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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 2932948" data-attributes="member: 2012">Free agent Legace waiting for suitorsCanadian Press7/7/2006 3:11:12 PMThe question to Manny Legace seemed innocent enough. Where will he sign?"Good question, I have no idea," Legace said Friday. "No calls, nothing at this point."The unrestricted free-agent goaltender hasn't got a sniff since the free-agent market opened last Saturday. And he's stunned."It's just mind-boggling," he said from Detroit. "I thought for sure there'd be interest from somebody after the year I had. But nothing. I don't know what to think. And I don't know what teams are thinking."Legace's agent, Ed Ratushny, has picked up the phone from his end to get things going."We have started preliminary discussions with two teams," he said from Ottawa. "But what I find surprising was the bidding for Martin Gerber as compared to Manny."Gerber signed an $11.1-million US, three-year deal with the Ottawa Senators, who outbid Legace's old team the Red Wings for the Swiss goalie's services.As Ratushny points out, Gerber's 2.78 goals-against average and .906 save percentage with Carolina last season trailed Legace's 2.19 GAA (third in the NHL) and .915 save percentage.It appears Legace is paying the price for a so-so performance in the first round of the playoffs when the top-seeded Red Wings where bounced out by Edmonton in six game.Still, this is a guy who was fifth among NHL goalies last season with 37 wins and placed fifth in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder _ an award voted on by NHL GMs."I thought I had a great year to be honest with you," said the 33-year-old Legace, who earned $1.16 million last season. "I thought I'd get some interest but nothing, no one has called."To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen."He knows all the starters' jobs are gone so he's realistic about his next assignment."I'm willing to do anything on any team," he said. "Ideally I'd like to go to a team where at least I'd have a chance to compete for the No. 1 job. That's all I'm probably looking for now, a chance to compete."The most obvious teams that could use his services are Florida, where young Alex Auld might need a push, and St. Louis, where the same scenario presents itself with sophomore Curtis Sanford."I'd be nice to go to St. Louis, it would be very nice," said Legace. "They're making some great moves, there's new ownership. And I know (president) John Davidson very well. He's always spoken well of me. I'd love to go play for him."Legace still lives in Detroit, where he met his wife, and wishes he'd come back for a seventh season with the Red Wings. But GM Ken Holland phoned him in early June and told him the Wings were going to look for a different starter."It was a shocking phone call," recalls Legace. "I thought we could work something out. It was just disappointing. That was tough because I loved playing in Detroit, it was awesome. That was the best owner I've ever played for, a great organization."But they were very classy about it, they didn't throw me out like an old newspaper. We talked and they made me understand they wanted to go in another direction."He's looked on with interest as the Wings continue to look for his replacement."I think they were really going after Gerber," Legace said. "(Wings coach) Mike Babcock wanted one of his old goalies there and that's understandable, coaches want their own guys. It's unfortunate they didn't get him."I think now they're looking at probably (Ed) Belfour or bring back Dom (Hasek). That's what I foresee for them."Legace is 114-43-18 in 197 career regular-season games with a 2.21 GAA and .917 save percentage.He's 4-6-0 with a 2.54 GAA and .888 save percentage in 11 career NHL playoff games.</blockquote>

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