Some teams figuring out how to get under cap
With free-agent signings slowing down, Spector says some teams have a new worry: Who should they move to get under the cap?

Sabres changing approach to free agency
By re-signing Ryan Miller, the Sabres showed critics that they're now committed to holding on to young talent, Spector says.

Who's headed for salary arbitration?
The free-agent frenzy is ending, but the fun isn't over. Spector looks at players headed for arbitration, like Jay Bouwmeester.

NHL free agency roundup: Bolts go big with Lecavalier
The Lightning's Vincent Lecavalier agreed to a huge 11-year extension worth $85 million. Check out our free agency roundup.

Wild sign Bouchard to five-year deal
The Minnesota Wild re-signed right wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard to a five-year, $20.4 million contract on Saturday. A first-round selection by the Wild in 2002, the 5-foot-10 and 172-pound Bouchard had a career-high and franchise-record 50 assists last season. The 24-year-old Bouchard also had 13 goals. Bouchard's new contract includes a no-trade clause for the first two years.

Caps sign Morrisonn to one-year contract
The Washington Capitals signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn to a one-year contract on Saturday. The 25-year-old played his third full season with the team in 2007-08, totaling 10 points and 63 penalty minutes in 76 games. He also played in the Capitals' playoff series against the Flyers. The Vancouver native was acquired from Boston in 2004.

Bruins buy out final year of Murray's deal
The Boston Bruins have bought out the final year of veteran right-winger Glen Murray's contract. The team announced the move Saturday. The 35-year-old Murray, a 16-year veteran, has scored 337 goals with 314 assists in 1,009 regular season games. Murray was in his second stint with the Bruins and was their first-round pick in 1991. He's also played with the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins. Murray had 17 goals and 13 assists in 63 games with Boston last season.

Svatos agrees to 2-year deal with Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Marek Svatos to a two-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing Friday. Svatos scored 26 goals last season despite missing the final 16 games with a torn knee ligament. He tied Wojtek Wolski for the club lead with six game-winning goals. Svatos' 32 goals in 2005-06 were third among rookies behind Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

Blue Jackets sign LW Mike York
Forward Mike York agreed to a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. York is expected to add depth on the top three lines for the Blue Jackets. Since the end of last season, the Blue Jackets have traded for forwards Raffi Torres and R.J. Umberger and defensemen Christian Backman and Fedor Tyutin, in addition to the free-agent signings of defenseman Mike Commodore and forward Kristian Huselius.

Svatos, Avs avoid arbitration, reach agreement
The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Marek Svatos to a two-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing Friday.

Wild re-sign Bouchard to five-year, $20M deal
The Minnesota Wild re-signed right wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard to a five-year, $20.4 million contract on Saturday.

Bruins buy out last season of Murray's contract
The Boston Bruins have bought out the final year of veteran right-winger Glen Murray's contract.

Capitals sign defenseman Morrisonn for one year
The Washington Capitals signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn to a one-year contract on Saturday.

Holmstrom uses Cup in baby christening in Sweden
Tomas Holmstrom had his day with the Stanley Cup on Friday, and he let his cousin use it as a baptismal font for a christening.

Blue Jackets add former Rangers forward York
Forward Mike York agreed to a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.

Preds extend center Peverley, goaltender Rinne
The Nashville Predators signed center Rich Peverley to a two-year deal and goaltender Pekka Rinne to a one-year contract extension Friday.

Sabres sign journeyman Darche to one-year deal
Journeyman minor league left winger Mathieu Darche signed a one-year, $575,000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

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Burnside: Power Rankings, the summer edition
Here's a look at our summer power rankings with less than two months to go before the start of training camp.

Wild re-sign Bouchard to five-year, $20.4M deal
After trying to trade him earlier this summer, the Wild avoided a salary arbitration hearing with Pierre-Marc Bouchard by re-signing the right wing to a five-year, $20.4 million contract.

F Svatos agrees to two-year deal with Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Marek Svatos to a two-year contract, avoiding an arbitration hearing Friday.

Veteran Murray's contract is bought out by Bruins
The Boston Bruins have bought out the final year of veteran right-winger Glen Murray's contract.

Captials re-sign Morrisonn to one-year contract
The Washington Capitals signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn to a one-year contract on Saturday.

Thrashers tab Cunneyworth, Nelson as assistants
The Atlanta Thrashers have named former Rochester Americans head coach Randy Cunneyworth and former Chicago Wolves assistant Todd Nelson as assistants under new head coach John Anderson.

Ducks sign Carlyle to two-year contract extension
Ducks coach Randy Carlyle has signed a two-year extension, putting him under contract with the 2007 Stanley Cup champions for the next three years.

Bruins re-sign D Wideman to multiyear extension
The Bruins signed defenseman Dennis Wideman to a multiyear contract extension on Wednesday.

Coyotes re-sign LW Carcillo to two-year contract
Daniel Carcillo, who led the NHL in penalty minutes as a rookie last season, was re-signed to a two-year contract by the Coyotes.

