Here is your daily dose on NHL news from a bust Independance Day holiday:
May 12, 2013; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center
Mikhail Grabovski(84) drives to the net with the puck against the Boston Bruins during game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Bruins 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
- The Ottawa Senators inked Head Coach Paul MacLean to a 3 year contract extension meaning he coach could be around for four more years and will not enter the 2013-14 season with “lame duck” status.
- While the press conference to announce the the contract extension started out with MacLean, it quickly turned into an impromptu “state of the team address” where Bryan Murray addressed Daniel Alfredsson (just waiting to get a dollar request from him), the rumours that Eugene Melnyk has limited the payroll due to financial issues (Murray and Melnyk are frustrated with the “cheap” label), and the ability to sign free agents beyond Alfie (wait and see, Melnyk has told him to do what he needs to do).
- The Dallas Stars were busy on the trade front, making a blockbuster deal with the Bruins by sending Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith and another prospect to the Boston Bruins for Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley and a prospect. Then the Stars apparently acquired Shawn Horcoff from the Edmonton Oilers in a separate deal that should be announced Friday.
- Claude Giroux is about to become a very, very rich man as he and the Flyers have apparently agreed to an 8 year, $66M contract that will kick in when his current contract runs out after next season. Somehow the Flyers must think the cap is going to go up by $20M in one year with all the commitments they are making.
- More buyouts around the league included Mikhail Grabovski, Greg Zanon, Hal Gill, Johan Hedberg and Eric Belanger. Grabovski was the biggest one, and the fourth largest of the buyout period. He had just completed the first year of his contract extension, meaning he was essentially paid over $21.8M for last season. Grabovski also blasted the Leafs and Coach Randy Carlyle on his way out in a radio interview, stating he had no support from the coach and he wasn’t utilized in a proper role.
- Danny Briere, off his buyout from the Flyers, has agreed to go to Montreal for two years and $8M, while Patrik Elias re-signed in New Jersey for 3 years and $16.5M. Basically, if these are trends that are coming in terms of dollars that are going to be thrown around beginning Friday at noon, then NHL teams learned nothing from the lockout and more terrible contracts will be signed in the next few days due to free agent fever.