The UFAs who never found a team
We've heard plenty lately about Brendan Shanahan and Mats Sundin, the two highest-profile unrestricted free agents without a home, and you can find tons of analysis as to where they may head just about anywhere you look.
But there are other, less heralded free agents still out looking for a team and one wonders if they'll simply fade away into oldtimers games and celebrity signings. Here's a runthrough of players available, one month into the 2008-09 season:
Glen Murray
Last seen: Bought out by the Bruins this summer after a 30-point season
Current whereabouts: Murray turned 36 on Saturday and has fallen entirely off the radar after a 337-goal, 651-point career. Never quick on his feet, injuries have likely slowed him down too much to catch on elsewhere.
Bryan Smolinski
Last seen: Posted 25 points in a third-line role with the Habs last season but laboured in his own end and wasn't re-signed.
Current whereabouts: Smolinski turns 37 at the end of December and is continuing to work out in the hopes that someone shows some interest.
Martin Gelinas
Last seen: Had a solid season in Nashville last year with 20 points in an energy role
Current whereabouts: Gelinas, 38, is skating with the University of Calgary team but hasn't had a lot of interest. He could end up in Europe if he wants to extend his career, which is a shame given he likely still has something to give.
Peter Forsberg
Last seen: Played just nine regular season and seven playoff games last season with the Avalanche due to ongoing foot issues
Current whereabouts: He's still in Colorado, with a hot young college student as his girlfriend, and any return would be with the Avs. Who knows how possible that is.
Keith Carney
Last seen: Had 61 games in a minor role with the Wild last season
Current whereabouts: Now 38 and not getting any quicker, Carney nonetheless was on a tryout with the Blackhawks before being cut and his name is still out there for teams looking for blueliners. There could be a Bret Hedican type signing involved here.
Bryan Berard
Last seen: Potted 22 points with the Islanders and went minus-17 in 54 games
Current whereabouts: Just 31 years old, Berard's career may be over, and it's hard not to believe it has more than a little to do with the devastating eye injury he suffered in 2000. He failed to make the Flyers, despite their decimated blueline, in a tryout this fall, and hasn't surfaced elsewhere.
Jocelyn Thibault
Last seen: Had a career-killing turn as Ryan Miller's backup in Buffalo last season
Current whereabouts: Still only 33 years old, his name hasn't come up at all despite several goaltending injuries across the league.
Yanic Perreault
Last seen: Faded pretty quickly last season in Chicago, managing only 14 points in 53 games
Current whereabouts: After being the feel-good comeback story with Phoenix two years ago, his name is still out there as a potential signee, but at 37, could also be finished.
Martin Lapointe
Last seen: Was largely ineffective in an 18-game stint with the Senators last season
Current whereabouts: Lapointe turned 35 in September but hasn't received any interest this season.
Geoff Sanderson
Last seen: Had only three goals and 13 points in 41 games last season in Edmonton
Current whereabouts: Now 36, his wheels aren't what they used to be, and after turning down a tryout with the Blackhawks, he hasn't received a sniff elsewhere.
Jeff Friesen
Last seen: Played five games in the AHL last year with Lake Erie but was released in late January
Current whereabouts: Friesen, only 32, had a tryout with the Sharks this fall but was cut prior to the start of the season and hasn't caught on elsewhere. He has really struggled postlockout after a pretty solid career up to that point.
Sandis Ozolinsh
Last seen: Was consistently awful in a 39-game stint with the Sharks last season
Current whereabouts: Now 36, Ozolinsh was reportedly offered a contract with the Kings that he turned down, and that likely concludes his NHL career.
Another UFA who didn't find a home was Mike Johnson, who ended up in Germany with the Cologne Sharks, where he surprisingly has just 10 points in 19 games. He's three years removed from a 54-point season in the NHL.
Anyone I missed?
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Comments
Nolan Pratt
Not that he deserves mention amongst those names, but judging by the fact that at least 4 or 5 dozen people end up at my site after searching for him, someone may want to know that he signed with the Amur Tigers of the KHL.
Honk if you love Justice!
