In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

"2.23 GAA and .926 SV% the last three seasons, plus 2.61 GAA and .912 SV% in 13 playoff games"

What's going on with Rask ?

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


Sure looks that way OC.  I wonder if this means they've moved off the KHL guy.  Probably.  They also grabbed the kid from Vancouver.

I doubt there's an answer to your question yet.  Too many variables.  Can they afford Rask's new deal and keep Thomas?  If they do keep both, will Khudobin bolt to the KHL?  Or would they make a deal and move Rask for a high enough return?

Or is this really just protection against an offer sheet on Rask? - Edmonton is rumoured to like him and has used the offer sheet before.  That would make a lot of sense given that he's a European goalie.  Maybe the plan is to keep him with Brynas if everything works out in Boston or there isn't enough on the table for either a Thomas or Rask move. 

Me seems to think there is already a deal in place to ship TT out of town.  Just a matter of waiting for the SCF to be over so they can pull the trigger....

If everything is status quo, Khubodin will have to clear waivers this fall so he's probably gone and the B's will need a new goaltender-in-waiting. I have a feeling that the Bruins are going to do do something significant this off-season though... I really think they may deal Thomas. With Kelly not signed they are changing something. The players they signed and have not signed, and the way the goaltending contracts have worked out makes me feel they have long planned to make some changes in the summer of '12.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

He was practicing for when he gets to open the door for Matt Cooke in a couple of years.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


If anything concerns me about this, it's that they planned to move Thomas out this summer years ago, and so they're going to do it because that's what they planned, not what makes sense now.

I don't know if anyone will claim Khudobin, but again, if Svedberg can be sent back to Europe after camp, they can try to send Khudobin down, and if he's claimed, Svedberg goes to Providence.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

Because of age and tenure ? Khudobin didn't have to clear in Minnesota for his starts nor in Boston when he was called last spring.

I agree with the latter statement something is a brewin for sure. I don't think PC is going stand pat during the trade or up to the trade.

Because he has a one-way contract this year. In response to "Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg":

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

And what kept Khudobin in the US last summer getting a 2 year deal. I don't see why PC would send him back down in the fall and risk losing him. So it is Rask or Thomas.

I agree Rask and Krejci is too much for Nash straight up. If PC does do that deal he had better have more coming back from Columbus.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


No it's not because of the one way contract.  I thought that as well but the one way is just his salary.  It is because of a combo of years since his first contract and games played.
Edit:  Here are some good resources...
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-waiver-rules/
http://capgeek.com/waiver_calculator.php?player_submit=1&player_id=-1

Either way, it looks like one of Timmy, Tuukka, or Khudobin will be gone next year...

I, for one, think Qdoba is a legit NHL goalie and could see PC trading Timmy this offseason...

Actually, that hockeywriters article is wrong, contract type does affect waivers, as do a bunch of other things. Summing it up in that table is fine for a lot of situations, but not for all. For example, why did Zach Hamill have to clear waivers, but not re-entry waivers? The waivers section of the of the NHL CBA is long and convoluted.  Suffice to say that everyone on an NHL 1-way contract must clear waivers to be assigned to a minor league team.  So must players on 2-way contracts, with some exceptions. The most-used exception is the one listed in that table of age/games played combo.  In the case of a 26 year old with Khubodin's experience on a 1-way contract he has to clear waivers for both reasons. The 1-way contract means he could also be claimed on re-entry waivers.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

I don't think risk of losing Khudobin is enough of a reason to move a better goaltender.  You don't hear a winning GM say: well, we're a better team with Player A and Player B, but if we keep them both, we lose Player C, so I'll choose to lose Player A just to get something for him and keep Player C instead. 

It has to be the right move for Thomas/Rask or don't make it.  They gave up Mikko Lehtonen and Jeff Penner to get Khudobin.  Mikko Lehtonen and Jeff Penner.  Since they made that deal, what has Khudobin done to suggest that there would be an enormous market for his services?  One good NHL game.  That's it.  Two years ago, he was acquired for an undrafted NCAA defenseman and a slow 3rd round Swede, neither of who is likely to play in the NHL.  

Now, I'll save someone the trouble - blah blah blah Tim Thomas blah blah blah.  True.  Maybe Khudobin is the next Tim Thomas who only really needs a chance to prove he's a Vezina calibre stopper.  But that's a heck of a bet to lose if it costs you Thomas or Rask.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

I didn't suggest Khudobin would be worth anything in a trade. If PC didn't think Anton wasn't worth anything he wouldn't have given him the 2nd year of the contract then let him bolt to the KHL last summer.

There wil be a big market for both Thomas and Rask. Khudobin is still under contract that says allot. The only cost is not having anything to back up Thomas if Rask is offered an enormous offer sheet or Khudobin has played  in 7 NHL games. So if Chiarelli gets an overwhelming offer for TT before or during the draft.

Khudobin has played in 7 NHL games now. How many do you need to see ? If PC keeps both Rask and Thomas how many free agents are ready to part with in 2013 ?

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


How does it not make sense to move Thomas now?  He is 38 years old his best seasons behind him, one year left on his contract and it appears neither side is interested in an extension.  The Buins have a young number one goalie who will never get a fair shake as long as Thomas and Julien are still here. 

Thomas's deal will be gone by 2013, so the last point is moot.  How many games did it take to tell the difference between Blaine Lacher and a shooter tutor?  Hannu?  Raycroft?  More than 7.  Raycroft in particular had Thomas-like numbers when he played 57 games and won the Calder.

I keep seeing talking heads say that this will be a big year of demand for goalies, but I don't see anything to suggest a sea change for teams wanting to pay a lot for a goaltender.  Every time a Braden Holtby flaps his wings, there's another GM willing to go with a young, cheap option in net.  Or Brian Elliott. Or a Mike Smith.  Smith's a great example.  Last year with the Tampans he had a GAA of almost 3 and a sub-.900 save%.  This year, he's a kingpin.  Did Smith get way better or is Tampa better off spending money on a defense that can protect whoever they put in net for $2M?  I don't think anyone will give the Bruins a huge return for Thomas.  Who is in position to go from zero to Cup in the two years he might still have as an elite goalie?  Not Tampa.  Not with that roster.  They're brutal beyond St. Louis, Stamkos, Lecavalier and Purcell up front, and they're not even close to that deep on defense. 

I might buy a decent return on Rask - I think they mentioned on HNIC that Edmonton has thought about pursuing him - but I'll believe it when I see it.  And it will be a buyer's market.  Luongo/Schneider (RFA); Quick (UFA 2013) and Bernier (RFA2013) in LA come up for decision pretty quickly.  Josh Harding in Minnesota is a UFA at 27 coming off of a .917 save% season.  Both Pavelec and Mason are up in Winnipeg.  Compare that to the list of teams who are desperate enough for a goaltender right now to trade good players - probably core players - for a goaltender.  Teams that think they're close enough to make that move.  The only one I can think of is San Jose, and I don't know if the Sharks still have the pieces to entice the Bruins.

I never implied that you or anyone could get a decent return for Khudobin.  I was saying that two years ago, the market for him was two longshots.  Not a lot has changed, so I'm not sure his value is high enough to fear losing him for nothing.  I'm not even sure other teams will claim him on a lick and a promise and then have to pay him almost $1M.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


Because his value on the ice for that one remaining season is higher than whatever you might get for him.  If you think he beats Rask for the #1 job next year, and you'd trade him away, you've weakened the goaltending twice over by also impacting the depth.  I don't care about amortizing the value of his remaining years; I think his short term impact on a cup run is worth gambling that he doesn't re-sign or that he walks for nothing.  If they sign Rask, they still have a young #1 under contract after 2012-13.  If they want to re-sign Thomas then and he takes more money elsewhere, fine.  If he re-signs, and he's still playing great hockey, they can deal Rask at that point if they want.

As my sig. line indicates, I think making deals because a possible trade chip's value has never been higher is dumb, or, at least, I think it only really matters for rebuilding teams who have a very few quality pieces and need to diversify. Contenders need to concentrate on putting the best team on the ice first and foremost.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


What if Rask says I am not returning to a situation where I do not get rewarded for playing well and signs in the KHL fo 2 years until he has UFA rights?

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

That's not how it works. If he bolted for the K, he'd still owe Boston some years of service before becoming UFA. If it was that easy, every young player would start off in the K and wait until UFA status before they came to the NHL.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


I am sorry but you're wrong, if your 27 and not under contract to an NHL team you are a UFA.  Unless that changes under the new CBA.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

Then what's to stop any player from just waiting until he's 27 to play in the NHL? Thanks for correction as I was under the impression a player couldn't just wait out his RFA status in a different league. I'll assume you're right then when I say this "loophole" is ridiculous and why we'll likely see an influx of players who bolt for the K (and big cash) when they're 25 and 26, only to return for a bidding war when they're 27.

What prevents players from bolting to the KHL? Russian mobsters, unsafe planes, Russian women...

Also, if you sign a contract when you are 17 (like Crosby) and play 8 years you are a free agent at 25. If you have a contract and don't honour it (Radulov) you need to honour it when you come back to become UFA. If you're without a contract you could bide a year or two in the K and come back at 27. I think for most guys it's not worth it unless their team is offering them something really below value.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:


I don't think it makes sense for many players, probably Rask included but it is an option.  Just for info purposes here is the revelvant section of the CBA:  10.1 Unrestricted Free Agents.
(a) Group 3 Players and Free Agents.
(i) For (A) the 2005-06 League Year, any Player who is 31 years of
age or older and has four (4) Accrued Seasons as of June 30 of the
end of the 2004-05 League Year, (B) the 2006-07 League Year,
any Player who either has eight (8) Accrued Seasons or is 29 years
of age or older as of June 30 of the end of the 2005-06 League
Year, (C) the 2007-08 League Year, any Player who either has
seven (7) Accrued Seasons or is 28 Years of age or older as of June
30 of the end of the 2006-07 League Year, and (D) the 2008-09,
2009-10, 2010-11 League Years, any Player who either has seven
(7) Accrued Seasons or is 27 years of age or older as of June 30 of
the end of the 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 League Year, shall, if
his most recent SPC has expired, with such expiry occurring either
as of June 30 of the applicable League Year or June 30 of any prior
League Year, become an Unrestricted Free Agent. Such Player
shall be completely free to negotiate and sign an SPC with any
Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign
an SPC with such Player, without penalty or restriction, or being
subject to any Right of First Refusal, Draft Choice Compensation
or any other compensation or equalization obligation of any kind.

In Response to Re: Bruins sign Sweedish goalie Niklas Svedberg:

Tax free big cash will still lure some players (especially Europeans). If a guy could spend 2 years in the KHL making 4 per year tax-free or stay in the NHL for 2 million per and lose half to taxes, I could see why lots of guys would do it. That's a huge difference in dollars.