the official JULY 1ST 2008 NHL FREE AGENT THREAD!!

jackrabbit slim

I hope his lady friend likes the cold cold streets Of avangard or mordor or wherever the hell he went to.

Rygar

jackrabbit slim wrote:

I hope his lady friend likes the cold cold streets Of avangard or mordor or wherever the hell he went to.

Mordor!
BHAHAHAhAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

jackrabbit slim

Thecure wrote:

what does jagr have to still prove in the NHL. good for him if he wants to go and make money. are you more upset that he is going to Russia or not going to Pitts? also Malkin already signed a contract extensionm so you won't have to worry about him leaving for a while.

The malkin thing was a joke. And i think it is stupid to go to russia. He's giving up on the best hockey league in the world to play for a second rate one. Jags can do what he wants that's just my opinion.

MegaphoneWhisper

Great thread!

I'm know that we don't figure into the conversation much, but, it has been an awesome free-agency period for us Bolt fans.

Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Olaf Kolzig, Radim Vrbata, Vinny Prospal, Adam Hall, Niskala, Koci etc... Not to mention grabbing Jussi Jokinen, Mike Smith & Jeff Halpern at the deadline last season.

The new owners down here are really good for the sport (in this area). They are not just bean counters. They are true hockey fans. This makes all the difference in the world.

stickboy

jackrabbit slim wrote:

damn no more jagr in pit. So he's still all about the money, guess it's a good thing he didn't come to the pens. don't want him corrupting evgeni and sending him to russia too.

I dont think it was about the money this time. Jags was saying the decison will be made based on his parents and his wife/gf...so who knows. Im sure a few million dollars help your decision any day tho, lol

edit-from nhl.com

An emotionally-drained Jaromir Jagr believes his decision to leave the NHL was the most difficult in his career. Yet the right one.

"It wasn't an easy decision," the star winger told The Canadian Press in a phone interview Friday. "It was the toughest decision in my life, hockey-wise. ...

"It was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be," he added. "No question about it. I hate making changes."

The 36-year-old Czech signed a "letter of intent" with Avangard Omsk of the Continental Hockey League around 3 a.m. ET Friday, according to his agent Pat Brisson.

While Brisson and Jagr both refused to provide contract details, it's believed the deal is for two years plus an option for a third, and will pay Jagr around US$7 million tax-free - the equivalent of around $11 million a season in the NHL.

Jagr played in Omsk during the 2004-05 NHL lockout and enjoyed his experience.

"Don't forget I'm from Europe," said Jagr. "Russia is nothing new for me. It's close to the Czech Republic. It would be different for American or Canadian players but for me, I enjoy it. The people love hockey and I had a great time out there."

For the upstart Russian league, the signing will be a huge victory in its attempt to lure NHL stars. Whether they can attract star players before their twilight years is another matter.

And it's clear that if an NHL team had met Jagr's request in term, he might be playing in North America next season. Jagr had hoped for a three-year deal that would bridge that gap to his planned return to his native Kladno, where his father is set to open a new arena with his son playing for the local club.

"I wanted to go home in three years so I was looking for a three-year contract if I wanted to stay here," said Jagr. "But it looks like with the new CBA, it's tough for older guys to sign long-term contracts because teams are worried you're going to get injured or retire and they're stuck with the salary on the salary cap."

As Jagr pointed out, the CBA stipulates that players 35 and over have their full contracts count against the salary cap even if the player retires midway through or gets hit by a bus.

"So it was too tough for any team to sign me to a three-year contract," said Jagr. "But I didn't want to do a one-year deal because I didn't want to go through the same thing again next summer. Because I really didn't enjoy this."

Pittsburgh, Edmonton and the Rangers are believed to be the three teams that had the most interest in Jagr. All of them offered one-year deals.

"I want to thank all the teams that still believed in me and still made an offer," said Jagr. "Edmonton was probably the biggest offer I got. It was a great offer, to be honest with you."

While Jagr refused to say - "I don't want to get into that" - it's believed Edmonton offered a one-year deal worth around $8 million.

"I wish them good luck and thanks to (GM) Kevin Lowe and the new owner," said Jagr. "It wasn't an easy decision."

stickboy

Bernier bounces Buffalo and signs with Vancouver.
Buffalo gets back a 3rd round pick in 09 and a 2nd round pick in 2010

stickboy

Craig Rivet goes from Sharks to Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres acquired veteran defenseman Craig Rivet from the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

The Sharks sent the 33-year-old veteran and a seventh-round selection in the 2010 Entry Draft to the Sabres in exchange for second-round selections in the 2009 and 2010 Drafts.

