TSN’s 2008 All-Free Agent Team
June 6th, 2008 by Jason Chenhttp://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=11300
The only players seriously on the move?
- Marian Hossa, because he’s likely to ask for too much, unless he signs for below market value in which case the Pens would pick him over Ryan Malone.
- We know for sure Kristian Huselius won’t be signing with the Flames or Panthers. He’ll still cost around $2.5m/year, but he could get a much, much more lucrative offer from Europe.
- Markus Naslund publicly stated he won’t re-sign if Alain Vigneault is still the coach. I guess the writing’s on the wall for him. He wants to play for Detroit, but they don’t need him. Veteran players like going back to familiar surroundings, so that means Europe or… Pittsburgh? He’ll cost $4m/year for any GM.
- It’s not so much where Pavol Demitra will end up, it’s where Marian Gaborik will follow. Demitra’s reportedly verbally agreed to sign with the Canucks already, and he’ll likely cost somewhere around $3.5m/year.
- Wade Redden isn’t of interest to the Sens anymore, but the Sharks (if they fail to re-sign Brian Campbell), Hawks, and Kings are very much interested in his services and will be more than willing to accommodate his $6m asking price.
- The market’s never been better for John-Michael Liles, and he may head for greener pastures or a better team, considering Colorado’s one player away from seriously rebuilding. He’ll land a $3.5m/year contract.
- Ron Hainsey made it known he’s going to test the UFA waters, and Columbus is moving forward without him in the plans. He’s a great addition to any team, and he can easily triple his current $900k salary.
- Any team looking for offensive depth would probably be better off signing Michael Ryder than Huselius, although he could prove to be a little more expensive. He’s expected to get close to the same amount he earned this year ($2.95m) in the open market.
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12 Responses to “TSN’s 2008 All-Free Agent Team”
By Troy on Jun 7, 2008
Quick note on Naslund. You pointed out that Therrien and Vigneault are coaches of the same cloth. If Nazzy does not want to play for Vigneault, why would he want to play for Therrien? I’d say, since Nazzy is only 34, he might agree to a contract with the Red Wings. I mean, they’re based in Stockholm, right? (Ok, that joke flat-out sucked)
I feel sorry for the Penguins. They were a terrible team for years and years, get the young talent together, and now it’s gonna be ripped apart because we live in the new NHL where salary caps reduce the amount of talent a team can assemble.
As for the others;
If Demitra has already made a verbal agreement with Vancouver, then he immediately replaces Naslund. Don’t get me wrong, Naslund has more talent, but he’s was on a decline under Vigneault. Demitra can immediately get the 25 goals Nazzy has had the last two years. Not to mention the Gaborik factor. If Demitra goes to Vancouver (a big hockey market), so will Gaborik.
Wade Redden is the most overrated player on the market. He’s on an obvious decline since Chara left… if any team can resuscitate Redden, it’s Boston. Sign him, put him with Chara, and that might get him back on the right track.
J.M. Liles definitely won’t be back in Colorado. A team in need of defense? Maybe Tampa Bay. It’s hard to name any defensemen outside of Boyle and maybe Ranger who are any good by now.
That’s all I’ve got. I’ll consider the others later.
By scotty on Jun 7, 2008
Feeling sorry for Pittsburg? They got Crosby, Staal, Malkin and Fleury for SUCKING and now we’re supposed to feel bad that they can’t keep Hossa? Come on Troy. That’s a bit much. They knew this scenario when they made the deadline deal and hey, it almost paid off.
By Jason C on Jun 7, 2008
Good point Troy about Naslund. However, I imagine being able to play with either Crosby or Malkin and a legitimate shot at the Cup would offset the fact that he’s playing under Therrien. It’s a far more attractive option than playing on Morrison/Sedin/Kesler’s wing.
Just because Demitra’s going to Vancouver doesn’t mean Naslund’s out. Both can be signed if they let Brendan Morrison go. He’s obviously the least offensively talented of the three, and if Gillis is heading towards a more offensive direction than it’s possible that Morrison’s the odd-man out. Remember that it was Naslund that showed Demitra around town earlier in May.
I couldn’t agree more with you on Redden, although admittedly he is still a good defenseman. I’d also say that Campbell is also one of the most overrated in the league. I think as a puck-mover JM Liles (also a personal favourite) could probably be the best bang for your buck.
By Troy on Jun 7, 2008
Well, first Scotty. It’s not just Hossa. It’s (potentially) Fleury, Malone, Orpik, Staal, and Malkin. Talent they assembled and cannot keep together.
