Toggle sidebar

Franchise-level players that *didn't* surprise you when they left as UFA?

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
1737504106826.png


I was hoping Zach Parise was going stay long term in New Jersey. I let myself get overly optimistic when he showed up for the 2011 Draft as a sign that he was interested in the Devils picks. But realistically the draft was in Minnesota, so it was an easy enough drive.

Bad sign was when he seemed to rebuff any long term offers and signed a 1 year deal prior to his arbitration hearing which walked him to free agency. The Devils named him captain for the season which seemed like a gesture that they wanted him around. New Jersey had a nice 2012 postseason run but Parise hit the market.

I vaguely recall there being rumblings that Parise/Suter were a package deal leading into free agency. It took three days for them to hash out a deal with Minnesota. I think Detroit was a desired spot but they couldn't make it work with the cap. Lou apparently kicked the tires but Suter had no interest in New Jersey. Minnesota made sense as Parise got married a few weeks after free agency and it was a bonus to be closer to family when he had kids of his own.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: shello and 1989
Tavares. Isles didn't make major changes until the 11th hour when it become clear there was a good chance he wouldn't re-sign. Had they hired a more competent duo for GM/coach a year or two earlier, I think Tavares may have stayed. They may have made the playoffs a handful of times with him, but they weren't a very well run organization.

I'm not saying they needed to hire Lou or Trotz specifically.
 
If a long-tenured, star player enters a season as a pending UFA, then nobody should be surprised if he leaves. It's stupid, presumptuous, and embarrassing when fans take for granted that the player--above all else--wants to stay. Barkov signed in October 2021, and that entire summer, Panthers fans began getting ready for his departure. Rangers fans had a similar attitude with Shesterkin this year, and I see the same with the Avs and Rantanen. There are a number of examples from recent years, Blues/Pietrangelo, Senators/Karlsson, CBJ/Panarin/Bobrovsky, even Pittsburgh/Malkin, etc.

I feel like Tavares is the only example of a pending UFA who didn't sign, but the fanbase still believed he would. Edmonton fans took Draisaitl for granted and Toronto fans took Matthews for granted, but they reached a deal nearly a year in advance, so that gets a pass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Voight
I wouldnt say players, but more the cities they left. Its a sore topic for obvious reasons, but no surprise players chase either money or weather with the rare example of going back to their hometown.
 
Lindros leaving the Flyers was a whole thing.

He said he was leaving, so they were gonna trade him, and then they didn't trade him. The Leafs and the Rangers were involved but nobody ever agreed on a deal, and IIRC Lindros just didn't play for a bit that season. People of my age probably remember the whole drama.
 
Jay Bouwmeester.

His dad was never a fan of the team, I get it as it was a clown show in the early 2000's.
Panthers kept him at the TDL for a playoff push. After the TDL, his on ice play dropped in quality.

Technically I guess they traded his rights before the draft but it was no surprise he wasn't going to entertain any offer to stay.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RogerRogerr
Machinehead said:
Lindros leaving the Flyers was a whole thing.

He said he was leaving, so they were gonna trade him, and then they didn't trade him. The Leafs and the Rangers were involved but nobody ever agreed on a deal, and IIRC Lindros just didn't play for a bit that season. People of my age probably remember the whole drama.
Click to expand...

he sat out the entire 2000-2001 season.

Salsa Shark said:
Rafalski signing with the Redwings after his time in NJ was super obvious at the time given his Dearborn roots.
Click to expand...

No disrespect to him, but Rafalsk isn't/wasnt a franchise level player.
 
Tavares. I felt bad for the fans, but the org had done nothing to suggest they were building a competitive team around him.
 
Salsa Shark said:
Rafalski signing with the Redwings after his time in NJ was super obvious at the time given his Dearborn roots.
Click to expand...

Rafalski did want to stay in New Jersey from what I recall. He was a UFA coming out of the lockout and did Lou a big favor by waiting to see if the Devils could re-sign Niedermayer (which presumably meant they had no cap space for Rafalski).

I'm assuming it was Rafalski's agent who leaked the Devils offer to the press (2 x 4.4) when he signed with Detroit (5 x 6). I seem to recall the sentiment on the Devils board as "yeah, we don't blame you for leaving."
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1989
Marian Gaborik. Putting aside his occasional conflicts with Lemaire over his defensive game, he always seemed like the type of guy who would prefer to play in New York or Los Angeles. No surprise to me that he ended up playing for both.
 
AM said:
I have no idea where he played after he left the oilers.


Thought he finished his career in Arizona. I never paid any attention after 1988.
Click to expand...
He never left Edmonton though. He was traded. He didn’t leave on his own. The only time he left as a ufa in his career was after St. Louis.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1989
AM said:
I have no idea where he played after he left the oilers.


Thought he finished his career in Arizona. I never paid any attention after 1988.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarifying as he has played for a lot of teams like la and rangers.
 
kerrabria said:
If a long-tenured, star player enters a season as a pending UFA, then nobody should be surprised if he leaves. It's stupid, presumptuous, and embarrassing when fans take for granted that the player--above all else--wants to stay. Barkov signed in October 2021, and that entire summer, Panthers fans began getting ready for his departure. Rangers fans had a similar attitude with Shesterkin this year, and I see the same with the Avs and Rantanen. There are a number of examples from recent years, Blues/Pietrangelo, Senators/Karlsson, CBJ/Panarin/Bobrovsky, even Pittsburgh/Malkin, etc.

I feel like Tavares is the only example of a pending UFA who didn't sign, but the fanbase still believed he would. Edmonton fans took Draisaitl for granted and Toronto fans took Matthews for granted, but they reached a deal nearly a year in advance, so that gets a pass.
Click to expand...
I don't understand what you are trying to say with the bolded. Pietrangelo left St Louis and signed with the Knights as a UFA. Karlsson got traded to San Jose and signed a new deal with them. Panarin and Bobrovsky both left Columbus and signed new deals as UFA's. Malkin is the only one that resigned with his previous team as a UFA.
 
Khelandros said:
I don't understand what you are trying to say with the bolded. Pietrangelo left St Louis and signed with the Knights as a UFA. Karlsson got traded to San Jose and signed a new deal with them. Panarin and Bobrovsky both left Columbus and signed new deals as UFA's. Malkin is the only one that resigned with his previous team as a UFA.
Click to expand...
Each of those players were pending UFAs, and (as I recall) their fanbases didn't take for granted that they'd re-sign with the team. So there was no Tavares-esque situation where people were shocked that they left as UFAs or were traded.
 
i was too young at the time, but curious to what the vibe was for Kariya and if it was a surprise he left Anaheim after their run, i guess same question with Selanne and SJ?

i just remember being shocked they both signed the Avs at that price that summer lol oh what could have been
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom