NHL Free Agency...and Steve Nash

I'll start with Steve Nash. So, as a Canadian as well as a Raptors fan, I was pretty excited at the prospect of Steve Nash going to T.O. He would definitely turn Toronto into a playoff team...but not a championship contender. There is a lot of youth on the Raptors squad who could use an experienced vet on their team, not to mention some leadership on and off the court. As a fan of Steve, I want to see him win a championship. He's done a lot for the game, especially up in Canada. I want to see him have a successful career capped off with a championship ring. If he had already won with Dallas or Phoenix, then I would expect him to join the Raptors. To hear yesterday that he is going to join the Los Angeles Lakers, I'm not at all bitter. The Lakers and Steve will have their work cut out for them still, with such powerhouses as the Spurs and Mavericks along with OKC Thunder and LA Clippers stepping up into major players. Who knows, maybe if the Lakers win the championship next year, he'll ask for a trade to T.O.? One can hope. Good luck Steve Nash! All the best!

Now that Suter and Parise are taken, I think now's a good time to reflect on the NHL Free Agency so far. Most of the hockey world had been viewing these two as the ones to get this free agent frenzy. Kind of unexpectantly, they both sign the exact same contract, 13 year, $98 million and with the same team. Are we starting to see the same sort of super team formations in the NHL that we're seeing in the NBA? Congrats to Minnesota, who were able to sign this guys in free agency rather than trade away picks and prospects to obtain them. It may have cost them quite a bit more in the bank, but now they have these stars to help out their deep prospect pool develop. This could make Minnesota dangerous, but I still don't see the Wild as a Cup contender yet.

As for my Habs, new GM Marc Bergevin has done an excellent job, in my eyes, in his first summer in the position. He took his time hiring a coaching staff, made a solid pick with Galchenyuk at the NHL draft as well as great picks in latter rounds. Now he has added some size, physicality and character to a notoriously small Montreal team. Signing Brandon Prust and Colby Armstrong as well as other minor players, Bergevin is addressing a key need in the Habs lineup. Not only that, but he signed a six year contract with Carey Price, keeping the star goaltender in Montreal for a long time. As a hardcore fan, I can rest a little easier knowing that Price will be our goaltender until June of 2019...let's hope.

Other thoughts: Did anyone actually think that Martin Brodeur was leaving New Jersey? He's near the end of his career, but unlike Steve Nash, he has won championships. Plus, I don't think Brodeur is all about money, so I wasn't surprised to hear that he stayed with the Devils. Sami Salo and Matt Carle goes to Tampa Bay. With Tampa's top stars, when do you think they will become a contender in the East? Maybe once they get some good goaltending. They still need depth. Jaromir Jagr goes to Dallas for over 4.5 million. Would you be okay with your team spending that much on a player like Jagr? I know he's good, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with paying more than $3 million for. Olli Jokinen just keeps getting bounced around. Will he make an impact in Winnipeg? I think Winnipeg is in need of a couple more stars, but is Jokinen a star any more?

So, now that the big players are off the free agent market, teams now have to look at the names circulating around the league who are still signed with teams. Rick Nash, Shane Doan, Roberto Luongo. Will these top players be on the move before the new season starts in October? Lots of time left to tell.