Updated lists of this summer’s best remaining UFAs, including those who might be a good fit with the Boston Bruins.
Free agent Johnny Oduya expected to decide soon where he’ll play next season.
SPORTSNET: Luke Fox updated his ranking of the 15 most valuable UFAs available. Defensemen Cody Franson, Christian Ehrhoff and Johnny Oduya top the list, followed by notables like forwards Alexander Semin, Curtis Glencross, and Jiri Tlusty.
It’s rumored Franson seeks a deal comparable to Montreal’s Jeff Petry (six years, $33 million). Oduya could reach a decision today as to where he’ll sign. Semin is reportedly fine with accepting a one-year contract.
There was speculation the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs “kicked the tires” on Glencross. Tlusty hasn’t ruled out returning to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Edmonton Oilers reportedly had interest in former Washington Capitals center Eric Fehr.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Franson’s dreaming if he thinks he’ll get a deal comparable to Petry now. There aren’t enough teams with available cap space willing to invest that much for that long in any of the remaining players on the UFA market. The Blackhawks want to bring back Oduya but they’re pressed for cap space. He’s been linked to the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars.
For an affordable salary, a team might be willing to take a chance on Semin on a one-year deal. With the Panthers recently acquiring Reilly Smith from Boston, I don’t think they have interest in any of the remaining UFAs. The Oilers recent acquisition of Mark Letestu likely means they’re not adding another center like Fehr.
NBC SPORTS: Ryan Dadoun listed Franson, Semin and Ehrhoff, along with defenseman Marek Zidlicky and winger Brad Boyes, among the interesting names still available.
CSNNE.COM: Joe Haggerty believes the Boston Bruins stand a fair chance of landing Franson. If so, they’ll have to move veteran blueliner Dennis Seidenberg, which Haggerty feels isn’t impossible and would clear room for the younger rearguard. He also feels Mike Santorelli or Eric Fehr would be more affordable options than current Bruins center Chris Kelly, but the latter would have to be taken off the roster and there’s no certainty of that happening.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m not convinced moving Seidenberg is as easy as Haggerty suggests. He’s an aging blueliner who noticeably slowed last season following knee surgery. He’s also carrying a full no-trade clause, though he did say he was willing to waive it if asked by Bruins management. Seidenberg’s also earning a $4-million annual cap hit.
Semin should be picked up by Winnipeg for 1-2 years at 2 m. He’d fit well with Burmistrov and just about any of the young players coming up. Once he proved he was still a scoring machine he’ll resign or get more elsewhere.
I really wanted to see Semin on Datsyuk’s wing in Detroit this year, but alas, my hopes and dreams are dashed haha
So winnipeg does everything they can to get rid of kane, a young 30 goal scorer, because he is a problem in the room. And you think they’re going to sign semin?
Calling Kane a 30 goal scorer is a little bit of a stretch isn’t it? I think calling him a 20 goal scorer is a bit of a stretch.
He is a former 30 goal scorer. So ya he is.
One time 30 goal scorer 4 years ago = 30 goal scorer? LOL! No…it doesn’t make him a 30 goal scorer. he averages a hair over 18 for his career. So calling him a 20 goal guy is a little bit of a stretch, a 30 goal guy…..? Not even close! But if he is….Semin and his agent will be thrilled to hear that….That makes him a 40 goal guy.
I can see kane being a 30 goal scorer with eichel or ror and kanes style fits the east a lot better than the west. but scoring 30 once doesn’t make you a 30 goal scorer people were saying kessel was a 40 goal scorer and he never hit it once rounding up must be the key lol
Well the math is the same….rounding up by 12-13 per year. LMMFAO!!!!
well considering Kane is only 23……and last full season he hit 30…..the last 3 seasons he hasn’t played a full year. Lets not make it sound like the kid’s a veteran who’s only scored 30 once. Again….he’s 23. It’s not as much of a stretch to call the kid a 30 goal scorer as you all make it out to be
I’m not saying it would be impossible for him to hit the 30 mark again. However, today, yesterday and even if he hits 30 this year….it does NOT make him a 30 goal guy. I’m pretty sure every player would like to be able to pad their stats with “well if I played every game, I would have had…..” …..but it’s just not how it is….at all…..Kane is an 18 goal guy. Now matter how hard you try and spin it.
