NHL Free Agency

[No Pressure]

Hossa is a great regular season player. But you will soon be lauding this deal when he dissapears in the playoffs.

That is fine.  I think with another year of experience,  Toews,Bolland,Kane,Versteeg, and our young Defenseman can step up now that they have seen the playoffs.  Hossa will probably just play a smaller role, which might make him put up better numbers as a result.

[Beninato]

I wonder what the Minnesota Wild are going to do. Hockey crazy market, have sold out every game in their existence, have a ton of cap room. They wanted Hossa and then he gets a ridiculous contract. They are in a love/hate with Gaborik right now and are torn on him. Will they head for Havlat? Michael Cammalleri? They also have a young goalie in Josh Harding who has considerable trade value for teams looking for a net minder.

[cselby]

I wonder what the Minnesota Wild are going to do. Hockey crazy market, have sold out every game in their existence, have a ton of cap room. They wanted Hossa and then he gets a ridiculous contract. They are in a love/hate with Gaborik right now and are torn on him. Will they head for Havlat? Michael Cammalleri? They also have a young goalie in Josh Harding who has considerable trade value for teams looking for a net minder.

I can see them going for Havlat. Gaborik sucks, he is always getting injured and he is a horrid defensive player and is turnover prone. He's a remarkable talent but hes also a massive waste of that talent.

[Beninato]

The Leafs send a shot across the Eastern conference, they have sign Mike Komisarek.

[cselby]

The Leafs send a shot across the Eastern conference, they have sign Mike Komisarek.

Yep, great signing by them, also trading Pavel Kubina to Atlanta for Garnett Exelby which is a money saving move and Exelby isn't a bad player either.

However with the Komisarek signing and the emergence of Luke Schenn, I think this is all setting up for a Kaberle trade. With all the good D off the market Kaberles value will be extremely high and the Leafs can get a top-tier winger for him.

[Beninato]

Yep, great signing by them, also trading Pavel Kubina to Atlanta for Garnett Exelby which is a money saving move and Exelby isn't a bad player either.

However with the Komisarek signing and the emergence of Luke Schenn, I think this is all setting up for a Kaberle trade. With all the good D off the market Kaberles value will be extremely high and the Leafs can get a top-tier winger for him.

Maybe they can finally offload Kaberle for a first line scorer.

[cselby]

I think they will do that OR they will sign one of the following free agents still out there:

Martin Havlat
Marion Gaborik (even though I hate him and Burke would never sign him)
or to a lesser extent,
Alex Tanguay
Brian Gionta


because if we keep Kaberle we would have the best defense in the league or at least competing for it. so if we keep that together, sign a dependable scorer, and sign that Swedish goalie to be our backup, we'd be all set I think.

[Josh]

have fun with hossa, chi town. 

[Beninato]

I think they will do that OR they will sign one of the following free agents still out there:

Martin Havlat
Marion Gaborik (even though I hate him and Burke would never sign him)
or to a lesser extent,
Alex Tanguay
Brian Gionta


because if we keep Kaberle we would have the best defense in the league or at least competing for it. so if we keep that together, sign a dependable scorer, and sign that Swedish goalie to be our backup, we'd be all set I think.

When healthy Gaborik will net you 50 goals. The problem is when healthy, and yeah Burke would never sign him. He already said at the draft that not picking Europeans wasn't by accident. Anyways, this is the first time in a long time I'm actually excited about the Leafs chances. I was so turned off by all that JFJ and Paul Maurice trash and all that Travis Green/Shane Corson/Brian Leeth/Ed Belfour stuff it's taken me awhile to warm up to them again.

[cselby]

They've definitely got a direction. They have a great nucleus on D, and some young prospects on the team already and of course our draft pick who I think, in time, will be a solid player. Tons of cap room to play with as well, and a smart GM like Burke, I'm excited about the Leafs future.

[Beninato]

Marion Gaborik signs with the NY Rangers. 5 years 5.75 per.

[cselby]

Marion Gaborik signs with the NY Rangers. 5 years 5.75 per.

Good signing for the Rangers since they lost Gomez, if Gaborik can stay healthy, which is of course a massive if, that will be a huge help to the offensively challenged Rangers.

[Beninato]

Marion Gaborik signs with the NY Rangers. 5 years 5.75 per.

Good signing for the Rangers since they lost Gomez, if Gaborik can stay healthy, which is of course a massive if, that will be a huge help to the offensively challenged Rangers.

It's actually 7.75 now, TSN messed up the terms. That's a ridiculous contract, even if healthy I don't know if I'd give Gaborik 8 million a year.

[cselby]

Yikes, thats overpaying him a bit.

edit: more moves.

Martin Havlat to Minnesota, as expected
Brian Gionta to Montreal (apparently trying to sign all the 5'10 players in the league)
Nik Antropov to Atlanta
Adrian Aucoin to Phoenix
John Madden to Chicago (good, veteran centre, amazing faceoff man, fast as hell).

[Herbal_Tea*]

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