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Shop talk: Avs' attention on free agency

Team's focus will be retaining its own players

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 29, 2008 at 11:04 p.m.

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Avalanche captain Joe Sakic, back, and John-Michael Liles are two of 11 players who could leave the organization as unrestricted free agents.

Photo by Darin McGregor © The Rocky

Avalanche captain Joe Sakic, back, and John-Michael Liles are two of 11 players who could leave the organization as unrestricted free agents.

Goalie Jose Theodore would prefer to stay with the Avalanche, according to Don Meehan, his agent.

Photo by Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky

Goalie Jose Theodore would prefer to stay with the Avalanche, according to Don Meehan, his agent.

Poll

What decision should Avalanche captain Joe Sakic make regarding his career?


Mixed reviews

The Avalanche entered the free-agent market in a big way last summer, signing forward Ryan Smyth to a five-year, $31.25 million contract and defenseman Scott Hannan to a four-year, $18 million deal.

It was the first time since July 2003, when then-general manager Pierre Lacroix signed forwards Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, the Avalanche spent heavily on free agents.

The reviews were mixed.

Smyth was hobbled by injuries, missed 27 regular-season games and finished with 14 goals and 37 points, his worst showing since 1998-99 with the Edmonton Oilers.

He suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot against Detroit in the playoffs, missed two games and wound up with two goals and three assists in eight postseason games.

Hannan got off to a slow start in the regular season, was a minus-15 at one point and didn't play with as much physical abandon as he did with the San Jose Sharks.

But Hannan came on strong down the stretch and finished with two goals, 19 assists and a minus-5 rating in 82 games. He had one assist in nine playoff games, missing one because of a broken foot.

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Welcome to the NHL's annual feeding frenzy.

The league's free-agency period starts at 10:01 a.m. MDT Tuesday, and plenty of quality players will be available, though this season's crop isn't quite as impressive as last year's.

The Avalanche signed two marquee free agents on opening day last summer, defenseman Scott Hannan and forward Ryan Smyth, and is sitting about $20 million under the 2008-09 salary cap of $56.7 million.

The cap has increased for the third year in a row, from $50.3 million last season, $44 million in 2006-07 and $39 million in 2005-06, when it was implemented for the first time after a yearlong labor dispute that resulted in a lost 2004-05 campaign.

Even though Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere has money to spend if he chooses, more than a dozen of his own potential free agents have yet to sign new contracts.

The most prominent are longtime captain Joe Sakic, goalie Jose Theodore and forwards Peter Forsberg, Andrew Brunette, Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski.

Svatos and Wolski are restricted free agents who have been tendered qualifying offers, so they're practically guaranteed to be re- signed for next season.

The rest are unrestricted, meaning they could begin to field offers Tuesday from other teams with no compensation due the Avalanche if they sign elsewhere.

The most intriguing situation continues to revolve around Sakic, who will turn 39 on July 7. Will he return for a 20th NHL season or retire?

The Avalanche is showing a great deal of patience with the likely future Hall of Famer, but his indecision could make matters difficult for Giguere.

He needs to keep enough money available for Sakic if the captain chooses to keep playing while pondering whether to sign or trade for a center relatively quickly as insurance in case Sakic hangs up his skates.

Forsberg would like to keep playing, but only if the foot problems that have given him so much trouble in recent seasons can be resolved.

The Avalanche is expected to re-sign Adam Foote and John- Michael Liles, who would rejoin holdovers Hannan, Brett Clark, Jordan Leopold and Ruslan Salei on the blue line.

But Brunette and defenseman Kurt Sauer could be playing elsewhere next season.

Agent Don Meehan has said Theodore would prefer to remain with the Avalanche, but contract talks have stalled and the 2002 Hart and Vezina Trophy winner is expected to join a weak-looking group of free-agent goalies.

The Avalanche still could negotiate with Theodore and any others who hit the open market, but its exclusive rights to do so would end.

Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Marian Hossa and Toronto Maple Leafs center Mats Sundin are the top forwards available around the league, and the San Jose Sharks' Brian Campbell and Ottawa Senators' Wade Redden are the biggest names on defense.

"Usually, the first day of free agency, players like the Marian Hossas of the world, there's a lot of action right away," said Tom Laidlaw, an NHL defenseman- turned-agent whose clients include defenseman Bryan Berard, forward Dallas Drake and goalie Chris Mason. "The teams that are after Hossa, they want to be prepared to make sure they're on the phone at the start.

"It could happen quickly with guys like him or it could go most of the day. Some players, they really take their time and it can drag on for three or four days. But in most cases, guys like Hossa are going to go early."

Free-agent strategies change from team to team, depending on needs and budgets.

"Some teams are looking to make that final push (for a championship), others don't want to spend that kind of money on a player, don't have that much cap space or need to maintain a certain payroll structure," Laidlaw said.

"You see a lot of different strategies. I know a lot of people anticipate that July 1 is a big day, and it is for some players. But for others, it's just the start of a long process before they ultimately sign."

Let the bidding begin.

CREAM OF THE CROP

The top unrestricted free agents, excluding Avalanche players, who will be on the market beginning Tuesday:

* Sean Avery, 28, left wing/center, New York Rangers: He can rub teammates the wrong way but is a solid, agitating two-way player. 2007-08 salary: $1.9 million.

* Brian Campbell, 29, defense, San Jose: Smooth skater tied for third among NHL blue liners in points, with 62. 2007-08 salary: $1.75 million.

* Pavol Demitra, 33, center, Minnesota: Injuries cost him what promised to be a 10th consecutive 20-plus-goal season. 2007-08 salary: $4.5 million.

* Ron Hainsey, 27, defense, Columbus: 2000 Montreal first-rounder has blossomed with the Blue Jackets. 2007-08 salary: $900,000.

* Marian Hossa, 29, right wing, Pittsburgh: 29 goals were his fewest in seven seasons, though he came up big during the playoffs. 2007-08 salary: $7 million.

* Cristobal Huet, 32, goalie, Washington: Won 11 of 13 decisions after trade from Canadiens to help end Capitals' three-year playoff drought. 2007-08 salary: $2.75 million.

* Jaromir Jagr, 36, right wing, New York Rangers: 17-year veteran led the Blueshirts in goals (25) and points (71). 2007-08 salary: $8.36 million.

* Markus Naslund, 34, left wing, Vancouver: Canucks captain's production has been slipping, but he's likely to be re-signed. 2007-08 salary: $6 million.

* Brooks Orpik, 27, defense, Pittsburgh: Hard-hitting blue liner flew under the radar until the Stanley Cup Finals. 2007-08 salary: $1,075,000.

* Vaclav Prospal, 33, center, Philadelphia: Posted career-high 33 goals and excelled in Flyers' playoff run. 2007-08 salary: $1.9 million.

* Wade Redden, 31, defense, Ottawa: Can help at both ends of the rink while logging well in excess of 22 minutes a game. 2007-08 salary: $6.5 million.

* Brian Rolston, 35, right wing/center, Tampa Bay: Had three straight 30- goal seasons for the Wild, which traded its rights to the Lightning on Sunday. 2007-08 salary: $2,442,000.

* Michal Rozsival, 29, defense, New York Rangers: Slumped the final three months and is recovering from hip surgery. 2007-08 salary: $2.3 million.

* Mark Streit, 30, defense, Montreal: Had 62 points, and his 13 goals were one more than he totaled in previous two seasons. 2007-08 salary: $600,000.

* Mats Sundin, 37, center, Toronto: Longtime captain still can play and could wind up with - wow - the Canadiens. 2007-08 salary: $5.5 million.

* Radim Vrbata, 27, right wing, Phoenix: Former Avalanche forward coming off career year with 27 goals and 56 points. 2007-08 salary: $1,225,000.

Comments

  • June 30, 2008

    10:14 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    RustyWon writes:

    I think we need to find a way to get Brunette back here, and of course, the youngsters Svatos and Wolski.
    Sakic will play one more - no doubt.

    Demitra would be a great pick up, if he's healthy, and all indications are that he is. He's been a thorn in our side for a lotta years.

    Orpik or Redden also. Avs need some more blue line.

    I hate to say it, but Forsberg might be too much $$ for the production anymore.

    Oh, and about that goalie position...

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