If there was one subject I loved more than any other in high school and college, it was world and state history. Whether it was the fight for the Alamo or the Civil War, not a day went by where I didn't ponder a country or society’s fight for independence. It was not just a lesson in history’s wild timeline, but a lesson in life and in human nature.
July 1st has come and gone, and for the most part there were no major surprises. The high-end defensemen were all signed very quickly, and all for reasonable cap hits considering that overpayment is usually a necessary aspect of dipping into the free agent market.
There are several players who will likely end up on different teams for the 2010-11 season still out there – Ilya Kovalchuk, Tomas Kaberle, Kevin Bieksa, Simon Gagne, Marc Savard, and potentially even Bobby Ryan. There are also a few interesting young players that I want to talk a bit about in more detail.
I’ll go into a bit of depth on a fantasy issue or two pertaining to each of the 30 NHL clubs.
Fantasy Impact – The Phoenix Coyotes have signed center Andrew Ebbett to a one-year contract worth $500,000 (and $105,000 at the AHL level).
Fantasy Impact – The Florida Panthers have signed Chris Higgins to a one-year contract worth $1.6 million.
Fantasy Impact – Nashville has dipped into the free agent pool, locking up speedy pivot Matthew Lombardi to a three-year contract worth a total of $10.5 million.
Fantasy Impact – The Lightning have signed big defenseman Pavel Kubina to a two-year contract worth $3.85 mllion per year.
Fantasy Impact – The Lightning have signed big defenseman Pavel Kubina to a two-year contract worth $3.85 mllion per year.
Fantasy Impact – Minnesota has signed free agent center Matt Cullen to a three-year contract worth $3.5 million annually.
Fantasy Impact – Anaheim has re-signed center Saku Koivu to a two-year deal worth $5 million total.
Fantasy Impact: The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Jordan Leopold to a three-year contract.
