Best UFA signing of the cap era?

[Regal]

There was no max term at the time and I don't believe it was the max salary either

Yea he signed for 7.5, which was 17.05% of the cap as opposed to the 20% max (in this years cap that would be 14.24 million, but at the time I think GMs knew the cap would be rising fast and the mid level players weren’t making much yet). He also only signed for 5 years at the time, before re-signing on a 7 year deal

 

[Johnny Tomala]

Chara, he set the tone for the franchise and stayed there long.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

Hossa was a huge reason why the Hawks won three Cups.

Many can say Chara did this and that, but winning is greater than any opinion of whatever impact trope is being said.

Would I rather have three Cups or one? The answer is easy.

 

[Sky04]

Hossa was a huge reason why the Hawks won three Cups.

Many can say Chara did this and that, but winning is greater than any opinion of whatever impact trope is being said.

Would I rather have three Cups or one? The answer is easy.

Hossa was carried by Toews, Kane and Keith he was a complimentary piece at best. How many cups did he win before signing there? Exactly. Hossa should be 3rd in this poll and only because the options after 1/2 are pretty bad.

Would anyone pick Hossa over Chara to start a team? lmao no, not even close.

 

[NyQuil]

There was no max term at the time and I don't believe it was the max salary either

The max was 7.8 million, so it's 300k short.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

My thought was easily Chara but I think Niedermayer is getting slept on a bit. Chara had moe years left in him when he signed but Niedemayer was as big a boost as any team got. Hossa is there too, considering he was the final piece to a dynasty.

Those are the top 3 imo.

 

[Dog]

I went with Chara and Niedermeyer would be second. I think eventually Hyman could be in top 4 depends on next few years upcoming.

 

[x Tame Impala]

Hossa was carried by Toews, Kane and Keith he was a complimentary piece at best. How many cups did he win before signing there? Exactly. Hossa should be 3rd in this poll and only because the options after 1/2 are pretty bad.

Would anyone pick Hossa over Chara to start a team? lmao no, not even close.

If Hossa is third who is 2nd?

 

[FerrisRox]

The thread is missing some notable options (mainly overage prospects).

Vancouver: Tanev, Burrows, Kuzmenko, Lack
Chicago: Panarin
Tampa Bay: St. Louis
Arizona: Bryzgalov

Bryzgalov wasn't a free agent signing. He was a waiver claim.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Hossa was a huge reason why the Hawks won three Cups.

Many can say Chara did this and that, but winning is greater than any opinion of whatever impact trope is being said.

Would I rather have three Cups or one? The answer is easy.

Hossa is at best 4th on the list why Chicago won their Cups behind Kane, Toews and Keith

 

[kevsh]

Not only success on the ice, but Chara completely changed the culture of the organization.

Unfortunately, it hasn't panned out into any more cup wins since he's departure but hey, they still beat the Leafs every time they meet so there's that.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

The max was 7.8 million, so it's 300k short.

It was 8.8 million in 06-07.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Chara, Hossa, rafalski and Pieterangelo

 

[Louie the Blue]

I think it’s either Chara or Hossa.

 

[Voight]

My thought was easily Chara but I think Niedermayer is getting slept on a bit. Chara had moe years left in him when he signed but Niedemayer was as big a boost as any team got. Hossa is there too, considering he was the final piece to a dynasty.

Those are the top 3 imo.

Niedermayer wasn't really available to all teams tho. Yea, the fact is he was a free agent signing but he was guaranteed to sign in Anaheim.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

Hossa was carried by Toews, Kane and Keith he was a complimentary piece at best. How many cups did he win before signing there? Exactly. Hossa should be 3rd in this poll and only because the options after 1/2 are pretty bad.

Would anyone pick Hossa over Chara to start a team? lmao no, not even close.

You obviously didn't watch the Hawks during that time span.

Chara, who, no offense, was just as much of a complimentary piece as Hossa, brought one Cup to the Bruins while Hossa brought three to the Hawks.

First line winger/ first pairing defenseman= complintary pieces from this logic.

The question was the best free agent signing of the cap era and again, no offense, being a huge reason why a team won three Cups is more significant then giving team mates high fives in the dressing room.

As for Chara magically changing some invisible "culture" in Boston, they won one Cup. You can make a stronger case Hossa changed locker room culture considering they won three Cups.

They didn't start winning Cups until Hossa got there, sayin......

BTW, how many Cups did Chara win before he got to Boston?

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

Chara was originally signed by Boston for the maximum allowable salary for the maximum allowable term.

The cap was just paltry back then.

Your first statement there isn't true. I don't believe there was a max term length at all at that time, since it was before the Kovalchuk/Suter/Parise/etc 13+ year deals were even signed and led to the league clamping down with term limits. In any case it was longer than 5 years, since NJ signed Elias to a 7 year UFA deal that summer of '06.

Max salary was over $8M+ at the time too. LA wanted Chara that offseason as well and their offer was reportedly over that $8M/yr figure.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Niedermayer wasn't really available to all teams tho. Yea, the fact is he was a free agent signing but he was guaranteed to sign in Anaheim.

I think Chara never really considered anywhere other than BOS either, IIRC

 

[Regal]

I think Chara never really considered anywhere other than BOS either, IIRC

Was there a connection with Boston? I can’t remember

 

[Voight]

Was there a connection with Boston? I can’t remember

Chiarelli was the AGM in Ottawa/worked for the team for most if not all of Charas time there.

 

[NyQuil]

As for Chara magically changing some invisible "culture" in Boston, they won one Cup. You can make a stronger case Hossa changed locker room culture considering they won three Cups.

They didn't start winning Cups until Hossa got there, sayin......

BTW, how many Cups did Chara win before he got to Boston?

Hossa lost with two different teams in the Stanley Cup finals in back to back years.

He actually switched to the team that beat him and then lost to the team he just left. It appeared as if those teams actually succeeded better without him.

So he didn't win any Cups until he went to Chicago.

Calling Chara a complementary piece tells me you are a Western Conference fan.

 

[drktmplr12]

Homer pick

Gustav forsling

 

[CanMerc]

Seriously….no PLD

 

[voxel]

Imagine the Ducks without Nieds. I think he alone changed that franchise.

 

[b in vancouver]

Marc Savard would've been up there as well if idiot didn't try to take off his head with a brutally dirty hit.