Loving the Canucks d-men right now with Hamhuis, Ballard, Edler, Ehrhoff, Salo, and Bieksa, although I bet Bieksa gets moved for cap reasons. O'brien will probably be the 6th.
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The Everything NHL Thread
- Thread starter Jackal
- Start date
they're already lookin' like a playoff team, but getting 'chuck would definately make the Islanders a threat!
also Modano is 40, if Detroit signed him, it'd be a one year deal, and it wouldn't really matter, as we have our regulars and we're only signing our wants...
from what i've read, we have the money to sign our RFAs with enough left for about 2 clearance players that we want... if we pick up Modano, which isn't much of a chance considering that he'll have to take less than what the falling stars gave him to fit under our c(r)ap, he'll probably be that clearence sale guy...
btw, what do you think Detroit's gonna try to get outta Meech?
I'm kind of hoping we do sign Kovy, if only for the fact that we could use him as a bargaining chip for a new Coliseum on the Island and not in Kansas City!
I have a gut feeling that such a signing would be like the Yashin signing but that might just be my paranoia talking.
edit: the optimist in me is reminding me that Kovy/Tavares/Okposo would be awesome
I have a gut feeling that such a signing would be like the Yashin signing but that might just be my paranoia talking.
edit: the optimist in me is reminding me that Kovy/Tavares/Okposo would be awesome
Kovalchuk will have to backcheck with Gordon so it might go badly =3
Am I the only one that thinks Kovalchuk is going to Russia to play in the KHL?
I think it's a pretty big possibility from what I just read... the Kings apparently had their offers rejected by Kovalchuk and there aren't really too many teams in the league that can meet the kind of salary and term commitment he's looking for. Don't really see him as a Devil or an Islander so what other teams are there now that LA is out..?
Would love a Modano rental in another world, but worried about what cost it'd come at - I suspect Holland doesn't want to retain everyone I want him to, so he'll see the numbers differently, but man... would have loved all of Helm/Eaves/Miller/Abdelkader back, with preference in that order. But there's worse 13th forwards we could get.
I've half-joked about Kovy to KHL for like a year and a half now, but most sources are saying no. I'm still not convinced, but his agent says he's gonna decide today(not convinced of that either) so I guess we'll see. Predicting KHL, but if not then LA, even with the "we give up" gamesmanship on their end.
Puck daddy russian guy says Zherdev likely to be back in the NHL, too. Wonder where he lands...
I've half-joked about Kovy to KHL for like a year and a half now, but most sources are saying no. I'm still not convinced, but his agent says he's gonna decide today(not convinced of that either) so I guess we'll see. Predicting KHL, but if not then LA, even with the "we give up" gamesmanship on their end.
Puck daddy russian guy says Zherdev likely to be back in the NHL, too. Wonder where he lands...
I heard Buffalo is inquiring about Zherdev.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Who would pay Nikolai Zherdev 4 million a season outside of the KHL now?
Zherdev is an idiot. If he didn't get 4 million before he left for the KHL, what makes him think he'll get it this time?
<mono> sux about probert
<mono> man was slow as balls in nhl 96 but man could he hit
Words of IRC wisdom.
Anyway, Kovalchuk. Where's he going? Devils are apparently closing in on him, and the Islanders are always in the running when it comes to someone wanting a long-term contract.
<mono> man was slow as balls in nhl 96 but man could he hit
Words of IRC wisdom.
Anyway, Kovalchuk. Where's he going? Devils are apparently closing in on him, and the Islanders are always in the running when it comes to someone wanting a long-term contract.
Apparently the Flyers just signed Zherdev o_O
Wings signed Miller yesterday to a 1 year deal worth $650,000. Eaves also signed for a 1 year deal but worth $750,000. Wings have $3,757,956 in cap space remaining to play with, which is plenty to sign Helm, Abdelkader AND Modano (assuming he has reasonable salary expectations.. it sounds like he does). Or alternatively, explore a FA depth defenseman, which Ken Holland had expressed interest in doing, and sign part of those forwards. Good take on how to fit everyone at the blog Babcock's Death Stare.
In other news, Nabokov going to the KHL.. which doesn't surprise me one bit. Given how well cheap goalies worked out in the playoffs, the supply/demand for netminders, and the salary cap, Nabokov was essentially left with very few options. His age coupled with his asking price and term took him out of the market by default. Nobody is going to hand out a 4 year term worth $6 million a season to someone at his age. Other GMs learned from Boston's mistake, apparently. Would have liked to see him play somewhere else in the NHL just to see how much of his numbers were "a good Sharks team" and how much were "top tier goaltender." I guess we'll never know for sure..
In other news, Nabokov going to the KHL.. which doesn't surprise me one bit. Given how well cheap goalies worked out in the playoffs, the supply/demand for netminders, and the salary cap, Nabokov was essentially left with very few options. His age coupled with his asking price and term took him out of the market by default. Nobody is going to hand out a 4 year term worth $6 million a season to someone at his age. Other GMs learned from Boston's mistake, apparently. Would have liked to see him play somewhere else in the NHL just to see how much of his numbers were "a good Sharks team" and how much were "top tier goaltender." I guess we'll never know for sure..