franson to me priced himself outta employmet early asking for more then sekera or hamlton wanted andt bes he s 3/4 defensemen well maybe 1/2 in leafland lol
Seidenberg isn’t getting moved. 1. I don’t think there is a mutual interest in moving him, before the injury he was the bruins best d man. 2. He’s not in as easily movable as haggerty thinks.
Now I know franson and Oduya keep getting mentioned but I think the Bruins are done now that they’ve signed Irwin. Plus I think they are happy to give morrow and trotman more playing time. Plus I think they have their d depth set
Chara – Miller
Krug – Seidenberg
Mcquaid – morrow
Irwin – Trotman
Maybe:
Chara – Seidenberg
Krug – McQuaid
Irwin or Morrow – K Miller
Trotman
I hope these UFAs don’t get signed. Absurd amounts they are looking for as past their prime/aging players. give me a break. I should have stayed outside on the ice and practiced a bit more rather than going home and doing my homework!
PRIORITIES!!!
Yes, priorities. I guess becoming a teacher was a bad idea.
Im sure those summers off are a killer
But all those school events you partake in after your regular hours and on weekends I’m sure is barely compensated for my a summer off.
New Jersey may have to get in on one of these guys. They need to sign 3 forwards, and only have 4 D signed, and are still 1.7 million under the cap floor. I could see them being in the running for Oduya or Semin or both.
And Nashville too!
the New Jersey Devils are perfect trade candidates for the Bruins to offload Chris Kelly, Zan Rinaldo, Adam Mqcuaid…. all for just Adam Larsson… then they can sign oduya but pererably Franson.
If you would’ve told me last year that Petry would be making more money than Franson in 2016 I would’ve died laughing at you.
I would agree with you watching petry in edm but watching him with the habs he is a better all around dman than franson! maybe petry mailed it in with edm just like a lot of fans say the leafs players did the second half the season lol
Or maybe Petry was sheltered by a better defensive team in Montreal. He didn’t become a better player over night.
Pettry was used as a number one in Edmonton. He is best suited in the second pairing. He wasn’t a bad player in Edmonton. The D core was weak and he was asked to do to much.
I agree oilerfan… but he is also worth more than franson just better all around seeing franson a healthy scratch in the playoffs really hurt him landing the big contract
I’m not sure what you all watched but long time ago I said ire grading Petry that he looked to me to be a good defensiveness on a poor defensive team.
It is no surprise to me he is turning opinions in Montreal. It’s to bad he left Edmonton before they turn it around,. But heck they may not turn it around at all lol
Dang iPads auto correct.
The Oilers don’t have a Subban, Markov, or Price to hide Petry’s poor play along the boards and in the corners in the defensive zone.
I saw a few times in the playoffs where Petry was bailed out by Price because he lost a battle behind the net that Price bailed him out on, just like he did on Edmonton who didn’t have a goalie like Price to save the day.
Pittsburgh still needs a center and winger to fill out their roster. Might use sunqvist as the center but have no wingers in the minors. Got to figure two of these three have to be a possibly. Semin, Boyes, or Booth.
Not big on Semin. Maybe worth a 1 yr/$1m deal. Would rather try Boyes on a similar contract who could play anywhere in the lineup
Booth on a cheap contract would be interesting for the back 3.
I know there has been some gossip about Weiss signing cheap to be a depth centre, but I expect they will give Sunqvist every opportunity to win the 4th line job in camp. If he can, it likely sets up a Sutter trade at some point between October and the trade deadline.
I’m thinking Ryan O’reilly shouldn’t take the drive through sign at Tim Hortons so literally. Too soon?
Haha, way to start off on the right foot with his new team.
The right foot is for the gas pedal, right?
Lol
Probably started drinking the moment he found out where he was traded too.
He didn’t have to sign an extension.
Of all the dumb crimes high profile/highly paid athletes can get, this one drives me crazy. You have millions of dollars…..you can’t afford a $20-40 cab ride home?
Tell that to Jon Jones (ufc)
I could almost understand if it was in Buffalo..after Pat Kane mugging his cab driver there might not be a great hurry for cabbies to pick up drunk NHLers
Have they ever heard of Uber?
No Uber where he was unless the cows have evolved.
Well he could always take taxis in Buffalo like Patrick Kane……..Oh wait a minute.
or Dan Heatley..oh wait a minute.
Habs taking a flyer on Tlusty would make sense to me. Probably a cheap, short-term signing at this point (which Bergevin would like) for a team desperate for more offence.
[And better than Semin. Don’t think he has the character the Habs want and wouldn’t mesh with Therrien]
iif the habs put galynchuck at center they need another left winger to fill his spot maybe within but maybe a 1 yr free agent pick up that’s what MB has been doing so far and I like it he brought petry , Flynn and Mitchell in at trade deadline auditioned them them then resigned them I think that’s very smart he did that with vanek and saw that he didn’t mess with the team so they let him go and sign with another team at I think 5 million a yr and they didn’t win the Stanley cup lol so I like what mb is doing so keep it up
Seidenberg could be moved if the B’s take some salary back ,Kelly is another story With a bunch of goalies in their system could see them moving Subban Only legit top 4 D-man they have is Chara and he’s falling fast. They are loaded with 5-6 D-men. Team needs a top 2 and top 4 on D and could use a goal scorer.
Seidenberg could be moved but I think boston will hold on to him this year and see what he can do after a summer off after the injury
A top 2, top 4 D, & a goal scorer. Those are big holes to fill.
That’s their need If it gets done good for them if not a struggle to make playoffs.
Not really worried about goal scoring for Boston, they’ll score by committee. They have 7 legit 20 plus goal scorers on their roster. No 30 or 40. With that said the year they won the cup they had no player in the top 30 in pts, the year they lost in the finals they had one at 29th Krejci. I didn’t say they were cup contenders just pointing out their offense is about spreading it out and to have several 20 plus goal scorers as oppose to one or two 30 plus goal scorers. Their defense is another storey, but we’ll have to wait and see how the youth play out.
Not sure how Haggerty thinks teams will want Seidenburg when they could just sign Franson if he’s supposed to be an upgrade. Franson’s price has to be in decline, dude has bad timing. Hit’s FA at 27 in the one season where GM’s seem to be acting a bit more rational and there is incredibly limited cap space.
Not saying its the case with Franson but I imagine a ufa or 2 could be weighing options other than money. As a whole I agree alot of the ones left missed their chance. I question if Oduya Franson or Erhoff did or not….
i think oduya is holding off to see if he can take a little bit less to go back to the hawks but franson and erhoff are gonna have to settle for less than they expected
Ya maybe a few bucks or a year or 2 term ya I agree but I doubt its some giant discount. I could see 1 making a decision (Oduya) and the others falling in from there….Not sure that Franson may not have waited to see if he could go back to Toronto or had dome interest in playing in Dallas maybe its the case with Ehrhoff aswell maybe he wouldnt mid going back to Buffalo which all depends on
where Oduya chooses…tough to say but I highly doubt it makes 5 + mill players in to 2 million dollar players….
This was posted about a hour ago
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/07/14/johnny-oduya-wont-re-sign-with-blackhawks/#.VaVnGcwKNV5.twitter
Supposedly the Sabres had a 3yr 15mil offer on the table.
I would prefer Glencross signing in Mtl instead of Fehr or Tlusty. I’m sure Therrien would prefer him too.
Everybody’s talking about Oduya but isn’t Erhoff a better all around defenseman ? I know Oduya is tough and defensively reliable but he’s a bit more limited than Erhoff no ?
Seems to me Oduya and Franson will sign big contracts and won’t be able to fill the role of top 2 or3 defensemen.