FA Frenzy: Buffalo Sabres

In the past, the Buffalo Sabres have rarely taken part in the free agent frenzy (FA Frenzy) known to diehard puckers as July 1. Okay. Brian would probably correct me and say an emphatic:

"NEVER!!!!!"

So yeah. It is pretty cool to see his team jump in among the Big Boy$ thanks to new owner Terry Pegula's win at all costs strategy. When they traded with the Islanders for the rights to Christian Ehrhoff, I admittedly didn't think much, assuming the German blueliner would predictably wind up in Detroit to replace Brian Rafalski. Instead, the unthinkable happened with Pegula able to convince the Ehrhoff that he could win as he had with Robyn Regehr, who originally said no before a trade with Calgary was finalized. Yes!!!!! The Sabres have teased their fans for years. No Goal withstanding, they were close in '06 until injuries that must've meant the Mets team doctor was at work dashed their hopes against Carolina. If only Dr. Seuss had been a not more gentle. :P Who will garner the first reaction to these references? The Met fan or the long suffering Sabre fan. I digress. There also was '07 but we'll just leave that alone after Sambone's classic rant on his show Friday.

When the Sabres announced the astronomical 10-year frontloaded $40 million deal with Ehrhoff, to say I was floored was an understatement. Shocked. Appalled. Flabbergasted. You name it. I couldn't believe it and neither could Hasan, who expressed disdain at the way the contract paid out. This is what the NHL wanted. A couple of more crazy deals by two Battle clubs to two of the top free agents (Ehrhoff, Richards). So yeah. There also were the usual absurd Flyers with their insane contract with Ilya Bryzgalov that cost both Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in a makeover. Just wait till next year folks. The party's over.

If it wasn't enough that Pegula signed off on Ehrhoff, then came another bomb with his team landing ex-Flyer Ville Leino. The terms. A cool six years at $27 million. Yes again! These are the Buffalo Sabres. Leino is a good player who turns 28 in the first year of the megadeal. Not bad for a Finn the Red Wings didn't want, allowing Philly to steal him off waivers. It wasn't until the 2010 postseason that he performed, totaling 21 points (7-14-21 in 19 GP) during the Flyers' surprising run that Chicago ended. He followed it up with a career best 53 points (19-34-53) and had three goals and two helpers in 11 postseason games that ended with a disappointing sweep to eventual champ Boston. So. Is a guy who never scored 20 goals worth $4.5 million-per-season? Such questions are the norm in a buyer's market with the cap escalating- allowing teams like Hawks South (Florida) to buy as many guys as possible.

At least Buffalo got two of the better FA's, adding to an already talented roster that features Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy, Drew Stafford, Jason Pominville, Tyler Ennis, Tyler Myers and other new D Robyn Regehr, who was swayed into coming thanks to talk of winning a Cup. On paper, the Sabres look pretty good with deadline pickup Brad Boyes in a contract year and miracle midget Nathan Gerbe along with Jordan Leopold and Andrej Sekera (arbitration). Still no idea if Buffalo re-signs backup Jhonas Enroth, who was largely responsible for getting the Sabres in the playoffs a second straight year before they fell in gut wrenching fashion to the hated Flyers. He's a Group II.

It's a roster you have to like after Boston, Washington and Tampa Bay with no clear favorite in the Atlantic. Certainly, the Sabres should be there. The time is now.

Who Improved?

Every July, the Free Agent Frenzy creates a circus-like environment with TSN providing the best coverage on Day One. After that, it's fend for yourself especially in The States. I've always been jealous of Canada due to their love and devotion of everything puck. They benefit greatly from CBC, TSN and Sportsnet. I've probably left one out. Hockey is their sport even if our country still comprises a vast majority (23/30) of the league. Winnipeg coming back is positive. There will be a lot of attention for the right reasons.

While hockey is front and center up North, here it's still covered like tennis, which at least has ESPN providing a solid outlet. One of my gripes with Versus is they can't cover the offseason due to other commitments such as the Tour de France. Even NHL Network is reduced to 2011 Playoff Repeats and other stuff we've seen 100 times. If you want your hockey fix locally, there's occasionally the odd Devil game on MSG-Plus which aired New Jersey and Edmonton three times over 24 hours as @voicilizz noted on Twitter. MSG also does a solid job with their Vault, digging out old footage that even dates back to the 50's with Al Rotwig and Stan Fischler providing nostalgia, along with Dave Maloney giving his input. If you love hockey, it's a fun watch.

