Blog Archives
The NHL Lockout Is Finally Over
It took them 113 grueling days but the National Hockey League and National Hockey League Players Association have finally reached a deal on a new, 10 year, collective bargaining agreement. The news broke early Sunday morning, around 5:30 AM, after a marathon meeting between the league and PA. Details are still coming in, which means the official start date for the delayed 2012-2013 season is still unknown at this time.
Information about the new CBA is still coming in as well. This is what we know so far from various sources:
- 10 Year length with an opt-out clause after eight years.
- $64.3 million salary cap and $44 million salary floor in year two.
- Salary variance on contracts year to year cannot change more than 35 per cent and in the final year cannot change more than 50 per cent of the first year.
- Contract limit of seven years for new players (UFA’s) and eight years for current players (re-signing).
- Revenue sharing at $200 million plus a $60 million growth fund.
- New draft lottery giving all 14 non-playoff teams a chance at the first overall selection.
- Changes in rules for sup. discipline. Darren Dreger: Shanahan 1st, appeal with Bettman 2nd. For six or more games neutral third party will decide if necessary.
Various media outlets are also reporting that NHL players will participate in the 2014 Winter Olympic games, but that is not included in the CBA.
Keep checking back with Sunshine State Hockey for more information as it becomes available.
Suter And Parise Go Wild, Sign 13 Year Deals With Minnesota
The two biggest names on the free agency market have finally been claimed, and surprisingly they both went to the same team. It was announced just minutes ago that defenseman Ryan Suter and forward Zach Parise have signed with the Minnesota Wild. Both players received the exact same contract of 13 years, $98 million, roughly $7.5 million a season. At the start of free agency on July 1st the Minnesota Wild made their interest in the two UFA’s apparent by tweeting that they made offers to both men. Minnesota general manager Chuck Fletcher got what he wanted as both Parise and Suter signed on with the Wild, shaking up the entire National Hockey League.
With both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise off the market it is believed that the rest of the big named free agents will sign in the coming days.
Free Agency Fallout: Panthers Sign Kuba And Parros
Day one of the 2012 NHL free agency period has passed and surprisingly all of the top players on the market remain unsigned. Fans and their favorite teams are still waiting to see where free agents like Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, and Martin Brodeur will end up. Of course the first day of free agency did see its fair share of players signed to new clubs, with 40 men signing the dotted line with different organizations, but the majority of moves made were to improve depth.
The two biggest names removed from the free agent market on Sunday both have ties with the Florida Panthers. Ray Whitney, who played for the Panthers from 1998 to 2001, left Phoenix after signing a two year contract worth $9 million with the Dallas Stars. In an interview with TSN the 40 year old winger stated that the reason he joined the Stars was because “they were the only team to offer me a two year contract”. That statement, if true, is surprising considering Whitney’s production last year with the Coyotes, no matter his age.
Jason Garrison, Florida’s biggest weapon on the power play last season, was the other big name on the move Sunday as he signed a six year deal with the Vancouver Canucks for a whopping $27.6 million. General manager Mike Gillis and his club are investing a lot of years and money in a player who had one good season with the Panthers. It is completely understandable why Tallon did not want to invest that many years in Garrison considering that top blueline prospects like Colby Robak and Alex Petrovic will be ready to step into the lineup within the next couple of years. With that said we wish Jason the best of luck in Vancouver and we hope he has great success in his hometown, except when he plays the Panthers.
After last year’s free agent frenzy for the Panthers it was no surprise that Tallon and Co. were busy on the first day of free agency once again. Florida’s GM all but knew that Garrison would not be returning to the Cats so he went out and signed defenseman, and former Panthers draft pick, Filip Kuba as his replacement. Kuba was given $4 million a season over the next two years for his services. “Filip is an experienced player who adds further depth to our blue line,” Tallon said. “He is a big, strong and responsible, shutdown defenseman who averaged more than 23 minutes of ice time per-game last season. We are confident that he will fit very well into our top six and help our power play. We look forward to his contributions to our team.”
Kuba was not the only new face joining the Panthers after day one of free agency. Tallon also addressed Florida’s toughness, or lack thereof, by signing George Parros and his mustache to a two year deal. We are willing to bet that Parros, who tweets frequently under the handle @Stache16, will become a fan favorite in South Florida just like he was in Anaheim.
The Panthers also added to the goalie drama surrounding the club by re-signing Scott Clemmensen for another two years. Adding Clemmensen back into the fold increases the confusion surrounding the team and their goaltending situation, especially since there are even more reports coming in that Florida is still interested in either Roberto Luongo or Martin Brodeur. If the Panthers were to still make a run at either all-star netminder they would most definitely have to trade Jose Theodore or Scott Clemmensen. All we can do at this point is wait and see what Tallon has planned and hope that he has not given up on Jacob Markstrom.
Sunshine State Hockey will have even more coverage for day two and beyond of the free agent frenzy. We will also be attending the Panthers development camp one day this week to see how Florida’s prospects look this time around. Be sure to keep checking back with SSH for updates all off-season long.
Source(s): Florida Panthers, TSN
Free Agent Insanity
Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, Shane Doan, Jaromir Jagr, Jason Garrison. That reads like a potential line for an NHL All-Star game, when in reality it could be a new line for one of the league’s 30 teams, if they want to spend that kind of money. Having players of that caliber available at this time of year could only mean one thing, free agent frenzy.
The National Hockey League’s free agency period kicks off today at 12:00 PM EST and all 30 NHL GM’s will be looking to improve their respective clubs while also filling the holes created by UFA’s who decide it is time for a change of scenery (or a chance at more money). Speaking of filling holes, that may be the theme of New Jersey’s free agency, especially if they lose both Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur. Shockingly that is a very real possibility considering the team’s current financial issues. It must be a tough time to be Lou Lamoriello.
While there are plenty of big names on the free agent market there are also just as many on the trading block. Columbus continues to try and find a trade partner that will take superstar Rick Nash off their hands but the Jackets are having a tough time doing so because of their understandably high asking price. The Canucks are in a similar position in regards to goaltender Roberto Luongo, but at this point the return they are asking for my not be justified because of his big contract. There are teams interested in Luongo’s services, including the Florida Panthers, but Canucks general manager Mike Gillis will have to lower his asking price before a deal gets done.
Speaking of the Panthers, they have come up in many conversations on the eve of free agency. Florida is rumored to be interested in such names as Ray Whitney, PA Parenteau, Jiri Hudler, and even Martin Brodeur. We would have to believe that the Cats signing Brodeur would only happen if Tallon and Co. remove themselves from the Luongo talks. At this point it is too early to tell what the Panthers plans are entering free agency, but one thing is certain. It is definitely exciting to hear Florida mentioned with the likes of Brodeur and Luongo. This just goes to show that having good ownership and management goes a long way in earning respect from the other 29 teams in the league and the players.
Marc’s take:
If anyone would have told me at the end of the playoffs that the Panthers would be involved in talks regarding Roberto Luongo or Martin Brodeur I would have laughed in their face. Now there is a very real possibility that one of the two superstar goalies (or both?) will end up in South Florida. Bringing in either netminder would be good for business in the sense of ticket sales, but if I were in the position Dale Tallon is in I would easily choose Brodeur over Luongo. While it may be a fun novelty to some to have Roberto return to Sunrise let’s not forget that there is this 22 year old goaltender in San Antonio named Jacob Markstrom that has been pegged as “the best goalie not playing in the National Hockey League” waiting for his turn between the Florida pipes. Martin Brodeur is the better choice at this time because of Luongo’s long contract, unless the Panthers have given up on Markstrom because of his recent injuries. That would be an entirely different, and highly disappointing, situation. No matter what happens between now and the start of the 2012-2013 season we all just have to remember “in Tallon we trust”. Right?
The following links are from various sources regarding free agency. We figured that this would make it easier on everyone to follow the insanity that is about to unfold. Be sure to keep checking back with Sunshine State Hockey for updates during this very busy time for the Florida Panthers and the 29 other teams in the NHL.
Top 30 UFA’s – The Fourth Period
Open For Business – On Frozen Pond
Eastern Conference Free Agents – TSN
Western Conference Free Agents – TSN
Don’t forget to tune in to the NHL Network’s live coverage of the first day of free agency starting at 12:00 PM EST.
Source(s): TFP, Miami Herald, TSN
Calm Before The Storm
The day is almost here hockey fans. We are just under 15 hours away from the start of the National Hockey League free agency period. Will the Florida Panthers make the biggest splash since they have the most cash to spend? Will there be a bidding war between the Maple Leafs and Rangers for the services of Brad Richards? Will Jaromir Jagr finally choose between the Penguins, Canadiens, or Red Wings? All of these questions and more will be answered starting tomorrow.
Sunshine State Hockey will be live blogging all of our free agency coverage tomorrow starting at 12:00 PM EST all the way until 5:00 PM EST, so be sure to check the site for all of the latest rumors, trades, and of course signings.
We want to go back and take a look at the five UFA’s Sunshine State Hockey picked for the Panthers to consider. For those who are new to the site or just don’t remember what we are talking about click on the links below to read each article. The purpose of these articles was to highlight five different unrestricted free agents that we thought the Florida Panthers should target come July 1st.
Five UFA’s For The Panthers To Consider – #1
Five UFA’s For The Panthers To Consider – #2
Five UFA’s For The Panthers To Consider – #3
Five UFA’s For The Panthers To Consider – #4
Five UFA’s For The Panthers To Consider – #5
The players highlighted in the articles above are:
#1 Ed Jovanovski – UFA
#2 Brooks Laich – Resigned by Washington
#3 Brad Richards – UFA
#4 Ville Leino – UFA
#5 Radek Dvorak – UFA
The only player not available in that list is Brooks Laich because the Washington Capitals locked him up for six years before he hit the free agent market. With that in mind SSH would like to put a new name in the list of players for the Panthers to consider tomorrow, Max Talbot. Will Florida listen to us and target all five of the unrestricted free agents listed? Only time will tell.
Be sure to check back tomorrow starting at noon EST for our live coverage of the free agent frenzy. For a guide on the top 30 players on the market visit the Fourth Period’s website by clicking here. See you all tomorrow!
