Battle Of Hudson

He really became irrelevent once Rachunek signed.

Lukowich signs 3 years, $4.7 M per year.

Darren Dreger reports that Sidney Crosby is in talks with Ray Shero and the Penguins on a contract extensions, rumored to be between $7.5-9.5M per year. But Dreger reports that he may take less if Shero promises to surround him.

Brian Smolinski’s deal with the Habs kills Yashin’s deal there.

Edmonton, Washington maybe interested in him.

Ed Jovonovski may be being shopped around by the Coyotes. He has 4 years left on his contract. He’s not crazy about it.

SIGNED:
Brad May (2 Years, Terms Undisclosed)
Todd Bertuzzi (2 Years, $4M per year)
Matheiu Schnieder (2 Years, $5.625M per year)

RE-SIGNED
Sean O’Donnell (2 Years, $1.25M per year)
Kent Huskins (2 Years, $600K per year)

ANALYSIS: The rich get richer. The Ducks are still the best in the West even if they lose Nieds and Selanne.

SIGNED:
Ken Klee (2 Years, Terms Undisclosed)
Eric Perrin (2 Years, $750K per year)
Todd White (4 Years, $2.375M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Pascal Dupuis (1 Year, $880K)

ANALYSIS: Call me at the end of the year, and compare Todd White and Keith Tkachuk’s numbers. The Thrashers are in trouble.

SIGNED:
Shawn Thornton (No Terms Disclosed)

ANALYSIS: Another team that was bad last year that failed to improve.

SIGNED:
Owen Nolan (1 Year, $1.75M)
Cory Sarich (5 Years, $3.6M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
David Hale (1 Year, $590K)
Wayne Primeau (3 Years, $1.4 Mill per year)

ANALYSIS:
Now Owen Nolan can play with Tony Amonte on the “You Still Play?” line. It will be an interesting year in Calgary.

SIGNED:
Yanic Perrault (1 Year, $1.5M)
Robert Lang (2 Years)

ANALYSIS: Maybe the most improved team not called the Rangers. They are now a legit playoff contender. They gotta hope for a lotta’ young guys to come thru, but now they have the right mix fo vets and kids.

SIGNED:
Ryan Smyth (5 Years, $6.25M Per year)

Scott Hannan (4 Years, $4.5M Per year)

ANALYSIS:
Expect the attendence problems in Denver to go away, as Colorado’s added the buzz and now has the team to be competitive for the next 5 years. Joe Sakic finally has the team that can take him in to retirement, when he’s comfortable doing so.

SIGNED:
Sheldon Brookbank (1 Year)

Jiri Novotny (2 Years)

RE-SIGNED:
Alexander Svitov (2 Years)
Ole-Kristian Tollefson (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Columbus has gotta’ hope people stay healthy, and Nash finally starts playing like a superstar again. And that Zherdev does as well. And that Adam Foote stays healthy. Lotta’ ifs for a team that added nothing.

RE-SIGNED:
Sergei Zubov (1 Year, $5.35M)

ANALYSIS:
Dallas is still due for a revamp, and they’re pretty much going into the next year with the same team they had last year.

SIGNED:
Brian Rafalski (5 Years, $6M Per year)

ANALYSIS:
Detroit might be in for a drop this year if they can’t find a way to sign a serviceable goaltender.

SIGNED:
Dick Tarnstrom (1 Year)

Matheiu Garon (2 Year)

RE-SIGNED:
Denis Grebeshkov (1 Year)

ANALYSIS:
Possibly the biggest loser of the frenzy, Kevin Lowe might wanna check the want ads.

RE-SIGNED:
Jaroslav Modry (1 Year, $1.2M)

ANALYSIS:
The Kings were really left for dead by many after day one, but they came back roaring on day two. With some pieces in place already, Preissing will fill out a ‘D’ that already features Modry, Rob Black, and Jack ‘JMFJ’ Johnson. While Calder, Handzus and Nagy will be playing with the likes of Frolov, Brown, Cammaleri and Kopitar.

SIGNED:
Steve Kelly (1 Year)
Nolan Schaefer (Terms Undisclosed)

RE-SIGNED:
Martin Skoula (Terms Undisclosed)
Mikko Koivu (4 Years, $3.3M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Minnesota will stick to Jacques Lemaire’s system and get over 90 points, but is that enough in a crazy Northwest Division where they didn’t get better and everyone but Edmonton did?

