NHL Free Agency Starts Today

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sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
I don't know, I like Zherdev. I didn't get to see him play much, but he led a completely hapless Ranger team in scoring. I think some players get labelled lazy because of their style of play.

How much did he sign for? If it's <$4 million I think you got a real bargain.

Zherdev was a good scorer and still managed to have a horrible reputation. So bad that the Rangers let him walk, and no one in the NHL would touch him. That's pretty bad.

Gagne's cap it is 5M/yr, I believe. I'd rather keep Gagne than pay Zherdev 4M. Seems like that's the tradeoff we're facing right now.

Personally, I'd take a gamble and trade Carter. 40 goal scorer, next year is his RFA year, he's young. Could probably bring back a substantial package of picks and a quality player, like, I don't know... a goalie?

Afinogenov is still out there too. I'm willing to bet he'll go in the 4M range. Safer bet than Zherdev if that's the price. Actually, I'm still kind of shocked that no one has signed him. Maybe he's asking for KHL money?
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
Zherdev was a good scorer and still managed to have a horrible reputation. So bad that the Rangers let him walk, and no one in the NHL would touch him. That's pretty bad.

Gagne's cap it is 5M/yr, I believe. I'd rather keep Gagne than pay Zherdev 4M. Seems like that's the tradeoff we're facing right now.

Personally, I'd take a gamble and trade Carter. 40 goal scorer, next year is his RFA year, he's young. Could probably bring back a substantial package of picks and a quality player, like, I don't know... a goalie?

Afinogenov is still out there too. I'm willing to bet he'll go in the 4M range. Safer bet than Zherdev if that's the price. Actually, I'm still kind of shocked that no one has signed him. Maybe he's asking for KHL money?

Yeah, I didn't watch Zherdev play much, so you could be right. I do know that there were a bunch of Ranger fans that were really irritated that they signed Kotalik for $3 million when they could have had Zherdev for $4 million. If the rumor is true, I guess we'll find out next year. Alexander Radulov is another guy that needs to be back in the NHL. Great skill.

I like Gagne too, but Zherdev is a whole lot younger. I don't know about trading Carter, you do need a goalie, but I think he's a fantastic hockey player, even if he didn't have a great playoffs.

Is there any consideration to just keeping Leighton? I mean, yeah, he failed against Chicago, but I don't know how many goaltenders can stand up to Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp et al. That's a hell of an offense.
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
Yeah, I didn't watch Zherdev play much, so you could be right. I do know that there were a bunch of Ranger fans that were really irritated that they signed Kotalik for $3 million when they could have had Zherdev for $4 million. If the rumor is true, I guess we'll find out next year. Alexander Radulov is another guy that needs to be back in the NHL. Great skill.

I like Gagne too, but Zherdev is a whole lot younger. I don't know about trading Carter, you do need a goalie, but I think he's a fantastic hockey player, even if he didn't have a great playoffs.

Is there any consideration to just keeping Leighton? I mean, yeah, he failed against Chicago, but I don't know how many goaltenders can stand up to Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp et al. That's a hell of an offense.

Rumor on Zherdev is 3 years at under 3M per. Odd. That's actually not a bad deal if the guy is motivated to play.

The thing about Carter is this - there is no way, barring very major moves, that Philly can keep him past his RFA year (which would be the year after this one). If he somehow puts up 40 goals again this year, he's going to be asking for probably damn close to Kovalchuk money. No way to afford that without gutting the team. He's a great player, a little lazy in my book, but he will never have more value than he does right now and there are holes to fill. I'm not necessarily saying he has to be moved, but it's an idea I go back and forth on. It might be worth it, depending on what the offers are.

I happen to like Leighton. I think he's at worst an average NHL goalie. I don't blame him at all for the SCF loss. The fact that the team didn't have a serviceable 3rd D pairing is more to blame there. But we've just never had a true blue chip goalie in Philly, so we fans always want one. Hextall was the last.

The last thing I'm looking at is that the Flyers have literally no talent at the AHL level. Nobody. Nothing. A couple goalie prospects that might work out, but that's it. Homer also trades every draft pick away like he's Dan Snyder. So in that regard, Carter bringing back some picks would help.
 

KMFJD

Lifer
Aug 11, 2005
33,589
53,814
136
Modano to the Wings? Reportedly offered 1-2 year deal worth between 1 and 1.5 million...
 

Firsttime

Platinum Member
Mar 31, 2005
2,517
0
76
Modano to the Wings? Reportedly offered 1-2 year deal worth between 1 and 1.5 million...

Dallas did him wrong, he should have been allowed to play there until he was 50 if he wanted. I support his efforts to play elsewhere, he was a career class act in my opinion. Detroit seems like an odd fit though. They are just so deep I can't seem him having much of a roll, then maybe that's what he wants.
 

SP33Demon

Lifer
Jun 22, 2001
27,928
143
106
Last year - 2 goals, 4 assists, from a winger. A winger whose only job is to fill the net. Wasn't one of those goals on a 5 on 3 where one of the defenders fell down, and the 3 were Asham, Carcillo, and Powe or something like that? I would definitely criticize that in the context of 8M per. I don't think he's a bad player, but I do think he's unproven in the playoffs, and my personal opinion is that he won't prove to be a clutch playoff guy.

