The D-Man Factor - Part Deux

As promised we'll take a quick look at a few more buyers and sellers on the blueliner market.


Philadelphia: The Flyers, as of this writing, are currently pushing the cap so will be looking at a number of options including tradiing Denis Gauthier or Derian Hatcher (although rumours abound that they'll just put him on waivers with the intent of sending him to the minors - thus freeing up a significant amount of cap space). Gauthier, on the other hand, could be an interesting pick up for a team looking for a little sandpaper. There are a number of teams who could be interested, but the Flyers have themselves in a bit of a pickle...they would need to get a d-man in return...and they'd probably need one who could play some decent minutes - but he'd need to be cheap. Possible trading partners would include:

• Anaheim - if Niedermayer retires they will have plenty of cap room and will need a minute eater with some grit. Going the other way would be a guy like Huskins or Hnidy.
• Detroit - the loss of Danny Markov would mean Gauthier would be a great fit. The Flyers would probably want a guy like Lebda, but it's doubtful the Wings would give him up.
• Nashville - with the loss of scoring, they're going to need to rough up the opposition a bit more. Trading a guy like Greg Zanon and a pick for Gauthier could make some sense.

Regardless of where Gauthier goes his fantasy value is really limited to PIMs plus possibly +/- if he goes to the right team.


Toronto: With the recent signing of Derrek Walser, the Leafs have 10 NHL-calibre d-men under contract. Rumours of a Pavel Kubina trade abound, but the question remains as to who could absorb the contract. A quick review of the numbers reveals that there are very few contenders who could make a deal without sending significant salary back to the Leafs. The three teams with the best balance of cap space and ability to contend would be San Jose, Nashville and maybe the Devils. In all three cases Kubina would likely be given more PP time than he would have received in Toronto, but he would be counted on for his all-round play. If he were to move you could expect a point bump up to near his career norms in the mid-30s.


New York Rangers: Talk of a Paul Mara trade has been circulating for a few weeks. There are two problems with this deal. First is the fact that Mara will be making $3 million this season which limits possible takers AND he's entering his final season, which limits those looking for long-term value. Although he could move to a team looking to off-load long term contracts and still maintain the minimum cap levels. If that happens and he ends up on a team like Phoenix, Chicago or Columbus, he could struggle and the numbers could be disastrous from a fantasy perspective.

The New NHL

Ottawa - already the changing face of the Ottawa Senators has begun, as new club GM Murray has dealt Peter Schaefer and his 3 year, almost $7M deal to the Bruins for Sean Donovan, at 1 year, just under $1M. This is pretty much a salary dump, that changes the chemistry a bit for the Senators, but gives Schaefer a legitimate shot to be a top 6 forward on the Bruins, hungry for scoring. Schaefer has soft hands and good wheels, and is an under-rated penalty killer. Donovan can skate, and is a gritty guy in the corners, but the message Murray sends here is that he is clearing cap space to sign some cheaper Tier II UFAs or getting ready to try and lock up Dany Heatley prior to him becoming a UFA next season. Fantasy Impact with the Trade:

Schaefer – Positive
Savard or Bergeron – Positive
Senators Depth - Negative
Bruins Powerplay – Positive
Bruins Penalty Kill - Positive

The D-man Factor

With Sheldon Souray off the block, the last of the big-time blueliner UFAs is officially off the market. So what now for teams looking to bolster their rearguard ranks?

Rumour has it that a few teams (very few) are willing to move d-men in exchange for either younger/cheaper talent, similarly priced talent in different positions or less talented players going into their free agent years (meaning cap flexibility next season).

We'll take a quick look at the buyers and sellers and the fantasy implications:

Vancouver: With Bieksa locked up, the signing of Aaron Miller and the chance of either Alex Edler or Luc Bourdon filling a full-time roster spot, Mattias Ohlund is rumoured to be on the move in exchange for a top end forward. Most people are talking Patrik Elias, but assuming the Canucks are taking offers from everywhere, there are a number of other options. Many are talking about Patrick Marleau going to the east, but a swap of Ohlund for Marleau would certainly help the Sharks ease the sting of losing Scott Hannan. The only thing for Vancouver would be to secure Marleau with a long term deal. There has also been talk of Milan Hejduk being on the move...and while an inter-division trade is not the norm, the opportunity for both teams to address needs may result in the setting aside of traditional rivalries. Either way, the Canucks can offer probably the most enticing d-man out there - great at both ends of the ice, affordable and signed through the 2008-2009 season. Any one of Elias, Marleau, or Hejduk would do wonders for the Canucks sometime aenemic offence, but don't expect any of them to produce much beyond their career norms if a trade does go down.

Phoenix: There has been talk of Ed Jovanovski being on the the block in the desert. And while this would make sense, his contract could make a deal less likely than one involving Ohlund. At $6.5 million per year most contenders would need to do some juggling and given that the Coyotes would not want to be saddled with long term contracts, this could prove to be a difficult proposition for teams like the Rangers, who allegedly head the list of interested parties. Now if the Panthers were to step up (they seemed to be interested a couple of weeks back) and offer a package that included Alex Auld, Stephen Weiss and/or Anthony Stewart, they could get something done. And it would be a deal that would make sense for all parties. Wherever Jovo goes look for the numbers to pop...

Anaheim: Let's imagine for a moment that Scott Niedermayer calls up Brian Burke tomorrow and says "I'm coming back next season." Of course Burke's first reaction will be joy at the prospect of having his leader return. But then he will have to face the daunting reality of 3 massive contracts at the back end with an unfilled forward spot that was once occupied by Teemu Selanne. At that point he'll likely need to look at moving Francois Beauchemin. And, like Ohlund teams will be lining up to take a shot. The team that loses the Ohlund sweepstakes will likely step up with an offer. As well, it's possible that Florida could look at a swap...wouldn't Auld and Stewart make sense (especially if Burke is looking to trade Bryzgalov)? Beauchemin as a PP quarterback on another team could have a career year, while any newly acquired forward would probably be paired up with Andy McDonald.

Next time we'll take a look at some eastern teams who could be looking to move d-men including Philly (Denis Gauthier), Toronto (Pavel Kubina), and the Rangers (Paul Mara).

Souray Comes Home

Edmonton - GM Kevin Lowe, made a huge splash today when he announced that the team has reached an agreement with UFA Sheldon Souray. Souray is an Elk Point, AB native. Terms were not immediately available, but as a poolie, you care not about such things, and much more about what that means for the Oilers PP and Souray's fantasy pool impact. Last year, Souray was a PP phenom, with 19 of his 26 goals coming on the PP. He finished with 66 points. This coming year, Souray will be more offensively challenged. The Oilers forwards are not as talented as the Habs, and that's not a very good thing from the perspective of a high-scoring defenceman. Souray and Pitkanen will arm the Oilers PP, and there are no two better PP QBs in the league, but without the help up front, Souray won't hit 60+ points again. Remember that when drafting him this season, and pencil him in for 50+. Questions abound about Souray's chemistry in the dressing room, but that's not your concern until it effects his play...further, with the Oilers, there are reports that the Oilers are interested in trading for 2008 UFA Patrick Marleau of the San Jose Sharks. Coming back to the Sharks would be Cogliano, Matt Greene and a 1st rounder in 2008. Marleau is exactly the player that the Oilers could use, and he'd log as many minutes as he could take. The likelihood of this deal transpiring seems remote, but for Oilers fans - they can dream.

