Post free agency and trades here.....

 

Instead of letting two unrestricted free agents from Nashville sign with other clubs on July 1, the Flyers took matters into their own hands yesterday afternoon by trading for defenseman Kimmo Timonen and left winger Scott Hartnell.

 

Both players and the Flyers agreed to six-year contracts that had not been filed with the league because they had not been completed. Timonen's $37.8 million deal will average $6.3 million against the salary cap, while Hartnell's $25.2 million deal will average $4.2 million.

 

In exchange, the Predators retrieved the first-round pick in the 2007 draft (the 23d overall) that went to the Flyers last season in the Peter Forsberg deal.

 

The trade represented a coup for Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Timonen was considered the best free agent among the mobile defensemen who would have been available this summer. At 32, he becomes the club's No. 1 blue liner. His younger brother, Jussi, plays for the Flyers as well.

 

"He gets the puck out of his own end; he helps out offensively," Holmgren said. "He is one of the better two-way defensemen in the game. He is not a very big man, but he is smart."

 

Although the contract would take Timonen to age 38, it is front-loaded so he will earn $8 million in each of the first two years, when he will still be in his prime.

 

"It has been an awesome day for me and my family," said Timonen, a native of Finland. "It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I'm really excited about this opportunity and to have this chance to be part of the Flyers."

 

Hartnell, 25, will get $5.2 million and $4.7 million in his first two years.

 

"It was a surprise to me with all the stuff going on right now, especially a couple of weeks before free agency," Hartnell said. ". . . To be in an organization like Philadelphia is going to be an awesome time."

 

The 6-2, 208-pound Hartnell is a 20-goal scorer who can play either wing. He gives the Flyers more options in their lineup, which already includes the fleet Scotty Upshall, who also came here in the Forsberg deal.

 

"He's a hard-nosed kid," Holmgren said of Hartnell. "He moves good - a very aggressive, tough player."

 

The Flyers got quicker up front and on the back end, and all they lost was a late first-round pick in the draft, to be held Friday and Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.

 

The Predators, who are being sold by Craig Leipold to Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie, conceded that they could not re-sign either Timonen or Hartnell. The Predators appear to be lightening their payroll; Balsillie has informed the NHL that he wants to move the club to Hamilton, Ontario.

 

Two sources involved in yesterday's deal said Holmgren was given 72 hours since Friday to make the trade before Predators general manager David Poile moved both players elsewhere rather than lose them for nothing in free agency.

 

"We were surprised to get a call from David on Friday asking us if we'd be willing to go to Philly," said Timonen's agent, Bill Zito Jr. "We had nothing to lose. We were preparing for July 1."

 

The Flyers' payroll is nearly $40.73 million for next season. If the salary cap goes up to $49 million from $44 million (it could go higher), that would leave $8.2 million to spend in free agency - and the club still lacks a No. 1 center.

 

Is that enough money?

 

"We've got to get creative," Peter Luukko, president of Comcast-Spectacor, said.

 

Among the players the Flyers are looking at are New Jersey center Scott Gomez and Buffalo centers Daniel Briere and Chris Drury. The Sabres are expected to re-sign Briere, and Drury seems headed for San Jose.

 

Holmgren conceded that the Flyers needed to trim salary.

 

The club announced that it had filed for salary arbitration with restricted free-agent defenseman Joni Pitkanen. The Flyers want to lower his $2 million salary. Pitkanen had a poor season in 2006-07, with a minus-25 rating.

Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs:

 

Leafs deal for Toskala

 

TIM WHARNSBY

 

Globe and Mail Update

 

COLUMBUS ? The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired capable goalie Vesa Toskala from the San Jose Sharks.

 

The deal, which includes forward Mark Bell going to Toronto, has cost the Leafs their first-round selection (13th overall), second and fourth-round picks.

 

Bell, who turns 27 on Aug. 5, had a disappointing season with the Sharks, scoring only 11 times in 71 games. Bell has two years remaining on his contract that will pay him an average of $2.1-million a season.

