No Complaints!

Let's see. Garth Snow signs Mark Streit for five years and just over 20 million bucks.

The Blackhawks admittedly overpay for defenseman Brian Campbell to the tune of $57.12 million over an eight-year deal.

The Ranger$ jump back into the hilarity by giving Wade Redden a six-year deal worth $6.5 million per year. If you're scoring at home, that's six years of getting booed at for the former Islanders' draft pick.

Not to be undone, the Maple Laffs restore order in the word by giving the Finger to their fans (I couldn't resist) by signing little-known defenseman Jeff Finger $3.75 million a year. This is a dude who was scratched for five of Colorado's ten playoff games.

Streit scored 13 goals and had 49 assists for 62 points in only an average of seventeen minutes on the ice. While he isn't well-known for being an especially adept defensive force, Streit is not exactly Marc Andre Bergeron either. Besides, we have the defensive horses on the Island and in Bridgeport. What the Islanders needed was some help on the power play and in Mark Streit, we finally have a power play quarterback.

So, if you look just at the numbers, the Islanders made out like bandits on the first day of free agency. At and average of just over 4 million dollars a year, they brought in one of the key components of Montreal's league-leading power play from a year ago and signed a relatively young man for 5 years. Streit--as Greg Logan mentions in today's Newsday--was also the captain of the Swiss National Team so he should bring more professionalism and leadership into the room next season.

There were other rumors regarding who the Isles had made offers to yesterday as well. Brian Rolston reportedly got an offer from Snow before deciding to make his return to the Devils. On Hockeybuzz, there was a posted rumor that the team had made a monster offer to Marian Hossa, which was quickly removed from the site. That one had me howling to my friends in the office. Why would Snow offer so much cash to a player who is not exactly known as a great "team guy"--especially after Snow had his oft-stated goal of letting the young guys play.

Rumors are just rumors...and in the internet age, you have to use common sense when you read this stuff.

We'll have updates today as often as we can...and if they are necessary.