Koivu joins Selanne with Ducks

by James Mirtle on Jul 8, 2009 1:03 PM CDT Comment 20 comments

The Ducks are set to announce shortly the signing of unrestricted free-agent center Saku Koivu to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. Koivu, captain of the Montreal Canadiens the past 10 seasons, will be reunited in Anaheim with his longtime friend and Finnish national team linemate, Teemu Selanne.

— Ducks Blog

Anaheim's certainly going to be a different team next season.

No Chris Pronger, no Francois Beauchemin and what could be a dynamite tandem up front after having hardly any offensive depth in recent years. Koivu's closing in on 35 and Selanne turned 39 on Friday, so it remains to be seen what they have left in the tank, but they were terrific together for years in international competition.

The Ducks have no spent roughly $50-million under the cap and that's likely where they'll stay. Anaheim still needs another addition on the blueline, where they'll be weaker than in the past with a top six that inludes Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney, Luca Sbisa, James Wisniewski and Brett Festerling.

Koivu makes them better up front and that's a reasonable contract, but what they really need is to move J-S Giguere for a defenceman.

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YES!!!!

miss u, CR baby...u want 2 get back 2gether?

by sleza on Jul 8, 2009 1:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Giguere

Easier said than done. Who has that much cap space and needs a starter or at least an upgrade?

by Shawn Mullin on Jul 8, 2009 1:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Not many...

Chicago is capped out. The team that makes the most sense to me would be the Capitals, but I haven’t heard a thing about that.

by stormj on Jul 8, 2009 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Would it have been so hard, Teemu, to come to Montreal a few years ago to see how you two could work together when you were younger? Ugh…

Seeing this news is harder than I thought. Kovalev and Komisarek can go to hell (and they did, so good on them). The new guys better be good… they definitely won’t be as classy.

Hockey blogging can't get any flatter.

by saskhab on Jul 8, 2009 1:29 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Giguere

Hmm. Anaheim needs a defenseman and needs to move Giguere…Perhaps Brian Burke might be able to help them out of their situation. I understand that he has a defenseman (or two) to move and would be interested in Giguere.

by HighlandersHockey on Jul 8, 2009 1:35 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Toskala would likely be part of the deal, but I could see it work.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jul 8, 2009 1:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well...

…and would it include Kaberle? If that’s the deal, it doesn’t do much to alleviate the Ducks cap issues, even if it shores up their blueline.

by stormj on Jul 8, 2009 1:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why not a depth defencemen? Toronto has plenty.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jul 8, 2009 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If it would include Kaberle and taking Giguere’s contract, there would have to be plenty coming back from Anaheim…

I think the White/Finger/Van Ryn type player for Giguere possibility died when Burke signed Gustavsson.

by Godd Till on Jul 8, 2009 2:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Probably. Unless they could unload Toskala maybe?

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jul 8, 2009 5:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah but who would really want Toskala?

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Jul 9, 2009 11:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A team trying to dump a large salary like Giguere’s. Toskala has one year left on his deal; Giguere has two. They get out from under the cap hit entirely for 2010-11.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Jul 9, 2009 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sniff So long, Saku. =(

by Costa24 on Jul 8, 2009 1:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good luck Saku

You deserved better, but in todays NHL loyality from the Fan, Team and player is fickle.
Gainey wanted a fresh start thus the casting aside of a team leader. Good luck and same for Komi and Kovalev. Kovalev will show cause symptoms of Yashinsm in the Ottawa fans.
While big Mike will have a hard time Justifying his contract similar to what is happening to blake and what happened to Mccabe.

Leafs selling hope to the hopeless since 1967

by Toe Blake Hockey on Jul 8, 2009 2:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good for Koivu

No more constant questions and general stupidity and ignorance to deal with from the majority of the press in Montreal. He’s going to a situation where he can enjoy playing again and not be expected to carry the team on his shoulders. He carried himself with dignity and class in Montreal. It’s too bad so many of his detractors in the media that had their own political agenda didn’t do likewise. I wonder who they’ll target next in their continuing quest to show the world how hard done by they are?

by Exit716 on Jul 8, 2009 4:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs