Best UFA signing of the cap era?

[KevinRedkey]

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?

This is such a homer take. lol

 

[KevinRedkey]

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

The cap was just paltry back then.

Max Salary was 7.800 the year before Chara became a UFA.
When he singed (2006), max was 8.800.

It made him the T-6th highest paid player behind Jagr, Richards, Yashin, Sundin, and Lidstrom.

Ottawa simply chose Redden at 6.500 over Chara at 7.500. They did something similar by trading Hossa (6.000) for Heatley (4.500).

Fun fact:
Jagr cap hit was 7.920 when the max new contract was 7.800 in 2005. I believe it's the only instance of a player making more than the 20% max. It's becasue the 24% pay cut across the board with the new CBA, still wasn't enough to bring his salary down below the threshold. lol

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

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.

Hossa was a tank in both playoff series for the Pens and Wings. Them not winning Cups wasnt Hossas fault the slightest.

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

Which lines up perfectly with the question of this thread.

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

Saying Hossa was just a complimentary piece while being a first line winger who also was a key component in shutting down other teams top players means many are just hating to prop up Chara, you know, the guy who Toews passed thru his legs to create the greatest 17 seconds of the cap era.

Do the Bruins win their only Cup if Thomas wasn't a brick wall?

Here, let's put this valid take out there;

The Bruins still win a Cup without Chara if they have Thomas that year. The Hawks don't win a single cup without Hossa and the evidence was when that one Yote headhunter knocked him out that one year.

Propping up Chara, who wasn't a winner before he reached Boston as some guy who changed Boston with some invisible winning culture is pure, unfiltered folly. Hossa, on the other hand, played in consecutive Cups and actually brought the knowledge to a young team on just what it took to get to a cup.

All this unwarranted intangibles Chara supposedly brought sounds like Hossatangibles with proven results backing up Hossa.

 

[NyQuil]

The Bruins still win a Cup without Chara if they have Thomas that year. The Hawks don't win a single cup without Hossa and the evidence was when that one Yote headhunter knocked him out that one year.

Propping up Chara, who wasn't a winner before he reached Boston as some guy who changed Boston with some invisible winning culture is pure, unfiltered folly. Hossa, on the other hand, played in consecutive Cups and actually brought the knowledge to a young team on just what it took to get to a cup.

All this unwarranted intangibles Chara supposedly brought sounds like Hossatangibles with proven results backing up Hossa.

This is hilarious. Yeah, the guy playing 28 minutes a game was incidental.

Hossa is a two-time back to back loser in Stanley Cups and he's "bringing knowledge to a young team on what it takes".

He shopped around until he found a team that actually won with him. He never won a playoff series where he was the top player on his team. In fact, he never won a playoff game.

Comparing the 2nd best winger on his own team with the #1D on his and calling their situations comparable is funny.

 

[Voight]

This is hilarious. Yeah, the guy playing 28 minutes a game was incidental.

Hossa is a two-time back to back loser in Stanley Cups and he's "bringing knowledge to a young team on what it takes".

He shopped around until he found a team that actually won with him. He never won a playoff series where he was the top player on his team. In fact, he never won a playoff game.

Comparing the 2nd best winger on his own team with the #1D on his and calling their situations comparable is funny.

Wouldn't waste your time here.

 

[Cubs2024wildcard]

This is hilarious. Yeah, the guy playing 28 minutes a game was incidental.

Chara never averaged 28 minutes a game in the regular season on the Bruins and every year in the playoffs when he hit that number....they lost. The year they won the Cup he was averaging 27, so in a sense they were better off with him off the ice every year considering they lost every year he played alot.

Hossa is a two-time back to back loser in Stanley Cups and he's "bringing knowledge to a young team on what it takes".

To get to a Cup? Damn straight Hossa knew what it took. The proof is in the pudding. Three Cups.

He shopped around until he found a team that actually won with him. He never won a playoff series where he was the top player on his team. In fact, he never won a playoff game.

Comparing the 2nd best winger on his own team with the #1D on his and calling their situations comparable is funny.

Trying to put a one time cup winner on the same level as a three time cup winner is actually laughable.

 

[Golden_Jet]

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

The cap was just paltry back then.

Close but not the max.
Signed for 17% not the 20%
Got 5 years not 6.

 

[Golden_Jet]

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

No that’s incorrect,

You forgot about the 1 year shutdown of the league, that led to a max salary and max term.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

No that’s incorrect,

You forgot about the 1 year shutdown of the league, that led to a max salary and max term.

The 05 lockout led to a max salary based on the cap, the 13 lockout created a max term. But Chara's contract didn't approach either regardless, DiPietro signed a 15 year deal two months after Chara signed in Boston.

 

[613Leafer]

This is Chara

~14 years of Chara, including like ~10 of him playing in his prime as an absolute unicorn of a #1 dman. Hard to beat that.

Hossa was obviously very good too, but he was Chicago's 3rd best forward, and their ~4th best player. Chara was the #1 dman for Boston for a decade, was their captain, mentored McAvoy, and really helped set the culture that still thrives there today.

 

[banks]

Chara, Hossa, Pvaelski were the names that popped into my head.

I voted Hossa, but it's pretty hard to argue against Big Z. Chara was a mutant.

 

[x Tame Impala]

10 votes for Panarin so far is just pure stat watching. He needs to be a lot more impactful in the playoffs to pass Hossa, Chara, Niedermayer.

 

[dirtydanglez]

chara although part of that is probably how quick the cap grew since being implimented.

hyman has been fantastic for the oilers.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Hossa

 

[HanSolo]

Chara, Hossa, Pietrangelo are the clear top tier for me

Hyman, Panarin, Gonchar, Niedermayer, and maybe Briere would fill out the 2nd tier

EDIT: on second thought, Briere is up there for sure.

As a Ducks and Vegas fan I can say quite confidently that you should swap Pietrangelo and Niedermayer. Both were big impact moves that helped both teams win a cup but the impact of AP vs Nieds, there's really no comparison. Niedermayer brought a lot more to the table for the Ducks. Pietrangelo has had a lot of lulls where he wouldn't even be the second best defenseman on the Knights on a given night much less the best player. In Niedermayer's case, most nights it was a coin flip on who was the best Duck on the ice between him and Pronger and they both ended up with Norris noms while Petro never came close while with Vegas.

 

[Xspyrit]

Ottawa could’ve been so good

John Muckler chose Heatley over Hossa and Redden over Chara

It's no as dry as this but it's the end result

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Chara, Hossa, Pvaelski were the names that popped into my head.

I voted Hossa, but it's pretty hard to argue against Big Z. Chara was a mutant.

Pavelski? Am I missing something?

 

[Gurglesons]

This isn’t a question. It is Chara.

Hossa was great for Chicago, but he was a final piece.

Chara was the Boston Bruins.

 

[Crow]

This isn’t a question. It is Chara.

Hossa was great for Chicago, but he was a final piece.

Chara was the Boston Bruins.

As a hawks fan I agree and I would put it the same way.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

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

LA was very much in the running and offered more money than Boston. He chose Boston because they guaranteed him the C

 

[AvroArrow]

This is Chara

I got Hossa at 1, Chara at 2 but I think those 2 are the clear best signing. Hossa with 3 Cups (A win over Chara in the finals) and was a huge part of the Chicago core. Chara one of the greatest D-men of all time, Cup winner, multiple finals.

 

[RickyLafleur]

Boston and Chicago had one of those rare occasions where you sign a franchise player in Chara and Hossa and got them at reasonable numbers and were able to win cups with them.

[sad ottawa noises]

 

[Golden_Jet]

I got Hossa at 1, Chara at 2 but I think those 2 are the clear best signing. Hossa with 3 Cups (A win over Chara in the finals) and was a huge part of the Chicago core. Chara one of the greatest D-men of all time, Cup winner, multiple finals.

Yep got the same order.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Hossa easily. Disregard the points. He was one of the most effective and important players of the Hawks dynasty and they most likely don’t win a single Cup without him.

Dominant 2 way, shut down, 1st line force. Both in the regular season and playoffs.

It's most definitely not 'easily' unless you glanced over Chara by accident.

 

[x Tame Impala]

It's most definitely not 'easily' unless you glanced over Chara by accident.

That’s fair. I’m biased as a Hawks fan and think Hossa’s impact can’t be overstated. Chara obviously had a huge impact as well