|
|
Jonathan Allen Jersey Elite |
John Tavares isn’t the only free agent going back to a familiar place.
Several players are returning to their former teams and comfortable situations – from James van Riemsdyk going back to Philadelphia on the second-richest July 1 deal to Matt Cullen taking a significant pay cut to rejoin the Pittsburgh Penguins he helped win the Stanley Cup twice. It’s not quite the tug at the heartstrings that led Tavares to sign a $77 million Preston Brown Color Rush Jersey , seven-year deal with his boyhood Toronto Maple Leafs, but familiarity was part of the bustle on the opening day of NHL free agency .
”I have that comfortablity with knowing a lot about the organization having played there in the past and having a lot of familiar faces still on the staff and stuff like that,” van Riemsdyk said after signing a $35 million, five-year deal with the Flyers. ”Even just remembering to my time previously is just how bad obviously they want to win and they’re willing to put the resources into that. That passion and that commitment to that was a big thing for me.”
Unsure there’d be room for him after his old team re-signed Riley Sheahan, Cullen signed a $650,000, one-year deal with the Penguins after spending a season back home in Minnesota. Tomas Plekanec was away from Montreal for only a few months, signing a bonus-laden $2.25 million, one-year deal with the Canadiens after they traded him to the rival Maple Leafs at the deadline.
Plekanec had planned since the end of the season to go back to Montreal, where his family remained when he went to Toronto. He will be back at the Bell Centre on a contract that can be worth another $1.25 million in incentives. The 35-year-old will get to play his 1,000th career regular-season game in his familiar blue, white and red uniform this October.
”That was my priority Authentic Justin Reid Jersey ,” Plekanec said. ”I wanted to come back.”
While Plekanec obviously felt a strong connection to Montreal after 14 seasons there, David Perron will be playing for the St. Louis Blues for the third time in his NHL career after signing for $16 million over four years. Perron spent his first six seasons with the Blues after they took him in the first round in 2007, returned as a free agent two summers ago, was taken by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft a year ago and is back again after setting career highs with 50 assists and 66 points in Las Vegas.
”Obviously (the Golden Knights) made the right decision with the way that David played for them,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said. ”He certainly could’ve made more money on the market. He wanted to come back.”
Thomas Vanek enjoyed his 48 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2016-17 so much he wanted to sign with them last July but they didn’t have enough salary-cap space. When the opportunity presented itself this time, the 34-year-old winger zeroed in on a one-year deal and chose Detroit’s $3 million offer over a few other options.
”I loved it there,” Vanek said. ”It was a good it. I really liked the whole culture of the organization and the guys were great. We tried to make it work last year. It didn’t work out, so I’m happy it did this year.”
No one says hockey players can’t go home, but there has to be mutual interest. It was simple for the Penguins, who lacked something without Cullen in their second-round loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh had tried to reacquire the 41-year-old center at the trade deadline.
It was a bit more complicated for the Flyers, who traded van Riemsdyk to Toronto in 2012 in a one-for-one deal for bruising defenseman Luke Schenn. That was under a previous regime that believed the 6-foot-3, 217-pound left winger wasn’t tough enough Cheap Tyquan Lewis Jersey , but GM Ron Hextall sees a player who checks the boxes for a playoff contender with a few holes.
”We felt with the fit that we needed some size,” Hextall said. ”We needed goal-scoring. We need a left winger. This one just fit all around for us and I think James felt the same way.”
The personality fit was there, too, because Flyers management knew van Riemsdyk, who is 29. Coming through Philadelphia’s system as the second overall pick in 2007 helped with Hextall being willing to make his biggest free agent splash.
”We know the person – people inside this organization – (and) obviously that helps,” Hextall said.
Van Riemsdyk did his homework by talking with captain Claude Giroux, winger Jakub Voracek and recent Flyers players before choosing to return to his first NHL organization. He also fondly remembered the Flyers’ run to the Cup Final in 2010.
”Hopefully again we get a chance to do something like that in the future,” he said.
—
Stephen Curry is impatient and eager to get back in a game for the Golden State Warriors, yet he knows it’s not worth risking re-injuring his left knee by pushing his return too soon.
The two-time MVP on Friday went through his first 5-on-5 scrimmage since the injury but coach Steve Kerr wasn’t ready to proclaim Curry a go for Saturday night – that might not be decided until after the morning shootaround. Kerr listed Curry’s status as questionable for a second straight day ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the New Orleans Pelicans at Oracle Arena.
”Still to be determined,” Curry said. ”They come up with those snazzy words for a reason – doubtful, questionable, probable. I’ve learned a lot about what those words mean this year. Just trying to work my way up Adidas Corey Perry Jersey , do what I need to do, do whatever Chelsea (Lane) and the rest of the athletic training staff and coach needs to see to get me back out there. That’s the only thing I can really focus on right now. It is good to be back actually playing basketball and doing basketball things.”
Curry, Kerr and Lane spoke in depth after Friday’s scrimmage, which wasn’t visible to media members with a curtain blocking one court at team headquarters.
On Thursday, Curry resumed full practice with contact but Kerr wanted to see how Curry responded after consecutive intense days of on-court work before he and the training staff decided when to let Curry return.
”A big part of this is how he turns up tomorrow after a night’s rest,” Kerr said. ”It’s the first time he’s scrimmaged in six weeks, five weeks, whatever it is. It’s not as simple as he feels good, throw him out there. It’s more about give him a few days, see how he responds from there.”
There was still no date for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, though Curry was hoping if he couldn’t play Saturday that the game would be at least Tuesday – not Monday – to give him a better chance.
He nearly feels like himself again, moving the way he’s used to during a game. Curry isn’t sure what kind of minutes to expect initially when he does return but figures he will discuss that with Kerr ahead of time.
”I’m getting there Baker Mayfield Browns Jersey ,” he said. ”My knee feels pretty good. I don’t have any pain with doing things I’ve been doing.”
Curry wore compression leggings Friday to protect his sprained knee, which has sidelined him since the injury March 23. It was bad luck given that’s the same day he returned from a six-game absence because of a hurt right ankle.
He was happy to not need a brace he tried out Thursday. The Warriors eliminated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the first-round series with a 99-91 win Tuesday night and Curry wants to make sure he doesn’t disrupt any flow or momentum with the team on a roll.
”The priority for us is to be the best team we can be,” he said. ”When I’m 100 percent healthy and doing what I need to do I obviously try to lead that charge but right now the conversations become how can you manage those minutes and still be productive and still have a cohesive lineup and flow to the game and all that type of stuff. That’s what Coach has to think through.”
Curry said he wasn’t trying to persuade Kerr or Lane to let him play Saturday.
”There’s no real politicking at all, it’s not that serious. It’s a matter of how you feel, can you do this, can you do that and check off all the boxes along the way,” he said. ”Once I get through all those checkpoints and have confidence in myself and my body I’ll be out there, whether that’s tomorrow night or Monday or Tuesday, whenever Game 2 is, that’s the process that I’m all too familiar with.”
—
.
« pick of the Chiefs in 200her first LPGA Tour victory »
Weitere Artikel der Kategorie Allgemein
RSS-Feed abonnieren
Besucher
Forum Statistiken
