The Oddity: Jagr a Dallas Star

Okay. Show of hands. How many of you can picture Jaromir Jagr in a Dallas Stars jersey? It's about as daunting as No.68 starring for the Philadelphia Flyers like he had this year. All this time later, I still have trouble seeing Jagr in anything other than Pittsburgh Penguin colors. That's where he made his career, teaming up with Super Mario to win consecutive Stanley Cups on which the Pens were founded.

Surprised? Don't be. I am a throwback hockey fan who loves when players stay with one organization like legend Martin Brodeur across the Hudson. I wasn't the only excited Ranger fan who was happy that Marty re-signed with the only team he knows. I'd echoed it throughout that it wouldn't be right for Mar----ttttttaaaaayyyyy to wind up on another roster. It'd be like Lidstrom ending his career elsewhere or Sakic. I caught the tail end of Mike Modano's career on NHL Network last night and there was that odd image of him wearing the Winged Wheel for his hometown. It never should've happened.

Certain players belong to one city. Remember when Mike Richter nearly left for Florida? An ugly thought all these years later about our Richy. It's the same for Eric Lindros, who was exiled out of Philadelphia to Broadway. Sure. The Big E wore our red, white and blue with pride before the predictable ending. He had us in first. To me, Lindros will always be the Flyers. I was glad he took part in the Legends Game at The Winter Classic, making amends with Bobby Clarke and Ed Snider. Grudges should never last. Life's too short. Try telling Axl Rose. One can dream. Pavel Bure is finally entering the Hockey Hall Of Fame. Will the Canucks follow suit and honor the Russian Rocket?

You can see where this is headed. Jaromir Jagr should have been a Pen for life. But financial dire straits along with Mario Lemieux's return doomed that. But it was all Jagr's fault. That's what Pittsburgh fans will take to their graves. It had nothing to do with ownership or how much they were losing. When it became apparent that No.68's time was up in the Steel City, he wanted New York City. But instead, they sent him to Washington. A place he never liked and predictably fizzled bad enough that we stole Jagr for Anson Carter.

Is Jagr a headcase? I wouldn't go that far. But he's in his own world. One that still occasionally shows off the lethal skills that have made him one of the greatest players. Sure. He's getting up there having reached the 40-Club along with Brodeur, Teemu Selanne and Ray Whitney. All still on top of their craft that they'll probably all be back. Please one more year Teemu. Hockey needs you.

After three years away, Jagr proved that he can still play in the NHL, tallying 19 goals and 35 assists while teaming with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell on one of the game's best lines. If only the Flyers wanted him back. I'd have loved to see a sequel for that line even if No.68 ran out of gas in a second round defeat to the Devils. The lost point on some who critiqued how much Dallas gave him- the same $4.5 million Brodeur and Whitney received- is that Jagr still knows how to play the game. He's a presence, using his 6-3, 240 frame to ward off defenders and then able to find teammates. Jagr got the last laugh against the Pens. The one goal he scored was highlight reel, making us wonder if it was '99 instead of '12.

Don't forget Jagr and Whitney are teaming up with another new Star Derek Roy, who could form a dynamic line behind Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson and Michael Ryder. They also have gritty captain Brenden Morrow. The Stars subtracted Mike Ribeiro, Sheldon Souray and popular Steve Ott. Are the new look Stars better? The jury is out. They're a bit older but more skilled. Will they miss Ott's energy?

Regardless, Jagr moves to Dallas where he'll share his fifth NHL home with J.R. Ewing and Jerry Jones. It's gonna take some getting used to. Hell. When Lindros played there, it was funny seeing that No.88 in Stars green, gold and white. Now, we get to watch No.68 as the oddity. He'll make it interesting because that's who he is. A relaxed vet who brings presence and humor to the room. Jagr and JR. Now that would be a home run if they ran a commercial together with Jerry in the middle.

See you soon Jaromir!

The Kyle Jean Profile

Player: Kyle Jean

Height: 6-4

Weight: 212

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

College Stats: 77 GP 33 goals 25 assists 58 points 99 PIM

Favorite Team: Red Wings

Favorite Show: Entourage

Favorite Superhero: Superman

Favorite Book: Pavel Bure: The Riddle of The Russian Rocket



The newest Ranger is undrafted free agent Kyle Jean. A 22-year old 6-4 forward with some adept hands and skating. He played his first two years of college for Lake Superior State. In his sophomore campaign, Jean posted 12 goals and 12 assists over 39 contests for the Lakers. A notable improvement from the one goal he tallied in his freshman year.

"The (pro) game is different from college hockey because college hockey is more run-and-gun," the newest Blueshirt said. "Here you have to make more smart plays, and I like that. My approach has been to come in and be a big sponge and learn as much as I can. Other than that I am just taking it day by day."

He impressed during rookie camp by scoring four goals. Jean also has some nice individual skills as evidenced here on a game-winning shootout versus Western. For a more live speed look, here you go:

Jean Shootout Winner

Rangers sign Pyatt

On Day Three of free agency, Rangers President & GM Glen Sather made a solid move in signing Taylor Pyatt to a two-year $3 million contract. The 30-year old former Islanders' first round pick won't blow anyone away but he'll go through a wall for teammates. He's a battler who brings needed size to our checking line.

Editor's Note: I almost forgot that I sorta called the signing on Twitter. So much so that a couple of people quoted me. Not too bad. :P

Maybe Pyatt didn't exactly turn out into what scouts envisioned. A power forward. However, he's carved out a nice career with four previous teams (NYI, Buf, Van, Phx) as an energy guy who can contribute offensively. The Thunder Bay, Ontario native has hit double digits in goalscoring seven of 11 seasons including five straight prior to '11-12 when he fell just shy with nine. He's also put up three 30-plus point years including 31 in '10-11 when he notched 18 goals and six game-winners in the Desert.

While we shouldn't expect too much offense, one thing Pyatt does well is go to the net. An area the Rangers lack consistently. It can't just fall on Ryan Callahan and Chris Kreider. Assuming he's back (well hopefully) Brandon Dubinsky should be a part of it along with Brian Boyle and Artem Anisimov. Pyatt adds size with his 6-4, 228 frame which could be used on the power play.

He may not be as good as Brandon Prust, who was a PK fixture but Pyatt should fit in with Boyle and maybe Dubinsky on a tough third line. That's my hope if Scott Howson continues his lunacy. With our team losing Ruslan Fedotenko (1-year, $1.75 million) to the hated Flyers, another part of the club's identity is gone. At least Sather prepared by landing Pyatt and inking pest Arron Asham. Even if I'm not fond of giving Asham two years, he'll play hard and battle anyone. Plus he can light the lamp occasionally. I'm more curious to see what the organization's plans for Micheal Haley are. He can do more than fight. Guess it all depends on how everything shakes out.

Our team still hasn't addressed scoring. Whether it's due to Slats waiting on Rick Nash or Bobby Ryan, who knows? Either way, they'll cost probably two roster players, a prospect and pick. Even if Howson comes down to Mike Del Zotto and Dubinsky, do you really want to break up our core for a cap headache? There's no disputing Nash's finishing capabilities, which could fill a void with Marian Gaborik out the first two months. I just wonder what the thinking is if they really trade Del Zotto. Even if he still needs work in certain areas, it's hard to replace a young defenseman who scored double digits in goals and put up over 40 points. I'd only consider parting with Derek Stepan if it was for Ryan.

Meanwhile, Anton Stralman is waiting on Sather. He was a good player for us in the regular season and postseason. Plus he's young. They would be making a mistake if they didn't re-sign Stralman. A capable righty shot who can play power play and knows Tort's system. Get it done.

The club also reached terms with rookie free agent Kyle Jean, who impressed during rookie camp. I'll have more on this in the next post.

More Parise and Suter fallout

“We’re not making money and that’s one reason we need to fix our system. We need to fix how much we’re spending" - Craig Leipold Wild owner, April 11, 2012


On July 4, 2012 the Minnesota Wild spent $196 million dollars on two hockey players. 

That wasn't the only double-talk that came to light this afternoon after the Wild's twin signings of former Devils captain Zach Parise and Predators defenseman Ryan Suter.  An orchestrated buddy hookup (pun intended) in Minnesota has led to backlash around the league, specifically from Nashville GM David Poile, who was not only angry that Suter left without giving him a chance to match the Wild's offer but also frustrated that Suter had promised him in November that he would re-sign there.  Granted, a promise without a signature as we see all the time isn't worth a lot among most athletes and executives in sports.  Still, it's not the kind of thing you should be saying to your employer if there's a chance you will go back on it or never intend to follow through in the first place.

And then there's the double talk of Parise, who's also told his employer GM Lou Lamoriello, the media and the fans that he wanted an extension and accepted the captaincy before the season, all while talking with Suter at different points during the season about linking up on the same team while still employed by the Devils and treated handsomely by them.  With the Devils' financial difficulties it was never feasible that it would be in Newark, especially with Suter's desire to remain out West - although tellingly, Lamoriello admitted he inquired about Suter after the season and was told he didn't want to come East.  Given Suter's wishes to stay in the Western Conference along with Zach's family and friends pushing him toward coming to Minnesota I guess in some ways this kind of gettogether was inevitable in hindsight.  Especially with the Wild desperate to be relevant for the first time in a decade and throwing around Monopoly money at both players.

