston Bruins in exchange for the Bruin’s 4th round draft pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

In 51 games with the Oilers during the 2003-04 season, Isbister recorded 18 points (10-8-18) and 54 penalty minutes.

- www.edmontonoilers.com/pressbox/index.php?release=20050801_1916

[Deleted]

mrbozo said:

2005-08-01 - OILERS TRADE ISBISTER TO BRUINS

I hope this isn't an effort by the B's to replace Murray.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Roberts, Nieuwendyk sign in Florida

The Toronto Maple Leafs have just become a lot younger.

Sportsnet has learned NHL veterans Gary Roberts and Joe Nieuwendyk have agree to 2 year deals with the Florida Panthers.

- tinyurl.com/cg8jb

[Yeti]

... and a lot weaker... their farm system is thin on talent, especially up front...