Free Agency

With around one month left until NHL training camps open, the 2011 Free Agency period is basically in the rear-view mirror. There are still a few names out there that will land with teams or finalize their deals with their current team, but for the most part, it is time to reflect on the winners of the summer.

It was not an especially active opening day of free agency for the San Jose Sharks.

The opening day of NHL Free Agency 2011 has come and gone, and 70 contracts and $250 million dollars later, there are a lot of new faces spread out with new teams across the continent.

NHL free agency began yesterday, and while most of the league was eager to make big signings to improve their rosters for the upcoming season, the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins made just one small addition.

New studies now show that hot temperatures in fact make NHL GM's more likely to spend.

Well, perhaps those reports are still a bit unconfirmed. Still, though, the opening day of NHL Free Agency 2011 made it seem so, as a few unexpected southern teams from across the United States took the league by storm to dominate an insane Opening Day.

During free agencies and trade deadlines of the past, Washington Capitals' General Manager George McPhee has often earned himself the name, Sleepy McPhee. 

Not this year. McPhee just got serious.

After three consecutive years of postseason failure and disappointment, McPhee has finally realized what the flaws in his organization are, and he is now doing whatever it takes to fix them.

Unlike the 2010 first day of free agency, the Colorado Avalanche proved to be very active on July 1, 2011, making several moves and signings that will have a definite effect on the outlook of the team this coming season.

Before we talk about what happened today, let's give a brief review of what the Avalanche did leading up to free agency.

The New Jersey Devils filed for arbitration today with Zach Parise, and eliminating the opportunity for Parise to become a restricted free agent on July 1st, essentially guaranteeing that he will be on the Devils' roster next season. 

Jaromir Jagr was an NHL All-Star and before departing to the KHL. He had 71 points in his last NHL season. That was back in the 2007-08 season. He may have been good, but that was three years ago.

The Detroit Red Wings are going to have to fill a hole in defense. Brian Rafalski will not be easy to replace, but it has to be done. The Wings struggled in defense, and as a result, they finished as the third seed in the West going into playoffs.