Hockey Free Agency Surprises, Winners and Losers

Welcome to my hockey blog. I was planning on starting this project a little later in the summer but the onslaught of free agent signings and trades, not to mention some almost absurd signings in terms of sky-high dollars for players who in the past might not have attracted such high numbers, lured me into blogging sooner than later.

Sean Avery

Perhaps the most interesting signing so far is Sean Avery signing for four years with the Dallas Stars. Now I know super pest is a good friend of Brett Hull, the co-general manager of the Stars, but $15.5 million for four years is a little much don’t you think?

I had the pleasure of watching Sean skate for a few seasons in the OHL with Owen Sound Platers before his act burned out and he was sent packing to Kingston. I probably saw Sean play about 100 games in the OHL and NEVER did I imagine that he would play for more than a cup of coffee in the NHL let alone sign such a huge contract. You have to give him credit. The little guy has a big heart and a bigger sense of self-direction. I know that he is sometimes a loose cannon on the ice, but when comes to self promotion and getting ahead in the world of professional hockey Avery has few peers. After all, how many 15 goal scorers who amass 33 scoring points in a season command almost $4 million a season!

Biggest Losers (so far)

Pittsburgh Penguins

Right now I would vote for the Pittsburgh Penguins as the biggest loser so far in the free agent sweeps. I know they have a great core with Crosby, Malkin and Fleury (and yes they did retain Orpik) but character guys like Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and Jarkko Ruutu are the grit and determination that take a team from being a good team to becoming a Stanley Cup finalist. After all, these are the guys who will stand in front of the net and take a beating, or dig the puck out of the corners so Crosby and Malkin can score the goals.

Speaking of scoring goals, letting Marion Hossa take his goal scoring prowess to Detroit not hurts the Penguins attack but makes the Red Wings even more potent. I am sure that many goalies, especially those in the Western Conference, really appreciate the arrival of another speedy sniper in Motown!

The Penguins did sign Ruslan Fedotenko, and Miroslav Satan. Although both of these guys can score, neither one of them is a two-way hockey player. When I watched Satan play for Buffalo, I often wondered if he knew where his defensive end of the ice was. To give the Pens some credit they did sign Matt Cooke who will be a plus on the defensive side of the ice. But the character they gave up may come back to haunt them in a big way!


Biggest Winner (so far)

Detroit Red Wings

Re-signing defensive stalwart Brad Stuart and stealing Marion Hossa from the rest of the league. Enough said.

Biggest Biggest Winner

Tampa Lightning

After years of relying upon three players, (Lecavalier, St. Louis and, until late last season, Richards) the Bolts new owners have led the charge to bring the team out of the basement and return it to the glory of just a few years ago.

Some shrewd trades just before the beginning of the free agent frenzy season, allowed the Bolts to lock up Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts two of the necessary role players to provide some back up to Lecavalier and St. Louis. They also brought Vinnie Prospal back to the wing beside Lecavalier after a few months of exile in the City of Brotherly Love.

But perhaps the most important deal made by the Lightning was the signing of veteran goaltender Olaf “Ollie the Goalie” Kolzig. “Ollie the Goalie’s” days of playing 70 games a season are in the rear view mirror, but his ability to step in and play a few games here and there and provide some mentoring to youngster Mike Smith could prove to be invaluable in Bolts march up the standings and back to respectability.

Two other recent acquisitions, Adam Hall Radim Vrbata, will certainly go a long way to adding quality depth to the Bolts roster.

Let’s not forget the drafting of Steven Stamkos, perhaps the best player to come to the NHL since Crosby. But Tampa had better savour drafting this Number One Draft pick because if all of the deals pay off, which I think they will; it will be long time before the Bolts get to draft a franchise again.

Darn! I was just about to post this and I discovered that Tampa just took a huge step in the opposite direction. They traded Dan Boyle! I have always considered Boyle to be just a step below Nick Lidstrom at the elite level in terms of all-round defensemen in the NHL. No matter what you get back for a player of this calibre, it will never be enough to replace what you give up!