19 Good Reasons To Avoid Signing Free Agents

Every year, and in years like this one in particular, there are teams that feel they need to make a splash when it comes to free agency.  And in a year with a shallow talent pool, those few impact players that are available will cash in big time because there aren’t many alternatives and the teams that need to make a splash overpay.  Does it work out sometimes?  Of course it does, but the risk/reward is often leaning against the team making the bigger deals.

Apr 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman

(5) trips over New Jersey Devils center

(23) during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Rangers won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Here are 19  reasons over the last 5 years, why you don’t want to get into the situation where you blow up your salary structure not because the player fits, but because you feel you need to.  This list just looks at players changing teams, not teams re-signing their own free agents.

2012

Mar 10, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman

(17) is penalized for boarding on Montreal Canadiens center

(51) in the second period at the BB

1.  Jason Garrison – With one good year under his belt in Florida, the Canucks signed Garrison to a 6 year, $27M deal.  It wasn’t the worst contract ever signed, but the Canucks have put themselves in a deep cap hole and $4.6M to a one year wonder didn’t help that situation.

2. Filip Kuba – Kuba’s track record of performing well in contract years continued, and Florida gave him the security of a 2 year deal, with a $4M average salary.  He is in the process of being bought out after just one horrible year.

3. Jiri Hudler – The Flames gambled on the talented yet underachieving winger, thinking that with prime minutes they could get more out of Hudler.  Well, 4 years and $16M is what they threw at him, and he still responded with a PPG average of just over .65.

The word is still out on Parise and Suter in Minnesota.  Big contracts but at least Suter was a Norris nominee.

2010

Feb 16, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman

(28) passes the puck against the New York Islanders during the first period of an NHL game at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

1. Anton Volchenkov – 6 years, $25.5M for a shot blocking, one dimensional defenseman was way too much for a free-spending team, let alone the usually thrifty (Kovalchuk aside) Devils.  There was no possible way he could live up to that contract and three years into it is basically a 5-6 defenseman.

2. Olli Jokinen – He failed in Calgary once, so why the Flames took another chance with a 2 year, $6M contract less than 6 months after trading him away was a big head-scratcher.

Actually, most teams were pretty level headed in 2010, and those are the only 2 that really stood out to me. Perhaps it is because this happened in 2009….

2009

Mar 17, 2012; Ottawa, ON, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman

(8) fights with Ottawa Senators left Wing

(9) in the third period at Scotiabank Place. The Maple Leafs defeated the Senators 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

1. Alex Kovalev – Ottawa took a gamble on “the most talented player in the league”, to the tune of 2 years and $10M.  It was an experiment gone wrong, and Kovalev pulled some magic all right, a disappearing act on most nights.

2. Mike Komisarek – One in a long line of overpaid defensive defensemen that began with Jay McKee and ended with Volchenkov, Komisarek’s 5 year, $22.5M contract was way too rich for what he could offer. The final year of that deal has just been bought out.

3.  Martin Havlat –  The oft-injured Havlat somehow wrangled a 6 year, $30M deal from the offensively starved Wild.  Eventually the Wild dealt him to San Jose for an equally big headache and cap hit in Dany Heatley.

4. Marian Gaborik – The prize of the 2009 FA crop, Gaborik went to Broadway for a 5 year, $37.5M contract, and although he had a couple of good years in the first three seasons of the deal, the spotlight in New York just seemed to bright and his consistency was a big issue and why he was traded to Columbus at this year’s trade deadline.

5.  Mattias Ohlund – Ohlund looked old (but he wasn’t) through wear and tear with the Canucks, but the Lighting offered him 7 years and over $25M to go to the sunshine state.  That got them 2 years and 18 points, and he has missed the last two seasons due to injury and his career is likely over.

2008

Mar 3, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman

(6) warms up before the game against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeated the Blues 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. Wade Redden – After a dreadful final season in Ottawa where his game took a giant step back, the Rangers saw fit to sign him to a 6 year, $39M contract.  After two years occupying more than $6M in cap space, the Rangers thought he would be best suited to make his millions in the minors rather than eat up a roster spot for that price.  He was bought out of the last two seasons at the first opportunity for amnesty buyouts.

2.  Jeff Finger – Few people had even heard of the defenseman that the Leafs ponied up $14M over 4 years that could have probably been had for 1/3 of that.  After two years of being a part-time player, he was banished to the minors for the final two years, and didn’t even get signed anywhere this past season.

3.  Sean Avery – The problematic forward somehow got Dallas to think he could change, and signed a 4 year, $15.5M contract.  He played 23 games for the Stars before his mouth got him in trouble and he was indefinitely suspended by the club, and then for some reason the Rangers took him back on re-entry waivers, relieving the Stars of a big headache.

4. Brian Rolston – New Jersey took a chance on the 35 year old, for a second go-around in the swamp.  However, his skills had diminshed and with an over 35 contract, the Devils could do little to relieve themselves of the 4 year, $20M contract during which he never surpassed 40 points.  They finally found a taker before the final year of the deal, and he was sent to the Islanders.

5. Markus Naslund – Despite his numbers dropping for 5 straight seasons in Vancouver, the Rangers (sensing a pattern here?) took a chance on Naslund for 2 years and $8M.  It worked out so well for both sides, that Naslund played the second year of the deal in Sweden.

Apr 8, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center

(42) against the New York Rangers at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeated New York 4-3. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

So there you have it, and no doubt with the numbers that are being thrown around for the likes of Tyler Bozak and David Clarkson, it will happen again.  These are players who are legitimate NHLers, but because of the market, they will end up getting probably close to double what their actual talents and comparables are getting.

So is the life of the NHL.  What lockout?