Jun 30 2009
The Flames signed free agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (above) to a multi-year contract less than 24 hours before he would hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. The Flames acquired his negotiating rights at this past weekend's draft from the Panthers in exchange for the negotiating rights to defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third-round pick. Bouwmeester had 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 82 games last season with Florida.
According to TSN, the deal is for five years and has an annual salary cap hit of $6.6 million.
EN Says: With Bouwmeester set to join Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr on the blue line, the Flames might have the best group of defensemen in the league. That said, they now have $20.72 tied into four defensemen including Cory Sarich. That's a lot of dough for four players. According to NHLnumbers.com, the Flames now have approximately $4.5 of salary cap space left now.
Even before the trade for Bouwmeester, they had very little chance of re-signing 30-goal forward Mike Cammalleri. He's as good as gone now. Additionally, the Flames' depth has to be something of a concern. They still need to re-construct their lower lines and final defense pair. There's not a lot of money left to fill those roster spots.
With Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff, Phaneuf and now Bouwmeester, the Flames have some of the best talent in the league but the supporting depth leaves something to be desired. More than a few holes on the roster will be plugged with AHL-caliber talent.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Jun 30 2009
We have a big deal one day before the start of free agency. The Rangers have sent Scott Gomez, forward Tom Pyatt and defenseman Mike Busto to the Canadiens in exchange for forward Christopher Higgins, defenseman Pavel Valentenko and Ryan McDonagh.
The move creates a ton of cap space for the Rangers who dumped Gomez's cap number of $7.357 million on to the Habs. Higgins, the only NHL player New York received, is a restricted free agent.
Gomez was one of the prize free agents of the 2007 offseason but never lived up to expectations on Broadway. He had 128 points (36 goals, 96 assists) in 158 games with the Rangers.
EN Says: We kind of understand the move from the Rangers' perspective in that they clearly want to take another direction (again) and unloading Gomez's big deal provides them the salary cap space to do it. And Gomez might not be a guy head coach John Tortorella is entirely in love with as a player. But the constant maneuvering of this team by general Glen Sather is just baffling. The Rangers seemingly try to assemble a different all-star team every two seasons, wash out fairly early in the playoffs and start over again. There is no quick fix in this league. As we saw with the 2005-06 Penguins, you can't just assemble a roster full of talent and hope it meshes right out of the gate. Players need a chance to develop chemistry regardless of their skill level. The Rangers will never get anywhere near a Stanley Cup title if they continue this slash and burn approach every two seasons.
Higgins is a solid player who can kill penalties, but he won't make or break anyone's roster.
The Rangers have been rumored to be pursuing disgrunted Senators forward Dany Heatley. A move like this is a step in the right direction.
For the Canadiens, they've been looking for a No. 1 center for many seasons and this is it. Gomez might not be a true, blue elite No. 1 center like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, but he's probably better than anything that would be available through free agency. His cap number is a bit high though for our tastes.
One concern we have is his ability to deal with pressure. If he couldn't deal with the bright lights in New York, what says he'll be able to do it in one of the most intense hockey markets in the NHL?
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Jun 30 2009
A sad day. That's all we can say. The great Mike Zigomanis (right) will not return to the Penguins.
Zigomanis came to the Penguins in an early season trade from Phoenix and immediately paid off for the team. In roughly two months, Zigomanis established himself as the team's best faceoff man winning 62.9 percent of hid draws (158 of 251).
A shoulder injury in December ended his season and led to a pretty obvious decline for the team.
EN Says: Where ever you are reading this, pour one out for the great Mike Zigomanis.
In all seriousness, this is the right move for the team. With the team re-signing Craig Adams and extending an offer to Tim Wallace, the Penguins have a pretty full compliment of fourth liners. And with the team still trying keep Rob Scuderi, Ruslan Fedotenko, Petr Sykora and others, Zigomanis simply would be an unnecessary luxury at this point.
Note:
Penguins defensemen Brooks Oprik and Rob Scuderi and former Penguins forward Ryan Malone and defenseman Ryan Whitney were invited to orientation camp for the United States' Olympic team. The entire list of invitations can be viewed here.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Jun 30 2009
Penguins
-Welcome back Craig Adams (right) and Bill Guerin.
-Will the Penguins be able to re-sign Rob Scuderi now?
-The PensBlog has a pretty thorough look at the Penguins' free agency situation.
-Faceoff-Factor scored an interview with prospect Eric Tangradi.
-If you happen to be at the Essar Centre in Sault St. Marie, Ont. this Friday AND you just happen to be a fan of Tyler Kennedy and/or the Stanley Cup... we've got some good news for you.
-The Penguins selected forward Andy Bathgate in the fifth round of this past weekend's draft despite the fact he missed much of last season due to a shoulder injury.
-Evgeni Malkin, living the good life.
Atlantic Division
-The Rangers extended qualifying offers to forwards Brian Boyle, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Lauri Korpikoski and defenseman Corey Potter.
-Islanders coach Scott Gordon and Rangers coach John Tortorella will serve as assistants to Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson on the United States' 2010 Olympic team.
-How important is John Tavares to the Islanders? For the first time in franchise history, the team did not have a 20-goal scorer last season.
Northeast Division
-The Bruins put forward Peter Schaefer on unconditional waivers.
-The Sabres extended qualifying offers to forwards Clarke MacArthur, Drew Stafford and defenseman Andrej Sekera. All three are restricted free agents.
-Here's a shocker. The Sabres won't be big-time shoppers come Wednesday.
-According to RDS, the Canadiens have extended a contract offer to potential unrestricted free agent forward Alex Kovalev (right). Qualifying offers were extended to forwards Kyle Chipchura, Matt D'Agostini, Christopher Higgins, Guillame Latendresse, Tomas Plekanec and Gregory Stewart.
-Canadiens legend Jean Beliveau will serve as an honorary captain for Canada in the 2010 Olympics.
-The Maple Leafs extended a qualifying offer to goaltender Justin Pogge.
-Pacifiers with the Senators' logo have been recalled due to a health hazard. No word yet on if Dany Heatley turned his in when he requested a trade.
Southeast Division
-The Hurricanes re-signed forward Jussi Jokinen (right) to a two-year deal worth $3.4 million.
-The Panthers extended qualifying offers to forwards David Booth and David Brine. Defensemen Steve Eminger, Franklin MacDonald, forwards Tanner Glass, Drew Larman, Anthony Stewart and goaltender David Shantz did not receive offers. Stewart was a first-round pick in 2003. Forward Brett McLean, he of Sidney Crosby fight fame, was put on unconditional waivers.
-The Thrashers made qualifying offers to forwards Colby Armstrong, forward Jordan Lavallee, Jim Slater, defensemen Scott Lehman, Grant Lewis, Boris Valabik and goaltender Kari Lehtonen. Former Penguins forward Chris Thorburn and goaltender Dan Turple did not receive offers.
-The Lightning extended qualifying offers to forwards Blair Jones, Martins Karsums, Radek Smolenak, Lauri Tukonen, defensemen Lukas Krajicek, Matt Lashoff, Mike Lundin, Matt Smaby and goaltender Karri Ramo. Goaltender Mike McKenna did not receive an offer.
-The Capitals extended qualifying offers to forwards Chris Bourque, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordon, Steve Pinnizzotto, Kyle Wilson, defensemen Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn and Jeff Schultz. Forwards Andrew Joudrey, Travis Morin, goaltender Daren Machesney and defenseman Sasha Pokulok did not receive offers.
Central Division
-The Blues bought out the final year of defenseman Jay McKee's contract. The team also re-signed forward Brad Winchester and pseudo former Penguins defenseman Mike Weaver to one-year deals.
-The Blackhawks agreed to a five-year contract worth $18 million with forward Dave Bolland (right). Forward Jacob Dowell and and goaltender Antti Niemi also agreed to new deals.
-Former Chicago goaltender Ed Belfour, 44, wants to come out of retirement.
-The Blue Jackets extended qualifying offers to forwards Michael Blunden, Alexandre Picard, defensemen Marc Methot, Jonathan Sigalet and goaltender Dan
LaCosta. Forwards Jiri Novotny,
forwards Petr Pohl and John Vigilante, defenseman Trevor
Hendrikx, Jon Landry, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and Kyle Wharton did not receive offers.
Northwest Division
-The Avalanche signed restricted free agent goaltender Peter Budaj (right) to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million. The team also extended a qualifying offer to forward David Jones. Forwards Tyler Arnason, Ben Guite, Ian Laperriere, Cody McCormick and goaltender Andrew Raycroft did not receive offers.
-The Wild extended qualifying offers to forward Kyle Brodziak, Robert Earl, Danny Irmen, Benoit Pouliot, goaltender Josh Harding and defenseman Clayton Stoner. Forward Dan Fritsche did not receive an offer.
-The Flames extended qualifying offers to forwards Dustin Boyd and Kris Chucko. Forwards Adam Cracknell and Aki Seitsonen did not receive offers.
Pacific Division
-San Jose signed defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million.
-The Sharks extended qualifying offers to forwards Ryan Clowe, Torrey Mitchell, Brad Staubitz and goaltender Thomas Greiss. Forwards Riley Armstrong (brother of former Penguins forward Colby Armstrong), T.J. Fox, Marcel Goc, Lukas Kaspar, Mike Morris, Tomas Plihal, Ashton Rome and goaltender Taylor Dakers. Goc (2001), Morris (2002) and Kaspar (2004) are former first-round picks.
-The Kings extended qualifying offers to defenseman Drew Bagnall, Jack Johnson, Corey Elkins, Joe
Piskula, forwards Scott Parse, Teddy Purcell and Kevin Westgarth. Forward and Vladimir Dravecky and goaltender Danny Taylor did not receive offers.
-The Ducks extended qualifying offers to defensemen Brett Festerlilng, Brian Salcido, James Wisniewski (right), forwards Petri Kontiola and Petteri Wirtanen. Forwards Michal Birner, former Penguin Erik Christensen and Chad Painchaud did not receive offers.
-The Stars extended qualifying offers to defenseman Mark Fistric and forward Aaron Gagnon.
Smythe Division
-James Mirtle takes a look at your unrestricted free agent forwards and defensemen.
-In other news, we've successfully been able to include a picture from each and every division within a single post. Time to throw a party.
(Photos: Adams-Associated Press; Kovalev-Elsa/Getty Images; Streeter Lecka-Getty Images; Bolland-Jeff Gross; Getty Images; Budaj-Doug Pensinger/Getty Images; Wisniewski-Harry How/Getty Images)
Jun 29 2009
The Penguins have tendered offers to goaltender John Curry (above), defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Tim Wallace, all of whom are restricted free agents. Goaltender David Brown was not tenured an offer and has become an unrestricted free agent.
EN Says: Not much to say really. All three players have legit chances to make the NHL team next season. Curry will probably be the top candidate to replace Mathieu Garon as Marc-Andre Fleury's back up. With Philippe Boucher, Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents Wednesday, Lovejoy will likely become one of the organization's top six or seven defensemen. Wallace is a solid fourth-liner who looked good in an limited audition in the NHL last season.
Brown probably didn't have much of a future with the organization after the development of fellow goaltenders Curry and Adam Berkhoel and the signing of Hobey Baker Award finalist Brad Thiessen.
(Photo: Associated Press)
Jun 29 2009
The Penguins have re-signed forward Bill Guerin to a one-year deal. The deal is worth $2 million.
Guerin, 38, came to the Penguins in a trade deadline deal from the Islanders in exchange for a conditional draft pick. In 78 games split between the Islanders and Penguins last season, he had 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists). In 24 playoff games, he had 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) playing mostly on Sidney Crosby's wing.
EN Says: We like the length of the deal in that it doesn't commit the Penguins to an older player to anything beyond a year. Much like the deals with Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan last offseason, it's a low-risk move that won't have any long-term impact. That said, we're curious to see what Guerin can do over the course of a complete season. In 17 regular season games with the Penguins he had 12 points (five goals, seven assists). Nice totals for a 38-year-old. But how much of that was generated out him being saved from the Islanders' horrible situation and thrust into the midst of a playoff race with the Penguins? Was Guerin given a shot of energy from that? Will he be able to keep that enthusiasm over the course of 82 games?
Guerin obviously worked well on Crosby's wing and on the power play and he genuinely seemed to love the situation here in Pittsburgh from the team to the fanbase. Additionally, Crosby clearly appreciated having a teammate with his moxie and experience to lean on. In that respect, it's a good move.
If we're doing our math right, it looks like the Penguins now have about $5.7 million of salary cap space left after the signings of Guerin and Craig Adams today.
UPDATE: According to Dave Molinari, the Penguins have made qualifying offers to goaltender John Curry, defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Tim Wallace, all of whom are restricted free agents. Goaltender David Brown was not tendered an offer and has become an unrestricted free agent.
(Photos: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Jun 29 2009
The Penguins re-signed forward Craig Adams to a two-year deal worth $550,000 per season. That's a cut of $50,000 from his previous contract.
In 45 games with the Blackhawks and Penguins last season, he had two goals and five assists. He appeared in all 24 of the Penguins' playoff games this past season and scored three goals and two assists while earning his second Stanley Cup ring in four seasons.
