Where Does Tim Kennedy Fit in With the Rangers?

By Eric Bancker

Yesterday the Rangers came to terms with forward Tim Kennedy, the deal is for one-year/$550,000. This contract is also a one-way contract which means Kennedy is guaranteed a roster spot.

This signing is pretty much unnecessary for the Rangers. They have plenty of young talent that should be fighting for rosters spots in camp. Now Kennedy will be brought in and will be taking a spot away from a young Rangers forward looking to prove themselves. Now Kennedy is young (24) but the Rangers didn't need to add him to the roster.

There are only two reasons I could see for him being signed and one is if the Rangers were planning to make a move with their current roster. A trade could be possible but it doesn't seem like it will be something big that will really shake this team up.

The only other thing I can come up with is that fact that Kennedy was brought in to add competition during camp, and with a bunch of young players looking to prove themselves you want heavy competition.

Kennedy is a good bottom-six forward who can give you strong shifts on the penalty kill as well as contribute a little bit on the offensive side. He plays big for his small stature (5'10, 173lbs), he also possesses a quick release and has good speed.

The Rangers didn't have to really splurge to get Kennedy but this signing did put them over the salary cap. This signing also makes me feel as though Wade Redden will be waived, I wrote an article on that as well if you haven't seen it check it out. The Rangers now also have 15 forwards under contract for this season and as you know you only need 12. Now there will be healthy scratches and things like that but things don't seem right in Rangers camp.

Why sign Kennedy when you have young talent waiting to get a roster spot? Why was signing Kennedy more important than re-signing Marc Staal? The Rangers have added a ton of depth this off-season, which is great for the team but this signing really doesn't make much sense and it leaves me to believe that Sather has at least one move left before its all said and done.

Can Devils Be Contenders in East?

By: Tim Brennan

For as long as anyone can remember, the New Jersey Devils have been a prime example of a solid franchise that amasses 100 points each season and usually claims the Atlantic Division crown. Along with that, the Devils earned 3 Stanley Cups in a 10 year period from 1993-94 to 2003-04. But lately these Devils succeed in the regular season only to disappoint in the post season. In a way, New Jersey has become the San Jose Sharks of the Eastern Conference.

The last three post seasons for the Devils have all ended the same way: an early first round exit at the hands of a team lower than them in the standings. Most recently, the Flyers polished off New Jersey in 5 games. The Devils were outscored by a margin of 15 to 9, which included a 3-0 series clinching victory by Philadelphia in Game 5. The Devils couldn't shut down the Flyers offense and looked even worse on the penalty kill where they gave up 8 goals on 29 opportunities. The team looked troubled throughout the series and wasn't able to overcome their lack of discipline and poor defensive play. In the end, New Jersey was outplayed and sent to the golf course early.

If anything, this Devils team needed some changes to shake them out of the current funk they seemed to have gotten themselves into. The first decision was the resignation of head coach Jacques Lemaire. Lemaire is the man responsible for the trap style that the Devils have cherished and have utilized for over two decades. Lemaire's first stint in New Jersey lasted five years and guided the team to it's first Stanley Cup victory in franchise history in 1995. The prodigal son returned last season after eight seasons in Minnesota due to Brent Sutter's resignation. New Jersey finished 1st in the Atlantic under his guidance but lost to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The search for Lemaire's successor came down to a former Devil and the team's leading scorer of all time, John MacLean. Along with MacLean, the Devils hired former Devil shot caller Larry Robinson and future Hall of Famer Adam Oates to back him up on the bench.

Shortly thereafter, the Devils acquired a familiar face in Jason Arnott from the Nashville Predators. Arnott, most well known by Devils fans to have scored the Cup clinching goal in 2000, was brought back to provide secondary scoring that the team so desperately needs.

Prior to free agency, the Devils parted ways with long time Devil Jay Pandolfo by placing him on waivers and buying out his contract, making him a free agent. These looked to be the only moves Lou Lamoriello would make this off season.

Unknown to all of us, this was just the tip of the iceberg.

One of the Devils most highly coveted players, defenseman Paul Martin, couldn't agree to terms with the team the day before free agency started. As a result, Martin left town and signed on with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who started a defensive overhaul that also included Zbynek Michalek. The Devils needed to address the loss of Martin so names like Dan Hamhuis, Pavel Kubina and Joe Corvo came to mind to replace the 29 year old puck moving defenseman from Minneapolis.

Instead, the Devils surprised everyone by outbidding several teams to sign coveted defensive defenseman Anton Volchenkov to a 6 year deal. Lamoriello wanted to make clear that the team wanted to address their concern area of defense before anything else. Veteran defenseman Henrik Tallinder was also brought in to help establish a strong defensive presence on the blueline as well as providing leadership for youngsters Andy Greene, Anssi Salmela and Mark Fraser.

Amid the flurry of signings and trades, the Devils squeezed in one more deal on July 1st by picking up goaltender Johan Hedberg. Not only was this a smart move on Lamoriello's part, it was one that should have been made 3 seasons ago. A one year deal for a goalie who posted 21 victories for the Atlanta Thrashers last season and continues to prove his worth. Brodeur won't get dethroned by Hedberg, but he sure will help fill the void when Brodeur takes a seat on the bench. There's no doubt in my mind that Hedberg will get around 20-25 starts under new head coach John MacLean.

