SB Nation - Radek Bonk

Friday Caps Clips: Hangin' On for Two Points

J.P. — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:25 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

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Your savory breakfast links:

Recaps of the Caps win in Atlanta from Corey (blog, article), Tarik (blog, article), Caps Chick, Peerless, Ed Frankovic's Blog, Cap Centre (here, too) and Hockey Mom.
Reliving Jeff Schultz's first goal of the season. They're all line drives in the box score, baby. [FanHouse, Caps365 (video)]
Ilya Kovalchuk wants what Alex Ovechkin has. (But guess what? He can't have it - he's got Don Waddell as his general manager.) [AJC]
Interesting "guess where Michael Nylander will land" post over at Puck Daddy, but a) we don't "have to agree that there are only two leagues in the world that can afford Nylander's salary -- the NHL and the KHL," since the acquiring club won't pay a nickel of the Swede's salary (and, for the same reason, the list doesn't have to be narrowed down to "one of the rich KHL clubs," and b) is the foreign-born player roster restriction such a potential impediment if we can "[j]ust ask Radek Bonk, who was "released" by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl after coming over to the KHL from the Nashville Predators, how easily [a team can either trade or release one of their foreign born players]"? [Puck Daddy]
Speaking of Nylander, he couldn't be happier at the prospect of actually playing hockey again. [Grand Rapids Press]
The Caps have the League's seventh best ~~trade bait~~ prospect pool. [Hockey's Future]
Next time Bruce Boudreau's thinking of a "bag skate," might I suggest some alternatives. [The Hockey News]
Eric Fehr has a radio show. Who knew? [In The Room]
Fehr and Tyler Sloan don't know why hockey pucks are round. Heh. It's because... um... err... [The Gazette]
The Caps' local TV ratings are up 27% through six games. [@N_E_I]
Catching up with Andrew Gordon, the third of the Bears' top line that was left in Hershey on Thursday. [John Walton Hockey]
And if we're talking Bears, there aren't two better people on the planet to do the talking than John Walton and Tim Leone. [John Walton Hockey]
In case you were wondering why I seldom if ever link to Bleacher Report, here's a partial answer. [Hockey Or Die!]

Hope Springs Eternal on the Nylander Front

J.P. — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:34:48 -0000

via Caps Message Board

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Fitting that, on the day that the new season opens and CapsNation is full of cautious optimism, word would come from across the pond regarding the team's biggest burden, to serve both as a reminder of the roadblock (as if we needed another one) and hope that the unfortunate sitatuation might soon be resolved. Here's Tuvan's translation of the RIA Novosti article bringing the news:

Yaroslavl, 1 October, RIA Novosti. Lokomotiv is expressing interest in Washington Capitals forward Michael Nylander, who has spent 15 seasons in the NHL, according to an RIA Novosti source close to the Yaroslavl club.

Peter, the younger brother of the well-known Swedish center (who turns 37 on October 2), is currently defending the colors for Khabarovsk Amur, and Michael also has some experience gained in Russia. During the 2004/2005 NHL lockout, he played several games for SKA and Ak Bars. By the way, Nylander's contract with Alexander Ovechkin's team is good for another two years, during which he is scheduled to be paid $8.5 million USD.

In addition to this, Lokomotiv has terminated the contract with forward Radek Bonk. An official reason for the termination has not yet been given, but according to our source, the parties came to a mutual agreement without any claims. Bonk was on the Lokomotiv team for 7 games, during which he scored 2 (0+2) points.

Currently, the situation with Konstantin Rudenko who, like Bonk, was discharged from the team last week after an unsuccesful road trip, has not been resolved. According to our source, the Yaroslavl team intends to trade the forward to another team.

Before we get too excited, Dmitry Chesnokov points out that "Lokomotiv is a closed organization in a sense that they hardly ever comment on player contracts," and they would not comment on Nylander. Could this be the "resolution" that Bruce Boudreau hinted at earlier in the week? Perhaps. But for now, it's just a rumor, and Michael Nylander is still a Capital. Nominally, at least.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Nashville Predators

James Mirtle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

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Who's in: Marcel Goc, Ben Guite
Who's out: Radek Bonk, Greg de Vries, Vernon Fiddler, Ville Koistinen, Scott Nichol, Greg Zanon

Outlook: Life's not easy as one of the league's low budgeted clubs.

