With the start of NHL training camps set to start in roughly two weeks time there’s been very little unrestricted free agent signings to report. Indeed, the most significant moves have been UFAs signing with European clubs.
That’s because the salary cap has forced most general managers to be more frugal with their money, even those still possessing plenty of salary cap space.
Most GMs appear intent on evaluating their rosters during training camp and pre-season to determine if their lineups need bolstering via free agency or trades. Some might even wait until the opening weeks of the season.
That means available UFAs like Danny Markov, Jason Allison, Curtis Joseph, Ossi Vaananen, Mike Johnson and Brent Sopel could continue playing the waiting game for some time yet.
The Edmonton Journal recently reported UFA defenseman Bryan Berard has accepted an invitation from the New York Islanders for a training camp tryout in September.
Berard, who began his NHL career with the Islanders (winning the Calder trophy as rookie of the year in 1997), spent the past two seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets but back injuries limited him to only 55 games.
Despite having lost most of the sight in his right eye in 2000 during a freak injury he’s proven that this hasn’t hampered his game, posting good offensive numbers prior to hurting his back. He’d also received a two-year suspension from international competition for use of a banned substance, which he claimed was unintentional but took full responsibility for his actions.
It’s likely the back injuries rather than his right eye or his claim of unintentional use of a banned substance that killed off most interest in him as a free agent. He’s fortunate to get a tryout invitation, but if he proves to have made a full recovery from his back surgery and has a good camp he could earn himself a contract with the Isles, although it’ll likely be worth less than $1 million.
Now for the continuous parade of players heading overseas.
It was announced today that former NHL goalie Ed Belfour had indeed signed a six-month contract with Leksand of the Swedish second league.
A recent report on Belfour claimed he looked sharp in recent practices but apparently not sharp enough for an NHL club to take a chance on him.
That doesn’t mean necessarily mean we’ve seen the last of “Eddie the Eagle” in NHL action as it’s possible he might return at some point this season should an NHL club come calling, but of course that contingent on Belfour having an “out clause” with Leksand.
If an NHL club does sign him they’ll have to do it prior to the start of the upcoming season, otherwise he’d have to pass through waivers where he could be plucked away by another NHL team.
Former Tampa Bay Lighting and Chicago Blackhawk forward Nikita Alexeev has signed with Ak-Bars Kazan of the Russian Super League.
Drafted 8th overall in the 2000 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Alexeev was once considered a promising prospect and early last season appeared poised for his long-awaited breakout season with 15 points in his first 20 games, but his production tailed off dramatically.
The Bolts finally lost patience with Alexeev and dealt him at the trade deadline to Chicago but he failed to catch on with the Blackhawks, who cut him loose at season’s end.
Janne Niinimaa’s career as an NHL defenseman is likely over but he may have found a new place to continue his playing career, as he's rumored to be signing with Swedish club Linkopings HC.
Niinimaa’s performance tailed off significantly after the 2003-04 season, where injury and an inability to adapt to the post-lockout style saw him bounce from the NY Islanders to the Dallas Stars to the Montreal Canadiens over the last two years.
Former Florida Panthers winger Juraj Kolnik will be playing next season in Switzerland as will former Atlanta Thrashers winger J.P. Vigier. Both signed with HC Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League last week.
Finally, former NY Rangers center Jarkko Immonen signed with JYP of the Finnish League.
Guess Eddie The Eagle was tired of only being arrested by US police. I believe he thinks he'll mix it up a bit and get full on the #### in Sweden and see if anyone cares to notice.
Get a load of the former Soviets drafted in the first rounds of 2000 and 2001: Alexeev, Yabukov, Vorobiev, Smirnov, Kryukov, Mikhov, Frolov and Volchenkov (2000); and Svitov, Chistov, Knyazev, and Perezhogin (2001). What a disaster.
That represents a terrific collection of busts (minus Frolov and Volochenko in 2000). The NHL won't miss them, nor a has-been Bel4.
However, I am surprised to see Kolnik not stick. He appeared to be developing nicely, albeit slowly.
As for Immonen signing away from the Rangers, this could quietly affect their club. Who do they have as a natural centerman behind Gomez and Drury that has any NHL experience? Will they move Avery to the pivot on the 4th line? Who takes center ice for the third line? Who is the first calll-up should anyone miss significant time?
Last edited by HermanZeGerman on August 27th at 1:30 PM.
Good one, Herman. Eddie (assuming the out clause, and he's a #### in addition to being a drunk if he didn't campaign for one) will definitely be on a roster in the NHL before the end of the season. Everyone needs goaltending, but nobody needs it right now. Whether he appears on an Interpol police blotter prior to that roster remains to be seen.
You can look at the rest of the batch as a break for those hockey fans who don't like to spell names. Lots of vowels, lots of "j"s and "k"s and not much else. It's high time Niinimaa got out of Dodge.
