Update: 8:02 pm
Well you WOULD have heard it here first at around 7:35 , but I was cleaning my children....so according to NY Islanders.com Mike Comrie has agreed to a one year deal with the NY Islanders...second great signing today, and more fodder for tomorrow's Islanders article...(dirty children.....:( )
Atlanta Thrashers
Garnet Exelby
Jim Slater
Buffalo Sabres
Nathan Paetsch
Derek Roy
Minnesota Wild
Pierre-Marc Bouchard
Nick Schultz
Kurtis Foster
Montreal Canadiens
Michael Ryder
Nashville Predators
Vernon Fiddler
Greg Zanon
New York Islanders
Trent Hunter
New York Rangers
Sean Avery
Marcel Hossa
Ottawa Senators
Ray Emery
Chris Kelly
Christoph Schubert
Phoenix Coyotes
Brendan Bell
Josh Gratton
Pittsburgh Penguins
Colby Armstrong
St. Louis Blues
Lee Stempniak
San Jose Sharks
Rob Davison
Tampa Bay Lightning
Ryan Craig
Washington Capitals
Milan Jurcina
Brooks Laich
The deadline for Club-Elected Salary Arbitration notification is July 6, 2007 at 5 p.m. ET. Hearings will be held in Toronto from July 20 to August 4, 2007.
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Update 5:38 pm
Bill Guerin has signed a two year deal with the Islanders...Huge signing for the Isles...Exactly what the team needed.
A rumour is out there that the Canucks are talking to Anson Carter (or as we call him around here
(~} ) regarding a two year deal...
And the Oilers trade today that brought Allan Rourke (form before function) and their own third round draft pick from next year back from Anaheim was a set up for a possible offer sheet. Remember to sign guys to offer sheets you need to have "your own" draft picks. Now Edmonton has their own #1, #2, and #3.
Update 5:04pm..
Something looks to be up with a "good sized" trade or UFA signing involving one of the western teams that will be "the story of the day..."
"What bigger than the Weekes signing?" I asked...
I am chasing it down as we speak....as many of you have seen there are alot of trades and UFA signings that go down right around 5 or 6 pm ET...I asked someone about that and was told...
"It is the old, 'I will let you know by the end of the day' syndrome."
UPDATED 1:24 pm
Rumour: The Leafs have serious interest in Yashin. I guess the debate will rage there. What do you think? I have heard several Toronto media people say they feel he will be the steal of the draft, but until a call I just had I didn't see it. I still don't, but it is my job to report even the most unpopular of rumours.
Also I am hearing that the Oilers are considering an offer sheet for Zach Parise...Hard to imagine the Devils wouldn't match this...Look for the Oilers to continue to explore the trade route...
I have also heard the LA Kings are seriously hoping that Ray Emery files for arbitration and the number is too high for the Sens to pay...
Below is a feature I will be writing more of over the next few weeks about how I feel certain teams are better off after this off-season. The first one may shock you, but I believe it fully to be the case.
*****WHY THE SABRES ARE BETTER OFF********
This won't be a popular article. And that is what is great about Sabres and Islanders fans. They are both among the most passionate fans in all of hockey. They have both seen highs and lows. They are both emotionally invested in their teams. They are also both extremely strong in their knowledge of the game.
But it is their passion that usually lands them on Hockeybuzz.com. And it was that passion that was torn limb to limb this past July 1.
Face it...It was a bad day. As I was taught at a young age, some days are best left forgetting about, and no matter how much you would like to salvage the day...sometimes you should JUST GO TO BED.
These teams have similar fans, but they are at very different points in their team-o-rhythm.
First...let's look at the Sabres...
There is no replacing Chris Drury and Danny Briere. However, there is no denying that life will be different for these two players in October. What makes the Sabres a phenom over the last several years is this system. The fact that Ruff has been around for a VERY long time and Cunneyworth in Rochester has taught the players the same system as well.
The reason why VERY few UFA signings have led to Stanley Cups (only 1 actually and he's likely retiring) is because this is a team sport every way to Sunday. Teams win Cups. Coaches win Cups. Goalies win Cups.
Team balance is critical, as is chemistry and momentum. Here's something that Sabres fans may not like to hear...The Sabres have been a magical team but the Magic was fading. For whatever reason..You saw it in the playoffs last year where the Sabres struggled constantly to get it going, and I really saw it in the way the Sabres reacted to being down 3-0 against Ottawa. No one wanted to admit it, but there was a BAD feeling in Ottawa that transcended being down 3-0.
The only players I sensed that were above it were Campbell and Miller. Beyond that there was a pressure to win that had a very odd effect on these Sabres.
They became "tweeners" and were caught in a very uncomfortable spot. I remember talking on the phone to another hockey person I trust and admire and asking him how could this team be like this? How could no one be stepping up, making a joke even, keeping it light? How could they get so bad, so fast?
The person said to me. "It really makes you appreciate the job Ruff did during the season with those kids."
And it did.
Sometimes teams make huge mistakes re-signing guys to long term deals out of emotional attachment. Often they hang on too long and keep thinking the magic will return.
It would have been perfect if both guys had 1 more year on their contracts to be able to really see if the magic was fading...but unfortunately they didn't and the Sabres had to make a gut call here. The Sabres were in a tough spot this July 1, but I have to admit, being around that group alot over the last two years and then being around them at the end last year, I would have done the same thing.
You can always look back...Sure the Sabres should have gotten Drury tied up earlier when he was cheap, and probably McKee as well....Those are two guys that are one-of-a-kind players, but in the end you need to look at where you are...
Here's why the Sabres will be better off:
Three names...Connolly, Vanek and Stafford. In Stafford you have a young kid who costs less, has less miles, and will be a star. In Vanek you have a natural goal scorer, which neither Drury, Briere, or anyone else on the Sabres can touch. In Connolly you have the most naturally talented of all of them (including Drury and Briere) who didn't even play last year, and then due to conditioning; not playing all year, ran out of gas.
Plus you have 14 million to spend to fill the holes on D. And there are holes on D. And there are Power Play issues as we all remember from the Ottawa series. Will the right players to fill those holes be available? I think Souray is a good fit, but everyone is waiting for the price to come down a bit. Souray's team is waiting for someone to flinch. If not, I think Derek Morris is a great fit and a player that could be had in a deal. The Sabres may just wait until players file for arbitration and get left out in the cold because an inflated market that gives them deals way to high. Teams will have to just walk away from anywhere from 6-10 players this year. You Sabres fans who remember JP know how this works. It is tough to be patient right now, but it shouldn't be so tough when you consider the team that is still there...
The Sabres have the goalie, the coach, the team concept, and the speed to make them still my pick for #1 in the East even though I expect that Drury and Briere will both have great years in NY and Philly. Plus, we haven't seen the end of the off-season yet for the Sabres...I really like where they are heading, and I think to get the magic back it will take giving certain players new roles that you never could have taken away from the Captains.
We will see how it all plays out, but that is just my opinion...
Coming up next...Why the Islanders are better off...
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