Puck On The 'Net: Free Agent Frenzy

Phew....July 1st is always an exhaustive day for fans. I can't fathom how the managers, agents and media do it. I consider myself lucky in some ways - I had to work on Canada Day. I kept on top of the headlines, but missed out on all of the television overanalysis and internet rumors. Still, it's hard to sit down at the end of the day and comprehend a whole new hockey landscape literally unfolding in just hours.

Here's some shots on the 'Net:

• Tampering -  I go through this every year. But how do the Ottawa Senators and Sergei Gonchar successfully negotiate a contract in less than 20 minutes? Are we really supposed to believe the Sens just called Gonchar at 12:01, offer 3yrs at $5.5M and he just says yes, and the paper work starts faxing back and forth? That's about all that can happen in 20 minutes. Gonchar would barely have enough time to ask his wife if she wants to move to Ottawa this winter. Tampering is so obvious in these cases. I'm surprised no one ever cries foul.
• Canucks Get Hamhuis - I'm pleasantly surprised that the Canucks landed Dan Hamhuis, who was the top UFA available in my mind, including Ilya Kovalchuk. I also like tha signing of faceoff specialist/penalty killer Manny Malhotra, although the numbers are steep for him. That goes to show just how in demand Malhotra was today.
• Back To The Future - It's not often the talking heads on TV are left speechless, but that's about what happened when news broke that Calgary signed one-time Flames Olli Jokinen and, to a bit of a lesser degree, Alex Tanguay. I can tell you that as a Vancouver fan, I really like this.
• Atlanta To Change Team Name - A few days ago Atlanta poached Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager and Brent Sopel from Chicago. Now they land Andrew Ladd. Rumor has it that in a ticket selling ploy the Thrashers' marketing department will sign Dominique Wilkens and rename the team the Atlanta Hawks.
• Shrewdest Move - Great move by San Jose to take a chance on Anterro Niitymaki. I think he could be this season's Craig Anderson. Also good day today for New Jersey and Pittsburgh with nice upgrades of their blue lines
• What About Kovy? Big names remaining unsigned at the time of this posting include Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeni Nabokov, Marty Turco, Alexander Frolov and Matt Cullen. Remember, it is day one. These guys will find homes. We almost certainly will see a few trades in the days ahead as teams free up more cap space.

Lastly, I just wanted to say I would love to be able to witness a busy team's war room. To see how an organization has everything coordinated, their game plan set and then the frenzy - there is no better word for it - that is unleashed upon them. How these teams keep on top of everything that is going on, and how they maintain their focus on their goals is what separates the good teams from the bad.