NHL Free Agency Frenzy
Steven Stamkos resigning with the Tampa Bay Lightning two days before free agency will lead to a major frenzy today. The teams that were in on Stamkos, are all motivated to spend and do something today.
A lot of players are going to get paid within hours when the clock strikes noon.
Where are the big names headed?
*Aside from Steven Stamkos, no player has been more coveted than Milan Lucic. He’s expected to sign with the Edmonton Oilers for 7 years and around $42 million.
*The Detroit Red Wings have resigned Darren Helm to a 5 year deal worth $19.25 million. Detroit also has a deal in place with Frans Nielsen that is expected to be big money in the $6 million per range.
*Andrew Ladd visited the New York Islanders yesterday, per Arthur Staple of Newsday, and Ladd will be signing with the Islanders. The Islanders, though, will lose Nielsen and Kyle Okposo today in free agency.
*Lots of interest in Eric Staal emerging in the last 24 hours. St. Louis eyeing Staal as a fallback option for David Backes.
*The Vancouver Canucks have been in on all the big names and expectations are Loui Eriksson will sign with the Canucks, per Darren Dreger.
*The Buffalo Sabres are all in for Kyle Okposo, offering 7 years and maybe $7 million per season with significant bonus money. Okposo is down to three teams, Buffalo and Minnesota among the final three. Likely Buffalo.
*There’s talk of the Calgary Flames offering Troy Brouwer 5 years and over $5 million per season.
*Brian Campbell and his camp initially reached out to four teams; Chicago, Dallas, San Jose and PiTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
You know who the NHL equivalent of the Pirates are? Winnipeg. Missed the playoffs last year. Money to burn. Supposed rabid fan base. How do they reward said fanbase? They just made their first splash of the day, landing Shawn Matthias to play on their fourth line. That’ll probably make them a playoff team next year. It’s them and the bucs! Doing 35mph in the fast lane watching everyone switch lanes and speed right by!
Blow it up. The Pirates will finish 5th or 6th in the league. No, 4th or 5th. But thats it. Keep Stewart in, not your patron saint blurvelli. Polanco is a cool player. And i loooooooooooove iiiiiiiiiit.
This was pretty good. Bravo NPL.
the lightenings bought out Matt Carle
Stanch can you believe we signed sestito and percy to minior league deals are they even trying to win? (how you sound about baseball in December).
Ha – they’re spending to the cap buddy – not treading water. They just DID win. #1979 #BestMgmtTeaminBBall
haha where were you in the early 2000s? when the cap didnt exist? I can answer that, not on the band wagon. there are 25 players on an NHL roster and 25 players on an MLB roster. Pens spend 73 million for 25 players, pirates spend over 100 million on 25 players…. I get its not your money, money but before the cap Pens were WORSE than the pirates when it comes to being cheap. But I am sure with your die hard fandom you knew that already. lmao. Its ok MLB is still waiting for your call to explain… Read more »
Haha – Baseball, on average, is 4x as big as the NHL, revenue wise. Even if you want to go 2x as big, citing Pittsburgh being a smaller market, the should be in the neighborhood of 73M x 2. They spend kinda near $100 million and then cry poor. So good. But hey – that’s one heck of an argument. Pens have 4 championships since the Pirates have even PLAYED for one. But hey – same thing – ho hum. Whatever. Play in game! Vogelsong! Niese! Theyr’e going for it!
They didn’t want to pay jagr back then and if cap space existed then I’m sure jagr would’ve been with the pens a bit longer
Jagr demanded a trade – twice. So what makes you think that?
they are signed for the minor leagues. The scrubs the buccos signed were for actual roster spots and expected to play roles in them making the wild card and getting slammed in that game.
Actually the signings they made have mostly turned out to be good signings, it was the signings the didn’t make that is hurting the team.
Benny, im a big pirates fan too, but its probably best you sit this one out. NH had a terrible offseason and its a big reason theyve been losing. Future is still bright, but he shlt the bed as much as Sam after watching a scary movie. (Pretty much anything PG13 and up)
I have not defended the pirates off season once, thats the whole point here. Stanch flipped out over a minor league signing in December (Goebbert) and to cover that up he pretends anyone in Pittsburgh did cartweels over re-signing Vogelsong (which not even the most die hard pirate apologists did). If anything I may have made mention you have to give them benefit of the doubt based on reclamation projects, but excited they signed him? never once said/thoguht that.
You defended Vogelsong – more importantly, you defended NH – who mailed it in. So shut the fuck up. You know what you did – the same thing you’re doing now – trying to justify why it’s okay for them to half-ass being a MLB organization. And it’s proven by nearly 40 years of relative consistent futility. City of Champions! And the Pirates.
The truth is in between you and Benny. Theyve been one of the best teams in the league the past 3 years, and are having a down year – thanks to a poor offseason. (Cole and Cervelli injuries didnt much either) But the future is bright with quality to elite prospects, and key players locked in through at least 2018.
If pens had enough cap space I would’ve love to see Lee stempniak here
Brad Boyes too?
WE DIDNT GET STEMPNIAK!
Ben gayjoy with new Jersey another shero and his lovers
All he is missing is orpig and DB.
try again
Yoda is crushed – they lost lovejoy! Remember when Sam thought Despres was better?
Anyone sign Marty St. Louis yet?
Eric staal to the wilds. 10.5m for 3 years
Wilds!
Brouwer with flames
Stan I need to know how long Radulov signed with the habs
Working on it – I think it’s a deal that mirrors Stammer’s deal with the Wings.
Clown once again I never said wings signed stammer I said they were close working on it and the Pavel contract was part of it now they need plan B and maybe they might over sign radulov even tho Habs signed him first
Working on it – 2 hours later – done. Sam! How close were they – what was teh cap hit – per your sources?
The best part is that it is confirmed that Detroit never even got the chance to speak to Stamkos but according to Sam they were close to signing a deal.
Okposo to sabres
Backes to bruins. 5 year
That fraud will play 3rd line center
Stamkos seen skating in Greensburg, Toronto, Ontario per Sam
Your mom been seen in joeys chestnut hot dog cart
Pens sign GMJR 3 years extension
Did they resign Mike Johnston? Same said hed be better than Bylsma.
I remember that too.
How am I doing Stan the hack? How is Radulov doing with the Habs
Stammer to Wings heating up! Per Sam’s sources!
Ladd finally made it to Florida! Oh, wait….
You hack I never said wings signed him I said things were heating up wings were close and they even made space with dumbing pavels contract. Anyways let me know how long Habs signed. Radulov
They were close! Then he re-signed 2 hours later. Sam! Ladd! Franson!
Perron back with blues
Wings sign Frans nielson
Lucic to oiler
Ericson with Vancouver
Ladd with isles
Welp – Florida signed James Reimer – 5 years, $3.4M. That makes a ton of sense.
sucks the pens will lose their UFA’s and not be able to sign anyone. good thing thay have a 5.75 million dollar backup. all hail st.bleury!
So – 6 months ago yogurt was blowing Despres and talking about how dumb the Lovejoy trade was. Now he’s worried about losing him in free agency. If that’s not the definition of a fuckface #Fraud, I don’t know what is. #Fraud.
Have we crashed yet?
Montreal has. Crashed and f’ing burned.
Yeah just like your Radulov to Montreal news you hack
Percy to Pens?
Maloni just nutted in his pants:
Pittsburgh Penguins @penguins 34s34 seconds ago
The #Pens have re-signed Tom Sestito to a one-year, two-way contract with an AAV of $575K: http://pens.pe/29jpiHQ
Bite me i did he is a good insurance policy
For what? Please tell me one thing he accomplished for this team this season that would have derailed the year had he not been there? Inconsequential!
Sam, what are you hearing? Would like to rule out those possibilities…
I’m hearing Radulov to Habs per Stan
Cambell to Hawks $2mil
Kind of surprising, I would have been ok with the Pens signing Campbell for 1y-2M.
I did say here Campbell would be a good add over gayjoy or shultz
I guess same was right few days ago
Radulov! Habs! Even Montreal thinks the best way to a Cup is with more Russians. Two years in a row! Sam!
Because best players are already taken with longterm contracts , the scrubs are available for last few years
So good. More Russians! To play in front of the dozens at the Mausolee!!!!
Yes, 10 hours into free agency, all the good players are gone!
Free agency doesn’t start for a half hour….
Really starting to feel for Edmonton fans, that team just can’t get out of it’s own way. I’ve always been a big Lucic fan but that contract is horrible and they actually traded a better and cheaper player just to make that horrendous contract possible.
Agreed
Well I guess I was completely wrong with my assessment if Same agrees.