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SADOWSKI: Bang for free-agent bucks

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 13, 2008 at 10:02 p.m.
Updated November 13, 2008 at 10:28 p.m.

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Marian Hossa, Detroit

Marian Hossa, Detroit

Brian Campbell, Chicago

Brian Campbell, Chicago

Cristobal Huet, Chicago

Cristobal Huet, Chicago

Jose Theodore, Washington

Jose Theodore, Washington

Wade Redden, New York Rangers

Wade Redden, New York Rangers

Rob Blake, San Jose

Rob Blake, San Jose

Faceoff

NUMBERS GAME

4-5-1 record for Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo, who has five shutouts, when he allows at least one goal.

TEMPERATURES RISING

Frustrated by a slow start, the Ottawa Senators did some venting at practice this week. Forwards Dany Heatley and Chris Kelly got into a heated argument, and captain Daniel Alfredsson, unhappy with how a drill went, smashed a pane of glass with his stick.

"I was just frustrated with the shift I had before," Alfredsson told reporters. "I was just going to hit it. I guess I just hit a sweet spot."

Kelly downplayed his argument with Heatley.

"I do it with everybody," he said. "Nothing would ever go further than us yelling at each other, saying a few (expletives) and we'll leave it at that."

FULL (UN-)DISCLOSURE

NHL teams no longer are required to disclose the specific nature of player injuries, leading some clubs - the Avalanche isn't among them - to describe ailments that sideline players as "upper-body" and "lower-body" injuries.

That tack has been used by teams for years in the playoffs as a way of deterring opponents from targeting areas once a player returns to the lineup, but the practice is getting more prevalent.

The Minnesota Wild has taken that route since the season started, and assistant general manager Tom Lynn told the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune the only complaints have come from media members and fans in fantasy leagues.

HE SAID IT

"How'd you like to be a stockbroker right now?"

Scott Gordon, New York Islanders first-year coach, putting in perspective his team's last-place standing in the Atlantic Division.

More Colorado Avalanche

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It's one thing to make a big splash in the free-agent market and quite another to do the same on the ice.

"Expectations are very high," said left wing Ryan Smyth, who signed a five-year, $31.25 million contract with the Avalanche on July 1, 2007. "It's all how you deal with it. A lot more long-term deals have been popping in since the lockout. Coming to a new team, there's an adjustment period for guys.

"You want to make sure (the team) is happy with you, but as a professional athlete, you always want to go out there and perform for your teammates and your organization. You want the fans to be excited, too."

Smyth was one of the high-profile players from the 2007 crop of free agents. Hampered by injuries, he was limited to 55 games and finished last season with 14 goals and 23 assists. He got off to a hot start this year, but like a number of Avalanche forwards, has had difficulty finding the back of the net in recent games.

How some of the top 2008 free-agent signees are doing:

* Marian Hossa, right wing, Detroit: Signed a one-year, $7.45 million contract and is fulfilling all expectations. He's leading the Red Wings in scoring with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in 14 games. Hossa has two power-play goals and a plus-7 plus/minus rating.

* Brian Campbell, defenseman, Chicago: Signed an eight-year, $56.8 million contract and is one of the reasons for the Blackhawks' revival. Campbell is logging close to 26 minutes of ice time per game. He has two goals, seven assists and a plus-7 rating in 14 games.

* Cristobal Huet, goalie, Chicago: Signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract, but he has played two fewer games than Nikolai Khabibulin, who has posted better numbers. Huet has been OK with a 3-2-1 record, 2.45 goals- against average and .916 saves percentage.

* Jose Theodore, goalie, Washington: Signed a two-year, $9 million contract after leaving the Avalanche and has been pretty erratic with a 4-3 record, 3.16 average and .884 saves percentage in nine games.

There was some talk about a goalie controversy brewing in the nation's capital because Brent Johnson (5-1-2, 2.15, .931) was playing so well before suffering a leg injury Wednesday against Carolina. "Theodore is still the No. 1 goalie," Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said.

* Wade Redden, defenseman, New York Rangers: Signed a six-year, $39 million contract and is giving the Blueshirts decent minutes (averaging 21:59 in 19 games), some offense (two goals, five assists) and toughness (12 penalty minutes).

* Rob Blake, defenseman, San Jose: Signed a one-year, $5 million contract, quite a haul for a 19-year NHL veteran who turns 39 next month. Blake, in what is probably his final crack at another Stanley Cup, has two goals, seven assists and a minus-2 rating while averaging 22:05 in ice time in 17 games.

Burke a wanted man

Most NHL observers expect Brian Burke to land his next job as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it isn't necessarily a fait accompli.

Boston, Chicago and even Ottawa are being mentioned as possible Burke destinations by speculators in Toronto, where current GM Cliff Fletcher, 73, told reporters he wouldn't mind eventually giving up his position to spend more time in the sun.

"If I spend next winter in Arizona, I'm not going to be disappointed," said Fletcher, who maintains a home there with his wife.

Burke was instrumental in Anaheim's march to the Stanley Cup in 2007, but he turned down the Ducks' offer of an extension to stay as GM. He'll remain - temporarily - with the team as a consultant to his successor, Bob Murray.

Burke has made it clear he wants to move closer to family members on the East Coast, having grown weary of the cross-country commutes. He has four older children from a previous marriage and two youngsters with his current wife.

"I'm going to try to get off the payroll as quickly as I can, once I'm told what's an appropriate time frame," Burke said. "Once they tell me it's time to start looking (for new employment), I'll start looking in earnest."

The Maple Leafs have to be interested in Burke, but he's still under contract with the Ducks, so they can't say anything specific about him for fear of being charged with tampering.

Oilers must keep focus

The Edmonton Oilers deserve plenty of credit for hanging tough in the Western Conference despite playing 12 of their first 15 games on the road.

Now the trick is for the Oilers to not squander a schedule that was to keep them home for 17 of their next 26 games, starting with Thursday's match with Toronto, after winning four of seven games on a recent two-week odyssey.

"That's one of the tough things about the road, you come home and it's like you take a deep breath," forward Erik Cole said. "You get too comfortable sometimes. It's just something we really have to be aware of."

Only the Dallas Stars, who have played 10 of 15 games on the road, have spent so much time away from home, though without much success.

"It will be nice just to get back in front of our crowd," Oilers captain Ethan Moreau said.

GOAL FROM NOWHERE

It had been so long since Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo gave up a goal - 242 minutes, 36 seconds spanning parts of five games - that the ensuing confusion as to which Avalanche player actually scored against him in Wednesday's 2-1 shootout win was understandable.

Marek Svatos, who collected the decisive goal in the shootout, wasn't officially credited with the third-period goal by the NHL until Thursday, though he seemed pretty certain he had managed to slip a rebound over the prone Luongo at 1:28 on a power play.

Coach Tony Granato thought so, too, but Paul Stastny originally was given the goal, which came during a mad scramble as he and Svatos took whacks at the puck after Wojtek Wolski sent it in front.

"We just kept shooting it," Stastny said. "Me and 'Svats' both got our sticks on it at the last second, and Luongo was sprawling around and we just got it over him."

The NHL credited Stastny and Wolski with assists.

"It doesn't matter who got it," said Svatos, who had gone 10 games without scoring.

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