Then there's the Kovalchuk debacle that has the entire NHL off season on hiatus. After an initial contract of 17 years and 102 million dollars was inscribed, the NHL intervened and declared it null and void, stating that the contract circumvented the regulations under the salary cap. A rumored 15 year, $100 million contract for Kovalchuk has surfaced but no one has yet to make a comment on the proposal.

Now how does all of this fit it with the question stated in the title?

Well, the Devils made some changes in personnel and philosophy, which can mean either the team gels together as a cohesive unit or it crashes and burns under a new system (i.e. the Minnesota Wild last season). The Devils are primed to be a playoff team, no doubt about that. It all depends on whether the team can improve on it's 19th ranked offense last year and whether the new system implemented by John MacLean serves for the betterment of the franchise. Another issue that could lead the team down the wrong path is the Kovalchuk situation and whether a deal can be struck.

There are far too many stellar elements on this team for a regular season finish outside the top 8. The top line of Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner are the majority of the offense and set a pace during each game. Even though the line was brought about last year, at a glance it appears that they've played together for their entire lives. The speed, agility and quick shot of Parise helps put pucks in the net while Zajac makes plays with crisp passes and Langenbrunner gets into the dirty areas and battles along the boards. During the regular season, the ZZ Pops line combined for 82 goals accounting for 38% of the team's goals. In order for this team to succeed in the goal scoring department, the Devils need an all around effort so as to not depend on one particular line. Along with the first line, the Devils could have a deadly 1-2 punch if Kovalchuk gets under contract to join Patrik Elias and newly acquired Jason Arnott.

The defense looks alot better than last season, with strong pairings and great signings on the part of Lou Lamoriello. More than likely, Anton Volchenko a.k.a. "The A Train" will match up with the highly underrated replacement for Paul Martin, Andy Greene. Tallinder and Bryce Salvador could make an excellent shutdown pair but since Tallinder was brought in to mentor the Swedish defender will spend time with either Anssi Salmela or Mark Fraser while Salvador and Colin White join together.

And of course the goaltending situation is top notch with the two headed monster of future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur and veteran Johan Hedberg.

The only problems that this team will face are the lack of depth at forward and depending on rookies for offense. Outside of the top two lines, the Devils aren't going to get much help on the goal scoring front. Only Brian Rolston has been able to put up 20+ goals the past few seasons. Dainius Zubrus is a better playmaker than scorer and David Clarkson continues to struggle with finding his niche offensively. Newcomers Jacob Josefson, Vladimir Zharkov, Alexander Vasyunov and Mattias Tedenby will all battle for positions during training camp but the team can't force these youngsters to put up 10-15 goals. Zharkov has the best chance of giving the team good offensive numbers after posting 10 points in 40 games last year. If Kovalchuk isn't coming back, then the Devils will regret giving up promising winger Niclas Bergfors.

Also instead of depending on Parise and Zajac for special teams, maybe the team can look at someone like Rod Pelley to get more time on the penalty kill, or utilize Zubrus and Rolston in more situations than they were used under Lemaire.

Finally, the answer to the question is yes, the Devils can be contenders this season only if they improve on goal scoring, Parise continues his growth as an up and coming superstar, Brodeur doesn't falter come playoff time and gets more time off splitting time with Hedberg. My prediction for New Jersey is a 4th place finish during the regular season.

Waive Good-Bye To Wade Redden

By Eric Bancker

As teams report to training camp this September there is one thing that is almost certain for the Rangers, Wade Redden and his $6.5 million cap hit will be banished to the minors as the Rangers are expected to waive the 13-year veteran.

Two years ago, Rangers general manager, Glen Sather, signed veteran defenseman Wade Redden to a 6-year/$39 million contract in hopes of adding some offense to the blue-line. This contract has proven, in my opinion, to be the worst contract handed out in the salary cap era, which started in 2005 after the lockout.

In the two years Redden has been in a Rangers uniform he has 40 points (five goals and 35 assists) in 156 games. Not really the kind of numbers you want a high-priced free agent to put up.

Redden had moderate success in his first year with the Rangers but he still wasn't winning over any fans. Redden had only three goals his first year on Broadway. He started off promising, scoring a goal in the Rangers second and third games but he then had a goal scoring drought that spanned from October 10th till February 25th.
A lot of people figured it was just taking him time to adjust to his new team and new city and that his second year would be more promising...that wasn't the case.

As he came into his second year with the team, Redden was already being booed on a nightly basis by Rangers faithful. I also strongly believe that he was one of the main reasons why during the Rangers home-opener this past season, that the team decided to come out as a group and not individually as they have done in years past. Redden would have been ripped apart by the fans on opening night and his confidence would be even lower than it already was.

Redden didn't fair any better his second year with the team as he had a career low in goals, assists, points, power-play goals, power-play assists, shots, and had the second worst shooting percentage of his career. He was benched by head coach John Tortorella on multiple occasions and really has lost his place in New York.

Now we have arrived at the point where free agency is underway and training camp is right around the corner. The Rangers have added new pieces to the team (Frolov, Biron, Boogaard, Eminger, and Zuccarello Aasen) The typical questions are staring the Rangers in the face, can this team score enough goals? Can the defense in front of Lundqvist be solid to give them a chance to win? But this off-season one question already seems to have been answered. What will happen to Wade Redden? It appears that once training camp opens up Redden will find himself in the AHL with the Rangers affiliate the Hartford Wolfpack.

Redden has been told that he will need to earn his roster spot. But with the below average hockey he has been playing for his high price tag means that he will be packing his bags. Now from a fans standpoint this is great news. He is no longer wanted on the team and his $6.5 million cap hit will be banished to the minors and the Rangers will have a ton of wiggle room financially.

