NHL Columns

Free-agency games begin, but the Kings stay on the sideline
Comment
July 2
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliot
"Marian Hossa set himself up for life with a 12-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Gaborik set a high-water mark by getting a five-year average of $7.5 million from the New York Rangers, and Scott Niedermayer set up for probably his last season with the Ducks, topping the list of players who became very rich on the first day of NHL free agency. Meanwhile, the Kings watched and wondered when players they consider the "right" fit would consider them the "right" team to play for. Judging by Wednesday's festivities, the answer is never. Dispelling the notion that general managers would be thrifty for fear the salary cap willin 2010-11, 26 teams stuck a toe -- or an arm and a leg ..."
Like it or not, Burke's got a plan for Leafs
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July 2
Toronto Star
 columnist Damien Cox
"There was a time, not so long ago, when John Ferguson Jr. was running the Maple Leafs and traded a first-round draft pick and two other draft selections for goalie Vesa Toskala. Maybe that'll work, was the response. The team needs a goalie, after all. But what's the plan? Well, let's just say right now only the thick and misguided would have much doubt about what the plan is for the Leafs with Brian Burke at the controls. Get tough. Get more North American. Then get tougher. Last weekend, Burke drafted seven players, including among them one of the better fighters in the Ontario Hockey league and two big lads, one 6-foot-5 and the other 6-foot-6. If they ever make it, it won't be because ..."
Numbers often don't add up
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July 2
Denver Post
 columnist Adrian Dater
"NHL teams still have all the self-control of my wife at a shoe sale. Every year, there are several teams that leave a trail of disbelief around the league at the money they've lavished on free agents. This is a league whose owners once canceled an entire season because they whined that player salaries were out of control. But on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning gave a seven-year, $26.25 million contract to 32-year-old defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Never heard of Ohlund? You're not alone. Of course, wasting money has become a new Lightning tradition, as last summer it gave a three-year, $9 million contract to soft-as-a-pillow former Avs forward Radim Vrbata - who is now out of the NHL. Next ..."
Accept reality, hope for more
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July 2
Denver Post
 columnist Dave Krieger
"Frankly, I was expecting one of those Avalanche blockbuster deals. You know, like six years and $24 million for 39-year-old Dwayne Roloson or something. Hey, it might have gotten people off Darcy Tucker's back for a while. Instead, we get two years and a modest $3.6 million for goalie Craig Anderson, which is the proverbial good news and bad. Good because it means that in the transfer of front office power from one accountant to another, somebody actually took a look at all those bad contracts and decided not to add to the pile. Bad because it means the Avalanche isn't good enough for a proven NHL starting goal- tender. At 28, Anderson may be ready to emerge as that guy, which would ..."
St. Louis Blues' productive offseason continues
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July 2
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 columnist Jeff Gordon
"The productive Blues offseason continued Tuesday with another strong move. John Davidson and Co. landed free-agent goaltender Ty Conklin with a two-year deal, filling the last remaining hole on the team's roster. The team could still make a move or two. It might find an offensive defenseman (Sergei Zubov? Mathieu Schneider?) at the right price or a deal that fits the team's desire to get a bit heftier. But another quality goaltender was the last thing the team