Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted June 30, 2003 In recent years, the days leading up to the July 1 opening of the free-agent signing window have been ripe with rumor and speculation. Fans have intently watched the high-dollar cat-and-mouse game between players and team execs play out right before their eyes. With the possible return of Dominik Hasek to Detroit, Curtis Joseph could be on the move. This summer, despite the league's shifting economic landscape (in which clubs are cutting back in an effort to gain more financial flexibility), there's still a whole lot to keep an eye on. The biggest stories of the early summer have come out of Hockeytown, where Red Wings GM Ken Holland is waging a financial battle on several fronts. First, he must straighten out his suddenly overcrowded crease. Dominik Hasek's pending decision to return to the NHL after retiring last June (remember, Hasek does like to change his mind) has caused quite a stir in Detroit, where current stopper Curtis Joseph still has two years remaining on the three-year, $24-million deal he signed last July. Hasek's decision has placed Holland in the unpleasant position of having to move Joseph. To do so, he might have to eat a portion Joseph's remaining contract, likely $2 million per season. The Flyers, Rangers and Bruins would be the most likely suitors for Joseph, who couldn't have imagined this scenario when he left the Leafs. If Rangers GM Glen Sather can make a deal for Joseph -- who played for Sather in Edmonton -- he'd likely have to deal his current goalie, Mike Dunham. The Wings will certainly exercise their option on Hasek, who is scheduled to make $8 million next season. If they failed to meet that obligation, Hasek would become a free agent and could sign with the conference-rival Avalanche -- not a happy thought for anyone in Motown. Because they'll likely lose some money in a Joseph deal, the club would like Hasek to take some kind of deferred payment package. That can be negotiated. The motive for Hasek's return remains unclear. Perhaps he needs the money. Perhaps he just wants to play again. Or maybe he just got tired of pounding in-line hockey opponents back in his native Czech Republic. Whatever the reason, Hasek's return will create a domino effect in creases around the league. It probably won't help free agent goalies Felix Potvin or Jeff Hackett find prime-time gigs. And who knows what it does for Sean Burke, Manny Fernandez and Nikolai Khabibulin, who've each been rumored to be available for the right price. Of course, the Hasek/Joseph goalie chaos isn't the only entree on Holland's crowded plate. He's also trying to work out new contracts with some key players, including centers Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov. Expect Yzerman to get a new deal -- it just might take a few extra days for both sides to agree on exact terms. Fedorov, however, might not be back. The Russian-born star walked away from a five-year, $50 million dollar offer -- personally delivered by team owner Mike Ilitch -- last November. Fedorov contends he didn't turn the offer down, rather, he asked for time to deal with some personal issues (which included a change of agents). Since then, the economic climate of the league has changed. Thus, the Wings retracted the offer and gave Fedorov a revised proposal of $40 million over four years. When Fedorov, through his new agent, Pat Brisson, was unmoved by the new offer, the club took it off the table. At this point, Holland and Brisson continue to negotiate, but neither side seems too optimistic for a quick resolution. It will be interesting to see what kind of offers Fedorov will receive if he hits the open market. In the current environment, he might have limited options. Of course, as every GM will say, a player only needs one good offer. And Fedorov can probably afford to wait for the best deal. Holland certainly isn't the only GM with some decisions to make. In New York, Sather continues to search for a coach. On Wednesday, Devils advisor Larry Robinson pulled his name out of contention after realizing he wasn't a good fit for the Rangers. It was a smart decision by Robinson, who doesn't belong anywhere near that mess. Sather contends that he's talked to several other candidates. But with just one season left on the current CBA and a long work stoppage in the cards, there are just two viable options. The first, and most likely, would be to continue coaching. Sather finished the season behind the bench after canning Bryan Trottier in January. If he doesn't want to coach, he should reach out to Herb Brooks, who backed away from the job last year. Brooks would like one more ride on the coaching roller coaster. And he's among the few guys who can coach the up-tempo game that Sather demands. If Sather ever figures out the coaching situation, he can continue to pursue Capitals right winger Jaromir Jagr. A deal for Jagr, heavily rumored at the draft, still could happen under the right circumstances. Those circumstances being that the Caps either eat or take back some serious salary. The Rangers are in the driver's seat on this deal. Caps' owner Ted Leonsis has grown disenchanted with his situation in Washington and would love to