Briere, Kariya and the Salary Cap

SALARY CAP

The NHL is going to announce the salary cap for the coming year and it is expected that it will rise. Of course, how much is the real question. Will this give teams likes Buffalo an extra $4 million to work with? If so, you may see quite a few deals get completed this afternoon or tomorrow as teams scramble to retain their players before Sunday's deadline.

BRIERE

TSN is reporting that Briere turned down a long-term contract from the Buffalo Sabres late yesterday. Apparently the deal was very similar to the one the team DIDN'T want to give him last year. I'm sure they are kicking, punching and biting themselves for not doing it when they had the chance. My guess is that Briere will end up in Philly or Montreal, though I'd secretly love to see him land in Washington with Alexander Ovechkin. Either way, I'm expecting him to sign a 4-6 year deal worth about $7 million per year.

KARIYA

In response to Bill's Kariya post apparently Dallas is on the list of possible destinations. Although Dallas is my hometown team I've always felt that the Stars are where great players go to die.