A couple of early thoughts as the free-agent frenzy is under way: If indeed the Detroit Red Wings’ last-ditch efforts to sign Marian Hossa to a long-term contract did fail, you’d have to think that the Edmonton Oilers will be pushing hard to convince him to join them again.
Edmonton made the most lucrative offer last year – willing to give up money and term to get him – and there’d a certain symmetry to landing Hossa rather than Dany Heatley as the big fish that they’re seeking to upgrade their top line. After all, Hossa was swapped for Heatley back in August of 2005, when he demanded a trade out of Atlanta.
Hossa is probably the more well-rounded of the two, and the advantage of signing him is you don’t have to give up anything in return. In the proposed deal with Ottawa for Heatley, the Oilers would have given up a player that they would like to ship away (Dustin Penner), but they would have also had to surrender a player that they had hoped to stick around (Andrew Cogliano).
As for Toronto, last week an NHL GM told me that he figured his Leafs’ counterpart, Brian Burke, would have both Chris Neil and Travis Moen locked up within the first 24 hours of free agency – and that they would be two-thirds of Toronto's third line next year. Let’s see if he turns out to be right.