SIGNED:
Roman Hamrlik (4 Years, $5.5M per year)
Brian Smolinski (1 Year, $2M)

ANALYSIS:
Biggest losers of the UFA frenzy. They need to find a way to make Montreal a better place to play.

SIGNED:
Greg De Vries (2 Years)
Radek Bonk (2 Years)
Jed Ortmeyer (2 Years, $750K)

RE-SIGNED:
Alex Henry (1 Year)
Scott Nichol (2 Years, $750K)
Pekka Rinne (2 Years)
Ville Koistenen (1 Year, $475K)

ANALYSIS:
The Preds are not completely out of playoff contention, with 5 of their top 6 d-men back, a couple of decent offensive lines, and the amazing Alex Radulov, but it’ll be a tough sell for what could be the final year in Nashville.

SIGNED:
Dainius Zubrus (6 Years, $3.4M per year)
Karel Rachunek (1 Year, $1.5M)

RE-SIGNED:
Johnny Oduya (Terms Undisclosed)

ANALYSIS: Zubrus and Rachunek are no Gomez and Rafalski, but they’ll get this team at least as far as Round 2 of the playoffs, which is where Gomez and Rafalski brought them the last two years. Whether or not Zubrus plays wing or center will determine a lot in how the Devils shape their offense this year.

SIGNED:
Jon Sim (3 Years, $1M per year)

ANALYSIS: The Islanders are in deep trouble, in more than one way, after letting Smyth and Blake going and replacing them with Jon Sim.

SIGNED:
Scott Gomez (7 Years, $7.36M per year)
Chris Drury (5 Years, $7.05M per year)

ANALYSIS: I hate to say it, but the Rangers are the early favorite out of the Eastern Conference.

SIGNED:
Matt Carkner (1 Year)

RE-SIGNED:
Danny Bois (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Ottawa didn’t improve on last year’s team. Letting Comrie and Preissing walk will hurt.

SIGNED:
Daniel Briere (8 Years, $6.5M per year)

ANALYSIS: Add this to the signing of Timmonen and Hartnell, the trade for Lupul and Smith, and the Flyers are back in the Atlantic Division title contention.

NOTHING

ANALYSIS: Same as it ever was in the Valley Of the Sun. New GM, Same Problems. Good luck to Jovo and Doan with this bunch.

SIGNED
Petr Sykora (2 Years)
Darryl Sydor (2 Years, $2.5M)
Danny Sabourin (2 Years, $512K)

RE-SIGNED:
Ryan Whitney (6 Years, $4M per year)

ANALYSIS:
It will be interesting to see how Sykora meshes with the rest of this bunch. Sydor will help with Ryan Whitney’s development as a defenseman.

RE-SIGNED:
Joe Thornton (3 Years, $7.2M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Maybe the Sharks will be ready to take the next step this year. Maybe.

SIGNED:
Paul Kariya (3 Years, $6M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Barrett Jackman (1 Year)
Keith Tkachuk (2 Years, $4M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Kariya is a big “get” for JD and the Blues. They will be a team to contend with this year. Many people forget they finished 10th in the West last year. I have a feeling they’ll be a lot closer with Nashville and Detroit dropping in quality and only Chicago improving more.

SIGNED:
David Schneider (1 Year)
Jay Leach (1 Year)
Matheiu Darche (1 Year)
Michel Ouelett (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Ouelett will blossom into the sniper he showed signs of becoming in Pittsburgh. Brad Richards point total will increase by double digits.

SIGNED:
Simon Gamache (2 Years)
Jason Blake (5 Years, $4M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Jay Harrison (1 Year)
Bates Battaglia (2 Years, $650K per year)

ANALYSIS:
After all that, the Leafs aren’t that much better. They still need to do more to become a playoff team.

SIGNED:
Byron Ritchie (TBD, $675K)
Brad Isbister (TBD, $525K)
Greg Classen (Terms Undisclosed)
Lukas Krajicek (2 Years, $1.1M per year)

RE-SIGNED:
Brad Moran (Terms Undisclosed)
Jason Jaffray (Terms Undisclosed)
Jeff Cowan (2 Years)

ANALYSIS:
Whole lotta’ nothin’ for the Canucks. Some career minor leaguers and career fourth-liners. Krajicek provides depth on the ‘D’, but overall there wasn’t much VanCity could do.

