*-> It looks like the Washington Capitols are set to announce the signing of Niklas Backstrom tomorrow as they've scheduled a press conference. Backstrom is expect to earn himself a hefty contract as he had an outstanding season and the Caps would like to lock him up longterm. The deal I'm hearing is 6 mil over 5 years, but I've also heard that it could be up to 10 years as well. We will have to wait this one out to see.
*-> Nikolai Zherdev currently playing in the KHL for Atlant. Zherdevs camp has reportedly been in contact with the New York Rangers about a return. The Rangers were the last club he played for before they walked away from his arbitration. The Rangers are rumored to be only interested if the price was right as they have little to no cap space left but seak offense. The Nashville Predators are also rumored to be interested. I dunno about this one as the Rangers reported him of also having a bad attitude but he could be a steal for cheap just like his fellow countryman Maxim Afinoganov in Atlanta.
*-> All the type surrounded the Ottawa Senators signing Andre Petersson the 2008 NHL Entry Draft pick (109th) can be or may be false. Reports out of Ottawa have the Sens not even close to signing him. Apparently his agent leaked false information to the Swedish press to try and drive up his price in his negotiations with his club HV 71. Tim Murray dismissed this rumor earlier this week saying "don't expect to see him anytime soon". He did however say the Sens were very close to signing 2004 5th round draft pick Roman Wick to a 1 year 2 way deal. The player Wick is reportedly sitting on the offer but expected to sign.
3 comments:
Love the Backstrom signing (67 mil over ten years). Absolute steal for the Caps. Guy deserves a million more. While I've raved about Backstrom in the past, I just found out he hasn't missed a game in 3 years! That is in itself an incredible stat. And when his contract expires, he'll still only be 32!
Scoopz, if I were you I wouldn't look too much into the Petersson thing. The Murrays do a good job of managing prospects so as to avoid a logjam of prime AHL time. Better for Petersson to size up in Sweden than be thrown to the dogs in the AHL before he turns 20! Besides, with Roman Wick, Bobby Butler, Jim O'Brien, Zach Smith and Kaspars Daugavins in Binghamton, he wouldn't get the first line minutes he needs. Give him another year, and he'll be able to contribute.
CA
Yah I also liked the Backstrom deal as well. He's a great player whose going to be a top end talent for many years to come.
As for the Sens, I'm not too worried about them signing Petersson as as you pointed out he's still young but on the other side this is how it begins. Look at the Islanders. More and more players are now realizing the paycheque in Europe can be much better than abandoning family and going to an unfamiliar land without gaureentie you'll ever see NHL icetime. Ottawa's Binghampton prospects are pretty thin. None of those guys with the exception of Wick and Daugavins deserve top line minutes. I've heard Corey Cowick is very close to a deal as well and that should help. Still not a believer in Jim O'Brien or Bobby Butler.
Fair enough, I understand that the sweet life in the SEL is much more attractive than spending long hours on a bus going from AHL city to AHL city... but I also think Swedes understand better than any other European hoceky power that the key to fame and success is through the NHL, with the AHL being the stepping stone.
Which begs the question: why do the Russians not get that? Simply put, they have a long history of hockey glory with the dominant Soviet army teams of yesterday. Valeri Kharlamov never played a single NHL game, but both Malkin and Kovalchuk wear their numbers in his honour and he has an award named after him (best Russian NHLer-- Kharlamov award). Other countries can't look at their hockey greats and say that they made their mark outside the NHL. Finland has Selanne, Czechs have Jagr, Slovaks have Stastny, and the Swedes have Salming, Forsberg, Sundin, Lidstrom and Alfredsson. The only near comparison is Switzerland, which has really embraced the IIHF model and managed to retain some of its young talent for longer (see Wick, Roman). So I'm not as worried that Swedes will pull the European route, especially when the development model for young Swedish forwards is to give them at least a season or two post-draft in the SEL (Backstrom,Paarvi, Backlund, Berglund).
Ouch you really don't like the up and coming Binghamton depth? Give Bryan Murray some credit, when he took over the cupboard was bare, now he has restocked with some legitimate prospects, despite not having terribly high picks. On Defense, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Wiercoch, Jared Cowen and Eric Gryba should all be in the show within 2 1/2 seasons. Add in Derek Smith, and one could argue that no team in the league can boast that kind of defensive prospect depth. Up front, Mike Hoffman can bury the puck, as can Wick, Daugavins and Petersson, while Cowick, Smith, Silfverberg (when he gets here), Greening and Caporusso should be good two-way players. Plus, Robin Lehner looks like one of the most valuable goaltending prospects in the CHL, and has high expectations on him for camp. Next year should see a return to the playoffs for Bingo.
CA
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