More free agency notes

Day two of free agency in the NHL has come to a close. A few quick thoughts:

• I’m surprised that Pittsburgh re-signed Brooks Orpik for 6 years, $22.5 million. Surprised that he didn’t get or take an offer in the $4.5-5.0 mil per season range, and surprised that Orpik wasn’t looking to move on. He has had a somewhat contentious relationship with the Pens in the past with numerous benchings, a move to forward, etc.
• In another surprise move, Marian Hossa took a 1-year deal from Detroit for $7.4 million, spurning the Penguins. Many, including me, initially felt Pittsburgh’s deadline-deal for Hossa was a bad idea because of his poor playoff history and the unlikelihood that he would re-sign with the Pens. Turns out we were half right.
• I reject the notion that the Sabres are in a must-make-a-deal mode right now. Judging by comments in the Buffalo News (I’m looking at you, Bucky), at Sabres Edge and other sites, the Sabres have missed the boat by not latching on to a – any – free agent defenseman. Truthfully, if we start the season with Lydman/Tallinder, Spacek/Paetsch, Sekera/Weber as our defense pairings, I’m OK with that. An experienced (and cheap) 7th defensemen – i.e., Pratt, Numminen – would do.
• Along the same lines, I’ve long felt that the Sabres would be better off unloading Afinogenov and Kotalik. But because they aren’t gone by now, doesn’t mean they’ll be here in October. Now that the spending frenzy seems to have subsided, GM’s are reassessing their rosters and their payrolls and more creative thought will no doubt be expended in trade talks.
• Heather at Top Shelf summed things up rather nicely the other day:

Listen, I get it. Every hockey fan wants to wake up on UFA day and unwrap the shiny new toy. You know, that really cool toy that has the bright, running lights and the realistic sound effects, the one that everyone is grabbing for and only one or two lucky people get. But we all know what happens. You play with the toy for a few months and then the batteries start to run down. A speaker busts and the sound gets really tinny. The lights still run but only every other one blinks because the bulbs, on closer inspection, are really cheap. One of the plastic arms breaks off, making the toy kind of useless and ugly and you suddenly realize, “Wait a second! This toy doesn’t play enough defense or kill enough penalties for the price I paid for it!” And then you’re stuck. You can’t sell the thing on eBay because no one wants it and you can’t talk one of your buddies into making a trade, not even for the cheap action figure that doesn’t bend at the knees and elbows. You have to either buy some other toys to pile around it and hope they hide it – although good luck because unfortunately you spent a huge chunk of your toy budget on that P.O.S. – or you just have to toss the friggin’ thing in the garbage. And really, who wants that?

~ by Porky on July 3, 2008.