Here's a few notable (in my mind) free agents either by current or former status. Some are top tier. Some are second tier. Some are probably somewhat low but used to be high. Others might retire.

Feel free to add to this list / remind me who I'm forgetting about (I used TSN's team by team list as a basis).

Teemu Selanne, Bobby Holik, Curtis Joseph, Daymond Langkow, Yanic Perreault, John-Michael Liles, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Dominik Hasek, Brad Stuart, Rob Blake, Pavol Demitra, Miroslav Satan, Sean Avery, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Straka, Wade Redden, Marian Hossa, Ryan Malone, Brooks Orpik, Brian Campbell, Mats Sundin, Markus Naslund, Sergei Fedorov, Cristobal Huet, Olaf Kolzig


Obviously Hossa is the top guy. Will he stick around in Pittsburgh? If not, who's going to make a serious run at him?

Mats isn't too far behind Hossa but you'd think after refusing to be traded, he'd stick around.


As far as the Sharks go, I suppose signing Campbell is a good idea but obviously his playoff performance left something to be desired. I'd like to see if they go after Redden, but he's probably staying in O-town. They probably need their coach first and need to decide if they want to keep Marleau (I think they should) who has a no-trade clause going into effect at the end of this month.



One thing about this list is that I don't see many guys that I really say, "WOW. I want that guy for my favourite team."

if they have the cap room, they'd be pretty dumb not to re-up him.

the blues pretty much have to re-sign ryan johnson for being your standard invaluable playoff contributor guy. I don't know the payroll situation, but the rest of the UFAs seem pretty marginal. all of the RFAs will be re-signed.

The word I'm hearing is that Hossa is really happy in Pittsburgh, and wants to stay. However, no one knows how serious this desire is when the subject of money comes up, because the Pens will have a VERY hard time paying him what he wants and what he's worth, while keeping the rest of the roster as deep as it is now.

It'll be next to impossible for the Pens to sign Hossa and Malone, especially if either of them are still FAs by the 1st, because teams will make runs for them with big money.

I'm 50/50 on Orpik. He played well in the playoffs, and is really our most physical defensemen, so it'd hurt to lose him, unless we found a suitable replacement (and there aren't many in the FA list).

Hossa could make 10 mill easy this season. The only players anywhere near his level are old and unlikely to sign anywhere but their current team (Selanne, Sakic, Sundin).

Doubtful.. he's looking in the area of 6.5 mill and Ottawa offered 3.5 mill (lowball offer, I agree, but a bit of payback for is current performance).

edit: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/06/06/redden_sens_over/

Other notable UFAs from Ottawa who might not be resigned due to differences in salary expectations:

Cory Stillman
Chris Kelly
Mike Commodore

I think Murray wants Stillman and Commodore to stay but they won't be handing out discounts until the locker room is cleaned up / coach is hired. Kelly is just pricing himself out of his role (and is fairly replaceable with farm players).

Hossa has already made millions from the game (and wants to win the cup). And let's be honest -- I doubt there is any competitive team (ie one that could compete for the cup) out there that could afford to pay him $10 mill (maybe ~$7-8 mill) without destroying their salary structure. It's very possible that Hossa stays in Pittsburgh for 6-7m.

The Wings need to sign Brad Stuart. He fit in very well and both him and Kronwall agree that they were very comfortable with each other and enjoy being line mates. It was nice to have a physical D line to compliment the Lidstrom/Rafalski line.

I am in the camp that there is no way in hell that Hossa is in Pittsburgh...Unless Malkin isnt signed, which I dont see happening..

Hossa will not sign any contract that isnt at least 3 years..So here is how 2009-2010 look...

So next year you have Crosby $8.7 million
you will have Malkin $8 mill plus
Hossa $7 mill plus
Gonchar $5.5
Fleury $4 mill plus
Whitney $3.5 mill

Then you have guys like Staal,Talbot,Kennedy,Malone,Letang..Who are all RFA and will demand a raise..

Thats almost $38 million on 6 players..How are you going to sign another 20 players for $12 million??

Not happening...

pls tell me lidstrom is retiring

Leafs make a huge signing:

Tim Stapleton C...Last played in the Finnish League

Oh I am so sorry but he signed an extension in the middle of the season

I don't know him personally but I can't imagine winning the cup is high on most europeans list. I think he will be about the $$. Even if they could get him for 6-7 Mil why would you sign him unless you are willing to lose Fleury or Malkin. As Pitt will not be able to sign all 3 of them.

Of course...Europeans in general dont really care..If you offered Malkin and Hossa $10 million to go play in Russia, they drop the Penguins in a heartbeat..Its the truth.

