If you're an unrestricted free agent and haven't signed with an NHL team yet, you're probably having a stressful summer. There are still clubs that need players and others that have to spend money to get to the cap floor, but there are also plenty of free agents still looking for work, some of whom will be left out in the cold once the 2011-12 season starts.
Given it's only July, it might be a little early for players to take the first offers they get and be thankful they got one. The Canucks didn't sign Raffi Torres until the end of August last summer. But Mike Gillis does have a good pitch to make to UFAs that are looking to get their careers back on track. Come to Vancouver. Play on a good team. Surround yourself with quality players. Torres did. Now he's in Phoenix making $1.75 million per and growing red beards like a king.
Chris Drury is one UFA that hasn't found a team yet. This is probably because he scored one goal in 24 games last year with the Rangers while taking up $7,050,000 in cap space.
No, it didn't go well for Drury in New York. Not well at all. In fact, if there was a picture that described how well it went, this might be it:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/e...use/homer2.png
You can also add injuries to the list of reasons potential suitors should be wary. In June, the New York Post reported that Drury had a "degenerative condition" in his left knee that might keep the Rangers from buying him out. But Drury was bought out anyway, which leaves one to conclude that he's healthy (or at least healthy enough), or that he let the buyout go through because he'd already made enough money off the club and felt pretty bad about it.
For the sake of argument, let's assume he's healthy. If he's not, it's an easy pass.
Let's also assume he won't be too fussy about money, what with having banked a fair bit the last few years. If money's an issue, it's another easy pass.
But if all he cares about is getting a fresh start, then it's at least worth kicking the tires. Drury, 34, is a character guy with a tonne of class, and you can never have enough of those types.
A lot of people thought it was crazy when he was picked to play for Team USA in the 2010 Olympics, with Jeremy Roenick being the most notable critic. And then Drury performed so well that JR was forced to issue an apology.
Said Roenick: "I think being in New York, I owe a huge apology, both in the New York area or across the country, to Chris Drury, who I said probably should not have been there, here in the Olympics. [He's] been a monster for Team USA. He's been one of their best players. I'll eat crow when crow needs to be eaten. This is my national apology to Chris Drury. He's just been a great, great hockey player."
Besides, even if Drury never rediscovers his scoring touch (he had 37 goals in 06-07 with the Sabres), he can still be an effective penalty killer that can move up to the top six if needed. He's listed as a centre (and is a great faceoff man), but he's played the wing before, which is probably where he'd have to fit on the Canucks. (Unless of course Manny Malhotra struggles, which is entirely possible given the severity of his eye injury.)
Admittedly, Drury signing in Vancouver is a long shot. After he was bought out by the Rangers, the rumour was that he would see if Buffalo was interested in his services. Hopefully he ends up somewhere and finds some success, because he deserves to be remembered as more than one of the biggest free-agent busts in hockey history.
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