But let's not look at this from a business standpoint but look at it just from the human aspect of the game. Redden is 33 years old, his contract expires in four years. If Redden is sent down to the minors then this spells the end of his career. This is a guy who was one of the top offensive defenseman in the NHL roughly five years ago. He hasn't lived up to any part of his contract but is that really his fault? Did anyone really think he was worth that much money? Did you think he was going to walk into Sather's office and say "Hey Glen, I don't feel as though I deserve $6.5 million a year could we talk about possibly giving me less money?"

When it comes down to it this contract is all Glen Sather's fault. He over-valued a rapidly declining defenseman and threw his checkbook at him. But Glen now must do what he has to do. He has to own up to his mistake and send Redden to the minors and end his career. Redden is a 13-year veteran who can still play at the NHL level but not at what he is getting paid for. I personally feel bad for the guy because he wasn't given a chance from day one to succeed as a member of this team. All I can hope for is that when Glen Sather does sit him down and tell him he is being sent down that he does it with respect. Wade deserves that much from a team that is ending his career for him.

Now there is a very interesting scenario that is popping up that could keep Redden on the NHL squad. The Rangers young star defenseman, Marc Staal, is still not signed with the team and it doesn't seem as though a contract is close to being done. Now lets say for all intents and purposes that when training camp opens that Staal isn't there. The Rangers will have a big gap in their defensive corps, giving Redden a chance to slip in and make a difference. Now Redden would need to be amazing in camp, which is unlikely to happen but there his hope for him. This is Redden's last chance to save his career, let's see what he does with that chance.

Free Agency Winners and Losers

By Eric Bancker

With about a month gone by since the free agent frenzy started I figured now would be a good time to assess who are the winners and losers in free agency.

Winners:

Pittsburgh Penguins: They lost Gonchar to the Ottawa Senators but they still seemed to upgrade the defense anyway. With the additions of Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin they may not have the same offensive weapon they had in Gonchar but they got younger and these two guys can be the cornerstones of the Penguins defense for years to come. Both signed five-year contracts Michalek's worth $20 million and Martin's worth $25 million.

Atlanta Thrashers: Now Atlanta didn't throw around a ton of money but I'm counting the players they traded for just before the frenzy started on July 1st. They acquired Andrew Ladd on July 1st from the Chicago Blackhawks for Ivan Vishnevskiy and a 2nd-Round Pick in 2011. On June 25th they acquired Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager, and Akim Aliu from the Chicago Blackhawks for 24th overall pick 2nd-Round Pick both in this years draft, Marty Reasoner, Jeremy Morin, and Joey Crabb. During this time period that they were acquiring half of the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks roster they also signed goaltender Chris Mason, which was a steal for the Thrashers.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Just a few days ago they were able to acquire Simon Gagne from the Flyers for Matt Walker and a 4th-round pick in 2011 which to all of you non-hockey fans this trade is like trading in a 1995 Mercury Tracer for a 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer, you might be asking yourself, why did you pull a 95 Tracer out of the air? I think that answer is simple to find out. Okay, back to hockey. The Lightning were also able to sign Brett Clark, Pavel Kubina, Kurtis Foster, and Dan Ellis. They were able to address their defensive issues and also added a goalie to have a two-headed monster in goal, plus the addition of Gagne makes the Lightning offense even more dangerous.

New Jersey Devils: I am sort of conflicted on whether they should make the list or not because of the fact that the NHL rejected Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year deal but if you look at the two defenseman they were able to acquire, Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder, as well as the addition of Johan Hedberg then they are very clearly winners this summer. If Kovalchuk and the Devils can reach a new agreement that pleases the NHL then that will just be the icing on top of the cake.

Losers:

New York Rangers: As usual the New York Rangers find themselves on this list because Glen Sather continues to prove you can have an I.Q of 22 and still be a general manager in the NHL. The Martin Biron signing was good but the signing that got them put on this list was the 4 year/$6.6 million contract handed out to Derek Boogaard. I know Rangers fans love tough guys but all the Rangers fans that think that the money or year side of this contract are okay then they have just as low of an I.Q as their leader Sather. Boogaard is a great fighter but he hasn't scored in four years, so they are essentially paying $1.65 for a guy who can hit and fight....does Sather have short-term memory loss and he forgets that he signed Donald Brashear last year for 2 years/$2.8 million, lets remember how that ended. He got sent down to Hartford half-way through the season and the Rangers are forced to eat his contract this year. I know, I know Brashear is old but Sather has lost his mind giving this much money to a guy who has averaged 47 games played in the past four seasons and hasn't scored. If I see another Rangers fan online defending this signing them I'm going to be forced to go to their house and take their computer away from them because I'm deeming them just too darn stupid to use it.

Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers haven't had a horrible off-season but they are still losers in my eyes. They started with the addition of Andrej Meszaros which is an iffy addition, his career started strong as he recorded over 35 points in his first three seasons but his numbers have dropped off big time since then only tallying 33 points in the last two seasons. Then the wheels started to fall off a bit, Holmgren signed Braydon Coburn, or as I call him Chris Therien Jr., to a 2 year/$6.4 contract. Coburn was awful last year and on more than one occasion put the puck in his own net so yeah that's worth $3.2 million a season. They also traded Simon Gagne away for practically nothing and replaced him with Nikolai Zherdev. Zherdev is tricky, his talent is limitless but he's selfish and lazy. Zherdev is only signed for one-year at $2 million so if this experiment doesn't work then the Flyers can show him the door. Holmgren has cap strapped this team again and fans aren't happy, Leighton will be the starter moving forward but fans weren't exactly happy to find out on July 1st that Holmgren had spent all of their money in a matter of hours and that he didn't get a goalie.

