jawbreaker

Yes, players have rights. They have rights to sign a contract, or not to sign a contract. If you are a prospect (not matters from Europe, or from the North America), then your rights are limited. You can't choose any NHL-team. You can't demand any salary. Difference between OHL, and European leagues are so huge than it's silly to compare. As far as I know OHL, or any NA junior hockey leagues doesn't make their money from the transfers. Plus, they have the age limit. And what is the most important: they are not a PRO leagues. On the other hand European leagues make some money on these transfers, it's vital to them (I'm talking about small clubs, not Russian Oil clubs). If small club doesn't get the transfer money for the players, then they are in trouble. Small example: (this is how it should be) If Filatov wants to play in NA, then there would be choices to make: 1. Columbus pays a transfer money to the CSKA, and Filatov is free to go. 2. If Columbus is not willing to pay, then Filatov waits until he is 24, and is not a RFA in the home league (I think they don't have this UFA, and RFA. But they should.) After that Filatov is free to go. The restricted free agent part is the exact same as in the NHL. So about what player rights we are talking here?

Great post GordieSid&Ted. As I said before, European clubs are not against that their players leave them for the NHL. They just want the money for the players they have groomed. One soccer example : If the Real Madrid wants a player, then they ask the other club: How much? Madrid don't tell, that they will take him for free, 'cause they are Real Madrid, and the player would love to play for them. If the NHL club wants a player, then they are telling: We will take him for free, 'cause we are the NHL club, and the player would love to play for us.

If they have the talent and the NHL wants them. Then the NHL should pay for them. Many clubs in Europe make their money thanks to the transfer fee. I know that in the US players get traded, but in Europe it doesn't work like that. You want the player, you pay for him. Pretty clear and simple.

So simple. Just they have to take the risk. If NHL doesn't want them, they can't go to the US. If NHL wants them, then NHL should pay for them. European clubs are potentially giving away a lot of money, 'cause people would probably pay more to see Ovechkin, Malkin, Backstrom, Sedin. Hockey would be more popular, as a result more money from the tickets, better TV contracts, etc. But instead of that NHL gets all these things for free.

Europe don't mind that their players play in the NHL. They just want a good compensation for them. Clubs in Europe invest a lot of money, and time in players. For what? So they could break contracts, and go North America for nothing (or some small fee, which is a joke). Plus, they don't want that their youngster would rot in the minors, if instead of that these players can play for their home-clubs. If NHL wants good Europeans, then they should pay for them good compensation. Technically these European players earn this money back (by entertaining people), so why not to give some of this to European clubs.

Great for Hank. He will get two long - term deals this year. One deal is with Emma, and the other one is with the Red Wings. Huge year in his life.

You lucky bastard, Marian.

Typical summer topic. This topic is inspired by the Nash vs Gaborik topic on the HF.com I think that Rick Nash must be the most overrated star in this league. Guy has never scored 70 pts, and his best is the 41-goal season. These numbers are not impressive by any means. A lot of people say, that CBJ are bad, and he's the only great player there. And with the good center he would be a beast. Sure the Jackets are not stacked, but they are not that bad. Kovalchuk scored 52 goals this season (if not Ruutu's hit, then he would have scored 60 IMHO), and his support was maybe even worse than Nash has. Ovechkin in his first two seasons had also an awful team around him. So I think that such a star should score at least (actually more than) 40 goals and 70 pts. As of the underrated star I have to pick Alfredsson (a year ago I would have picked Dats, or Z). People talk a lot about Spezza and his super-playmaking, and Heatley with his scoring-touch. But as we saw at the end of the season, if we take Alfredsson off that line, then those two stars become pretty useless (Round 1 anyone?). Alfie can score, pass, play defense. He is a real game-breaker. The complete package. IMHO he is not much worse overall player, than Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Thoughts?

Great. Maybe he will hype Sammy there, and the Hawks will trade Toews for him.

Lets just hope that Filppula & Franzen will have similar year, or Franzen will become way too expensive and he will be gone.

I know little about hockey? Ok... then. I pointed out that it's way too early to call Malkin a playoff choker. Even The Great One was not that great in his first finals, so give Malkin some break.

Malkin is not overrated. Give him a break. They say that he had a fever during the Finals. Guy had like two playoffs, and he put up some solid numbers, so you can't him call a choker. He is a great player, but he will be in Crosby's shadow all his career, if they play for the same team. Btw: How many points scored Gretzky in his first Finals? Was he a playoff choker, also? Not an elite player?

2GordieSid&Ted Well you made ur point with Iginla and Nash. Maybe Iginla is overrated. And it's great that u think that Nash is not a franchise player, but many people on different boards, and tv commentators are thinking, that Nash is a franchise player. That is why I'm saying he is overrated.

If Nash is as good as a lot people say, then why he can't constantly score 40 goals per season even without great center? And you are saying that with the guy like Langkow he would score like Iginla? This is slightly too optimistic, my friend. Yes, he is playing under Hitch, but Hitch sends him on the ice to score goals, 'cause he should be a goalscoring machine, right? Number one thing that Rick Nash has to do is score goals, and under 40 goals from the team superstar, so called one-of-the-best-Canadian-wingers, franchise player is not much. Media, and fans are really overrating him. He is a good first-line winger, but not a franchise player.

Good post about Thorton. And yes, Savard is often overlooked, plus his defensive game has improved also.

This is what I call overrating Rick Nash. You have to put this goal machine with the legit #1 center to get 40-50 goals? That doesn't sound like goal machine to me. And comparing him with Ovechkin is normal. Sure, AO had a solid team around him last year. But in his rookie season he was alone (Zubrus was only solid player), and he still managed to score 52 goals. Kovalchuk is playing also alone and still scoring 50. I don't expect 50-60 goals from Nash. But 40 goals should such a superstar score every year, even without good #1 center.

I must say that Jason Spezza is pretty overrated also. Many people actually think that he is a better playmaker than Datsyuk. He also likes to give the puck away too much, and his defensive game is average at best. He has great players on his line, and that makes him better. Also I would not put Heatley in the same category as Kovy & Iginla. So he is slightly overrated also in my eyes. From Buffalo Derek Roy, and Jason Pominville are pretty underrated. They are both ppg players, but nobody is talking about them.

When I started this topic I would have never guessed that we would be talking about guys like Iginla, Thorton. People talk about them as one of the best forwards in the league. And they have been putting up great numbers year after year. So logic says that they are both probably one of the best forwards in the league. Crosby is very hyped for sure, but he has been stellar also. In my eyes he is only slightly overrated. Some of are saying that Datsyuk and Zetterberg are underrated. In my opinion that is changed after our win. They get fairly enough credit from the fans and the media.

cheap... but he will be gone from Florida very soon...

Rick Nash was drafted to lead this CBJ team. So he should be a franchise player. I think that he hasn't proved that yet. But many fans (like posters on different boards) still consider him as an elite winger (sure he is good, but not in the same league with AO, Kovy, Heatley), and a franchise player. Some fans say that with the proper center he would be a Richard Trophy winner again. I don't think so. I think that Nash is the most overrated superstar, and I explained it. Some ppl will think otherwise, and they will have their own reasons. That's why this is a discussion board, and I didn't use any certain criteria.

Russian media says that SKA is offering contract to Brendan Shanahan. I doubt that he will go, 'cos it's too far from Boston

Good deal for the Caps: Feds will be mentor for AO, Semin, Backstrom. He can still show great hockey, can be used as Dman. This one - year deal won't kill Washington.

Watched some vids today. Simply brilliant... I think that Bure was the most exciting player to watch during his career. Datsyuk is currently holding this title.

lol... Hockey is not very popular in our country. It's all about basketball, soccer, and cross-country skiing. To people from Canada it's probably hard to imagine that there are people in the world who don't know Sidney Crosby. Hockey is so popular here that nobody reported that Hossa signed with the Wings

In Estonia a lot of people, who don't follow hockey are asking me, if Bure still plays. They don't know Ovechkin, Malkin, Crosby, Fedorov, but they do know Pavel Bure. That says something.