CRASHING THE CREASE with Mike Colligan

• Why Haven't Bobby Ryan and James Neal Received Offer Sheets?
  

  As we head into August, the heavy lifting has been done for many NHL teams. General managers and staff head on vacation for a little rest before the start of training camp and a new season.  The players still sitting on the free agent market are either young and inconsistent (Lee Stempniak, Marek Svatos, Patrick O’Sullivan) or old and fading (Bill Guerin, Paul Kariya, Mike Modano).

  Of the restricted free agents, more than a dozen will be heading towards arbitration in the coming weeks.  Not included on this list are promising young RFA’s Erik Johnson, Carey Price, James Neal, and Bobby Ryan.  The offer sheet has unfortunately been seen as backstabbing an opponent since the lockout, but San Jose showed they weren’t afraid of the backlash by signing RFA Niklas Hjalmarsson to an offer sheet a week ago.  Cap-strapped Chicago chose to match the four-year, $14m offer and thus put themselves in a bind when it comes to retaining Stanley Cup goaltender Antti Niemi.

  So after a month, why haven’t other teams tried to sign RFA’s to offer sheets?  Who wouldn’t want to take a risk and reach out to Bobby Ryan and James Neal?  Is the act still seen in a negative light by GM’s around the league?

  In Bobby Ryan’s situation, the Anaheim Ducks Read More...