Phaneuf named Captain, Nabby gone in San Jose: Offseason Recap #1
In the brief time since Lord Stanley’s Cup was raised in Chicago, players have been traded, signed, unsigned, or have retired. Coaches have been hired. Speculation of award winners has flown around the hockey world like a zamboni with a twin charging V8 engine. Oh, and did I mention that free agency begins July 1? Yes, a lot of news and excitement has filled the NHL offseason thus far, and it looks to only be the beginning. To start things off, Defensemen Dion Phaneuf was named the Toronto Maple Leafs Captain for the 2010-2011 season in a press conference that also unveiled the Leafs new uniforms. Phaneuf is a perfect choice for captain on a team with major growth potential and a lot of promise. Not only is he a tough player that brings a lot of energy, he is a valued and well-respected presence in the locker room. The St. Louis Blues have been busy this June, bringing in Jaroslav Halak, the red-hot goaltender that led the Montreal Canadiens to victory against the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. In return, the Canadiens receive two minor league forwards: Ian Schultz and former 2007 first round pick Lars Eller.
The Blues are working hard to continue their youth movement, adding Halak to a young team that includes David Backes, the high-energy forward and silver medalist from Team USA. By signing Halak, the Blues have made the offseason goaltender race that much more interesting, with Chris Mason set to leave St. Louis. Another team making the goaltender race exciting is the San Jose Sharks by officially deciding to not sign perennial regular season stud, Evgeni Nabokov. Sharks GM Doug Wilson claims the move is purely financial, but let’s face it. Nabby has been less than stellar in the postseason the last few years. San Jose has other free agents they’ve got to get signed as well, including unrestricted free-agent Patrick Marleau. The Sharks will also be without Rob Blake next season as he has retired from the game after 20 successful and well-respected years in the NHL. Along with Blake, future hall-of-fame defensemen Scott Niedermayer also decided to retire after 18 years in the league. Both Blake and Niedermayer have had amazing careers in the league and they will surely be missed.
The Tampa Bay Lighting has made some waves in the hockey world, bringing in hall-of-fame Red Winger Steve Yzerman as the team’s new GM. In Stevie Y’s first big move in the position, he named Guy Boucher as the team’s new head coach, bringing in a young, fresh perspective to a team full of raw talent. In other coaching news, the Columbus Blue Jackets named Scott Arniel as their new head coach. Arniel was the head coach of Manitoba in the American Hockey League. The NHL Awards take place Wednesday, June 23 at 4:30 p.m. EST in Las Vegas. Many surprises wait in sin city, as the NHL’s best accept their well-deserved hardware. Check it out on Versus. Free agency begins July 1. Expect a lot of movement in the coming months.
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