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Molholt · 08-07-2015, 12:00 AM

There is a show called the First 48, which chronicles the detectives who investigate murders over the first 48 hours after a murder happens. This, is my recap of the first 4 hours of free agency for Jackson Weekes and the teams I've spoken with. Of course, I use the phrase "I've spoken with" pretty loosely, as I haven't actually done any talking, but I have been listening and reading everything that has come my way. Here are the teams I've heard from or updates on any teams that need updates!

Buffalo Stampede -

The Stampede was the first team to contact me, hitting me up basically right at the allowed time. My initial thoughts were that the money sounded good. I made mention that this was a key point for an expansion team, so that is a good thing that I was pleasantly surprised with right off the bat. Then, without me saying anything, the money went up - so that is even better. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the overall "pitch." I guess the thing with the first impression is, there just wasn't a lot there. To be fair, my takeaway from the Buffalo contact is that they want to open a line of communication. Plus, there isn't a lot to talk about as it is literally a brand new team, so I guess I'm being nitpicky. I suppose that when I respond to the message (or when/if they see this and beat me to it), I'd like to talk more about the actual team and the future plans.

Status: Neutral

Seattle Riot - Riot

Seattle was the team that I put second on my initial rankings due to their roster and the familiar faces on the team that I would've liked to play with. Considering that I hadn't spoken with them, being second was a big deal! I spoke with David Winter briefly once free agency opened, he seemed like perhaps the team wanted to bring me in, or at least maybe he would like that. One concern I had with the team was that they had two goalies, and both look poised to be the goalie of the future. It turns out that is the case. Seattle reached out to let me know that they were extremely interested in bringing me to Seattle. The next sentence started with a "however." They are committed to their current goalie situation and aren't in the market for me or a goalie. I don't blame them honestly. They wished me luck, which I thought was pretty nice of them to do, and then I crossed them off my list. Forever. You're dead to me Seattle. I will make you rue the day.. Anyway...

<s>Status: Dead</s>

Pierre-Luc Laflamme - Shl

Pierre reached out to see where I was planning on heading. We are both free agents, if you've been living under a rock. There is a possibility that we could end up going to the same team or perhaps one of us might influence the other. I'd definitely be interested in teaming up with PLL (as he is known around the league, mostly due to his long and hard to spell name) as I think he's a really good young player with a long future that would pair well with pretty much any team. Perhaps you'll see a team with Laflamme and Weekes in the near future!

Status: Talking

Texas Renegades -

I'll be honest. Texas posted about their new image and the new vision under the leadership of Deener and I was skeptical. I thought, this is a great post and makes Texas sound really good, but I'll need to see it to believe it. Let me tell you, Texas has blown me away so far. I started this with an idea of what I'd write here and then I got even more mail. Let me try to break down all of this.

First off, the initial messaging from Deener was pretty damn good. In terms of content, there was a lot of it and most of it were things I wanted to hear. The initial message covered what it meant to be on the team, what the future holds for Texas, what the team would promise me, how I fit in with the team, why they reached out, etc. Most of what Deener sent is what I try to strive for when I'm GMing a team. The team needs a mindset, a focus, plans for how to get there and results. I was mostly impressed. There were some over the top things with this initial message that bothered me more than they should have. First off, they oversold my player. I know it is silly, but they could've toned down the Weekes praise - that's not something I need or want. Secondly, they actually went through the trouble of putting together like a mock jersey, and because I'm a nitpicky asshole - they didn't use my number. They didn't even get close. Let's just say that they wouldn't have put like, 72 on Jordin FourFour's jersey. Oooooooh.

Deener set the bar, but honestly, his team made the biggest impression for him. Three members of the Renegades have already reached out to me to tell me about the team and support all of the positives that I've heard about it. I've heard a lot about the community of Texas and how impactful it has been for people in the league. Overwhelmingly positive reviews, but that is to be expected from members on the team. But how about members who aren't on the team? I've received a message from a player who is still in the league but who isn't on the team, but they reached out to send me well wishes and also tell me their opinions on Texas. Positive things, from someone not with the team anymore. I was a bit surprised. They seem to have had a good influence on a lot of people and I think the negative stigma may soon leave the team.

Status: Rising Up

New England Wolfpack -

New England was a team that in my initial rankings, I was harsh on. I slotted them higher, but as I delved into the team I kept knocking them down and feeling more excited about other teams. I gotta say though, they sent me a really nice first message. The GM, prettyburn, sent a really honest and yet pretty exciting message. It engaged me with questions, but questions about things that I think are reasonable to talk about. It was direct with things that I don't want to be asked about, like telling me about the team, the future, etc. I probably had considered them out of the running before, but I'll definitely be replying to their message soon-ish (this article has taken longer than expected).

Status: Trending Up

Toronto North Stars - Stars