When the clock strikes noon, money will be thrown like crazy

Preminiem Geregistreerd op: 22 Mei 2019 Berichten: 285

When the clock strikes noon, money will be thrown like crazy . Penny Hart Jersey ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. "You have to be prepared rightly or wrongly to overspend and to give more term than you probably would want to," Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said on a conference call last week. "That doesnt mean you dont make a good deal, its just the deal is probably pricier than you would like." Bad contracts of years past are being revisited now as theyre bought out, like the Buffalo Sabres getting out from the rest of Ville Leinos deal or the New York Rangers having little choice but to cut ties with Brad Richards. Last years madness included Mike Ribeiro getting $22 million over four seasons, and last week he was bought out. "It is a time where I think the day after some of these contracts are signed, people go, Hmmm, and sit back and think," Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said last week in Philadelphia. "Thats the age were living in. Thats the nature of it." The teams that sign winger Thomas Vanek, centre Paul Stastny, defenceman Matt Niskanen hope their investments prove more sound. Those three players lead the crop, followed by wingers Matt Moulson and Jarome Iginla, centre Dave Bolland, defencemen Christian Ehrhoff and Dan Boyle and goaltenders Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller. Already, before teams are free to sign players at noon Tuesday, over $1.1 billion has been spent to retain potential unrestricted free agents at an average cost of $3.57 million, according to CapGeek. Many of the top free agents will get more money than that on an annual basis, just based on the market value. Still, Chiarelli believes its possible to spend smart money in free agency. "As long as the expectations are in place and you know the player that youre getting, I wouldnt necessarily call it a bad deal," he said. "It may be in five years if it is a bad deal, but it is something that can help your team and you just have to be cautious of the hysteria that happens." The hysteria started early this year thanks to the new five-day window teams and pending unrestricted free agents have to talk before deals can get signed. Theyve been free to discuss fits and salary parameters, just not agree verbally or in principle. It seems to have given players more leverage than before because they can consider options rather than make a quick decision on July 1. For teams, the negotiating period is still a work in progress. "Its useful in that you can lay some plans and some groundwork," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis said last week in Philadelphia. "Whether it helps in getting players in or not, I think that remains to be seen.” Compliance buyouts have also changed the landscape, pouring more players like Richards, Ehrhoff, ex-Vancouver Canucks winger David Booth and ex-New Jersey Devils defenceman Anton Volchenkov into the market. Those players can double-dip on pay cheques, while their former teams can allocate the saved salary-cap space elsewhere. The Buffalo Sabres have the most cap space, according to CapGeek, with almost $39 million. They need to spend more than $20 million just to get to the $51-million floor. First-time GM Tim Murray isnt worried about needing to get to the floor, nor is he scared of the perils of free agency. "I dont think its dangerous. I go back to my old cliche: evaluate properly and its never dangerous," Murray said Saturday in Philadelphia. "If you fall in love with the flavour of the week, it could be very dangerous. "But do your homework. Evaluate players properly. Go after the right players, which doesnt mean its the top guy on somebody elses list. Its who you feel is the right guy." The negotiating window has shed some light on the idea that some guys are wanted by a lot of teams. Niskanens agent, Neil Sheehy, said in an email that more than 10 teams had shown interest in the 27-year-old defenceman and that they were planning to pare down that list before Tuesday. Thats a task many of the top free agents and their representatives have been going through because its still very much a players market. "Its kind of the double-edged sword," Cheveldayoff said. "Youre trying to find pieces that can maybe push you and the different depths of the free agent market in different years entices you or maybe doesnt excite you. "But its a way to add and if you can do it reasonably and maybe someone fits in your organization and maybe it becomes a long-term thing. You have to take a look at that regardless of the dollars." Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Joe Haeg Jersey . People familiar with the case told The Associated Press on Friday that arbitrator Fredric Horowitz could issue his decision this weekend. Devin Funchess Jersey . -- The NFL Players Association wants to determine if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaked information about quarterback Josh Freeman being in the NFLs substance abuse program. http://www.cheapcoltsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-ahmad-thomas-jersey . While Chelsea stayed two points behind leader Arsenal courtesy of Etoos hat trick, seventh-place United slipped 14 points from the summit this weekend. And the gap from the Champions League places is growing as well, with Liverpool six points ahead in fourth. TORONTO -- It was such a bad first period, the Toronto Maple Leafs figured they couldnt duplicate the disaster. They were right in that they responded to coach Randy Carlyles goaltending switch to erase a two-goal deficit. Ultimately Toronto lost 5-4 in a shootout to the Detroit Red Wings in a preview of the Winter Classic, but it was the battling back to get a point that had them feeling slightly more upbeat than usual after a defeat. "Well take the point," captain Dion Phaneuf said. "Coming back, I feel that was a big step