2012 nhl free agents

Penguins Make Offer to Shane Doan—Is There a Fit?

July 19, 2012

Monday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Shelly Anderson confirmed that the Pittsburgh Penguins had extended an official contract offer to free agent forward Shane Doan, though the terms of the proposed deal were not disclosed.

With almost $10 million in available cap space and a nicely-defined hole on their top-line wing, the Penguins have space both on the books and on the roster to acquire the 35-year-old winger's services.

A veteran of 1198 NHL games, Doan's 788 career points and 1071 PIM would be a welcome addition to the top line. Having lost Steve Sullivan to free agency and after the Jordan Staal trade, the Penguins' top-six forwards group becom...

Alexander Semin or Shane Doan: The Answer to the Islanders' Secondary Scoring Drought?

July 6, 2012

Shane Blackburn

0 Comments

It is no lie that the Islanders are in need of some secondary scoring. Of the many forwards left on the free agent market two names, Alexander Semin and Shane Doan, should be sticking out to Islanders GM Garth Snow and Owner Charles Wang. (Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated)

What the Martin Biron signing with the New York Rangers means for the NHL.

July 3, 2012

Jon Zella

0 Comments

Last week, goalie Martin Biron signed a two-year, $2.6 million contract to remain with the New York Rangers.

The Buffalo Sabres 16th overall pick in the 1995 draft has become quite the journeyman in the Atlantic Division. He’s played for the New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Rangers. He’s also played over 500 career NHL games.

But, how much of an impact does his new two-year contract have on the rest of the NHL?

For starters, this takes one of the league’s top backup goalies off the market. Though he’s aging (34), he might still be able to carry the load for a team.

Some teams, such as the Chicago Blackhawks, seem...

Attracting Free Agents: Is Buffalo a destination?

July 3, 2012

Jon Zella

0 Comments

Every fan hopes their team lands an eye-popping free agent that will bring their city a Stanley Cup.

How can a team attract those types of players? Better yet, what makes a team an attractive destination?

Here are a couple of things players may take into consideration.

Location: Is it a hockey city? How much media attention does the team get? Will players be noticed on the street?

In Buffalo, you better believe that the fans know their team.

No, it’s not Detroit, Montreal, New York City, or Toronto, but plenty of people in the area will recognize you. New York State is slowly becoming a hotbed for hockey talent, so Buffalo might be on a few...

Montreal Canadiens Fall Out of Jaromir Jagr Sweepstakes

July 2, 2012

John Russo

2 Comments

Yesterday, TCL's own Matt Brigidi posted that Jaromir Jagr and the Montreal Canadiens were close to a deal.

Today, numerous reports came out that the Canadiens lost interest in Jagr, most likely because Jagr is seeking $4 million. The Canadiens offered the winger a one-year $3-million deal.

Sabres look to bolster offense during the offseason

June 28, 2012

Jon Zella

0 Comments

With July 1 right around the corner, the Buffalo Sabres might need to look behind their own prospect pool to try and become a legitimate contender during the 2012-2013 season.

The Sabres need offense. The team's goaltending and defense are solid, but only having three players reach the 20-goal plateau doesn't put a team in the playoffs.

With a little more than 11.5 million to spend during this summer the Sabres will be looking for some offense to try and help Ryan Miller and the defense core.

There are a number of free agents available who every team will be drooling over, including Alexander Semin, Oli Jokinen, and P.A Parenteau.

With Zack Parise stat...

Leafs need an established goaltender, not another project

June 6, 2012

Ron Guillet

0 Comments

If the Toronto Maple Leafs hope to acquire an established goaltender, Brian Burke will have to explore the trade route.

Considering the unrestricted free agent class is absolutely skeletal in terms of starting goaltenders, and Burke’s abysmal track record in free agency, that should sit well with most Leafs fans.

The issue, of course, is that one of the prime goaltending options is now a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. According to CBC’s Elliotte Friedman, the Leafs were not interested in granting a second year to Vokoun, so the 36-year-old goaltender wound up with the Penguins at an affordable cap-hit of $2-million for the next two years. I can’t help but...

Offer Sheets: How Aggressive Is 'Aggressive'?

May 6, 2012

A.K. Bennett

2 Comments

The Red Wings brass, from Holland to Nill to Babcock and Devellano, have all expressed a common sentiment regarding this offseason: aggression. Enough evidence seems to have mounted for Detroit to realize that they need to adapt the team's composition and style of play to some extent to continue their success. Holland and co. have voiced plans for the team to get bigger and stronger and to be aggressive in free agency.

My question is: would/should the Red Wings consider attempting to poach restricted free agents this summer?