It's for league minimum. There is literallyzero risk. I'm cynical, but jeez, you're going overboard. I somehow doubt we dumped Franson just so we could afford to overpay RFAs AND sign Bergfors. If he sucks, he gets waived or traded--just like SK last season.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 3, 2011) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward Niclas Bergfors to a one-year contract worth $575,000.
Bergfors, 24 (3/7/87), split the 2010-11 season between Atlanta and Florida, posting 36 points (12g-24a) in 72 games. During his first full NHL campaign with New Jersey and Atlanta in 2009-10, the Södertälje, Sweden native posted 21 goals and 44 points in 81 games, landing him a spot on the NHL’s All-Rookie Team. In 162 career NHL games since 2008, Bergfors has 81 points (34g-47a).
Drafted 23rd overall (first round) by the Devils in the 2005 Entry Draft, Bergfors was the youngest player in the American Hockey League in 2005-06 with the Albany River Rats after a decorated junior career in his homeland. The 5-10, 194-pound winger was the 2005 Swedish Junior Player of the Year, following the likes of Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Henrik Lunqvist, Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin. He has also represented the Tre Kroner in five international tournaments, earning a bronze medal and being named to the tournament all-star team at the 2005 Under-18 World Championships.
I like this signing a lot. League minimum for a guy almost guaranteed to get at least 30 points is a steal considering how much guys like Ward, Kopecky, et al have been signing for the last few days. Low risk high reward, good move in my opinion.
At the price he's signed at, it's worth a shot. He was the central piece for the Kovalchuk trade. Biggest problem in Atlanta was he couldn't produce points on the top two lines and was useless on the bottom two lines.
Maybe with a better coaching staff and tighter system, he can be somewhat productive. But he was dumped at the trade deadline for a rental of Dvorak, tells you what the Thrashers thought of him.
I love cheap, low risk experiments. But he still doesn't come anywhere close to top six scoring help. This is who you sign when you're throwing darts at the boards to see what sticks to plug up some holes in your lineup, not for a team trying to fill in offensive craters.
That aside, the question is, Svatos 2.0 or SK 2.0?
Good signing. No risk. Young with a good set of hands = something we dreadfully lack in this organization. This still cannot be the end-game for the Franson trade.
