The NHL off-season can be a fickle thing. Crafty wheeling and dealing often brings a jolt of youth or the steady hand of veteran leadership to a team looking to make a serious push for Lord Stanley’s Cup. But when one team gets better, another likely gets worse. Any serious Blackhawk fan can tell you just how horrible the Great Chicago Fire Sale of 2010 was, as role players and fan favorites alike from the championship team found themselves playing for new teams with a lot more money than the. But so it goes, some teams richer, some poorer, and more often than not most players a lot richer. As fans, there isn’t much we can do than refresh our Twitter feeds and watch as the hockey world turns around us. Here are the big headlines so far from this year’s NHL off-season.
Minnesota’s Fourth of July Spectacular
The Minnesota Wild treated hockey fans to their own brand of fireworks on the 4th, celebrating American independence with the signing of arguably the two best US born players currently playing hockey. Defenseman Ryan Suter and winger Zach Parise signed twin 13-year, $98 million contracts as the Wild attempted to bring hockey relevance back to the self-proclaimed “State of Hockey.”
The signing represents a homecoming for the 27 year-old winger. Parise grew up in Minnesota, and his father, J.P. Parise, captained Minnesota’s former team, the North Stars. The 27-year-old captain is coming off a statistically solid season, tallying 31 goals with 38 assists and leading the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup finals, where the teamed bowed out to the champion Los Angeles Kings. Parise, who most remember for this moment in US Olympic history, had spent his entire seven-year career in New Jersey before he tested free agency.
Suter, 27, had also previously spent his career with a single team, the Nashville Predators. He skated on what was considered by numerous hockey fans as the most dominant defensive pairing in hockey, paired with Shea Weber (more on him in a bit.) Suter comes from a hockey family, with his father being a member of the “Miracle” team. Suter, a Wisconsin native, is coming of a 46 point season in which he helped lead the Preds to a second round exit in the playoffs to a pesky Phoenix Coyote squad.
An Offer Nashville can’t Refuse?
You have to feel sorry for the Nashville Predators. A team that in the recent years has been a trendy Cup favorite has had a brutal off-season. Ryan Suter is gone, and now the Preds are looking down the barrel of a multi-million dollar gun. On July 19th, star defenseman and restricted free agent Shea Weber agreed to a 14 year, $114 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Nashville Predators and General Manager David Poile have seven days to match the gigantic offer, and Poile has been on record saying that if Weber were to sign an offer sheet, he would match it, but I don’t think Poile even expected an offer sheet that large. If the Predators decide to let Philly have Shea, then the Predators will receive four future first round picks, courtesy of Philadelphia.
Shea Weber, the defenseman with maybe the hardest shot in hockey, is a 3-time All Star and an elite patrolman of the blue line. Weber is coming off a 19 goal, 30 assist season, which are great numbers for any defenseman. The Nashville Predators are certainly in a pickle, but even with Rinne minding the net, the future looks a lot bleaker for Nashville. One solace for Predator fans however; this.
Martin Brodeur Staying Put
After being courted by numerous teams, the NHL’s all-time winningest goalie is staying put. The 40 year-old goalie has played his entire 21-year career within the New Jersey Devil system. Don’t let his age fool you. On top of helping the Devils reach the Stanley Cup finals last season, Marty Brodeur is a 10-time All Star, 4-time Veznia (Best Goaltender) Trophy winner, and has lifted the Cup three times. He holds NHL records in numerous categories, including most wins, most shutouts, and most games played. He is coming off another solid season, posting a 31-21 win-loss record and boasting a 2.41 goals against average with a .908 save percentage, all numbers better than the season before. Despite all his success, Devil and hockey fans alike wonder just how much he has left in the tank.
Staal Brothers Reunited
As Jordan Staal was saying I do to his new wife Heather, the Carolina Hurricanes said “I do” to a trade that sent Jordan from the Pittsburgh Penguins to Carolina. Carolina gave up Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and the 8th pick in the 2012 Entry Draft for the rights to Staal. Jordan Staal had earlier in the summer declined a ten-year extension with Pittsburgh. A few weeks later Jordan signed a 10-year extension with Carolina worth $60 million dollars.
Last season, Jordan tallied 25 goals and 25 assists, and was a key player for the Penguins when they won the Cup in 2009. The Hurricanes already had two Staal brothers, Eric Staal, the current captain of the Hurricanes, and Jared Staal, who has yet to play in a NHL game. Although both Jordan and Eric play center, there have already been rumors that Hurricane coach Kirk Muller will play the brothers on the same line, hoping to emulate the success of another potent sibling pairing, Daniel and Henrick Sedin. There is a fourth brother, Marc Staal, who currently plays defense for the New York Rangers.
Other Rumblings and Grumblings
Rick Nash is a name constantly heard in trade rumors. The big winger currently captains the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nash has stated that he would waive his no-trade clause if general manager Scott Howson could find a deal. That’s been the tricky part so far. Howson has stated he wants a top 6 forward, first round draft pick and a top-rated prospect in return for Nash. So far, no other GMs have pulled the trigger on Nash, although the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings are names consistently heard as teams interested in Nash’s services. The five-time All-Star could certainly help many teams in a playoff push.
Roberto Luongo could find himself out of the job in Vancouver. This offseason, the Canucks signed Roberto’s back-up goalie, Cory Schneider, to 3-year, $12 million dollar contract. Luongo has stated that he is willing to waive his no-trade clause should Vancouver trade him. The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have both been linked to the goalie, as have the rival Chicago Blackhawks. Roberto Luongo, a talented goalie who shows flashes of brilliance, has been known to choke in the playoffs and cry when his team is eliminated.
Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan is a hot name on the trading block. Both the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings have shown high interest in the young sniper.
Jonathan Quick, the most aptly named goalie in sports, figured to be a LA King for a while now. He has agreed to a 10-year contract with the Kings. Quick is coming off a championship season in which he was selected as the playoffs Most Valuable Player, posting an incredible 1.41 goals against average in the playoffs with a 16-4 record. Talented back-up goalie Jonathon Bernier looks to be headed out of LA.
And finally, 47-year old goalie Dominik Hasek is considering a return to the NHL after retiring from the League in 2008. The “Dominator” played 16 seasons for Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, and Ottawa, where he posted a career goals against average of 2.13 and a save percentage of .922, while winning 6 Vezinas and 2 championships. The Red Wings, Lightning, and Sabres have shown interest.
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