NHL Free Agency Thread

[FirstTimer]

So looks like I've been on the right track



So while Versteeg is set to be signed (only so Chicago doesn't lose a player for nothing due to this shit) but they'll have to make a move at some point to make a little more space.

I thought the Blackhawks signed someone already to back up Huet. Some guy who was drafted by them in 2003.

Crawford?

He signed yesterday with Barker.

No doubt maybe the Hawks have some trade bait on their roster but they already signed their back up to Huet.

[Blade]

Sounds like the 2008 Flyers. We had to trade a perfectly good Foward, Upshall for a damn goon midseason. Lost Metropolit and Vaananan to the waiver wire. That affected us later on, because Metropolit was a clutch player and a face/off monster and Upshall was one of the best fore checkers on the team and we lost depth with Ossi going to the Canucks.

[killgod]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284076

Jiri Hudler signs in KHL

[Ravin]

WTF is Hudler doing? You won a cup the year before, made it to the finals last season, so you then sign with a KHL team? Guy is 25 years old and could have easily found another NHL team to play for.

[Kuzzy Powers]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284076

Jiri Hudler signs in KHL

Wow.. this is a strange one.

[nesper]

kinda odd for sure maybe huddy is going to russia for a year til the wings clear some cap space and he comes back. almost impossible for them to sign him with the hard cap and thier cap numbers.

heres a quote from a local blog attributed to huddler. and he still wants to go forward with arbitration.

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

In Detroit there is wasn’t place for me and I didn’t want to go to another club. So i didn’t ask for a trade. Then came Dynamo with their offer.

I started thinking about it and decided to go to Russia. It was tough but this is not a question of life or death. It is only hockey.

The KHL is good league. I should be one of the key players so it could help me in my career. I don’t think I will close the door to NHL. I am young and there are still 13 years until the end of my career. I want my career to be more colorful.

defiinatly think this is a creative use of the KHL and bet he is back in the winged wheel in 2010

[Krebs]

yeah i really like what he did there, and we wont fall apart without him

[wr50l]

Kotalik is a Ranger.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284213

[Obst]

Tampa Bay signs goalie Antero Niittymaki

[nesper]

NHL says hudler is a red wing or atleast obligated to be one, if my conspiracy theory holds up this could be bad for the wings. (theory is hudler goes to khl for 1 year to avoid long term deal outside of detroit, so he can return next year)

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090710/SPORTS0103/907100418/1004/SPORTS/NHL+says+Jiri+Hudler+should+stay+with+Wings

[killgod]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284670

Dave Tallon loses his job over the RFA offers

[FirstTimer]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=284670

Dave Tallon loses his job over the RFA offers

From your own article

but it was not believed to be a major factor in the change.

Any ways...this change isn't too surprising. Rocky Wirtz was on the radio during the Wester Conference Finals getting wet talking about Stan Bowman and how he was the brain trust behind Dale Tallon doing all the dirty work evaluating players, money etc... Surprising to hear at the time considering Tallon was getting all the pub. Sure the RFA thing played perhaps a small role but realistically Wirtz wanted to and was going to make this change anyways and the RFA thing gave him a bit more of an excuse to.

[calgaryballer]

I think it was more Tallon was from the previous regime, combined with the fact that Bowman appears to be more than capable

[killgod]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=286333

blame Tallon? :nana:

[Krebs]

lol, who would ever do that?