Calgary Flames: Calgary had a rough season last year and Darryl Sutter came into this years free agency with a lot of needs for his team but I don't know what he was thinking when he handed out contracts to once Flames, Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay. Jokinen is nowhere close to the player he used to be and the entire hockey world was laughing when Sutter decided to bring him back in what had to be the worst deal of the day. Jokinen is just two and three years removed from a 71 point campaign in 2007-2008 and a 91 point campaign in 2006-2007. Since then Jokinen has been in a downward spiral and it seems like 50 points may be his limit now. Tanguay is another amusing signing, he just hasn't been the same player he was a few years ago and he's still fairly young (30) but he will never put up over 60 points again or even 50 for that matter. Sutter is trying to dig into the past and see if he can recapture some of the magic these guys had on the Flames, more so with Tanguay than with Jokinen.

Tim and Eric's Free Agency Predictions Gone Wrong

On July 1st Tim and I gave our free agency predictions for this summer and wow were we way off. I don't think either one of us should try our luck betting on anything in Las Vegas because we will surely be walking home empty-handed. Here's a look at the embarrassment that is our free agency picks. Now some people may say that its tough to guess where guys will go and that's true but Tim and I were way off and we also put three players on this list (Adam Foote, Tomas Holmstrom, and Todd Bertuzzi) that had already re-signed with their clubs. Can you say fail? Because we sure as hell can.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk (NJ)- Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: Los Angeles Kings.
He came close to signing there but New Jersey threw a 17 year contract at him and he couldn't resist signing it, there was only one problem with the deal, the NHL didn't approve of it. Due to the contract manipulating the salary cap, the NHL shot down the 17 year/$102 million contract Kovie signed just a few days ago.

2. Evgeni Nabokov (KHL)- Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: Atlanta Thrashers. Nabby proved us both wrong as he bolted to the KHL for the next couple years.

3. Anton Volchenkov (NJ)- Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Vancouver Canucks
Guess what? We were both wrong again as the A-Train signed a 6 year/$25.5 million contract with the Devils on July 1st.

4. Raffi Torres (FA)- Tim said Torres would go to the Islanders and I said.....ahhhh who cares? Its Raffi Torres, he's still a free agent. Lets move on. The only reason he’s in the four spot on our list is due to the fact that he was a replacement free agent, our original pick for this spot had already re-signed. He's not the 4th best free agent out there, not now, not ever. Moving on.

5. Marty Turco (FA)- Eric: Atlanta Thrashers; Tim: San Jose Sharks. I'm betting the deal that the Flyers gave him a few weeks ago looks good now considering this declining goalie has overplayed his hand and now doesn't have a contract. It's reminiscent of Martin Biron last off-season. Good job Marty.

6. Matthew Lombardi(NSH): Eric: Phoenix Coyotes; Tim: Phoenix Coyotes. Lombardi shocked some people when he signed a three year deal with the Nashville Predators. The Predators have been a bit quiet even though they have a great deal of money to throw around but Lombardi is a good signing for them.

7. Alexander Frolov (FA): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Colorado Avalanche. Frolov is still sitting in free agency and it doesn't appear that he will sign anytime soon, he's an explosive player with a lot of talent which I think all 30 teams would like to add to their rosters.

8. Vaclav Prospal (NYR): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Ottawa Senators
Finally one of us got a prediction right as Vaclav Prospal re-signed with the Rangers for one year worth a little bit over $1 million with about another $1 million in bonuses. Okay so if you're keeping score at home that's Eric: 1; Tim: 0.
Stay tuned because the score is going to get even higher....not really, it’s slightly depressing how low the score will be.

9. Pavel Kubina (TBL): Eric: Nashville Predators; Tim: Florida Panthers. Yet another wrong prediction for the both of us as Kubina went back to the team that originally drafted him. 2 years/$7.7 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

10. Olli Jokinen(CAL): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: KHL. This had to be the most laughable signing of free agency so far. Chokinen, you like the nickname? I like it a lot, anyway he signed a 2 year/$6 million deal to go back to Calgary. Even all of the guys on TSN were laughing at this deal. Oh Darryl Sutter, I'll make fun of you some more later don't you worry.

11. Teemu Selanne(FA): Eric: Retire; Tim: Retire
He hasn't decided on his future yet but I think its time he hangs up his skates. Its annoying to hear all the talk about whether he will come back or not, granted its nowhere as bad as Brett Favre talk but if I have to hear about either wanting to come back and all that non-sense then I'm running head first into the wall closest to me. Enough is enough.

12. Zbynek Michalek(PIT): Eric: Carolina Hurricanes; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers. He was described as "The Defenseman Every Team Wants" well the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to sign him to a 4 year/$20 million contract to help cope with the loss of Sergei Gonchar.

13. Paul Martin(PIT): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: New Jersey Devils. Pittsburgh wasn't done enhancing their defense as they signed Paul Martin to a 5 year/$25 million deal best part for the Penguins is that they stole him from the division rival Devils.

14. Paul Kariya(FA): Eric: Anaheim Ducks; Tim: Anaheim Ducks.
Paul Kariya is still a very good winger who can use his speed and good shot to help out any of the 30 teams in the league. He had his most success with the Anaheim Ducks from 1994-2003 it would make sense for him to go back there as his career winds down.

15. Sergei Gonchar(OTT): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Atlanta Thrashers. Gonchar is a great offensive defenseman and even at the age of 36 was able to put up 50 points last year from the blue-line which is why the Senators signed him to a 3 year/$16 million deal. 3 years may be a bit much for a 36 year old player but Gonchar might be worth it.

16. Shaone Morrisonn(FA): Eric: Boston Bruins; Tim: Ottawa Senators. Morrisonn still hasn't found a home but the 27 year old stay-at-home defenseman should find a home soon enough and you should expect him to make a big impact for whatever team he laces his skates up for this season.

17. Alexei Ponikarovsky(FA): Eric: Nashville Predators; Tim: New York Rangers. Poni is a solid winger with good size who likes to crash the net. He has scored at least 20 goals in four out of the last five seasons (he had 18 in 2007-2008). You can expect at least 20 goals and 20 assists out of him every year so he will find a good home soon enough.

18. Ray Whitney(PHO): Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: Los Angeles Kings. All season long all you heard about was how much L.A was chasing after Ray Whitney so my colleague and I figured that's where he would go but Whitney shocked us when he signed a 2 year/$6 million contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. He can still put up 20 goals and give you at least 50-60 points a year.

19. Saku Koivu(ANA): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Minnesota Wild
Koivu played in Montreal for 13 years, 10 of which he was the captain. Last off-season he and the Canadiens parted ways and he signed a one-year deal worth $3.25 million with the Anaheim Ducks. He decided to stay in Anaheim on a 2 year/$5 million deal.

20. Maxim Afinogenov(FA): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: Minnesota Wild. Afinogenov was finally able to return to his 05-06 and 06-07 form as he tallied 61 points for the Thrashers this season. Armed with a ton of speed and a wicked shot Afinogenov is a force to be reckoned with when he's healthy. From 2007-2009 Maxim only played 104 games and only tallied 16 goals and 32 assist for a total of 48 points. Any team looking at him will have to be cautious and think about those two years before signing him to any kind of lucrative deal.

21. Dan Hamhuis(VAN): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins. Hamhuis had an interesting path to free agency. He spent the last five seasons in Nashville and it was obvious that he wasn't going to re-sign. The Predators traded Hamhuis to the Flyers, who had been coveting Hamhuis all season, for one-time Predator Ryan Parent who was acquired by the Flyers in the Peter Forsberg trade. Hamhuis and the Flyers could not reach any sort of agreement so he was traded to the division and in-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins for a 3rd round pick. Hamhuis couldn't come to an agreement with the Penguins either and he hit the open market July 1st where he signed a 6 year/$27 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

22. Dan Ellis(TBL): Eric: Montreal Canadiens; Tim: Dallas Stars
With the emergence of Pekka Rinne in Nashville, Dan Ellis became expendable. He was traded along with Dusin Boyd to the Montreal Canadiens for troubled winger Sergei Kostitsyn. Ellis and the Canadiens couldn't come to an agreement and he hit the open market where he signed a two year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

23. Alex Tanguay(CAL): Eric: Florida Panthers; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins. Here is where I go back to ripping on Darryl Sutter. Signing Jokinen was bad, signing Tanguay wasn't horrible since its only a one-year deal worth $1.7 million but what the hell does Sutter expect? He's bringing back players that used to play for the Flames who played well for the team but are now past their primes and are rapidly declining. Tanguay is eager to prove that he can still be a productive player but I'm not a believer.

24. Tomas Holmstrom(DET): Eric: Detroit Red Wings; Tim: Montreal Canadiens. Okay so this one of the players Tim and I didn't realize that re-signed. Even though I was technically right about where he went, no point will be awarded for that.

25. Chris Mason(ATL): Eric: San Jose Sharks; Tim: Tampa Bay Lightning With the addition of Halek in St. Louis we all knew Mason would not be returning to the Blues. Mason is a good goalie that would help out any team, the Thrasher felt the same way as they inked the goalie to a 2 year/$3.7 million deal.

26. Michael Leighton(PHI): Eric: Philadelphia Flyers; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers. Praise the lord we finally have a prediction that is correct. Leighton was a big surprise for the Flyers this past season. The big issue for the Flyers coming into every single season for the past decade has been their goaltending. Is Leighton the key? Maybe. He proved to be solid especially in the playoffs but he needs prove that he can do it again, he has the next two years in Philly to prove something to everyone. Score: Eric-2; Tim-1. A real barn burner going on here between Tim and I, its still better than watching a World Cup game.

27. Adam Foote(COL): Eric: Colorado Avalanche; Tim: Colorado Avalanche. Yet another person that re-signed with their club and made it onto our list. No points, moving on.

28. Joe Corvo(CAR): Eric: Washington Capitals; Tim: St. Louis Blues
Corvo was traded from Carolina to Washington at the trade deadline this past season and Corvo has decided to go back to Carolina on a 2 year/$5.5 million.


29. Owen Nolan(FA): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Minnesota Wild.
This past season we said good-bye to plenty of hall of fame caliber players(Rod Brind'Amour, Keith Tkachuk, Scott Niedermayer, Rob Blake) Owen Nolan will fall into this list within the next few years but he isn't willing to go away just yet and who would want him to retire? He's one of the best power forwards to ever play the game and is still competing at a high level. Leadership, determination, grit, 15-20 goals, its safe to say he can still bring something to the table.

30. Willie Mitchell(FA): Eric: Toronto Maple Leafs; Tim: Dallas Stars Mitchell is a tough defensive defenseman, hes a great leader and hes not afraid to throw himself in front of the puck. The only reason Mitchell hasn't found a new home is due to his post-concussion syndrome, which is a very tricky injury. In January Mitchell was hit by Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin and his head was driven into the boards and he suffered a concussion which sidelined him for the rest of the season. If Mitchell can prove he is healthy and ready to go, I'm sure teams will be lining up at his door with contract offers.

31. Andy Sutton(FA): Eric: Buffalo Sabres; Tim: Washington Capitals
Andy "The Expert" Sutton was acquired by the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline last year from the New York Islanders. Sutton is a rough and tough defenseman who plays with an edge to his game, which lead to the infamous "Expert" incedent in the playoffs this season. With an abundance of defensive defenseman on the market I wouldnt expect Sutton to be signing any time soon, he will most likely wait and see how the market will shape for a player like him.

32. Jose Theodore(FA): Eric: KHL; Tim: New York Islanders
I personally respect Theodore because at the beginning of the season he lost his two month old son due to illness, Theodore was able to play through all the pain and have a solid season. But this is a business and no one gives you a contract over a feel good story, Theodore is on a slippery slope and if it weren't for Washington's high-powered offense then Theodore would have been one of the worst goalies in the NHL. The lockout was Theodore's downfall, in the five seasons he started before the lockout his goals against average was 2.39, in the five years after it has inflated to 2.96. Theodore's time in the NHL might be coming to an end.

33. Pavol Demitra(KHL): Eric: New York Islanders; Tim: St. Louis Blues Demitra has been a consistant player for the past few years, netting at least 20-25 goals and talling at least 50-60 points but the 35 year old forward is running into injury trouble. Demitra missed most of the 2009-2010 season with shoulder issues, he had two shoulder surgeries last off-season for torn front and back rotator cuffs and he was limited to 28 games this season due to setbacks. He decided to go to the KHL on a one-year deal.

34. Todd Bertuzzi(DET): Eric: San Jose Sharks; Tim: Pittsburgh Penguins Another player who had re-signed already....moving on.

35. Brett Clark (TBL): Eric: Colorado Avalance; Tim: New York Rangers After six years in Colorado, Brett Clark has moved onto the Tampa Bay Lightning for the next two seasons. Clark brings his leadership, toughness, and grit to a Lightning team that has very much improved this offseason thanks to Steve Yzerman.

36. Johan Hedberg(NJ): Eric: Washington Capitals; Tim: New York Rangers Moose was brought into New Jersey to lighten Martin Brodeur's work load. Hedberg will most likely start 20-25 so that Marty can be rested and ready to go when the Devils make their playoff push.

37. Colby Armstrong(TOR): Eric: Tampa Bay Lightning; Tim: Calgary Flames Armstrong was the 21st overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft, he hasn't really ever blossomed in the NHL but that didn't stop Toronto from signing him to a bad contract. Armstrong signed a 3 year/$9 million contract, Armstrong has averaged only 34 points per season the last three years so that means he makes roughly a million dollars per ten points. Chin up Jeff Finger, you are no longer the only below-average player that the Leafs are paying $3 million a year for, spending money is fun isn't it Brian Burke?

38. Fredrik Modin(FA): Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: New York Islanders
Modin has really hit a road block in his career, he has only played 117 games in the last three seasons and has only tallied 20 goals and 28 assists for a total of 48 points. There aren't many teams who will be interested in his services so maybe the KHL might be an option.

39. Eric Belanger(FA): Eric: Los Angeles Kings; Tim: New Jersey Devils You want someone who is the apitamy of a consistant player? Then Eric Belanger is your guy, you know what your going to get from him and thats great when your attempting to sign a free agent. Since 2002-2003 Belanger has had at least 33 points, this season he posted a career high of 41 points this season. Belanger is a great defensive forward who will give you anywhere from 33-40 points.

40. Derek Morris(PHO): Eric: Columbus Blue Jackets; Tim: Carolina Hurricanes Morris' top offensive days are over and it seems that he is declining at a some what rapid pace, he's still a good leader to have for a young Coyotes team and he can still put up 25 points.

41. Antero Niittymaki(SJS): Eric: Philadelphia Flyers; Tim: Philadelphia Flyers Niitty is still a solid goaltender who hasn't really ever gotten a chance to start, with Nabby out in San Jose, Niitty will finally get his shot. Time is running out on Niittymaki though so he needs to make his time in the shark tank count.

42. Matt Cullen(MIN): Eric: St.Louis Blues; Tim: Washington Capitals
Another consistant centerman, Cullen can provide 40-50 points a season and has Stanley Cup expierence from his 2006 season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Cullen signed a 3 year/$10.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild, is a consitant 40-50 point centerman worth almost $4 million a year? I guess we shall see.

43. Henrik Tallinder(NJ): Eric: Anaheim Ducks; Tim: Carolina Hurricanes The Devils got much tougher on defense this year, they added Anton Volchenkov for six years and they added long-time Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder for the next four years. Tallinder isn't the rough and tough defenseman that Volchenkov is but he is solid in his own end and isn't going to chip in much offensively but he plays that Devils style of hockey, defensive which also means the trap defense which equals boring hockey.

44. Jere Lehtinen(DAL): Eric: Dallas Stars; Tim: Dallas Stars
The three-time Selke award winner, for best defensive forward, has run into injury problems and his age is starting to catch-up with him. He won't score 30 goals anymore but 15 goals and 20 assists is still possible for him

45. Kurtis Foster(EDM): Eric: Tampa Bay Lightning; Tim: Columbus Blue Jackets Foster had a great season last year, recovering from a broken left femur that sidelined him for about half of the 2007-2008 season and most of the 2008-2009 season, Foster came back and showed everyone that he can compete at a high-level as he tallied 42 points in his first full season back, thats 14 points more than his previous career high which he set in 2005-2006. Foster has now moved onto the Edmonton Oilers and this is where I'm going to rain on his parade, he will not put up 40 points again in Edmonton. In Tampa he played with Stamkos, Lecavalier, and St.Louis, three elite players. Edmonton is a mess and nowhere as equiped with superstar talent as Tampa, expect a drop in points for sure.

46. Jay McKee(FA): Eric: New Jersey Devils; Tim: Montreal Canadiens
Mckee is still a player who can be added to an NHL roster and make an immediate impact, hes on of the NHL's best shot blockers and every team likes guys that are willing to give up their bodies for the sake of the team. He's the poor man's Anton Volchenkov, in a sense.

47. Marek Svatos(FA): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: KHL
Svatos had a strong start to his NHL career, he had 73 goals in his first three seasons but only 21 in the last two. Svatos just seems to be falling apart and needs to leave Colorado, a change of sceneary will do him good but since the 2005-2006 season was such a crazy year for offense since it was the season after the lockout and all the rules were changed, Svatos had 32 goals that year his career high so far. This version of Mark Svatos may be the real player that was hidden due to rule changes that helped offenses, if this is the Svatos that teams are going to get then don't expect many teams to sit down at the negoatiating table with him.

48. Ryan Johnson(FA): Eric: Pittsburgh Penguins; Tim: Nashville Predators Johnson is your typical defensive forward, he hits, blocks shots and plays penalty killing minutes other than that he doesn't offer much, he won't hit the back of the net many times but he is one of the better defensive forwards in the NHL.

49. Lee Stempniak(FA): Eric: Minnesota Wild; Tim: Detroit Red Wings
Stempniak is an odd free agent, he's never really been a consistant scorer in the NHL. He had one good season in St.Louis which saw him score 27 goals, since then he has kinda just flown under the radar collecting about 15-20 goals. This past season he had 30 points in 61 games with the Maple Leafs, 14 goals 16 assists, he was then traded to the Phoenix Coyotes where he scored 14 goals in 18 games. Now if any team thinks they are getting the Stempniak that played in Phoenix then they are insane, some players just flourish when they get moved at the trade deadline and then dont do much when they either stay with that team *cough Sean Avery cough* or move on to a new team.

50. Martin Biron(NYR): Eric: New York Rangers; Tim: Buffalo Sabres Well the depressing road has come to an end and I have a strong finish as I get the last player on our list correct. About two minutes into free agency Martin Biron inked a deal to back-up Henrik Lundqvist in New York. Biron was linked to the Rangers all season and they finally got the back-up they coveted.

Final Score: Eric-3; Tim-1
Okay so out of 28 of the 47 free agents have homes(3 had already re-signed) I got 3 correct which is 10% right, and Tim got 1 out of 28 which is 3%. We still have 19 more free agents to go but this is bad, we both have joked about how horrible our picks were this year and this proves that we need to do a little bit better next season.

Free agency has been slow this year but I believe that once Ilya Kovalchuk's situation is figured out then the second-tier guys will start to go, a domino effect in a sense.

Did Kovalchuk Sign a Lifetime Pact with the Devils?

By: Tim Brennan

For the past three and a half weeks, we have all been wondering where Ilya Kovalchuk, the most sought after commodity on the free agent market, would call home. Despite numerous offers from the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings and Russia, Kovalchuk remained at large and it appeared as if this soap opera would never end. The Devils put a stop to all the fuss by signing the two time 50 goal man to a tremendous and controversial 17 year, $102 million deal on Monday, keeping the Russian sniper in New Jersey until the age of 44.

What?

That's exactly the same reaction that rang through not only the NHL, but also the sports world. You got to be wondering, "Why on earth would the Devils, and especially Lou Lamoriello, make such a ridiculous offer?" and the answer only lies with the Devils management. As outlandish and concerning as this contract may be, it's certainly not the first of its kind. Many of you remember the first career length contract being handed out a few years back to New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro, when he signed on for 15 years, at the time becoming the longest contract in NHL history. DiPietro's injuries have limited his amount of starts, with only 13 appearances in the last two seasons. However, Kovalchuk differs from DiPietro due to the fact that Kovalchuk isn't a goalie, who end up playing less seasons than a forward or defenseman would, plus he isn't the franchise's cornerstone like DiPietro was sought out to be.

But this brings up an interesting question: Why would the Devils give Kovalchuk the longest contract in the history of the National Hockey League if he isn't, in fact, the team's top player?

Kovalchuk's talent level alone is tops in the NHL, but given the fact that he has limited experience in the post season, which is when big contracts count, and doesn't play a team style it's strange that this deal was struck. Maybe Lamoriello just didn't want anyone else to pick him up so he offered something that no one else could.

The Devils ran into a bit of a snag though upon striking this agreement... the NHL decided to reject it.

The NHL took suit against the Kovalchuk "lifetime pact" due to violations with the league's salary cap policy. Reports surfaced that the Devils had front-loaded Kovalchuk's contract to give him the majority of the money prior to the final five years. As it breaks down, Kovalchuk would earn $6 million each of the first two seasons, $11.5 million each of the next five seasons, a season of $10.5 million followed by a season each of $8.5, $6.5, $3.5 million and $750,000 until the final five seasons which come in at $550,000 per year. In other words, Kovalchuk would have earned $98.5 million in the first 11 years of the deal, allowing him to retire during the final six seasons and with this contract, the Devils lowered their cap hit to $6 million a season.

So it looks like the NHL finally stepped in on one of these "long term front-loaded hope you retire before it's over" contracts. They certainly didn't take offense when last off-season two deals of the same caliber were struck: Chris Pronger, 35, signed a contract extension upon coming to Philadelphia in a trade at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pronger's seven year deal guaranteed him $7.6 million each of the first two years, $7.2 million in 2012-13, $7 million in 2013-14 before an average of $1.83 million per season the last 3 years. Marian Hossa signed a 12 year, $62.8 million pact with Chicago, allowing him to make $7.9 million per year through the 2015-16 season before his salary drops. By the time his deal expires, Hossa will be 42 years old.

Based on the conditions, an arbitrator will look into the NHL's rejection of Kovalchuk's contract and if the arbitrator agrees with the NHL, Kovalchuk's contract will be void, making him a unrestricted free agent again.

So did Kovalchuk really sign a 17 year deal to stay in New Jersey or didn't he? Did he do it for the money or for the security of playing for a team that is a possible contender? Whatever the case may be, the Devils made history by offering the longest term contract in history of professional sports and might have brought an end to the controversial front-loaded long term contract.

Flyers Take a Gamble on Zherdev

By: Tim Brennan

The reigning Eastern Conference champions were one of the most active teams during the beginning stages of free agency. In the weeks since, reports that Flyers mainstay Simon Gagne would be traded due to the lack of cap space started to surface. On top of that, there were rumors swirling that Nikolai Zherdev would be returning to the NHL this season... in orange and black. The latter turned out to be true, with Zherdev penning a one year, $2 million deal in the early hours of July 9th.

Zherdev, the former fourth overall draft pick in 2003, returns to the NHL after spending last season starring for Atlant Mytischi of the Kontinental Hockey League. The Kiev, Ukraine native scored 13 goals and 39 points in 52 games during the 2009-10 season.

The Flyers make this move while still over the cap limit and in need of re-signing a dozen free agents. General manager Paul Holmgren decided to pick up yet another player with a colorful past for clashing with team management and becoming problematic for their franchise. If you've already forgotten, Holmgren signed goaltender Ray Emery last off season to a one year deal, considered a low risk, high reward type contract. And we all know how that worked out for the Flyers last year.

Zherdev is a talented forward, one with a skill set and offensive ability unmatched by most in the league. However, he's considered an enigma and has a track record of creating tension in and outside of the locker room. Along with those not so great qualities, Zherdev plays lackadaisically in the defensive zone, doesn't produce on a consistent basis and proves that a lazy player doesn't get far.

You might ask, "What happened that makes him such a wild card?". If you talk to anyone connected to the Columbus Blue Jackets or New York Rangers, they can provide you with plenty of examples.

Zherdev averaged 19 goals and 45 points during his 4 seasons in Ohio. But behind the scenes, Zherdev's lack of work ethic along with taking nights off didn't bode well with Columbus management. After a breakthrough season in 2005-06, Zherdev ran into problems with the team over a new contract, giving Columbus an ultimatum: either they agree to the contract that he felt he deserved or Zherdev would return to Russia. The Blue Jackets would eventually re-sign Zherdev to a three year deal, but would deal with plenty of inconsistency during that time period.

Columbus would deal Zherdev to the New York Rangers along with Dan Fritsche for Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin on July 2nd, 2008. In his first and only season in the Big Apple, the Russian right wing tied for the team lead in points with 58. The 2008-09 campaign saw two sides of Zherdev: one that looked to be the best player on the team anytime he stepped out on the ice and the other which looked to be a player to caught up in himself. Zherdev received plenty of criticism from fiery head coach John Tortorella, resulting in being benched more than once for poor defensive play and lack of effort. Problems arose in the off season following when the Rangers tendered Zherdev a qualifying offer of $3.25 million for the next season. Once again, a dispute between the disgruntled winger and an NHL team's management ensued, leading to an arbitration hearing. The arbitrator awarded Zherdev $3.9 million, resulting in the Rangers walking away and allowing him to become a free agent.

All of this led to a return to Russia and now he's back in the NHL. But why exactly did the Flyers need to make such a maneuver?

According to Holmgren, Zherdev is a player filled with talent that just needs a second chance and is a perfect fit with the core of forwards that they possess. And Simon Gagne isn't? Gagne is just as skilled offensively as Zherdev is and is less of a risk on the team's chemistry and management. Maybe Holmgren felt that Zherdev could be the missing link that would put Philly over the top and win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1975. But wait, Zherdev's resume in the playoffs is slim and disappointing: 7 games and 0 points in 2008-09 for the Rangers. What good is it to exchange Gagne, who has been a consistent performer, not to mention a popular player within the organization and class act for someone as incongruous as Zherdev?

Come October 7th, we shall all know which Zherdev decided to show up.