Yet it was extremely hard to see this coming for a variety of reasons.  Mainly because Parise put on a Hamlet-like act time and again about how much he wanted an extension through the media, even going so far as to tell fans who were waiting for the team after Game 6 of the Finals in the rain the next day 'don't worry' when someone begged him to come back.  Even his teammates seemed to have no idea his heart was elsewhere, with Martin Brodeur contacting him multiple times in the last few days, not to mention Bryce Salvador talking with the former captain before Salvador himself had officially inked a deal to come back.  Both professed optomism about his return.  I'm not sure how they felt hearing Parise go on about how much he wanted to play with Suter (a teenage friend), as opposed to them, his friends in the red and white for years.  I know how I felt.

I realize there's very little loyalty in sports, especially as the money has only increased year after year.  There should be some honor though.  Even gasbags like Scott Gomez look better in comparison with the way he left compared to the way Zach left.  At least with Gomez, he made no bones about the fact he was testing free agency and you kind of figured he was going to be about the money from the start, as is any player's right.  This is an organization (the Devils) where guys like Brodeur and Salvador leave money on the table and give Lou the respect to let him match any offer, where Ryan Carter, Steven Gionta and Steve Bernier all re-upped before July 1 instead of trying to cash in on their playoff success and guys like Andy Greene take less during their one crack at FA to remain here. 

I'm not asking everyone to do that, but at least treat those guys with respect too.  Even a guy like Ilya Kovalchuk (the true best player on the team) could have taken the money from Atlanta but he didn't, and he played out of position all season to accomodate Zach to boot.  I'm not going to attack a player for taking the most money or for playing with a friend, but I don't have to respect it either, especially when you turn your back the first chance you get.  Plus hockey players' dreams should be winning the Stanley Cup and Zach has never won one.  In Zach's case he had contenders from the Devils to the Wings, Penguins, Blackhawks and Flyers falling all over themselves to try to sign him.  Yet in the end he left a team he captained to the Finals and went to the least likely of all those teams to win, all so he could cash in by playing at home with his buddy.

Also the Wild themselves didn't show a lot of honor, floating their intentions and insane contract figures that turned out to be pretty close to what actually got offered in public before July 1, making it even more unlikely that Parise or Suter re-signed with their teams.  Whether tampering charges actually get filed it's hard to say but I would do it.  Whether it makes us look like sore losers or not.  Maybe it wouldn't have mattered anyway though, if this day's events have taught me one thing.  It seemed like all that needed to happen was the Wild meeting Suter's highest contract offer (and maybe taking some money off their offer to Zach to do it) for this two-man advantage to happen the likes of which we haven't seen since Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne linked together in Colorado after the 2003 season.  Ironically, Kariya also left his team after captaining them to a losing appearance in the Finals although he went on a one-year deal, while Parise and Suter signed the rest of their careers away on a team that's won two playoff series in fifteen years of existence and is now up against the cap.

I had nothing but admiration and respect for Zach during his whole tenure now but that's gone now.  Both he and Suter are going to get massive boos from me and likely most of the other fans in attendance in early November when the Wild are scheduled to come into the Rock.

Parise, Suter go to Minnesota

Less than a month after captaining the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals, Zach Parise took the money and ran home to Minnesota, bringing good buddy and fellow UFA Ryan Suter along with him as both inked matching 13 year, $98 million contracts this afternoon dissapointing twenty-nine other NHL teams and making one fanbase very happy.  Good for Wild fans, this is the only thing they've ever 'won' other than a couple of division titles under Jacques Lemaire.  What kind of world do we live in when the Wild are playing checkbook hockey like the pre-lockout Rangers?

Suter's departure was particularly bitter for Preds GM David Poile, who revealed they made their own 13-90 offer but Suter never went back to him before deciding to take the Wild offer.  Of course, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello was more circumspect about losing his key UFA, saying that he was told Parise was making the choice to play at home and that he would have been back if it wasn't for the Wild offer.  If that was the case then what was the three-day holdup about?  Talking his childhood buddy Suter into joining him or just waiting for appearances' sake?  I mean really, I don't want to hear about going home when you had multiple contenders throwing $80-90 million at your feet and you go home to play with a non-contender basically because you got guilt tripped by your family.

Of course, in the days to come you'll hear all the reasons and hope for why the Wild can win (and nonsense like texting Dany Heatley and him saying yes the Wild can win), but that's all it is, hope.  Hope that their prospects pan out and the cap keeps going up.  If the cap doesn't go up, having Parise, Suter and Mikko Koivu inked to nearly combined $22 million of cap space is going to cripple them in a few years.  And none of them are a top ten forward or defenseman.  Zach didn't just pass us up, he passed up the Penguins and Flyers (thank god), the Wings and the Hawks and who knows how many other teams bid on him.  Suter passed up agressive offers from the Wings and Preds to go to Minnesota.  Ostensibly, if Suter had gone to Detroit - which he was close to - then Zach would have come back.  Like that helps.

Yes, this could have been worse, Zach could have pulled a Chris Bosh and linked up with Sidney Crosby's LeBron and Evgeni Malkin's Wade to form the Pittsburgh Heat.  From a competitive standpoint, having Zach go to a non-contender in the Western Conference doesn't immediately sting on that end.  It certainly stings on our end though.  Now the Devils need two top nine wings (one top six), and there are very few options available in free agency or via trade.  Options like Alex Semin, Rick Nash or Bobby Ryan that will be populated by all the teams that lost out on the Parise sweepstakes.  There aren't any options in house that seem to be ready to take a spot in the top nine either, perhaps part of Lou's motivation of keeping our first-rounder but now that decision looks even more suspect now that the captain ran home.

Even leaving the hockey out of it for a moment, and assuming Lou will replace Parise the way he has Scott Niedermayer, Scott Gomez, Bobby Holik and other departing UFA's, the fact is losing Parise stings more emotionally than the other three did.  With all of Niedermayer's previous holdouts and the obvious appeal of playing with his brother in Anaheim, I never really believed he was staying anyway.  Holik was obviously about the money after being offended at an arbitration hearing before his final season here, and Gomez had such an inflated view of his own importance you figured he'd be a merc too.  Not to mention the latter two weren't nearly as important to the equation as Nieds, or Zach.  They just became notorious because they bolted to the Rangers. 

Zach I did honestly believe to be different.  Especially after stating every which way for a year and a half he wanted to stay, not to mention the fact the Devils finally started to win in the spring again for the first time in nine years.  With a 'competitive' offer according to Lou, and a team heading in the right direction with stability at last in coaching under Pete DeBoer playing the kind of system Zach wanted, he certainly had every reason to stay.  Not to mention a closeness in the locker room this year with a team that had fun with each other and sacrificed for one another and its fans.  Everyone expressed interest in coming back, and almost all of our UFA's did return.

Whatever Zach winds up saying when he and Suter meet the media later this week, there'll be no knowing why he did what he did, and what his motivation was for turning down the Devils and other contenders just to go home.  Personally I think he was guilted into it by dad JP and all his friends in Minnesota, since Zach does live there.  Not to mention the lure of helping turn around a hometown team which has done nothing in nearly fifteen years of existence apart of one fluke playoff run in 2003 I'm sure factored in.  Even if he hadn't really finished the job with us yet.  I knew the jig was up when Zach was in Minnesota today for the holiday, and word started to leak out that he and Suter would both decide.  I understand why Zach felt he needed Suter to come with him to Minnesota, but I don't really get it from Suter's perspective.  Ironically it was probably more of a cash grab for him than for Zach, but whatever the case I don't really care right now.

At this point I'm just worried about our plan B, whatever that could possibly be.  There's no way the Devils can go into the season with this gaping hole in our top six and expect to compete.  Especially with every team this side of the Rangers looking for offense, offense and more offense (how else to explain two of the best offensive teams around in the Pens and Flyers being so hot in the chase for Zach, well besides the obvious benefit of sticking it to us?).  Replacing a third-line winger like Alexei Ponikarovsky shouldn't be much of an issue but finding someone to replace Zach's 30+ goals and 75-80 points a year is.  Not to mention appointing a new captain.  Maybe Ilya Kovalchuk doesn't want the job but it has to be him now, we can't very well give it to a UFA like Patrik Elias, Travis Zajac or David Clarkson and risk this kind of a fiasco again next offseason.  Bryce Salvador is the only other candidate if Kovy shies away from the responsibility.

Not to mention getting guys like Zajac locked up long-term so we aren't going through this again next offseason when Zajac goes to Winnipeg and takes another big FA with him to be the hometown hero there.

Programming note: I am definitely having a follow-up to this post later or tomorrow after hearing some of Zach's quotes today.  Suffice it to say I'm even less thrilled with our former 'captain' than I was.

Canadiens re-sign Price

Yesterday, the Canadiens re-signed Carey Price. The franchise goalie signed on the dotted line, reaching agreement on a new six-year contract worth $39 million. It's a cap hit of $6.5 million with the soon to be 25-year old former '05 first round pick set to earn $5.5 million in the first year with the final two years bumping him up to $7 million by the time he hits 30.

In five seasons with Montreal, Price has gone 124-104-35 with a 2.56 GAA (goals-against-average), .916 save percentage and 16 shutouts. He already ranks eighth in team history with 271 appearances. After busting out in '10-11 with a career best 38 wins, 2.35 GAA, .923 save percentage along with eight shutouts, he failed to duplicate it. Instead, the Habs struggled finishing at the bottom of the East. Despite inconsistent play in front of him, he still won 26 games while posting a 2.43 GAA and .916 save percentage. He had four less shutouts (4) and appeared in seven fewer contests (65) due to the club's struggles and a concussion.

Price becomes one of the highest paid netminders despite only one big year. Sure. He's good. Without him, Les Habitants would arguably be the worst team in hockey. Their backup was Peter Budaj. On the plus-side, he's a three-time All-Star including consecutive trips the past two seasons. Certainly, Carey is good. It's just that now there will be much more pressure. Every start will be magnified. Since they unloaded Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis following a surprise run to the Conference Finals, Price is the guy. He handled it well.

The Canadian Press can be maddening. Just look at how they covered Price's preseason struggles last Fall. It led to some resentment from the Habs' franchise goalie. Exhibition games are meaningless. That kind of criticism served as a distraction, leading to a poor start which they never recovered from. At least new GM Marc Bergevin is moving in the right direction, adding physicality and character with ex-Ranger Brandon Prust and former Leaf Colby Armstrong. He also re-signed Travis Moen and brought back defenseman Francis Bouillon.

Salvador re-signs with Devils

The Devils continued to bring back key pieces that helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final. While Lou Lamoriello and Kool Aid supporters remain on pins and needles with captain Zach Parise, they were able to retain defenseman Bryce Salvador, who re-upped for three years, $9.5 million.

The 36-year old Salvador not only returned from a career threatening concussion which cost him all of '10-11, but flourished under first-year coach Pete DeBoer playing in all 82. He finished with nine assists and a plus-18 rating along with 106 hits. However, it was his postseason that opened eyes with the veteran blueliner from Manitoba scoring four goals after having none during the regular season. They were all big including a go-ahead tally past Henrik Lundqvist that swung the momentum during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final. He also tallied 10 assists to finish with 14 points along with a plus-nine rating during the Devils' run.

Indeed, the defensive oriented Salvador was arguably his team's most consistent playoff performer. No small feat on a team that featured Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, Martin Brodeur, Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias and rookie hero Adam Henrique.That it came at the age of 36 with so much uncertainty speaks volumes about his character. Even more, he showed loyalty by giving Lamoriello every opportunity to re-sign him despite Devil overtures to Parise. There were at least four suitors for Salvador's services. He chose to stay with the team who stuck with him.

With Salvador back, the Devil blueline remains intact with Mark Fayne, Andy Greene, Peter Harrold, Adam Larsson, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov and Marek Zidlicky. On paper, the Devils top six would include Greene, Salvador, Zidlicky, Fayne, Volchenkov and probably Larsson. Tallinder could be expendable with two years left at $3.5 million. Harrold will serve as an extra. It probably will surprise Hasan that the Devils kept Salvador considering the log jam. You can never have enough D.

Even with financial concerns, Lamoriello has done an outstanding job locking up his fourth line while committing two years to keep the franchise Brodeur. He also renewed popular enforcer Cam Janssen and wisely bought out Eric Boulton, who stayed in the division with the Islanders. Fayne is a Group II but too important to lose. Figure them to reach agreement next month. Matt Taormina is up in the air.

Now, the Devils and everyone else waits on Parise, who returned home to Minnesota to discuss things with his family. It's anyone's guess when he'll make up his mind.

Sabres acquire Ott, Pardy for Roy

On Day Two of the frenzy, the Sabres made the biggest headlines when they struck a deal with the Stars. Following the addition of enforcer John Scott, Darcy Regier acquired Steve Ott and Adam Pardy for Derek Roy.

This is a move I like. They get an edgy in your face player like Ott, who does a bit of everything. He can score goals and agitate with the best of them. And at a more affordable cost than Roy ($4.0 M), Buffalo fans will love this guy's style. Think Matt Barnaby but with better hockey sense. Ott doesn't come cheap with a cap hit of $3.2 million over the next two years. However, the knock on the Sabres is that they were too soft to play against. That will change.

Roy's days were numbered once he ran his mouth. Besides, he wasn't exactly living up to expectations as their top center. With Cody Hodgson in along with kids Marcus Foligno and Luke Adam, there's reason to be excited in Western New York. Pardy also adds depth to a blueline that already features Tyler Myers, Christian Ehrhoff, Robyn Regehr and Jordan Leopold. With a log jam that includes nine players on the back end, Regier could be stacking up pieces to make a deal.

Bobby Ryan is on the block. But at what cost? It could turn into a Battle Of New York between the Sabres and Rangers. Stay tuned.

Day Two Tracker: Brodeur Loyal Devil

With Zach Parise putting off his decision at least till Tuesday, I figured I might as well get everyone caught up on today's signings. Not that there were too many. Haha. Like I said in my previous entry and similar to what Hasan echoed, these kind of decisions take time. Especially when everyone's knocking down your door. I can only imagine the chaos both Zach and Ryan Suter are experiencing. As fans, we only see one end of it and want it to be over.

Imagine if they brought a camera following them around. The intensity of negotiations, meetings, etc. That'd be going a bit too far. At least we get a chance to see what players go through thanks to the successful NHL36 show that runs on NHLNetwork.

Highlighted by Martin Brodeur doing the right thing, re-signing with the Devils for two more years at the same $4.5 million cap hit another 40-year old Ray Whitney signed the day before with Dallas, here are today's moves including Jiri Hudler's four-year deal with the free spending Flames. Again, in no particular order:


DAY TWO FRENZY
   Name Of Player         Team        Years       Contract     Avg
1.Jiri Hudler                Cgy           4             $16 million  4.0 
2.Martin Brodeur        NJD           2               9              4.5
3.Johan Hedberg         NJD           2              2.8            1.4
4.Jason Garrison         Van           6              27.6          4.6
5.Toby Petersen           Dal           2              NA            NA
6.Jeff Woywitka          NYR         1              NA            NA
7.Andrew Ebbett          Van           1             600 K        600 K
8.Chris Conner             Phx            1             NA            NA
9.Matt Smaby               Ana           1             NA            NA
10.Alexandre Bolduc    Phx            1             NA            NA
11.Bracken Kearns      SJS            1             NA            NA

Day One: Not the greatest

Before I begin, I'd just like to again thank our outstanding Devil blogger Hasan for his extensive coverage of one of the biggest days of the year. July 1 is like Christmas for everyone. A chance to dream big. Anything can happen. In a way, I'm kinda glad Parise and Suter haven't made decisions yet. It's not easy to just field a zillion offers and then just say, 'I'm going here.'

There's a lot more that goes into it. Is the team the right fit? Relocation also plays a role. It's never easy to uproute a family. For Zach Parise, does he want to sign with a rival who plays in the same division? I know if it were one of our big stars, I'd be pretty antsy. If he leaves Jersey, it should be to go home and try to turn Minnesota around. When you hear $100+ million and 10+ years on the table for Zach and Ryan Suter, it is mind boggling. I get the urgency with uncertainty surrounding the future CBA. With the Pens locking up Sidney Crosby long-term, it throws everything out of whack. Not that the deal is so bad. But at what point is enough enough?

The Kings did the same with Conn Smythe hero Jon Quick, who agreed to a 10-year deal. Jordan Staal signed the same offer he spurned Ray Shero on, just wanting to have a bigger role while teaming with big brother Eric. We've seen this act before. I can only say that the way contracts are structured will be changing. How much nobody knows. So, my advice to the GMs, agents and players, take advantage while you can.

Regarding Canada Day, it was great. Especially being on a Sunday. Almost everyone could enjoy a day off and just flip on NHL Network/TSN for wall to wall coverage. All the rumors making for a circus including Matt Carkner, who wound up on the Island instead of the Desert. He got three years for $1.5 million-per-season. Comical for an extra D who also doubles as an enforcer up front if necessary.

That's the nature of the beast. Why else would Adam Burish get four years from San Jose? Not to take anything away from the former Hawk but come on. People laughed earlier when Calgary signed former Wing Jiri Hudler to a four-year $16 million deal. Why? At least he can put the puck in the net. He's also young with wheels unlike most of the old age home Jay Feaster's putting together. How else to explain them being already at $69.5 million? I want whatever he's drinking.

There were some good moves made. In no particular order:

Team     Player                  Years    Salary          Avg___________
Ana       Bryan Allen         3       $10.5 million  $3.5
Tor       Jay McClement   2         3                  1.5
Det       Jordin Tootoo      3         5.7               1.9
Col       P.A. Parenteau     4        16                4.0
Dal       Ray Whitney         2          9                4.5
Wpg     Alexei Ponikarovsky 1    1.8              1.8
Ott       Guillaume Latendresse 1  1.25          1.25
NYI      Brad Boyes          1          1               1.00
Car       Joe Corvo            1           2               2.00
NYR     Stu Bickel            2          1.5             750 K
Fla        Scott Clemmensen 2        2.4             1.2
Det       Jonas Gustavsson  2          3                1.5
CBJ      Adrian Aucoin       1           2               2.0


If you noticed, most of the signing I centered around were short-term. The only exceptions are P.A. Parenteau, Bryan Allen and Jordin Tootoo. I believe all three will give their new teams good bang for their buck. Parenteau should fit in nicely on an up and coming Colorado team that features Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Paul Stastny, Ryan O'Reilly and Jamie McGinn. The Avs added a skilled forward who can boost their power play. ... Allen was one of the guys I was hoping the Rangers would target. A stay at home D who flies under the radar but does the little things that win. Block shots. Hit. An intangibles guy who brings experience to the Ducks. Too bad they overpaid for Sheldon Souray off one first half. What was Bob Murray thinking? At least he got Allen at a decent price. ... The final player is the snarly Tootoo, who I've always admired. A man who's as tough as anyone. He'll take on all comers and brings needed grit that Detroit's been lacking. Think a smaller version of Darren McCarty. Tootoo can also contribute and will be a fan favorite. I'm curious to see how he is in Year 3.


Players I excluded are Brandon Prust and Jason Garrison, who both cashed in on Day One. With Prust, it's not so much that he won't help Montreal. But at four years for an average of $2.5 million, that's pretty steep. I love what Prust brought to our team and still feel Slats did a poor job Monday inking Arron Asham for two years.

Prust was much more than a fighter as he did this year due to Mike Rupp's ineptitude. Sorry Rupper. But your first year wasn't good enough. Prust played all 82 despite injuries and fought 20 times. Way too many when he should've been riding shotgun with Brian Boyle. One guy over on Twitter alluded to Prust's drop in production (5-12-17). That was out of necessity. He sacrificed for our team. It won't be easy to replace a guy who paced the Blueshirts in shorthanded goals (7) the past two years. My suggestion is keep Brandon Dubinsky and use our most versatile forward next to Boyle. I hope he stays.

Word on Garrison came down past 1 AM in the East with the former Panther agreeing on a six-year deal worth a cap hit of $4.6 million. Quite a chunk of change for the power play specialist who blossomed into a monster thanks to his lightning like shot. He's from British Columbia and returns home. A dream scenario. Will the pressure be too much or can The Sedins turn him into a 20-goal scorer? It's certainly an upgrade over aging Sami Salo, who went to Tampa.

The biggest issue with both Prust and Garrison is the length. Where will both be in the latter stages of those contracts? I can't blame either for signing. It's no secret I wanted Prust back but even I was floored by what he received. Again, the market dictated it. Best of luck to him with the Canadiens. Just not against us. Though it should be interesting the next time he sees Asham.

In truth, Asham isn't a bad guy despite the foolish cheap shot against Brayden Schenn he delivered that earned him a suspension. He'll serve the remaining game in Los Angeles when the Rangers watch the Cup banner get raised. I just can't for the life of me figure out why Sather gave a 34-year old vet two years. It's the same old story. The cost is fine. A million per. But two years when we have Rupp??? And then further complicating it was the addition of ex-Islander Micheal Haley. Now, I like Haley because he can do more than pummel the opposition. The question is is he just insurance or does the organization have plans? With Kris Newbury also re-upping for two more years, nobody knows.

It's a real eye scratcher. They also let Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (JAM) walk for nothing. I mean people who saw him down in Connecticut were impressed. Basically, he got the MZA treatment. He became an AHL All-Star notching 24 goals and 40 assists for 64 points along with four markers in the playoffs. So, the 21-year old went to Columbus, who rewarded him with an entry level contract. That's three years folks. Like it would've hurt to see what the kid has. I just don't get it sometimes. At least we have enough toughness to compete with the Islanders. :P

Day Two: Parise decision is no decision, for now

Well, looks like we're headed for another lengthy free agent saga boys and girls.  About an hour ago, Zach Parise got in front of the media and said he would be heading home to discuss more things with his family and also indicated that while his choice of where to play would come in the near future, there would be no timetable.  Wonderful.  While as a human being I sympathize with his desire to take time making a major life decision, as a Devil fan sitting on pins and needles checking the internet every second possible I'm going nuts.  Agent Wade Arnott said that, "We have thoroughly deliberated every option with Zach. He wishes to take some time to step back and review all with his fiance and his family. We could be drawing closer to a decision."

After reading message boards, Twitter and Zach's own quotes which included a public assertion that 'in speaking with Lou he said that it (the financial situation) wouldn't be a problem', I give up even trying to guess what's the reason this is being delayed or where Zach's heart is leaning.  Our supposedly precarious financial situation was long assumed to be the biggest obstacle towards Zach signing a long-term deal here, but if Zach's denying that's an issue and that he honestly wants to sign long-term here I really don't see what the problem is.  Our playoff run this year should have proved that winning is no issue either.

What seems suspicious to a degree is that all signs pointed toward a decision today with the Penguins and Wild among the lead teams to snag the captain away from us, but now a new contender emerged today in the Hawks, supposedly making a serious offer.  The interesting part about the Hawk rumors is they were also in on Martin Brodeur yesterday, but after Brodeur re-signed with us this morning a few hours later Hawk rumors about Parise started popping up all over the place.  Coincidence?  Maybe not considering they only have $8 million of cap space (and probably thought they had more of a need in goal and a better chance to get Marty with fewer teams in the mix) and perhaps the Hawks stepping up their pursuit has complicated matters further in a way it wasn't last night.

It's impossible to forecast where this is going to go, mainly because we don't have every offer in front of us and I'm sure all differ in terms of total length, years and upfront money.  Not to mention the teams' appeal differs as well.  If our offer is truly 'competitive' as beat guy Tom Gulutti was told it was, then you have to think money's not really an issue although it is a bit disconcerting to think our offer is competitive considering some of the outrageous Monopoly money offers I've heard rumored.  Minnesota and Philly are both rumored for 10+ years and over 100 million, the Penguins are rumored to be as high as 90 million and all told some twenty teams have made offers for the Devils captain.  A staggering number considering just two made offers for Ilya Kovalchuk two years ago.  Amazing what $10 million more of cap space and being a spotless ambassador as the face of USA Hockey can do for you.

If you take money not being an issue at face value, then certainly having a million contenders plus your hometown team each waving its credentials in your face have to be eye-opening.  If going to Pittsburgh to play with Sidney Crosby and company would be a slap in the face to Devil fans, going to Chicago and a simlarly talented young core wouldn't be nearly as much of one.  While Zach's home team in Minnesota has vowed to make the highest offer, they also offer the least attractive roster among all of the teams still rumored to be in it.  Although we haven't heard much about Detroit or Philly today they certainly remain looming on the outskirts of the mix, especially since both are also in on FA defenseman Ryan Suter, and he hasn't decided his final destination either.  And there's always the danger of the dreaded 'mystery team' (just ask New York Jet fans about that with Nmandi Asomugha...sometimes that mystery team actually exists).

Perhaps the only good thing about Parise deferring his decision to tomorrow before he talks with his fiance again is that I'll finally get some rest.  After the liveblog today and constantly checking for Parise updates on my phone today, I'm just exhausted of the whole ordeal.  Especially with the Brodeur mini-drama that almost lasted a day, before he finally extracted a second year from the Devils (ostensibly his motivation for becoming a FA).  At least the team finally got good news today with Brodeur and Johan Hedberg each committing to man the Devil net for the next two years - Hedberg signing for $1.4 million per with a NMC.  And possible secondary scoring options in FA like the Caps' Alex Semin and the Flyers' Jaromir Jagr haven't gone off the board yet, both likely waiting for Parise too.

Yes, this is nothing like the Kovalchuk saga yet - which went on for nineteen days before the contract melodrama - but in some ways it feels worse since I wasn't checking Twitter, didnt have a high-speed computer or an Android phone to constantly check hockey news then.  Not to mention all the rumors about where Kovy would sign seem to be compressed into a couple of days of the Parise negotiations considering how many more teams are in on Zach, and how many different rumors that creates.  And finally, losing Zach (a captain and lifelong Devil) would be much more of a blow than losing Kovy, who was expected to walk anyway.

Guess we'll see where this odeyssey leads tomorow.

RDS: Brodeur stays in NJ for two years, $9 million

For the first time in over twenty years, Martin Brodeur was not officially affiliated with the Devils for almost twenty hours.  That surprising uncertainty is over now, with the news just minutes ago from RDS in Canada that Brodeur has re-upped with the only franchise he's ever known on a two year, $4.5 million per deal.  Until Marty speaks, we won't know his motivations for going UFA but rumors suggest he did want a second year from the Devils, and according to Darren Dreger last night finally got it.  Obviously a real bit of interest from the Blackhawks helped move the proceeding along.

Yeah I'd rather not have gone two years given Marty's age and the cap rules for 35+ contracts, but if you can't make an exception for Marty Brodeur after all the money he's left on the table for you and the championships/wins he's gotten for this franchise then I'm sorry, you don't deserve a shred of loyalty from anyone else that comes down the pike.  Unfortunately, too many Devils fans are taking the cold business aspect to it...thank goodness GM Lou Lamoriello recognizes that to get loyalty from players, you have to give it yourself.

What Marty signing means for our other key FA at the moment, it's hard to guess.  Since Zach Parise supposedly wasn't making a decision until later today after talking with his fiancee last night, I don't know if this sudden 'gold watch' offer to Marty was an admission the Devils were out of the Parise sweepstakes.  It could be nothing more than a realization that we've made our best offer to the captain and whatever happens from here happens.  Either way, we should have that answer soon.

As far as the rest of free agency, not much happened last night other than another laughable contract for Sheldon Souray in Anaheim and defenseman Jason Garrison inking a six-year, $4.6 million a year deal with his hometown Canucks, allegedly taking a discount to go there.  Apparently the rest of the market is frozen until Parise and Ryan Suter make their decisions today.

Free Agency Frenzy Livecap: OMG it's 7/1!!!

5:46 PM EST: And the news on Parise...no decision until tomorrow according to McKenzie.  Apparently he's narrowed his list to a few and will sleep on the decision.  Wonderful.  Guess I might as well shut this blog off for the night, no motivation to update whether Jason Garrison may or may not go anywhere.  Unless Devil FA's start signing and give an indication Zach isn't on our short list, nothing big should happen tonight.  Apparently Suter will also be sleeping on his decision.  So this'll be decided when I'm at work, yay.

CONFIRMED (5:42 PM EST): Ducks sign former Cane defenseman Bryan Allen to a three-year deal at $3.5 million per.

5:30 PM EST: And yes, Marty, Salvador and Moose are all sitting around waiting, with no real rumors about any of them other than the media trying to play up the Marty to Chicago angle.  Latest NHL Tonight rumor on Zach is a supposed 12 year, $100 million offer by the Flyers.  Zoinks...and the Flyers aren't exactly a team that need forwards.

5:27 PM EST: A couple of minor signings down the pike, PK forward Jay McClement to the Leafs for two years, $3 million and former Nucks defensman Sami Salo to Tampa for two years, $3.75 million.  Again, a lot for a 35+ guy who's injury prone.

5:26 PM EST: James Mirtle ‏@mirtle

One source on the lack of frenzy right now: "The market is frozen until Parise and Suter sign."

Wonderful...the suspense is building.

5:22 PM EST: Rumor looks false for now, if Suter has made a decision he hasn't told agent Neil Sheehy yet.

5:13 PM EST: Rumor from Nick Kypreos is that Suter is going to Detroit.  Nothing confirmed yet, but it wouldn't be a big shock either.

5:01 PM EST: Haha Craig Button: 'There's nothing free about free agency'.

5 PM EST: And NHL Tonight is coming on now, we'll see if anything new breaks.  Not much going on unless you count Sheldon Brookbank signing in Chicago or the ancient Adrian Aucoin in Columbus lol.

CONFIRMED (4:12 PM EST): Isles gain goons, lose P.A. Parenteau to Colorado for four years, $16 million.  More stupid money but that's free agency.

CONFIRMED (4:04 PM EST): lol ex-Devil Eric Boulton goes to the Isles. Boulton and Carkner on the Island, Haley and Asham at MSG.  Serious goon action next year.

4:01 PM EST: And for what it's worth, the Rangers sign former Isles tough guy Michael Haley.

CONFIRMED (4 PM EST): Alexei Ponikarovsky to Winnipeg, one year, $1.8 million deal.  Wow, I'm surprised he didn't get a multi-year deal or wait for something better.  Not terribly surprised we didn't match that with other things on the agenda though.

3:39 PM EST: OT, but doesn't look like the Euro Championship is going to be much of a match.  Back to obsessing over every little rumor and a media that absolutely positively cannot wait for Parise to go to Pittsburgh.  You can already feel it, it's like the NHL and the media's wet dream.

CONFIRMED (3:38 PM EST): Prust goes for four years, $10 million to Montreal, zoinks.  Guess he got his asking price, then some.  I'll probably be joining Derek in FA rehab before this day is over.

3:31 PM EST: And the Prust domino falls, to Montreal according to Spector's Hockey.

3:15 PM EST: Might be slow updating the next couple hours unless something major happens.  Need to get up and about lol.

CONFIRMED (3:14 PM EST): Rangers retain Kris Newbery, lose Chad Ochocinco to Rangers West (Phoenix organization)
CONFIRMED (3:13 PM EST): Dustin Penner is back with the Kings on a one-year $3 million deal.
CONFIRMED (3:13 PM EST): A blockbuster trade...Nick Foglino (OTT) traded for Marc Methot (CBJ)

3:00 PM EST: Well now the TSN show is ending.  I'll probably turn the radio on, maybe I'll watch some of the Euro Championship too, not expecting a resolution to anything big in the next couple hours.  Apparently there's a 13-year $100+ million offer out there for Suter, yikes.  And that the Flyers have offered ten-year deals to both Suter and Parise.  Here goes Holmgren again, playing NHL12 GM.

CONFIRMED (2:47 PM EST): Panthers sign Filip Kuba for two years, $8 million, no doubt a Jason Garrison replacement.

CONFIRMED (2:38 PM EST): Rangers sign Asham for two years, $2 million.

2:36 PM EST: And now supposedly the Rangers sign Aaron Asham lol...evidently he's completed his tour of Atlantic Division teams.  Brandon Prust's replacement perhaps?

2:33 PM EST: Carkner got $1.5 million per season on his deal, zoinks that's a bit pricey for a goon but the Isles always are looking to hit the salary floor after all.  Then again so are the Devils right now.

2:14 PM EST: And from the sounds of it, the reason teams aren't meeting with Zach is that there are supposedly twenty plus teams interested, and they wouldn't be able to accomodate everyone anyway according to Kulka's Korner.  Hoo boy.  What kinda world is this when Zach Parise gets 20+ offers and Ilya Kovalchuk gets two just two years ago? 

CONFIRMED (2:13 PM EST): Isles sign goon defenseman Matt Carkner to a three-year deal, little more than an hour after the Avalanche thought they had wrapped him up and posted the signing on Twitter.

2:09 PM EST: So it sounds like no team's meeting with Zach today after all, he may be taking offers but at least the dog and pony show has left the building.  Hopefully his agents aren't brainwashing him to take the highest offer and the NHL isn't brainwashing him to run to Pittsburgh.

2:05 PM EST: Gasbag of the day award - Rich Chere@Ledger_NJDevils
Can't understand why Devils fans are so nervous today.  The entire fourth line has already been re-signed.

CONFIRMED (1:58 PM EST): Islanders sign Brad Boyes to a one year, $1 million deal.  Nice bargain buy for them.


1:53 PM EST: According to Katie Strang, it seems like Alexei Ponikarovsky is moving on.  Oh well, I figured some team might overpay him.  We have bigger fish to fry today anyway.  In other news, Bryce Salvador has at least ten suitors but is waiting on the Devils.  I heart Sal.

1:49 PM EST: All this premature doom-and-gloom talk about the Devils on TSN makes me want to shut the program off and listen to online radio.  But I suspect it would be just the same nonsense there anyway.

CONFIRMED (1:45 PM EST): Biggest fish off the board yet, Ray Whitney to Dallas for two years, $9 million ($5 million of it in a signing bonus).  There goes one of the best possible Plan B's for Zach.

1:40 PM EST: And I'm not updating every little minor signing either, just ones with moderate interest and local interest for the most part. 

1:39 PM EST: Commercial break, admittedly I've stopped paying attention to the show much as things have slowed up but apparently the hosts were ripping Alex Semin big-time, with Crawford going so far as to say guys like him wind up 'in the island of the misfit toys' (re: Columbus) lol.

1:35 PM EST: Well now the Wings' delegation has decided not to meet with Zach.  Is a resolution coming sooner rather than later after all?

CONFIRMED (1:28 PM EST): And Minnesota's spending spree starts with...Zenon Konopka, the big, physical center who can win faceoffs (and do little else) to a two-year deal.

1:25 PM EST: Well supposedly Brodeur's agent has heard from the Hawks, Leafs, Sharks and Panthers.  Not a huge shock.  And the lobbying for Parise is already at comical levels with Sidney Crosby and ex-Devil Paul Martin leading the Pens' delegtion, Wings' ownership scheduled to meet with Zach at 3:30 PM and John MacLean - yes that John MacLean! - lobbying on Carolina's behalf!  Maybe I should have stayed out all day.

