Eagles throw big money at former captain

On the heels of the Eagles splash into the free agent auction on day 1, the team dropped another bombshell today by submitting a record-setting $5.2M offersheet to its former captain Chris Pronger.

"Chris was always on our radar," said GM Bourdeau. "We wanted to see how the market would play out for the big-name defensemen... it became obvious on day 1 where things were going, so after consulting with the owners, we made the pitch. Now we wait and see if it is enough."

Pronger nor his agent could be reached for comment.

Hours after the bid was made public, numerous sport stores in Edmonton were displaying Pronger jerseys in the window--a sight that hasn't been seen in Eagle country since RHL12.

Career stats as an Eagle (RHL1-12)

GP 693

G 105

A 300

PT 405

PIM 1467

+/- +229

Eagles drop $11M+ in bids on day 1

Eagle braintrust followed through on its promise to be aggressive in the free agent auction by offering $11.75M to 6 players hours after the RHL17 feeding frenzy opened.

"Why not cut to the chase in the auction?" offered GM Bourdeau in a press conference discussing the bids. "There's no point dinking around with low ball offers on quality players. Any bid we make is a serious one to players we want on our team. Now we sit back and see what happens."

Eagles Ryan Smyth ($3M) and Mark Parrish ($1.3M) seem to be targets of the team, which chose not to meet either player's demand during the season. Upgrading the team's defense also looks to be a priority, as both Wade Redden and Rob Blake received $3M bids, with Michael Rozsival getting $850k. Checking winger Ethan Moreau was offered $600k.

When asked whether these bids right off the bat were a challenge to the RHL's other GMs, Bourdeau responded with, "The way our auction is built, any bid is a challenge to the rest of the league to go a step above or get out of the game. Everyone knows what they are looking for and what they are willing to pay for a certain player. "

It's true: Okposo sighting in Edmonton

Kyle Okposo, the Eagles number one draft pick in RHL17, met the city and media for the first time today. Not to be confused with the Ogopogo, a 'mythical' creature inhabiting Lake Okanagan next door in British Columbia, Okposo is the real deal--and is ready to prove it.

Selected 7th overall, the U of Minnesota freshman standout offers a package of raw skill, finishing talent, determination and physicality that have Eagle scouts blushing.

We're very happy to have Kyle on board," said GM Bourdeau. "When we realized we couldn't crack the top 4-5 and get a shot at one of the bigger names, the 7th pick was going to come down to Kyle, Mueller and Brassard. When Mueller went thet CAP at 6th, we knew we had our man."

Eagle fans will have to wait though to see the budding power forward, as Okposo has committed to return to UofM in the fall. Circle RHL21 as the earliest date for Okposo to begin his RHL career.

We're fine with Kyle's decision to go back to school," said Bourdeau. "We are a patient team, and always look to draft the best player available regardless of how soon he'll hit the RHL."

17 for 17

As it stands before the dispersal and expansion draft, Heading into the Eagles' 17th season in the RHL, the squad currently has 17 players under contract for a total of $18.6M. Add a couple of RFAs the team will most likely resign, that number grows to 19. Let's break down the team by position.

Centre
Arnott C 107 30000 17:15 38/8 49/15/7/28 444 4430 1003
Comrie C 94 33000 16:00 32/7 63/9/6/13 444 3230 0003
Bell C 91 33000 17:30 22/8 64/18/10/7 433 4430 0003 *RFA
Vermette C 90 33300 12:30 34/8 53/9/6/31 453 3220 0004
J.Carter C 74 30300 12:00 24/6 83/6/4/6 443 3320 0002
Fiddler C 60 30000 13:45 35/4 30/30/18/21 332 3220 0003

Centre is the deepest position on the squad. The group is a good mix of veterans (Arnott, Comrie) and up-and-comers (Vermette, Carter). There's also a nice balance of speed and grit to handle a variety of situations. With all but Arnott having flexiblity to play other positions, expect a couple of to end up on the wing.

LW
Stajan LW 84 33300 11:30 36/11 33/37/15/14 333 3220 0002

After letting Smyth go to the auction, Stajan is the only natural LW under contract. But Bell, Comrie and Vermette can all play as needed. Still, this is a big hole to fill. Expect the team to target at least one 1st or 2nd line LW thru the auction or a trade.

RW
Satan RW 99 03300 19:15 28/7 85/6/4/4 444 3220 0002
Cammalleri RW 83 33300 16:45 25/6 68/6/4/21 443 3220 0003
Samuelsson RW 68 03300 13:30 25/6 88/3/2/6 333 3320 0000

Finesse is the name of the game on the right side, as the squad will probably be comfortable with these three end up filling out the top 3 lines. Could use a depth RW, something easily attainable through the auction.

Defense
Mara LD 85 00033 21:30 19/3 58/11/9/15 444 0333
M.Bergeron LD 83 00033 21:15 21/4 41/21/15/22 443 0323
Ehrhoff LD 65 00033 17:45 8/3 62/19/9/9 433 0322
D.Tjarnqvist LD 65 00033 19:45 11/3 30/33/16/20 333 0322 *RFA
Boynton RD 71 00033 20:45 11/3 53/23/13/10 333 0433
R.Jackman RD 57 00022 17:15 12/3 83/7/6/3 334 0322

At this point, defense looks to be the Achilles heel for the Eagles in RHL17. Expect it to be a focus during the auction and in trades. While they should be able to hold their own offensively with Mara, Bergeron and Jackman, it's a soft group with no real shut-down players who can go up against the other team's best. On the team's wishlist is a true #1 who can be leaned on to anchor the group.

Goal
Vokoun G 131 6/48/3/42 91.94 4 4 2 61
Budaj G 89 8/41/3/47 90.05 4 4 2 34
Theodore G 85 8/36/3/52 88.17 4 4 3 43

The team's glaring weakness for RHL17 turned into one of its strengths after the acquitition of Vokoun. He is expected to be one of the league's best, and should help mitigate a mediocre defense. He is backed up by capable rookie Budaj and verteran Theodore. Three's a crowd in nets, so expect someone to move before the season begins.

On the bubble
Nokelainen C 44 33000 7:45 15/3 59/14/14/12 332 3330 0002
Ladd LW 57 02000 11:15 28/4 60/11/10/18 333 3330 0000
Shishkanov RW 50 00200 8:30 23/3 78/9/8/4 442 2220 0000
Bieksa RD 46 00003 16:00 0/0 46/15/13/35 332 0332 0000

Four other prospects could crack the big league squad, the feeling is they need more time in the minors. While Nokelainen and Shishkanov are long term projects, Ladd and Bieksa will be around for RHL18.

RHL16 in review

Another season is in the books for the Edmonton Eagles--one that overall met expectations but left the players, management and fans with a bitter taste in the mouth after a disappointing final stretch run and playoffs. Finishing with a 33-27-6 record, the team's 10th best result in its 16 seasons was good enough for 3rd in the division and 6th in the conference.

But the team let the divisional crown slip out of their hands and the playoffs brought another disappointment--this time a first round matchup against the powerful and Kings Cup runner up Rovers. The series lasted only 5 games and was never really in doubt.

While the page is turned on another season, RHL17 looks promising. While numerous veterans including Ryan Smyth, Craig Conroy, Shawn McEachern, Mark Parrish and Chris Chelios will test the UFA market with the hope of only a couple coming back at best, the next generation of Eagles will begin to take ownership of the team andput their own unique stamp on Edmonton.

Mike Cammalleri, Antoine Vermette, Jeff Carter, Peter Budaj, MA Bergeron, Matt Stajan, Christian Ehrhoff and Mark Bell all look to play prominent roles next season. They will join a solid core of Jason Arnott, Miro Satan, Thomas Vokoun, Mike Comrie and Paul Mara as the teams looks to make amends and take home the division crown.

Team awards were handed out today at a team luncheon for season ticket holders.

Team MVP (Patrick Roy Award)
Jose Theodore

Best defenseman (Chris Pronger Award)
Nic Boynton

Best forward (Geoff Sanderson Award)
Shawn McEachern

Top young player (Ryan Smyth Award)
Mike Cammalleri

Leadership and Dedication (Trevor Linden Award)
Mark Parrish

As well, management released their rankings of each roster player based on which category they fell into:

Breakout season
Ric Jackman: 25 pts, +12 in only 41 gp
MA Bergeron: 11 goals, +11 in 51 gp

Above expectations

Mike Comrie: 14 goals in 13 min/game over 56 gp

Mike Cammalleri: 25 points in 39 gp, important secondary scoring

Jaroslav Modry: +7 playing in all 66 gp

Nick Boynton: top points and icetime among defencemen (31pt, 24 min/g)
Jason King: earned 15 min/g with 12 goals

At expectations
Jose Theodore: 32 wins, .915 save%
Mark Parrish: 5th straight 20 goal season
Shawn McEachern: 50 points
Miro Satan: 15 points in 19 gp
Chris Chelios: +2 over 17 gp
Paul Mara: 23 min/game, +7
Matt Stajan: +7, 10 goals in limited role
Antoine Vermette: went from 4 GP to 47 GP

Below expectations
Jason Arnott: 13 goals for #1 centre
Ryan Smyth: 19 goals, lowest total since RHL12
Dick Tjarnqvist: healthy scratch 14 times
Ivan Majesky: went from +12 to -2

A bust
Craig Conroy: $1.9M for 5 goals
Mark Bell: went from 22 to 10 goals playing with more talented linemates

Eagles bounced out in 5, season ends

Despite a holding a late third period lead in their elimination match against the powerful ROV, the Eagles let the game slip out of their hands and lost in OT.

Game five was a fitting end to the Eagles season--one that saw its share of ups and downs, but like the regular season, the theme was 'close, but not good enough'.

