NHL Free Agents

NOW THAT THE STANLEY CUP IS OVER THE REAL FUN IS ABOUT TO BEGIN…
IN TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY THE NHL WILL HOLD ITS ENTRY DRAFT IN OTTAWA…
IT’S THE FIRST FOR CANUCKS NEW GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GILLIS…
THE CANUCKS DRAFT 10TH OVER…
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WAY STANLEY CUP TEAMS ARE NOW BUILT IT’S HIGHLY UNLIKELY GILLIS WILL TRADE THE PICK AWAY FOR SOME IMMEDIATE HELP…
SO THE MORE LIKELY QUESTION IS…DOES HE MAKE A TRADE TO MOVE UP OR DOWN???
STAY TUNED…
ON THE FIRST OF JULY THE FREE AGENT MARKET OPENS…
THE CANUCKS HAVE 8 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS INCLUDING…MARKUS NASLUND…BRENDAN MORRISON…AARON MILLER AND TREVOR LINDEN…
THE FACT THAT NONE HAS BEEN OFFERED A CONTRACT SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING…
LINDEN IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE HIS RETIREMENT THIS SUMMER…BUT THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILTY OF HIM PLAYING ANOTHER SEASON IF HE CAN FIND A TEAM…
IN ALL GILLIS IS EXPECTED TO WALK INTO THE FREE AGENT MARKET WITH CLOSE TO $20 MILLION DOLLARS IN HIS POCKET…
THE PROBLEM IS…THE PICKINGS ARE SLIM…AND THEY’RE EXPENSIVE…
MARIAN HOSSA COULD COST AS MUCH AS $10 MILLION A SEASON…
THE LIST OF FORWARDS ALSO INCLUDES…
MATS SUNDIN…JAROMIR JAGR…SEAN AVERY…RYAN MALONE…BRIAN ROLSTON…AND PAVOL DEMITRA…
MALONE MAYBE THE BEST FIT…BUT HE’S GOING TO WANT A BIG RAISE FROM THE $1.5 MILLION HE MADE LAST SEASON IN PITTSBURGH…
ON DEFENCE…THERE’S BRIAN CAMPBELL…WADE REDDEN…MARK STREIT AND JOHN MICHAEL LILES…
WORD OUT OF OTTAWA IS THAT THE SENATORS OFFERED REDDEN A “$3 MILLION DOLLAR CUT IN PAY”…FROM THE $6.5 MILLION HE MADE LAST YEAR…AS EXPECTED…HE TURNED IT DOWN…
FLORIDA GENERAL MANAGER JACQUES MARTIN HAS MADE NO SECRET OF HIS DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE PANTHERS DEFENCE AND MARTIN COACHED REDDEN FOR 8 YEARS IN OTTAWA…
THE RUMOR MILL ALSO SUGGESTS…PHILADELPHIA…CHICAGO…TORONTO AND VANCOUVER MAY BE INTERESTED…
HOWEVER IT’S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THE CANUCKS WOULD BE AFTER YET ANOTHER VETERAN DEFENCEMAN…
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS A LOT OF PLAYERS ARE GOING TO BE CHANGING THEIR ADDRESSES…
GOING IN…THERE IS ONLY ONE THING WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN…EXPECTED THE UNEXPECTED…