Now, with Nazzy it’s just the fact that he does not want to play for Vigneault, and, if I recall, Vigneault got an extension recently. I also wouldn’t rule out Naslund going to Anaheim, where former Vancouver GM holds that spot for the Ducks. But he doesn’t seem like someone who wants to play in Vancouver as long as Vigneault is his head coach. I’ll be interested in what Robin thinks about Nazzy.
As for the D-men, Campbell is extremely overrated. This guy has emerged since the lockout because of his speed. Campbell is not your traditional defenceman. Campbell has his high value due to lack of defencemen on the market. I agree with you, Liles is the best bet. Especially since 3.5 million is not a large sum to pay a defenceman entering his prime. Some tea, will get him and be very happy about signing him at a bargain price.
By Jason C on Jun 7, 2008
I think on Naslund’s list of reasons NOT to play for Vancouver, playing for Vigneault is a little further down the list. He hated playing under Vigneault because he instituted a defense-first system, something that Naslund loathes playing but has embraced without any major difficulties. Vancouver is a playoff contender, not a Cup contender, and hasn’t been for some time. I think that is the MAJOR reason it’s doubtful he’ll re-sign. When the Canucks had their incredible season last year we didn’t hear complaints from Naslund. Now that they finished out of the playoffs, he’s using his voice.
Now nearing the end of his career, Naslund’s main goal is to win and perhaps put a couple more zeroes in his bank account. If somehow between now and October the Canucks manage to completely turn the team around and become a Cup contender, Naslund could be back. But as of right now, it looks like he’s not going to be back anytime soon.
Naslund going to Anaheim is a possibility, but their abrasive style doesn’t really suit his style of play either. But they’re in a much better position to win the Cup than the Canucks and he could very well head south.
By scotty on Jun 7, 2008
Yes, it’s true Pittsburg has some work to do to juggle the finances and with Malkin and Staal getting substantial raisies in the next two years, other players must be sent packing, even with the extra playoff revenues. But to me, this is the Cap not only preventing teams from buying a cup with free agents, but also preventing teams that STINK for half a decade getting an automatic Stanley Cup four years later. I think no team should get so many top picks in consecutive years. It doesn’t seem fair (just imagine if they had got Ovechkin too in all that sewer time). There are 29 other teams that would love to have the Penguins’ “problem” of keeping all this young talent. If I feel sorry for anyone, it’s Gary Roberts. He poured himself into the team and was two wins short. At 42, it may have been his last shot.
I DO fully agree with you on Campbell though. He is talented and quick, but that should only give him 3-4 million and not six. But some team out there will probably give it to him. and regret it later.
By Troy on Jun 7, 2008
Well, you point out Ovechkin. That was in 2004. If they had Ovechkin, they wouldn’t have Malkin (although it would’ve made them more balanced, with a winger instead of center).
I’m fully aware of your reasoning, the reason Pittsburgh was tanking is because of their completely mismanaged finances, which nearly led to them moving or folding. I agree with you no team should be allowed to assemble so much talent because they were uncompetitive for so long, but that’s just not something a league can make concessions for (like “If a team has finishes in the bottom 5th of the league for 5 or more years, they will stop recieving respective draft picks”. Just not something a league will specifically make a rule).
And while you say “29 others teams would love to have the Penguins ‘problem’”, it’s also something I’m sure no team wants either. Hey, you have Hossa, Malone, Orpik, Malkin, Fleury, and Staal hitting the market, and you can only afford 4 of them. Who you try to lock up? Mainly, I feel sorry for the fans above all else, because they saw a terrible product, the team finally play well, and now they’ll probably suck for another few years. The cap makes this league something like a cycle. Suck, contender, suck, contender.
Again, it’s really quite simple with Campbell. He’s pretty much a defenceman trapped in a winger’s body. Like I said earlier, with the lack of top-notch defencemen on the market this off-season, the top overall avaliable D-men become way too overrated. Only D-men like Sergei Gonchar-Nik Lidstrom deserve such gross sums. The team that signs Campbell (likely San Jose) will probably regret it since it will take up too much cap space. Simple as that
By Jason C on Jun 7, 2008
Any team would love to have the problem Pittsburgh has - at least it’s an easier problem to solve than trying to get the right players . I feel sorry for the Pens that they have to make decisions such as these, but I also don’t feel sorry for them because it’s expected.
This is essentially what happens where there is a salary cap. It’s the end of dynastic teams, and the fact that Detroit can win the Cup this year and stay as competitive in the next three speaks volumes about the organizations and how well it’s run, drafted, and signed players.
With the salary cap, in the grand scheme of things, teams can only keep 3-4 high-end players. The rest will have to be cut loose and the rest of the roster will have to be filled out with mid-level players. It’s the parity that Bettman was talking about and he’s going to get it. There will no longer by dynasties like the Habs, Isles, or Oilers, and it’s really a shame, because it’s dynasties like those that build fanbases for generations.
It’s a continuous up-and-down trend for teams like the Pens who have built their team through high draft picks. They will inevitably lose talent through free agency. The onus is on them to sign them to affordable contracts, but there is also an onus on the players to play for less to keep the team Cup-competitive.
By Jason C on Jun 7, 2008
Just to add, the Caps will run into the same situation down the road, with Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Alzner. They will be forced to sign those three to lucrative contracts, only to have little money leftover to flesh out the rest of the roster.
The Lightning were the first casualties of the cap era, having to deal Brad Richards to retain Dan Boyle along with Lecavalier and St. Louis.
By scotty on Jun 7, 2008
Can’t argue with any of that. If I were Pittsburg, I’d trade Malkin NOW while he still has a year of 980K salary and he’s still attractive and could get some sweet returns before his agent demands 10 Million plus for a player who is enormously talented but is lacking in character. Staal has to be the top priority for the Pens to keep for the long haul and if they can keep Orpik around for a while too at a reasonable fee, that would also help a lot. Their biggest immediate problem is probably signing Fleury before July 1 and the RFA offer sheets come rolling in. As far as Detroit, what can you say about their fine-tuned organization? Of course, some of us might forget the tough times when Datsyuk went goal-less for a plethora of playoff games (I remember drafting him for the playoff hockey pool pretty early one year and being very upset!!) but investing in him sure paid off in the end. The Flyers are another team that is soon to be scraping the cap ceiling with Jeff Carter and friends in a time when they need to find more defensemen. And I agree about Washington, but perhaps next year they’ll be the ones going to the Finals
before they have to start subtracting players instead of adding them.
By Jason C on Jun 8, 2008
John Buccigross at ESPN also flirted with the idea of trading Malkin. However, I have to really disagree with that strategy. The problem with trading superstars (or really any player) is getting equal returns. A Malkin cannot be traded for a Malkin, because that would defeat the purpose of the trade. The only option is to trade for quantity. Atlanta got two depth players, a top prospect, and two picks for Hossa - the asking price for Malkin would have to top that. However, when you’re trading quality for quantity, it’s hard to gauge what’s a “fair” return. For Atlanta, the whole trade hinges on who they draft and how Angelo Esposito pans out. If neither pans out (which is a distinct possibility) then the trade was all for naught. Could you imagine the potential fan and team backlash if a Malkin trade didn’t pan out?
The fact is, Malkin is a once in a decade talent with the ability to single-handedly carry a team. Although he has some parts of his game and character he has to figure out, I think it is very ill-advised to trade someone of his talents (unless he has voiced his intentions to leave a la Hossa).
The Pens will have to lose a couple players - that’s inevitable. I don’t think there’s any reason to fight it, and I certainly don’t think trading your second best player is the answer to that either.
By Troy on Jun 8, 2008
Well, I heard some trade. Malkin to LA for Kopitar/Johnson and Brown. Assuming that, if Pittsburgh were to make a trade with Malkin (highly unlikely, but, as you said Jason, Bucci has flirted that too, I’ll post a link to that article later), they would need to get some defencemen and wingers. Their biggest problem was being too center-heavy (sounds ridiculous). I mean, they had three scoring wingers; Hossa, Sykora, and Malone (the bruising winger). I’d say they need to shop either Malkin or Staal, probably Malkin. Staal is going to be the center-version of Henrik Zetterberg in a few years, he is a stud as far as a dependable 2-way forward. He just needs to be put on the 2nd line. A 2nd overall pick who is honing his skills does not deserve to toil on a line with Tyler Kennedy and Jarkko Ruutu (no offense to them, but Malkin had Sykora and Malone, Crosby had Hossa. You know, finishers)
The only problem with a trade like that is that two young players would demand a lot of money soon as well.
As you said Jason, players will be hard-pressed to choose either less money on a cup contender or more money for their own sake. Now, I’d think, with all the money they’ve made and will make, that they can take a million less. It’s not like Hossa or Malkin will be broke if they were to take $6 mil a year or $9 mil a year, respectively, than if they were to take $7 or $10 million.
With Hossa’s relationship with Crosby, I’d say he re-signs with Pittsburgh. But, in a year, I doubt the Malkinator (my boy) will be in Pitt. Too unaffordable
By the way, here’s the link to the Malkin trade article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3299833