The Predators watched as six role players left the roster — the most glaring loss being useful stay at home defender Greg Zanon — and no free agents of note were added to the mix as the team's payroll sunk down close to the $40.8-million salary floor. The only good news in free agency was that GM David Poile was able to lock up Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward, both of whom should play bigger roles this season.

With Alex Radulov committed to staying in Russia another season, the Predators are going to have to get more offence from within and there aren't a lot of scoring options in the system. Cal O'Reilly, who had a decent 11-game audition at the end of last season, may be an option on a scoring line, as will NCAA standout Colin Wilson, but for the most part, it's going to fall to the incumbents like Jason Arnott, J.P. Dumont and Martin Erat to drive the offence.

Other causes for concern come on the blueline, where the losses will mean a promotion from the AHL for Cody Franson and far bigger roles for players like Alexander Sulzer and Kevin Klein. Poile will likely opt to bring in another veteran defender at some point, but for the most part, huge minutes will continue to fall on the trio of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter and Dan Hamhuis. Nashville very likely has the youngest defence core in the NHL this season.

Even so, this is an underrated group, and if Pekka Rinne can turn his star performance in a half season into more of a full-time showing, the Predators do have a chance to return to the playoffs. Everyone will be betting against them, but when hasn't that been the case?

X-factor: Colin Wilson

For a more in-depth Preds preview, visit On The Forecheck
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Preds finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

4 votes

2

0 votes

3

0 votes

4

2 votes

5

5 votes

6

5 votes

7

11 votes

8

26 votes

9

19 votes

10

25 votes

11

13 votes

12

16 votes

13

16 votes

14

3 votes

15

9 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

The KHL's rivalry with the NHL is all about Pride and Power

Dirk Hoag — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:04:43 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Rather than stay on as a complementary player on the Washington Capitals, Sergei Fedorov, along with several others, signed with a KHL team this summer.

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Imagine the following - your local Senator, in a bid to bolster America's soccer leagues in advance of the US potentially hosting the World Cup, proposes that professionals should be made exempt from Federal income taxes, and that every effort should be made to support professional teams and allow them to sign top international stars to compete on US soil. All this, during one of the worst economic downturns in living memory.

What do you think the reaction would be among his constituents? I'm guessing that it would be more tempestuous than these health care town-hall meetings, that's for sure.

But in Russia, that's exactly what's going on in the world of hockey. Facing a 7% contraction in GDP this year (far greater than the US will endure), they've taken just such measures to bring NHL talent over to the KHL.

So why is it that ordinary Russians are so willing to go along with such plans? Simply put, with the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, international prestige ranks high on the list of priorities for political and business leaders there, and the populace isn't likely to challenge that view.

In today's Wall Street Journal, Harvard professor Richard Pipes, in "Pride and Power", surveys the political and economic landscape throughout the former superpower, and finds nostalgia for the imperial Soviet era, along with a desire for order that transcends Western priorities like transparency of government, and the rule of law:

...during their 1,000-year old history of statehood, the Russians have virtually never been given the opportunity to elect their government or to influence its actions. As a result of this experience, they have become thoroughly depoliticized.

It's a truly fine read, and helps to put in perspective why the KHL is so aggressive in their bid to obtain top talent from North America. It should also help inform the NHL and player agents about sensitivites felt throughout Russia, as the question of whether the NHL will participate in the 2014 Games has yet to be addressed.

Friday's fun: Sticking to "The Predator Way"

Dirk Hoag — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:59:10 -0000

"The Predator Way" was the main theme from last night's Skate of the Union address at the Sommet Center, and later today I'll provide my recap of what the various dignitaries had to say. In the meantime, however, we've got lots more on our plate; Radek Bonk has indeed signed with a KHL team (a fact which David Poile was perhaps unaware of last night), some discussion on a potential sniper for Nashville's 2nd line, and a look at a unique addition that's been made to the Stanley Cup.

All this and more after the jump...

Top line gives Predators hope for turnaround - The Tennessean
John Glennon provides his recap of last night's Skate of the Union. His was the only traditional media presence at the affair; I caught the Channel 5 news last evening, and Hope Hines failed to even mention that it took place.

The View from 111: Skate of the Union
Mark gives his recap of last night's affair; it was fun seeing him, Codey from Section303.com, and Buddy & Jackson from Preds on the Glass all sitting up front.

