The NHL Off-Season Thread Starts With a Bang

[-Jrabbit]

Hossa to Chicago. The Hawks are now a lock to make it to the Finals -- and lose.

[Asher]

Hossa is NOT that good. I never get why the media is so obsessed with him.

Cammy had a better season last year, even.

And Hossa had some VERY talented linemates.

[Sparrowhawk]

Hossa to Chicago. The Hawks are now a lock to make it to the Finals -- and lose.

I hate to laugh at your team Jrabbit (and snoopy) but that could be one of those records that might never be broken if somehow Hossa could lose in the finals for the third straight year with three different teams. Not sure it is likely, but it's not inconceivable that Chicago could make the finals next year, if they could manage to lose it, I would laugh

[action=Sparrowhawk][/action]

[Lord Avalon]

Unfortunately Hossa losing in the finals again would mean the Wings wouldn't be there.

From Allan Muir, SI Inside the NHL

Hossa looks like Hawks' albatross

So much for dreams of fiscal restraint.

Marian Hossa, the player widely acknowledged as the best free agent on the market at the start of the day, has cashed in big time by signing a 12-year, $62.8 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Adding a player with Hossa's skill set for just $5.166 million per year makes the Hawks a more formidable team over the short term. But the deal makes you wonder if Dale Tallon has completely lost sight of the team's future.

Don't get hung up on the duration. That's what keeps the cap hit reasonable. But even if the durable forward comes in at a decent value, this deal could come back and bite the Hawks hard next summer.

Remember, the contracts of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith all expire after next season, setting up Tallon for a troika of tough negotiations. Best case -- and I mean absolute pie-in-the-sky -- scenario: he gets the trio for something in the range of $15 million per year. Add that to about $36 million that's already committed to just nine players plus the likelihood that the $56.8 million salary cap will shrink significantly, and it looks like Tallon has painted himself into a very tight corner with this deal.

Fools rush in? Unless Tallon has a couple of suckers lined up to take the contracts of Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet off his hands, it's hard to read it any other way.

Hossa is a 40-goal man and a terrific defensive presence, but this isn't a zero-sum game. After all, Hossa's addition all but ensures the departure of Martin Havlat, the team's best forward last season. Hossa's a better all-around option, but how much better?

Maybe Tallon feels he's close enough to go for it this year and Hossa gives him his best chance to win. Time will tell. The deal certainly alters the balance of power in the West to some degree, if only because Tallon has weakened the defending conference champs in Detroit. But he's put his career on the line with this contract, because it's not just Havlat who is headed out of town. And it's not just next year that Tallon has to worry about.

The deal also makes current restricted free agent defenseman Cam Barker and Calder candidate Kris Versteeg prime targets for an offer sheet over the next few days.

Hossa's a great player, but it's hard to envision this contract as anything but an albatross for the franchise in the future.

[Flubber]

I'm going to guess that the above post is insanely stupid.

That would be pretty accurate

[Asher]

Gaborik to the NYR. 5 years @ $7.5M/yr

[Flubber]

Cammalleri is only a better goal scorer when he plays a full season.


.

I LOVE it Ben. You go from saying Sedin is a better goal scorer to now acknowledging that Cammaleri is better "if he plays a full season"

hell that type of qualifier would apply to anyone wouldn't it? I mean Ovechkin is only a better goalscorer than Donald Brashear if he "plays in some games'

In assessing the overall worth of a player, it is valid to consider a player's durability but it doesn't enter into whether they are a better goal scorer or not. Oh and Cammy played in 80+ games in 3 out of his 4 seasons since becoming a regular in the league-- so you cannot really knock his durability even though Sedin has been slightly more durable-- One 20 game injury in 4 years is not exactly being injury prone or fragile.

In assessing better goal scorer, the test is how many goals are scored and measures such as goals per game are relevant measures. You asserted Daniel was better. Since all the stats are slightly in Cammy's favor I see that as untenable. I also don't see the difference in the stats as large enough to assert unequivocally that Cammy is better but as between the two he has the better case.

Keeping Bouwmeester means treading water.

Ben thats the quote of the day-- A team adds perhaps the most sought after defenceman free agent-- the league leader in minutes played and a great puck mover and they are "treading water"-- Ridiculous

[Asher]

Gionta to MTL..5 yr, 25 mil.

Now they just need Elias to remake the EGG line.

[Asher]

I'm going to trademark the term 'midget line' for Montreal.

LW: Cammalleri: 5'9
C: Gomez: 5'11
RW: Gionta: 5'7

[Asher]

And the Oilers brass are having a face-to-face meeting with Heatley...

[Asher]

Flames sign Freddy Sjostrom. Mix of a reclamation project and a 4th line guy...

Edit: Sjostrom: 2 years, 750k each

:B:

Awesome. Fast, gritty, big, and awesome on the PK. Need to stock up on players like this to fill out the roster, and I'm happy to do it.

[Asher]

Taylor Pyatt a hab, apparently.

[Flubber]

Flames sign Freddy Sjostrom. Mix of a reclamation project and a 4th line guy...

Edit: Sjostrom: 2 years, 750k each

:B:

Awesome. Fast, gritty, big, and awesome on the PK. Need to stock up on players like this to fill out the roster, and I'm happy to do it.

They do need some more NHL calbre forwards to fill out the roster unkless they expect a LOT of the guys that came up for brief stints last year to stick this year.

I still think the team is one more strong offensive player away from beaing a scary team to play but I don't see where the Flames have the money to sign anyone else that is a 'big name'-- What we have to hope is that Sutter can find some more guys that play better than expected-- Bourque and Glencross types !!

[Asher]

Disclaimer: Boyd's salary is a guess

1. Bourque (1.350) - Langkow (4.500) - Iginla (7.000)
2. Boyd (0.750) - Jokinen (5.250) - Moss (1.300)
3. Glencross (1.200) - Conroy (1.050) - Sjostrom (0.750)
4. Nystrom (0.688) - Primeau (1.400) - Prust (0.500)
Extra - Van der Gulik (0.487)

1. Phaneuf (6.500) - Bouwmeester (6.600)
2. Regehr (4.020) - Sarich (3.600)
3. Giordano (0.892) - Pardy (0.700)
Extra - Pelech (0.850)

1. Kiprusoff (5.833)
2. McElhinney (0.535)

Total - $55.755
Space Left - $1.045

Would be awesome if we could offload Primeau to some team. Could get a nice $2M player.

[Flubber]

Disclaimer: Boyd's salary is a guess

1. Bourque (1.350) - Langkow (4.500) - Iginla (7.000)
2. Boyd (0.750) - Jokinen (5.250) - Moss (1.300)
3. Glencross (1.200) - Conroy (1.050) - Sjostrom (0.750)
4. Nystrom (0.688) - Primeau (1.400) - Prust (0.500)
Extra - Van der Gulik (0.487)

1. Phaneuf (6.500) - Bouwmeester (6.600)
2. Regehr (4.020) - Sarich (3.600)
3. Giordano (0.892) - Pardy (0.700)
Extra - Pelech (0.850)

1. Kiprusoff (5.833)
2. McElhinney (0.535)

Total - $55.755
Space Left - $1.045

Would be awesome if we could offload Primeau to some team. Could get a nice $2M player.

True but Primeau (who I had quite disliked in prior years) looked very vey good in the early going last season before his injury-- He was in much better shape and played like a guy that deserbed top 6 type time-- It might be worth his 1.4 to see if THAT Primeau comes back