When the clock strikes noon, money will be thrown like crazy ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. "You have to be prepared rightly or wrongly to overspend and to give more term than you probably would want to," Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said on a conference call last week. "That doesnt mean you dont make a good deal, its just the deal is probably pricier than you would like." Bad contracts of years past are being revisited now as theyre bought out, like the Buffalo Sabres getting out from the rest of Ville Leinos deal or the New York Rangers having little choice but to cut ties with Brad Richards. Last years madness included Mike Ribeiro getting $22 million over four seasons, and last week he was bought out. "It is a time where I think the day after some of these contracts are signed, people go, Hmmm, and sit back and think," Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said last week in Philadelphia. "Thats the age were living in. Thats the nature of it." The teams that sign winger Thomas Vanek, centre Paul Stastny, defenceman Matt Niskanen hope their investments prove more sound. Those three players lead the crop, followed by wingers Matt Moulson and Jarome Iginla, centre Dave Bolland, defencemen Christian Ehrhoff and Dan Boyle and goaltenders Ryan Miller and Jonas Hiller. Already, before teams are free to sign players at noon Tuesday, over $1.1 billion has been spent to retain potential unrestricted free agents at an average cost of $3.57 million, according to CapGeek. Many of the top free agents will get more money than that on an annual basis, just based on the market value. Still, Chiarelli believes its possible to spend smart money in free agency. "As long as the expectations are in place and you know the player that youre getting, I wouldnt necessarily call it a bad deal," he said. "It may be in five years if it is a bad deal, but it is something that can help your team and you just have to be cautious of the hysteria that happens." The hysteria started early this year thanks to the new five-day window teams and pending unrestricted free agents have to talk before deals can get signed. Theyve been free to discuss fits and salary parameters, just not agree verbally or in principle. It seems to have given players more leverage than before because they can consider options rather than make a quick decision on July 1. For teams, the negotiating period is still a work in progress. "Its useful in that you can lay some plans and some groundwork," Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis said last week in Philadelphia. "Whether it helps in getting players in or not, I think that remains to be seen.” Compliance buyouts have also changed the landscape, pouring more players like Richards, Ehrhoff, ex-Vancouver Canucks winger David Booth and ex-New Jersey Devils defenceman Anton Volchenkov into the market. Those players can double-dip on pay cheques, while their former teams can allocate the saved salary-cap space elsewhere. The Buffalo Sabres have the most cap space, according to CapGeek, with almost $39 million. They need to spend more than $20 million just to get to the $51-million floor. First-time GM Tim Murray isnt worried about needing to get to the floor, nor is he scared of the perils of free agency. "I dont think its dangerous. I go back to my old cliche: evaluate properly and its never dangerous," Murray said Saturday in Philadelphia. "If you fall in love with the flavour of the week, it could be very dangerous. "But do your homework. Evaluate players properly. Go after the right players, which doesnt mean its the top guy on somebody elses list. Its who you feel is the right guy." The negotiating window has shed some light on the idea that some guys are wanted by a lot of teams. Niskanens agent, Neil Sheehy, said in an email that more than 10 teams had shown interest in the 27-year-old defenceman and that they were planning to pare down that list before Tuesday. Thats a task many of the top free agents and their representatives have been going through because its still very much a players market. "Its kind of the double-edged sword," Cheveldayoff said. "Youre trying to find pieces that can maybe push you and the different depths of the free agent market in different years entices you or maybe doesnt excite you. "But its a way to add and if you can do it reasonably and maybe someone fits in your organization and maybe it becomes a long-term thing. You have to take a look at that regardless of the dollars." Follow @SWhyno on Twitter Custom Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . The Raptors general manager has his list of possible draft selections whittled down to a handful ahead of Thursday nights NBA draft in Brooklyn, New York. The Raptors, who have auditioned dozens of players over the past couple of weeks, have the 20th overall pick in the first round, as well as the 37th and 58th picks in the second. Arizona Diamondbacks Jerseys . Interestingly, the culprits were not rookies, but well paid, experienced pros. The first gaffe came in the 24th minute of arguably the biggest early season MLS game in history between Seattle and Toronto. Sounder newcomer Marco Pappa, (with over 100 MLS games, and 39 Guatemalan Caps to his name) attempted a back pass to one of his central defenders. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondb...onzalez-jersey/. The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. Zack Greinke Jersey . Kerber will next play Estonias Kaia Kanepi, who beat American qualifier Victoria Duval 6-1, 6-3. In other first-round matches, Lucie Safarova beat 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-4 and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands had a 6-4, 6-3 win over Canadas Eugenie Bouchard. Curt Schilling Jersey . The 10-year deal the league and players agreed to that ended the 2011 lockout gave either side the right to opt out after six years. With the league projecting financial growth, there has been speculation that players will take that option in three years, especially since a new national TV contract will be in place by then. CALGARY -- After a 7-0 shellacking the night before in Edmonton, Columbus coach Todd Richards challenged his team to do better. It worked. Defenceman Nikita Nikitin scored his first goal of the season 2:25 into overtime Wednesday night to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. "As a coach, you go in and challenge your group," said Richards. "There were some questions I had coming out of the Edmonton game. To me, they responded the right way." With a delayed penalty coming to the Flames forward Jiri Hudler for goaltender interference, Columbus carried the puck back up ice and poured on the pressure as Sergei Bobrovsky skated to the bench for an extra skater. After Artem Anisimov was stopped by Calgary goalie Reto Berra, the puck came to David Savard, who had a shot blocked by Mikael Backlund. However, the puck caromed out to Nikitin who had an empty net with Berra down and out. "Nikita, as far as the way he played, it might have been his best game," said Richards, who was pleased with the entire teams performance. "They came out and they played hard. Ran out of gas a little bit towards the end. I thought we battled. We got the win. They way they are playing out on the ice, I think the attitude is real positive." After the game-winning goal went in, the Flames first-year goaltender repeatedly pounded his glove into the ice. "It was great how we came back, but at the end it was bad luck," said Berra, who had 16 saves in falling to 2-4-2. Nick Foligno also scored for Columbus (8-11-3). The Blue Jackets are 2-1-0 with two stops left on a five-game road trip. They play in Vancouver on Friday. "We just had too many mental lapses last night and it cost us," said Blue Jackets centre Ryan Johansen. "Its nice to be able to forget about that now. Coming in here tonight and doing all those little things right in our defensive zone." Joe Colborne scored the lone goal for Calgary (7-11-4). Coming off an emotional 5-4 shootout victory in Winnipeg on Monday night, the Flames have lost three straight at home and are winless in their last six (0-5-1) at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "I dont think it was the most exciting game, especially when they scored early. I think they would have been happy to go home with a 1-0 road win ...," said Flames coach Bob Hartlley.dddddddddddd "The bottom line is its pretty tough to win when you only have one line going. Matt Stajans line was by far our best line and we didnt get enough from the other three." Besides the trio of Stajan, Michael Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak, the other notable highlight for the Flames was Berras spectacular first period save off Jack Johnson. Johnson looked like he had all sorts of open net to shoot at but Berra came across and, using his entire six-foot-four frame, stretched out and spectacularly kicked the puck out of the air like a bicycle kick in soccer. Before the game had ended, the video of it was already up on the NHLs website with the headline "Save of the year?" "I was too far out. I thought (Johansen) was going to shoot, then he passed it," Berra said. "So I was way too late and I had nothing else that I could do. I just tried to bring something from my body there and it hits me right on my skate. That was for sure luck, too." Berra made his eighth start in his last nine games for the Flames. He made 16 stops to fall to 2-5-1. Columbus opened the scoring shortly after when Folignos slapshot deflected off the leg of Flames defenceman TJ Brodie, the sudden change in direction sending it into the top corner behind Berra. The game remained that way until Calgary tied the game 3:28 into the third period when Colborne got behind Johnson and on a breakaway tucked a backhand over the shoulder of Bobrovsky. It was the only shot that got past Bobrovsky of the 24 he faced on the night. "To have have a chance to play right away, to reset, its good," said Bobrovsky, who was pulled against Edmonton after the fourth goal. "You dont think about the game before. It was a bad game. You have a chance to win and you get that good feeling again." After winning the Vezina Trophy last year as the NHLs best goalie, Bobrovsky has not had nearly the same success this season with a 7-9-2 record. Notes: The Blue Jackets were without Brandon Dubinsky, who suffered a bruised foot against Edmonton. Recently recalled Jack Skille took his spot ... Columbus LW Matt Calvert (lower body) is back practising and he could return Friday. Hes missed 19 games ... Bobrovsky has given up four-or-more goals six times this season. That happened only five times all of last year ... Calgary is 6-3-4 in one-goal games. 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