DALLAS – With the acquisition of Jaroslav Svoboda on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars have 20 players, almost a full roster, ready for the 2004-05 season.

The Boston Bruins, meanwhile, have six players under contract and a handful of restricted free agents under their control.

The two teams reflect the extremes of how teams are handling one of the most unusual summers in league history. Thursday begins the NHL’s free-agency period, a time in the past when teams lined up to bid on the services of the best players in the world. But with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire Sept. 15 and the potential for an entirely new economic system by the time next season begins, teams are all over the map in how they are looking at contracts.

“To be honest, no one knows for sure how to move forward,” said Detroit Red Wings general manager

Ken Holland said. “We’re all just making educated guesses.”

Some teams are guessing the NHL will allow transition rules under a potential system of payroll regulation and are signing players as if no salary restrictions will be in place. Others, who have seen a projected salary cap in the $40 million range, are keeping financial flexibility by signing as few players as possible. Some believe a good deal now is a good deal in the future. Others are betting that free agents who flood the market Thursday could still be around at the end of the summer, thus creating a buyer’s market.

Who is right could determine who is successful in the new NHL.

“We believe in what we are doing, but I can’t tell you for sure it’s going to work,” said Boston GM Mike O’Connell. “We believe we will have time to get our team together, but we’re just going to have to wait and see.”

O’Connell would not say when he planned on filling out his roster, but it’s possible he won’t do it until the new rules of the CBA are made clear to him. If that decision comes Sept. 15, he might have just a few days to finalize his roster for the start of training camp. If the league has a work stoppage and doesn’t decide on the new rules until, say, January, he could have to put his team together with almost no preparation time. That said, he could adjust in the upcoming months.

The Stars, with more than $51 million in contracts for next season, have little wiggle room. They have a roster full of players under contract, several with no-trade clauses. What’s more, they have players whose salaries might be untradeable in the NHL’s new environment.

What they hope is they can bolt out of the gate whenever the season starts. Only the Philadelphia Flyers are facing fewer changes to top-level personnel.

“We’re preparing ourselves for the next season as if it’s business as usual,” Stars GM Doug Armstrong said.

Sabres extend qualifying offer to Connolly

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Sabres extended one-year qualifying offers on Tuesday to retain the rights of 12 players, including center Tim Connolly, who missed all of last season with a concussion.

The move to retain Connolly, who was offered the mandatory 10 percent raise over the $1.24 million he made last season, was a clear indication that the Sabres believe he can resume playing.

Connolly missed all of last season, experiencing post-concussion symptoms after he was knocked out by a hit in a preseason game in October. He wasn’t cleared to resume skating until the end of March, and has spent the past few months working out under the team’s supervision.

“He’s absolutely fine,” Connolly’s agent J.P. Barry said. “Tim feels he’s come a long way in the last few months. … And he’s ready to go.”

Connolly was considered the key player for Buffalo in a deal that sent former Sabres captain Michael Peca to the New York Islanders in June 2001. He has 22 goals and 48 assists in 162 games with the Sabres.

Other Sabres extended offers were goaltenders Martin Biron and Ryan Miller, forwards Milan Bartovic, Norm Milley, Andrew Peters, and Taylor Pyatt, and defensemen Brad Brown, Brian Campbell, Rory Fitzpatrick, Doug Janik and Henrik Tallinder.

The Sabres also re-signed forward Ales Kotalik by exercising their option to extend his contract by one year.

The moves came prior to Thursday’s start of the NHL’s free agency period.

The Sabres stand to lose only two players to free agency, veteran defensemen Alexei Zhitnik and James Patrick. Despite offers from the Sabres to re-sign him, Zhitnik had previously expressed an interest to test free agency.

Patrick completed his 21st season and sixth in Buffalo, and hopes to re-sign with the Sabres. His future, however, is uncertain because of a potential labor dispute that could disrupt the start or all of next season.

Last month, the Sabres extended offers to eight other players – including high-scoring forward Daniel Briere – that were competing at the World Hockey Championships. The moves were made in order to retain their rights as well as to provide them health insurance in the event they were hurt in competition.

Biron, Briere, Campbell, Fitzpatrick, Tallinder, Maxim Afinogenov, J.P. Dumont, Mike Grier, Jochen Hecht and backup goalie Mika Noronen have until July 15 to determine whether to file for arbitration.

AP-ES-06-29-04 1654EDT

Copy the Story Link