get out from under Jagr's huge contract, which still has five years, $55 million, plus a possible option year to go. (For the record, Leonsis did negotiate Jagr's deal.) If he really wants to move Jagr, Leonsis will have to accept one or more of the Rangers' problems -- he won't be getting any legitimate, reasonably priced players or prospects. Rather, it will be about getting rid of Jagr's contract. While the Jagr talks drag on -- there's no timetable on a possible deal -- Sather also has to figure out what he's going to do about defenseman Brian Leetch, who is scheduled to hit the open market. Because Leetch loves New York, Sather figures he can get a hometown discount. If he doesn't, the contract talks could get a bit dicey. In the end, Leetch will probably stay put, but he would be a very nice fit just down the turnpike in Philadelphia. The Flyers, though, might be eyeing another defender, Derian Hatcher. The Stars captain, a nasty, physical presence, would be a perfect Eastern Conference player. And, remember, Hatcher played a good chunk of his career for current Flyers bench boss Ken Hitchcock. The Leafs, a weak defensive team that might have a few bucks to spend, could also take a run at Hatcher. Like Leetch, Hatcher likes his current surroundings. But if the Stars don't have the cash to re-sign him, Hatcher might not have a choice. And, like many in this free agent class, Hatcher might have some time to make his decision. With fewer big-money teams looking to dive into the free-agent pool, the process might take a little more time. It probably won't be like last summer, when clubs closed monster deals with top free agents in a couple of days. A year later, those same teams are shopping those same players. Strange? Definitely. Interesting? Always. And, this year, it will only get more interesting between now and opening night. ESPN.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted June 30, 2003 For some reason, I see Federov in a Rangers sweater or a Dallas sweater. Joseph goes to Boston, Hatcher stays, and Jagr goes to New York. Just my guesses though. I'd love to see Boston go after Federov, but...you know... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted June 30, 2003 I think that Dallas said they will not offer a contract to Hatcher, so he should be availble on July 1st. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted June 30, 2003 I don't understand why they wouldn't resign their CAPTAIN, but I guess that's why I'm not in charge in Dallas Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest gthureson Report post Posted June 30, 2003 Likely, they want Hatcher to talk to the market, and find out he's not going to find the money he wants, and resign for less than he would have in Dallas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LaParkaMarka Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Brian Leetch's rights have been traded to Edmonton for goalie Jussi Markannen and a draft pick. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=45917 Uh...ooooook. That one makes no sense. They aren't going to be able to afford the salary for Leetch...right? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 They can still negociate with him. I wonder if the Canucks are going to go after another goalie. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Ho. Lee. SHIT. The Ducks have failed to make a qualifying offer to Paul Kariya, making him an unrestricted free agent. Discuss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Kariya AND Oates-y are UFA's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 this has to be one of the stupidest moves ever. how could you not make a offer to your franchise player??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 1, 2003 The only reasoning I can think of is that the Ducks figure that since they're going to need to pay Giguere a lot more next season, and that he was a bigger part of their playoff success this year, keeping both superstars (or, at least 1 proven one and one emerging one) was too much of a load to bear financially. I guess they figure paying someone $10 million to play a defensive role and score 25-30 goals a year is too much. Still pretty surprising, though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 I think that offering Gigeure a big contract at this moment would be a mistake. Just look at Theodore, who was great in the playoff's last year, and sucked this year. The Ducks shouldnt push him just yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Yeah, I'm not completely sold on Giguere myself yet, either, but they can't let him go. He can arguably be a better box office draw for Anaheim, which is what they need in order to make money. I still can't fathom possibly letting Kariya go without getting ANYTHING in return (besides the token 30493rd round draft pick, or whatever). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Im sure Kariya would be willing to take at the least a 5K to 1 million$ pay cut, even though he said he wouldnt. He has stated many times he would stay with the Ducks, so i cant see him in any other sweater. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brush with Greatness Report post Posted July 1, 2003 The Leetch deal just earns the Oilers a compensatory pick next year (2nd roundish). Similar things happen every year. I think last year Joseph or Richter went to the Oilers, before signing with the Wings and Rangers respectively (because Richter was a UFA). It is really hard to see the Ducks letting Kariya go. But he is vastly overpaid at 10 million a season. Obviously, the fact that it was only a qualifying offer they failed to make, it means they are not interested in paying him 10 million, let alone a raise. I'm thinking the Ducks figuring is to let Kariya test the open market. With the state the league is in, I see him drawing no more than 8 million at the highest. The Ducks also have a lot more leverage with Giguere, seeing as how he is restricted. If I'm a RFA I want to sign because I don't want to potentially be missing two seasons in a row. The most interesting situation has to be in Detroit. The Wings have retained Hasek's rights. Joseph has 8 million left on a 3 year/24 million dollar deal. The interesting part is that Joseph also has a no trade clause. This means that Joseph would have to waive that clause and virtually has approval over any team he is traded to. Being Detroit, I don't want to trade him to anyone in the West. In the East the suitors would be NYR and Philly. I believe CuJo previously turned down the Flyers before jumping to the Leafs. In regards to the Rangers, why would you want to go from Detroit to New York? Although he does have ties with Sather. I also don't see Detroit getting maximum return on Joseph because of this situation, not to mention they'll probably be forced into paying for a chunk of his salary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 What is the point of bringing Hasek back? This could be the last season due to the lockout, so i really dont see the point of this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Joseph didn't turn down the Flyers, they turned him down themselves. He wanted to go there (for some ungodly reason), but they wanted to save money and went with Vanbiesbrouck (sp?) and CuJo eventually went to the Leafs. It will be interesting, though, to see what the Wings can get for him. I'm thinking nothing more than 1 regular big league player, a prospect, and a draft pick, considering the situation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 why not just bring Hasek in for trade bait? It seems logical seeing as he has only about 2-3 years maximum left in his career. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brush with Greatness Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Okay, that sounds right. Although I believe the Flyers motive for rejecting him was money and they felt Beezer was on a near equal talent level with Cujo. Regardless, why would one want to go to Philly. Cechmanek gets pissed off at his team in the 2002 playoffs for playing like shit in front of him yet he's turned into the heel. As for Hasek, something tells me that he also has a no trade clause (don't quote me). So 16 million dollars in goalies. And then you also have Manny Legace, who some feel deserves a shot at a #1 job in the NHL. This doesn't include their problems with re-signing Fedorov or the insulting contract they offered to Yzerman. Incentive based with games played being the incentive. Do they think this guy fakes being hurt to miss games or what? He's been the heart and soul of the team and to make an offer saying "we don't want to pay you if you get hurt" is a slap in the face to Stevie Y. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 What options does Kariya have? Rangers: it's a possibility, they will be big spenders this year. Wings: I doubt it. The Wings have enough problems with free agents as it is. Where else can he go, and be succesful? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest UndertakerHart Report post Posted July 1, 2003 What options does Kariya have? Rangers: it's a possibility, they will be big spenders this year. Wings: I doubt it. The Wings have enough problems with free agents as it is. Where else can he go, and be succesful? San Jose Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest gthureson Report post Posted July 1, 2003 Okay, that sounds right. Although I believe the Flyers motive for rejecting him was money and they felt Beezer was on a near equal talent level with Cujo. Regardless, why would one want to go to Philly. Cechmanek gets pissed off at his team in the 2002 playoffs for playing like shit in front of him yet he's turned into the heel. As for Hasek, something tells me that he also has a no trade clause (don't quote me). So 16 million dollars in goalies. And then you also have Manny Legace, who some feel deserves a shot at a #1 job in the NHL. This doesn't include their problems with re-signing Fedorov or the insulting contract they offered to Yzerman. Incentive based with games played being the incentive. Do they think this guy fakes being hurt to miss games or what? He's been the heart and soul of the team and to make an offer saying "we don't want to pay you if you get hurt" is a slap in the face to Stevie Y. Re: Curtis Joseph: Actually, CuJo was somewhat quoted as saying the Flyers were his first choice after he left the Oilers, but the Leafs offered him substantially more money. Beezer was the number two option. This is actually one of the reasons Leafs fans annoyed me to high hell with their CuJo=traitor bullshit last summer. Guess what, when a guy comes to your team for nothing except a big contract, don't be surprised when he leaves for a big contract and a shot to win. He has already proved himself to be a mercenary sort, don't start revising history and start turning him into some died in the blue wool Maple Leaf. I'd say expect the Flyers to end with Felix Potvin. Re: Hasek does not have a no trade clause. But of the two, you will get more for Joseph because he is younger, has 2 years left on his deal, and won't just retire if you find a way to trade him. Which is a possibility for Hasek. Remember, Dominek was going to retire in Buffalo if they didn't trade him to Detroit. CuJo likely doesn't want to be a bench warmer, so he will get traded. He will have his list of three or four teams he's willing to go to. Probably Colorado, Flyers, St. Louis type list everyone has. (Decent teams that will shell out bucks.) Re: Yzerman: How is the money they are offering him insulting. 16, 52, 54. Those are the games he has played the last 3 seasons. His injury problems are nothing new. They are in the recurring stage. 6, 35, 34. Those are his points. 75 pts in 122 games. The fact that they are offering a gimpy 38 year old millions of dollars to play for them is loyalty enough. Stevie Y stills want 8 million to play or he'll feel insulted? While at the same time the team is trying to figure out how to keep everybody in the fold so they can make another run? I think Yzerman needs to figure out his run is just about done, and he is lucky to have on more go at it. He's not worth 8-9 million anymore, and in fact, no 38 year old centre is. Thats not a slap in the face, thats professional sports. Was one good playoff run worth the 25 million he got from his last contract? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 What options does Kariya have? Rangers: it's a possibility, they will be big spenders this year. Wings: I doubt it. The Wings have enough problems with free agents as it is. Where else can he go, and be succesful? San Jose He would probably only go to S.J if Selanne was there, and he is availible today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 1, 2003 (edited) Some news: Eric Lindros is not yet an unrestricted free agent, but he may become one next Monday. NHL sources tell TSN that the New York Rangers are about to place Lindros on waivers, for the purpose of giving him his outright release. The Rangers have also traded the rights to unrestricted free agent centre Mark Messier to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations. and.... The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Jeff Hackett to a two-year contract, according to General Manager Bob Clarke. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed, but TSN has learned that Hackett will get $3 million per season both from TSN.ca Edited July 1, 2003 by hockey_fan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted July 2, 2003 Re: Curtis Joseph: Actually, CuJo was somewhat quoted as saying the Flyers were his first choice after he left the Oilers, but the Leafs offered him substantially more money. Beezer was the number two option. This is actually one of the reasons Leafs fans annoyed me to high hell with their CuJo=traitor bullshit last summer. Guess what, when a guy comes to your team for nothing except a big contract, don't be surprised when he leaves for a big contract and a shot to win. He has already proved himself to be a mercenary sort, don't start revising history and start turning him into some died in the blue wool Maple Leaf. I'd say expect the Flyers to end with Felix Potvin. I'm reasonably certain that the Flyers signed Beezer while Joseph was still on the market, figuring that he would be just as good as Joseph for less cash. The Leafs weren't really in the market for a goalie that much, as far as I can remember (although I do remember hearing rumours of a Joesph to the Leafs for Potvin to the Oilers trade) and it was a little while into the free agency period before they picked CuJo up (they had already signed Steve Thomas a few days earlier). And I think my main beef with Joseph signing with the Wings is that he really didn't seem like he wanted to leave Toronto (as witnessed by his crying at his press conference) and also that, in my world, the Leafs were almost as good a shot to win the Cup was the Wings (well, they did win 3 more playoff games this year, so that's a moral victory). Also, I was less than thrilled when Belfour was named his replacement, but I'm glad how that's worked out so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Brush with Greatness Report post Posted July 2, 2003 Re: Hasek does not have a no trade clause. But of the two, you will get more for Joseph because he is younger, has 2 years left on his deal, and won't just retire if you find a way to trade him. Which is a possibility for Hasek. Remember, Dominek was going to retire in Buffalo if they didn't trade him to Detroit. CuJo likely doesn't want to be a bench warmer, so he will get traded. He will have his list of three or four teams he's willing to go to. Probably Colorado, Flyers, St. Louis type list everyone has. (Decent teams that will shell out bucks.) Re: Yzerman: How is the money they are offering him insulting. 16, 52, 54. Those are the games he has played the last 3 seasons. His injury problems are nothing new. They are in the recurring stage. 6, 35, 34. Those are his points. 75 pts in 122 games. The fact that they are offering a gimpy 38 year old millions of dollars to play for them is loyalty enough. Stevie Y stills want 8 million to play or he'll feel insulted? While at the same time the team is trying to figure out how to keep everybody in the fold so they can make another run? I think Yzerman needs to figure out his run is just about done, and he is lucky to have on more go at it. He's not worth 8-9 million anymore, and in fact, no 38 year old centre is. Thats not a slap in the face, thats professional sports. Was one good playoff run worth the 25 million he got from his last contract? Actually, YES, Hasek DOES have a NO TRADE CLAUSE. And being that, I can't see anyone giving the Wings full market value for Joseph at the moment. Unless it's someone desperate like the Rangers. Which would be stupid because other teams may sit and wait making them the only real suitor at the moment. Now, the best move for Detroit would normally be to wait it out and find a few desperate teams who have weak regular season starts that Joseph would be willing to go to. The only problem with this is that it would then expose Manny Legace in the waiver draft, something I'm sure Detroit does not want to do. In conclusion, there is no way Detroit should get full value for Joseph. However, the Rangers being stupid as they are (it's funny because Sather was always heralded as such a great hockey mind at one point in his life) will probably make a move. However, even Sather is still smart enough to know that they can cheapen the deal a little bit. In regards to Yzerman, he is the third best forward of his era. Any cash that he gets he deserves. I'm also not sure where you are getting his numbers from. Yes he played 16, 52 and 54 games but his points were 8, 48, 52. 108 pts in 122 games. Did you make your numbers up to make your argument look stronger? He's also a +21 in that time as one of the better two way forwards in the league and one of the best leaders in the game today. Not to mention that he is one year removed from carrying the Red Wings on his back to his third Stanley Cup. He had 23 points in 23 games on one good knee and most would argue that he was much more deserving of the Conn Smythe than Lidstrom. The real slap in the face comes not in regards to money (I'm not sure where you are getting the figures, I haven't heard the exact numbers thrown around) but in the way the contract is presented. If they come to him with a 6 million dollar contract, fine (however, he himself has stated that no one has asked him to take a pay cut). What bugs me is that they came to him with an incentive based contract for the number of games played. This almost insinuates that the guy intentionally takes nights off when he's not really hurt. Has he missed a lot of games the past few seasons? Yes. Is there a possibility that he won't be able to play every game? Yes, but the fact of the matter is that even if he can't play he has earned the right as much as anybody to still get paid. Whatver monetary figure they come to him with is not an issue. Does he deserve 8-9 million? No. But he doesn't deserve this incentive based treatment shit either. And anyone with half a brain can see that YES, IT IS A SLAP IN THE FACE! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 2, 2003 Updates: 7/2/2003 Veteran star Sergei Fedorov won’t sign with the Detroit Red Wings under any circumstances, the player’s agent, Pat Brisson, told TSN Wednesday. “I’ve spoken with Sergei several times over the past few days,” said Brisson, “ and he has indicated to me that it’s time to move on.” Under previous representation, Fedorov declined a 5-year/$50 million contract. The Red Wings later rescinded an offer at 4 years/$40 million. Fedorov, 33, held out for most of the 1997-98 season because of a contract squabble. He returned to play 21 games and helped the Wings to a second consecutive Stanley Cup after the Detroit matched a five-year contract offer by the Carolina Hurricanes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2003 The Colorado Avalanche have broken the bank, signing superstars Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. The move re-unites Selanne and Kariya, who were linemates with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim before Selanne was traded to the San Jose Sharks. The Avalanche will make the official announcement at 4pm et. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MaxPower27 Report post Posted July 3, 2003 Ho. Ly. Shit. Colorado is going to be an offensive FORCE next year. Kariya, Selanne, Forsberg, Hejduk, Sakic and Tanguay ON THE SAME TEAM?! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Urban Warfare 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2003 All Colorado needs is a goalie...Possibly Joseph? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