While it's nice to at least look back and see how different our sport once was with the equipment and size of players most noticeable, there's hardly much to go around on who improved and who hurt themselves. Say what you will. But Larry Brooks is the best reporter in town with his weekly Slap Shots a must for any pucker. You can also find decent coverage in The Boston Globe. The Daily News' Jesse Spector is a solid read and is always on Twitter answering stuff. There are a lot of blogs but most are Ranger themed and don't really examine the league as a whole.

Over the course of the summer, I'll do my best to look at each team's moves and assess how they did. If you noticed over at the top right sidebar, there's a new poll which asks Who Improved The Most? There are a few obvious candidates, including half of BONY represented courtesy of the Sabres and Rangers. I tried to be objective, nominating six other teams along with the always fun Other if you disagree. Whenever we get together for these bar debates, there's bound to be objection. Who knows? Maybe we'll even try a Round Table with our esteemed colleagues Brian and Hasan on who's won and who's lost. ;) We'll give it our best to keep you entertained.

Saw the other day, Tomas Kaberle moved to Raleigh where his brother Frantisek once played. With the Candy Canes moving Joe Corvo to Beantown for a fourth round pick, it's basically a swap. Even though I'm not the biggest Kaberle guy, I'll give Carolina the edge due to Kaberle still being a sound power play option, who should take pressure off Joni Pitkanen and provide more offense from the back end. I also agree with @KevinWeekes that the Canes have a system that works. Even if it doesn't produce playoffs every year, they remain competitive and health withstanding, should be in the mix. Corvo has a cannon and that's never bad for the defending champs, who rely heavily on Zdeno Chara. But his level dropped considerably. Maybe a scenery change will spark the much traveled vet.

I still am a bit perplexed why the Sharks made two trades. Is Martin Havlat really that much better than Dany Heatley for their system? They subtracted Devin Setoguchi, who was a good piece on back-to-back rosters that lost in the Conference Finals. Getting Brent Burns from Minnesota was a wise move but why not have just used Heatley instead of dealing away Setoguchi, Patrick Coyle and a #1 that allowed the Wild to select Zack Phillips. It seems like Doug Wilson parted with more than he had to due to the separate deals. While it still will be odd seeing Heatley in a Wild jersey, he's still a better player than Havlat who can boost hockey in St. Paul.

And finally, if the rumors are true about Michel Therrien to the Devils, I don't get why. Recycling another coach who often has worn thin, just doesn't make a lot of sense. He is a defensive coach who likes to sit back, which fits their system. But shouldn't the playoffs demonstrate that you need to play up-tempo to be successful? Even Claude Julien's Bruins made the necessary adjustment, battering the Canucks which explains why we still haven't found either Sedin. Having a strong D works to a point when you're headlined by a dominant big man like Chara. The Devs boast no such player with Adam Larsson still needing time. The fourth overall gem should make the roster but how well he performs is still a giant question. They must be careful not to expect too much. Is Therrien really the best fit for Zach Parise? TBD.

Can Richards conquer New York???

Can Brad Richards deliver Lord Stanley back on Broadway?

When the madness finally ended, as usual the Rangers had their man- agreeing to another front-loaded long-term deal with primary target Brad Richards over Fourth Of July weekend. The fireworks got started early with as many as five suitors after the marquee name in a weak Free Agent class in which classic overpayment and flat out insanity ruled Day One. It wasn't an easy decision for the former Star, who after careful consideration waited until Day Two to announce that he chose the Rangers over runner-ups, the Leafs and Kings while his ex-team the Lightning and Sabres dropped out completely.

Mission accomplished for smoking gun, Team President and GM Glen Sather, who had the pull of Richards' Cup winning coach John Tortorella at his arsenal along with '94 hero Mark Messier and captain in waiting Ryan Callahan, who coincidentally both Richy Rich and new enforcer Mike Rupp heaped praise on. That along with an up to date state of the art Madison Square Garden, were enough to finally sway the new No.1 center, who also even talked to self-proclaimed 'geniu$' Jim Dolan Friday night before sleeping on the nine-year, $60 million offer that got it done. Yes. Nine Years folks, when the Blueshirts swore they wouldn't be drawn into a bidding war for the former '04 Conn Smythe winner. Like we didn't see that coming.

Listen. I'm not going to sit here and tell Garden Faithful that Richards doesn't help our team. Oh. His skill was badly needed for an Original Six franchise that's won only two rounds since a bitter Messier bolted for greener pastures following an unexpected run to the Conference Finals in '97. No doubt that Richy Rich addresses two needs, supplying the Rangers with the first line pivot they have lacked since Eric Lindros had his bell rung in San Jose circa '01-02. There's also the issue of the powerless play, which at long last gets an experienced power play quarterback who can thread the needle and act as a double threat from the point. It was a no-brainer to spend Dolan cash on the caliber of player who's been nearly a point-per-game (772 GP: 220-496-716) for his entire career- spanning a decade from almost seven years spent in St. Pete as one third of a dynamic trio (Lecavalier/St. Louis) that led a Tortorella coached team to Lord Stanley, to over three years spent in Dallas as a superb Star, who outside of a nice '08 run as a deadline pickup (3-12-15 in 18 GP) never was able to get them back to the postseason.

