NHL Free Agency Thread

We will take one Paul Stastny please.

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I hope the Avs figure out a way to keep Stastny

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He is coming home.

So will everyone. Stastny is gonna get paaaaaaaaaaaaid.

Stastny will be overpaid, but probably not a ton. Don't see any Clarkson's out there this year.

ETA: It's hard to believe Anton Stralman is now a premier free agent after his time in Columbus. He was okay, I guess. Nothing special at all.

The Blues were supposedly going to kick the tires on Niskanen but if he wants that long a term there is no way they will be interested, especially at 5mil+

Can't wait to see what the Stars do. They need a second line center, a top two defender and a backup goalie that's worth a damn.

Rumors are out there that them and StL are the only two teams still negotiating on a trade for Jason Spezza and that he would accept a trade to Dallas.

It might be a fun week or two for Stars fans if they make a couple of moves and capitalize on last season's success.

Niskanen will take no less than 6 years and 5 million.

But he'll get it from one retarded team, hopefully the Caps.

Red Wings supposedly want him bad as well.

There was a terrifying tweet that the Caps are interested in both Niskanen AND Orpik. Signing Orpik would be like Matt Cooke in reverse.

I like Niskanen a lot. A lot of Caps fans want to sign Ehrhoff, now that he's been bought out. but Ehrhoff is 31 and Niskanen is 27. It's quite likely Niskanen's best year's are ahead of him (given blueliners slower development patterns) while a Ehrhoff deal is pretty much guaranteed to be flushing money down the toilet in the last years of the deal.

Personally, I'd rather save the cash and go after Fayne for a reasonable cap hit, and then go big after Statsny with Grabbo as your back up plan. Center matters more for the Caps. They need a 2C desperately.

I thought Niskanen was the Pens' best blueliner outside of Martin (Maata will likely get there, but he's not there yet). He lead the team in Corsi while taking some of the team's hardest shifts and being paired without another stud D. I've been a fan of his since he played in Dallas. Very active and mobile defender. I think his scoring stats are illusory, but I think he'd make a great partner for Mike Green.

A 6-7 year deal for a 27 year old is not outrageous. Particularly a defensman. that's about where his productive years will end, at age 33 or 34. You have to overpay to sign a UFA, but that's a worthwhile gamble. I'd prefer 6 at $5mm AVV, but we'll see how the market shakes out.

@RumorBreak: *BREAKING*: The Canucks and Ryan Miller have a mutual agreement on a contract. Hearing 3-4 years and just a tad more than $5M per.



Lol Vancouver. How fitting.