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When the bell sounds to open the NHL's annual free-agency fury on Tuesday, the emotions will not run as high as in the spring, when the players battle passionately for the Stanley Cup.
But for many fans, players, agents and team executives, the excitement and intrigue created on July 1 and the following weeks rank high on the can't-miss days of the NHL calendar. Everybody has an angle and an interest heading into crunch time.
Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill, new Ottawa Senators coach Craig Hartsburg, prominent player agent Pat Brisson and potential free agent defenceman Brad Stuart share their stories:
THE ASSISTANT GM - JIM NILL
The Wings are only three weeks removed from that last celebratory drink and puff on a final victory cigar in the aftermath of their fourth Stanley Cup party in 11 years. There hasn't been much time to ready themselves for free agency.
There was the NHL awards night in Toronto and the draft to prepare for. But the lack of down time hasn't hurt free-agent preparations for Nill, Wings general manager Ken Holland and Detroit's front office.
"It's kind of a year-round process," Nill said. "We're evaluating our talent and needs on a daily basis. But in saying that, when it gets down to crunch time, a lot of what you do depends on your success in the playoffs, how many contracts you still have to negotiate with your own players and then the final piece of the puzzle is who is available.
"You want to have all your ducks in order for each situation."
This weekend, Holland, Nill, Detroit pro scouts Mark Howe, Bob McCammon, Pat Verbeek and Glenn Merkosky as well as senior vice-president Jim Devellano will assemble at Joe Louis Arena and refresh themselves with the Wings' situation, which free agents they have interest in and which free agents they may lose.
The free-agent playing field has changed since the lockout. Sure that first year, there was plenty of action, but now that the NHL is preparing for its fourth year since the entire 2004-05 season was wiped out a trend has developed. Teams are locking up seven to nine core players to long-term contracts, and then fortifying the lineup with younger talent and one or two free agents. Gone are the days when a team adds more than a pair of high-priced free agents.
The Wings have key players such as Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Nicklas Lidstrom, Daniel Cleary and Rafalski under contract. Young forward Valterri Filppula is the most important restricted free agent they need to re-sign and they also would like to bring Brad Stuart back as long as his salary demands fit around $3.5-million (all currency U.S.) a season.
"We have three questions that need to be answered," Nill said. "Will it be Stuart or somebody else, do we want to sign a veteran goalie or a young goalie as the third netminder in our system behind Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard, and will [Dallas Drake] play another season or retire."
Drake, 39, has been given time to weigh his important verdict.
The Wings have about $16-million to spend under the $56.7-million salary cap for the 2008-09 season. Aside from Filppula, Drake and possibly Stuart, they also need to re-sign players such as Chris Chelios, Andreas Lilja, Darren McCarty as well as youngsters Howard, Jonathan Ericsson and Kyle Quincey.
Plus, Nill has to make sure the Wings have money to spend next summer when Zetterberg, Franzen and Jiri Hudler have their contracts expire.
THE AGENT - PAT BRISSON
Brisson represents Stuart. The dependable blueliner is one of 65 clients for Brisson and his Creative Arts Agency hockey partner J.P. Barry. Their player list includes Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Brière, Mats Sundin, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Erik Johnson, Rob Blake and 2009 top prospect John Tavares.
While his clients are enjoying a break, 43-year-old Brisson, of Valleyfield, Que., (southwest of Montreal) is in mid-season form. He has been juggling contract talks for players seeking extensions as well as preparing for what will be a busy Canada Day.
"Currently, we have a number of players who potentially could become free agents on Tuesday and a number of players who have one year left on their contract and could sign an extension," Brisson said. "In the cases of the potential free agents, we have five players who could re-sign this weekend, but history tells me that probably only one or two will re-sign and the others will become free agents.
"At this time of the year, we're talking to all 30 teams on a weekly basis. In this process, you share information with general managers. I can ask the GMs what they're looking for on July 1 and he may say 'No. 1, we're looking for a left winger, No. 2, a top-four defenceman with a right shot.' You take notes. You read the market. You find out who we should be calling [on July 1]."
To help combat the 16-hour days Brisson has endured since the end of the season, he makes sure each day begins with an hour in the gym, most of that time spent on an elliptical cross-trainer in which he can read and study newspaper clips or his notes or contract proposals.
Brisson toiled for Verdun, Drummondville and Hull in four seasons in the QMJHL and played alongside former NHLers such as Pat Lafontaine, Luc Robitaille and Steve Duchesne. When he played for Hull as an overager, the junior team was owned by Wayne Gretzky, and that opened the door to marketing duties for NHLers such as Mario Lemieux.
This is Brisson's 16th summer of free agency. Last year, the hectic days in July saw him place Brière with the Philadelphia Flyers, Stuart with the Los Angeles Kings as well as sign Crosby to a long-term extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Tuesday, Brisson will be working the phones and his e-mails with his contract specialist, Jim Nice, in his Santa Monica, Calif., office and will keep in close contact with Barry in Calgary.
"Focus, extreme focus, is what it's all about," Brisson said. "You don't want to miss an opportunity."
POTENTIAL FREE AGENT - BRAD STUART
Stuart is one of Brisson's clients who may not make it to free agency. The Wings are interested in keeping Stuart, who performed well alongside partner Niklas Kronwall in Detroit's successful run to the Stanley Cup. But the two sides have yet to agree on a contract extension. Talks, however, will continue today, tomorrow and Monday.
If Stuart, 28, is without a team on Tuesday, he will be ensconced in his Los Angeles-area home waiting to find out which clubs are interested in his services and will make a decision with his adviser, Brisson.
This is the second summer in a row that Stuart will be an unrestricted free agent. A decade ago, he was selected third overall in the NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks, met a local woman, his future wife Melissa, and the two settled down in the Bay area.
Two months into his sixth season, the Stuarts' world was rocked because there was no warning that Brad would be included in the November, 2005 deal that moved Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins to the west. After a season-and-a-half in Boston, Stuart was dealt near the trade deadline in February, 2007 to the Calgary Flames.
The native of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., played well there and the Flames wanted to re-sign him, but the Stuarts decided they wanted to move back to California, so a one-year deal was worked out with the Los Angeles Kings.
Stuart was traded again to Detroit in February and there was a match made in Stanley Cup heaven. But Brisson and the Wings have yet to seal a deal, and because of how well he played in the playoffs there definitely is a market outside Detroit for Stuart.
Also, because of all the moves that Stuart, his wife and their three children — son Logan was born two months ago — have been subjected to in the past 30 months, they now realize this is a part of NHL life and are willing to play anywhere next year.
THE COACH - CRAIG HARTSBURG
Next year will see the return of former all-star defenceman Craig Hartsburg as a head coach in the NHL. Since being hired on June 13, 16 days shy of his 49th birthday, the native of Stratford, Ont., has been busy. He attended the draft in Ottawa last weekend and his family went house shopping this week and closed on a new abode two days ago.
It hasn't been easy for Hartsburg to get around these days. He only recently disposed of a cane he needed to walk after undergoing hip surgery to correct an ailment from his playing days.
While Nill, Brisson and possibly Stuart will be in the heat of the free-agent action on Tuesday, Hartsburg will be more like an anxious fan, interested to see what transpires.
But unlike a fan, Hartsburg has participated in enough meetings with Senators GM Bryan Murray to discuss the current roster and the personnel needs of the club.
"We've talked about our team and our needs, but to me I will have a role similar to the one a coach has on draft day, and that will be to get out of the way and let the people who are qualified to do that job," Hartsburg said.
Hartsburg has no plans to be alongside Murray, Senators assistant GM Tim Murray and director of hockey operations Brent Flahr at the Scotiabank Place offices. But he will be a phone call away if they desire his input on a decision.
"My focus right now is trying to get to know the players we have," Hartsburg said. "I'm certainly interested and excited to see what new players we might add, but at the end of the day I'm excited either way."