The Leafs signed Brett Lebda, no clue why. Sabres nab Niedermayer... no idea why. Grit? I dunno. And Kovalchuk is negotiating with LA AGAIN, kid's going to play in Russia if you ask me.
I was just about to post to make fun of the Lebda, signing too - I root for Burke, but man living in the Wings' viewing region I don't understand that signing at all. I mean, he's a decent #5-6 defenseman in an offensive system(which is not want Toronto seems to be want to be right now), but not for the 1.45m a year he's getting - even 1.0 would have been really pushing it. Big overpayment there.
On the Russia front, I'm pretty sure Kovalchuk wants to play in LA at this point(and like I said a post or two ago, I think LA ever leaving the table was just gamesmanship anyway), I'd be surprised not to see him sign for 8.5-9m for 8-10 years in a week or so to play in LA. I like the fit there - something like Kovalchuk/Kopitar/Simmonds line 1 and a more physical line 2 built around Dustin Brown will be a strong top couple lines on what should ending up being a defensively oriented team with Doughty/Johnson/Scuderi/etc. + Bernier if he ever actually develops into what he's been promised to be.
Zherdev seems like a strange fit in Philly since he's not exactly defense first himself, assuming that's actually happening, but I'm glad to at least have him back in the NHL. I really don't understand what their management is doing with their forwards. When I look at this organization I can't help but think they're as good as they are mostly by sheer luck/scouting turning into so many of their own players becoming stars(Richards, Carter, Giroux, etc.) so they don't have to get them elsewhere - they sure don't impress me on the open market. Had been expecting that Nabby to Russia thing, too - there was no way he was getting the money he wanted here this year with as close to the cap as the handful of teams that wanted tending are(and there weren't many teams that needed goalies at all this year, really). Expect him back in a year or two if a team wants to throw 3.5+ at him for a couple of years.
As much as I'd like an added defenseman from outside the system to patch up the Wings blue line(I think our defense will probably be "not good enough" to go all the way next year - Lidstrom/Rafalski is aging noticeably, Kronwall/Stuart isn't really going to be a top pairing, some combination of Kindl/Meech(who also still needs to be resigned)/Ericsson will have a lot to prove), I think we're going to have to rely on the young 'ins this year since trying to bring anyone in is going to be nearly impossible with the cap looming down. I think the Wings' brass and Modano are sold on each other enough that him coming eventually looks like a certainty, so I'd expect him to be eating up a little under a third of that space we have. Only 6 NHL defenseman on the roster counting Kindl atm so Meech "has" to come back, Abdelkader still has a possibility of being the odd man out with Helm essentially a guarantee to return. I'm not super worried though, the numbers look good enough with the silly-low Eaves/Miller salaries that we'll be able to pick up Modano, Abdelkader, Helm, and Meech to slide just under the cap.
On the Russia front, I'm pretty sure Kovalchuk wants to play in LA at this point(and like I said a post or two ago, I think LA ever leaving the table was just gamesmanship anyway), I'd be surprised not to see him sign for 8.5-9m for 8-10 years in a week or so to play in LA. I like the fit there - something like Kovalchuk/Kopitar/Simmonds line 1 and a more physical line 2 built around Dustin Brown will be a strong top couple lines on what should ending up being a defensively oriented team with Doughty/Johnson/Scuderi/etc. + Bernier if he ever actually develops into what he's been promised to be.
Zherdev seems like a strange fit in Philly since he's not exactly defense first himself, assuming that's actually happening, but I'm glad to at least have him back in the NHL. I really don't understand what their management is doing with their forwards. When I look at this organization I can't help but think they're as good as they are mostly by sheer luck/scouting turning into so many of their own players becoming stars(Richards, Carter, Giroux, etc.) so they don't have to get them elsewhere - they sure don't impress me on the open market. Had been expecting that Nabby to Russia thing, too - there was no way he was getting the money he wanted here this year with as close to the cap as the handful of teams that wanted tending are(and there weren't many teams that needed goalies at all this year, really). Expect him back in a year or two if a team wants to throw 3.5+ at him for a couple of years.
As much as I'd like an added defenseman from outside the system to patch up the Wings blue line(I think our defense will probably be "not good enough" to go all the way next year - Lidstrom/Rafalski is aging noticeably, Kronwall/Stuart isn't really going to be a top pairing, some combination of Kindl/Meech(who also still needs to be resigned)/Ericsson will have a lot to prove), I think we're going to have to rely on the young 'ins this year since trying to bring anyone in is going to be nearly impossible with the cap looming down. I think the Wings' brass and Modano are sold on each other enough that him coming eventually looks like a certainty, so I'd expect him to be eating up a little under a third of that space we have. Only 6 NHL defenseman on the roster counting Kindl atm so Meech "has" to come back, Abdelkader still has a possibility of being the odd man out with Helm essentially a guarantee to return. I'm not super worried though, the numbers look good enough with the silly-low Eaves/Miller salaries that we'll be able to pick up Modano, Abdelkader, Helm, and Meech to slide just under the cap.