While I am not happy we lost to the ROV in five short games--I though we could take them to at least 6, overall the series was fairly evenly matched. That is, except for the two categories that mean the most--goals and wins. Losing the first two dug too deep of a hole, eventhough the squad played well the next three games.

In the end, I just didn't get the series I needed from some key players. Theodore did not play at a level he needed to, ending up with just a .882 save % and 4.00 GAA. Not good enough. He has seen his last game in an Eagle uniform.

McEachern, at or near the top of the team in scoring the past few seasons had 0 points and was a -3. He also played his last game in Edmonton silks. Parrish, the team's leading goal scorer each of the last 4 seasons had one assist.

Overall, I think the team took another step forward this season. I'll do a more indepth summary of the season in a bit, including team awards, after I lick my wounds.

And now the attention turns to RHL17...

So close... but so far

The Eagles limped to the finish line to conclude their 16th season in a disappointing manner, losing out on the race for first in the division to YDP.

While the team had a great second half of the season (20-10-3) and were actually in first place for a short time with a couple of weeks to go, they couldn't keep their tenuous grip on the lead.

While pundits point to crucial losses to the CRY and SEL in the final few games, the team's 8 game winless streak partway into the season was probably responsible for their ultimate demise.

Not only does Edmonton not get bragging rights in the Calder Division, they now face a first round matchup against the second best team in the regular season - the ROV. While this may not seem fair for the 9th ranked Eagles, who finished 6 games over .500 themselves, it's a reality of the playoff format.

This is exactly the scenario that was described by pundits halfway through the season when the way the conference would shake out was becoming apparent. With arguably the three best teams in the league in the other division, it was either win the Calder or face one of these three in the first round.

The Eagles lost both games to the ROV this year, and Baffin Isle rolled to only 13 losses the entire season. All the facts point to a brief post-season for the Eagles in RHL16.

"Yeah, it's disappointing. We controled our own fate down the stretch, which is all a team can ask for," commented Bourdeau. "We just couldn't win enough big games. I give the guys credit, they fought hard and played great the past couple of months."

"We're certainly not going to roll over and let the ROV have an easy round. This will be a could measuring stick as to where we are at as a team, and I now the boys are chomping at the bit to prove we belong in the upper eschelon. It'll be a good series."

Is eight enough?

With eight games left in the RHL16 season, tonight is the make-or-break game of the season for the Eagles as the squad travels north to Yellowknife in a battle for first place.

A win means we're even with the YDP, but with two more wins the Eagles would take the tiebreaker. A loss will put us 4 points back--a difficult hill to climb in only seven games, especially since would also need to leapfrog the Selects.

Mark Parrish will return to the lineup, providing a nice boost to the powerplay and gives the team another weapon as they try and match the YDP big guns.

Eagles lock up Vokoun, Comrie

Amidst rampant speculation as to who would and would not be resigned by the Edmonton Eagles, the squad announced today that they had come to terms with goaltender Tomas Vokoun and centre Mike Comrie, both on longterm deals.


Vokoun agreed to a 4-year, $9.8M deal, plus a $1.2M signing bonus. It is widely expected he will take over the reigns of #1 netminder in RHL17, a move that all but confirms current #1 Jose Theodore will not be back with the club next season.


"As soon as we received confirmation of the trade acquiring Tomas a few weeks ago, I phoned his agent and began the process to get him under terms," explained Eagle GM Bourdeau. "We are ecstatic to have one of the best keepers in the business in an Eagle uniform for at least the next four seasons."

While Vokoun's signing was no surprise in Edmonton, local product Mike Comrie's was. Comrie agreed to a 4-year, $4.34M deal, including a $468k signing bonus.

"Everyone knows the history between Mike and the organization," said Bourdeau. "Sure, we've tried to move him on multiple occasions, but let the past be the past. Mike will have every opportunity to be our #2 centre next year."


Pundits decried the move to resign Comrie, scheduled to be a RFA, when so many Eagles were poised to enter the UFA free-for-all. Going to the auction are forwards Ryan Smyth ($3.45M demand), Craig Conroy ($2.92M demand) and Mark Parrish ($2.06M demand), as well as defencemen Jaroslav Modry ($1.81M demand) and Chris Chelios ($2.95M demand).


"I'm paid to make decisions that will bring a King's Cup to Edmonton," responded Bourdeau. "If I don't think a player is worth a certain salary level, he's not going to be offered a contract from us--no matter who he is. I have a salary structure I'm working in that I feel will bring this team success. Sure, I would love to have Smitty, Craiger and Mark back next year. They're great players. But they have to realize that I won't put one player above the team."


"If I could deliver one message to the fans, it's this," continued Bourdeau. "Just because we didn't resign these guys now, it doesn't mean they won't continue their careers as Eagles. I won't make any guarantees, but we have the cap space and the reserves to be very active in the auction. I will continue to have an open dialogue with all our free agents in the offseason, and many others that will be available."