Here we go, tons of hockey news to be coming forth today and boy do the hockey fans need it after quite an uneventful draft day last week. Today is one of them big days in the NHL calendar that doesn’t include any hockey actually being played — other such days include the Trade Deadline and the Draft. It’s 1 July and that means Free Agency Opens.

The players out of contract officially became eligible to sign for whatever team offers them a contract at 12 p.m. today so we are about 39 minutes into free agency as we speak and already a few moves are being made. There is also some steep rumors of trades of players under contract being made as team try to free up cap room to sign the potential free agent that attracts them.

There isn’t much point me listing the free agents, there are hundreds of them and you can see them all here. Neither is their much point me talking about who might go where because there are too many variables. Some teams are waiting to see who trades for who to see what becomes available to them. The first few hours of this can become a game of waiting for the other team to make the first move, but we’ll see what happens.

The big trade rumors on the table is regarding Dany Heatley. A player well under contract but a player who has requested a trade because he is not happy in Ottawa. Heatley has a no-trade clause on his contract and so can veto any trade Ottawa work for Heatley meaning that Heatley will likely turn down any offer that does not send him to a team with a chance to win. It does sound a little unfair that the guy can request a trade then pick and choose were he gets moved too. Of course Ottawa are quite within their rights to tell him to shut up and remember that he signed a contract and that unless they get what they want for him, he won’t be going anywhere. That would indeed make for good viewing. Heatley has never won a Stanley Cup and has always come up short in the playoffs so that too will reflect on the offers teams make to Ottawa, while Ottawa will be looking for a lot of talent in return to give up someone they have invested in so heavily.

So we’re now 48 minutes in and only a few players have signed on. Quite a few players re-signed with their original teams before today but those that haven’t are now on the open market.

On the subject: Dany Heatley, NHL, NHL Free-Agency, NHL Trade, Ottawa Senators | ALL SUBJECTS |

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