FA Update: Day 5 Minor Signing

Vulcan (CP) With a roster of 21 people now the Mind Melds are close to filling up their roster for the upcoming RHL17 season. Day 5 saw a minor signing that brought in another veteran to the mix.

Richard Park ($351,000): The Seoul, South Korea product has bounced from team to team in the NHL and brings his good forechecking skills to the Mind Melds. "I don't know how strong the Korean community is in Vulcan, but I'm willing to give it a shot."

GM Khoo's Thoughts: "Richard is an insurance policy for injuries and should see ice time on the 3rd or 4th lines. He won't fool anyone with his skill but he shoots the puck lots and is good in the corners."

Contract length has not been discussed but there is a clear desire on both sides to extend this out for a couple of seasons at least. In other news, GM Khoo has had negotiations to gain the services of former All-Star defencemen Bryan Berard to run the PP. "We're gonna need some offensive creativity in the backend. We've made an attractive offer to Bryan and he has shown a lot of interest. Hopefully we'll have good news shortly."

Fur Engee (CP)

FA Update: Day 4 Brings Long Term Stability Between Pipes

Vulcan (CP) The forth day of signings for a busy Mind Melds GM yielded a major piece of the puzzle for the long-term goaltending situation that was a question mark in addition to yet another depth defencemen. A quick look at the two signings:

Alex Henry ($351,000): Signing at the league minimum, Henry adds some much needed physical presence to the MIM defence corp. "GM Khoo had a good talk with me and he envisions me chipping in for all situations in case of injury. I have experience on LW so there may be opportunities there, but I know that I'll be splitting time between here and the minors."

GM Khoo's Thoughts: "Alex will not back down from anyone and we like that. His skating ability is of some concern but he won't be relied upon for his goal scoring."

Evgeni Nabokov ($1,100,000): After some initial contract negotiations with his former club SOC, Evgeni decided to sign with Vulcan with the prospect of the being the No.1 netminder as early as RHL18. "MIM showed the commitment and belief that I have what it takes to carry this team into many competitive seasons. I enjoyed my time in Edmonton but Vulcan threw up an offer I couldn't refuse. SOC will be solid with Huet and Thomas though and I wish them all the best."

GM Khoo's Thoughts: "After losing out on the Miller sweepstakes as soon as we heard Evgeni was available we were aggressive in obtaining his services. Although Roli and Eddie should perform well for us this year, both of their ages were of deep concern. Evgeni will be our go to guy in the near future and we're happy to have him on board."

Although contract terms have not been released, rumour has it that Nabokov will sign to a 4P-17 contract.

Fur Engee (CP)

FA Update: Day 3 Brings Depth to MIM

Vulcan (CP) The third day of signing saw a pair of forwards sign on board in Vulcan. No big names this time around but their contribution will be no less important than previous ones.



Grant Marshall ($351,000): A former first round draft choice, Grant is known for his work ethic and willing to do the dirty work in the corners. "They have a good bunch of guys in Vulcan. Victor had a talk with me and we both feel that there is a spot for me on the forth line."

GM Khoo's Thoughts: "Grant rounds out a decent right side. Where Armstong and Mayers will be looked for more offensive roles than they've been given in the past, Donovan and Marshall will be looked at to hold the fort and create opportunities using their tenacity and energy on the ice."

Marc Chouinard ($351,000): Despite steadily increasing his production in each of his first 5 NHL seasons, Marc is again in the category of people that couldn't find steady work in the NHL. "I know that this will be a one-year stint for me in Vulcan but I'm willing to play anywhere to prove myself."

GM Khoo's Thoughts: "Marc is a decent face off man that has developed a good 2-way game since his days with the Wild. Marc will most likely see 4th line action since we feel comfortable with our situation up the middle with Henrik, Mike and Matt."

Both Grant or Marc signed one-year pro contracts.

Fur Engee (CP)

FA Update: 3 More Aboard!

Vulcan (CP) On the second day of signing, the Mind Melds were able to add more depth to their roster with three Free Agents. MIM GM Khoo stated "We're happy with the progress that we've made in the first two days of signing and are headed in the right direction that we set ourselves out for when we first started this madness. I'm extremely happy with our group upfront and am excited to see what they'll be able to do."


A breakdown of the three free agents:

Peter Schaefer ($2,100,000): Known for his sound defensive play, Schaefer was excited at the prospect of being put in a more offensive role. "I feel I was under utilized in my days as a Sen and happy to see I'll get the opportunity to play more minutes for a young team."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Schaefer is one of those players that does everything well. We did pay more than what we would've liked, but there was a higher demand expected and we had the budget to make a push to see what he can do in a MIM uniform."

Luke Richardson ($351,000): A veteran of many wars throughout the past decade, Richardson knows he's well past his prime. "I didn't have too many options but at the same time I feel I can still contribute out there."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Our D is lacking plain and simple with many of the top FA's out of our price range. Luke was the best option available and brings leadership that can anchor the ship and a physical presence to make people pay. I think we're lucky to have him."

Bryan Muir ($351,000): Even though Bryan has failed to find consistent work in the NHL, he's looking forward to yet another fresh start. "I've seen it all and have been through a lot. Last season I had some success with the Capitals and look to carry that forward with the Mind Melds."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Bryan, along with Luke, can help stabilize the defence and hopefully shut them down. We're putting him in a tough spot right now but hopefully we'll be able to sign some more help to give us a No.1 defencemen."

The Mind Melds now have 17 players under contract with several negotiations on-going.

