Through the first ¼ of the season, you can start to tell which teams made good moves or not during the off-season. Today we look at the five best signings this summer (or during camp) that have turned out to be a good bargain… and no, Hossa will not appear on this list!
1. Maxim Afinogenov, ATL ($800k, 1 yr)
A lost cause in Buffalo, Afinogenov opted to take a tryout with the Thrashers instead of signing a much richer deal in the KHL. His decision has paid huge dividends for Atlanta. He stepped up in Ilya Kovalchuk’s absence, and has 14 points in the last 11 games. Afinogenov is a pleasant surprise to the upstart Thrashers, and has found a home next to Kovalchuk… at a very cheap price!
2. Antero Niittymaki, TB ($600k, 1 yr)
Like Afinogenov, Niittymaki almost dashed to the KHL as not many teams approached him here in the NHL. Tampa Bay finally gave him offer, and he has basically ripped the starter’s job out of Mike Smith’s hands. The fact that he has a GAA south of 2.00 is extremely impressive. If he continues to be stellar in net, he could lead the Bolts to a playoff berth.
3. Vinny Prospal, NYR ($1.1 mil, 1 yr)
There’s just something about the way Prospal plays under John Tortorella’s tutelage. Bought out by the Lightning, Prospal quickly found a home in New York. His $1.1 million salary is a big bargain, given his instant success with the team. The Rangers would not have gone on their early-season run without Prospal’s prowess on the power play.
4. Craig Anderson, COL ($3.2 mil, 2 yrs)
After a red-hot start, Anderson has cooled down this month. But he is still one of the bigger bargains out there as a full-fledged number one ‘tender. Anderson has led the Avalanche to a surprising start, finding themselves on top of the division at Thanksgiving… unbelievable! Anderson is under contract for another year, and is proving doubters wrong that he belongs as a starter in this league.
5. Mikael Samuelsson, VAN ($7.5 mil, 3 yrs)
I don’t think Vancouver could put a price tag on Samuelsson’s value to the Canucks through the first two months. He’s worked his tail off, carrying over the same work ethic that works so well in Detroit. He is third on the team with 18 points, and helped keep the team’s head above water when they experienced all of those injuries.
Honorable Mention:
Francis Bouillon, NSH ($750k, 1 yr)
Robert Lang, PHX ($1 mil, 1 yr)
Jay McKee, PIT ($700k, 1 yr)
Brendan Morrison, WSH ($1.5 mil, 1 yr)
Andrew Raycroft, VAN ($500k, 1 yr)
1. Maxim Afinogenov, ATL ($800k, 1 yr)
A lost cause in Buffalo, Afinogenov opted to take a tryout with the Thrashers instead of signing a much richer deal in the KHL. His decision has paid huge dividends for Atlanta. He stepped up in Ilya Kovalchuk’s absence, and has 14 points in the last 11 games. Afinogenov is a pleasant surprise to the upstart Thrashers, and has found a home next to Kovalchuk… at a very cheap price!
2. Antero Niittymaki, TB ($600k, 1 yr)
Like Afinogenov, Niittymaki almost dashed to the KHL as not many teams approached him here in the NHL. Tampa Bay finally gave him offer, and he has basically ripped the starter’s job out of Mike Smith’s hands. The fact that he has a GAA south of 2.00 is extremely impressive. If he continues to be stellar in net, he could lead the Bolts to a playoff berth.
3. Vinny Prospal, NYR ($1.1 mil, 1 yr)
There’s just something about the way Prospal plays under John Tortorella’s tutelage. Bought out by the Lightning, Prospal quickly found a home in New York. His $1.1 million salary is a big bargain, given his instant success with the team. The Rangers would not have gone on their early-season run without Prospal’s prowess on the power play.
4. Craig Anderson, COL ($3.2 mil, 2 yrs)
After a red-hot start, Anderson has cooled down this month. But he is still one of the bigger bargains out there as a full-fledged number one ‘tender. Anderson has led the Avalanche to a surprising start, finding themselves on top of the division at Thanksgiving… unbelievable! Anderson is under contract for another year, and is proving doubters wrong that he belongs as a starter in this league.
5. Mikael Samuelsson, VAN ($7.5 mil, 3 yrs)
I don’t think Vancouver could put a price tag on Samuelsson’s value to the Canucks through the first two months. He’s worked his tail off, carrying over the same work ethic that works so well in Detroit. He is third on the team with 18 points, and helped keep the team’s head above water when they experienced all of those injuries.
Honorable Mention:
Francis Bouillon, NSH ($750k, 1 yr)
Robert Lang, PHX ($1 mil, 1 yr)
Jay McKee, PIT ($700k, 1 yr)
Brendan Morrison, WSH ($1.5 mil, 1 yr)
Andrew Raycroft, VAN ($500k, 1 yr)
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