NEWS BY DIVISION
- 2010-11 preview: Minnesota Wild Northwest
- 2010-11 preview: Los Angeles Kings Pacific
- Chelios retires, joins Wings' front office Central
- 2010-11 preview: Florida Panthers Southeast
- 2010-11 preview: Buffalo Sabres Northeast
- 'Boogey Man' no laughing matter Atlantic
COLUMNS
- For most rookies, stargazing is a popular pastime Justin Bourne
- Will Twitter create an even duller hockey player? Justin Bourne
- Can a defenseman play forward? Should he? Justin Bourne
| Northeast GMs still filling roster holes |
 |
| Northeast | |
| Written by John Chidley-Hill | |
| Monday, July 12, 2010 01:24 | |
|
In other words, good luck handicapping a division in which every team's roster looks far from complete. The five Northeast teams still have key restricted free agents sitting an offer sheet away from a ticket out of town, or are a few key additions away from being ready for 2010-11.
However, Burke is still seeking a top-six forward to join Versteeg, Armstrong and Phil Kessel. Defenseman Tomas Kaberle is sitting on the eternal trading block, and the general manager has made it clear that if the Leafs can’t get a high-quality scorer in return, the Czech blueliner will remain in Toronto. Up the 401, the Ottawa Senators signed aging blueliner Sergei Gonchar, addding some zip to their power play (on paper, at least). Their only other signing was undersized center Corey Locke. GM Bryan Murray still has a gaping hole between the pipes, unless he's satisifed with the hydra of Brian Elliot, Pascal Leclaire and Mike Brodeur. Even after Evgeni Nabokov’s flight to the Kontinental Hockey League, plenty of fish remain in the sea of available goalies, either through free agency or a trade, many of whom would present a badly needed upgrade. Over in Montreal, the Canadiens let no fewer than 11 players become unrestricted free agents July 1, then signed forward Dustin Boyd and backup goalie Curtis Sanford to one-year contracts. Goaltender Alex Auld and defenseman Frederic St. Denis also committed to a season with the Habs. The big question in Montreal, of course, is why restricted free agent Carey Price hasn't re-signed. Price was anointed the goaltender of the future when GM Pierre Gauthier traded Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues, an endorsement that has gone unvalidated. Considering their track record, it's surprising to note that the Buffalo Sabres have been the division's most active team in free agency so far, signing defensemen Jordan Leopold and Mike Weber, as well as forwards Rob Niedermayer, Corey Tropp and Cody McCormick. All are defensive-minded players and Buffalo could still use an additional scoring threat to make their defense-first formula more dangerous. Contrast that with the Boston Bruins, who have largely stayed still. It’s no surprise, considering their salary-cap situation. Their only additions were goalie Nolan Schaefer and defenseman Nathan McIver – both of whom could start the season in the AHL – after re-signing integral rearguard Mark Stuart. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli would still like to deal center Marc Savard, but interest is waning in the oft-injured 33-year-old. Aside from Burke, no general manager in the Northeast has made a real splash so far. Unless rumor and innuendo (not a 17-year contract) are enough to sign Ilya Kovalchuk, get ready for more small, careful moves in a free-agency period defined by them. Notes First-round draft pick Tyler Seguin is already making himself at home with the Boston Bruins, showcasing his impressive blend of speed, skill and size. But the Bruins faithful have already impressed the 18-year-old forward with their chants of “SAY-gihn, SAY-gihn, SAY-gihn.” “At least they’re pronouncing my name right,” Seguin told the Associated Press on Wednesday. “Usually if anyone’s talking about me it’s like suh-GWEEN-ee or SEE-gihn or something, but these guys had it right on point, so that was pretty cool.” ... Buffalo Sabres prospect and 2010 Memorial Cup winner Zack Kassian still has a lot of growing up to do after being charged with assault for an early-morning altercation at a bar in Windsor, Ont., home of his junior team, the Spitfires. Kassian told the Buffalo News that the Sabres organization was “Upset, obviously. No team likes to hear that news.” At the time the franchise was in contract negotiations with the 19-year-old, but after the incident the team temporarily suspended talks with the bruising right-winger. Although he has to make court appearances, Kassian is still attending the Sabres’ development camp. ... Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports interviewed Globe and Mail columnist Dave Naylor about his series in the paper and on TSN called “Why Not Canada?” The series explores the possibility of moving one or more teams to Canada, including markets like Quebec City, Hamilton or even the Greater Toronto Area – potential relocations that would have an incredible impact on the Northeast Division. Wyshynski and Naylor have an interesting Q&A session. |
