Alright, yesterday I promised a bit of perspective on the new Coyotes roster...well, truth be told, there's not so much that's new about it, really. Unfortunately, Zbynek Michalek and Matthew Lombardi chose the "greener" pastures of Pittsburgh and Nashville, respectively. It sucks to lose them both, although I think there is talent in the system to replace them.
Kudos to GMDM for bringing in Ray Whitney and Andrew Ebbett and getting Derek Morris, Wojtek Wolski, Adrian Aucoin and Taylor Pyatt all re-signed. It's gotta be hard with the uncertain ownership, but Maloney keeps making it work. The two key cogs from last year that remain unsigned (Martin Hanzal and Lee Stempniak) should both be re-signed before the start of training camp (Hanzal definitely; Lee, I'm just making an educated guess that GMDM gets this done).
So, not a lot of turnover really. Look for big pushes from Oliver Ekman-Larson, Kyle Turris, Viktor Tikhonov, Brett MacLean and Mikkel Boedker to find a spot on this roster. I think Coach Tippett will certainly make it work. And come playoffs, let's just hope that Shane Doan and Scottie Upshall are healthy...could make all the difference.
But, if you're still in need of more free agent items...check out CapGeek's list of pretty much everyone remaining unsigned:
CapGeek.com - NHL salary cap calculator, buyout calculator, free agents and more!
Slow NHL free-agent market should pick up soon - NHL News - FOX Sports on MSN
And why some guy from Fox Sports thinks we'll see the market pick up soon...at this point, it's just as likely to take until September for a lot of these guys to find the right deal, I think.
After the jump, a couple more links for your perusal...
Readying for Texas Rangers' Aug. 4 auction - Houston Business JournalInteresting to see the different take this bankruptcy judge is taking to Judge Baum's approach to the Coyotes...I have a feeling that many leagues will be watching to see if he sticks to it, or caves to MLB's wishes...
High-level Trash Talk " Teds Take
Gotta hand it to the President...that is a pretty low dig he took at the Capital's expense...I love it!!!
The Five Best Contracts in the Pacific Division - Fear The Fin
Fear the Fin takes a look at players who provide great bang for the buck. Can't really argue that Ilya Bryzgalov is a steal, but other than Ed Jovanovski, who on the Coyotes really is making over market value??
Introducing Mount Puckmore: Our summer project (Ducks edition) - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
Puck Daddy introduced a new summer project and it's a good one...
Ex-tough guy Laraque dropping gloves to get political - Puck Daddy - NHL - Yahoo! Sports
No, this isn't your whimsy yet...although it is hilarious! I just don't know how Georges Laraque keeps finding himself in these positions, but between him and Paul Bissonnette and Dan Carcillo, the Coyotes have certainly had their share of colorful enforcer types...
Down Goes Brown: DGB hits the Post - Toronto Maple Leafs Blog - Humor. Commentary. Despair.
And for your not quite whimsy, whimsy...we here at Five For Howling would like to give a big congrats to Down Goes Brown who consistently fills our comedic needs. I have no idea what the National Post is, personally (must be some Canadian thing), but it seems like a big deal...couldn't have happened to a funnier guy!
Tomorrow, posing the question of whether as Coyotes fans we should be more fearful of SB 1070...will attending a game at Jobing.com place you in Sheriff Joe's cross-hairs or are the Canadians just that much harder to profile?