The first day of free agency

Lots of surprises during the first day of free agency. Here are some notables:

1. Gonch signs with Ottawa. This was surprising in a few ways. First of all, I didn't think that the Sens needed a player like Gonch. Second, I'm surprised by the length of the contract. I think a 3 year contact is a little risky with a player his age.

2. Niittymaki signs with San Jose. We all know that Nabokov's time with the Sharks has ended, but I, like a lot of people, expected them to sign Turco. Now the mystery is where Nabi and Marty are going to end up. Turco is a great goalie in my opinion, he just needs a change of scenery and a better defense in front of him.

3. Ray Whitney has signed with Phoenix. Good move by the Coyotes.

4. Colby Armstrong signed with the Leafs. This one wasn't a huge surprise, but I has still clutching to the small possibility that he would come back to Pittsburgh. Thanks for crushing my dreams, Brian Burke.

5. Hamhuis is pawned off on yet another team. This one wasn't too much of a surprise, but it would have been nice to see him in a Pens uniform.

6. The Pens signed Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek. Good move getting some afforable defensemen who can get the job done. Bad move because now I'll need to spell Zybnek correctly in this blog...

7. I'm a little pissed that Shero didn't re-sign Leopold. With the two additions above, it's understandable, but I think Leopold is an amazing player who fit in well with the Pens. He's fantastic at moving the puck up the ice, and could have been a key piece of the power play in the absence of Gonch. Oh well...

8. What is Billy G's fate? I really don't want to see him go, and with the Pens' lack of wingers, it would make sense to keep him for one more year to play along Sid.

So there ya have it. A pretty interesting Day 1 in my opinion. Another note: since Modano won't be with the Stars again next season, I think he should just retire. That would be like Stevie Y playing one more year for a team other than Detroit...it wouldn't be right.

You will notice that I haven't posted anything on the draft. I'm not much of a draft person. Two words: Milan Kraft. Nuff' said.

Also, please disregard the previous post. Sometimes my predictions blow.

Just a quick thought...

I'll have a much longer post in the coming days, but I wanted to get this idea out of my head before the possibility of it actually happening. If the Pens don't sign Gonch, I believe the Avs will sign him. Even though they want to build the team from the ground up, they need an experienced D-man. Just remember, you heard it here first.

It's free agency time!

Now that the season has ended, everyone's minds turn to free agency. Here are my suggestions on what the Pens should do...although they probably won't listen to me.

1. Billy G- Although he started the season strong, he seemed a little worse for wear towards the end of the season. I think that after next year, he won't have anything left in the tank. Should the Pens keep him? I think so, but pay him no more than 1 million, and only sign him for one more year.

2. Fedostanko- Let him walk. He doesn't add anything to the team, and his numbers this year were awful. Some people may argue that he steps it up in the playoffs, but that was more of an argument last year. This year he had no points and was a -3 in 6 games. Absolutely not worth the 1.8 million he got this year. Dump him.

3. Matt Cooke- Re-sign him for 1 million per year for 2 years. The team needs a good agitator, and he is one of the best in the league.

4. Ponikarovsky- Get rid of him. So far, he's been one of the worst trades Ray Shero has made. I can't believe that they traded the Mob Boss (Luca Caputi) for his worthless ass. A 2.5 million dollar contract last year!? You have got to be kidding me.

5. Gonch- This one has been debated the most of all. While, like Billy G, he ran out of steam by the end of the season, there is no arguing that he brought a lot to the power play this year, and the power play needs as much help as it can get. He carries a hefty price tag though, and with his age, might tank out this season. So is he worth the risk? I say no.

6. Mark Eaton- I believe he is one of the most underrated players on the team, along with Craig Adams (one of my favorites). There are simply no statistics that will show how much of a difference his defensive play makes. Is he worth the 2 million per year that he has been getting? To be honest, I'm on the fence about the salary. I am not on the fence, however, on what he brings to the team. Re-sign him, but I'm not sure for how much.

7. Jay McKee- He brings size to the lineup, but I think the Pens would be better off bringing someone up from the minors than re-signing him.

8. Jordan Leopold- I've liked what I've seen from him this year, and I think he's a good fit for the team. Re-sign him for 1.5 million per year for 3 years.

9. Ben Lovejoy- He's an unrestricted free agent IV (as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm not quite sure what that means, and I haven't been able to find any more info on it). Please, please, please re-sign him and bring him up this year. I think he is a fantastic defenseman (which the Pens need badly), and I believe this could be his breakout season. I have high hopes for him. Give him half a million for one year, and if he does a good job (which I'm sure he will), resign him to a longer contract worth more money.

So there you have it. But I'm not a GM, so we'll have to wait and see how things pan out before July 1st.

* All salary information can be found at NHL Numbers.