2014 NHL Free Agency Preview
By Brett Malamud
Forwards
Thomas Vanek- 30 Years Old- LW (2013-14: 27 G, 41 A, 68 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Wild
Vanek has narrowed his list to “4 or 5 teams” and I’d be shocked if the final decision wasn’t Minnesota.
Jarome Iginla- 36 Years Old- RW (2013-14: 30 G, 31 A, 61 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Bruins, Wild, Canucks, Red Wings, Lightning
Unless Iginla decides that he’ll take a pay cut to return to Boston, I’m not quite sure how the Bruins will find salary cap space to sign him. This should be an exciting bidding war.
Paul Stastny- 28 Years Old- C (2013-14: 25 G, 35 A, 60 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Blues, Predators, Maple Leafs, Red Wings, Avalanche
Speaking of bidding wars, the most pursued free agent out there is none other than Paul Stastny. Stastny grew up in St. Louis and so the Blues are certainly intriguing. I think that they’ll make a good offer. Colorado would like to keep him but could very well be outbid by a team that’ll overpay for him.
Paul Stastny will be reeling in the offers when free agency opens (Via Getty)
Matt Moulson- 30 Years Old- LW (2013-14: 23 G, 28 A, 51 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Sabres, Senators, Stars, Predators
Let’s get this out of the way: Don’t doubt a Moulson return to Long Island. The 30 year old still remains close with one of his best friends John Tavares. Moulson loved being an Islander. Isles GM Garth Snow made his mistake when he dealt Moulson to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek, who told the team a few months later that he wouldn’t re-sign. I’m sure Tavares will be chirping in Snow’s ear.
Mike Ribeiro- 34 Years Old- C (2013-14: 16 G, 31 A, 52 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Flames, Blackhawks, Predators
The Coyotes bought out Ribeiro for his behavior off the ice. Should be interesting to see who will take a chance on him.
Daniel Alfredsson- 41 Years Old- RW (2013-14: 18 G, 31 A, 49 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Red Wings
Alfredsson has indicated that his two options are the Detroit Red Wings and retirement.
Defensemen
Matt Niskanen- 27 Years Old- (2013-14: 10 G, 36 A, 46 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Wild, Islanders, Capitals, Lightning,
Niskanen is the top all around defenseman on the market in my opinion. The Lightning cleared a ton of cap space and I think signing Niskanen is the reason why they did.
Dan Boyle- 37 Years Old- (2013-14: 12 G, 24 A, 36 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Lightning, Rangers, Canadiens, Red Wings, Maple Leafs
Boyle’s rights were traded to the Islanders, but they couldn’t nail down a deal so he’ll hit the FA market. His age will effect his contract so don’t expect anyone to break the bank on Boyle.
Christian Ehrhoff- 31 Years Old- (2013-14: 6 G, 27 A, 33 Pts.) Possible Destinations: Islanders, Lightning, Red Wings
Ehrhoff was bought out of his remaining seven years of his 10-year deal with Buffalo. Detroit showed a lot of interest at the trade deadline, so keep an eye on them.
Michael Del Zotto- 24 Years Old- (2013-14: 3 G, 13 A, 16 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Maple Leafs
Del Zotto was not given a qualifying offer by the Nashville Predators, making him an unrestricted free agent. The question with Del Zotto is: can this be a good value pickup? He won’t get paid as much as the others, so a low spending team like the Islanders may take a good look at him.
Brooks Orpik- 33 Years Old- (2013-14: 2 G, 1 A, 13 Pts.)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Capitals, Blues, Sabres
If you notice, the Islanders were listed on each of the defensemen’s free agents possible destinations. Yes, they need a defenseman and so they’ll look at each one. I believe that they should sign Orpik but don’t think they will. He has a blistering shot and is a force on defense. A hard hitter, Orpik will be a good fit wherever he goes.
Goaltenders
Jonas Hiller- 32 Years Old- (2013-14: 29-13, 5 SO, 2.48 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Lightning, Jets, Canucks
This is a rough spot for Hiller here, sharing the market with Brodeur, Miller and Nabokov. But he could go to a team such as the Lightning and Jets who have a shaky situation when it comes to a plan B in net.
Martin Brodeur- 42 Years Old- (2013-14: 19-14, 3 SO, 2.51 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Maple Leafs, Devils, Lightning, Bruins, Blackhawks, Penguins
Instead of retiring, Brodeur will explore his options outside of New Jersey. I don’t expect him to be signed on the first day of free agency.
Ryan Miller- 33 Years Old- (2013-14: 15-22, 3 SO, 2.72 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Canucks, Sharks
Miller already met with Vancouver officials and my belief is that he’ll be signed by them.
Evgeni Nabokov- 38 Years Old- (2013-14: 15-14, 4 SO, 2.74 GAA)
Possible Destinations: Islanders, Capitals, Flyers
Another interesting signing will be Nabokov. He wasn’t close on a deal with the Isles and so he’ll go out to free agency. The Capitals need a backup for Braden Holtby. Philly is over the cap and so I think Nabokov will end up with the Caps.
Brett Malamud is a Computer Science Major at Binghamton University. He is the co-founder of dabuzzza.com. His favorite athletes are Derek Jeter and Todd Bertuzzi. You can follow him on twitter at @brettnyy
The Three Major Questions Heading Into Tonight’s NBA Draft Plus Mock Draft 2014
By Nick Guy
- What will Cleveland do?
The choices seem to be down to three: Jabari Parker, Andrew Wiggins or Trade out. While nobody would ever imagine trading out of the first pick in a draft where there are such high ceiling players, we ARE talking about the Cavs. One rumor has the Orlando Magic offering the 4th and 12th picks plus scoring forward Aron Afflalo. If Cleveland is truly in love with Joel Embiid this might make some sense as they could try to add Embiid with the 4th pick and add a second lottery pick and a good player in return. On the other hand if Embiid’s injury problems are chronic and Wiggins or Parker turn out to be…well you know the rest. As for Parker, there are rumors swirling that he wants no part of Cleveland and would be much happier in Milwaukee. If I am the Cavs I would not listen to anyone or anything and just take the best player, pair him with Kyrie Irving and move on. In my eyes that would be Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has the most upside of anyone in the draft and will be a future star in the league.
- Where will Joel Embiid land?
Is Embiid’s injury bad timing or good timing? Depends who you ask. I would say bad timing for Joel Embiid but maybe lucky timing for the Cavs? As the draft banter has progressed in the last month or so all I kept hearing was Embiid was going first to the Cavs who were drooling at his potential. My thoughts? Always take the best player which to me means Andrew Wiggins 1st, Jabari Parker 2nd and Joel Embiid 3rd. I wondered if Cavs management had been stuck in a cave for the past 30 years and never heard the stories of Sam Bowie and Michael Jordan or Greg Oden and Kevin Durant? Is it possible they would pass on Wiggins and Parker to pick the injury prone big man with potential? Bad timing for Philly who at pick number 3 had to be giddy in thinking the Cavs would leave them Wiggins or Parker. How lucky can Cleveland be? First they come all the way up to win the lottery and snag the 1st pick and then an injury might actually force them to take the best player? WOW!! With that said, please understand that this is not to denigrate Joel Embiid who is an exceptional prospect. Just not the top prospect. So where does he land? I think the highest spot he could go is 3rd. The 76ers will choose between Embiid and Dante Exum or possibly maneuver within the top 6 or 7 with someone who will take a shot at Embiid. I don’t think he will last past Boston at number 6 and the teams most involved seem to be the 76ers, Celtics, Lakers and Magic.
Look for Joel Embiid to go in that 3-6 range in tonight’s NBA Draft (Via USA Today)
- How will LeBron and Melo’s free agency impact the draft?
When you are chasing free agents of this magnitude there are always two things to remember. First, the more cap room you have the better off you are and second, only one team gets them and the rest are left in limbo. So what does this mean for the draft? Teams will look to couple expiring deals with draft picks to create room for marquee names. The Lakers have already offered #7 with Steve Nash’s contract to suitors. The Bulls are looking to offload their 2 first rounders with Carlos Boozer to fit a max guy. Houston, Miami and OKC are all looking at moving out of the bottom of the first round and into the top of the second round where contracts are not guaranteed. The NBA draft has become a chess board where cap space has become more valuable than a mid level prospect. Expect to see at least a half dozen and potentially more first round picks move tonight. All the movement will be designed to free up valuable space and the beneficiaries of that could be teams like Philly, Utah, Detroit, Phoenix, Cleveland and Milwaukee. Those are the key teams that will have the maneuverability to add a player with an expiring contract without trading one away plus get a sweetener in return. Should be a very interesting night.
And now Mock Draft 2014
I will not include trades but I expect at least 6 or 7 and maybe as many as 10 or 12 before the night is over.
1. CLEVELAND- Andrew Wiggins-Kansas
2. MILWAUKEE- Jabari Parker-Duke
3. PHILADELPHIA- Dante Exum-Australia
4. ORLANDO- Joel Embiid- Kansas
5. UTAH- Noah Vonleh-Indiana
6. BOSTON- Doug McDermott-Creighton
7. LA LAKERS- Marcus Smart-Oklahoma State
8. SACRAMENTO- Aaron Gordon- Arizona
9.CHARLOTTE- Nik Stauskas-Michigan
10.PHILADELPHIA-Julius Randle-Kentucky
11. DENVER- James Young-Kentucky
12. ORLANDO-Elfrid Payton-Louisiana Lafayette
13. MINNESOTA- Rodney Hood- Duke
14. PHOENIX- Dario Saric- Croatia
15. ATLANTA- Zach Lavine-UCLA
16. CHICAGO- Gary Harris- Michigan St
17. BOSTON-Jusuf Nurkic- Bosnia
18. PHILADELPHIA- Kyle Anderson –UCLA
19. CHICAGO-Adreian Payne- Michigan State
20. TORONTO- Tyler Ennis- Syracuse
21. OKLAHOMA CITY- Jerami Grant- Syracuse
22. MEMPHIS- Shabazz Napier- UCONN
23. UTAH- Mitch McGary- Michigan
24.CHARLOTTE- TJ Warren-NC State
25.HOUSTON- Jordan Adams-UCLA
26. MIAMI- Patric Young- Florida
27. PHOENIX- KJ McDaniels-Clemson
28. LA CLIPPERS- PJ Hairston_ Texas Legends
29. OKLAHOMA CITY- Cleanthony Early- Wichita State
30. SAN ANTONIO-Clint Capela- Switzerland
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups
By Josh Wicker
Even though the season is just starting, the NBA still has many surprises and uncertainties. Fantasy owners are still unsure if players’ performances are the real deal or just a fluke. Here are some must adds for the Fantasy Basketball 2013-14 season:
Standard League Finds:
Michael Carter Williams (78.8% owned in ESPN Leagues)- Almost a quadruple double in his first career game. That was an incredible performance and if he is still available in your league, he is a must add. He is on a team that has potential but lack depth at the point guard position. It appears that the 76ers are giving him a main role with the team and as a result, fantasy owners should take notice.
Michael Carter-Williams enters his first season with high expectations, after a breakout debut game (Via Philly Sports Live)
Deandre Jordan (58.2%)- I cannot understand how he was not taken in most leagues as a mid to late round pick. He provides points, rebounds and blocks on a very good Clippers team. He is also getting a very high amount of minutes and of course, you cannot forget about the lobs. Even though Doc Rivers does not like the term, Lob City still exists and Jordan is one of the two main beneficiaries.
Reggie Jackson (46.8%)- KD can not do everything for the Thunder. He needs a Russell Westbrook to soften the load. But, since Westbrook is injured, the Thunder are looking at Jackson as a solid starter at the point. He might even play at the shooting guard position when Westbrook gets back. He can provide steals, points and assists and should be picked up.
Miles Plumlee (8%)- Since Marcin Gortat was traded to the Wizards, a spot has opened up at center,and it seems like Plumlee has got a good grasp on it. He performed very well (18 points, 15 rebounds) and the only competition is with unproven rookie Alex Len. The Suns organization plans on giving Plumlee a lot of playing time and fantasy owners need to capitalize on this.
Taj Gibson (3.16%)- He is clearly the first big man off the bench for the Chicago Bulls. The only reason that he is not starting is because the Bulls are very deep with big men. However, they have one of the better front courts in the league. He provides solid rebounding and points for the Bulls and also can for your fantasy team.
Deeper League Finds:
This section contains players who are owned in less than 2% of ESPN leagues, but can be high reward or should be owned by more people in larger sized leagues.
Andrew Nicholson (1.6%)- Even though he is not playing many minutes, Nicholson is still providing 30+ minute like stats. He is currently one of the first off the bench for the Magic, but could easily become a starter because of his stellar play.
Randy Foye (0.6%)- When you get this far down in percent owned, normally all of the players are backups. But Foye is the starting shooting guard for the Nuggets alongside Ty Lawson and will provide points and three pointers. He is a scoring threat and can even add a couple of rebounds.
Boris Diaw (0.4%)- One of my personal favorite players, Diaw will
normally be brought in for defense, but can also pass extremely well and nail the occasional three. He currently plays about 20-25 minutes a game but that can increase because of the old age of the Spurs. He is a scrappy player who will fight for rebounds and is a good add in deep 16 or more team leagues.
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