Fur Engee (CP)

First Load of FA Signings for MIM

Vulcan (CP) With the third round of the FA Auction coming to a close, so did the finalizing of the contracts on 4 new faces to join the MIM organization. GM Victor Khoo released the following statement: "This is a historic day in MIM history as we slowly build our roster for the upcoming RHL17 season. There shouldn't be any surprises that we've been active in the FA market and we think we've added 4 key pieces to the puzzle in fielding a competitive team. Its not everyday you get to add two potential Hall-of-Famers, a gritty veteran winger and a promising young forward."



Ed Belfour ($351,000)
Even though the phone wasn't ringing off the hook to Belfour's agent, the Eagle was excited about the opportunity to play for a young franchise. "Its always exciting to be put in these situations. Playing in hockey mad Alberta is always a plus."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Ed Belfour is a proven winner that still has a couple of years left in the tank. A slam dunk to go to the Hall, Ed will provide stability in net. Paired with Roloson, we are confident in our tandem which will solve our short term goaltending situation."

Keith Tkachuk ($1,750,000)
Keith was bid on several times during the auction in the first couple of days before deciding to sign with the Mind Melds. "I like the direction the team is headed and am looking forward to the challenge."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "I'll admit. This was an indulgence for me. I've always respected Keith throughout his career and view him, in the prime, to be the prototypical Power Forward. He will be looked upon to provide leadership on and off the ice. Plain a simple though, this guy can score and will be used heavily on the PP where he does his most damage."

Shean Donovan ($351,000)
Being bounced around in the NHL, Donovan is no stranger to these types of situations and is looking for a fresh start. "Hopefully I'm able to stick this time around. I know what my role will be and I think I'll be put in a situation where I can be successful."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Shean is a lightning fast checking winger that people hate to play against. It fits with the philosophy we're trying to employ, at least for the first couple of years. He'll be looked at to always push the envelope."

Colby Armstrong ($1,900,000)
Colby was pleased at the commitment that MIM showed in signing him to a huge deal. "Its always nice to get the vote of confidence from people that believe in your abilities."

GM Khoo's thoughts: "Colby is in a unique situation and we had money to spend. He'll be an RFA next year and we see a lot of potential. He's a natural goal scorer and will be given every opportunity to keep developing on the No.1 line. We look forward to his continued growth in what will hopefully be a long career with MIM."

With now 14 players under contract for RHL17, look for MIM to continue to make bids in the upcoming days.

Fur Engee (CP)

FA Auction - MIM Thoughts Part 2

Now that we are well into the forth day of bidding, there have been a couple of things apparent to GM Khoo. "I was telling another GM that this seems to be one huge game of chicken. Who will up the ante or be the first to back off." There were definitely some bids that caught Khoo by surprise. Most notably were:

1) Pronger ($6M+ and counting):
I don't think there is any question to the impact that he can have on a team, but that type of money just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe because I'm new and I have lots of things to learn, but it seems that could hurt a team down the road. As I'm told, there were very few teams that spent more than they brought in last year and I believe nobody is anywhere near the cap of $35M. With an offer like this, it means that you're spending between 20-25% of your team budget on one player. I don't know of a situation where that has actually worked. Take a look at TB and their big 3. Although they are great players, they don't have depth and now always squeak into the playoffs ever since they spent 40% of their budget on them. I also look at Jagr in his WAS days and Federov in CLB. Maybe I'm completely off base but I'd love to see how the team that ends up with Prongs manage everyone.

2) Miller ($4.5M):
I made a pitch for him at $2.25M and was subsequently outbid at $2.5M. But then last night, the stakes were raised by $2M in one shot to $4.5M. What was interesting about this is not the price, but who made the offer. As I understand the situation from an RHL insider, REA actually had Miller and could've resigned Miller at $1.5M last season, although he was unrated to hang onto him. Maybe the REA GM had some remorse? But this one is more understandable since Miller is an RFA and could be a franchise goalie. A case of pay now and see the huge benefits later. IMO, there's no doubt that Miller is the real deal.

A conference call early this morning with ROV GM Steve Stringer yielded the following insight: "Lesson #1 of the RHL auction: nobody** gets out of the auction under-valued.**by 'nobody' I really only mean 1 or 2 players at most that seem to slide through at a reasonable price. Everyone else is overbid, but such is the nature of competition. "

Just some thoughts from a rookie GM trying to find his way.

FA Auction - MIM Opening Thoughts

As the curtain lifted on the FA Auction, GM Khoo couldn't wait to participate in his first RHL bidding war. The anticipation of excitement of this process lived up to its billing for the MIM owner and GM. "The tough part that I found is finding a balance between following your game plan that you set out to do and quickly finding alternatives when things don't pan out." With at least 13 spots to fill, and only $8.8M in committed salaries, MIM had money to spend. "We definitely have some people that we're targeting. If I get a couple of them I'll be happy. I have some RFA's coming due at the end of the year, so I want to have money left over to sign some of them. But I'm trying to be patient and pick my spots. I know I'll make some errors but I'll just have to try and not screw myself for the future."

Currently, MIM has made $11.3M in offers to 9 players and won't be done there.

"I've had some discussions with other GMs already where we've targeted the same people since we believe they are under-valued. Who will flinch first? I don't know. I've always sucked at poker and have a terrible poker face. But we're committed to fielding a competitive team in Vulcan that will act as a base for years to come." added Khoo.

The upcoming rounds should provide a lot of tension but also bring the prospect of an exciting start to a young franchise.