Russian League May Create Headlines During NHL Free Agency

Previously published on Inside Hockey on June 27, 2008.

Major headlines may be created during the 2008 NHL free agency period that begins on July 1st. This year’s bidding wars may provide a few shockers and generate more frequent flier miles than ever before if some of the NHL’s elite players find it too hard to resist lucrative offers that are expected to be placed on the table by the newly-formed Russian hockey league.

Although the salary cap has been increased to $56.7 million dollars, a player may earn up to $11.34 million per year and revamping rosters is sometimes the only option available to make room for those kinds of numbers.

The $11.34 million dollar per year maximum annual NHL salary helps to explain the reported $12 million per year deals that are being presented to players like Evgeni Malkin and Jaromir Jagr from the Russian league. With the Russian league getting involved, we should expect some of the NHL GMs to come out of the gate with aggressive offers to some of the bigger name players.

Although the NHL is shrugging off the threat of losing some of it’s players to Russia, they should look back into the history books of the WHA when in 1972 the new league signed star NHL players like Bobby Hull and Bernie Parent then later added Gerry Cheevers, Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky to their rosters.

A few weeks ago it was reported that Malkin was offered $12 million per year for a long-term deal and more recently TSN in Canada reported that Jagr will receive an offer in the neighborhood of $35 million over 3 years to play for Omsk of the Russian league.

Players like Jaromir Jagr, Marian Hossa, Brian Rolston, Mats Sundin and Brian Campbell head up this years all-star list that also includes role players Ryan Malone, Sean Avery and Brooks Orpik and goaltenders José Théodore and Marc-Andre Fleury.

In an aggressive move just days before free agency, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the negotiating rights to Malone and Gary Roberts for a fourth round pick and have signed them since then. Malone signed a seven-year deal worth $31.5 million, and Roberts inked a one-year deal reportedly worth between $1.5 and $2 million. Barry Melrose, the new Lightning coach, has always had a passion for hard-nosed players like Malone and Roberts and the Lightning were determined to enhance their roster before free agency began.

The player most anxiously awaiting free agency may be Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mark Streit, who is expected to be rewarded after last year’s break-out season. Including the several years he played in Switzerland, the puck-carrying blue-liner is coming off the most productive season of his career, scoring 13 goals and adding 49 assists for 62 points. Streit placed third overall in scoring for defensemen, tied with Campbell, behind only Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Gonchar. Streit earned $600,000 for last season and is sure to see those numbers at least quadruple in size.

As usual, expect major changes with the New York Rangers’ roster. Jagr who reportedly received a $35 million dollar offer for three years from Russia is certain to get an astronomical offer from some NHL teams. Sean Avery is expected to move and Brendan Shanahan has not been offered a contract yet.

On this much anticipated day of the year, while Americans prepare for their Fourth of July vacations and Canadians celebrate their national holiday, Canada Day, agent’s phones may be ringing off the hook… with incoming calls from far-away places… maybe as far away as Moscow.

Tom Ferda is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and full-time columnist for Inside Hockey. Contact Tom at email: tferda@insidehockey.com or his website: www.tomferda.com