CONFIRMED (1:14 PM EST): Canes also bring back defenseman Joe Corvo for one year, $2 million and goalie Justin Peters for two years, one one-way year at $550k.
CONFIRMED (1:14 PM EST): Rangers re-up with defenseman Stu Bickel one a one-way, two-year $750k deal.

CONFIRMED (12:51 PM EST): Former Ranger John Mitchell heads to Colorado on a two-year deal at $1.1 million per.

12:44 PM EST: And the first Twitter war is underway, with the Kings taking a dig at the Wild Parise and Suter tweet by saying they plan to offer contracts to free agents too.

CONFIRMED (12:38 PM EST): And just when I post that, the Wings ink Jonas Gustavsson to a two-year, $1.5 million per deal, though Dreger says paperwork still needs to be filed.  Didn't really see that one coming, but they needed a backup goalie and there aren't that many out there.

12:37 PM EST: Second commercial...on the lighter side of things, the Flyers have brought back Michael Leighton.  Can always count on them for goalie humor.  Don't think any FA's have actually changed teams yet.

12:31 PM EST: And to nobody's surprise, the Wild have submitted offers to Zach and Suter.  Who would have thought the Wild would become the pre-lockout Rangers playing checkbook hockey?

12:24 PM EST: First oh good grief rumor...apparently the Winnipeg Jets are in on the bidding for Zach, according to Dreger.  Wouldn't that be goofy considering Ilya Kovalchuk bolted when the Thrashers were on the verge of moving?

12:16 PM EST: First commercial, no Armageddon yet.  TSN analysts include Pierre, Marc Crawford and Ray Ferraro.

12:11 PM EST: First Pierre McGuire sighting on TSN...boo!  Reporters' panel includes McKenzie, Dreger and LeBrun.  And already they're annoying me with fanning the Brodeur to Chicago speculation (the one contender that could use him).

CONFIRMED (12:05 PM EST): RDS reporting the Lightning sign Benoit Pouliot to a one year, $1.8 million deal.  So it begins.

12:01 PM EST: Huge chuckle at Filip Kuba being the tenth best available FA on the TSN program...shows just how thin the crop is this year.  Of course Parise and Martin Brodeur are first and third, whoopee.

High noon: And we're off and running!

11:52 AM EST: All's quiet on the FA front with eight minutes left.  Might as well brush and wash up before the gong show known as NHL FA begins.

CONFIRMED (11:25 AM EST): Edmonton re-ups with Ryan Smith at 2 years, $2.25 million per via Darren Dreger.

CONFIRMED (11:19 AM EST): Carolina tweeting that Jordan Staal will sign a long-term deal there, 10 years and 60 million total per Bob McKenzie.

Analysis: Guess he signed the exact same deal he turned down in Pittsburgh, only the Pens didn't have his brother and more playing time available.

11:15 AM EST: Obviously a livecap entails numerous updates throughout the day, but the only confirmed signings will be re-signings until 12 PM.

CONFIRMED (11:14 AM EST): Scott Clemmensen will re-sign with the Panthers for 2 years, and $1.2 million per, according to Devils beat writer Tom Gulutti.

11:13 AM EST: Twitter trade deadline link that I'll be following throughout today, as well as the NHL Network FA show, and perhaps online radio if the NHLN show goes off the air at 3 PM like the Cablevision timer says it will.

11:05 AM EST: I might as well start here with already the first bad news of the day after word came down that Zach Parise is officially going to free agency, after a last-ditch attempt by Lou Lamoriello to sign him last night and a public timeframe of 10 AM this morning to decide to forego FA (that turned into 11 AM).  Well isn't this just a great way to start the day.

FA livecap pregame thoughts

Four hours left to free agency, NHL teams...do you know where your free agents are?  For most, this is a day of anticipation wondering what shiny new toys your GM will leave under the Christmas tree.  While Devil fans are left hoping and praying we go into tomorrow with the same team we went into today with, minus Bryce Salvador and Petr Sykora, I suppose.  Less than a month after this team was in the Stanley Cup Finals, no fewer than six players who dressed for Game 6 are set to go unrestricted this afternoon starting with captain/star winger Zach Parise, legendary goalie Martin Brodeur and solid backup Johan Hedberg.  Not to mention vet defensemen Salvador, as well as forwards Sykora and big Alexei Ponikarovsky, an effective role player as evidenced by his four OT points in the playoffs.

I've already stated the importance over keeping Zach and Marty enough, as well as the likelihood of Salvador and Sykora not being back (though if Zach does walk, I could see a scenario where Salvador gets re-signed, then one of our other defensmen gets traded off for a scoring winger).  Ponikarovsky admittedly I was kind of meh about, after a strong start when he first got traded here he cooled down and only had one goal in the playoffs, but he had nine points.  The real selling point for me was when I realized four of those points came in OT.  Literally every one of our OT-winning goals in the playoffs My Little Poni had a hand in.  I wouldn't overpay like crazy for him though, Poni is replaceable - at worst via another deal at the deadline the likes of which GM Lou Lamoriello was able to land Poni in the first place.

Moose I'd love to see back too, especially in the unlikely event Marty walks.  The goalie market is thin, the next best backup on the list is Scott Clemmensen, who ironically had problems with coach Pete DeBoer when both were in Florida.  If Moose does go to Philly, Winnipeg or somewhere else one name that interests me as a replacement is former Ranger/Isle Al Montoya, who showed promise in flashes with the Isles but could never seem to stay healthy long enough to hold down the job there.  Other vet options like Chris Mason and Jonas Gustavsson are meh at best.  That market incidentally also underscores the importance of bringing Marty back.  And I still think we'll hear something on that front once Parise makes his decision.  At wing, there is simply no replacement for Zach (at least not in FA), unless you count the risky Alexander Semin, who can certainly score but doesn't bring the other intangibles Zach does.  Getting in to the Rick Nash and Bobby Ryan sweepstakes is also a possibility if Zach does walk.

If the nuclear scenario happens and both Zach and Marty walk, the fact is the Devils have to do 'something' big.  Not just for competitive reasons, but also due to the fact that the Devils currently have eighteen players under contract at around $45.5 million of cap money.  That puts us almost $9 million below the cap floor, with two wing spots and two very important goalie spots to fill, along with another possible bench forward to go along with Cam Janssen and defenseman Peter Harrold on the nightly reserve list after Eric Boulton got bought out yesterday, as expected.  Filling from within isn't going to be enough for the Devils to reach the cap floor, some move will have to be made.  Whatever move(s) the Devils would make however, likely wouldn't be enough to offset not only the PR disaster of having Zach and Marty walk, but the on-ice hit as well.  Indeed, a crazy move like trading for Roberto Luongo - already disliked by most Devil fans because of being a rival to Marty on the Canadian team and in publicity - would only exacerbate the PR issue, not to mention be a cap headache sooner rather than later.

With Nashville's Ryan Suter expected to take more than one day to make his decision (along with Phoenix captain Shane Doan, also expected so sit tight till next weekend), pretty much a majority of the focus in the league will be on the Devil FA's, as well as guys like Semin, the Wings' Jiri Hudler and the Isles' P.A.Parenteau up front.  The defense market apart from Suter isn't very impressive, with the Panthers' Jason Garrison next in line for big money and big dollars after a breakout season in Florida armed with a 100-MPH shot.  Garrison's impact was certainly felt against us in the playoffs as the big fellow played in the first three games when the Panthers' PP was lights out, but then when he came up with a back issue Florida's PP started to struggle.  Philly's Matt Carle and the Bruins' Joe Corvo are the next best offensive options on the blueline, with Salvador and the Canes' Bryan Allen being top vet stay-at-home options.

After just under six hours of sleep, I'll try to clean up a little before high noon, then I'll start the FA liveblog.  Watching an NHL Network FA preview show last night really underscored the lack of depth in this year's class.  For example the center position was headed by iffy vet Olli Jokinen (even after a bounceback year in Calgary) and role player Paul Gaustad - who ironically re-upped with Nashville for four years while the program was airing.  Salvador was listed in the top five at defense along with Suter, Carle, Allen and Garrison.  And at goalie, any top five list that includes Gustavsson isn't a very deep top five list though Brodeur and Hedberg are legitimate top options.  Hedberg may have more suitors though, given that most teams in the league currently have either an expensive starting goalie or one that isn't likely to be benched for a 40-year old Marty - like the Yotes' Mike Smith, still on a $2 million deal.  Marty needs us almost as much as we need him, hopefully the two sides can come to a resolution after whatever happens with Zach happens.

I do expect the Zach situation to be resolved by nightfall either way, especially given that offers such as the Wild's reported 10-100 and the Penguins' floated 10-80 last night have become so public.  Zach's camp I'm sure has a good idea of what other teams are thinking even without the nonsense floated in the media, which is why I'm not very optomistic we'll be able to retain him.  Hopefully when he sees everything, and if we're able to offer something competitive with other contenders, he will stay in the end but I'm expecting the worst at this point.  Then again, I was expecting the worst with Patrik Elias a few years ago after Jamie Langenbrunner re-signed and it seemed as if that was a sign Elias was gone since we had no cap money left.  Of course, we did wind up re-signing Elias, and then giving up a first-rounder to get rid of Vlad Malakhov's cap hit.  Certainly I didn't expect Ilya Kovalchuk to re-sign two years ago, but he did. 

I'd rather not air my feelings on Zach if he should walk yet, that'll be for tomorrow's blog.  Suffice it to say, after he gave nine million indications of coming back and wanting to be back, for the captain to walk out on us after getting so close to the ultimate prize would be a lot more of a Benedict Arnold-like betrayal than even Scott Gomez or Bobby Holik (who were always going to be mercs) going to the Rangers.  As far as Marty goes, I'd be confused and distraught if he somehow signed with another team as well.  I wouldn't hold it against him, mainly because he gave us so much for so many years, and at a discount from what he could have gotten if he held the UFA gun to Lou's head.  However, I wouldn't ever set foot in the Rock for a game Marty's playing against us either, mainly because I wouldn't want to deal with the ungrateful loons who'd be chanting you suck and doing the Marty! stuff that should be reserved for MSG fans.

At least the consolation is we don't have to wait much longer now.  Either nothing will change, or everything will change by nightfall or soon thereafter.

UPDATE: Well maybe this is nothing...or something.  Apparently Zach is holding off officially deciding on FA until before 10 AM.  I'm not holding my breath for 45 minutes, but this day could change dramatically if a miracle happens.

Devils sign five players, but is Marty set to become UFA?

In a note that could mean absolutely nothing, or be a severe warning sign, goalie Martin Brodeur hired agent Pat Brisson to represent him in anticipation of going UFA for the first time ever on Sunday afternoon.  For 99.9% of NHL players, this would not be a big deal since 99.9% of NHL players already have agents.  However, for a guy that hasn't employed an agent for years and always negotiated his own deals with the Devils, this is legitimate news.  What it may or may not mean is another story however.  It could be as benign as Marty hiring someone just to take phone calls in case something dramatically changes with the Devils, or perhaps just compiling offers to see what fair market value is, since it's extremely unlikely GM Lou Lamoriello would low-ball his legendary goaltender.  Predictably in the few hours since this news broke, Twitter and the internet have exploded with rumors of Marty's supposed interest in Tampa and Florida, among other things.

It's reminiscent of when baseball legend Derek Jeter became a free agent a few years back and all of a sudden reporters couldn't wait to drive a wedge between him and the Yankees to enhance the juicy storyline, but in the end Jeter stayed and I still think Marty will too.  I mean really just from a logical perspective, not many playoff teams need a goaltender anyway and I'm 100% sure Marty's not going to a loser at this point of his career for a payday.  The same guy who left millions of dollars on the table from the Devils to enhance their chances to win is all of a sudden going to go for a few extra dollars to a hopeless non-playoff team at the end of his career?  Pigs will be flying over Newark before that happens.  Even just the mere thought of Marty coming back to the Rock in another jersey provides a little more unneccesary drama that Devil fans don't need right now, with the Zach Parise negotiations still up in the air.

At least Parise and the Devils are still negotiating, for what that's worth.  If Zach was aiming to go UFA, he's picking a funny way to go about it.  Meeting with Lou throughout the week as much as he has seemingly goes above and beyond the call of mere courtesy meetings, and after stock quotes earlier in the week both sides are in full lockdown mode now.  With approximately 42 hours to go before free agency, it's still up in the air whether there will be a resolution by then.  I wouldn't put any money on Zach avoiding the July 1 frenzy, but I wouldn't be entirely shocked if there was a deal before then either.  That would be beneficial to my stress levels at least.

If one good thing came out of today, it's that the Devils have been able to retain most of their role players, announcing no fewer than five signings this afternoon.  Our entire fourth line of Ryan Carter, Steven Gionta and Steve Bernier is back in the fold, as well as defenseman Peter Harrold (Cam Janssen was the fifth signing announced but that was pretty much a given for a couple of days).  Each of the three fourth-liners signed two-year deals, with Carter reportedly getting 775k on a one-way contract, Bernier getting 750k also on a one-way contract, and Gionta getting 750k on a one-way deal for this year, before the contract converts to a two-way deal next year.  To retain a threesome that was dynamic throughout the whole postseason at under $2.5 million for the next two years is an absolute coup by Lou, and before July 1 to boot.  I'm also pleasantly surprised we were able to retain Harrold - terms undisclosed - who I figured would be looking for a starting spot in someone else's lineup.

After today's signings, the Devils chopped their number of UFA's in half with only Zach, Marty, fellow backup Johan Hedberg, defenseman Bryce Salvador and forwards Petr Sykora and Alexei Ponikarovsky still unsigned.  Clearly Zach and the two goalies are the top priorities, with Salvador currently on the outside looking in though both sides have given lip service to wanting Sal to come back to NJ.  I really don't see it with seven defensemen under contract including Harrold and RFA Mark Fayne, but perhaps signing Sal and trading one of our other defensemen becomes an option if the captain walks.  With only two forward spots open and one hopefully being re-filled by Zach, it's also unlikely Sykora and Poni are both retained.  Besides retaining most of their own FA's, the Devils' only real need in FA is perhaps an extra forward that can do more than drop the gloves with enforcers Janssen and Eric Boulton (perhaps a buyout candidate) currently penciled in for our extra forward spots.

One thing's for sure, this is going to be a looong weekend, unless some more good news comes down the pike sooner rather than later.

BoNY Announcement: Free agency livecap Sunday!

Normally for the trade deadline or free agency, I'm following the activity sporadically...perhaps refreshing my phone or work computer when I get a chance, but it isn't usually minute-by-minute.  However, since the first day of NHL free agency is on a weekend and I have no plans, I'll be able to be around for the festivities this time.  And now that I finally have a high-speed connection, and the NHL Network on tv, I can follow everything at once, and that's what I intend to do on Sunday.  Especially with a ton of FA's on the Devils, it will be an important day in franchise history that's for sure.  Granted, some guys like Zach Parise and others may wind up taking more than a day to sign, but history's shown that a ton of guys do sign during the first twenty-four hours of FA.  With FA's like the captain, both goaltenders, our entire fourth line and other role players, it will certainly be a more anxious time for the Devils than it will be for the Isles and Rangers.

Looking through the FA lists on TSN, the Isles' most important unrestricteds are winger P.A. Parenteau and injury-prone goalie Al Montoya, who will probably be let go with talented kids Anders Nilsson and Kevin Poulin in the system.  With the cap floor expected to go up to $54.2 million (and the cap celing at $70.4 million), the Isles will still have to spend on someone though, especially if Parenteau walks.  As far as the Rangers, their most important UFA's are winger Ruslan Fedotenko, backup goalie Martin Biron and fourth line fan favorite Brandon Prust, reportedly looking for a deal north of $2 million per year.  If anything the Rangers' real action might come in the trade market, where the Rick Nash rumors just won't go away.  Perhaps in this case there's a method to Scott Howson's madness at not trading him during the most recent trade deadline or at the draft, since teams that miss out on Parise and other key unrestricteds like the Coyotes' Shane Doan will be desperate to look for improvements via the trade market.

A couple of big non-FA signings today took place when the Penguins announced a lucrative extension for Sidney Crosby, giving the face of the NHL a 12-year, $104.4 million extension that kicks in after next season.  Yes, that works out to an $8.7 million cap hit, so certainly the deal's a good one from that standpoint though you have to wonder what happens if Crosby takes one more knock in the wrong spot, after missing the better part of the last season and a half with concussion and neck issues.  And in the last hour, the Kings announced a 10-year extension for Conn Smythe winner Johnathan Quick, a deal that reportedly comes in at just under $60 million, a bargain really.  Lengthy yes, but Quick is only 26 and is about as sure a thing in net as anyone at this point.  Also, the Bruins have extended Tuuka Rask for one season, perhaps a bit of a cautionary signal for Rask's long-term prospects in Beantown after drafting Malcom Subban last weekend.

Back to talking about Sunday though, I'll be posting not only confirmed deals but rumor, speculation and other random thoughts as well, but of course I'll be sure to differentiate between all of them.  Ideally I'd like to wait until seeing something reported in two different places before reporting it as confirmed, but if it's someone reputable like TSN's Bob McKenzie, I'll likely just go with that.  Perhaps whatever gets reported on the NHL Network also qualifies...not to mention Devils' twitter for our own signings, since it was the Devils' own twitter that initially broke the Ilya Kovalchuk signing two years ago.  That news was so stunning, people thought the Devils' twitter account was hacked!  I rarely use Twitter at all, and never tweet personally but I'll keep my shadow account open to keep track of Devils news (as well as looking on message boards).  An example of what I plan to do will go like this:

Rumor: According to St. Louis's Andy Strickland, the Devils will re-sign Cam Janssen to a two-way deal
CONFIRMED: 6/27 at 7:46 PM - Devils re-sign Cam Janssen to a two-way deal at $575,000 (NHL) and $105,000 (AHL)...and yes that actually happened lol.

Or for non-Devil deals:

CONFIRMED: 6/28 at 3:32 PM Predators re-sign Hal Gill to a two-year, $4 million deal
CONFIRMED: 7/1 Rangers sign player X
CONFIRMED: 7/1 Islanders sign player Y
Rumor: Former Ducks draft pick Justin Schultz has reportedly narrowed his list of teams to the Canucks, Maple Leafs, Senators, Oilers and Rangers

I'll try to cite everything and include links, but things will happen at rapid-fire speed no doubt once the festivities get under way so bear with me.  Especially if a certain player with a C and a number 9 winds up bolting on Sunday afternoon...I might have to count to ten before posting lol.  Either way, it should be interesting.  I'll update throughout the day, from just before noon when I begin my post on throughout the day, then after I finally get to bed near midnight I might update once more in the morning if I have time before resuming a life work.

Flame Out

Have you ever seen flames bursting out of control? That's how I'd describe what's happening in Calgary. Jay Feaster was the architect of Tampa Bay's only Cup. However, I'm lost as to what he's doing in Alberta. If the plan is to be as old as possible, then the Flames certainly will have no problem with AARP.

In the latest puzzling move, Calgary acquired the rights of vet defenseman Dennis Wideman from Washington for defense prospect Jordan Henry and a 2013 fifth round pick. It wasn't so much the pick up of a player who can help their back end but the absurdity of the contract speaks volumes. Before you knew it, Feaster signed off on a five-year contract worth an average of $5.25 million.

To sum it up, I will reference Tom Arnold's True Lies character in response to Arnold Schwarzenegger's request to follow his wife:

"Insane!!!!!"

I'm not saying Wideman is a bad player. He had a very good '11-12 with the Capitals, posting 11 goals and 35 assists for 46 points over 82 games. The 29-year old Kitchener, Ontario native added three helpers in the playoffs. One could argue that it was one of his best seasons. Coincidence that it was a contract year?

By adding Wideman, the Flames may decide to shop Jay Bouwmeester. However, it should be tough considering that he has two years remaining with a $6.68 million cap hit.  If he stays, Calgary's top four would be Bouwmeester, Wideman, Mark Giordano and Anton Babchuk. On paper, it doesn't sound bad. However, with Olli Jokinen available July 1, Feaster needs to free up room to re-sign him. They also might want to bring back David Moss and Lee Stempniak.

As usual, the Flames will rely heavily on franchise leading scorer Jarome Iginla, who is entering the final year of his contract. It's hard to picture him in another uniform. He is Calgary. Perhaps that's why they refuse to rebuild. Instead Alex Tanguay, Mike Cammalleri and probably Jokinen will make another push to crack the top eight out West. A tall order considering how deep it is. With Miikka Kiprusoff still in the fold, they actually believe they're good enough to make it.

They're much older than the Kings, who became the first eighth seed to win Lord Stanley. I just don't see how they succeed. Los Angeles, Vancouver, Nashville, Detroit, Chicago, Phoenix, San Jose and St. Louis are all better. That excludes emerging teams like Colorado, Dallas, Edmonton and Minnesota. It's a young man's league. Tying up cap space with an uncertain CBA in the future is a recipe for disaster. Unless there's an influx of talent coming through the system, it could be a Flame out.

HHOF: Sakic, Bure, Oates and Sundin elected

Today, the league announced its newest Hockey Hall Of Fame members. Included in the list are Joe Sakic, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates and Mats Sundin. Let me just preface by saying all are deserving. Sakic being the slam dunk, playing with one franchise (Quebec/Colorado) where he led them to two Stanley Cups while winning a Conn Smythe and Hart.

I have been a big proponent of Bure for years. It took the Russian Rocket seven tries to finally get the phone call that he'll be going to Toronto. The induction ceremony will be on November 12. According to Steve Lepore, there'll be no games for the first time. The Battle originator is hoping NBC Network picks it up, which would make sense. We'll have to wait and see.

Joining Sakic and Bure is Oates, who was one of the game's greatest passers. Ironically, it was his set ups for then Blue teammate Brendan Shanahan that helped turn him into one of the game's best power forwards. Of course, Oates was also there to find Brett Hull, who once scored 86 goals to capture the Hart. Hard to believe Shanahan didn't get in on his first try. I have no problem with putting Oates in as he had longevity and was also an instrumental part of those Boston, Washington and Anaheim teams that challenged for Cups.

It's a bit mystifying how Sundin made it over Shanahan. Nothing against Mats. The big Swede was a great player but he's not in Shanny's class. I don't know if maybe him serving his first year as League VP worked against him. But it's ridiculous that he's not in.

Equally as baffling is the continued oversights of Fred Shero and Pat Burns. Both great coaches who led teams to Cups and had big influences. Especially Shero, who time and again is passed over, prompting Larry Brooks' justified criticism of the selection process. As for Burns, he should've made it two years ago. It is incredulous that they still haven't put him in. But then again, look at Shero. Led the Flyers to their only Cups back-to-back while introducing different coaching methods.

Here are the newest four members outlined:


CLASS OF 2012
                Teams                     Years   Goals    Assists     Pts        Honors
Joe Sakic  Que/Col                  20       625       1,016      1,641    Conn Smythe Hart Pearson Byng




Pavel Bure Van/Fla/NYR         12       437       342         779       Calder Rocket Richard (2) All-Star MVP



Adam Oates Det/Stl/Bos          20       341      1,079       1,420    5 All-Star Appearances 2nd All-Star Team           Wsh/Phi/Ana




Mats Sundin  Que/Tor/Van       18       564        785        1,349    9 All-Star Appearances Olympic Gold Medal

In Prust We Trust

In Prust We Trust. That became somewhat of a cult for #TwitterBlueshirts. Since coming over as an extra in a trade with Calgary, Brandon Prust has become a fixture on Broadway. All we heard about him was how tough he was. I'd seen him play and battle all comers. So, I liked his inclusion.

Never did we envision the kind of hard working player he became under John Tortorella. Prust evolved into more than a scrapper in his time here as a Ranger. It's hard to believe the key situations Tort used him for, deploying the popular 28-year old London, Ontario native on a checking line with chief partner in crime Brian Boyle and usually sidekick Ruslan Fedotenko, who also can turn unrestricted in five days.

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't want Prust back. Who ever would've thought a throw in would lead us in shorthanded goals (5) one year and the next tie with Shawn Thornton for the league lead in fights (20)? That's Prust's two full seasons in the Big Apple. Oh. He also played all 82 meaning that's 164 for a pair that saw him become a key player who brings energy to each shift. Was it a coincidence how flat our team looked minus No.8 during a pivotal Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final at New Jersey? They sure missed the physical forward who served a suspension for his elbow on Anton Volchenkov. Unfortunate. Who knew Game Three would be our final hurrah?

It was Prust who started a three-goal comeback in Game Five at MSG with the kind of gritty hustle play you'd expect. A loose puck in which he broke in on Martin Brodeur and flubbed a backhand past him that got the building back in it. I remember saying to Dad at the time they could do it. Lo and behold, Prust's goal was the start of a resilient effort before Ryan Carter broke our hearts. You never had to question the effort of the Blueshirt warrior, whose seven shorthanded goals over two years pace the club. He sacrificed for our team, playing bruised and battered. Amazing to think he never missed a game due to injury.

That's the kind of player Prust is. If he really does test the market and leaves for more money and years, it's his choice. Like many, I don't want him to go. I believe Prust is like Sean Avery- having more value to our roster than anyone else. We saw how well Avery in Dallas worked out. Dion Phaneuf/Elisha Cuthbert aside, it was never a good marriage. They would've found a way out of it. Seeing Prust respond via Twitter to Glen Sather's message that he doesn't think they'll be able to get it done is damaging. There are many Prust supporters who love what he brings.

@BrandonPrust8: “I wish management wanted me back as much as the fans.. Thanks for the love everyone.”

I really think he loves it here. He's become a celebrity. For a good looking guy with a great personality, New York City is as good as it gets. That's why Avery worked even if he was a little rough around the edges. Prust has no baggage. If he can find it in his heart to take one less year and less cash, then he'll be back. If not, he won't be easily replaced. Even if I tweeted bye bye, it's not without concern. The Brandon Prusts and Brian Boyles are what's made our team so tough to play against. Same with Ruslan Fedotenko who played his best hockey against the Devils.

I'm hoping Slats is true to his word regarding our core. But I'm definitely rooting against the GM with Prust. I tweeted the guy twice over the past 24 hours begging him to stay. Here, he can win a Cup. Not that he couldn't say in Pittsburgh. A team that might bid on his services. I think I speak for everyone. I can't picture Prust a Pen. I'd be as sick to my stomach as I was seeing Stephane Matteau don a Devil cap with his son at the Draft.

I'll say it again for everyone to hear:


IN PRUST WE TRUST