It can be argued that aside from an unstable ownership situation in Big D, Richards played in a tougher conference that included the hardest division in the sport, the Pacific. While the Stars certainly were good enough to make the cut in the East in which oddly enough they would've beaten out his new team, their 95 points went for naught- keeping one of the brightest players on the golf course a third straight Spring. No wonder he spurned an even better offer from shot in the dark Calgary, reported to be worth $63 M over nine years. Once it was leaked the other night, both the Bolts and new look Sabres were out, whittling it down to three. The Flyers were also said to have interest but Paul Holmgren instead duped Mario Lemieux by snagging Jaromir Jagr (3.3 M) and Max Talbot, infuriating Pens fans, which should only intensify the Pennsylvania rivalry. Last summer's Kovalchuk runner-up, LA dialed in on acquiring the other Richards after adding ex-Flyer Mike Richards to a strong club that features Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, unsigned restricted Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson and goalie tandem Jon Quick/Jonathan Bernier. LA's pitch included taped messages from Wayne Gretzky and Kobe Bryant.

Despite a better roster closer to competing, Richy Rich chose the spotlight on Broadway. He wanted New York, even if it took an insane deal to secure him. Sure. The cap hit ($6.67 M) pales in comparison to ex-Blueshirts Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, who finally agreed to a buyout. Nobody disputes that the new Rich Kid is a better player than either, who fits the criteria Marian Gaborik needs to just focus on lighting the lamp. Even with that finally addressed, the club still lacks a complementary left wing unless they're willing to break up the unsigned Draft Line (Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan), who now become priority along with Brian Boyle and Mike Sauer. Slats also brought back Ruslan Fedotenko ($1.4 M) for a year. I'm on record as being against breaking up our cohesive second unit that was the club's best last season. Even if it means re-signing Vinny Prospal on the cheap or dare I say plugging Richards' 'buddy' Sean Avery, I'd prefer that instead, allowing Derek Stepan to remain our third center with Boyle better suited for the fourth line.

A glance at the remaining LW FA's doesn't leave much to be desired with Sather indicating he won't go that route, perhaps hinting at a trade. Might he use a couple of our blueline chips (Del Zotto, Kundratek, Valentenko) to further upgrade? Unless a kid like Christian Thomas overwhelms in camp, figure the roster to be locked in with much at stake for Avery, Erik Christensen and Mats Zuccarello. Figure they'll buyout Wojtek Wolski next month to clear more space. That aside, Sather has to decide on replacing Steve Eminger, who was quite serviceable as an extra D. Possible candidates could be Brent Sopel, Steve Staios, Shane O'Brien, power play bomber Anton Babchuk or even Radek Martinek, who wouldn't be the worst choice if he doesn't bolt for overseas. I'm a fan of Sopel, who has a Cup with Chicago and is the kinda vet who knows what it takes. Of the others, I've always liked O'Brien, who brings character to whatever roster he's on. Deadline bust Bryan McCabe won't be back. So, if they want to add one more cannon, Babchuk certainly qualifies. It shouldn't cost more than $2 million with the Wings stealing Ian White for a reasonable price (2.875 M over 2 yrs).

The first order of business is getting Callahan/Dubinsky done. One of my main gripes with management is they always put mercenarie$ over our core. While I get why because it's Slats' main objective to add through free agency, Cally and Dubi are musts. It's hard to gauge what they'll get with outlandish deals such as Joel Ward (4 yrs, 12 M) while Jussi Jokinen took a team discount (3 yrs, 9 M) to stay in Carolina. My guess is somewhere between that- probably right smack in the middle if each is reasonable. Figure Dubinsky to be harder to sign after leading us in scoring with Callahan actually with better production. If you polled most Ranger fans, they'd lean towards Cally as being more valuable even if Dubi possesses more skill. I just hope he's not unreasonable. On breakup day, he said he wants the Rangers. Prove it.

Whenever you commit long-term for a talented player like Richards, it ups the ante. Since Jagr left in '08, our team has advanced to Round Two once while missing the playoffs in '09-10. Two of three years and five of the last six since the lockout isn't bad. Even teams like the Sharks, Flyers and Devils have missed the postseason. Once unheard of. It sheds new light on how much tougher it is to stay competitive with so many Blackhawks more separated than the five lions that formed Voltron. While Dale Tallon tries to change his team to Hawks South just to get up to the $48 M floor with the Avs and Islanders also in that category, teams like ours never have to worry about that. But rather how well Richards and Gaborik will mesh. When Gomez joined forces with Jagr, it was like the Broadway version of The Odd Couple. Their styles were polar opposites, which is why not always paying top dollar works. Richy Rich is different because he's played for Tortorella before and is more of a facilitator while Gabby is just better at finishing. One of the reasons it didn't work in Year Two was because teams keyed on Gaborik, forcing him to the perimeter. He's soft. That won't change with this move. However, he'll no longer be asked to carry the puck up the ice and also score. His job becomes easier.


One of the reasons Richards chose the Rangers is our nucleus, which reminds him of what he and Tort did in Tampa. A nice compliment considering our talent pales in comparison. We don't boast a St. Louis or Lecavalier. Not even a Dan Boyle, who was so underrated until he was dumped to San Jose. Even a younger Pavel Kubina would be on our top pair with apologies to Staal/Girardi who are solid but expected to do too much. I still feel this team lacks a true No.1. By that, I mean a guy who can log the big minutes and do it all. Staal is good. Not great as Joe Micheletti would have you believe. He's better suited as a shutdown D than having to focus on contributing offensively, where our former '05 first rounder still has trouble pinching. If they had a Shea Weber or Doughty, we're talking a whole new ballgame. Maybe the Tim Erixon gamble pays off. It's still a lot of pressure on the Swedish kid who also must be signed, entering his rookie year. With Staal, Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Sauer, this is still a very young blueline. How fast will they push Erixon? Is Del Zotto still part of the solution? What about Valentenko, Kundratek, former #1 Dylan McIlrath or even Mikhail Pashnin? Our team can definitely use help.

Can Richards conquer New York? I have a great deal of respect for the kind of caliber player he is both on and off the ice. He wants to win and obviously loves the challenge. Is he up for it? This is a guy who never had to deal with some of the distractions he will in our city. I don't see that being an issue. It's all about chemistry and how quick he adjusts. Encouraging is he starred in the East most of his career. It's not as physically taxing as the West. The travel should be better once our team survives the crazy European/Western Canadian start. Due to the renovation, the Rangers won't return to Manhattan until October 27 when the new look Leafs visit featuring pseudo No.1's Stephen Weiss and Tim Connolly. Following a seven-game trip with even a stop at the rival Islanders, the Blueshirts play seven of eight at MSG, including a six-game homestand also featuring the Sens, Sharks, Ducks, Habs and Jets. It'll be a great chance for Richy Rich to win over a majority who wanted him but never envisioned nine years. How they adapt on the long road along with this pivotal stretch should go a long way to deciding what kind of debut season he and the club will have.

As for the breakdown of another CBA headache that looms down the road, here's the particulars courtesy of Cap Geek:

Year        Salary     Signing Bonus   Cap Hit

'11-12    $12 M     10 M               $6.67 M

'12-13     12 M       8 M                  6.67 M

'13-14       9 M       2 M                  6.67 M

'14-15       8.5 M    2 M                  6.67 M

'15-16       8.5 M    2 M                  6.67 M

'16-17       7 M       4 M                  6.67 M

'17-18       1 M        0                     6.67 M

'18-19       1 M        0                     6.67 M

'19-20       1 M        0                     6.67 M

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what they did, with Richards set to earn $24 million of the 60 the first two years before the salary gradually decreases, leaving his final potential three seasons at $1 M apiece. Just your classic front-loaded contract that the league will look the other way on even though this along with Ehrhoff and Ilya Bryzgalov are eerily similar to the even wackier Kovalchuk deal that the league rejected- forcing the Devils to rework it, even taking away picks and $3 million off last year's cap.

The biggest question is can it work. The jury remains out on that one with a lot more scrutiny over the next three seasons due to Henrik Lundqvist's contract expiring following '13-14. At 29, King Henrik's still in his prime, hungry to be part of a winner. Nobody takes losses harder. Now comes a new challenge for the shafted goalie who led the league in shutouts (11) but somehow was left out by blind squirrels (GM idiocy) for the Vezina. No disrespect to Roberto Luongo but he had a much better team and still couldn't close the deal. That's not the only reason the Canucks lost with the Sedin vanishing act dashing their hopes. For the first time since that '07 run that had us a couple of minutes away from a 3-2 lead on Buffalo until Tom Renney botched the final shift of regulation, Lundqvist has real pressure to perform. Offense should finally improve. He's been a model of consistency, winning 30-or-more in each of his half dozen seasons. There's no time like the present for King Henrik.

Is there enough talent to go from first round fodder to the sport's pinnacle in three years? It depends on draft and development with prospects Chris Kreider, Carl Hagelin, Christian Thomas and Ryan Bourque on the way. It's too much to expect '11 No.1 J.T. Miller to make any impact until at least '14-15 with the same expressed for potential steals Steven Fogarty and Michael St. Croix. The look of our roster probably will change because it's impossible to keep everyone. Nobody can predict trades, future signings or what the league will look like following next summer when the CBA is expected to decrease. It's why you see teams using signing bonuses to get a majority of the money up front to their freshly minted free agent pickups. The sport could be turned upside down. Though we're not forecasting an '04-05 repeat. A lot could change with Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr on a collision course.

Enjoy what Richards provides. A No.1 center who should bolster our chances. How far I can't really conclude. One thing's certain. When you hand out that kind of mega-deal over nine years, you expect to win. That means going far in the playoffs and winning at least a Cup. That's the cost along with the outrageous prices Dolan charges for his new castle. The Knicks might be gone quite a while, meaning the Rangers could be the only real draw in town. Yep. Demand will be through the roof. Can a big ticket finally deliver for the first time since Messier? Keep your fingers crossed.

Erhoff contract sparks controversy on eve of UFA

Last offseason, all we heard for two months was how dare the Devils violate the 'spirit' of the CBA by violating rules that by and large didn't exist. About the only thing you could question the legality of the first contract we offered Ilya Kovalchuk was the minimum salary on the back end, which was (because of inflation) lower than the current minimum salary...but that wasn't why that deal was overturned. Because apparently when every other team in the league skirts the rules they get let off but when we do it, we get thrown in jail. And our second Kovalchuk contract followed the guidelines set by arbitrator Richard Bloch and yet the league still was going to bounce it unless they got concessions from the NHLPA at the point of a gun. Concessions that were in theory supposed to curb the longer, too cap-friendly contract.

Why bring this up again now? On the eve of this year's UFA frenzy the Sabres caused a stir by signing defenseman Christian Erhoff to a ten-year, $40 million deal. Yes, that's a lot of years but the cap hit's low...but what really makes this deal roll my eyes is the structure of it (all numbers in millions):

Year 1: 10 (8 signing bonus, 2 salary)
Year 2: 8 (5 signing bonus, 3 salary)
Year 3: 4
Year 4: 4
Year 5: 4
Year 6: 4
Year 7: 3
Year 8: 1
Year 9: 1
Year 10: 1

So basically, Ehrhoff gets approximately half the value of the contract in the first two years of a ten-year deal, thanks to a $13 million signing bonus. I'm sure the Sabres didn't violate an actual rule but if the crux of the NHL's argument against us last year was that we violated the 'spirit' then why should they let the Sabres skate by? Or the Flyers, who also ridiculously front-loaded Ilya Bryzgalov's contract hours after they traded Jeff Carter, who they signed to a twelve-year deal but managed to trade him before his NTC kicked in and before they paid one penny of that deal.

Don't misunderstand me, the Sabres are the next to last team I want to see get punished by the league and I'm glad they got Ehrhoff and have an owner willing to spend. In fact, I'm in a good mood tonight and was going to let this go without a post/rant but I'm just continually astounded by the hypocrisy of this league when they literally let everyone else get away with murder and took away two high picks from us for not violating any rule on the books. I guess the only saving grace was that they didn't make us give up our first rounder this year, can you imagine what a disaster that would have been - if we missed out on Adam Larsson because of this crap?!

Besides, this Ehrhoff contract was probably a warning shot if anything. I can't wait to see some team sign Brad Richards or even offer sheet Steven Stamkos tomorrow using much the same structure to keep the cap hit down - and in Stamkos's case make it untenable to match a contract that has a ton of money up front. And when, exactly will the NHL make an example of a team other than the Devils?! I can't fathom that age on the back end of the contract is the only thing that constitutes circumvention and violating the spirit of the CBA.

Rangers and Prust reach agreement

A couple of days after tendering Brandon Prust, the Rangers wasted little time getting the agitator to agree on a new contract with the two sides settling on a multi-year deal worth $1.6 million. A nice 800 K average for a gritty player who fit in right away after coming over from Calgary in the Olli Jokinen deal which sent Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins packing last deadline.

Amazingly, Jokinen wound up back in Alberta- reuniting with Darryl Sutter while Prust remains on Broadway where they'll continue appreciating his lunch pail style. It was the rambunctious energy he played with that nearly rallied the Blueshirts to a fifth consecutive postseason. As it turned out, he could do more than use his fists, which ranked third in the league with 25 majors. Prust also scored and set up important goals down the stretch before Brian Boucher outperformed Henrik Lundqvist in the shootout, ending the Ranger run at four.

Now, Prust gets a new deal and will be expected to play that same role as the energizer who gets the team going while getting underneath opponents' skin. Kinda sounds like Sean Avery, who no doubt will have to be more consistent next season if the Rangers are to challenge for a playoff spot. Something which won't come easy with Atlantic powers Philly, Pittsburgh and New Jersey continuing to improve yesterday. The Rangers' chief rival the Islanders also got better today.

Thanks to the botched Derek Boogard move, Glen Sather has backed himself in a corner, leaving a shade under six million to get Marc Staal and Dan Girardi re-signed. It looks like it could be a while before anything gets done. Not to worry though. We have the 1.65 million slug for four years.

Islanders bolster D with Jurcina, Eaton, add 2 more

Following a quiet first day, the Islanders had a strong Day Two adding four to their roster. Garth Snow bolstered the D by adding physical blueliner Milan Jurcina and shot blocking specialist Mark Eaton.

The 27 year-old Jurcina, who's spent most of his time in D.C., got a one-year deal worth $1 million. He should help take care of the front of the net along with 33 year-old vet Eaton, who has always flew under the radar. The former Predator played the past four seasons with Pittsburgh, helping the club win its third Stanley Cup last year. Signed for two years, $5 million, he's solid stay at home defenseman who gets in the path of shots making it difficult on the opposition. In '09-10, he finished with a career high 16 points (3-13-16) in 79 games while blocking 135 shots, which ranked 36th among all blueliners.

Both should bolster an Islander defense that still includes anchor Mark Streit, Bruno Gervais, injury plagued Radek Martinek, youngsters Jack Hillen, Andrew MacDonald and Dylan Reese. Adding depth to a shaky area is wise. But they also got experienced players who can make the blueline tougher.

Speaking of tough, the club also addressed a need by reaching agreement with former Bolt enforcer Zenon Konopka on a one-year deal. Last season in St. Pete, the rugged 29 year-old from Niagara, Ontario played his first full year achieving career highs in games (74) and penalty minutes with his 265 pacing the NHL, including a league-leading 33 fighting majors. Seven better than Ian Laperriere and eight more than current Ranger Brandon Prust. Team toughness was an issue for the Islanders with teams taking runs at John Tavares. With Konopka aboard, that should no longer be the case.

The Isles weren't done also adding former Ranger P.A. Parenteau. After spending much of his pro career in the AHL including three seasons with Hartford, the 27 year-old from Quebec finally got a shot faring alright on Broadway. In 22 games, the shootout specialist registered three goals and five assists for eight points. Three of the points came on the power play. Possessing decent speed and hands, Parenteau just might be a surprise for the Long Island club. He certainly knows how to finish as evidenced by a couple of memorable shootout winners, including one at Ottawa with his family in attendance. For P.A., it's a chance to show what he can do.

There are rumors that both the Islanders and Rangers may be interested in Alexander Frolov. Our nickname for him is Russian Enigma. Buyer beware.

Kovalchuk Still Deciding: As far as Ilya Kovalchuk, nothing new on the surface. Looks like it's a two horse race for the exciting Russian who overvalued the market. Will it be Hollywood which is much closer to Russia or Newark for the sniper? Much like LeBron in the NBA, we probably won't know until this Fourth of July weekend is out.

Rangers sign Biron, Stepan, Gonchar A Sen

As the clock struck noon kicking off today's Free Agent Frenzy, the Rangers addressed backup goalie by signing vet Martin Biron. The former Sabre/Flyer/Islander agrees to a multi-year deal worth less than a million-per-season according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. From TSN, the 32 year-old netminder is said to be earning $875,000 each year.

Not bad as he comes cheap. Hopefully, Biron bounces back from his one season spent on Long Island in which he struggled as Dwayne Roloson's backup, going 9-14-4 with a 3.27 GAA and .896 save percentage. The former Sabre No.1 pick who once took the Flyers to the Conference Finals in '04 has plenty of experience and should be capable of filling in when Henrik Lundqvist needs a night off. He can certainly get into 20-25 games, making Henrik's life a little easier.

Considering how John Tortorella coaches, he has to feel totally confident in the backup to play him. Hopefully, Biron will make the decision easier. It does fill a void and also allows Chad Johnson to get another year at Hartford in the 'A.'

Blueshirts sign Stepan: Also of interest to fans wanting to see the club commit to youth, the club came to terms with prospect Derek Stepan. The 20 year-old former Badger who the club drafted 51st overall in 2008, had a big year for Wisconsin tying for the NCAA lead in assists (42) while netting 54 points in 41 games to establish career highs across the board.

In between leading his school along with Nashville prospect Blake Geoffrion and Ranger property Ryan McDonagh to the Frozen Four before falling in the championship to Boston University, the Hastings, Minnesota native captained Team USA to a WJC gold medal- leading all scorers with 14 points (4-10-14) while being tabbed a tournament All-Star. Now, Stepan looks to make the giant leap from college to the pros. Tortorella has hinted that he wants to give serious looks at the playmaking pivot, Evgeny Grachev and Dale Weise. We'll have to wait and see.

For the Rangers, it's a promising start to the summer. Now, they should turn their attention to getting Marc Staal and Dan Girardi re-signed. If Jody Shelley who rejected a two-year deal worth a reported $825,000 average per Larry Brooks bolts, the NY Post Ranger beat writer speculates that they could go after tough guy Derek Boogard. While I'd like to have Shelley back, Boogard would certainly fill the bill on toughness. Plus fan favorite Brandon Prust was tendered. Another possibility could be Adam Burish, who aside from dropping the gloves, can contribute a little as he proved on the Cup champion Hawks. Chicago continues to lose players, dealing away Kris Versteeg last night to Toronto in a five-player deal that included Viktor Stalberg. Looks like the Blackhawks could have a very different look this Fall.

Christensen Re-ups: Just coming over the wire, center Erik Christensen re-signed with the Rangers for two years after turning down a similar deal the other day. It isn't known what he received. We'll update.

A solid move bringing back the surprise waiver pickup who performed adequately. In 49 games, he netted eight goals and 18 helpers totaling 26 points. The 26 year-old from Edmonton decided it was best to stay put with the club that gave him a second life. Nice to see.


Gonchar A Sen: In other news, the first big name to sign was Sergei Gonchar, leaving Pittsburgh for Ottawa- agreeing to a three-year deal worth $5.5 million-per-season. Pretty pricey for the 36 year-old Russian vet who's started to break down. However, in just 62 contests last year, the power play QB registered 11 goals and 39 helpers for 50 points with more than half (30) coming via the PP. He should give the Sens' 22nd ranked power play a boost, re-teaming with former Pen 'mate Alex Kovalev.

A couple of other quick hits:

-Cgy signs F Alex Tanguay for 1-yr, $1.7 million
-Phi acquires D Andrej Meszaros from TB for a 2nd Rd Pick
-Phi re-signs D Braydon Coburn for 2 yrs, $6.4 M


Nothing new on Ilya Kovalchuk but Paul Martin is said to have a drawn a significant offer from an unnamed team.

July 1 Eve Musings

In less than six hours- well at least on the East coast, July 1 will finally arrive. What should be expected? By now, you know the drill. Expect the unexpected. Some mad team will overpay Dan Hamhuis, who at least won't have the dubious distinction of being Wade Redden. Best "first passer in the game" my ass. I hate you Slats! Tell ya one thing. Tinman better be off the roster this Fall. No ifs, ands or buts.

Mean time, those can toss darts on possible destinations for Ilya Kovalchuk. Picture logos involving the Devils, Leafs, Flames (yes, since they waived Dawes and bought out Ally), Kings along with half the KHL. No Rangers cause they're quite limited and must give bumps up to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi while searching for a backup goalie. Johan Hedberg is our wish. If Derek Stepan is signed, that also could be an encouraging sign for Wisconsin teammate Ryan McDonagh, who the club acquired a year ago today in the Scott Gomez deal. That would also mean taking our senile GM at his word along with Tort about giving kids a shot instead of following NYR tradition.

What will Lou Lamoriello decide? He's locked up David Clarkson for three more years at an average cap hit of 2.67 million. A good investment on the gritty do everything right wing. Tho the price could be classified overpayment. Clarkie must stay healthy which means less fights and continued increased offensive improvement. The real dilemma for the Devils is who they want back? Kovalchuk or D anchor Paul Martin? One won't cost a fortune but the other likely will be in the same market as Hamhuis, who's hoping someone gives him $5 million. Good luck buddy. If I'm Lou, I re-sign Martin and possibly target another D who can clear the crease. Defense has been an issue in recent playoff ousters. Perhaps it's time for the Devil architect to revamp a blueline that too often gets pushed around in primetime. We'll see what he's got up his sleeve.

The Devs bid adieu to Jay Pandolfo, who asked to be bought out so he could start fresh. The popular checking/PK forward had a superb career in New Jersey, helping the club win two Stanley Cups. That included a more prominent role in their most recent during '03 when Pando teamed with John Madden and Jamie Langenbrunner to form a dominant checking line that not only limited the opposition but also scored big goals that Spring. While it's true he's not what he once was, it's still sad to see a loyal teammate leave the only team he's known. Best of luck Jay.