Nashville Predators 101: How are the three stars determined? - Nashville Predators Examiner

In a hard-hitting expose, Jim Diamond blows the lid off of one of the greatest secrets in all of recorded history. You wouldn't believe your eyes as you read the tale of how the Three Stars of the Game are determined here in Nashville. The horror... the horror....

Breaking the shackles of restricted free agency in KHL and NHL - Puck Daddy
Dmitri Chesnokov, who almost acts as the hockey blogosphere's bridge to Russia, provides an overview of Restricted Free Agency and how it differs between the NHL and KHL. As you can probably guess, the Russian version isn't so "free".

Why NHL coaches and GMs can easily escape their contracts - SI.com
Jim Kelley discusses the trend which sees coaches and general managers changing teams despite having contracts still in effect.

Be "King of the NHL" What ONE On-Ice Rule Would You Change? - Paul McCann
Paul opens up a good question to fill these dog days of late July... asking fans what one NHL rule they would change. Personally, I'd get rid of the trapezoid behind the goal line, and let the netminders roam free (but open to getting hit if they do so).

A permanent reminder - From The Rink
Should the lockout season be immortalized on the Stanley Cup?

Enigmatic Afinogenov worth a shot? - Tennessean.com
John Glennon brings word that David Poile considers free agent Maxim Afinogenov "an interesting player." Exactly how he's more interesting than Miroslav Satan, who could have been claimed off of waivers at the trade deadline, I'm not sure.

Lokomotiv waited on Bonk - Sovetsky Sport
OK, the link takes you the Russian-language site, but if you run it through Google Translate you'll get the gist of it; Radek Bonk had some concerns about uprooting his family to Russia, but basically it became a simple decision as no firm NHL offers came his way.

FanHouse Chats With Nashville Predators Defenseman Shea Weber -- NHL FanHouse
Adam Gretz interviews Shea Weber about the upcoming Olympic Games, and what it's like playing in Nashville.

Who's on the hot seat in the West? - NHL.com
John Kreiser takes a look at one player from each Western Conference team who will feel the pressure to perform right from the start of the season. Personally, I disagree with his choice from the Predators... (hat tip to Kukla)

Nashville Predators free agent Radek Bonk to sign with KHL team

Dirk Hoag — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:02:42 -0000

More photos » by Frederick Breedon - AP

One of Radek Bonk's roles on the Predators was to work the front of the net on the power play, a job likely destined for Ryan Jones or Joel Ward.

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Thanks to a pointer from Dmitri Chesnokov on Twitter, we have news that free agent Radek Bonk is apparently preparing to sign a contract with Yaroslav Lokomotiv of the KHL. The article comes from the Sovetsky Sport website, which unfortunately doesn't appear to offer an English version. It strains my one year of Russian classes I took in high school to get much more than that he's about to sign the deal, and that the news comes out of a website called Yaroslav Sport (which I couldn't find). It also mentions his previous stints in Montreal and Ottawa.

Radek Bonk

#14 / Center / Nashville Predators

Height: 6-3

Weight: 213

Born: Jan 09, 1976

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Radek Bonk	66	9	16	25	-12	34	6	0	2	0	102	8.8

I don't think anyone should be surprised by this move, as Bonk has been rather ineffective during his two years in Nashville. Outside of good faceoff work last season, he failed to provide any consistent offensive punch, while not exactly shutting down the opposition, either. If anything, this opens the door even further for young centers like Cal O'Reilly, Mike Santorelli, or even Colin Wilson to earn 3rd-line duty with the Predators this fall.

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

Some Things Worth Remembering About Last Season's Team

Jonathan Willis — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:20:14 -0000

More photos » by Jimmy Jeong - AP

8 months ago: Anaheim Ducks defenseman Sheldon Brookbank (21) celebrates his goal past Edmonton Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson (35) as teammate Corey Perry, right, skates over during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, on Tuesday, March 31, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Jimmy Jeong)

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Particularly if you're trying to fix their problems:

5-on-5 Goals For: 152 (7th in the West)
5-on-5 Goals Against: 150 (10th in the West)
Powerplay Percentage: 17.0% (10th in the West)
Penalty-killing Percentage: 77.5% (14th in the West)
Faceoff Percentage: 47.9% (13th in the West)

None of these numbers are especially good, but I see two in particular that rank right at the bottom of the Western Conference; a pair that could be fixed simultaneously and inexpensively. Moreover, a pair of urgent problems that none of Chris Neil, Nikolai Khabibulin, or Dany Heatley will especially help.

