Definitely the OFF-Season: Why 2010 NHL Free Agency Isn't So Exciting

You might think that with all of the commotion that the NBA free agency is making, some of the limelight has been taken away from the NHL. However, there are a lot of issues within the NHL that are making fans lose interest.

This is usually the most exciting time of the year, when teams can bolster their rosters to make the jump into the playoffs, or give themselves that extra edge to go all the way.

So far, nothing too crazy has happened and I'm personally more focused on what's going on in other sports.

What's the problem?

Overall Weak Free Agency Class

Granted there are some big names on the free agency list, but overall this year's crop is just not that good.

A bunch of goalies, some solid defensemen, and Kovalchuk are at the top, but most of the guys looking for new homes aren't the kind of players that lead your team to the cup.

A lot of the big name guys are getting old (Selanne, Kariya, Turco), and teams aren't willing to hand out a serious contract to an aging semi-good scorer or goalie.

Sergei Gonchar...

I liked watching Gonchar play for the Penguins, and I think he's a great player, but watching him go to the Sens for a long contract and a no-trade clause is just painful.

Maybe only other Leaf fans will agree with me on this one, but Gonchar in Ottawa was the straw that broke the camel's back for me in free agency.

Nabokov's Defection

Sharks' goalie Evgeni Nabokov was definitely the best free agent goalie of the summer, and he had a whole bunch of options ahead of him.

He could have stayed with San Jose and gone for another cup run, or he could have switched teams and been their star No. 1 goalie.

Instead he went to play for the KHL.

Seriously?

I understand that this is the new fad for solid Russian hockey players, but what does that league have that the NHL doesn't?

It definitely doesn't have better skill, so is Nabokov looking for an easy ride to a championship?

I'm not a fan of this move and it just made free agency even more annoying to those fans hoping to land the star goalie.

Big Names Staying Home

I'm sure tons of fans were hoping for the exact same thing that I was this summer: that my team would land either Patrick Marleau or Joe Pavelski.

Big name stars who played at the top of their game in the playoffs are always a hot commodity and everyone loves seeing them switch teams.

It was like when you're at a hockey game and your star player is suddenly skating down the ice on a breakaway. You slowly stand up, raise your arms...and he misses the net.

These guys stayed with the Sharks, everyone slumped back in their chairs and free agency continued to suck.

Top of Exciting Transactions List: Carrie Underwood Now a Senator (wife)

This is not a joke—I'm sure more fans care about the Ottawa Senators forward's recent nuptials than Nabokov in Russia or where Jose Theodore will end up.

The Kovalchuk Saga

For those of you like me who check NHL.com hourly to see the free agency updates, I'm sure seeing "Kings out of Kovy race" ... "Kings back in Kovy race" is utterly annoying.

Message to Kovalchuk: you are not LeBron James.

Even if you were the best player in the NHL (not by a long shot), you really have to decide about next season. We, the fans, stopped caring a long time ago.

I'm pretty sure that if Kovalchuk scores 200 points next year playing for the Oilers, people still wouldn't care.

Calgary Bringing Back Old Flames

I'm not sure if Calgary fans are upset or happy about the recent acquisitions of former Flames Alex Tanguay and Olli Jokinen, but when two of the biggest signings are so-so forwards heading back to a previous team of their's...free agency is going downhill.

Hope For The Near Future...?

Hopefully in the coming months before the 2010-2011 season starts, we'll see the remaining big(ish) names switch teams or some blockbuster trades go down.

If not, we might just see Chicago achieve a repeat Stanley Cup victory and have no one stand in their way.