If Hossa was about the money he would have resigned in Atlanta. And I think Detroit winning the cup kind of debunks that whole "euros don't want to win the cup" stereotype.

this is a pretty big disappointment. the guy shouldn't be allowed to play hockey anymore.

If the NHL were based in Russia, the same thing would be said about Canadians and Americans so I don't take much stock in this. They're playing away from home so why wouldn't they consider going back?

But, I think most players if offered the same or comparable money would play in the NHL because of the competition, the chance for the cup, and because of the next contract.

Furthermore, I don't think Hossa and Malkin would be the only ones to take $10 million from a Russian team. We'd see plenty of top Canadian and American players take that.

You're completely incorrect.

Don't you remember what Malkin went through just to get to the NHL to make 3-4 million? He could have EASILY gotten much much more money in Russia, but instead he flees the country in the middle of the night? Yeah, he's got no heart, no desire. Just going after the money, IMO.

Hossa, as well, has said on numerous occasions that he wants to win. I still wouldn't expect him to take a huge paycut to stay in Pittsburgh, but I don't think it's a super long shot. The Pens CAN fit him, and everyone else under the cap in 2009-2010. I've done the math before, in the Pens thread. If it came down to it, the Pens sign Malkin and Hossa, and lose Whitney's $4M of awful defense and anemic offense. Someone will be happy to take him off our hands because he has a good reputation throughout the league for some reason, and he's still young. He just makes too much for his play.

Gonchar will be in the last year of his deal, the season after next, as well, and can be moved at the deadline or whatever, if we need to stay under the cap, or something like that.

Staal will probably get a 3 or 4 year deal at 3 M per. Malone, if we can resign him should get 3-4 M per year. Fleury's a bit of a question mark in my mind, as he proved his value in the playoffs, so he's going to cost a lot. Malkin will get 8-8.5 M

The rest of our roster will be filled with cheaper players from WBS, and role guys that just come cheap.

I've done the math before, and it CAN work, but it won't be easy, and will require Hossa to make some sacrifices, so that's up to him.

The Pens have stated numerous times that they will spend up to the cap level. It's estimated to be $56M next year, and I'm sure it'll go up the year after, which is only great for the Pens if we get everyone locked up right now under the 56M cap.

Montreal

UFA
Mark Streit - I wasn't particularly impressed with his performance during the playoffs. Perhaps this will allow us to sign him for a little less. His versatility and offensive ability almost makes him a must sign (depending on the cost of course).
Michael Ryder - I'd love to see the Habs sign him cheaply and get 30 goals out of him but I'm sure he'll end up somewhere like Tampa or Toronto.
Bryan Smolinski - I doubt he'll be offered a contract. The Habs will look for Lapierre or Chipchura to fill his role.
Patrice Brisebois - It took guts for him to come back but it's time to say goodbye for good.

RFA
Andrei Kostitsyn - He'll get Ryder's money.
Mikhail Grabovski - I think the Habs will look to sign him for only a year or two (or trade him) so they can see if he's got what it takes to stick in this league.
Maxim Lapierre - I think he'll get around $900K - $1M per for 3 years.
Corey Locke - Another season another $500K
Josh Gorges - I don't really know where Gorges fits in. I get the feeling he's a filler until the young(er) d-men graduate.
Ryan O'Byrne - I predict $600K to $750K for each of the next 3 years.
Jaroslav Halak - I hope Gainey can sign him for at least 3 years at a maximum of $750K per. That's a hefty raise from last season.

That's why Mats 'I just want to stay in Toronto' Sundin will be leaving the leafs in the next few weeks for the highest bidder.

Good analysis I think..Do you think they will extend Kovalev during the year or let him play it out and decide at the end of the year?

I think they'll watch Kovalev closely and see if he puts forth the same effort as he did this season.

The top 12 RFA's according to TSN..with writeups...I hope we see some movement with these players this year..


http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=10453&am...=topRelated_nhl

Hossa and Campbell. One time Sharks!

Obv Hossa won't sign with us, but hopefully we can resign Campbell

Lapierre signed a two-year deal. He'll make $575,000 the first year and $800,000 the second. Excellent job Mr. Gainey!

The Mustangs are glad...Gainey probably overpaid slightly

LOL

That's a somewhat kinda boldish statement there Serge

Report: Yashin interested in earning more money

Could Alexei Yashin steal more money from the New York Islanders?

According to Newsday, the Islanders have discussed the possibility of bringing their former captain back for one year after buying out the final four years of his $10 million contract.

