Erik Erlendsson
Erik Erlendsson covers the Tampa Bay Lightning for The Tampa Tribune.
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Artyukhin? Kolzig on a one-year deal!
Posted Jul 1, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson
Updated Jul 1, 2008 at 04:38 PM
A lot of you guys have been asking about what’s the situation with Evgeny Artyukhin today, and a valid question that is. I’ve just been informed that nothing will be announced on that front today. Will try to find out exactly what that means in the short term, but it just sounds like maybe they would wait a day to make that official.
And I’m sure as you’ve been franticly hitting the refresh button at the top of your computer for the last hour, wonder what on Earth is going on, the same headline keeps popping up? Well, I’m here to change that. You have a new headline to deal with. But the reason for that at this point is my sources have not returned any of my inquiries as to what exactly is going on, so I’m still in a holding pattern trying to get details on Adam Hall (although that sounds like a done deal) and Kolzig (still looking for the details of the deal, although TSN is reporting one-year at $1.5 million plus bonuses).
Keep checking because I can assure you, I’ll keep working (although I’ll be in a meeting at 5 p.m., so I’ll be out of pocket for a while on that front)
Here’s the press release from the team announcing the Kolzig deal:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a one-year contract today, owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie announced.
“Olaf is a real stabilizer in the locker room and on the ice,” Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said. “With Karri Ramo, Olaf Kolzig and Mike Smith we have a great deal of depth at the goaltending position and we like all the options that allows us moving forward.”
One of the most experienced goaltenders in the NHL, Kolzig has played his entire career in Washington where he owns team goaltending records for games played (711), wins (301), save percentage (.906) and shutouts (35), among others. A first-team All-Star and Vezina Trophy winner as the league’s top goaltender after posting a career-best 41 wins in 1999-00, Kolzig has played in two NHL All-Star Games (1998 and 2000). He also led the Capitals to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals, posting a 12-9 record and 1.95 goals-against average in 21 games.
Originally drafted 19th overall by Washington in 1989, Kolzig, 38, played three seasons in the Western Hockey League with New Westminster and Tri-City before making his NHL debut with the Capitals in 1989-90. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound native of Johannesburg, South Africa, became a regular with the Capitals in 1994-95 and took over as the team’s starter in 1997-98 when he posted a record of 33-18-10 with a 2.20 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.
Kolzig enjoyed his ninth 20+ win and his seventh 25+ win season in 2007-08, and he became the 23rd NHL goaltender to record 300 career victories with a 24-save win March 12 against Calgary. He is tied for 22nd all time with 301 career wins, and only Martin Brodeur has played more games than Kolzig among goaltenders who spent their entire career with one team. He has played in 45 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, posting a 20-24 record with six shutouts, a 2.14 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
Kolzig has represented Germany on the international stage four times including the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics, the 1997 World Championships and the 1996 World Cup. He is considered to be one of the NHL’s most active players when it comes to charitable endeavors, serving as one of the co-founders of Athletes Against Autism and founding the Carson Kolzig Foundation, named after his son. He was chosen as the recipient of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2006.
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Reader Comments
Por (Geografer) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Who in there right mind in your office scheduled you a meeting on FA Day?? They should be fired!
Suggest removalThanks for trying to keep it all updated EE.
Por (Geografer) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Think maybe Arty is having second thoughts? That maybe he knows he would be trade bait - or still end up in Norfolk and would rather stay in Russia and play for the money? I liked the kid but I am not sold on his coming back.
Suggest removalPor (karma) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Erik,
Suggest removalDid I miss it, or why haven’t they officially announced Vinnie’s signing today?
Geographer - probably the daily Tribune budget meeting where the editorial staff figures out what’s going to be “front page” in tomorrow’s paper.
Por (John Elliott) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Keep up the good work EE… Take the rest of the day off. I’ll cover for you in the meeting…
Suggest removalPor (LightningRod) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are shopping goaltender Mike Smith around after signing Olaf Kolzig to a one-year deal, Sportsnet has learned.
Suggest removalPor (Geografer) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Right - start contract talks to extend his contract - sign Olie for one year and leave goaltending to Olie and Ramo? I think not. Kind of like they are shopping Danny.
Suggest removalIf they are shopping anyone it is some 3rd and 4th line forwads and Kuba (hopefully).
Por (Niki) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Really appreciate all your hard work over the past week Erik. Keep drinking the coffee - this is a 24/7 rollercoaster ride!
Suggest removalPor (BOLTS RULE !!!!) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Hopefully they will keep smith, but you never know in all of this melee going on, No one has made any moves on the big guys for the FA period Hossa or Campbell, No I dont think Tampa can get them, unless they lose a few of the higher paid players, but Nobody seems to be mentioning them, I guess they are weighing all of their offers.
I would love to see the Bolts get D men like Orpik, Redden, Rozsival or Streit, if they can afford them that is. If so some others may get dropped like Kuba his 3mil a year hurts, but not sure if he has a NT clause or not.
