The Remainder Of The Free Agent Class

Today we are going to take a look at some of the final free agents who could make a difference for your team.
 

Tim Thomas. I know this guy is unlikely to land a gig but I can't help but wonder.  Known more lately as a political bull in the proverbial china shop. Primarily with his refusal to meet US President Barrack Obama after winning the cup. Made into a big deal by hockey media it spelled the beginning of events that would eventually lead Thomas to take a year off from hockey. His rights were traded to the Islanders though continued his hiatus..

 

Well Tim is a free agent and has stated he may make a return(However, whether or not there are suitors may dictate that). His presence in the market brings a sense of intrigue. He's healthy, He has won a Stanley Cup, He was huge for the Bruins for years. His veteran leadership could go a long way for a team like Edmonton who have struggled defensively and between the pipes.

 

The problem with Tim Thomas is he's been out of hockey for a while now and the NHL is not a place where you can take time off and come back the same player. Will this keep him from getting any offers? More than likely at this point as many teams are not willing to gamble and still fear his political views will draw unnecessary attention to their club. 

Where does he land? Nowhere. I want to say he lands a gig but he's a risky pick up. I do believe he could be a sleeper on a cheap contract but where that is may not be answered

 

Jaromir Jagr. The man, the myth, the legend. Jagr is still playing hockey and much like Teemu Selanne you have to wonder what keeps these guys going after 20+ years? Jagr has been doing a tour of the league it seems as he's played for the Dallas Stars, The Boston Bruins and the Philidelphia Flyers since returning from the KHL. This trend is likely to continue as the Montreal Canadiens and the 41 year old Jagr appear to be in talks on a deal thats nearly happened twice before. In separate years Jagr spoke with Montreal management and both times signed elsewhere (Flyers, Stars). It looks like things will be different this time and still somewhat new General Manager Marc Bergevin will be able to hash out a deal that would reunite Jagr with former teammate Daniel Briere who signed in Montreal after a buyout by the Flyers.

Where does he land? Montreal is somewhere he's wanted to play for a while and the talk is out there so this one wont come as a surprise.


Mikhail Grabovski. His time with the Toronto Maple Leafs came to a screeching halt on July 4th(The day before his wedding, ouch) when the final four years of a five year contract were bought out. Grabovski went down swinging with a profanity filled tirade aimed at head coach Randy Carlyle which included criticism of the way he was used in the lockout shortened season and playoffs. He signed the $27.5 million dollar deal under former GM Brian Burke as a reward for a breakout year and Grabovski interestingly was quoted after the extension as saying "If you play well, it doesn't matter who your coach is". I wonder how he would respond if he were reminded of this statement now?

 

Grabovski brings a some nice offensive tools including great wheels(great skating/speed) and a good accurate shot. His biggest criticism would be lazy play at times. He is a talented player who can produce in a lot of roles but is most suitable as a second line center.  In a game against Boston a couple seasons ago he battled through an ugly hit from Zdeno Chara and a few shifts later broke in behind the defence and scored so there is no question he is durable and has heart. 

 

Where does he end up? I'm going to take a swing and say Winnipeg. A lot of ex-Leafs go there and they just happen to have a newly opened roster spot thanks to Alex Burmistrov's departure to the KHL.

 

Some other mentions are Damien Brunner who showed he has a knack for scoring. The question is where does he land and can he produce without Zetterburg?

 

Dustin Penner is sure to be on a few teams wish lists. The 6'4 forward known more for a pancake story than his scoring over the last couple seasons has two Stanley Cup rings(Anaheim, Los Angeles). He's a big body and will find work but can he start putting up points more regularly?

 

Douglas Murray while not the fastest player provides some grit and good play in his own end. Just about every team in the league can use a good defender and Murray isn't a gamble.

 

Ilya Bryzgalov needs a fresh start and a defence first team to pick him up. He's proved that he was reliant on Dave Tippett's system in Phoenix when he went to Philly and quickly got run out of town.  Decent goalie but doesn't bring anything that most teams aren't already getting from their goaltenders. Likely takes a backup gig to battle his way back up.

 

Mason Raymond has speed other players would kill for but unfortunately for him he's never been able to bury it consistently. He's a guy Vancouver fans had high hopes for but it looks like it's time to move on.

The rest of the pool is mostly injury riddled and full of veterans whose main role will be to bring veteran leadership more than anything.

 

Jagr in a Montreal uniform? Could your team use a Thomas or Grabovski? Discuss below.

Exciting Draft Day And Trades

Draft day 2013 is beyond us now. So I guess it's time to have a look at the happenings of the day!

First off what a draft day. Brodeurs picking Brodeurs. 6 foor 4 inch Seth Jones comes up a little short in the 1st. Some trades also happened like Nino "coolest name in the league" Niederreiter being traded for Cal "also the coolest name in the league" Clutterbuck. How can you go wrong? Unless your Dave Bolland... Traded to my beloved Leafs as punishment for scoring the game winning Stanley Cup goal. Don't teams normally make statues for hero's? No... just no...  according to Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.

Lets start with me being right. In my last post Craziest Week In NHL History? I mentioned a man named John Tortorella. I also mentioned how he was trading down from Henrik Lundqvist to Cory Schneider. Yes well blame Gillis all you want(he deserves it) but I'm willing to bet Tortorella's all over this one. I called it days before it was announced that Cory Schneider was on the block and days later he is in New Jersey auditioning for that gaping hole that Martin Brodeur's going to leave when he decides to retire.

While we are on the subject of Brodeur lets have a look at a rare occurrence.

 

 

 

 

The Devils swing a trade to acquire the 208th (seventh round) pick of the 2013 draft and give Martin Brodeur the honor of drafting his own son into the NHL. While it's not a guarantee he will make it, having arguably the best goaltender ever as your father can certainly help you grow quicker than projections with input from good ol' dad.  If I'm Anthony Brodeur I'm picking on dad for not using his pull to make me a first round pick. All in theory but could you imagine the Prudential Center's hometown New Jersey Devils selecting a Brodeur in the first round on tv. Ridiculous would be the word to describe the crowds. While scouts are far from high on the kid I hope he gets a crack one day. Almost like Brent Gretzky versus Wayne Gretzky in stat comparison.

 

 

Clutterbuck for Niederreiter is the classic prospect goes sour story. Niederreiter is a very talented player and at 20 years old Garth Snow made a bold move in shipping him to Minnesota. The Wild on the other hand add a former 5th overall pick to their stable that already includes some impressive names like Charlie Coyle and Matthew Dumba. 

 

The Isles get tougher and get a guy who has played with Tavares before and therefore should have instant chemistry in a perfect world. Clutterbuck's role is unlikely to change as he'll be expected to lay the body as often as he likes(and enjoyes to) and may even get some reps with Tavares and Moulson. I like the move from both ends to be honest, however I do think Snow could have pulled a little more out of Minnesota.

 

Future superstar Seth Jones saw his stock drop to fourth as teams loaded up on offense. Don't read too much into this one. The big story here is Ryan Suter bolts to Minnesota and David Poile who nearly had his heart ripped out twice in one offseason (see Shea Weber offer sheet) now has another franchise defenseman to play in front of Pekka Rinne. Barry Trotz is also loving life at the moment. Can it go any more storybook for the Preds? What's next a Stanley Cup to spite Suter?

 

Dave Bolland wins his second Stanley Cup. Scores the dramatic game winner in game 6. Gets traded one week later to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Also Bryan Bickell within an hour of the trade signed a 4 year $16 million contract. If there is any solace to find it's that 1. He will get a more prominent role in Toronto. 2. He's close to home. 3. He didn't get screwed by being shipped to Atlanta like Byfuglien and Ladd or a train wreck Toronto team like Versteeg who later got traded to another train wreck in Philly and then another in Florida. It's like the Vince quote from the movie Fast Five... What? After you messed things up in Chicago? I free fell through every hell hole in the league.

 

For Toronto this trade gives Randy Carlyle the grit he loves and another player of his liking, Much like the signing of Jay Mcclement who is looking like a steal. It also may signal a new opportunity for Mikhail Grabovski who spent much of the lockout shortened season in the checking role dog house. If Grabovski gets a chance to play a more offensive role (See Tyler Bozak's spot on the top line) He will certainly chase it with everything he's got trying to cling to that opportunity. If he fails to grasp a bigger role it's likely going to be a change of scenery for Grabo.

 

 

There is still so much to come in a league ripe for action. July 5th marks the opening of NHL Free Agency. The buyout period ends in a couple days and the buyouts will be made official. Teams are still searching for all sorts of help in every area. Edmonton looking hard for help on the blue line. Philly wants a goaltender. Toronto and virtually every team except Colorado is looking for a centre. There are a host of compliance buyouts that have yet to be decided on let alone be announced and by the sound of things a lot of GM's are dangling some game changers due to salary cap constraints.