NHL Free Agency Friday Winners

Here are my thoughts on what occurred this past Friday.

This past Friday was a very frantic, exciting day in the world of hockey. Many of the National Hockey League’s Stars have decided to leave their teams, sign big contracts and further develop their career within a new organization.

Some of the more familiar names include:

1.      Daniel Alfredsson: signed a one year deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

2.      Vincent Lecavalier: Longest serving Captain has signed with the Flyers

3.      Danny Brier: Been the face of the Flyers but has now signed with the Montreal Canadians

4.      Nathan Horton: Stanley Cup winner with Boston has signed a long term deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets

5.      David Clarkson: The Toronto native has come home and signed a long term deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs

Those are my top five transactions that occurred this past week. But the question is which team won in the end. This was a very tough decision that is still being debated by analysts and fans. I believe the Flyers and the Blue Jackets were the winners with their key signings. Vincent Lecavalier is a great two way player with exceptional puck handling skills, an accurate shot, and plenty of experience. He’ll be a great leader to the younger players in the dressing room as well. Lecavalier is a great replacement for Danny Brier, and will be a beautiful addition to one of Flyers younger lines. Having a player like Lecavalier allows the coaching staff more depth, and more ability to experiment. I mean there are so many options now. He could center a line with Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, or Jakub Voracek. The possibilities are all winners for the Flyers in my opinion.

The Columbus Blue Jackets took a big leap of faith in signing Nathan Horton long term, and I’m sure it’ll pay off. Horton is no Rick Nash, but with the past few seasons he’s been having, he’s pretty close. This guy has experience, a Stanley Cup to his name, speed, and exceptional puck handling skills. Plus, he’s still relatively young as well. And when you consider that he’s joining Marian Gaborik and Artem Anisimov, it’s hard not to get excited. Further having a Vezina trophy winner in Sergei Bobrovsky will help the Blue Jackets string together some more consistent wins as well.

All in all these two teams are the clear winners for me. I can’t wait to see which player has a bigger impact for their respective team. It certainly is going to be weird seeing Lecavalier in bright orange though.

You can also view these thoughts here, and comment as well. That way you can also be a part of Sportsnet Fanfuel. Link is http://www.sportsnet.ca/blogs/fanfuel/fan-fuel-2013-nhl-free-agency-flyers-jackets-big-winners/ Let the debate begin!!!