The New York Rangers won the Brad Richards Derby on Saturday morning, which sent some other dominoes falling for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the NHL Free Agent Frenzy.
Both teams had been courting Richards, the prize of the unrestricted free-agent market. Hours after his 9-year deal with the Rangers was made public, they moved on to two of the bigger names remaining on the market: Center Tim Connolly and left wing Simon Gagne.
From Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star on Connolly and the Leafs:
Connolly's two-year deal will average $4.75 million according to TSN's Darren Dreger.
Connolly, who should help Toronto's power play, has had concussion issues in the past (as has Richards) but he is reportedly healthy. He played 69 games for the Sabres last season, scoring 13 goals and adding 29 assists for 42 points. The season previous, he had a career high 65 points. Connolly, 30, has never had a 20-goal season in the NHL. He topped out at 18 goals in 2008-09.
He's a quintessential boom-or-bust player; someone with the potential to be one of the NHL's top second-line centers (let's not pretend he's a No. 1) if he can stay healthy — the problem being that he's only played over 70 games once since the lockout and took a step back offensively last season (42 points in 68 games). In the plus column, Mike Milbury can't stand him.
Gagne has his own injury hazards for the Kings, who were chasing Richards in an effort to convert one of three centers (The Richards Brad and Mike, or Anze Koptiar) into a winger.
From Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider on Gagne to the Kings:
It's a two-year, $7-million deal that, in cash terms, will pay Gagne $4.5 million next season and $2.5 million in 2012-13, but the salary-cap hit is $3.5 million each season.
Gagne has been cleared to play — he missed time last season with a sore neck but returned in the playoffs — so the signing is not contingent on him passing any physical, etc.
One look at his career numbers reveals two things: He's injury prone but has the potential to be an effective top six winger. After losing Ryan Smyth, the Kings get younger (Gagne's 31) and cheaper; did they get better?