So the free agency period has slowed down to where it seems like everyone is just waiting for Ilya.  Which is weird, because the only comparison I can make, that of NFL draft signing, doesn't make sense. With the NFL draft, all the first rounders wait a really long time until 1 or 2 sign their deals and then the other guys base there deals off of the first couple, going a little up or down based on draft position. But, this doesn't make sense with the Ilya thing because I don't see anyone basing their deals off of Ilya, because nobody is nearly as good as him. Maybe they are all afraid that by signing, it will just piss people off because they aren't Ilya.

Anyways, the real reason I am writing this is to mention/get feedback on Alexei Ponikarovsky.  I haven't heard any mention of him, but he seems like someone maybe we could get. First glance stats: the past 5 seasons, he has averaged 21 goals a season and done so fairly consistently, with a high of 23 and a low of 18.  With the Leafs, he was a plus player. He has been fairly healthy as far as I can tell, averaging 75 games per season the past 6 years. He's 30, which is by no means old.  And at 6'4, 220, he's a pretty big dude.

Last year, he made $2.5 million.  At a similar price for a non-ridiculous length of time (I'm thinking 3 or 4 years) I could see him helping out.  He is Russian, so maybe he could help out our newly acquired/drafted Russians.  Plus, he has an awesome name.  Almost Ruslan Fedotenko -esque.

Now, because he has played in the Eastern Conference his whole career, I will admit I have seen very little of his play.  So if anyone has commentary against this, I'd be glad to hear it.