Running 2014 NHL Offseason Thread

Totally missed that the Phoenix Coyotes are now the Arizona Coyotes.

 

Oilers trade Sam Gagner for Teddy Purcell. I like the deal for the Oilers. They were sour on Sam and got a decent return for a former 8 point per game player.

Lightning then trade B.J.Crombeen and Sam Gagner to the Coyotes for a 6th round pick.

Is there something I am missing here about next years draft or was this a move to help the Coyotes reach the cap floor. Clearly those two players should fetch more than a 6th round pick individually.

 

Tampa clearing cap space. That's all this is.

 

Yeah, looking at Capgeek I don't think the Coyotes were worried about meeting the floor even before the trade. I'm actually surprised at how many $4M+ guys they have.

 

Tampa also kept a third of Gagner's salary.

 

I know what Tampa was doing...

I just do not see how it is possible to be allowed... two of them for a 6th round pick? Come on. They can fetch one each if not higher.

 

Because Tampa was going to buy him out otherwise. That's why they kept a third of his salary.

 

Spezza gone to Dallas.

 

Very familiar with Nick Paul, one of the prospects who went from Dallas to Ottawa. Huge body, big-time upside, he will play in the NHL one day and is a serious candidate to make the Canadian junior team this winter.

 

Minnesota Wild sign free agent forward Thomas Vanek. Good scorer, at least at times, and should help, especially if they don't re-sign Matt Moulson.

Wild need to figure out their goaltending situation. They used five different starters last season and there are questions with each of the five. Thought they might take a shot at Jonas Hiller, but he signed with Calgary instead. There are, of course, other options after today. And they might decide to go with one of their current players or re-sign Ilya Bryzgalov. But they need to go to camp with a clear No. 1 goalie and not be playing musical chairs all season if they're serious about moving up the chain in the Western Conference.

 

Ryan Miller signing with Vancouver seems curious to me. He's 33 and stated last year he wanted to be traded from Buffalo to a team that could win a championship sooner rather than later. So how does Vancouver fit that bill?

I'm wondering if some people in the Vancouver front office and coaching staff wish they had held on to Cory Schneider.