Free Agent Open Thread
Kent Wilson
June 30 2010 10:28PM
I was going to prepare a Flames primer to free agency, but decided not to re-invent the wheel when I saw Haley had already done an admiral job of things. Make sure to visit M&G for a thorugh overview.
I have to say, this is perhaps the murkiest July 1 for the Flames I've seen since the lock-out. Previously, whether facing many or few obstacles, the obstacles were at least apparently obvious.
Not so this year. The Flames cap room is not only tenuous but also completely muddied by Dawes (buy-out?)
Kotalik (uh...waived for an as-of-right-now unclear purpose) and pending $3M+ contract of Ian White (maybe?). The lackluster free agent pool makes things even less certain - we know the Flames want "offense", but there's no clear method to acquire the requisite players. Big trade on it's way? Almost every Flame worth anything on the trade market has a NTC. And the club doesn't have much in the way of prospects or draft picks to dangle either.
As such, we enter things almost completely blind. There's a chance the coming week will end without any significant changes whatsoever. And probably an equal chance the face of the team may have been altered irrevocably. We can only sit back and watch as things unfold. And hope.
Anyways, Pat, Bob, Myself and Ross Creek will endeavor to keep up with on-the-spot updates and analysis as things come down tomorrow. Feel free to share you comments, questions, fears, hopes, dreams and reactions in the comments.
And now McKenzie is stating that the Savard rumor might have legs. Hitch may be Regehr and Savard waiving their NTCs.
Speaking of Remarkable how many $$$ is Philly spending on defense? They must be in the Flames level of salaries. I wonder if they can get Carter out of there, they must be short on cap space with Meszaros and Coburn signing.
Well this will certainly be a very different team next year if this does happen.
You're forgetting Hagman
Tanguay acquisition plus a possible Savard acquisition actually has my hopes up.
Agreed. It's something to be mildly excited about. We might not lose 9 straight games next year!
By the way- what's the story on Savard leaving us way back? I hear there's drama/bad feelings involved, but it was before my fan time.
What does sutter have planned here? There are so many players on this team now. I wonder who's going. Staios better not be seen as a replacement to Regher!
If the club adds Savard, that means we have him, Stajan, Langkow and Backlund down the middle. Actually, that's probably about right, but runs counter to Sutter's claims about Backlund.
Haha... NMC for Tanguay. I know it doesn't really matter, but its still funny that half the team has NTC/NMC's.
I wonder if Hagman is on the move? I don't mind Hagman, but I'd rather have Higgins at his likely price (Tanguay-esque).
So Tanguay is certainly back...
I'm happy.
Any word on Savard?
Tanguay deserves another shot. Freakin Keenan, killed him and Kipper.
Lots of guys saying the two clubs are negotiating.
To quote @RussoTrib from Twitter: "So #Flames GM Darryl Sutter, who's job was reportedly in peril, gives no-move to Tanguay as his first move today? Well done"
Mark Spector hinting Georges Laraque could be next...
Le sigh.
I dunno about this Regehr for Savard idea. I like Savard and all, but that's putting a lot of stock into the idea that Sarich hasn't totally lost it.
Darryl, please sign Sanford to a two-way deal. Please.
What about his son?
@Arik
Huh?
Clearly not enough people here grew up watching classic 70's sitcoms...
haha, I caught it. And I groaned loudly.
Cassie Campbell tweets that the Flames let some scouts go today (didn't renew their contracts). Gut reaction? Good.
@Arik
Dude, I'm worried about Darryl doing something silly. I got no time to think about Sanford and son. That show was junk anyway.
It was far superiour to All In the Family. And anyways, I'm just as worried- I just make stupid jokes to pretend like I'm not.
@Arik
Kids nowadays. You'd think they'd never seen a junkyard.
I'm not sure how to feel about Savard if that happens. That concussion has my concerned.
Tanguay...I guess we'll see what he has left but 1.7 isn't a train smash.
Well, we know St.Louis won't be joining the Flames reunion. Not that anyone thought he would be.
Re-ups 4 years in Tampa.
Very good. This needs to happen. Darryl's draft record is suspect to say the least.
I'll take Craig Button's draft record over Darryl's
Via Mark Spector...
Sportsnet's Roger Millions hearing Ryan Callahan could be on his way from Rangers to Calgary
The Flames scouting staff has been surprisingly static considering their putrid record. Many of them spanned both regimes.
The club needs a change in that area of the org. Here's hoping this helps.
Penguins added Martin and Michalek today. nice additions.
Huh. I wouldn't kick him off my team. Would have to be for a defender I think...Sarich? White?
This makes me wonder where Todd Button fits in all this. Do we know who was let go?
Or not...word is Martin may be back on the market...weird.
The only added Michalek, from what I'm reading. They're out of the Martin sweepstakes.
EDIT: Yeah, you beat me to it.
He's been the head scout since 2001. His name wasn't amongst those Campbell listed.
That's a shame. I don't want to see Martin in a Canucks jersey.
I wouldn't mind them signing...say...Laraque though. :)
Larry Brooks is saying Callahan isn't coming here. I'm sad inside.
And from Larry Brooks...
People. People. Ryan Callahan is not going to Calgary!
Is it just me, or is the morning of Canada Day not the perfect time for tracking free agent signings?
That bone-head McGuire says the Tanguay move:
"smacks of desparation"... it's 1.7mil, wtf? McGuire is a moron.
Well it is a head scratcher a little bit. However the offence of this team desperately needs a reboot.
My only question is does Tanguay have anything left? How is his shoulder? He could turn out to be a bargain or not but it's only one year.
You know what the Tanguay signing means? Eric Francis was right!
I know folks...Im scared too.
He even got the price. Jesus.
On a sidenote- who's going to decompress tonight with Futurama?
Tanguay - Stajan? - Iginla Hagman - Langkow? - Bourque Glen X - Backlund - Moss
That looks alright to me. And, you've still got possible additions of Higgins, who knows wtf Kotalik?, Nystrom (doubtful), Dawes (gone?),
That doesn't look that terrible. Fourth liners are a dime a dozen. Or am I living in the past, and the reality is we don't have a first line?
Via Rob Kerr...
Clarification on NYR CAL, I was told to watch Callahan more then Dubinsky, but I am doubtful that NYR has any plans to get rid of either... I understand things are very active upstairs at the Dome right now.
Aww, shucks!
WTF? Montreal just signed Auld.
Price is gone.
They have Ellis, Auld and Price, something has got to give.
and they gave up Halak... Les Habs, they make no sense to me.
SUNUVA!
Leafs sign Colby Armstrong - 3yrs, $3M per
I think if Kotalik wants to play hockey next year he'll either have to toil with the Heat or (the more likely I believe) decide to go back home and find work in the KHL.
I'm sure it's not ownership preference to bury him in the minors but it just might have to happen.
That being said, the dark horse in that race is that he does some soul searching, comes back to camp ready to play, and has a 20ish goal year. What are the chances?? LOL
They don't have Ellis...he's going to test free agency.
TOR signs Armstrong. 3M per year for 3. Nice addition for the Leafs.
@Lawrence
Ellis is UFA... I'd look to TB. Him, Mason or maybe Turco there.
Nittymaki to Sharks... DONE.
So in the WTF files today- the Sharks signed Antero Nittymaki for $2M a year and 2 years. That's a better deal than Biron got.