NHL Free Agency 2008 Preview

Calgary Flames-The Good

In one fell swoop the Flames let go of some deadweight in defensemen Rhett Warrener and Anders Eriksson and forward Marcus Nilson and also resigned critical secondary pieces to the puzzle in Craig Conroy and Daymond Langkow. Even though Warrener and Nilson were remnants of the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004 and were quality role players, age and wear and tear had taken its toll on Warrener and Nilson just wasn't producing, even at a pace acceptable for a checker. With the re-emergence of Owen Nolan as a solid contributor at the ripe old age of 36, and with Michael Cammalleri being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, the best thing Darryl Sutter could have done was add through subtraction. He sent Alex Tanguay to Montreal in an effort to save cash, likely preparing to make a bid to resign Kristian Huselius, and in spite of it all no one is blaming Sutter because he's doing the best he can.

Tampa Bay Lightning-The Bad

The Lightning, sparked by the influx of a new ownership group into the mix, have made the biggest splash already. They were able to pry Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts away from the Pittsburgh Penguins, reacquire Vaclav Prospal from the Philadelphia Flyers, and get Brian Rolston's negotiating rights all before the free agency period starts. Should Rolston be signed by the team, no one would be able to dispute its depth up front. Hell, even without Rolston, the team is a force to be reckoned with. In the past four months they've acquired solid secondary scoring in the form of those aforementioned, Jussi Jokinen, and Jeff Halpern. The only problem is defense was their number-one problem... okay, number-two behind coaching... umm, let's not forget about goaltending, too. And general management. So, Jay Feaster is willing to buy his team's success the good old fashioned way. While there will be no doubt that the Lightning will put points up on the board, there's no indication that Feaster will have enough salary cap room left to fill the hole that needs filling most... the net. The Lightning are poised to become this off-season's biggest losers, but at least it isn't for lack of trying to get better.

Philadelphia Flyers-The Ugly

One year after gm Paul Holmgren successfully turned a last-place team around into a legitimate contender, he might be turning them straight into a left turn. At the draft, they dispatched quality forward R.J. Umberger and then acquired defenseman Steve Eminger, a player who's been invisible for all of his professional career up to this point. They also signed Jeff Carter to a three-year, $15-million contract pact. Not bad for a 53-point scorer, but bad for a team trying to add to its depth. Aside from several more minor deals, it would seem as though this bandwagon's stuck in neutral. Unless Holmgren can sink his claws into a marquee free agent, say a Sean Avery, who would very much fit into Philly's old style of play and put them in the net as well, look for the Flyers to tread water and be in contention only for a playoff spot come next April.

Toronto Maple Leafs-The Real Ugly

What do you get when your hands are tied reaching into your boss' wallet? Interim gm Cliff Fletcher trying to make the best of a bad situation, but making it worse. He first sold Mats Sundin's negotiating right to the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens, essentially cutting ties with the heart and soul of the organization of the past 13 years. Fletcher then waived Kyle Wellwood and goaltender Andrew Raycroft and bought out the contract of Darcy Tucker. Wellwood was one year removed from a relatively successful 42-point campaign. Tucker, similarly, had a near-career year in 2006-2007 before injuries cut his playing time short. Raycroft also set a franchise record for wins that season before falling oh so far from grace. So, apparently, it makes more sense to cut these players loose than to either give them another chance to make the Leafs into winners or let them sink the ship even faster en route to winning the John Tavares sweepstakes. Brilliant strategy. Thankfully, no one will want to come to Toronto to help the Leafs out this upcoming season, so maybe they have hope after all.

Marian Hossa-The Big Winner

The cream of the crop of this year's free-agency class, no doubt. The bids for his services will be numerous and ever-increasing in value. He's in his prime, and, as he proved this post-season, he's got the skills. There's little doubt he'll command upwards of eight million dollars. The only question is where he'll end up... hey, there've got to be some answers left to the imagination.

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