 

Toskala, 30, will enter the final year of his contract that will pay him $1.375-million (all figures U.S.) and the Leafs were trying to sign him to an extension. The Finnish product made a career-high 38 appearances in 2006-07, enjoyed a 26-10- record, 2.35 goals against average and .908 save percentage.

San Jose Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala stops a shot on goal against the Phoenix Coyotes in the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose on Jan. 18.

 

San Jose Sharks goalie Vesa Toskala stops a shot on goal against the Phoenix Coyotes in the first period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose on Jan. 18. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)

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He has shared the netminding duties with Evgeni Nabokov the past two seasons. But after Toskala suffered a groin injury in February, Nabokov played the majority of the games, including all the playoff matches.

 

This is the second year in a row that John Ferguson Jr. has gone to the draft and acquired a goaltender. Last June, he picked up Andrew Raycroft from the Boston Bruins in exchange for prospect Tuukka Rask.

 

Where does that leave Raycroft? Well, there have been plenty of rumblings that the Leafs have been shopping him around here at the National Hockey League entry draft. But as of now, it appears the Leafs will go with Raycroft and Toskala.

 

There were whispers that the Leafs first approached the Nashville Predators about making a deal for Tomas Vokoun. But he has a no-trade clause in his contract and Predators general manager David Poile said he has no plans to move any of the players he has under contract for next season.

 

It has been speculated here that Bruins and Phoenix Coyotes also were trying to acquire Toskala or Manny Fernandez from the Minnesota Wild.

 

 

Oh well. Good move by the Maple Leafs to acquire Toskala but Bell is an enigma.

 

 

Ridiculous the amount of trading the Maple Leafs have put into the goalie position the past few years. lol.

Oh well. That is one Panthers goalie target down. I wouldn't have given up our 1st rounder for him. I might for Vokun or Bryzgalov, but not a 30 year old Toskala.

This is why the Panthers didn't trade for Toskala:

Friday, Toronto swung a deal with San Jose, acquiring Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell for a bunch of draft picks. Florida had been talking to the Sharks about Toskala, but Florida wasn't going to give up 21-year-old forward Rostislav Olesz.

 

 

c/o George Richards' blog.

This is why the Panthers didn't trade for Toskala:

Friday, Toronto swung a deal with San Jose, acquiring Vesa Toskala and Mark Bell for a bunch of draft picks. Florida had been talking to the Sharks about Toskala, but Florida wasn't going to give up 21-year-old forward Rostislav Olesz.

 

 

c/o George Richards' blog.

 

Well I certainly wouldn't give up Olesz for him or Bryzgalov. If it was for Vokun, I would think about it. Hopefully we can do something about the goaltending. It wouldn't be the end of the world to go with Belfour next season, but his age and past back problems scare me. Auld and Anderson are more of the backup type so I don't think either are the answer.

This isn't a trade/signing, but is offseason,

 

Washington Post had a preview of the Caps new uniforms (officially unveiled tonight at draft party). Going back to the old school red white and blue uniforms. I like em personally.

This isn't a trade/signing, but is offseason,

 

Washington Post had a preview of the Caps new uniforms (officially unveiled tonight at draft party). Going back to the old school red white and blue uniforms. I like em personally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to George Richards and his blog on the herald!

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=8156

 

Love him, hate him looks like the Cats are getting Vokoun according to Eklund he rates it as an E5 or a confirmed deal

 

 

I love it over Toskala

This isn't a trade/signing, but is offseason,

 

Washington Post had a preview of the Caps new uniforms (officially unveiled tonight at draft party). Going back to the old school red white and blue uniforms. I like em personally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to George Richards and his blog on the herald!

 

Those are sweet. Hockey uniforms keep on getting better and better.

Flyers sign Briere to multi-year deal

Tim Panaccio

Inquirer Staff Writer

The last, major piece of the Flyers puzzle for next season was put into place during the opening hours of free agency today when the club signed Danny Briere to a multi-year deal believed to average $7 million a year.

 

Finally, the Flyers have a No. 1 center again, having traded away Peter Forsberg over the winter near the trade deadline.

 

At 5-foot-9, 180-pounds, Briere is the smallest No. 1 center the Flyers have ever acquired in free agency.

 

The lithe 29-year-old forward is one of the most gifted offensive players in the NHL. His talents were obscured pre-lockout because of the old rules which allowed clutching ?n grabbing.

 

Since the ?new? rules on obstruction were introduced to the league following the 2005 lockout, Briere, who was born in Hull, Canada, has averaged 28 goals _ and that includes missing nearly one-half of the 2005-06 season because of an abdominal injury.

 

The Flyers are a team that generates offense off defensive transition. The Sabres, however, played an up-tempo, always on the attack style and relied on their goaltending to make a difference on the back end.

 

Whether Briere can make the adjustment to the Flyers? more restrictive style and still be an offensive catalyst, will determine if the Flyers chose the right _ or the wrong _ center in free agency.

 

Given the Flyers style of play, especially in the physical Atlantic Division, both Scotty Gomez and Chris Drury would have been much better ?fits? on the Flyers. Gomez seems headed to the Rangers while Drury is expected to land somewhere on the West Coast.

 

The Flyers contacted all three free agents and presented offers in the first hour of free agency. Given the demand for the three, it was a literally a crap shot as to which player would accept what offer first.

 

Briere, who was co-captain of the Sabres (Drury was their captain), earned $5 million last season via arbitration.

 

The Flyers went into free agency $9.6 million under the $50.3 million salary cap established for next season. They are still looking to unload at least $2.5 million in salary via the trade route.

 

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Crap that's some contract.

Thats a great move. So that probably means Drury is going to want 6 million.

 

A Drury-Horton-Jokinen line would be sick.

Thats a great move. So that probably means Drury is going to want 6 million.

 

A Drury-Horton-Jokinen line would be sick.

 

I don't care how good a player is you NEVER give them a No Movement Clause. You only give that to Sidney Crosby or Ovechkin or Gretzky or Lemeuix. Not to Briere.

I guess when you suck as much as the Flyers, you have to spend that kind of money to give the fans some sort of hope.

It's an 8 year deal! Yikes. I thought it was around a 5 year deal.

It's an 8 year deal! Yikes. I thought it was around a 5 year deal.

Which makes it even sillier that there is a no movement clause in there.

 

 

Holmgren is going to turn into the laughingstock of the NHL for what he's doing. He's paying ridiculous prices for guys who are not worth that kind of money.

 

 

In fact, no offense to you FFiPA but I just want to see Holmgren fail. There is just no rhyme or reason to his desperation.

-Scott Gomez signs 7 year deal with NYR

The Rangers signed Drury too!?!!?!

 

 

HOLY CRAP.

Ducks signed Mathieu Schneider.....strengthening that defense even more.

Victor Kozlov is a Cap.

 

 

Thank god.

Scotty Niedermayer is going to announce his retirement.

Young and talented but perceived as underachieving on the ice, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen was traded to the Edmonton Oilers today for defenseman Jason Smith and winger Joffrey Lupul, NHL sources said.

 

The Flyers' Geoff Sanderson also will go to Edmonton in the trade.

 

The deal is expected to be announced later this evening. Rumors are that the Oilers are trying clear salary-cap space to sign center Scott Gomez.

Scotty Niedermayer is going to announce his retirement.

I figured that had to be the case, after seeing the Ducks sign Schnedier while GM Brian Burke said the Ducks would be "shopping at K-Mart" with their lack of $$ this offseason. TSN is now reporting the Needs retirement story.

Young and talented but perceived as underachieving on the ice, Flyers defenseman Joni Pitkanen was traded to the Edmonton Oilers today for defenseman Jason Smith and winger Joffrey Lupul, NHL sources said.

 

The Flyers' Geoff Sanderson also will go to Edmonton in the trade.

 

The deal is expected to be announced later this evening. Rumors are that the Oilers are trying clear salary-cap space to sign center Scott Gomez.

Aren't they little late to save space to sign Scott Gomez? :blink:

Philly got screwed in that deal

 

top flight Defenseman >>> forward

 

oh wells weird offseason for them