“The offers have been below our expectations of what the players’ market value is today,.  As the drum beats towards training camp, I think there’s going to be signings and a market developing for some of theses guys more closely aligned with their expectations.”

-player agent Allan Walsh.  More on this topic from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.

Lost in a summer that has kept us entertained with the ongoing Ilya Kovalchuk saga, the plethora of veteran unrestricted free agents still available one month into the signing season and the arbitration cases currently taking place is another story that merits attention in the hockey world.

There are still several well-known restricted free agents who remain left wide open for teams to swoop in and sign to an offer sheet. Handing out offer sheets to other teams’ restricted free agents isn’t done cavalierly in the NHL, but it is a practice that has been tried in the past.

continued

Kurt Overhardt chuckled when I asked if he is worried that Marty Turco might not end up with a place to sit in this free agent game of musical chairs.

“You’re the second guy to ask me that exact same question in that exact same manner,” said the agent for Turco. “The answer is no.”

Overhardt is confident that something will get done in the 7-10 days and that Turco, the all-time Stars win leader who was not offered a contract extension, will be on a contending team.

“He will be on a contender, he will be the starter and he will get a chance to show everbody the kind of goalie he has been throughout his career and will continue to be,” Overhardt said.

more

“Obviously, I want to play a lot of games. For me, you look at last year and we did so much, but there is always more. And I want to do more. I want to win a Stanley Cup. That’s my goal. I want to help this team win as many games as I can. That’s the bottom line.”

The player is…

Of all the passions that teams ordinarily inspire, widespread hatred is a pretty notable achievement. Hearty contempt for rivals is a natural part of the sports landscape, but every so often a team unleashes a massive dose of loathing that consumes everyone but its own fans. Here is SI.com’s list of the most hated individual teams in sports.

2001-02 Toronto Maple Leafs

There was something “special” about this team, just like there is something “special” about a coming tax audit. You live to tell about it, but it won’t be pleasant. These Maple Leafs were more of a vocal than a vicious team, like the neighbor’s noxious terrier that doesn’t bite. (Often.) Indeed, one reason the Leafs were reviled—beyond coach Pat Quinn’s constant haranguing of the refs, a diver like Darcy Tucker, a stick man like Shayne Corson and an unabashed brawler like Tie Domi—was that they were viewed as something of a pet....

read on for the only other NHL team to make the list plus more on the Leafs…

The No. 1 question I’ve been getting this week is “Who are the free agents still available that are worth watching?” So much so that I put together a list yesterday to keep track.

As of late July, here are 70 free agents, both unrestricted and restricted, of note. Two of the UFAs here, Denis Grebeshkov and Brian Pothier, have signed deals overseas and may be among the first to be crossed off. (Pothier’s has an out clause, however, so he can still land in the NHL.)

read on for the list…

The real reasons for the slow market this summer are two-fold; lack of depth of quality talent and too many teams with little available cap space.

Heading into this summer’s UFA market many observers agreed it wasn’t as deep in talent as in previous years.

Kovalchuk was the only superstar available; after him the depth of talent noticeably dropped with most of those available being aging stars passed their prime.

The notables included Paul Kariya (35), Marty Turco (34), Evgeni Nabokov (34), Sergei Gonchar (36), Pavol Demitra (35), Jose Theodore (33), Ray Whitney (38), Mike Modano (40), Saku Koivu (35), John Madden (37), Owen Nolan (38) and Bill Guerin (39).

This list of names would’ve been impressive, say, five or seven years ago, when all of these players were still in the playing primes.

Of those available who are in their primes – Afinogenov, Lee Stempniak, Denis Grebeshkov – most of them would’ve been considered second-tier in a much deeper market.

more

Top 10 Agitators of All-Time, TSN style. Part 1 first, part 2 below…

Remember to check out DayWalk3r Productions for all their work.

Continue reading "Feeling A Bit Agitated?"

Performances also can vary from season to season—the biggest example is Wojtek Wolski, now with Phoenix, who was 1-for-15 last season—after dominating goaltenders in 2008-09 with 10 goals on only 12 attempts.

Here’s a look at some of the NHL’s best at both ends of the shootout:

Jussi Jokinen, Hurricanes—Jokinen had a breakout season in 2009-10, ringing up 30 goals for the Hurricanes. But before that, he was far better known for his skills in the shootout.

read on