This Things I Believe… Free Agency Edition

I know, I know… I promised no more hockey. But when you have a day in the National Hockey League like yesterday – the biggest day of stupid signings and knee-jerk reactions imaginable – I had to write a blog. It helped that TSN provided me with 28 analysts, 34 hours of coverage, and 12 different Brian Burke interviews.

I believe… Bob Gainey was kidnapped and replaced by a cyborg that looks just like Gainey, but fails to think as clearly.

The Montreal Canadiens were the busiest team on the first day of free agency. This is very rarely a good thing.

The New York Rangers were the busiest team two years ago (signing Scott Gomez and Chris Drury), and made a notable splash last year (Wade Redden). Those three contracts could have/should have/would have decimated the Rangers for the next six years, rendering them incapable of signing the necessary players to compete, and ultimately costing Glen Sather his job – a job that should have been taken from him every since he decided "investing $14 million per season in Drury/Gomez for the foreseeable future is a wise move… I best do it."

Sidenote: At the time, I thought all three Rangers signings were awful. Most people did. If the average hockey fan knows a signing is terrible the day its made, how does a general manager continue to get away with such blunders? It's not like in the past where a bad signing meant the Rangers could go out and sign another player… the cap changes that. It blows me away how poor some management teams are in the NHL.

Predictably, the Rangers signings bombed, and they were screwed. There was no light at the end of the tunnel, and it became jarringly clear just how screwed they were when Washington outclassed them in a deceptively close seven-game series. In my 10 worst contracts in the NHL blog, I had Redden at #9, and wrote Drury would have been on my list as well if I hadn't ruled I could only take one player per team.

I didn't even mention Scott Gomez, who may have been the most horrifying contract of the three. He tallied a paltry 58 points last year, and was invisible in the playoffs. However, the Rangers have him at a $7.36 million cap hit for the next five years. It's one of the worst contracts in the league, and seemingly untradeable.

But on June 30^th, Gainey traded for Gomez. And that alone is not the worst part. Along with third-liner Chris Higgins, Montreal gave up two of their best defensive prospects. The two defenseman – Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko – are apparently both NHL ready.

Gainey was far from done. Next he signed 35-year old Jaroslav Spacek. Spacek is a nice player, but as I mentioned, he's 35. To make matters (a lot) worse, Spacek received a three-year deal at $3.8 million per season. He'll nicely compliment fellow 35-year old Czech defenseman, Roman Hamrlik, who's making $5.5 million per season. These players warranted this type of money… back in 1999.

So the Habs have recently signed a slowing, older defenseman to shore up the defense of a team that just dealt two of its best prospects for one of the worst contracts in the NHL. Gainey decided it was time to grab a player who would make Spacek and Hamrlik look speedy by comparison – Hal Gill. Gill received two years, and $4.5 million.

Keep in mind, Montreal watched one of the league's most underrated defensemen – Mark Streit – walk away in free agency for only $4.1 million per season last year. Streit, for the record, led his new team in scoring and posted the only positive +/- on the worst team in the NHL in 2008-09. Oh, and Streit went to the New York Islanders because – we can only assume – no one wanted him.

Following this, Montreal made their most defensible signing, giving Mike Cammalleri a five-year, $30 million deal. I like Cammalleri and think he's underrated… but he is very much a member of the supporting cast. He's a great second-liner when the first line (see: Iginla, Jarome) deals with the opponent's top checkers and best defenseman… but Cammalleri can't carry a team on his own. Sadly, he may have to this year.

But the Habs saved perhaps the best for last. After signing two forwards under six-feet to add to a smallish roster that was pushed around by Boston in last year's playoffs, The Habs went out and signed the smallest forward this side of Martin St. Louis (and third American on the day), giving Brian Gionta a five-year, $25 million deal. Gionta had one great year – back in 2005-06. Since then, he's had 45 points in 62 games, 53 points in 82 games, and 60 points in 81 games. His goal scoring has declined for the past four seasons, and he's generously listed at 5'7.

Didn't matter. Montreal gave him $5 million per, with a contract that will run until he's 35.

Four of Montreal's five moves were incomprehensible. But more importantly, the Habs have moved from "fringe playoff contender" to "afterthought" for the next five years. They're calling for Gainey's head in Montreal, and I, for one, think they should have it.

I believe… I hate Dany Heatley, and wish him ill-will.

I've bashed the Edmonton Oilers repeatedly on this blog. Repeatedly. I have called Craig MacTavish names, blamed Kevin Lowe for most of my personal problems, and criticized them both for my poor performance at work.

And up until recently, I would have argued they deserve the shoddy treatment they receive from free agents. After all, who would want to play in a MacTavish "system" with Shawn Horcoff centering the top line?

But the Oilers have a new captain at the helm of the ship, and I like the direction they're going. And Steve Tambellini almost pulled off a deal that would have unquestionably helped the Oilers.

