NHL Free Agency 2003

[Guest nl5xsk1]

Picking up Federov was a good move for Anaheim ... they got him at less than they would have had to pay Kariya if the tendered him a contract, and I consider to Federov to be the better player. They can use the $2 million that they saved from this move to offer Giguere more.

 

Not a bad recovery for Anaheim.

[Guest MaxPower27]

^^^ I agree.

[Guest The1977Canadiens]

Fedorov signs with....

Heh, looks like the Ducks finally found their Adam Banks

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Fedorov signs with....

Heh, looks like the Ducks finally found their Adam Banks

Damn that was good.

[Urban Warfare 0]

Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal. The contract reportedly has a $6 million base salary, however the 38-year old can make up to $8 million through a series of performance clauses. The agreement comes on the heels of the Red Wings losing unrestricted free agent Sergei Fedorov to Anaheim on Saturday. Fedorov, signed a five-year, $40 million contract

 

TSN.ca

[Guest redbaron51]

its good to see Stevie stick out with detroit through his whole career

[Guest MaxPower27]

Numminen to Dallas in three way deal

 

7/22/2003

 

A three-team, two-part trade will see defenceman Teppo Numminen change franchises for the first time in his 15-year NHL career.

 

 

 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent centre Mike Sillinger and a second round draft pick to the Dallas Stars for defenceman Darryl Sydor. The Stars then sent Sillinger to the Phoenix Coyotes for Teppo Numminen, who waived his no-trade clause to go to Dallas.

 

 

 

Numminen, who is scheduled to make $4.5-million next year, has spent his entire 15-year NHL career with the Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets franchise. He was originally drafted by the Jets in 1986 and joined the NHL club for the 1989-1990 season.

 

 

 

Numminen's 1,098 games with the franchise rank as the third-most with one team in the NHL among active players behind Detroit's Steve Yzerman (1,378) and New Jersey's Ken Daneyko (1,283).

 

 

 

 

 

Numminen has scored 108 goals and 534 points in his NHL career. He has six goals and 30 points in 78 games with the Coyotes last season.

 

 

 

"Teppo Numminen is a talented player who adds veteran leadership and experience to our defensive corps," Stars general manager Doug Armstrong said. "He plays a solid game on both ends of the ice and is the consummate professional. We're very excited to add him to our team."

 

 

 

Sydor, who is in the second year of a five-year, $15.8 million contract, has spent 12 NHL seasons with Los Angeles and Dallas. He scored five goals and 36 points with the Stars last season and has tallied 82 goals and 405 points in 863 career NHL games.

 

 

 

The emergence of Philippe Boucher and Stephane Robidas on defence helped make Sydor expendable along with Dallas' need to clear payroll space to re-sign potential free agents Mike Modano, Jason Arnott and Jere Lehtinen in the future.

 

 

 

Sillinger, who will earn $1.8-million last year, has played parts of 12 NHL seasons with the Detroit, Anaheim, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa and Columbus. He scored 18 goals and 43 points in 75 games with the Blue Jackets last season and has 153 goals and 374 points in 753 career NHL games.

 

Wow. I thought Teppo was never going to leave.

 

Looks like Dallas might not be so bad defensively.

[Guest The Czech Republic]

I hate Yzerman and all the Red Wings, but I respect him for sticking around in Detroit through it all, as everyone in the NHL is such a team whore.

[Guest starvenger]

its good to see Stevie stick out with detroit through his whole career

I agree. It'd suck for Detroit to ditch their franchise player at this point in his career...

[Guest MaxPower27]

Too bad Detroit's other franchise player ditched them.

[Guest redbaron51]

Too bad Detroit's other franchise player ditched them.

Federov is no franchise player in Detroit eyes. Maybe 5 years ago, but he's just like the regular guys on the team.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

Having Darren McCarty stay with the Wings was probably more crucial than Federov. Sergei would have cost them so much more money and would have potentially been a liability if/when there's a salary cap. Plus, McCarty is so popular in Detroit that losing him would have pissed a lot of fans off.

[Guest Slingshot Suplex]

D Mac is almost folk hero-like in Detroit...not on the Probert level ..but up there.

[Urban Warfare 0]

7/24/2003

 

EL SEGUNDO, CA. - The Los Angeles Kings have signed free agent left wing Luc Robitaille – the highest-scoring left winger in the history of the NHL with 631 career goals - to a one-year contract, Kings Senior Vice President/General Manager Dave Taylor announced today. Per club policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

 

TSN.ca

[Guest redbaron51]

Lucky Luc going back to the team he plays for the most (i think).

 

Luc fits well with the Kings.

[Guest redbaron51]

Rangers sign Chris Simon

 

 

Canadian Press

 

 

 

 

7/25/2003

 

The New York Rangers signed unrestricted free agent Chris Simon on Friday.

 

 

 

The rugged winger made $2.25 million US last season with the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks. Terms of the new deal weren't released.

 

 

 

``Chris is a player who has established himself as a physical presence over his career in the National Hockey League,'' Rangers coach/GM Glen Sather said in a release. ``He is a tremendous team player who we expect to make a great contribution to the overall success of our hockey club.''

 

 

 

Simon, 31, appeared in 71 games for the Capitals and Blackhawks last season, registering 12 goals and eight assists with 148 penalty minutes.

 

 

 

The 6-4, 236-pound winger has spent his 11-year NHL career with the Blackhawks, Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche and Capitals, recording 108 goals and 117 assists with 1,346 penalty minutes in 527 matches.

 

 

 

The native of Wawa, Ont., was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers 25th overall in the 1990 draft.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

As much as I love Robitaille as a player, he really should hang up his skates. He played Ok for the Wings, but because of their depth he wasn't leaned on as much. On the Kings he'll need to be a consistent 2nd line player if they're going to make some noise in the West, and I don't know if he can carry his load anymore.

 

And the Rangers picking up Simon ... they need players that can put the puck in the net, and prevent pucks from going into their own ... not another "physical presence". 20 point in 71 games isn't enough to push them back into the playoffs.

[Urban Warfare 0]

The Detroit Free Press reported Friday that Red Wings general manager Ken Holland has thought about waiving goalkeeper Curtis Joseph. Joseph became expendable when Dominik Hasek announced his return to Detroit last month

 

TSN.ca

[Guest Brush with Greatness]

The thing is, with this lack of interest in Cujo right now, that is what it will probably come down to. That or unloading him real cheap. Because come waiver draft time the Wings are going to have to either expose Cujo or Legace and lose one anyways. The alternative would be to swap him to a team that has an open spot to protect a goalie during the waiver draft and dealing that team something small back (prospect, plugger or draft pick) to return the favour. Thus retaining the rights to Cujo, Dom and Manny throughout the season until someone gets in trouble and is desperate.

[Guest Shaved Bear]

As much as I love Robitaille as a player, he really should hang up his skates. He played Ok for the Wings, but because of their depth he wasn't leaned on as much. On the Kings he'll need to be a consistent 2nd line player if they're going to make some noise in the West, and I don't know if he can carry his load anymore.

 

And the Rangers picking up Simon ... they need players that can put the puck in the net, and prevent pucks from going into their own ... not another "physical presence". 20 point in 71 games isn't enough to push them back into the playoffs.

the rangers can have 6 Jesuses out there every night and they still woulnt make the playoffs

 

...Im a Ranger fan, its been hard

[nl5xsk1 0]

DETROIT -- The Boston Bruins are interested in obtaining Red Wings goaltender Curtis Joseph, according to Boston's general manager.

 

Mike O'Connell confirmed the team has approached Detroit about Joseph, who became expendable when Dominik Hasek last month decided to come out of retirement to rejoin the Red Wings.

 

"I talked to Detroit on Friday. They said we'll make sure we stay in touch," O'Connell said during a conference call.

 

Calling Joseph a potential "big piece" to the Bruins' goaltending situation, O'Connell said he didn't expect to hear back from Detroit "for another couple of weeks."

 

Detroit signed Joseph, 36, last summer to a three-year, $24 million deal as Hasek's replacement. That contract includes a no-trade clause.

 

Detroit General Manager Ken Holland has said he hopes to have a deal to trade Joseph done before training camp starts in September.

 

Phone messages left with the Red Wings and Don Meehan, Joseph's agent, were not immediately returned.

 

 

 

 

I can't see the B's paying ANYONE $8-million per year, but if they could pick up a goalie like CuJo, it'd certainly help their chances of making the playoffs, which I doubted would happen with Shields/Raycroft in net.

[starvenger 0]

I can't see the B's paying ANYONE $8-million per year, but if they could pick up a goalie like CuJo, it'd certainly help their chances of making the playoffs, which I doubted would happen with Shields/Raycroft in net.

Yeah, the Bruins are tight (they're the only team to ever walk away from a salary arbitration decision) but sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet, especially with a goalie.

 

The question I'd ask is what they're willing to give up for him.

[Guest gthureson]

The thing is, with this lack of interest in Cujo right now, that is what it will probably come down to. That or unloading him real cheap. Because come waiver draft time the Wings are going to have to either expose Cujo or Legace and lose one anyways. The alternative would be to swap him to a team that has an open spot to protect a goalie during the waiver draft and dealing that team something small back (prospect, plugger or draft pick) to return the favour. Thus retaining the rights to Cujo, Dom and Manny throughout the season until someone gets in trouble and is desperate.

That'd be a big no-no due to the old Mike Smith/Bob Clarke shenanigans between the Jets and the Flyers about a decade ago.

 

They used to pull that stuff to keep players like Pete Peeters and Steph Beauregard from getting claimed, and the league actually put in a rule to clamp down on that abuse.

 

Deal a guy within a certain timeframe from the waiver draft, and you can't get him back for a year. Rule cropped up when the Flames tried to get Deano McAmmond back from the Avs at the deadline. Couldn't suit up for the rest of the year, because the Drury-Morris deal that he was a part of was too close to the waiver draft.

 

Joseph either gets dealt by the waiver draft, or he goes. Manny is a fine back-up, and is alot cheaper.

[starvenger 0]

Legace should have been the starter last year anyways, imo.

[nl5xsk1 0]

CuJo makes more sense as a starter than Legace, especially for a Cup contender like the Wings. (Yeah, he lost in the first round but that was due to Giguere standing on his head than anything that CuJo did wrong.) If it's a team like Buffalo or Pittsburgh that isn't going to win it all anyways, then you go with the kid to give him more playing time. And I actually would keep CuJo over Hasek; who knows how much that year off will hurt is skills?

 

In terms of who the B's would have to give up, the only name I can think of is Lapointe. He's due to make a ton of cash again this year, and I can't see that piece of shit Jacobs have 3 players making more than $5-million/year on the team. If not Lapointe, then maybe Samsonov, but if they traded a young Samsonov for a rent-a-goalie like CuJo, consider me PISSED.

[Brush with Greatness 0]

Meehan: Cujo would not reject a trade

 

8/17/2003

 

If the Detroit Red Wings were to work out a deal to send Curtis Joseph to Boston, it seems the veteran goaltender would not object.

 

Joseph's agent, Don Meehan, told the Boston Globe on Sunday that there is no list, per se, of the cities for which his star goalie would waive his no-trade clause.

 

"If you are asking me if Curtis would have an initial objection to playing in Boston, then the answer is no," he told the paper.

 

The Globe added that Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell expects to talk to Detroit GM Ken Holland again late this week about a deal to bring Joseph to Beantown.

 

The Bruins have been rumoured to be one of several teams with an interest in the $8 million-a-year goaltender. Reports have said that the Bruins wouldn't take on that salary without somehow stripping money out of the projected payroll for each of the next two or three years.

 

Joseph became expendable when Dominik Hasek announced his return to Detroit last month after a one-year retirement. Hasek helped lead the Red Wings to their third Stanley Cup in six years in 2002.

 

Source  TSN.ca

 

 

Interesting.

[starvenger 0]

Not really a "free agent" deal, but it's hockey related, so from The Toronto Star, an opinion about the Leafs newest puppet... er, GM.

 

Looks like the same old Leafs

Don't expect much if Ferguson is GM

 

DAMIEN COX

 

It would be unreasonable to suggest John Ferguson Jr. can't become the NHL's next Sam Pollock.

 

Maybe he can. Quite frankly, even the best-connected people in the game don't know a great deal about this ambitious fellow, other than he's the son of former Montreal policeman John Ferguson.

 

So who's to say what he can or can't be?

 

He's like a second-round draft pick with a chance, maybe, to make the big club as a regular two or three years down the line.

 

He is a relative nobody in the sport who has done little and has few credentials, which makes him impossible to judge as a hockey person of substance.

 

"Quite frankly, if I ever had anything serious to discuss with St. Louis, I talked to (Blues GM) Larry Pleau," one prominent player agent said yesterday.

 

That's interesting, and rather odd, since Ferguson Jr.'s apparent claim to fame is that he's been in charge of all contract matters for the Blues since becoming assistant GM.

 

Then again, the team that's apparently researched Fergie Jr.'s managerial resumé so very closely in recent weeks, the Maple Leafs, is the very same club that gave Bryan McCabe an $800,000 (U.S.) raise last week after the young defenceman delivered a dreadful season last year and was afraid to take his case to salary arbitration.

 

If McCabe could talk 'em into that deal, well, it's clear logic is not running amok at the Air Canada Centre.

 

They say they have no money, then give McCabe a 35 per cent raise.

 

They say they want a "star" as their next GM, then opt for the anonymous son of a famous former NHLer.

 

Of the four finalists, a group that also included former New York Rangers GM Neil Smith, Hockey Canada boss Bob Nicholson and Vancouver Canucks player personnel director GM Steve Tambellini, Ferguson Jr. is the least qualified, and by a fair distance.

 

He may be very talented, but his hockey resumé to this point is very, very thin.

 

That he could emerge as the next general manager of Toronto's Original Six franchise seems nothing short of utterly bizarre.

 

There's only one apparent shared trait with those already in place.

 

Like Richard Peddie, Pat Quinn, Ken Dryden, Rick Ley, Mike Penny, Barry Trapp, Doug Shedden, Murray Oliver, Thommie Bergman, Mike Palmateer and most everyone else in the organization, Ferguson has never contributed to a Stanley Cup championship in a management, scouting or coaching capacity.

 

No wonder Smith wasn't their man. It figures the only way he could have fit in with these underachievers would have been if he was willing to deny any involvement with the '94 Rangers.

 

Sadly, this process and its apparent conclusion is just the latest indication that the new era of hockey and basketball excellence that was supposed to dawn with the ascension of Larry Tanenbaum isn't going to happen, at least not soon.

 

Quinn, adrift in a sea of paranoia and self-interest, insisted nobody of substance could be brought in, and thus wouldn't support Smith.

 

His bitter internal rival, Dryden, undoubtedly blocked Tambellini, who would have been Quinn's choice. With Nicholson also a Quinn pal, Ferguson may have moved up the middle as a compromise candidate. And the Leafs are always willing to compromise when it comes to the pursuit of excellence.

 

The club desperately needs help in the player personnel department, but Ferguson's training suggests he can't help them there unless the Leafs are combing the Worcester IceCats' roster for blue-line talent.

 

In the short term, Ferguson will be a Leaf executive of no consequence with Quinn still in total control and surrounded by loyal cronies, yet another indication on top of all the nothing that has happened since the Leafs ended last season losing 6-0 in Philly that the club has no intention of trying to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.

 

These guys are already in the post-lockout mode.

 

So much for the Tanenbaum revolution.

Nice to see that we missed out on signing (or at least trying to sign) some decent players (not named Kariya and Selanne) to find out that we're getting a rookie GM...

[Red Baron 0]

Ferguson has quite a resume I must say, and will obviously do better than Quinn in his first season, then Quinn did ever as a GM.

 

Also Hedburg went to the Nucks in a little trade for a 4th rounder...quite interseting.

[Slingshot Suplex 0]

Boston signed Felix Potvin so it looks like Boston is eliminated from the "Where does Cujo go?" list of contenders.

[nl5xsk1 0]

Boston signed Felix Potvin so it looks like Boston is eliminated from the "Where does Cujo go?" list of contenders.

While I'd have preferred CuJo, not at the amount of money it would have cost the B's ... if there's any sorts of salary cap after the CBA expires, having to pay anyone $8 Million+ will be crippling.

 

Even though he's not as good as Joseph, Potvin is better than Shields, Raycroft, Dafoe, Grahame, Lacher, Skudra, etc etc. (anyone that's followed the Bruins knows how many names that I'd have to list before I mentioned a really good goalie that wore the Spoked B)