Yashin's agent, Marc Gandler told Newday he spoke with Islanders' general manager Garth Snow on Thursday but no agreement was reached.

"We've had discussions," Gandler told Newsday. "But it's been very slow because I told them in the beginning how much I wanted. They're obviously not happy about that since we're already stealing quite a bit of money from him. But clearly, they missed him. They didn't have a first line last season and if they pay Yashin they still wouldn't have a first line, but they'd be paying him to be a first line player. More than that if you consider how much he'd be paid plus the buyout money they're already paying him."

Last season, centre Mike Comrie led the team in scoring with just 49 points while veteran winger Bill Guerin led the way in goals with 23.

Currently, the Islanders are paying Yashin $2.2 million per year over eight years for a total of more than $17 million. At the time of the buy-out, there were four years remaining on the deal worth $26 million.

Yashin, who is close with Islanders' owner Charles Wang because they both like money, skated with Yaroslavl of the Russian League last season, scoring 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points. In the playoffs, he added eight goals and six assists in 16 games and was named the best player of the postseason. When asked to comment, Yashin remarked, "My performance this season had nothing to do with me becoming a free agent and wanting to steal more money from the Islanders."

Yashin has an offer to re-sign with Yaroslavl so Gandler would like a decision from the Islanders before July 1.

"If we can't get anything soon, we're going to take the offer with Yaroslavl because the amount of effort it takes Alexei to not try his hardest with the Islanders just isn't worth the money. Especially if you consider there's no potential for any buyout money this time" Gandler told Newsday. "I think they're interested, but I'm not sure they're comfortable with the amount. It's a whole fucking lot of money."

At signing Yashin: Just say no.

If a player like that pulled this with the Pens, the fans would never let him forget it. He'd get the Jagr treatment and booed everytime he touched the puck.


I don't think even Jagr would get that if he somehow managed to end back up in a Pens jersey.

to be fair, if banging Carol Alt leads to underacheiving, I'll take Carol Alt every time.

"I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a god," -- with a fan club like that who needs enemies

Blake Wheeler to sign with the Bruins.

I hope he breaks his leg on his first shift.

She's still alive? Miracles of modern medicine. I could find cuter chicks on the street all day long, and none of them would be older than my mother.

I googled a little. it sounds like attitude problems? any specifics?

I got this from his wikipedia page:

Four years after he was drafted, Wheeler had yet to come to a contract agreement with the Coyotes. Given the option, Wheeler elected to become an unrestricted free agent after being offered the maximum entry-level contract. [4]

The former Gopher's agent has claimed that Wheeler has expressed no interest in playing for the Minnesota Wild, but is rather looking to sign with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, or Montreal Canadiens. [5]


Sounds like he's a cocky rookie who, even though offered top $, wants to be able to hand-pick the team that chooses him.

I'm wondering more and more where some of the 2nd and 3rd tier guys are going.

Avery is reportedly not re-signing with NY. Toronto? ha. I don't like the penalty minutes he racks up, but I love seeing the record of NY with and without Avery. But, San Jose needs a defenceman (or two) first and foremost.


Emery. Maybe Tampa Bay? I get the feeling Melrose would be willing to take on 'bad boys'. Who needs a goalie at this point? LA arguably for a season or two only though. Atlanta possibly. Ottawa. oh. yea. right. I'd say Colorado but I don't think you could trust Emery any more than Theodore.

Avery was the MVP of the Rangers..IMO

probably every team has serious discussions about whether than can sign him and/or fit him in when they hear he's not re-signing.

He was just as visible in the series vs. the Pens as Heatley was in the first round.

He was sick..very ill...

nobody on either of those teams looked good vs pittsburgh

the Ranges wouldn't have amde the playoffs without someone like Lundqvist to backing them. Avery's impact on the team was considerable, but you can't overlook Ludqvist if you're going to dish out and MVP IMO. plus avery is a douchebag, so my vote definetively goes to to King Henrick.

The record with Avery and without is really amazing...Yes he is a douchebag, but he is a HUGE asset and a unique player.

he could never play for the Habs because he spoke out agaisnt Frenchies.

Same goes for Shane Doan but I'm getting reports that it may have all been made up. Regardless Quebcers done care for him too much either and I don't think management would ever try to bring him here.

I really doubt Shane Doan has EVER said a bad thing about anyone.

I'm still hoping we pull an AROD and end up keeping Avery. If we don't, we should be able to clear some space and free up some cash and grab a pretty good free agent or two.

Although, everything depends on whether or not Jagr's staying with us.