I just think it is weird for Belfour to go off to a different country to play hockey. I don't think the outside world is ready for him and his antics...
At any given time, Jagr may play with any of Prucha, Straka, or Hossa depending on his temperment. I don't think there's anything to worry about. The fourth line likely won't see much action.
Call-ups include Nigel Dawes (who's still listed on their roster), Brandon Dubinsky, and possibly Kasparaitis *shudder*
There's a lot of guys in Hartford who look ready for the big show, but I think Dawes and Dubinsky are the big ones. They may pull Marc Staal into the roster at some point, but that'd be a desperation move. Liffiton is probably the better choice.
Out of curiosity, I checked out their site, and they had Immonen listed on Hartford of the AHL anyway, so it's not much of a loss.
Leclair is done, done, done. It should be telling when the Pens bought him out and he was offered around the league to pretty much no interest. The guy was among the best scorers in the league at one time, but methinks two thirds of the "LOD" line might both have finished their careers in the same season.
I'll be surprised if they don't bring Marc Staal up. They've been saying too many good things about this guy for a while now.
As for HermanZEGerman, obviously you don't watch hockey in Germany. Avery is way too overpriced to play on the forth line. Depending on how the team plays together he'll jump up and down between the second and third lines next year. He didn't look out of place on the second line last year.
As for Eddie, i liked him. He was crazy, but crazy is fun and entertaining. Remember the time the media had reported that he offered cops a BILLION dollars to let him off on one occasion? I loved that one. Eddie was great for the game and he was a darn good goalie. I'm not sure he can still be a starter, but he'd be a sweet back-up goalie.
Well I don't think Leclair is done done. I love to see him atleast be given the chance to play 1000 games before he hangs the skates up. don't you think with a year off his body had time to heal and get back into shape. My gosh he is only 38 yrs old.
coyoteslover - I agree that Johnson would be a nice addition to a couple of teams, Yotes included. Not only is his play decent, but he is one hell of a hard worker. He does a ton of the little things needed for a team to succeed. I don't know what his asking price is or if that is the reason he hasn't landed anywhere, but you would think that he could find a home somewhere. They could use a guy like him on Long Island, Nolan would love his work ethic.
Behind Gomez and Drury, Betts would be the next Rangers center. Also, Prucha, Straka & Avery have seen time at center also... even Shanny took faceoffs last year.
Dubinsky is a young center also, who some Rangers fans are hoping will take over the 3rd line center position.
I see nothing wrong with having Betts, Callahan, Hollweg & Orr to round out the bottom of the lineup. Betts is very good on faceoffs - Callahan seems to be able to score & fight. Its not like we expect Orr or Hollweg to get 10 minutes a game, but they serve their his purpose.
I said it before on an earlier thread, the Rangers are one major injury away from not making the playoffs. If anything happens to their top players, they don't have the depth to compensate. The weakness of their bottom two lines is adequate proof.
I think the fourth line's pretty much established as Orr Betts and Hollweg. Good news, considering all of the other players could be juggled around. I think they have three competitive sets of lines, with Gomez, Drury, and Prucha up the middle.
I'd rather have Hossa playing with Callahan and either Straka or Prucha (put the other with Jagr to keep him happy).
Avery's a second-third liner. Expect Hossa, Straka, Avery and Prucha to move around a lot until the team establishes some chemistry. I actually like the idea of Hossa Drury and Shannahan.
Callahan had a decent campaign last season, proving for a while anyway that he isn't a one-dimensional player. With a guy like Avery, he has the potential to become an antagonist. Considering the rather painful arbitration Avery went through, the Rangers will need a new sparkplug come Avery's next free agency.
I wouldn't mind seeing Jagr, Shannahan and Gomez sharing some time either, though that'll be on the power play.
Messier94: I think that putting Hossa on the first line might turn out to be a good idea if they did it. Playing with Jagr and Gomez on the top line he'd get a chance to show his worth. If he didn't turn out they could switch him with Avery or Straka, but I think i'd prefer Straka with Gomez and Jagr to Avery with Jagr and Gomez.
I think that Avery, Drury and Shanny is a second line you wouldn't and to fool around with. The problem with having that third line is that the Rangers wont have a plummer line. But if that third line can put up decent offensive totals they won't need a plumber line kinda like Buffalo.
I agree, it's nice for Phoenix fans to have something to read about that isn't related to placing odds at the Aqueduct. The real test for a lot of these general managers in the "new, new" NHL will be at midseason, when some teams will be able to add what they need for the stretch run and some won't. I am really starting to think that the middle of the year, each year, will really start to become when general managers earn their pay. Working within the strictures of the CBA and keeping your payroll within a good level to do what you need down the road has always been important, but never more than now.
I'm gearing up for hockey pool time, and believe it or not am interested in who will be top line in Phoenix. any rumblings out of the desert on who might line up with Doan?
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