We all know Edmonton and Ottawa had agreed to a Heatley for Dustin Penner/Andrew Cogliano/Ladislav Smid. If you take a look at the deal, the Oilers finally get a sniper (one of the best pure goal scorers in the league), for a disastrous contract (Penner), a promising but not overwhelming prospect (Cogliano), and an injury-prone 5/6 defenseman (Smid). Considering you couldn't give away Penner for free, it's a fantastic deal for Edmonton. (Sidenote: The press could have had a field day with a Heatley-Horcoff-Hemsky top line, and if Ales Hemsky was willing to don a contract of a different colour, all three players would have different coloured irises.

But Heatley nixed the deal. To make matters a lot worse, he said no to Edmonton even after Oilers management flew to Kelowna to beg him to accept the deal. Even worse, the deal had already gone public, meaning Cogliano and Smid knew the Oilers were willing to part ways with them (I think it's safe to say Dustin had already pieced that together).

My Oilers bias aside, Heatley makes me sick. So far he's played for two NHL teams, and demanded to be traded from both. One time he demanded a trade because he felt too much emotional baggage after he killed his friend and teammate by driving recklessly, and the second time because he didn't like the new direction the Senators had been heading since Cory Clouston took over as coach (that direction, for the record, seemed to be "winning").

I can accept a player asking for a trade. But not after signing a long-term pact, and especially not after having some philosophical differences after 25 games.

But even then, he demands a trade. But the trade has to be on his terms, to his choice location, how he wants.

Give me a break. As much as a player like Heatley would have helped the Oilers, I always feel like Oilers fans want to cheer for players they like (or any fans, for that matter). We can only hope Heatley's offensive numbers continue to decline, and he's proven to be the one-dimensional player a lot of us already think he is.

I'm sure we've all read and heard the different rumours during the Heatley saga, but if you really want to get your blood boiling, read Darren Dreger's account.

I believe… Donald Brashear knows something we do not.

Donald Brashear cannot skate. He can barely move. He can't stickhandle, and he barely qualifies as a hockey player. He's undisciplined and, of all the goons in the NHL, he's the most likely to cost his team a game by taking an idiotic penalty. His hit on the New York Rangers' Blair Betts has flagrant and ended Betts season. Brashear is also 37 years old… which for a goon is the equivalent to about 74 in regular player years.

And Brashear receives a two-year, $2.8 million deal from the Rangers? Really?

Really?

***Breaking News***

I believe… I am outraged a few omissions from Team Canada's 46 hockey camp invitees.

Stephane Robidas. Milan Lucic. Dan Cleary. Jordan Staal. Marc Staal. Andy McDonald. Francois Beauchemin. All nice players, most which you'd want on your NHL team.

All seven were invited to Team Canada's camp. Some are young, some are baffling (Cleary?), some are probably personal favours to coaches on the staff. I noticed right away Jason Spezza wasn't invited to the camp, a seemingly noteworthy on omission.

Then I looked closer. And closer. And closer. And realized MARC SAVARD WAS NOT EVEN INVITED.

Incredible. Yet another slap in the face to the first-line center of one of the best teams in hockey. For the record, Savard was only ninth overall in league scoring, has had seasons of 97, 96, and 88 points since the lockout, and has averaged over a point per game during the last two playoffs (it also seems like a good time to mention that Joe Thornton was invited).

I am a huge Steve Yzerman fan, but I do not understand these selections. For the whole roster, click here.

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A few final notes:

• I never had a chance to make my CFL East predictions. Here's what they were before the season started yesterday:
  
  • Montreal (13-5). With no other East team stepping up to challenge the Alouettes, I expect them to run up a huge lead, and drop a few meaningless games down the stretch. Just like every other season.
    
  • Toronto (8-8). Last year's performance was the perfect storm of bad decisions/bad breaks etc. I've liked what I've read about new head coach Bart Andrus, and as an added bonus… his name is Bart.
    
  • Winnipeg (6-12). I think Winnipeg will be pretty poor, but they're the most difficult team to predict in the league after signing 30 new players. I also like what I've read about the Bombers new boss, Mike Kelly, and expect a better response from the team after last year's dreadful 8-10 campaign. Even though I'm picking Winnipeg to finish 6-12, I think it will be a mostly positive season, with the Bombers showing a lot of promise but losing a handful of close games.
    

  I am not sold on Stefan LeFors, however. He showed moments of competency while here, but only moments.
  

  • Hamilton (3-15). Until they prove otherwise, the Ti-Cats will continue to suck. Even though Quentin Porter looks to be a keeper (I held this thought before last night… and will stick by it even after yesterday's debacle).
    

My Grey Cup prediction? Well, I'm going to go the homer route and take the Edmonton Eskimos over the Montreal Alouettes. Calgary will wilt under the pressure of a home-field Grey Cup/defending champion combo, and as we all know… Montreal loves to lose in Grey Cups.