Now, I'm not an NHL GM, but it seems to me that when your team's greatest statistical weakness could be greatly helped by signing Samuel Pahlsson or John Madden or Manny Malhotra or Dominic Moore or Radek Bonk, it behooves you to move quickly to get it done rather than frittering away your hours pursuing players from Ottawa who are either a) superfluous or b) crazy.

2009 NHL Free Agency: What the Ottawa Senators need

PeterR — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Steve Nesius - AP

Senators goaler Brian Elliott, left, seen here glove-tapping defender Android Volchenkov, is the Senators' only remaining restricted free agent for the 2009 off-season. Will he be re-signed? My money's on yes, but time will tell.

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What had been a fairly boring off-season turned into a tremendously newsworthy one when Dany Heatley requested a a trade from the Ottawa Senators. Before Heatley's trade request, it seemed the Senators were pretty well-off, requiring one top-six forward, one good third-liner, and one the wish list was a top-flite defenceman--but that seemed like it would have to be addressed by a defence corps-wide approach to solid defence.

If Heatley's traded, however, the Senators' needs change dramatically. All of a sudden there's a need for two top-six forwards, including someone who could play top-line minutes, as well as a third-liner, and an opportunity arose to use any Heatley-related savings to put towards a true number one defenceman.

What it amounts to is a difficult situation for Bryan Murray, who's got to do his best with what he's got while keeping in mind at least one player he's got--the highest-paid and highest goal-scoring one--is anxious to get out of town. If Murray's able to trade Heatley by the start of the free agency period on July 1, then he might have time to carry forward a strategy. If not, then the entire season will likely be a patchwork of quick-fix solutions.

A rundown of the Senators' situation, including some possible free agent pickups, is after the fold, so take the jump, check it out, and let us know what you think in the comments.

Pending UFAs: W Mike Comrie, RW Chris Neil, D Brendan Bell

It doesn't look like any of the Senators' pending unrestricted free agents will be coming back to Ottawa. The Senators have very little cap space to sign Comrie, even if he did have a good finish with the team--which he didn't. Neil has already rejected a four-year, $6.8M contract, and that seems as high as Murray is willing to go. And with an overabundance of NHL-calibre defencemen on the Sens' roster, don't count on Bell getting an offer from Ottawa unless there are a couple of trades made.

Pending RFAs: G Brian Elliott

I'm quite certain Brian Elliott will be re-signed, although nothing's been announced yet. The Senators do currently have Alex Auld and Pascal Leclaire signed, but rumours are circulating that Murray is trying to find a new home for Auld to run with a 1-2 punch of Leclaire and Elliott. Since Ells does not (as far as I know) have arbitration rights, there is little urgency to finalizing the contract.

Salary Cap Space (from NHLNumbers.com): $5.7M

Players signed: 24

Key needs: This is a little difficult; it depends whether or not the Senators trade Heatley. If Heatley sticks around and produces as expected, then the Senators should be in pretty good shape as long as they find one top-six forward and a third-liner. If he doesn't, though, then the Sens would be in the market for two top-sixers, a third-liner (if there's room under the cap), and possibly a top-flite defenceman if one's available--and that all depends on what comes back in any Heatley trade.

Potential targets:

