Free Agency

The top Hurricane free agent targets seemed to have slipped away from the grasps of management as the fourth of July rolled by. The Canes were hoping that the recently added Jordan Staal brother star-power would lead more free agents to Raleigh for the possibility of winning a Stanley Cup.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were high targets of the Canes and each found themselves finding work in another place. Who knew that Minnesota would become the home of both of the guys that Carolina was targeting?

Both guys are from the Midwest, and having a chance to spend more time with family was a vital part of the decisions of both men. Parise is from Minnesota and Suter is from bordering s...

According to a report from Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, unrestricted free agent Zach Parise has returned to his native Minnesota and has not yet made a decision on where he will sign.

It had been assumed that Parise's decision had been made when it was announced that he would meet with reporters on Monday afternoon. Parise merely told reporters that a decision had not been made and that he would not put a deadline on when he would choose.

The teams rumored to be in the running for Parise are the New Jersey Devils, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Detroit Red Wings, and his hometown Minnesota Wild.

With the recent huge contracts signed by Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Quick, some pundits have started to speculate. They wonder whether or not this is good for any player, even if that player helped his team to a Stanley Cup and has a room full of hardware.

Most fans would like to think that their favorite team's coach, general manager, and owner are thinking long term and looking for consistency throughout the organization.

On the surface, these contracts show a couple of things. First and most obviously, it shows the club is looking to lock up one of their most valuable assets.

Secondly, it shows the player is committed to staying with the organization and become on...

Despite earlier reports that pending-unrestricted free agent Ryan Suter (NSH) has no interest in signing with an Eastern Conference team, his agent has denied that claim.

Yesterday, Comcast SportsNet’s Tim Panaccio reported that Suter had a list of teams that he would potentially be willing to talk to if his rights were dealt before July 1st. According to Panaccio’s source, there were only Western Conference teams on Suter’s list.

But in an article released by the Star Tribune’s Michael Russo, he reports that Suter’s agent, Neil Sheehy, denies that a list even exists.