Watch him out there in the playoffs. He just doesn't have the drive to score. Pronger knocked him around a little and he was done for his next few shifts. It's not like he makes up for that with great defensive play.

Half the NHL goes to the playoffs. 82 games, then potentially another 20+ to win it all. You don't need an 8M/yr guy for those first 82, you need him for those last 20. It's a big gamble on Kovalchuk is all I'm saying. Certainly not a guy I'd gut my team to have.

Weren't you the guy saying that Byfuglien was "lazy" in the regular season (don't have time to pull up that thread atm) and as a result, wasn't even worth keeping at 3mil? If so, it completely contradicts the post above. So Byfuglien isn't worth 3 mil because he's lazy in the regular season yet has dominated the last two playoffs? Oh the irony. By your post above, he'd be worth 8 mil since there's no answer for him (he adjusted to Pronger's wiliness) and had the most game winning goals this year in the playoffs.
 
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meltdown75

Lifer
Nov 17, 2004
37,548
7
81
Dallas did him wrong, he should have been allowed to play there until he was 50 if he wanted. I support his efforts to play elsewhere, he was a career class act in my opinion. Detroit seems like an odd fit though. They are just so deep I can't seem him having much of a roll, then maybe that's what he wants.
he's from Michigan
 

Firsttime

Platinum Member
Mar 31, 2005
2,517
0
76
he's from Michigan

I suppose that could be a factor, I did know he was American, I wasn't aware of his state of origin.

In other NHL news, frigging Mike Fisher is marrying Carrie Underwood this weekend at some super secret location, the lucky bastard. It's great to see a character player getting a girl like that though. He is one of the harder working players I feel the Sens have had the last couple years.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=326923
 

NoCreativity

Golden Member
Feb 28, 2008
1,735
62
91
Dallas did him wrong, he should have been allowed to play there until he was 50 if he wanted. I support his efforts to play elsewhere, he was a career class act in my opinion. Detroit seems like an odd fit though. They are just so deep I can't seem him having much of a roll, then maybe that's what he wants.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100707/SPORTS05/7070380/Mike-Modano-mulling-move-to-home-ice

Detroit is looking to put him on third line with Cleary and Hudler.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
huh, I guess Zherdev and Hudler were both on 1 year deals then, I figured they were gone for good like Radulov.
 

KMFJD

Lifer
Aug 11, 2005
33,589
53,814
136
Hudler bought out/was released from his KHL contract...apparently signing a contract there doesn't guarantee you are paid regularly. Modano would be fit in quite well with the Wings imo.
 

bignateyk

Lifer
Apr 22, 2002
11,288
7
0
Hudler bought out/was released from his KHL contract...apparently signing a contract there doesn't guarantee you are paid regularly. Modano would be fit in quite well with the Wings imo.

Yeah. That's the main reason guys don't go over to play in the KHL. You could get offered 10 billion dollars a year, but in the KHL, actually getting the money in your contract is a completely different story...
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
Hudler bought out/was released from his KHL contract...apparently signing a contract there doesn't guarantee you are paid regularly. Modano would be fit in quite well with the Wings imo.

That's why I don't think Kovalchuk will sign with the KHL. Everyone always talks about how there are lower taxes. Yes, but here you know you will get paid. That seems a bit more important to me.

Apparently the Kings dropped out of the Kovalchuk race again so The Devils are back in the drivers seat. Me, and sjwaste apparently, have our fingers crossed. :D
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Day 13 of the Kovalchuk hostage crisis.

His ego and desire for money are interfering with his desire to win the Stanley Cup. It helps when there's money left over to spend on other players.

For the record I'd rather live in NJ than LA any day (most people don't realize how nice most of NJ is, though LA has a weather advantage if you don't like winter), but I'm glad Kovalchuk turned down the rumored 17 year deal.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
Day 13 of the Kovalchuk hostage crisis.

His ego and desire for money are interfering with his desire to win the Stanley Cup. It helps when there's money left over to spend on other players.

For the record I'd rather live in NJ than LA any day (most people don't realize how nice most of NJ is, though LA has a weather advantage if you don't like winter), but I'm glad Kovalchuk turned down the rumored 17 year deal.

Me too, although to be fair I've never actually been to LA or even California so maybe I should get out there before having a strong opinion. :D But the access to NYC alone (20 min to Midtown Manhatten by train) makes NJ hard to beat. the fact that there are son many great spots in the state itself is just icing on the cake.

I actually think the 17 year deal would have worked well, front loaded with a low cap hit, we could have easily traded him to a team below the cap floor when his play started to decline. But if Ilya wants to play in LA that badly I can't imagine a deal won't get done, he's one of the best players in the league, all it will take is a couple of their young starts (Doughty Simmonds etc.) to take below-market deals for 3-4 years to make the cap room for Kovy. Certainly not unprecedented.

Damn, I was really looking forward to seeing him play for us again :(