Suggest removalPor (Geografer) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Okay so Kolzig to Tampa
Suggest removalLalime to Buffalo (back-up Miller)
Raycroft to Colorado (good luck Avs - gotta wonder if they are looking at Habby but probably not with his salary)
Auld to Ottawa (back-up Gerber)
Conklin to Detroit (back-up Osgood - wow their goalie cost are low)
Huet to Chicago (Habby is toast - right now they have $12.375 million just on goalies)
Joseph to Toronto (back-up Toskala)
So that leaves who - Emery - truely hope no one takes him!!
Por (Goalman) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
The Lightning are shopping Mike Smith(according to Sportsnet in Canada) Yeh and monkeys can fly out of my butt.
Suggest removalPor (Jordan G) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I dont see any reason at all for shopping Smith around. It doesnt matter what his stats were like last year. I think he did a good job, and will do an even better job with a better team in front of him this year…
Suggest removalPor (Leanmean43) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Erik,
Suggest removalAny news on Rolston?
Por (brendan) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
any word on Ralston? Brendan O’ Leary
Suggest removalPor (Dave R) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
yeah I think the comment about Smith is a little ridiculous… unless they are either getting a decent #1 in return, or are expecting to score 5+ goals a game this season…
also with Lecavalier’s deal, I read a few days ago that he was on vacation in Montreal and would “officially” sign it done when he returned to Tampa on July 16th.
LOVE most of the signings so far though, even though we havent made an attempt at a decent 2nd/3rd pair defensemen? oh well,
go Bolts!
Suggest removalPor (Lou Campo) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Team sure has been busy, I feel these owners WANT to win and now. good for them and I hope good for us too. Last place still makes me feel sick inside.
Suggest removalPor (Geografer) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Yeah - Chicago has signed Bryan Campbell to an 8-year $56.8 million deal - there is no question something is going to have to happen to Habby.
Suggest removalPor (chris) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Hope the $100 mil they had to borrow from PS&E is whats being used for all this and they aren’t spending what they ain’t got. Love the attitude & desire but….
Suggest removalKolzig is a bonus if only cause he ain’t in Washington anymore, kind of like Luongo, pepper him with shots & gets tougher with every one. Hope it holds true, if nothing else great mentor for Smith & let Ramo have a full year as #1 in minors like someone said he needed.
Like I started out hope the mouth ain’t writing checks the a#^ can’t cash but love the thrills
Por (Bill) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Unlike some of you, I think Kolzig has a good yeat or 2 as the #1 goalie, not backup to anyone. Sometimes experience makes up for being a little slower. And for all you nay sayers, I want to see how well you play at any sport when you are 50.
Suggest removalPor (TampaRob) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Getting Kolzig is a good move IMHO.. but I’m curious: with Huet going to Chicago where does that leave Khabibulin? hmmm?
Suggest removalPor (Mike Joyce) on July 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Is the same Canadian press that was reporting that Vinny wanted out of Tampa, the ones who are saying that Smith is being shopped? Having Kolzing and Smith makes a ton of sense to me.
Maybe on day 2 of free agency they will take care of the D.
Suggest removalPor (Slapshot) on July 02, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Kolzig isn’t a #1 goaltender anymore and really hasn’t played like one in almost two seasons. But he’s a character guy who has been there and done that. He also keeps Ramo in the minors where he belongs at this point playing every night.
Suggest removalHabby will have to be part of a deal to someone with deep pockets or a desperate team once into the season. You can’t afford over $12 mil in puckstoppers.
So far Chicago, Tampa and Edmonton seem to be making the best of the chaos but there are many other stories still unwritten.
Por (6r3yf0x) on July 02, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Signing Kolzig was a killer of a deal, he still has some game left in him and is a much better addition to the team then any of the past ones since Habby was allowed to leave as a Free Agent in 2005.
Also the Caps under Kolzig almost went to the Cup last year so will all of the nay sayers back off… where the hell were all of y’all when the Bolts shot them selves in the foot and let Habby walk over a measly $100,000 dollars… where were y’all when we screwed up our shot at a dynasty by choosing to allow never-has beens like Graham, Denis and Burke to be the man?
Kolzig is good, and will make us better!
Suggest removalPor (Christian) on July 02, 2008 (Suggest removal)
The only way dealing Smith makes any sense is if we package him with some of the extra forwards we are going to have to get rid of anyway to bring in a bonafide, proven #1. Any combination of Oullet, Ward, Craig, Jokinen, even Tarnasky and maybe others could be a part of such a trade (think Smith/Halpern/Jokinen for Richards). As it stands now we have to dump a few forwards anyway to clear roster space, and so throwing two or three in with Smith for a top goaltender wouldn’t surprise me the way these owners have been making moves. I still highly doubt it, but I wouldn’t totally discount it.
Suggest removalPor (Slapshot) on July 03, 2008 (Suggest removal)
The Caps didn’t get anywhere near the Cup last year, they lost in the first round to Philly. They made the playoffs with Kolzig on the bench and Huet standing on his head. If Kolzig were still “the man” why were the Caps fishing for a goaltender at the trade deadline? Why didn’t they offer him a contact when Huet left last week? Kolzig doesn’t need to apologize to anyone for the career he’s had but to expect that he’s going to lead Tampa anywhere is just asking too much.
Suggest removal