Canucks Build From the Rear

With the signing of Aaron Miller and the re-signing of Kevin Bieksa, 'Nucks GM Dave Nonis served notice that the era of defensive hockey in Vancouver is firmly entrenched. The Canucks are now in the enviable position of boasting a solid 6 man starting d-corps, with the prospect of rookie Luc Bourdon and possibly UFA Brent Sopel platooning in the seventh spot (assuming Bourdon doesn't end up in Manitoba for the season). Notwithstanding the rumours that either Ohlund or Salo are on the trading block, what Nonis has done - relatively cheaply - is to ensure that his team has the best opportunity possible of wininng close games. And while the offensively challenged Canucks may not light the lamp at the other end too often, they can rest assured that they shouldn't have any trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. The fantasy impact is clear -Loungo is even more valuable now than ever. If this group stays together, look for his GAA to drop even lower, and his number of shutouts to increase. The only stat that might hurt is his Sv% as he may see less rubber! Team plus/minus should also benefit, though obviously, scoring a few more goals will help on this front too.

York signs on in the Desert

Phoenix - Mike York's signing with Phoenix is a low-risk, high reward deal for both sides. York still has 50+ point skills in him, he just needs lots of icetime to make it happen and he'll get plenty in Phoenix. He's worth a late round flyer in drafts but nothing more....in Vancouver, the Canucks re-upped with Kevin Bieksa, and rewarded his under-rated play last year with a 3 year contract extension. Now I am a big Bieksa fan, but I think this might be a bit early for him. Granted he's a bit older, having gotten to the NHL via US college, but Bieksa's had just one full-season in the NHL. Yes, other UFAs are signing for big coin, but Bieksa needs to maintain his consistency in order for the Canucks to justify the signing. Someone will take him about 3 rounds higher than he should go - just ensure that it's not you. Also, the Canucks singed Aaron Miller. This is fantasy news in that it likely means that Vancouver will move either Sami Salo or Matthias Ohlund, or both. Rumor has the Canucks still shopping for a top 6 scoring forward and dangling both those guys is sure to get some attention. Watch for Brent Sopel to also sign with the Canucks, particularly if one or both Salo or Ohlund gets dealt....in Pittsburgh, Sydney Crosby re-upped with the Penguins and signed a contract extension. He's the best player in the league, likely to get even better, and that's awesome news for Crosby owners and scary news for those of us who don't have the guy.

There have been more signings over the past week or so, so let's get to it shall we? Lots of activity in New York where the Islanders stopped the bleeding somewhat and landed Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie. Across the Sound, the Rangers brought back Brendan Shanahan. In New Jersey, the Devils reached for Dainius Zubris to fill the void left by the departed Scott Gomez. Vitaly Vishnevski and Karel Rachunek also recently signed and will try to fill the hole left by Brian Rafalski. And finally in the Swamp, Kevin Weeks signed to play maybe 6 games for the Devils behind Martin Brodeur.

Signing Guerin was a stop-gap move for the Islanders to be sure, and then naming him the captain of the team...? Might be some depth issues on the island! The Islanders over-achieved last season, as did Guerin, and his stint with the Islanders will not make them a playoff team... and his stats will suffer. It's hard to remember that Mike Comrie is only 28, but he is. It seems that he has been under-achieving so much longer than that. He played better when with the Senators, and even moved to the wing for more playing time. Expect him back down the middle with the departure of Yashin, where he should be valuable on the PP. 60 points is not out of the questions, but his +/- will not be very good. With the Rangers, Brendan Shanahan likely can't wait to lace 'em up with either Gomez or Drury. Gomez is the much better play-maker and if the Rangers are smart they'll make sure that sure-handed sniper Shanahan lands on the wing with him. Always a quick starter, Shanny might have 20 goals before Christmas and then fade a little as the season wears on. Right now, we'd buy low if you can. With the Devils, prepare yourself for some pretty brutal and boring hockey. Losing Rafalski and Gomez and replacing them with Zubruis and Vishnevski is going to mean many "defense first" games for the Devils who will hope that Elias and Gionta can score when they are on the PP. Brodeur will see lots of rubber again this season, but the Devils will ensure those shots are from well out, save for the PP. It will be effective, but it won't be pretty...at all. If Zubruis scores 50 points, I'll be amazed. I'd try and move Elias as well. Last year when Gomez was gone, the Devils' offense disappeared too. Expect more of the same...but all season. Rachunek is a serviceable offensive defenceman, with 25+ point potential. Vishnevski is even less. Just be warned. Now the Devils are rumored to be interested in Alexi Yashin, but it would have to be at the right price and loaded with incentives. Yashin might at least soften the sting of Gomez leaving but it hard to envision him signing there without the Devils naming a coach first....Weekes owners should unload him for whatever they can get - team bus, bag of pucks...heck even a 10th round DP. Unless Marty goes down with a serious injury, Kevin won't see more than a week of playing time this year.

The Flogging of Kevin Lowe

Let me preface what I'm about to say by being completely upfront...I'm a Sabres fan and have been for a long time. And being a Sabres fan comes with a bit of a persecution complex - probably the proximity to Toronto. For many of us it seemed to hit a high point in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals...and YES, Brett Hull's foot was in the crease! But it seems that the Hull incident has taken a backseat to what Sabres ownership and management see as an all out financial assault against their their team.

In the mind of GM Darcy Regier and Owner Larry Quinn, Buffalo has been unduly picked on in the free agent market. To make matters worse, a fellow small-market team (the Edmonton Oilers) actually had the gall to attempt to sign one of their restricted free agents (Tomas Vanek) to an offer sheet. Now the fact that the Oilers did this, or the exorbitant size of the contract or even the fact that this comes on the heals of the team losing Daniel Briere, Chris Drury and Zubrus of unrestricted free agency, has nothing to do with my problem with the situation.

What truly bothers me was the reaction of the Sabres and how it reflects on the NHL "fraternity". Darcy Regier admitted that Kevin Lowe phoned him to say he was submitting an offer sheet. And Regier's response? "It was always going to be a match situation, and they were well aware of it (Thursday night) that we were going to match...I explained exactly what was going to happen. Why he shouldn't do it. Why it was pointless to do it." Quinn even went as far as to contact the President of the Oilers! He said that "he had gotten wind of this and we're going to match."

Does anyone else out there see what's happening? Sabres management is attempting to collude with another team to keep Tomas Vanek from receiving an offer sheet. No-one knows what the Sabres had been offering up to this point. Why should Kevin Lowe or any other GM stop trying to better their team simply because another GM says "don't bother".

If I were the NHLPA or the agents I'd be taking a video tape of this to my lawyers to see whether there is an Anti-Trust case here. In fact, if Gary Bettman does not come down harshly on the Sabres for their comments he will appear complicit and could find himself dragged in front of a Congressional Hearing in the US (if members of Congress even know what hockey is).

So what're the fantasy implications of this? Not a lot really, but it's a perspective that I think that most people have glossed over in their analysis of this situation. Most Sabres fans have focused on the "everyone's picking on us" scenario. While everyone else is wondering about how many other RFAs will be getting offers. But from my perspective, the thought of the "C word" being brought up should be a scary proposition...just ask Major League Baseball. ESPN published a very interesting 35 year history of baseball's contentious labour history (http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/bp/1427632.html). Have a look and see if you see the striking similarities. One piece that really jumped out at me was this:

Negotiations for a new deal in 1990 took place against a
backdrop of three years of owner collusion. Unable to limit free agency at the
bargaining table, from 1985 through 1987 the owners simply agreed among
themselves not to sign one another's free agents, in violation of a no-collusion
clause in the CBA. After losing three separate arbitrations on the issue, the
owners ultimately agreed to pay the players $280 million for wages lost as a
result of collusion.

Could the same thing happen in hockey? If people like Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn keep up their crazy talk, I'd almost guarantee it.

Keeper League Madness

So it's the dog days of summer. How can you possibly be thinking about your hockey pool? Well, if you're in a keeper league this could be the best time of year to set yourself up for a successful run.

Many poolies were probably already burning up the phone and email lines in advance of the July 1 UFA signing period starting, as they were trying to secure some players that were going to be on the move. In some cases (like if you traded for Scott Gomez) you could be doing quite well. And if you secured the services of Michael Nylander (soon to be Alex Ovechkin's set-up man) you're probably very pleased with yourself.

All that being said, if you haven't made any moves yet, all is not lost. There are two things that you can do. First, if one of your players recently signed you can take advantage of the hype and try and move him for someone who could be a little more productive who is flying under the radar. For example, Todd Bertuzzi signing with Anaheim could increase interest in the mercurial power forward...take advantage of that and see if you can get a guy like Patrik Elias (selling your potential suitor on the fact that Elias lost his center in Scott Gomez). You will almost certainly have to sweeten the pot, but the point is that Bertuzzi has more value now than he did a month ago.

The second thing you can do is speculate on the second tier free agents. Some of these folks could really make an impact depending on the circumstance and they could be had at bargain basement prices. Here are the top 5 UFAs who could be had cheap:

• Alexei Yashin - depending on where he goes, he could be a steal. His buyout from the Islanders could leave a sour taste in some mouths. Take advantage of this.
• Brendan Shanahan - the signing of Drury with the Rangers could muddy the waters when it comes to where he'll play next season. Use this as your negotiating tactic.
• Sheldon Souray - the fact that teams have bypassed Souray and picked up Timonen, Rafalski, Schneider and Poti could worry some owners. No matter where he signs he'll be on the top PP unit, remember that and go get him.
• Teemu Selanne - call us crazy, but you could do worse than speculating on Teemu. You could probably get him for a song and what happens if he does come back?
• Peter Forsberg - this is a stickier situation, because there's some chance that he may never come back. But there is even a worse case scenario...he comes back in December or January. Still if you can pick him up cheap, he could be a deep sleeper.

Flames Heating Up

Despite the fact that they went out and hired Mike Keenan the Flames have been making some noise and the developments are promising. Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regher recently extended their contracts with the team and that is great news. Add them to recent additions of Corey Sarich, Adrian Aucoin and Owen Nolan and things are definitely looking up. Expect Aucoin to log some serious minutes this season as he's dedicated himself this off-season to a serious fitness program. Nolan provides a nice steadying veteran presence and Sarich is definitely under-rated. A little more pop up front would be welcome for poolies, but the Flames look to be poised to make some noise...in Montreal, the Habs seemed to have bid adieu to Sheldon Souray. His booming shot from the point on the PP will be missed, but his -20 plus/minus will not. GM Gainey extended a pricey offer to Roman Hamrlik to replace Souray and Hamrlik will fit in nicely; he'll have less points but his +/- will be better than Souray's. Also, Bryan Smolinski has signed on with the Habs and he might be worth a late round fantasy pick. He's better than the departed Radek Bonk and his skill in the face-off circle will be welcomed...in Edmonton, they're still licking their wounds from the Nylander debacle, GM Kevin Lowe has set his sights on Eric Lindros as his next free-agent signing. He hasn't played more than 47 games in one season in any of the past 4 years, but when healthy Lindros still has the skills that allow him to contribute. The tipping point for Lindros to the Oil is the Edmonton's desire to use the Big E down the middle...Atlanta re-upped Slava Kozlov to a 3 year deal and this is good news for Kozlov owners. The Thrashers play an up-tempo style of play and Kozlov thrives in the type of system that doesn't focus on defensive hockey. Look for another strong season from Kozlov again this coming year...

More UFA signings

Anaheim appears to be ready to take a flyer with the signing of Todd Bertuzzi. There is going to be someone that is going to hope that Bertuzzi can resume his 30+ goal clip, but my advice is to leave him for surer things in your draft. He's clearly not the same player he once was, and it shows. Glimpses of greatness is all you will see with big Bert, but frustration will quickly follow...in LA, the Kings continue to make moves and add Brad Stuart for the next year. Stuart has peaked and/or plateaued in terms of development, and will never become the bonafide #1 defenceman that pundits thought he might when he was drafted. He's not terrible, but someone is going to overpay for his services, even though he'll probably play at least 2nd unit PP. He'll be solid, just not amazing for the Kings...the Leafs signed recent acquisition Vesa Toskala to a two year deal worth $4M per season, and are now seeking to move Andrew Raycroft. The problem is to who? Toskala is marginally better than Raycroft in my eyes, but now GM Ferguson is going to get about 50 cents on the dollar by moving Raycroft in a goalie-glut market. Raycroft owners can't be happy. Jason Blake's signing is better news for the Leafs as the speedster is under-rated in the NHL, and takes tons of shots. He'll be a top-6 forward for the Leafs, but under the pressure of performing in Hogtown, likely won't score 40+. More on the Habs signings to come...

The Art of Finding Depth

The Vancouver Canucks showed the flip side of the UFA frenzy over the past few days. The Canucks are locking up depth players at phenomenally good prices (Isbister at $525k, Ritchie at $600k, Sanford at $600k, Jeff Cowan $700k). As it stands now they have 18 guys under contract and have only committed about $44 million. What this means is that even if GM Dave Nonis keeps his promise to maintain a $2 million reserve, they will have about $4 million for the final three spots. If you pencil in one of Ryan Shannon or Trevor Linden and a depth d-man at about $600k a piece, that leaves $2.8 million for a very decent top six forward, allowing them to sign a player in the financial neighbourhood of the contract Dainius Zubrus signed with New Jersey...which would not at all be a bad thing at all. There are rumblings about Alexei Yashin, but our bet would be they'll want a very skilled playmaker who can feed Naslund the puck. Don't be surprised if they make a run at Jason Allison. If that's the case then you could probably pencil in a 15-20 point increase for Nazzy next year.

More UFA singings and a trade

The LA Kings have done a nice job of upgrading their team with the addition of some tier II UFAs: Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus, Tom Preissing and Kyle Calder. Nagy has seen his stock slide alot, and much depends on how healthy he is. If he is close to 100%, he might be the signing of the off-season. He can contribute at both ends of the ice and likely will be an 80 point guy, again if he is healthy. Handzus brings more veteran two-way playing ability. After rehabbing a nasty leg injury last year, Handzus comes in to a team that is perfectly situated for him to assist. Not a #1 center, but the Kings will definitely want him to be the #2 guy and with that put up some solid number. Calder adds some much needed grit and abrasiveness to the roster. He's also got 30 goal potential, he just comes by his points very honestly - not naturally. Preissing gives the Kings an under-rated puck moving defenceman to compliment the Kings other top 3. He should play a bigger role than what he did in Ottawa...in Edmonton, the remaking of this team continues but at what cost. Last year Joffrey Lupul was a big disappointment. And with no Pronger on the back-end, expectations for the Edmonton native were high - and he missed. A change of scenery along with uber-grit rear-guard Jason Smith is just what the doctor ordered for the Flyers. They are giving up Joni Pitkanen, who by all measures regressed last year, and spare part Geoff Sanderson. The Flyers did very well in this deal. Smith is more mobile than most analysts think and he'll draw lots of shut-down minutes versus Crosby, Ovechkin and Jagr. Lupul's lack of confidence should be addressed as the Flyers place him on the 2nd line and tell him to "let 'er go". Pitkanen is a very good offensive defenceman, but the Oilers now have no one that can score; which won't help Pitkanen in the long run. Expect more changes in Edmonton.

Big Bucks vs. The Right Fit

It's very possible that in the flurry of $$$ flying around that many teams forgot about chemistry and instead focused on the big fish of the day. Look at the following comparison between two teams:

New York Rangers - They had Michael Nylander and Brendan Shanahan. They signed Chris Drury and Scott Gomez. In many respects Gomez and Nylander are a wash, but the contract to Gomez averages out at about $2 million per year more than Nylander. When you also take into account the incredible chemstry between Jagr and Nylander, it's a bit of a head-scratcher. The Drury situation is equally as puzzling. Yes, he has proven himself to be a great leader, but he has never had more than 70 points in a season. It all comes down to how much you pay for leadership and at this stage I'd probably have leaned towards re-upping Shanny at $2 or $3 million and letting someone else plunk down over $7 million per season for the former Sabres co-captain. Sorry Ranger fans but this signing harkens back to another "big signing" by your squad in the 90s. Anyone remember Bobby Holik? One thing to remember...it is possible that the Rangers could still re-sign Shanahan. And if they do, it will just re-emphasize the fact that they overpaid for Drury. From a fantasy perspective, Gomez should do well, but don't expect anything more than Nylander-like numbers. As for Drury...who knows? It seems unlikely that a move to the Big Apple with more pressure will all of a sudden push him over the 70 point mark.

Washington Capitals - On the flipside there are teams that needed free agency to fill gaping holes. This is exactly what the Caps did over the weekend. After witnessing what Michael Nylander did on the first line in New York, how could they not sign him at a veritable bargain basement price of less than $5 million per year in order to give Alex Ovechkin the bona fide center that he needs. Fantasy-wise, I don't see his numbers dipping. And if they truly connect, he could push 90 points. As for Ovechkin, the sky is the limit. Assuming he stays healthy he could challenge for the Art Ross trophy. The money they didn't spend going after Drury, Briere or Gomez meant they could also sign Viktor Kozlov to increase their overall depth at forward. A brilliant move. This could also do wonders for Alex Semin who will have a quality forward to play with giving the Caps a decent 2nd line. Toss in the signing of Tom Poti and the Caps addressed three major needs for less than $12 million per season. A great deal.

Two teams, two different philosophies.

UFA Flurry

Wow...one day and there are a ton of signings, so let's get to them. Briere to Philly - from a Fantasy perspective this is awesome. Briere is a PP machine and 5 on 5 he's pretty deadly as well. With the young guys the Flyers have amassed there, this team stands to be a marked improvement over last years'.... Scott Gomez and Chris Drury to the Rangers are two very good signings for the Rangers as well. Both Gomez and Drury are very responsible defensively, which should be a marked improvement for the Rangers down the middle. Gomez is even a better play-maker than Nylander, so expect Jagr to really enjoy the soft passes. Drury's signing likely means that Brendan Shanahan will will have to take less to stay - but I think he does to get a chance to play with either of those two guys at center. Still no defence help, which is a concern....With Drury and Gomez in New York, reports had Michael Nylander originally signing with the Oilers. But that appears to be premature as he has now confirmed signing with the Washington Capitals. Poolies can only dream about the results from a Ovechkin-Nylander combo. If they can come close to the Jagr-Nylander combo that would be most impressive. An opportunity to play with Ales Hemsky is tantalizing, but the Oilers still need a sniper to play with those two guys and right now, there's not one on the team....Ryan Smyth to the Avalanche is a solid signing for the Avs. Captain Canada will get the chance to play with either Joe Sakic of super-sophomore Paul Stastny, which will mean a solid return to 30+ goals for Smyth....Mathieu Schneider's signing in Anaheim is further evidence that the Ducks expect that Scott Niedermayer will announce his retirement before the beginning of next season. As is, the Ducks may have one of the best top 4 defence corp ever assembled with Pronger, Schneider, Beauchemein and potentially Niedermayer. Schneider won't replace Niedermayer if he does retire, but he's a nice substitute nonetheless....with Schneider in Anaheim, the Red Wings wasted little time in landing Deerborn, MI native Brian Rafalski for a long-term deal. Rafalski gives the Red Wings an excellent tandem of Lidstrom and Rafalski to man the PP points. Poolies should see a rise in his point totals from playing with the offensively challnged Devils....the Blues signed Keith Tkachuk, just prior to UFA opening, and then landed Paul Kariya. Kariya's becoming less of an offensive impact, but perhaps this move to the Blues and the chance to play potentially with Doug Weight may rekindle more offense. Kariya was deadly on the PP last year, and the Blues will welcome that. Just don't over-pay for his services though....