Rivet will help the Sabres replace Dmitri Kalinin, who signed with the New York Rangers on Thursday.

In 2007-08, Rivet scored five goals and 30 assists in 74 regular season games. The assists and 35 points were career highs. He also had six assists in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Rivet was originally selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the 68th pick of the 1992 Entry Draft. Rivet was traded to San Jose on Feb. 25, 2007 along with a fifth-round pick in 2008 in exchange for defenseman Josh Gorges and a 2007 first-round pick.

For his career, Rivet has scored 45 goals and 149 assists in 744 regular-season games.

It marked the second trade of the day for the Sabres, who earlier swapped restricted free agent forward Steve Bernier to the Vancouver Canucks for a pair of draft picks.

blackredyellow

Rygar wrote:

lolsters

What do you think of Laraques to Montreal? Is it good for me, or will he even get noticed?

Laraque is a decent player... Well, last year he was when he came into camp in much better shape than he was in when the Pens traded for him.

He actually has ok hands, and works good down low.

The fighting thing is where I have a problem with him... He is obviously a tough fighter, but ALL of his fights are like pre-arranged bouts in some random second period of games that have nothing going on.

The Pens were involved in some chippy, scrappy games, and I don't think Laraque did anything in any of those games.

stickboy

few more moves made today:


http://www.nhl.com/

stickboy

Strudwick leaves our Blueshirts to head to Edmonton


and Demitra just joined the Canucks


http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=22924

smarchee

has there been a quicker fall from grace than Ray Emery ?

About 13 months he goes from starting goalie in the Cup finals to total team cancer to signign in Russia.

stickboy

smarchee wrote:

has there been a quicker fall from grace than Ray Emery ?

About 13 months he goes from starting goalie in the Cup finals to total team cancer to signign in Russia.

I dunno....
Alexandre Daigle?

Europes picking up players left and right..interesting. Edit- Speaking of that..Alex Radulov of the Predators also just signed with Russia
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Why-Nashville-s-Alexander-Radulov-defected-back-;_ylt=AgIse0OcjhLCmYUZ0uGCZJk5nYcB?urn=nhl,93407

BUT:

http://predators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368251

Rygar

stickboy wrote:

I dunno....
Alexandre Daigle?

Europes picking up players left and right..interesting. Edit- Speaking of that..Alex Radulov of the Predators also just signed with Russia
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Why-Nashville-s-Alexander-Radulov-defected-back-;_ylt=AgIse0OcjhLCmYUZ0uGCZJk5nYcB?urn=nhl,93407

BUT:

http://predators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368251

Radulov and his agent say that the deal with Russia was signed before the new agreement between the NHL and the KHL (Russian Continental League). Should be an interesting mud slinging.

Speaking of, shut the fuck up already Brian Burke.

Rygar

Montreal traded Corey Locke to Minnesota for Sean Belle.
I know nothing of Belle.
Locke is a prospect, who has definite potential but no clear signs of eventual success, so who knows. From the article Belle is 23 and has been with the farm team for the last 3 years, but was named to the Cdn national team 4x during his junior career.

Interesting off season for my team. We haven't given up much but we added Tanguay and Laraque. Lost Ryder, and prospects Grabovski and Locke. We have one defensemen left to sign and that'll leave us ~7 mil for an offer for Sundin. Cup contenders? Realistic, but anything can happen.

stickboy

few more signings today

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=22924

of significance, Jason Williams jumps ship to Atlanta Thrash and Sergei Fedorov re-signed with the Caps

stickboy

go islanders!!!! lmao
BIG BIG MOVES to turn the franchise around!

the re-signed Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Jerremy Colliton and Ben Walter.


montral and buff re-signed a few more guys

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&id=22924

smarchee

I hear this rumour

To Ottawa - Khabibulin, Seabroook
To Los Angeles - Gerber, Mezjaros
To Chicago - Kopitar

GoBucky

smarchee wrote:

I hear this rumour

To Ottawa - Khabibulin, Seabroook
To Los Angeles - Gerber, Mezjaros
To Chicago - Kopitar

If it happens, it'll be Barker and not Seabs. On my way to the Hawks Convention right now.

smarchee

GoBucky wrote:

If it happens, it'll be Barker and not Seabs. On my way to the Hawks Convention right now.

actually, you're right, I have heard it could be either