Marian Hossa*: Hossa will likely re-sign with the Red Wings, or find a lucrative offer than something the Senators can afford. Still, if he's somehow able to fit under the Senators' salary structure, he's an immediate improvement in the Senators' scoring depth.
Marian Gaborik*: See above; it's pretty much the same deal.
Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin*: The Sedins are a package, and are reportedly asking for 12-year deals each worth $66M. If it can somehow work for the Senators, it automatically and immediately solves the longstanding woes of secondary scoring.
Martin Havlat*: Havlat's a well-known player from his days in Ottawa, and hasn't lost any of the dynamism that made him a fan-favourite here. Won't be easy to get his name on a contract, but he's always a threat when he's on the ice, and would add a long-lost dimension to the powerplay.
Mike Cammalleri*: Murray said he was looking for a scorer to lead the second line, and Cammaleri would look hella good in between Ryan Shannon and Nick Foligno. Such a move would allow Mike Fisher to revert to the more fitting third-line role, and give the Senators some solid scoring depth, but alas, the numbers wouldn't likely work out.
Jay Bouwmeester*: It's not going to happen, but it would be alright. We'd a a huge and mobile top pairing of Bouwmeester and Filip Kuba, even if neither of them are too physically imposing.
Mattias Ohlund: We need more Swedish players if we're going to contend with the Red Wings. Ohlund's a solid defenceman who can put up points, but might be too similar to Kuba to work out with the Senators.
Jaroslav Spacek: Here's a guy who put up 45 points last year, second among UFA defencemen to only Scott Niedermayer. He's good offensively and reliable defensively, and seems like he could fit in just about any team situation.
Sergei Zubov: The guy's old and not likely to want to move again, but he's still got one heck of a shot. In limited even-strength time and a whole whack of PP time, he'd be a contributor.
Ales Kotalik: I'm not sure why, but I like this player. He should be available in the range of $3.5-4M, and can put up points at even strength and on the man advantage. Although he's not likely to lead the team, he'd be a second liner who could fit in the Senators' lineup.
Saku Koivu: One of the few bearable Canadiens alumni, Koivu could work the middle on the Senators' second line if his salary comes down from last year. It appears the Habs are moving on from the Koivu Era, so he may be interested in joining a new team in a supporting role.
Alex Kovalev: Although he's taken hits for being inconsistent, Kovalev can score when he's on. He's not getting any younger, and his production is likely tailing off, but that fact may make him more affordable (but don't count on it).
Erik Cole: Sounds like his contract demands are out of line, but if the Senators are looking to toughen up Fisher's line, Cole might be the power forward to do it.
Mikael Samuelsson: Whether he's a second-liner or a third-liner, he's one who can step up if injuries start to add up. At likely under $2.5M, he's an affordable and adaptable winger.
Ruslan Fedotenko: His value is up because of his playoff performance, but Fedotenko was pretty impressive in the Penguins' run to the Cup. If his salary doesn't climb too much, and I doubt it will, he may be a good contingency pickup.
Radek Bonk: The third former Senator on the list, but Bonkers could be a cheap third-liner who's got some solid penalty killing abilities. He was miscast in his first tour in Ottawa, but a revisitation of expectations might make it a match made in ~~heaven~~ some nice place.

*Only possible/necessary if Heatley is traded.

Your Nashville Predators Free Agency Cheat Sheet

Dirk Hoag — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:36:59 -0000

July 1st marks the opening of the NHL's Free Agent shopping season, so in the interest of giving a team-level overview of where the Nashville Predators stand, here's how things look today:

Pending Unrestricted Free Agents

Radek Bonk, Vernon Fiddler, Scott Nichol, Steve Sullivan, Joel Ward, Jed Ortmeyer, Ville Koistinen, Greg de Vries, Greg Zanon.

Pending Restricted Free Agents

Ryan Jones, Cal O'Reilly, Antti Pihlstrom

Salary cap situation

Currently the team has ~$33.6 million committed to 16 players. They need 8-9 more under contract, with the NHL salary cap at $56.8 million for next season. To take full advantage of revenue sharing, however, the Preds need to remain below the midpoint between the salary cap and the salary floor, so their "soft cap" is $48.8 million.

Projected budget

$45 million

Key needs

A winger capable of 20+ goals is needed for each of the top two lines, and completely new 3rd line will be needed (likely made up of the young RFA's like Jones & O'Reilly). On defense, either a power play specialist or all-around reliable veteran will be needed, depending on the development of younger players like Kevin Klein and Alexander Sulzer.

Potential targets

Steve Sullivan and Joel Ward are the key UFA's to re-sign, while Mike Knuble, Jason Williams, Francois Beauchemin and Marc-Andre Bergeron might make interesting acquisition targets. Mirtle has a list of the top forwards available, who would you go after?

What our rivals want

Chicago Blackhawks (Second City Hockey), Columbus Blue Jackets (The Cannon), Detroit Red Wings (Winging It In Motown), St. Louis Blues (St. Louis Game Time)

Expect these summaries across the SB Nation network of hockey sites, and for all the in-depth coverage, check out the NHL Free Agency hub: