24.

Days , that is, until the window on the UFA market officially expoldes open.

As the Anaheim Ducks bask in the after glow of their Stanley Cup victory, Darcy Regier and 28 other GMs are looking to better themselves.

Lets face it, in this New NHL, teams can go from the gutter to the penthouse in one offseason.

Think about it. The past three Cup winners--- Tampa, Carolina, and Anaheim--- were toiling in relative anonymity before work stoppage.

Look at what they are doing now.

Don Henley said it best when I saw him at The Niagara Fallsview Casino last week:

"In a New York Minute, everything can change".

Sellers will become buyers. The hunted become the hunter.The docile will become aggressive.

Thats the way it is in the New NHL.



Lets talk about Chris Drury. We'll tackle the Briere issue at another time.

If I had a dime for every private message and email I've received in the past three weeks, asking me "whats up with Dru and Danny", I'd have enough cash to award each a 7 year, 49 million deal.

I'm told that 6.5 - 7 Large is the ante for each of the Bufalo co-captains right now. At 11:59:59:59 on July 1, the games will begin.

To validate Eric Duhatchek's point, some GMs will flirt with 7.5 to snatch Drury from Buffalo's grip. Get ready, because that day is coming. I'm told that San Jose are preparing an ultra-aggressive proposal (in the range of 7 times 7) to procure Chris Drury's services. Forget about "San Jose is in California near Manhattan Beach"..."Dru's wife hates Buffalo" yada, yada, yada....its all poppycock. Drury loves the Buffalo experience. His wife is a New Englander who loves the Buffalo lifestyle-- she met Dru while they attended BU.Coth Chris and Rory admire he Buffalo situation. They've been treated par excellence since their arrival. Chris has stated that he'd like to return. Lets dispell the myth that she wants out of Buffalo. Its just not factual and true.



What is true is that Captain Chris Drury is a jalapeno hot commodity, and he and his agent know it.Drury is the #1 most coveted UFA that the NHL has seen in mamny years. He is the embodiment of all that is great with the game of hockey. He is the rare melange of talent, tenacity, intellect,leadership, and passion.

I liken Drury to Bono from U2.

Both are thoughtful, inspirational, humble, gifted, driven, supremely confident in his God given-talent. They make their bandmates better for having been in the band.


The room becomes a better place when both of these two unique gentlemen enter it.

Drury, like Paul Hewson, is an agent of change. A Captain Of Industry.

His actions speak louder than his words. His courage and tenacity are second to none. like EF Hutton, when Drury speaks, people listen. Drury's not a snob. He's an everyman. His words are measured and concise, and they are not just reserved for his fellow NHLPAers. Trainers, Ticket takers, zamboni drivers, agents, managers, stock clerks at Wegmans, waiters, bellhops, broadcasters, bankers--- ALL are welcome in Drury's lexicon. He does not set up walls, sub-divide himself, and sequester himself from his public. He is a quiet leader.

Dru has the intangible "IT", and he does not abuse "IT". He uses "IT" to mentir, nurure, and guide along his peers.


What would you be willing to pay for a guy like Drury?

6.5 per? 7 per ? 7.3 per ?

Buffalo have had the catbird's seat to exclusively negotiate #23s extension in Buffalo. I'm told that those talks with Drury's agent have begun in earnest. There are 24 days left, and the Sabres like their position. They have the next three and a half weeks to sell Dru on a multi-year extension. They know hat the marketplace will get weird, as it always does on July 1. You need not look any further than the Yashin buyout to summarize that teams are clearing cap space, and will continue to clear cap space, in ordre to be in a position to be in the Drury, Smyth, Briere, Selanne Sweepstakes.

Teams like the Sabres, Flyers, Blues, Devils, Rangers, Islanders, Kings, Flames, Avs, Wild, Hurricanes, Oilers, Ducks, Leafs, Preds are minding theiR knitting today, so That they will be in a position of strength in the weeks to come.

One team, is conspicuously trying to free up cap space to pitch and close Drury.

That team is the san Jose Sharks.

Doug Wilson is in desperate need of a number one centreman.
Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are #1B centres. They are the same guy. They score and they compete in the 84 game exhibition season, however, they stiffen up in the real season.

I've heard that the Sharks would be willing to part with Marleau, their Captain, and a top 4 Dman (Hannan or Maclaren) in order to create the necessary cap space needed to fit Drury. True or false,you have to respect the aggressive play on the part of the Sharks, the team that has given so much, and gotten so little in their postseason history.

The Sharks are built to win it all today. That they've been bounced in the second round in consecutive seasons, is maddening to the hierarchy in San Jose. This morning, they woke up to see in-state rivals Scott Niedermayer and Brian Burke's mugs emblazoning the headlines. The acid reflux that is swimming in the San Jose management team's collective esophagus right now will not go away until they earn their way through to the next station: The third round and he Stanley Cup Finals.

The Sharks feel like they have it all over every other team in the Western Conference.


They have two superior goalies; they have a stable of big, talented young forwards(Bernier,Michalek; and, they have a bevy of beauties on the backend (Carle and Vlasic).

In many ways, the San Jose Sharks are the same team today as the Anaheim Ducks are. Go down their rosters and compare and contrast each player at each key position. Some might say that The Sharks look better on paper.

What one key Championship element does Ron Wilson's team lack?

Scott Niedermayer.

The Sharks lack an Alpha Dog.A John Wayne-type leader.

They covet a #1A centreman, who can deflect the pressure from Thornton, who can lead his lead in the toughest of times.



That player is Chris Drury.

24.

Days, that is.

Until the UFA window expodes open.

Who wrote this?