The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It certainly hasn't been the most thrilling free agent season in NHL history, but this summer has managed to bring its share of surprises. The Reminder has broken down some of the major signings: Signing: New Jersey inks winger Ilya Kovalchuk to a 17-year deal that is quickly rejected by the NHL on the grounds that it circumvents the league salary cap. Stats: Kovalchuk had 41 goals and 85 points in 76 games last season. In his career he has 338 goals and 642 points in 621 games. New Jersey's thinking: True offensive stars are in short supply in today's NHL. So for $102 million (!), the Devils attempted to bring back Kovalchuk, whose value is particularly high to a team whose historical shortcoming has been putting pucks in nets. Kovalchuk's thinking: It is (or was, rather) a guaranteed $102 million! Plus, New Jersey is a respected organization that normally has a reasonable chance of bringing home Lord Stanley. The skinny: Even before the league put the kibosh to this deal, it was drawing scads of criticism. Yet it may not have been as ridiculous as it seemed considering Kovalchuk's youth and the scarcity of high-end goal-scorers. Since 2001, Kovy has potted more goals than anyone in the NHL. This monumental deal was going to last until the Russian winger turned 44, but the final five years were each worth a paltry-by-pro-standards $550,000. The big question: Can Kovalchuk and the Devils now reach a deal the league can live with? * * * Signing: Ottawa inks defenceman Sergei Gonchar to a three-year deal. Stats: Gonchar had 11 goals and 50 points in 62 games last season. In his career he has 202 goals and 684 points in 991 games. Ottawa's thinking: At 36, Gonchar remains one of the top puck-passing blueliners in the NHL and has boatloads of playoff experience. He also helps fill the void left by Anton Volchenkov's departure. Gonchar's thinking: He will get plenty of ice time and can play a key role in potentially returning the Sens to Cup-contender status. It's also unlikely that many teams were offering the kind of money Ottawa was ($16 million over three years.) The skinny: Gonchar is part of the puzzle for the Senators, but their true weaknesses remain in net and in the fact that their great players are too often only good Ð or worse. The big question: When will Gonchar's age catch up to him? * * * Signing: San Jose inks goaltender Antero Niittymaki to two-year deal. Stats: Niittymaki went 21-18-5 in 49 games last season with a 2.87 GAA and a .909 save percentage. In his career he has gone 83-79-28 in 210 games with a 2.98 GAA and a .903 save percentage. San Jose's thinking: The Sharks needed a goalie after GM Doug Wilson chose not to bring back Evgeni Nabokov due to salary cap considerations. Niittymaki is not perfect, but he may be better than his stats suggest. Niittymaki's thinking: It's a chance to be a starter with a team that will sooner or later win the Stanley Cup. The skinny: Niittymaki's save percentage leaves something to be desired, and after five years as an NHL regular he has failed to place himself among the upper echelon of netminders. San Jose will have to push him to get the most out of their investment. The big question: Are the Sharks putting too much pressure on a goalie with only two playoff games to his name? * * * Signing: Calgary inks centre Olli Jokinen to a two-year deal. Stats: Jokinen had 15 goals and 50 points in 82 games last season. In his career he has 252 goals and 568 points in 881 games. Calgary's thinking: Jokinen is a reliable 50-70 point guy with size, penalty-killing capabilities and international experience. Even if he is an underachiever, he would be welcome on any bench. Jokinen's thinking: The man clearly loves the Flames organization. He will also be given more opportunities in Calgary than he would on a team with more depth up front. The skinny: The Flames had Jokinen for most of last season and still missed the post-season, so the roster still needs work. Lots of it. The big question: Is it too late for Jokinen, now 31, to re-establish himself as the true No. 1 centre he was always supposed to be? * * * Signing: Calgary inks winger Alex Tanguay to a one-year deal. Stats: Tanguay had 10 goals and 37 points in 80 games last season. In his career he has 203 goals and 617 points in 739 games. Calgary's thinking: The 30-year-old's numbers have declined in recent years, but he fit in nicely during the two seasons he previously spent in a Flames uniform. He's still capable of scoring 20 goals and knows how to move the puck. Tanguay's thinking: Like Jokinen, he loves Calgary, where he enjoyed a career-high 81 points in 2006-07. It's only a one-year deal, so if he doesn't like what he sees, he can always move on next summer. The skinny: Calgary still requires more first-line guys, not second- or third-liners like Tanguay. If such additions are not in the works, it could be another lacklustre campaign in Cowtown. The big question: Was Tanguay's 37-point effort last season an anomaly or his new norm? * * * As of Wednesday, several notable players remained available on the free agent market. Among them were Alexander Frolov, Maxim Afinogenov, Paul Kariya, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marty Turco, Bill Guerin, Willie Mitchell, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Teemu Selanne, Lee Stempniak and Jose Theodore.