What will the Islanders do? After surprisingly letting go of Sean Bergenheim, perhaps Garth Snow will look for more offense to help support John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. They did tender '09-10 revelation Matt Moulson along with Rob Schremp. Both again will be keys to the Islanders' success. However, much hinges on Tavares' improvement and whether Nino Niederreiter and D prospects Calvin de Haan and Travis Harmonic are ready. Captain Doug Weight returns along with youngsters Frans Nielsen, Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau. How much change will we see? Another scorer certainly couldn't hurt along with a bruising D to help protect the front of the net. Martin Biron likely departs with his former team Buffalo figuring to be in the mix. That could force Snow to go get another goalie. Especially with the continued uncertainty of Rick DiPietro. Possible targets are Alex Auld, Chris Mason and Patrick Lalime.

Meanwhile in Western New York, Darcy Regier is under the gun to re-sign Henrik Tallinder. Toni Lydman clearly was the weakest link and replaceable, which means Slats should be knocking down his door any minute. Are the Sabres bringing back Matt Ellis along with gritty vet Adam Mair? I probably would. Maybe Buffalo gets Ellis done and decides to go younger. Given what they saw from Tyler Ennis, figure the mini-dynamo to be a regular this Fall. Does Drew Stafford need a change? Can the Sabres contend with Derek Roy and Tim Connolly leading the charge? If Regier were smart, he'd get help for Thomas Vanek. And no. Not Raffi Torres. If they really wanted to cure their problems, they'd sign long-time killer Kovalchuk. But that's not in their budget and would tie up too much space. Perhaps someone under the radar like disappointment Patrick O' Sullivan might work. The 25 year-old went from a potential 30 goalscorer to being bought out by Phoenix after they acquired him from Edmonton for Jim Vandermeer. At 25, he's still young enough to turn it around. His career high in goals is 22 along with 53 points and 82 games- all achieved with LA in '07-08. Instead of building off it, he plummeted to 37 and 34 points respectively. He was due $2.925 million this season. Buyer beware.

So, what else is going on? Well, it looks like you can forget Evgeni Nabokov donning Halloween Flyers black and orange after they re-signed Michael Leighton for two years, $3.1 million. With Brian Boucher still around and prospect Johan Backlund waiting in the wings, the Flyers are all set. Likely destinations for Nabby are Washington or Atlanta. We think he'd prefer to play on a Cup contender, teaming with fellow Russians Alexander Ovechkin and Alex Semin. It would make sense. ... The Pens blueline could have a different look much of their corps on the market including vet anchor Sergei Gonchar. He showed some signs of slowing down last year and was nicked up. Committing long-term would be a mistake. The Pens also acquired Hamhuis' rights from rival Philly but the likelihood of it getting done are about the same chance you have of steering Megan Fox away from former 90210 star Brian Austin Green. She couldn't do better? ... In other news, the Preds acquired Sergei Kostitsyn from the Habs for Dan Ellis and Dustin Boyd. A deal that seems logical for both sides. Nashville needed scoring while Montreal a vet goalie who could help Carey Price. They still must sign Ellis. ... The Oilers let go of vet Ethan Moreau, who was quickly scooped up by Columbus, who'll assume the final year of a four-year contract at a cap hit of $2 million. The aging vet is a nice locker room presence who can serve as a fourth line energy guy. After a nice Oiler career, he moves to Ohio. ... Also of note, Mike Van Ryn announces that he will skip another season while Ottawa buys out Jonathan Cheechoo. In related news, crickets could be heard at their homes. ...

Finally, Rod Brind'Amour calls it a career moving into the Candy Canes' front office. Congrats to the classy 21-year vet pivot on an outstanding career that saw him finish with 452 goals and 732 assists for 1,184 points in 1,484 games. A tremendous worker who got the most out of his talent, developing into a two-way second line scoring pivot who finished his career with 28 shorthanded goals, winning consecutive Selkes in '05-06 and '06-07. Best remembered for the Keith Primeau deal, Brindy sure did well for himself in Raleigh helping turn Carolina into a Cup champ. While probably not a Hall Of Famer, he was easy to admire. Kudos to No.17. ... Meanwhile, Mike Modano just can't seem to make up his mind. A day after Dallas denied one more year for Mr. Star, they re-signed Krys Barch and Francis Wathier. Ouch. Maybe Modano will return to St. Paul where it all started. That'd be fitting. Personally, I feel he should retire a Star. Him in any other jersey wouldn't look right. No.9 will always forever be a Minnesota North Star/Dallas Star.