EN Says: Nice move. Adams was a shrewd acquisition off waivers at the trade deadline which really paid off. He brought a lot to the table as a fourth-liner and penalty killer. And it spoke volume as to what Dan Bylsma thought of Adams when he stuck him on the ice for the final faceoff of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final when everything was essentially on the line.
Plus, good luck finding another solid penalty killer from Burma.
(Photo: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Jun 29 2009
One last draft-related list. We promise.
While reviewing the Penguins' draft history, we decided to rank their ten best draft classes. All players are listed with their statistics as Penguins.
1.) 1984
First Round - Mario Lemieux, C - first round - 915 games played, 690 goals, 1,033 assists, 1,723 points
First Round - Doug Bodger, D - 299 games played, 25 goals, 132 assists, 167 points
Notables: Now it might seemed a little lame to just pick the draft that netted the best player in team history, but find us a player who ever meant more to one franchise in any sport. It didn't take any stroke of genius to draft Mario Lemieux. But the team did and it's still reaping the benefits 25 years later. Additionally, Doug Bodger was a fairly serviceable player who gave some solid offensive numbers. Ultimately, his greatest value to the Penguins was being a piece of a trade that netted franchise goaltender Tom Barrasso from Buffalo.
2.) 2004
First Round - Evgeni Malkin, C - 242 games played, 115 goals, 189 points, 304 points
Second Round - Alex Goligoski, D - 48 games played, 6 goals, 16 assists, 22 points
Fourth Round - Tyler Kennedy, C 122 games played, 25 goals, 29 assists, 54 points
Notables: It's kind of funny to think that Evgeni Malkin was originally seen as a disappointment simply by not being Alex Ovechkin. The future Capitals star was the young talent everyone was salivating over. He was the player everyone was familiar with. Malkin was the concession prize very few people had even heard of. Five years later, he might not be Ovechkin, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Goligoski is still developing, but the Penguins have enough faith in him that they offered a new contract worth $1.8 million last week. Kennedy has developed in to the prototypical third-liner and even scored a few game-winning goals for the team in this past season's playoffs. All three players just earned Stanley Cup rings.
3.) 2005
First Round - Sidney Crosby, C - 290 games played, 132 goals, 265 assists, 397 points
Third Round - Kris Letang, D - 144 games played, 18 goals, 34 assists, 52 points
Notables: This is kind of like the 1984 draft. The Penguins netted a player with the first overall pick that saved the franchise and also found a nice defenseman with offensive upside. Like Lemieux, Crosby wasn't some diamond in the rough. He was a slam dunk pick. Anyone could've made the pick at No. 1 overall. But it changed the direction of the franchise in more ways that can be measured on and off the ice. And Kris Letang has become a vital member of the team. He's become the team's No. 2 defenseman and a key cog of the top power play unit.
4.) 1990
First Round - Jaromir Jagr, RW - 806 games played, 439 goals, 640 assists, 1,079 points
Third Round - Joe Dziedzic, LW - 128 games played, 14 goals, 14 assists, 28 points
Fourth Round - Chris Tamer, D - 253 games played, 8 goals, 21 assists, 29 points
Sixth Round - Ian Moran, D - 433 games played, 19 goals, 44 assists, 63 points
Notables: This was the Penguins' deepest draft in that it netted them four NHL regulars, including a player who won the Art Ross Trophy a few times. Jagr was seen as something of a reach as the No. 5 overall pick due to some political issues with the former Czechoslovakia. After some growing pains, he developed into the best player in the world for half a decade. Joe Dziedzic might not be a name too many folks remember (or can spell) but he ended up being a fairly solid power forward for parts of two seasons in the mid 1990s. Tamer became the team's most physical defenseman from the mid to late 1990s and was willing to drop the gloves with anyone. Moran was a solid, stay-at-home type who was a fixture on the team from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s.
5.) 1974
First Round - Pierre Larouche, C - 240 games played, 119 goals, 134 assists, 253 points
Fourth Round - Mario Faubert, D - 231 games played, 21 goals, 90 assists, 111 points
Notables: This was like the poor man's version of 1984 draft. The Penguins netted a player that gave the team one of its first real superstars and also gained a serviceable defenseman with offensive skills. Larouche gave the Penguins a dynamic scoring treat and was the franchise's first 100-point scorer in 1975-76. Faubert would've had a longer career in the NHL were it not for a leg injury early in the 1981-82 season.
6.) 2002
First Round - Ryan Whitney (above), D - 253 games played, 34 goals, 116 assists, 150 points
Third Round - Erik Christensen, C - 143 games played, 33 goals, 33 assists, 66 points
Eighth Round - Maxime Talbot, C - 262 games played, 42 goals, 38 assists, 80 points
Notables: Whitney never reached his potential with the Penguins, but for parts of four seasons, the was the team's No. 2 defenseman and a vital part of it's power play. Ultimately, he was most valuable as a commodity that netted the franchise a first-liner in Chris Kunitz and a prospect in Eric Tangradi. Christensen was another player who never reached his potential but was a dynamic threat in the shootout. And just like Whitney, he was part of trade that brought Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to Pittsburgh. Talbot is arguably the team's best late-round find ever. He has become an invaluable part of the franchise's resurgence this decade.
7.) 1973
Second Round - Wayne Bianchin, LW - 265 games played, 68 goals, 41 assists, 109 points
Second Round - Colin Campbell, D - 243 games played, 14 goals, 52 assists, 66 points
Fourth Round - Dennis Owchar, D - 168 games played, 18 goals, 49 assists, 67 points
Notables: Bianchin's career was derailed a bit at the start due to a neck injury but he rebounded to become a two-time 20-goal scorer and a reliable penalty killer. Campbell's more notable these days as the oft-questioned czar of discipline for the NHL, but he started his playing career as a rough and tumble physical defenseman who spent parts of four seasons with the Penguins. Like Campbell, Owchar was a physical defender who helped the team reach the postseason three times in the mid 1970s.
8.) 1995
First Round - Aleksey Morozov, RW - 451 games played, 84 goals, 135 assists, 219 points
Third Round - Jean-Sebastien Aubrin, G - 168 games played, 63-72-11, 2.92 goals against average, .901 save percentage
Fifth Round - Jan Hrdina, C - 366 games played, 79 goals, 148 assists, 227 points
Notable: We ranked this draft higher than some others for the fact that is netted the team three solid, but not spectacular NHL players. Looking at the draft history of the team, getting two consistent, regular players let along three is something of a miracle. Morozov was a player who never quite reached his potential but was a part of some successful teams in the late 1990s. Aubin was a on again, off again starter for parts of two seasons. Again, nothing spectacular, but that's not bad return for a third-rounder. Hrdina was easily the best player acquired in this draft as he became a regular on the team's first and second lines for several seasons and it's top force in the faceoff circle.
9.) 1976
First Round - Blair Chapman, RW - 227 games played, 48 goals, 51 assists, 99 points
Second Round - Greg Malone, C - 495 games played, 143 goals, 221 assists, 364 points
Notables: Chapman might've been something of a disappointment after a strong rookie and sophomore campaign, but he did reach the 20-goal mark in 1977-78. Malone was by far the best pick of this draft turning out to be one of the team's most consistent offensive threats from the mid 1970s to early 1980s.
10.) 1985
First Round - Craig Simpson, LW - 169 games played, 50 goals, 55 assists, 105 points
Eighth Round - Paul Stanton, D - 206 games played, 11 goals, 28 assists, 49 points
Ninth Round - Jim Paek, D - 170 games played, 4 goals, 26 assists, 30 points
Notables: Simpson steadily progressed in his time as a Penguins but the team did not. After a 26-goal effort his sophomore season, he was sent to Edmonton as part of a deal that netted the team all-star defenseman Paul Coffey. Stanton and Paek were hardly spectacular talents, but they were steady top six defensemen on the franchise's first two Stanley Cup championship squads.
Honorable mentions
1975 - Russ Anderson, D; Paul Baxter, D
1986 - Zarley Zalapski, D; Rob Brown, RW, Jeff Daniels, LW; Dave McLlwain, C
(Photos: Larouche-Photobucket; Whitney-Jim McIsaac/Getty Images; Bianchin-eBay)
Jun 29 2009
Penguins
-Penguins draft pick Ben Hanowski is kind of a big deal in Minnesota.
-Alex Goligoski is no Greg Andrusak.
-Mario Lemieux sure likes his text messages. He sent one to first-round pick Simon Despres welcoming him to the team.
Atlantic Division
-Did the Islanders screw up by not taking power forward Zach Kassian with their second first-round pick?
Northeast Division
'"That's because nobody wants him. Nobody."
- An anonymous NHL executive on the difficulties Senators general
manager Bryan Murray is having in trying to move disgruntled forward
Dany Heatley (right).
Northwest Division
-It looks like the Wild will be pretty aggressive in the free agent market.
Norris Division
-James Mirtle takes a look at your free agent goaltenders.
(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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