(NHL Free Agent Signings Analysis) 1) YOUR Washington Capitals -- Let me just say the free agency is just a two letter word for a longer phrase --- massively overpay for players who have proven they can play but are not necessarily stars or on the downside of their careers. Capitals clearly proved this definition. They overpaid (understandbly) for Niskanen. At least he is a young and could be uptrending. He only really has one good year --- but at least that was last year. Gambling $5.75 mil per year for 4 years on that last year being the real Niskanen is very risky. But I can understand because Caps needed a D badly. But to ridiculously overpay a severely declining 33 yr old Brooks Orpik $5.5 mil per year for 4 years is the worst free agent signing contract of the year (even worse than then Englands contract give to the Flames). So now the Capitals 4 year future of Ovies and Backstroms prime will be tied to these prized free agents in hopes of a winning a Cup? The Caps have basically killed any chance they had to win a Cup in the next 4-5 years. They have no salary cap room. They have no 2nd line center because they chose NOT to re-sign their 2nd best forward last year --- Grabs.This team is now clearly salary and talent cap locked into no mans land. You can criticize ex GM GM all you want. He was not a grade trader. And he did not get the pieces team clearly needed. BUT at least he was smart in drafting and frugal with not wasting $$$ on pricey free agents. New GM BM just proved he is in WAY OVER his head. Grade C-. (Would have been B+ if they kept Grabs and just got Nisky). 2) MY New York Islanders --- I was happy that the ISLES did not over pay in Day 1 of Free Agent Signing. Price tags were way too high. But in Day 2 we decided to join the overspending party. I think getting Grabs is a good move (though I would have preferred Vrabta). I know he and Kums was a package deal. We had to severely over pay Kuls to get Grabs. I get it. At least we have to the cap room. And if had to over pay them at least we did it to reach the Cap Floor. So we had to spend the money. I would have again preferred to spend that on a winger like Vr. and a defensmen. But I know GM Garth Snow tried. The Chad Johnson signing could be a steal as goalie. Isles are a better and deeper team upfront than we have been in years now with Grabs and Kuls. If you think about the Isles actually traded Moulson, their first round pick in 2015, and Andy MacDonald to net Halak (goalie), another first round pick this year in Josh Ho-Sang and a decent prospect from the Habs. That is actually a pretty good exchange in my eyes to get younger and fill our needs. Then we added nicely in free agents with Grabs and Kuls and our 1st round pick 5th overall is loved for his character and talent by all. And with the young kids (Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Ryan Strome, Calvin De Haan) already slated to be full time players this season, the Islanders are one veteran defender maybe two from being a serious playoff contender while our prized Dmen prospects (Greinhart, Pullock and the Swedish D) get more maturation in the minors. Future looks bright. That 1st round pick in 2015 Buffalo will be getting should be a mid to low mid round pick. So it looks like GM Garth Snow hs managed to clean his own Moulson/Vanek debacle. GRADE: B 3) Pittsburgh Penguins --- Mario Lemieux must have been laughing at the contract Caps gave to Orpik. Losing Niskanen will hurt but that is the price you must pay for having the overrated and overpaid Sidney Crosby, MAF, and Malkin. Trading Neal was interesting. All indiciations are that he was not well liked in the locker room. It looks like new GM Rutherford wants to get bigger and play more physical. But it leads to the question who will Crosby and Malkin pass to for linemates? Getting Ehrnoff to replace Niskanen makes sense and at a fair price. It will be interesting to see if changing the pieces work. I dont think it will. Problem is that Crosby disappears in the playoffs or has for the last few seasons. They need more than a reshuffle of the decks. GRADE: B-/C+ 4) New York Rangers --- I found it hypocritical that GM Glen Sather was preaching to his free agents ---- Do you want to win or do you want the money? --- in his attempt to keep them in NY. This coming from a guy and a team known for overpaying and buying players in the past. Suddenly, they want their players to understand they want to be fiscally responsible? Hogwash. They are against the salary cap. So it is their own fault they cannot keep their own players. Rangers lost depth and grit. Getting Boyle for 2 years at $3.5 Mil per year (if I recall) was a bargain. At 38, that is about right for a Dmen who still has some thing left. But the Rangers did not get a scorer, bought out Richards (in a smart move) and really did not add much of anything beyond Boyle of significance. Unless their kids will pick up the slack, Rangers are worse off than last year. GRADE: B-/C+ 5) Philadelphia Flyers --- They are already over the cap so they really could not do anything. They actually go rid of some salary and talent in moving Scott Hartnell. And they will have to make a move to cut even more salary. Their leader Claude Giroux then allegedly gets arrested for being drunk and fondling a male police officers buttocks. Oh boy. Flyers only made the playoffs last season because their division was so weak. This year they will not be as fortunate. Flyers are in deep trouble. I think the Caps are better than them --- which is troubling if you are a Flyers fan. GRADE: C- (No money to spend).
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 01:09:26 +0000