You Can't Win the Stanley Cup on July 1st
by Bob Wage on Jul 1, 2009 10:14 AM EDT
35 comments
First of all, Happy Canada Day to our friends north of the border. Hope everyone enjoys it!
I'll be taking the day off myself today, not because of the holiday, but because I love to sit back and watch all the "sometimes crazy" activity on July 1st. Shortly after noon, I will open up a "live thread" here on the blog so that we can discuss what's going on around the league and keep track of all the transactions in one place. I will also make separate blog and Twitter postings about anything Canes related.
The Hurricanes are expected to be quiet, but you never know what will happen. We will stay vigilant here just the same.
Some teams will attempt to buy themselves a Stanley Cup today, but that strategy usually does not work. Let's take a quick look at some of the July 1st deals from last year and see how they panned out.
- Mike Green signed in DC for 21M over fours years. (no complaints on that one.)
- Brad Stuart signed in Detroit for 15M over four years. (maybe a touch high, but pretty good value)
- Pascal Dupuis signed in Pittsburgh for 4.2M over three years. (reasonable deal).
- Corey Perry signed in Anaheim for 26.6 over five years. (big contract for elite player).
- Radim Vrbata signed in TB for 9M over three years. (stop laughing)
- Jose Theodore signed in DC for 9M over two years. (lost job to Johnson, then lost it to a rookie. thumbs down)
- Jeff Finger got 14.4M over fours years in Toronto. (Jeff Who?)
- Cory Stillman got 10.6 over three years in Florida. (can be a point a game player when he is on his game)
- Cristobal Huet signed for 16.875M over fours years in Chicago. (still not impressed with him)
- Darcy Tucker got 4.5M over two years in Colorado. (does not seem worth it)
- Olaf Kolzig got 1.5M for one year in TB. (another loser deal for Tampa)
- Patrick Lalime signed for 2M over two years in Buffalo. (pretty good value)
- Brian Campbell signed in Chicago for 56.8M over eight years. (not even the best dman on the 'Hawks roster last year)
- Mike Commodore got 18.75M over five years in Columbus. (had a good year)
- Brian Rolston signed for 20.25M over four years. (ended up on fourth line. has not lived up to it, yet)
- Darcy Hordichuk signed for 1.5M over two years in Vancouver. (too much for a goon with 5 points on the year)
- Michal Rozsival got 20M over four years in NY. (we will see)
- Bobby Holik got 2.5M for one year in NJ. (money would be better spent on bloggers)
- Wade Redden signed for 39M over six years with NYR. (now trying to dump contract and player)
- Mark Streit signed in NY for 20.5M over five years. (worked out well for Islanders. led the team in scoring)
- Michael Ryder signed in Boston for 12M over three years. (had a good year but still do not like the deal)
As you can see, there was a ton of activity for just one day. But also as Jim Rutherford said, there is not a lot of value there. The prior year was when the Rangers signed Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to those huge contracts. (Gomez was just traded yesterday.) Then of course the Danny Briere deal is another questionable one.
If Radim Vrbata can get a 9 million dollar contract, you can't really blame Cole and LaRose for seeing what they can do. Crazy things do happen.
What mistakes will be made today? Will Cole and LaRose be in the mix? We will be watching.
0 recs |
35 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I will be watching for sure. Just once I would like to wake up on this day and know the Canes aren’t gonna be waiting for the scraps, but alas, it isn’t JR’s MO.
Can’t wait to see what the other teams leave behind for us to go over……
Matt Cullen is hardly a scrap.
Just one example.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m a bit out of the loop, being away and all. Has JR switched his stance at all about being active early now that it appears both Erik and Chad won’t be back?
I hope we do something. We can’t wait until August to pick up a thrid or fourth line player when we need a second and first liner now. I would like to see the Canes take a run at Samuelson, but I’m not sure if he would fit our team dynamic.
With the money JR has now, he can enter the small bidding wars for power forward’s on the market.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
That is why I am saying that Cole will only get the top dollar he is looking for if some whack job GM thinks Cole is a #2 or 3 guy for a team and gives him a fat contract.
However LaRose will be able to demand some money from other teams around the league, and I seriously doubt we see him in a Hurricanes jersey next season.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
Almost as weird as Keith Aucoin in Washington.
/sarcasm
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I would like to keep Chad, but I dont feel to bad about Cole. Cole will probably receive way more money than he deserves! It would be nice if the Canes did something today if we are going to lose them both.
by PittsburghCaniac on Jul 1, 2009 11:18 AM EDT reply actions
I agree with you there. However I don’t think Cole will get big money, but I am sure some desperate team (cough, cough, Montreal, cough) signs him to a big deal.
I would also like to see them do SOMETHING today. They can’t wait in the shadows like they normally do. They have possibly just lost a winger from both their first and second lines. You can’t replace that with Zach Boychuk. They must do something today.
Member of Canes Country and the Cat Scratch Reader
So you don't think Cole will get a big deal, but you do?
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
TSN's "Free Agent Frenzy" show
will air on the NHL network (ch 330 for TWC customers who pay for it) this afternoon from 2-6 EDT
At least they got the name right.
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
Well that sucks.
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by hockeymomof2 on Jul 1, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
From Canes Now at 11:39
You gotta check this out.
Say what?
“Canes could get quick answer on Cole”:
Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that although there are no guarantees, Cole may wind up returning. He said Cole has said he will not drag out the free-agent process.
“Erik is working hard to work with us,” Rutherford said. "He’ll still go into free agency but has said he will not stay out there long if he does not see a big deal he can get.
“I don’t think we’re far apart with Erik. We’ve had several good conversations in the last 24 hours in Erik’s case. I see his point of view. He’s willing to take a pay cut but wants to see if there’s a big deal out there. There’s not the same frustration with Erik.”
Also – under the heading of “assume nothing”:
Babchuk hasn’t accepted his qualifiying offer as a RFA and may be playing in Russia next year.
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
I wish I could switch every “Erik” in this story to “Chad”.
What does
There’s not the same frustration with Erik.mean, I wonder? Same frustration as what, or who?
Let's go Canes!
Hakkaa Paalle!
by hockeymomof2 on Jul 1, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Fed up
Anyone else fed up with Babchuck’s antics? The team did him a big favor bringing him back after that stunt he pulled not wanting to go down to the AHL, and now this. I say, so long and hope you enjoy good ole mother Russia.
Naturally they have an issue w/ Babchuck…
That guy will never ever learn…. But oh well….
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Jul 1, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions
I think the Babchuk hating is a little too much. Yea he did have a rough playoffs but dont forget this guy is still very young for a DMan. For those calling him a “train wreck in his own end” dont forget the guys was a +13 on the season compared to Corvos -1. The fact that he played 72 games, averaged over 18min of time on ice, scored 35 points and was a +13. I totally think hes worth more than 1 mil. I think hes probably worth 2-2.5 per. Now Im not saying we should sign him, we already have capable scoring dmen, but hes not out of line to want more, way more, than 1 mil!…..just my opinion.
Gleason 70 games, 12 pts, +3
Corvo 82 games, 38 pts, -1
Pitkanen 71 games, 33 pts, +11
Babchuk 72 games, 35 pts, +13
Looking at these numbers, why should Babchuk make less than Wallin?
Points don't always tell the whole story
Sometimes a stay-at-home defenseman who doesn’t score a lot of points can be more valuable than a player who can put up points. Babchuk did great with the scoring in the regular season but when he stopped scoring in the playoffs he became a liability. I think the price is right to keep Babchuk but would prefer a more capable stay-at-home defenceman like a Gleason to a player like Babchuk. I do like Babchuk’s plus/minus. We will probably keep Babs until he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
by hockeythoughts on Jul 1, 2009 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Because the economy is not the same as when Wallin got his deal...
And he hasn’t earned his way out of RFA yet through service time. Wallin had.
Further, it’s a lot easier to be +13 when you’re matched up against checking lines than top lines like Corvo is.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Good points about Babchuk. He was a disaster in the playoffs, but he had several good moments in the regular season. Considering that many of his points were earned while on the powerplay, his plus/minus is amazing.
Still, his attitude seems questionable at times. I don’t know how much he is worth.
GM of CanesCountry.com
But remember...
who he was getting matched up against at even stregth.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions
he played 18 minutes a night……I dont think the other teams “checking line” was on the ice for 18 min a night!
He certainly wasn't skating against the other team's top line(s) on a regular basis.
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
After seeing that Vrbata got 9M for three years, totally makes sense that LaRose and Cole would test the FA market.
I still think Rutherford thinks he can slide Boychuk in to take LaRose’s minutes and from what I can tell he wants to get Sutter in the lineup so if Cole doesn’t sign here no big deal, we put Sutter in the lineup.
I wish we’d sign a good quality defenseman at a reasonable price. That’s all I’d like to see from the canes during this free agency season.
In fact, I didn’t even realize that Vrbata was still in the league. He may have had a good year last year, though, dunno.
by hockeythoughts on Jul 1, 2009 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
he actually had to take a sabbatical back home or something. i can’t remember the exact story. perhaps an injury. was a wasted year for him.
GM of CanesCountry.com
"Personal reasons"
Remember, kids...don't ever let facts get in the way of your argument.
by MichaelProcton on Jul 1, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- In which former NHL coach Ken Hitchcock foils a shoplifter
- Montreal's Price talks new 2-year contract, expectations post-Halak
- Donald Fehr aware of Kovalchuk drama, mum on everything else
- Puck Headlines: Savard's agent rants on Bettman; Halak in Montreal
- Boudreau, Crawford placed on the coaching hot seat
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
