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.
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