from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.

Twenty or so ruminations on a busy, busy free-agent few days to steal a page from CBC’s Elliotte Friedman’s excellent 30 Thoughts blog:...

*I think Tampa Bay GM Steve Yzerman is a bright guy but he overpaid lots on Val Filppula, giving the ex Red Wings’ centre, term (five years) and dollars ($5 million). Filppula teases you with his ability but he’s had ONE good NHL season. Yzerman, of course, saw the Finn when he worked in Detroit. They buy out Vinny Lecavalier who was getting $7.8 mil per and get Filppula for about $1.5 million a year more than he’s worth.

*Jarome Iginla is still sitting out there. The Blues didn’t get their centre–Weiss or Filppula–but the right-winger Iggy has a history with coach Ken Hitchcock. He might have to sign for half ($3.5 mil) of what he was making though. He didn’t have a good playoff against the Bruins in their sweep of the Penguins but he’s got some game left. Couldn’t he be a second-liner in Vancouver at reasonable money?

*Pierre LeBrun, the ace TSN insider, says the Hawks are sniffing around goalie Nik Khabibulin as a backup for Corey Crawford. If they goes there, great move. Khabby was there once, and he’s still got enough game to play 20 games. He was nothing but profession in his four years as an Oiler. I’ll miss him.

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