Best FA Signing in Jackets History

[CBJSlash]

I was stunned by this when I looked at the line-up the other day. I retraced the origin of each player. We only have 2 players on the team that we signed as a FA (Wiz and Horton) and only 1 player that we acquired BECAUSE we signed a Free Agent (Hartnell -> Umberger -> Foote). This has to be a league wide blip.

Hartnell(Trade, Trade [Umby], FA [Foote])-Johansen(Draft)-Foligno(Trade, Draft)
Calvert(Draft)-Wennberg(Draft)-Atkinson(Draft)
Letestu (Trade) -Anisimov (Trade, Draft) -Skille (Waivers)
Cracknell (Waivers)-Chaput (Trade, Draft) -Boll (Draft)

Johnson (Trade, Trade, Draft) -Savard (Draft)
Tyutin (Trade, Draft) -Prout (Draft)
Erixon (Trade, Draft) -Wisnewski (FA)

Bobrovsky (Trade, Draft)
Forsberg (Draft)

Inactive
Dano (Draft, Trade, Draft), Goloubef (Draft), Tropp (Waivers)

Injured
Dubinsky (Trade, Draft), Horton (FA), Jenner (Draft), McElhinney (Trade, Trade Draft), Murray (Draft)



So with all the Horton hubub. Who is the best Free Agent Acquisition that the Jackets have ever made? Perhaps I'm forgetting some, but this list has to be all-time pitiful.

Wiz
Kristian Huselius
Adam Foote
Andrew Cassels
Mike Sillinger
David Vyborny
Luke Richardson
Jan Hejda
Mike Commodore
Michael Peca
Derek MacKenzie
Vinny Prospal
Bryan Berard
Ron Tugnutt
Sammy Pahlsson
Anson Carter


... even when you factor in contribution, I think Horton still makes the top 15 list

Am I forgetting someone obvious? Rank the best 3 signings! Go!

Click to read more...

 

[Crede777]

Wisniewski signed as a FA. We traded for his rights, but I still consider it a UFA signing. He would be the best IMO.

 

[EspenK]

Vinnie
Wiz
Vyborny

 

[fox2usp]

Curtis McElhinney was acquired from Phoenix in the Vermette trade.

 

[jdhebner]

Vinnie
Wiz
Vyborny

I concur.

 

[CBJfan4evr]

David Vyborney -scoring and longevity

 

[CBJSlash]

Curtis McElhinney was acquired from Phoenix in the Vermette trade.

Corrected.

 

[CBJx614]

Vinnie
Wiz
Vyborny

with Juice right behind Vyborny.

 

[Crede777]

Oooh yeah I forgot Prospal, he's the #1 (at least in my heart).

Guy never cared what the score was... except when it mattered.

 

[WannabeFinn]

Where did you read that we claimed Letestu from waivers..? We traded a 4th rounder to Pittsburgh for him

 

[Jimmys7]

Hejda for $1 mil in 2007 was a pretty good deal.

 

[Samkow]

Hejda for $1 mil in 2007 was a pretty good deal.

Sorta in those "great in their roles category", Trevor Letowski was a good signing.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

Greg Gardner

 

[Mayor Bee]

Wiz
Kristian Huselius
Adam Foote
Andrew Cassels
Mike Sillinger
David Vyborny
Luke Richardson
Jan Hejda
Mike Commodore
Michael Peca
Derek MacKenzie
Vinny Prospal
Bryan Berard
Ron Tugnutt
Sammy Pahlsson
Anson Carter


... even when you factor in contribution, I think Horton still makes the top 15 list

Am I forgetting someone obvious? Rank the best 3 signings! Go!

It depends on whether we look at everything as a chain or not.

One-offs were Anson Carter, Bryan Berard, Luke Richardson, and Mike Commodore. They didn't do much, and nothing of consequence was acquired for them.

Peca, MacKenzie, and Prospal probably had an influence that vastly exceeded their production. We'll never really be able to fully grasp that.

Pahlsson was a poor signing in the sense that he was signed to replace the superior Manny Malhotra, but what was acquired for him in trade proved fruitful.

Personally, I think that all things considered, Hejda should probably be regarded as the best UFA signing. Completely under the radar, signed for nothing, and he's most likely still the best defensive defenseman in team history.

To me, the one that best symbolizes the team's history is Adam Foote. Doug MacLean signed a poor fit who was well past his prime to an excessive contract, Scott Howson traded him with no leverage and got two valuable draft picks out of it (one of those picks was traded for Umberger and the other was used to draft David Savard), and then when Umberger was looking well past his prime, Jarmo Kekalainen traded him for Scott Hartnell. All three GMs have had a hand in it; one who did crazy things made a crazy move, one who acquired a reputation for making subtle moves used the acquisitions to make one big and one subtle move (both of which paid off), and the third has done something that looks excellent on paper but is still way too early to tell.

The one that best symbolizes MacLean was Ron Tugnutt. It was fairly well under the radar, he had a couple of very good years in Columbus, and then was traded (while still productive) to begin a series of moves that can only be described as baffling. The end result was Tugnutt and #32 overall for #41, #96, and Mike Pandolfo. And it was Don Waddell who played a part in fleecing MacLean.

 

[Crede777]

Where did you read that we claimed Letestu from waivers..? We traded a 4th rounder to Pittsburgh for him

It's one of those things where Pittsburgh was about to waive him but we gave the pick to ensure we'd get him. Pitt was waiving him because of numbers.

 

[CBJSlash]

This also is an exercise to see what kind of additional assets we brought into the organization. We've only ever signed one player (Foote) that became an asset that was used in a trade that landed a significant piece.

Literally all of the rest of the building is from the draft and waivers. To only have two players acquired because of free agency is astonishing to me.

Every July 1, execs de-emphasize the importance of free agency and more than ever I'm convinced.

 

[WannabeFinn]

so we've got a handful of solid signings like Wiz, Vyborny, Prospal, Hejda, etc.. but none that really just jumps off of the page as THE best one

if you're picking based on the stat sheet then you gotta go with Vyborny, otherwise we can sit here for a while debating who had the most profound effect in addition to their production (Prospal, DMac, Peca, etc..)

 

[EDM]

If he is to be considered a FA signing, without question it is Vyborny. We got an entire multi-year career out of him with very high production.

 

[WannabeFinn]

If he is to be considered a FA signing, without question it is Vyborny. We got an entire multi-year career out of him with very high production.

2nd on the franchise scoring list behind only big Rick

 

[Dr. Fire]

I liked a lot of those signings. The problem with evaluating all of them is the whole timing thing. Had a lot of those guys been signed when the team was good, they may have made major contributions to even better success.

Wiz, Vybes, Cassells, Juice, Hejda, Peca, etc, all good signings. Just, sadly, signed to a bad team. With the exceptions, of course, of the guys currently on the roster.

 

[We Want Ten]

Bryan Berard

I think his impact on the CBJ is very under appreciated. While statistically he may not have made huge waves, the CBJ finally getting a blueliner who could shoot and score really added a dimension we had been lacking IMO.

Vyborny probably wins this question though IMO though. He was pretty steady for a long time on a bad club, even leading the team in scoring over Nash.(while both were active)

 

[Viqsi]

My top two would be our Czechs - Vyborny and Hejda. I still miss Hejda and his hip checks...

I wasn't paying attention in the years of Tugnutt and Cassels, so I can't really evaluate them fairly, but I remember hearing good things about 'em. I like how Huselius did, but he may be in the same category as they are. Ditto Wisniewski.

 

[CBJSlash]

Unfortunately signing Berard meant we let a far better player Spacek walk.

 

[MoeBartoli]

My top two would be our Czechs - Vyborny and Hejda. I still miss Hejda and his hip checks...

I wasn't paying attention in the years of Tugnutt and Cassels, so I can't really evaluate them fairly, but I remember hearing good things about 'em. I like how Huselius did, but he may be in the same category as they are. Ditto Wisniewski.

Agree with Viqsi on Vyborny and Hejda being at the top......I do think that Wiz, despite his overly contract and defensive gaffes has helped to elevate this team and giving some offensive weight from the D position.

 

[BluejacketNut]

Lepylon?