The Bruins’ cap situation has prevented them from wading into the free-agent pool this summer, but other teams can still take advantage of a buyers’ market.
One of those players still available is former Bruin Bill Guerin, who was reported to have drawn interest from Boston, according to St. Louis Blues beat writer Andy Strickland via Twitter on Tuesday. That report was refuted Wednesday by CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty, but Guerin should still draw interest from other clubs.
Though he will turn 40 in November, Guerin remains productive as he put up 21-24-45 totals last year in Pittsburgh, his 13th 20-goal season. And Guerin has no intention of stopping any time soon.
“I’m still having too much fun playing the game,” said Guerin in April. “I’m still enjoying myself. And I feel like I’m still an effective player. … I go year by year. I’m at the stage where if in my heart and in my head I think I can still play and still be effective, I want to keep doing it.”
Guerin is far from the only veteran still out there who could help a team. Fellow graybeards Teemu Selanne (27 goals, 48 points in 54 games last year) and Mike Modano, who both have already turned 40, are still awaiting offers, as are Paul Kariya, 35, and John Madden, 37, the former Selke Trophy winner who earned his third Stanley Cup ring this spring with Chicago.
There are younger models on the showroom floor as well, with Maxim Afinogenov (career-high 24 goals last year), Lee Stempniak (28 goals, 14 in 18 games after being traded to Phoenix) and Raffi Torres available. Torres failed to score in 18 games with Buffalo after the Sabres acquired him at the deadline, but does have three 20-goals seasons to his credit. Arron Asham offers the best combination of skill (10 goals) and toughness (14 fighting majors) available, and former Bruin Glen Metropolit is looking for work after a career-best 16 goals, four of which came against Boston.
Steve Begin and Miroslav Satan, who each played in Boston last year, are also available. Begin wasn’t quite the agitator the Bruins thought they were getting, but he’s still a solid fourth-liner and an excellent penalty killer. And Satan showed he can still provide a few goals (and some nifty dance steps) with his performance in the playoffs. Even with no room on the roster or under the cap, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli didn’t completely rule out a return for either player when asked about their status earlier this month.
“I haven’t moved on from them yet,” said Chiarelli. “Obviously we’re tight right now. There’s still a lot left in the summer. We’ll see where we go.”
The pickings are slimmer on the blue line, where Willie Mitchell (concussion) and ex-Bruin Paul Mara (shoulder surgery) are coming off injuries and another former Bruin, Aaron Ward, is hoping to bounce back from a rough campaign (minus-17 with Carolina before being dealt to Anaheim). Andy Sutton doesn’t offer much in the way of mobility, but the 6-foot-6, 245-pound shot-blocking machine provides plenty of thump to a defense, and Mike Mottau, a Hobey Baker winner at Boston College back in 1999-00, enjoyed a renaissance as a stay-at-home defenseman in New Jersey (plus-28 the last two years) and could be a stabilizing presence for a young club.
In the net, former Hart and Vezina winner Jose Theodore earned a lot of wins last year with Washington, but is looking for a new home after being benched in favor of Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs. Marty Turco’s best days are behind him, but could still help a team in need of a veteran netminder.
Collectively, the remaining free agents wouldn’t create a very threatening lineup. But individually, they offer plenty of value to teams looking to fill specific roles. Their availability also shows that the free-agent frenzy isn’t over just yet, and proves that not all the key signings have to be made on July 1.