for our team to come back against a team that doesnt really give up a whole lot. We did a lot of really good things tonight." The good things for the Leafs (18-16-4) came in the second and third periods when they got goals from Phaneuf and Joffrey Lupul to tie the score and then one from the much-maligned David Clarkson to take the lead. That was a complete reversal from the first period, when they squandered the opening goal from defenceman Cody Franson and gave up three goals in 9 minutes 11 seconds to Pavel Datsyuk, Joakim Andersson and Tomas Jurco. "We score the first goal and then we basically stood around for the rest of the period and watched them do their thing," Carlyle said. "They out-competed us badly in the first period." Starting goaltender James Reimer gave up those three goals on 12 first-period shots. He got the hook in favour of Jonathan Bernier at the first intermission, after Carlyle noticed rebounds bouncing away from Reimer and wasnt happy with Anderssons goal going off his stick and in and Jurco shooting the puck through him. Reimer was understandably unhappy with Carlyles decision, which he respected, and also with his performance. "Definitely not what we had in mind, what I had in mind," said Reimer, who was making a third straight start for the first time this season. "They just scored a couple too many goals. Obviously the second one, that cant go in. It was obviously my fault, a hundred per cent. And the third one, they made a nice play, but I think thats one that I can get done on some days, too." The Leafs looked like a completely different team in the second period in front of Bernier. Carlyle was pleased at how his players got pucks deep, cycled, drew penalties and managed to draw even in the game by scoring twice on former Toronto goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, who wound up giving up four goals on 23 shots. "I dont think I had my best game tonight, at least we were able to step up there and get the win," Gustavsson said. Phaneuf said he and his teammates talked about having a better effort in the second period. That showed, and when Clarkson scored 8:32 into the third period Carlyle hoped that kind of "dirty" goal would be able to carry the Leafs. Instead, the Red Wings (17-12-9) were able to tie it on a goal by Tomas Tatar at 13:44 when Niklas Kronwall won a blue-line puck battle against Phil Kessel. "We made a mistake and we couldnt get a puck out along the wall, guy got in behind us, a rebound and then we lost in a shootout," Carlyle said in summing up the Leafs sixth loss in their past seven games. "I think that the way that game developed in the evening, I think we were fortunate to get a point. Ryan Kelly Jersey. " The Red Wings felt fortunate to win in the shootout on goals by Datsyuk and former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. It was their first victory that way this season after losing their first six shootouts. "It was a mental block for us, shootouts, and to win this one tonight hopefully we can put that behind us and start winning a few," said Alfredsson, who scored the winner. "Winning in overtime last game and now winning in a shootout tonight lessens the grip on the stick next time around." Mike Babcock, coach of the Red Wings and Team Canada, pointed out that he doesnt get so hung up on the shootout performance. But hell take the points from this one, Detroits second straight victory following a six-game losing streak. "I think were a pretty even-keeled group," Babcock said. "We just keep on keeping on. Were going to be fine here in the end. Weve got to get players back and then well start playing with some speed and confidence and tempo and everything." The Red Wings were playing without injured captain Henrik Zetterberg (back), goaltender Jimmy Howard (knee), centre Stephen Weiss (sports hernia) and forwards Gustav Nyquist (groin), Johan Franzen (concussion) and Justin Abdelkader (concussion). They got defenceman Danny DeKeyser back after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury. Carlyle saw similarities between the two teams because the Leafs are still without centres Tyler Bozak (oblique) and Dave Bolland (severed tendon in ankle). But the rest of the team is in tact, and players have been quick to brush injuries off as an excuse. The problem Saturday night wasnt lacking players as much as it was another poor start after Fransons goal 7:15 in. "I didnt think we were ready and we came out a little bit sloppy," said Clarkson, whose go-ahead goal was just his third of the season. "When you allow a team with that much skill and talent to get ahead of you, its hard to battle back, but I think we showed something tonight by battling back. Weve got to be ready from the drop of the puck, be ready to play the way we know we can, the way we did in the second and third." The Leafs play for the final 40 minutes of regulation represented the biggest positive of the night, which was a chance for the teams to feel each other out before meeting in the Winter Classic Jan. 1 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. That game is too far from now for either Toronto or Detroit to focus on. The Leafs concern was about their good and bad effort that led to this shootout loss. "It takes a toll on you trying to dig out of a two-goal hole like that," said Lupul, who had a goal and an assist. "If we take one thing from the game, its probably get off to a little better start." NOTES -- Kessel was held without a goal for the eighth time in 10 games since Bozak went out with his oblique injury. The star winger has two goals and five assists in that time. Defencemen Mark Fraser and Paul Ranger and forward Frazer McLaren were healthy scratches for the Leafs for the second straight game. Cheap Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Cheap NBA Jerseys Wholesale NHL Jerseys Wholesale MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Wholesale Football Jerseys Wholesale Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '