Cross Minnesota off the list of NHL teams looking to trade or sign a UFA starting goaltender.
Star Tribune nose for hockey news, Mike Russo, has tweeted that the Wild have signed their incumbent starting goalie, Nik Backsrtom, to a 3 year extension. Backstrom avoids becoming UFA on July 5.
Backstrom is the most successful goaltender in franchise history, owning the team's career win mark with 184 victories. He has spent his entire seven-year career in Minnesota, posting a 184-124-45 record, with a 2.43 GAA, a .917 save % and 28 shutouts in 369 career games. Since entering the league in 2006-07, Backstrom ranks tied for eighth in shutouts and save percentage, ninth in games played, 10th in wins and 11th in GAA. He was originally signed by the Wild as a free agent on June 1, 2006
Niklas Backstrom's contract is 3 years, $10.25 million ($3.42 million cap hit) -- per source #mnwild
In other words, the 35 year old Backstrom took a substantial hometown haircut to stay in the Twin Cities. Thats his right as a player. Not sure I agree with his choice. Backstrom's four year, $24 million ($6M AAV per) expires 7/5/14. Talk about leaving money on the table, jeez, Nik. Had he gone to the UFA market, Backstrom would have easily earned $4.5+ million per season. He would not have gotten Miller money ($6.5+M) but he'd have gotten more than $3.42M per season. No doubt about it. Its noble to stay in one place and to leave money on the table for his GM to re-sign free agents with, however, isn't it the dream of every NHLer to win the Stanley Cup? Perhaps Backstrom thinks that he's the final piece to puzzle that will guarantee the Wild a Cup win in the next season or two. That's why they play the 82 game regular season and upwards of 28 playoff games.
Wild GM Chuck Fletcher is scraping the $64.3 million cap and it appears that he's opting to go the conservative route and to sign the known commodity rather than blowing up his roster in an a desperate move to create $6.8-$7 million per season to bring in another high dollar star like Ryan Miller.
On Sunday, the Toronto Maple Leafs snatched up (this observer says "overpaid") Jonathon Bernier from the Los Angeles Kings.
Ryan Miller's stock is rising by the day. Its simple supply and demand that is driving this goalie market. A couple of great goalies and 6-8 teams looking to close a deal.
These market conditions suggest to me that Miller's days in Buffalo are done. There will be 2-3 NHL GMs who will create a value-laden trade package and offer it to Regier for Miller. Ot will likely happen this week before the NHL Entry Draft on Sunday.
I'm told the Edmonton, St. Louis, and Washington are the prime movers for Miller.
The price of poker will likely be a top six forward, a top four D, a first round draft choice in this year's draft and perhaps a prospect for Miller.
Craig MacTavish has a valuable player in Sam Gagner that he can use to sweeten a deal with Buffalo. Gagner and the 7th overall pick for Miller? Gagner was Edmonton's best, most consistent forward last season and is a Toronto boy. Regier can snatch Gagner off the market before Toronto gets a chance to trade Dion Phaneuf to Edmonton for the former London Knights scoring ace. A 40 year old Khabibulin and a 25 year old unproven Dubnyk don't necessarily inspire fear in the hearts and minds of Oilers opponents. Miller would quickly get in the heads of enemy coaches, players, and fans. He'd also win 40+ games for the Oilers.
Blues GM Doug Armstrong's goaltending fell apart on him the past two post season's. Its a sore subject in STL because Ken Hitchcock's 12 forwards and 6 D were absolutely sensation for the Blues the past two seasons. Their fatal flaw is the goaltenders. Halak (entering last year of contract) is injury prone . Brian Elliott (entering last year of contract) is a solid #2, however, questions abound as to whether he can be the likes of the Hawks, Kings, Sharks and the upper echelon Western Conference teams in the playoffs. I say no, he cannot. Jake Allen (RFA) is young, inexperienced, and not ready for prime time.
Imagine what Ted Leonsis would give to get Miller in red, white and blue for the 2014 winter Olympics in Sochi. Miller was the MVP of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. American hero is the U.S. capitol city. Caps GM George McPhee is meeting with Leonsis today to discuss such things as compliance buyouts, the draft and the trade/free agent market. Holby and Neuvirth are good. Miller is great. That is all.
The Hawks enter Game 6 in Boston in the driver's seat and are one win away from hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup tonight in Boston. One man does not a team make, however, one man has tilted the ice in his team's favor and is worthy of being branded as the Conn Smythe Troiphy winner for his play as the most valuable player to his team in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. There are several worthy candidates for the Conn Smythe on the Bruins roster in Tuuka Rask, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton. Valiant performances and leadership under pressure by all , however, the Bruins will lose this series to the Blackhawks, and thus, a Hawk will be named Conn Smythe winner.
My choice to win the Stanley Cup/Conn Smythe double-dip is South Buffalo's own Patrick Kane.
Months ago, I picked Chicago to win it all. If I'm being honest, I'm very passionate about awarding the Conn Smythe Trophy to Buffalo's Patrick Kane.
Kaner has the uncanny knack for scoring the BIG goals. Like he did in Game 5 when he pieced Rask's heart with two daggers to give his team the inside track on winning the Cup tonight in Boston. In his last five games, Kane has scored 3 goals and has added 2 assists. He's landed 23 shots on Tuuka Rask and has been a ferocious hunter of the puck. Kane's deft stick work and vision can be credited for the dramatic offensive turnaround of hawls captain Jonathon Toews. Since Game 4, when Hawks head coach Joel Quenneville reunited Kane with Toews and Bickell, the Blackhawks have been dominant. The trio has been toying with the Bruins shut down D pair of Chara-Seidenberg. Kane is averaging 22+ minutes TOI.
Thanks, NHL Network
Consistency in creating offense when his team has needed it the most is why I'm giving the Conn Smythe to Kane, who leads the Hawks with 19 points (9G, 10A) . He scored his second career playoff hat trick, including the double OTGWG in Game 5 vs. the Kings. Kane scored goals in back-to-back games on May 18 and 20 despite being dogged incessantly by two future Hall of Famers in Zetterberg and Datsyuk . kane produced five points (5A) in the first three games of WCQF vs. MIN.
Say what you want about Kane's mini-scoring slumps that he's experienced in these playoffs. That makes me want to prop him all the more because he's not playing against the other team's fourth line and their 5th and 6th D. Kane is getting off on the best players in the NHL who are trying to re-arrange his face and knock him on his ass every shift.
Kane will not be denied.
Its not the size of the dog in the fight. Its the size of the fight in the dog. If confidence were height, Pat Kane would be Zdeno Chara right now.
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