NHL Free Agent Signings

So far he's what I've heard:

- Drury to the Rangers

- Gomez to the Rangers

So no matter what line Jagr plays on he gets a ppg setup artist. Me Happy.

- Briere to the Flyers

Everyone saw this coming.

- Scott Niedermayer to retire

Putting the Wolves GM on suicide watch.

- Mathieu Schneider to the Ducks

For stupid ridiculous money.

- Brian Rafalski to the Red Wings

For way stupid ridiculous money.

- Joe Thornton signs a three year extension

In the neighborhood of $7M - which means he is compensated correctly.

- Jarome Iginla signs a 4-5 year extension

See my comments re: Joe Thornton.

- Zubov takes one year extension with the Stars

With the decline of Modano, Zubov is now their best player.

- Ryan Whitney signs 6 year deal with the Penguins

At an average of $6M a year the Penguins are all but calling him a 'franchise defenseman'. At our next ED, so will someone from the FUNHL.

- Scott Hannan signs in Colorado

Nice pick up. Once again, The AVs do the smart thing.

- Viktor Kozlov signs with the Capitals

'Russia House' is getting full. This probably puts to bed the rumours of the Capitals making a play for Yashin. Thank Goodness! I've got Niklas Backstrom to worry about, and adding one starter at centre is quite enough.

- Michel Ouellet to the Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bolts needed cheap offensive fire support - and Ouellet gives them that.

- Jason Blake signs with the Leafs

This just makes me laugh. Jason Blake is a fine depth winger who will get way, way overpaid to score 30 goals on the first line. Typical Leafs maneuvering, like adding a 2nd string goaltender for 1st string money - when they already have a 2nd string goalie making 1st string money. Comedy Central should be this consistent.

- Minnesota trades Fernandez to the Bruins for lousy prospect and lousy draft pick.

Worth noting that with the D of the Bruins in front of him instead of Jacques Lemaire's cult of suicide warriors Fernandez will be lousy.

- Tkachuk signs two year extension with the Blues

They deserve each other.

- Edmonton reportedly trades Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul to the Flyers for Joni Pitkanen and Geoff Sanderson. Oilers faithful must feel a special kind of numb seeing Joffrey Lupul (one of the big prizes from the Pronger departure) taking his 16 goals to Philadelphia along with Jason Smith - their Captain. I can't even laugh at Oiler fans anymore - it's like mocking a blind man for walking into something heavy. And sharp. Repeatedly.

- In related moves, the Oilers also sign not one, but TWO players who weren't in the NHL last season; Denis Grebeshekov and Tricky Dick Tarnstrom. It's officially wicked awesome to be an Oilers fan knowing those two guys will be working with Joni Pitkanen to guard a net filled by Dwayne (I'm 38 and cost a first rnd pick!) Roloson.

- The Flames sign Corey Sarich to a five year deal. Unhappy with how stealing slow footed defense first Rhett Warrener from Buffalo worked out, the Flames repeat the process by taking the slow footed defense first Sarich. It's not as laughable as what's going on in Edmonton, but then few things are.

- As it stands, still no word on where Ryan Smyth will end up - Bob Mackenzie indicated that no fewer than 9 teams (a third of the league) had put offers in for his services. For me, nothing could be better than if the Flames were to land him as that would be the absolutely purest killing blow to Oiler fans since Gretzky was traded.