SIGNED:
Tom Poti (4 Years, $3.5M Per year)
Michael Nylander (4 Years)
Viktor Kozlov (2 Years, $2.5M per year)

ANALYSIS:
Good character guys for Capitals. With Nylander, Kozlov and Backstrom, they’re set down the middle for a while. Nylander and Ovechkin will make each other better players. Poti will make for a dangerous DC power play.

Columbus has signed Washington’s Jiri Novotny.

Edmonton signed LA’s Matheiu Garon.

After a year in Raleigh, he signs a 3 year deal worth 5.2 Million.

What does everyone think of new Devil Dainus Zubrus? I like the signing, if it took 6 Years to get him, It’ll be ok.

Michael Ryder and the Habs will go to court for an arbitration hearing. He’ll get close to 4 Mill.

The Canucks have signed Cory Schneider, Brad Isbister, and former-Flame Byron Ritchie.

TFP Reporting, 6 Year Deal.

This is a decent signing for us.

1 Year, 1.5 Million.

We totally got the Rangers back.

Right?

Right?

According to TFP, Brad May has re-signed with the Ducks.

As the promise of a new tomorrow for the Islanders faded like Alexei Yashin in the spring, all Islanders fans can do now is shake their head and wonder what just went down. First we took a Gomez face rub to the kisser, then a Drury elbow to the head, and then a most painful Smyth slash to the groin. Then as if stunned and unable to react to the environment around him, Snow watched most tier two free agents sign elsewhere. There goes Hannan, Bertuzzi, Calder, Preissing. Hey isn’t that Nylander, Lang, and Handzus zipping right by? Hey wait stop!! Come back! Nothing doing. Well, good thing we can still sign our own UFAs. Wait, Blake signed with the Leafs. And there goes Kozlov and Poti. Wow, at least we still have Yashin. Oh right, we finally cut him loose. How sad that a Yashin is looking great right around now.

So I wake up this morning from this continuing horrible nightmare to find Snowbury expressing surprise at the salaries being paid all around him and blaming the old barn as a primary reason that players don’t want to be here. Umm, yeah, okay. I keep thinking back to Eklund’s proclamtion a couple of weeks ago that the Isles were poised to have a huge July 1. Oh, man, it was huge alright. This week may be looked back upon in a few years as the week that led to the Islanders relocation to KC or Vegas, because if you thought the fan base was anemic last season, wait until this year. Cricket, cricket. If an Islander scores a goal but there is no one there to see it, did he really score?

The Islanders really, really needed to sign a top tier free agent. Even just one. The fans expected as much. But if you told me last week that as of July 3, the only press releases would be to announce the signing of Jon Sim and Andy Hilbert, I would not have believed you in a million years. On the other hand, does anything that happens with this team really surprise you?
From Newsday, this is how our lines are shaping up for next season:

1. Sean Bergenheim TBA Miroslav Satan
2. Andy Hilbert Mike Sillinger Trent Hunter
3. Jonathan Sim Richard Park Jeff Tambellini
4. Chris Simon Shawn Bates Frans Nielsen

Gee, I’m going to make some calls. Some of my street hockey teammates may have an interest in playing for the Islanders. How hard could it be to crack this line up? And if you project goal scoring from this motley crew, I’d say were talking less than 100 goals. Not that the puck will ever be in the opponent’s zone with such a fine defense behind it. It doesn’t get any better than Freddy Meyer the IV. If Ricky thinks last year’s headaches were bad….

Well, I predict that the Islanders will announce the signing of Sheldon Souray for some ridiculously inflated salary. Same with Zubrus. And then Snow will proclaim that these were the players he coveted all along. Of course we will never know how these players work out for us as we won’t be at the mausoleum. If Newsday continues to cover the Isles this season, Logan can be the daily bringer of bad news – if I choose to read about it.

-Calgary Signs Owen Nolan, 1 Year
-Anaheim Signs Todd Bertuzzi, 2 Years
-Nashville Signs Radek Bonk, Greg De Vries, both 2 Years
-Los Angeles strikes again, signing Kyle Calder for 2 Years
-Smolinski to the Habs, 1 Year, 2 Million

What do you all think?