New UFA List

[GoHabs2002]

According to the most recent Larry Brooks' column online, UFA age will be reduced to 30 this summer and to 29 or 28 through the CBA. Resulting in a UFA availability list that includes the following players:

With unrestricted free agency to be established at 30 for at least this year — and expected to be lowered over the term of the agreement to 29 or 28 — the class available this summer will feature:

Goaltenders: Nikolai Khabibulin, Chris Osgood, Sean Burke, Mike Dunham.

Defensemen: Niedermayer, Stevens, Brian Leetch, Sergei Zubov, Rafalski, Aucoin, Matt Schneider, Alexei Zhitnik, Dan McGillis, Chris Chelios, Mike Rathje, Sandis Ozolinsh.

Centers: Peter Forsberg, Mike Modano, Eric Lindros, Pavol Demitra, Alexei Zhamnov, Jason Allison.

Wingers: Martin St. Louis, Markus Naslund, Zigmund Palffy, Alex Kovalev, Glen Murray, Paul Kariya, Gary Roberts.

And this is the interesting part

In addition, cap considerations make it likely that a number of intriguing players —including Saku Koivu, Derek Morris, Brendan Morrison, Jeff O'Neill, Jason Arnott, Mark Parrish, Tom Poti, Jeff Friesen and Kenny Jonsson — will not be qualified and thus will be on the market.

Well, if we get Crosby, it should be fine

[alexstream]

LMAO!!!

This brooks guy is one crazy horse!! if he had a clue about what he's talking about, it could be interesting to read him...

His UFA list is the same as if the UFA age stays at 31.

and teams not requalifying their best players!!!! what the heck is that? he could speculate about the habs wanting to trade Ribs.. ok, maybe... but Habs not wanting to re-sign K?!! b/c of cap?!!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!

habs are one of the healthiest team under a new system, full of young players (perez, ryder, higgins, kost, chip, markov, komi, name them...), full of cheap players (zed, souray, markov, ryder, ribs, bulis, name them...), and most expensive players' contracts are over and to be renegociated (Theo RFA; Saku RFA or UFA, depending on the age; Briser buyoff at 1M)

Man, the more I read such nonsense, the more I think about applying to a job in a newspaper.

The only ways we see Saku go:

1. we're offered Crosby's pick

2. Saku retire

3. We're offered a better center

Brooks and his gang seem to forget that habs are already under the projected cap and that with the projected cap, they will be ex aquo #1 top spending team (with 10-15 others) I've made all sorts of possible future scenario and habs can only get better under a new system. not weeker as some fool like brooks would like us to think.

I'd even make further projections if you want:

1. Habs will have all of last seasons big name, including Kovalev, if we don't re-sign Kovalev, it's because Gainey has a hidden card in his sleeve (Perez? Higgins? ready to take Kov spot).

2. We'll either sign or trade for a Big Name D-Man.

3. we won't be discussing about whether the habs make the playoffs or whether they finish 8th or 10th... we'll be discussing whether or not they'll win their division or whether they'll have the ice advantage in the playoffs (4th or 5th)

The New CBA aims two purposes:

1. give back some power to Canadian AND middle of the pack teams (all the 40M payrolls, namely, ottawa, mtl, vancouver, calgary, etc.)

2. Make the rich teams richer... Det was making money with a 75M payroll... with a 45M payroll, they'll make 30M more...

Brooks could have made an interesting article about the consequences of lowering the UFA age, he could have discussed the effect on the market, the effect on player movement... anything...

but as usual he spoiled it because he tried to speculate... this time it was about teams not wanting to re-sing their MVP... Koivu, Morris, Arnott, Friesen are all to valuable to simply let go for free. And these teams will be among the "richest" team under a new CBA so there is no way they have difficulty to re-sing their best players...