1) Where are you with the Carle signing, Ek? I thought your sources in Tampa were very solid.

2) 6yrs 5.5mil for Matt Carle...

Ken King needs to go.
- robin_steele264

Again, I'm not a fan of Ken King and think we should have a hockey president but I find the premise that you remove him and everything changes problematic. People need to remember he doesn't own the team, Murray Edwards and co do. And the most compelling theory, in my mind, on why they go the direction they do is because they fear the loss in revenue that would occur with any sort of rebuild.

Interesting day in hockey for sure. Extremely excited to see the top 2 (AMERICAN) free agents select the same non-traditional city on the 4th of July. Pretty cool. Good luck to the Wild. The true character of hockey has roots - a lot more than other sports can claim.

Now - let's look at reality. Parise and Suter are great players but I probably wouldn't spend $200M and dedicate the next 13 years to them. I would put Zach in the top 30 and Suter in the top 50 as players. They are super talented but I wouldn't annoint the Wild as Cup Champions too soon. They are a 7th seed at best next year. Their goal tending is still a little shaky in my books.

Anyway - great day for American Hockey and the Wild. As a Sabres fan, it is good to see players go outside the box. Gives me hope.

Interesting day in hockey for sure. Extremely excited to see the top 2 (AMERICAN) free agents select the same non-traditional city on the 4th of July. Pretty cool. Good luck to the Wild. The true character of hockey has roots - a lot more than other sports can claim.

Now - let's look at reality. Parise and Suter are great players but I probably wouldn't spend $200M and dedicate the next 13 years to them. I would put Zach in the top 30 and Suter in the top 50 as players. They are super talented but I wouldn't annoint the Wild as Cup Champions too soon. They are a 7th seed at best next year. Their goal tending is still a little shaky in my books.

Anyway - great day for American Hockey and the Wild. As a Sabres fan, it is good to see players go outside the box. Gives me hope.
- Peca27

Their success is still going to depend on this question; are some of their top end prospects (Granlund, Coyle, Brodin etc) prepared to be difference makers in the NHL?

Interesting day in hockey for sure. Extremely excited to see the top 2 (AMERICAN) free agents select the same non-traditional city on the 4th of July. Pretty cool. Good luck to the Wild. The true character of hockey has roots - a lot more than other sports can claim.

Now - let's look at reality. Parise and Suter are great players but I probably wouldn't spend $200M and dedicate the next 13 years to them. I would put Zach in the top 30 and Suter in the top 50 as players. They are super talented but I wouldn't annoint the Wild as Cup Champions too soon. They are a 7th seed at best next year. Their goal tending is still a little shaky in my books.

Anyway - great day for American Hockey and the Wild. As a Sabres fan, it is good to see players go outside the box. Gives me hope.
- Peca27

Glad to see a team not called the Flyers, Penguins, Rangers, Kings or Bruins getting the top free agents for a change. Maybe now, we can see some actual parity, in the NHL. It just seems like the Rangers, Penguins and Flyers, seem to get the pick of the litter, every year. Good luck Minnesota. Take the Canucks to the woodshed and make us all proud!

i'm not a fan of these mega deal. Neither Parise nor Suter are elite players but they are both being paid like it. They were simply the best available UFAs the season. I really think both these contracts will look bad within 4 years.

i'm not a fan of these mega deal. Neither Parise nor Suter are elite players but they are both being paid like it. They were simply the best available UFAs the season. I really think both these contracts will look bad within 4 years.
- flamminghead

All deals will look bad in a year.

Parise and Suter are the only top tier players.... i'm hard pressed to find a 2nd tier player... everyone's overvalued.

I can understand what Burke is talking about now... teams are spending LIKE CRAZY on tier 3 players, and need to get rid of better players to move cap space.

Parise is a great player, and he has great leadership qualities. It just seems right that he is going to Minnesota, I think he'll eventually be their captain, and do great things there. As a Canucks and Oilers fan, I am not looking forward to facing off against him for the rest of his career. As far as Suter goes, I am far less worried. I realize that there are quite a few teams that are disappointed. But time will show that he is not that star defenseman that turns a team around. Shea Webber is the best defenceman in the league right now and he does to his defense partner what Johny toews does to his linemates, he makes them look like stars! Suter does NOT turn a game around on his own. I watched a lot of Predator games last year on center ice, and Suter is not as good as people make him out to be. If Minnesota fans are reading this, I'm sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade. I know if your team hadn't paid him that money, someone else would have. It's just frustrating that a league that has a diminishing number of star defenseman is being forced to sign contracts to average or slightly above average defenseman to massive contracts that should be reserved for the games truly elite. The last thing I want is a lockout next year, but there is something truly wrong with a league where guys like Garrison, Wideman, and Carle are making an average of five million each per year. Lets be completely honest all three of those guys are number four defenseman. Then to top it off Suter gets 7.5 million bucks... Every Minnesota fan I've met in the past have been absolutely great people, and huge hockey fans. So for them, I want this to work out. But I think without Shea helping him out, Suter will end up having a skillset far closer to someone like Jay bouwmeester(a good defenseman but not great) and less like a bonified number 1 defenseman who should be getting 7.5 million a year for the rest of his hockey career(I know it's a cap hit and not actual salary). Good thing this years draft was so deep in defenseman... Maybe in five years the going rate for a solid defenseman will be back to a normal level.

I hope parises knee holds out...would be a pretty expensive box seat if he blew out his rubber knee again

I hope parises knee holds out...would be a pretty expensive box seat if he blew out his rubber knee again
- Xnightwish

Haha bitter

I hope parises knee holds out...would be a pretty expensive box seat if he blew out his rubber knee again
- Xnightwish

that sounds pretty bitter.

But year... $7.538M is WAY to much

On the positive: after 10 years both players only have 4m left on their deals (2, 1, 1). That means after 10 years you can buy them out (if they don't retire). Still a huge contract and god forbid their not star players in 3-4 years--- things will get ugly for minni trying to move them.

Vinny L in tampa should be a $4.5-5 cap hit max, but he's a $7.7. Thats stamkos money

Tangradi + Despres <-> E. Kane

Then, sign Kane to a Neal-like contract...5-6 years @5per.

I'd be very happy with a signing of Scott Hannan too.

Kane would be SICK on sid's line:

Kane - Crosby - Dupuis
Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Kennedy - Sutter - Cooke
Adams - Vitale - Glass

Letang - Orpik
Martin - Hannan
Niskanen - Engelland/Bortuzzo/Strait

Good for Minny as that franchise needed something exciting about it and their fans deserve something to be excited about. Those 2 contracts are terrible though. Way way too long. I love how the owners are crying poor mouth while teams throw stupid money and contracts around. *cough cough Feaster... Holmgren*

i'm not a fan of these mega deal. Neither Parise nor Suter are elite players but they are both being paid like it. They were simply the best available UFAs the season. I really think both these contracts will look bad within 4 years.
- flamminghead

Imo, Parise is an elite player. He is a guy who can do it all and makes his team better. If the Flames had that kind of money or ways to entice Parise/Suter, theres no doubt in my mind Feaster would have bid hard for him if not both.

Good for Minny as that franchise needed something exciting about it and their fans deserve something to be excited about. Those 2 contracts are terrible though. Way way too long. I love how the owners are crying poor mouth while teams throw stupid money and contracts around. *cough cough Feaster... Holmgren*


- glove_was_stuck

I do however fully agree with this...although Parise alone is an elite player you need to secure and you are bidding against a few teams for his services...this can really hurt a team down the road. You only assume Parise will be playing for another 10+ years...but Im sure Minny will feel the burden of this contract down the stretch.

Good for them though, must feel nice to be a Minny fan right about now.

And with respect to Feaster...the concensus is that if Wideman hit the open market, he would have likely received offers similar to what Feaster paid, only difference? Hes competing with other teams. He wanted his guy, and he got him. Not the greatest contract, but given his needs it needed to be done.

I do however fully agree with this...although Parise alone is an elite player you need to secure and you are bidding against a few teams for his services...this can really hurt a team down the road. You only assume Parise will be playing for another 10+ years...but Im sure Minny will feel the burden of this contract down the stretch.

Good for them though, must feel nice to be a Minny fan right about now.

And with respect to Feaster...the concensus is that if Wideman hit the open market, he would have likely received offers similar to what Feaster paid, only difference? Hes competing with other teams. He wanted his guy, and he got him. Not the greatest contract, but given his needs it needed to be done.
- noename09

I just think it's crazy that Wideman is worth that on the open market. I just don't think he's that good.

Quiet this morning. Expected more action.

Eklund: Like a Blister in the Sun. Could Suter and Parise Both Be Wild?
- Eklund

So when is the 75% leafs trade happening? Thought you said sometime this morning.

So when is the 75% leafs trade happening? Thought you said sometime this morning.
- Pen15

you must not understand what the 75% means

I just think it's crazy that Wideman is worth that on the open market. I just don't think he's that good.
- celata29

In relation to the needs of the Flames, he was worth it. They needed added offense a bit of size/muscle. Wideman hits guys and can put up points. Hes not the greatest skater but paired with someone who can cover for him he can be a solid addition for the team.

you must not understand what the 75% means
- drexel

75% chance it happens...

I'm sure a very complex algorithm was written to come up with such an exact figure.

So when is the 75% leafs trade happening? Thought you said sometime this morning.
- Pen15

Still early

Still early
- noename09

He's got less than 2hrs...then it's no longer morning (in Philly)

He's got less than 2hrs...then it's no longer morning (in Philly)
- Pen15

Go Leafs, Go!

Go Leafs, Go!
- Flyfreaky

Go Schenn, Go!