The NHL Free Agent Frenzy is Neither Free nor a Frenzy...

Thanks to GARY BETTMAN, there has been literally no time for Patrick Kane to sober up long enough to realize it's now July.  Head off the heels of the NHL delivering one of the best Stanley Cup series since 2010, a span of THREE long years TSN (Toronto's Sports Network) jumped right into Draft Day mode and barely having time to take down those Nathan McKinnon pin-ups hockey analysts now are getting all us worked up over this year's free agent frenzy, which for some reason is 2 days this year instead of 1? I'm not sure i understood that but...whatever keeps us tuned in and away from CFL news.

Random Notes because fuck it, it's summer;

Is it really a Frenzy or 'Say Who Now?' - When TSN is saying that David Clarkson is one of the biggest names to hit free agency this year it makes me wonder 1) who is David Clarkson and 2) what is TSN's criteria for 'biggest' names?
10 players living in fear they may have to rent out their pool house next year to afford payments on their summer homes had more points than David Clarkson, including Mike Ribeiro who had 49 points to Clarkson's 24...just saying. Iginla is sitting at #6, behind Ribeiro.



In the Never Going to Learn Dept - The Philadelphia Flyers signed Claude Giroux to at the max 2 years of job security and 8 years of wage security, allowing other teams to help subsidize his wage once Philly tries to trade him to alleviate cap space to sign their next way-too-long contract to the next guy that has an above average season. Let's hope that he and Lecavalier can work together in the dressing room because everyone knows that every team functions great with 2 legitimate #1 centers in the lineup (see; Vancouver Canuck goalie situation, 2013)

The Loser (or real winner) of the Dave Bolland trade - A personal favourite of mine, now ex-Leaf Mikhail Grabvoski let loose on Coach Randy Caryle for basically punting him down to the 3rd and 4th lines last year, despite being a decent 20 goals a year scorer in years previous. It was perhaps the only time a Maple Leaf player has shown any emotion off the ice since Tyler Bozak tweeted that thing about something about an epic meltdown. In the 'Shitty Timing' award, Grabs got the news days before his wedding.
Where ever he goes, Grabs is a solid pick up.

Danny Briere manages to parlay a 6 goal 10 assist season into a $4 million/yr contract, leaving hope for beer league players everywhere that a Hab scout may be one of those 6 people watching from the stands.

Ray Emery is golden - Or I should say orange and black because his reputation gives him solid Flyer cred, joining a long list of Flyer goaltenders that are willing to throw down the glove and blocker and engage in the odd bout of fisticuffs on Marty Biron's face.

   

 Of course that list is really only 1 psycho long;

- random note - is that Zdeno Chara's dad on the Flyers? Meet the other Samuellson - Kjell - standing at 6.6 or 9.6 after he tries this pre-MMA piggy back thing on Bobby Smith at 1.48:

Philadelphia; evolving hockey fights since 1973

Jarome Iginla - shhh...Jerome's sleeping still, hoping to never wake up from the nightmare career decision that really happened.

Compliance Buy Outs - The biggest surprise of these compliance buyouts after looking at this list is that Thomas Kaberle was still technically being paid by someone. In this case, the Montreal Canadians.  The other sad thing? Kaberle has won more Stanley Cups than Daniel Alfreddson.

Last Word - Danny Alfredsson not being a Senator? Maybe because he thinks he has a better chance to win a Cup somewhere else? Maybe he should talk with Iginla and get some career advice on that subject.