"I'm betting that I'm just abnormal enough to survive. "
by TheTick on Nov 4, 2008 5:34 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
-1 for noting Forsberg’s “hot young college student” girlfriend but not providing at least a link to visual evidence of the claim.
by J.P. on Nov 4, 2008 6:48 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Pics or it didn’t happen.
/old internet memes
Honk if you love Justice!
"I'm betting that I'm just abnormal enough to survive. "
by TheTick on Nov 4, 2008 7:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I was actually just looking to send you on a desperate Google images search, J.P.
by James Mirtle on Nov 4, 2008 12:51 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
As they proudly proclaim on signs that hang behind my soon-to-be-ex-President, “Mission Accomplished.”
by J.P. on Nov 5, 2008 9:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Geoff Sanderson
You say that his wheels aren’t what they used to be, but from watching him in Edmonton last year I’d say that the wheels are still there; it’s every other element of his game that’s gone.
by sarcasticidealist on Nov 4, 2008 8:08 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Peter Forsberg's girlfriend
You folks have heard of The Google, right?
by John Richardson on Nov 4, 2008 8:46 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Did she have reconstructive face surgery? Her face is… really asymmetrical.
Pension Plan Puppets*
* Blog contains less than 2% puppet content by weight.
by Chemmy on Nov 4, 2008 9:01 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Jocelyn Thibault
Last seen: Had a career-killing turn as Ryan Miller’s backup in Buffalo last season
Current whereabouts: Still only 33 years old, his name hasn’t come up at all despite several goaltending injuries across the league.
There’s a reason for that.
by Afino on Nov 4, 2008 8:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Probably the career-killing bit I mentioned.
by James Mirtle on Nov 4, 2008 12:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Still in his limited starts he did earn two shutouts, including what may be the final game of his career.
While he never looked comfortable, and was not trusted in net, I am a bit surprised that no one has picked him up at all…
by Ebscer on Nov 4, 2008 6:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting names
But that is really all that is on the list…interesting names. Are any of these players going to be able to sign and contribute to an NHL team? I don’t think so.
by David Oleksy on Nov 4, 2008 8:58 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Barring a horrific run of injuries (the sort of thing which may prompt the signing of a guy like Nolan Pratt for Buffalo) most teams would probably rather get an early feel on the prospects in their system. Why sign Glenn Murray when you can give Nathan Gerbe a shot, as an example.
Honk if you love Justice!
"I'm betting that I'm just abnormal enough to survive. "
by TheTick on Nov 4, 2008 9:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
And hallelujah for that
If it took the salary cap to force clubs to give their own prospects a shot rather than dump $1.8 million on a “depth veteran checking center with playoff experience,” I’m all for it.
Re: Murray — I read (the link escapes me) that he was due to have yet another ankle surgery.
SBN now has a NY Islanders blog at LighthouseHockey.com.
by Dominik on Nov 4, 2008 10:05 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly...
I would love to see Gerbe get more time in Portland, in fact all season but if injuries force them into it…I would rather see Gerbe wearing a Sabres jersey than I would Murray.
by David Oleksy on Nov 4, 2008 11:34 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'd love to see Gerbe
I gurantee he is a million times better than Matt Ellis on Peters. I’d rather he get some NHL experience, then to have to deal with a Peters-Ellis-Mair line for four minutes each game.
by Ebscer on Nov 4, 2008 6:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Peters-Ellis-Mair
Sure that would be an awful line, although I believe it would be Kaleta instead of Mair, but Gerbe is not ready to make that jump yet. Too many times we see players rushed to the NHL and than we have to talk about them being a bust. Although they are two entirely different players, it did Thomas Vanek a world of good playing a season in the AHL. I know that NCAA hockey is a lot better than it used to be but reality is they don’t play enough games. He needs to spend every minute of this season in Portland and look to be an impact player next season.
by David Oleksy on Nov 4, 2008 7:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Gelinas
signed to play in the Swiss league
Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
The Left Coast Lock
by blurr1974 on Nov 4, 2008 3:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Aaron Miller retired.
Just in case anyone was wondering about him. He played with Vancouver last year, but retired over the summer.
Life is what you make it!
by Sabrebat on Nov 5, 2008 2:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

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