Don Cherry
07-31-2005, 08:00 PM
Questions surround NHL free agency
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040111/avs_83112.jpg
Canadian Press
7/31/2005 4:19:09 PM
The phones will be ringing but will anyone sign?
The largest free-agent pool in NHL history opens for business at noon ET Monday, with general managers and player agents unable to predict who will sign where, for how much, and how soon.
''I'm one of those guys,'' said Philadelphia Flyers GM Bob Clarke. ''Nobody knows. I mean, how much money will the free agents get? Who knows. We don't have a clue.''
''Honest and truly, I don't know what to expect,'' added veteran GM Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils.
More than 200 unrestricted free agents should be available by the time a number of restricted free agents don't receive qualifying offers to retain their rights before Monday's noon ET deadline.
Headlining the unrestricted forwards are Peter Forsberg (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=816), Markus Naslund (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=350), Mike Modano (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1610), Alexei Kovalev (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=389), Pavol Demitra (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=453), Ziggy Palffy, Bobby Holik (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=215), Alexei Zhamnov (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1040), <A class=playerlink href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1258">Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne and Miroslav Satan (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1035).
But the real depth in this year's unrestricted crop is on the blue-line, where the Norris Trophy may be at stake: Scott Niedermayer (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=253), Adam Foote (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=843), Sergei Gonchar (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=788), Brian Leetch (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=422), Sergei Zubov (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=432), Derian Hatcher (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1623), Brian Rafalski (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1846), Mathieu Schneider (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=990), Mike Rathje (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1564), Roman Hamrlik (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1175) and Adrian Aucoin (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=724) highlight a long list of available defencemen.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132066&hubName=nhl
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040111/avs_83112.jpg
Canadian Press
7/31/2005 4:19:09 PM
The phones will be ringing but will anyone sign?
The largest free-agent pool in NHL history opens for business at noon ET Monday, with general managers and player agents unable to predict who will sign where, for how much, and how soon.
''I'm one of those guys,'' said Philadelphia Flyers GM Bob Clarke. ''Nobody knows. I mean, how much money will the free agents get? Who knows. We don't have a clue.''
''Honest and truly, I don't know what to expect,'' added veteran GM Lou Lamoriello of the New Jersey Devils.
More than 200 unrestricted free agents should be available by the time a number of restricted free agents don't receive qualifying offers to retain their rights before Monday's noon ET deadline.
Headlining the unrestricted forwards are Peter Forsberg (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=816), Markus Naslund (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=350), Mike Modano (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1610), Alexei Kovalev (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=389), Pavol Demitra (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=453), Ziggy Palffy, Bobby Holik (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=215), Alexei Zhamnov (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1040), <A class=playerlink href="http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1258">Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne and Miroslav Satan (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1035).
But the real depth in this year's unrestricted crop is on the blue-line, where the Norris Trophy may be at stake: Scott Niedermayer (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=253), Adam Foote (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=843), Sergei Gonchar (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=788), Brian Leetch (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=422), Sergei Zubov (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=432), Derian Hatcher (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1623), Brian Rafalski (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1846), Mathieu Schneider (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=990), Mike Rathje (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1564), Roman Hamrlik (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=1175) and Adrian Aucoin (http://tsn.ca/nhl/player_bio.asp?player_id=724) highlight a long list of available defencemen.
http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=132066&hubName=nhl