Ex-Blues owner pleads guilty to federal charge
A former owner of the Blues faces sentencing later this year after pleading guilty to a federal charge for backdating stock options.

Flyers sign forward Lupul to four-year extension
Forward Joffrey Lupul and the Philadelphia Flyers agreed to a four-year extension on Monday, keeping him with the Eastern Conference finalists through the 2012-2013 season.

C Nielsen agrees to 4-year, $2.1M deal with Isles
Danish center Frans Nielsen agreed to a four-year, $2.1 million contract with the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Miller time: Sabres, goalie OK five-year extension
The Buffalo Sabres signed goaltender Ryan Miller on Friday to a five-year contract extension through the 2013-2014 season.

Penguins reward coach Therrien with 3-year deal
The Pittsburgh Penguins' march to the Stanley Cup finals has paid off for coach Michel Therrien.

Blackhawks name 20-year-old Toews as captain
Jonathan Toews will be the Chicago Blackhawks captain next season, making him the third-youngest player to earn that distinction in the history of the NHL.

Russian hockey contracts suspended amid probe
Nashville Predators forward Alex Radulov was one of six players whose new contracts were suspended by hockey's international governing body on Friday until the legality of the deals could be investigated.

Fill in Your Hockey Calendar
Back when the NHL decided to send the New York Rangers to Prague, it must have seemed a natural fit. Jaromir Jagr would be the marquee attraction, of course. He's...

Russian Money Raises the Stakes
James Mirtle does a nice job defending the skills and potential of Alex Radulov, the young fellow who has started a war between the NHL and the new Continental Hockey...

A Good News Day for the NHL
What a summer it's been for the NHL! Gary Bettman's master plan for Nashville imploded when the sleazeball brought in to save the Predators was exposed as a sleazeball with no...

Future Salary Cap Baggage
It's impossible to guess where the NHL salary cap will be a few years from now. That's why teams are taking a huge risk with the long-term contracts handed out...

Hidden Gems of Cinematic Puckdom
For a true hockey fan, the injustice is infuriating. While cheesy films like Ice Castles and Youngblood are readily available on video or DVD, equally cheeseball efforts like King of Hockey...

The Must-See Hockey Movies
Most Toronto Maple Leafs fans agree that the team is a joke. But it takes a true hockey guy to work the Leafs into a mainstream Hollywood comedy, as Mike...

NHL Free Agents: The System Works
It's July, which means the hockey business must be going to hell. Over at Fox Sports, Mike Chen uses the word "stupid" seven times in assessing this year's free agent spending. For...

Marian Hossa. What a Guy.
Nobody saw this one coming. Marian Hossa to Detroit? Maybe. But for one year? After cutting the deal, Red Wings' GM Ken Holland was beside himself. Cue the violins: "Success is about...

A Skeptic's Free Agent Notes
Thoughts on a few of the fat deals signed July 1, opening day of the 2008 NHL free agent season. D Brian Campbell to Chicago:8 years/$7.1 million per year A true star?...

Free Agent Fun and Amusements
With the market opening at midday (eastern time), the big news in the hours leading up to NHL free agency concerned the players who aren't changing teams. Corey Perry, Mike Green,...

Therrien: 'I Am the Chose One'

This is a great little stat: no coach in Penguin history has started and finished four consecutive seasons.
Ron Cook thinks Michel Therrien, who just signed a contract extension, could be the one to break that streak.
I don't.
Therrien is a dangerous combination of narrow-minded and panicky. You could see it during the finals when he didn't change anything against the Wings until he suddenly moved Ryan Malone to the top line, only to put things back the next game. I suspect we'll see more moves like that from Therrien, and as he loses people in the locker room, which is rumored to be the case, these knee-jerk switches will be less and less effective.
I was surprised the Penguins gave Therrien a three-year extension. Watching him coach has often felt like watching someone drive a car that's too fast. You could see the places where he just didn't know how to handle all the parts (like when to play Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby together and when to spread them out).
I'm guessing Therrien crashes before he crosses the four-year flag.
Also, Curtis Brown is going to play in Switzerland next season. John Vogl, who covered Brown as a Sabre, has some interesting insights into what sounds like a complex person.

Sundin: 'I'll Decide by December. Just Start Without Me'

Wow. Look how decisive Mats Sundin is. He's got his NHL options narrowed down to the Canucks, the Leafs, or retirement. And he's said he'll decide by August. It's not like teams need to decide anything, right?
Of course, looking at the Canucks' salaries, they still have the space to give Sundin that rumored $10 million/year for two years, and it's not like there's anyone else they could sign. They may as well wait it out. The Leafs also have some room for Sundin, although I have to wonder if they would want him back. I got the impression the Leafs (or at least Leafs Nation) was kind of happy to turn the page on Sundin. The city of Vancouver seems to want him pretty badly. Like everyone else, I don't understand a) why the Canucks are offering him so much money and b) why Sundin isn't jumping on that.
Also, Sports Illustrated has an awesome photo essay looking at the demise of the Islanders. There are so many low moments. It must have been hard to choose. (via Two-Line Pass).

Blackhawks Reborn?

Who would have thought the Blackhawks would have a convention for its fans? And who would have thought the fans would come? Don't forget. This is a team that just recently started broadcasting home games.
It's amazing how things are changing so quickly for the franchise. They're signing free agents. They're spending a ton on goalies. They're going to be a part of the Winter Classic. It's almost like Chicago finally has an NHL team again.
Also, icethetics reports the Wings and Blackhawks might wear throwback 30s jerseys for the Winter Classic. Eventually, I'd like to throw things back to the 19th century. That would be pretty cool.

Buffalo Discovers the Convenience of Re-Signing Current Players

I can't believe the Sabres finally locked up a key player. They signed goalie Ryan Miller for five years, a reasonable amount of time for a franchise goalie. I thought for sure the Michigan native would eventually wind up with the Wings. And now, the Sabres are even looking to lock-up Jason Pominville. I guess the Sabres are starting to see the value of players who are actually willing to play in Buffalo. Apparently, there aren't a ton of players like that. Bucky Gleason says the lock-ups are good news if for no other reason than it lets the Sabres concentrate on hockey, not who they're not signing.
Also, in case you're wondering, after waiving Stephane Veilleux, whom they couldn't agree to a contract with, the Wild re-signed him. Presumably, there are no hard feelings. Michael Russo has a fascinating post about how the whole Veilleux debacle shows the need for a player to have an agent. Veilleux cleared waivers, but not because no one wanted him. It was more a paperwork issue.
Finally, SportsHubLA has an interesting talk with Kings GM Dean Lombardi. Lombardi is very careful not to say too much, but it sounds like his expectations for the Kings aren't very high. On the one hand, it's good that he's realistic. On the other, you have to kind of wonder why that isn't an impetus to get some veterans signed to mentor the younger players. I love a youth movement as much as anyone, but a rookie coach and a young team seems like a recipe for turmoil.

No One Leaves the NHL

Considering it's the middle of July, there's a shocking amount of stuff going on around the NHL.
Mark Hermann thinks Joe Queeneville should be the next coach of the Islanders. Queeneville isn't a bad idea, but given the Isles history, my money is on backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz, whose playing time indirectly led to coach Ted Nolan getting fired, deciding not to play in Russia, and instead becoming the next coach of the Islanders. Because in Isles Nation, there's no greater honor than being the backup goalie.
Also, it seems like no one ever really leaves the NHL. Brendan Shanahan is still holding out hope he'll play for the Rangers next season. Retiree Jeff O'Neill might return to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Finally, the Minnesota Wild do not mess around. Forward Stephane Veilleux is trying to negotiate a contract with the Wild, where's he's played the past five seasons. Since the two sides haven't been able to agree on a contract, they put him on waivers. If the Wild were negotiating a hundred years ago, they probably would have shot Veilleux, so I guess the waiver move could be worse.

Everyone Loves Krog

I officially don't understand the Russian leagues. Jason Krog, who just signed with the Canucks, supposedly had a seven figure offer from a Russian team. Krog took considerably less (he signed for $750,000) to play for the Canucks. But had the Russian team seen Krog's NHL stats? He had 21 goals and 37 assists in just under 200 NHL games. Even pre-lockout, I don't think those numbers would have gotten a million dollar NHL contract.
Krog is funny. No one wants to give up on him, especially since he's always played well at the AHL level. But really, Hobey Baker award or not, all the data says Krog, despite his speed and playmaking, just isn't a good fit for the NHL. And yet NHL (and now international) teams always seem interested in him, like they want to be the ones to finally unlock Krog's potential.
Speaking of contracts, Kevin Allen takes NHL teams to task for forcing players with no-trade clauses to waive them, mostly using he threat of waivers. That's a huge pet peeve of mine, and one the NHLPA needs to address in the next contract. You either have a no-trade or you don't. The conditional no-trade does not work.
Speaking of NHL contracts, Larry Brooks recently explained something I've wondered about: how does the NHL cap go up every year? Brooks' answer? A few teams (Detroit, New York, Philly, Toronto, and Montreal) make a lot of money. Enough money to raise the cap, even as smaller market teams don't make enough revenue to hit the cap floor. Brooks predicts certain NHL owners will soon bring up the idea of revenue sharing.

Nolan Leaves the Island

On the one hand, there's not much surprising about the Islanders' firing coach Ted Nolan. It was no secret Nolan and GM Garth Snow didn't get along very well. The surprising part is the timing of the firing. First, it was over two weeks into free agency and over a month after the end of the season. Why not fire Nolan when the season ended? Why not grab a new coach when you have the most options? And why not wait for Nolan to truly fail as a coach? Basically, it seems like Nolan was fired for acting like he won't play the Isles' youngsters, more than for his performance.
It looks like the Isles might have delayed firing Nolan in the hope he would find another coaching job. The Isles gave Nolan permission to interview with other NHL teams. Nolan didn't get any offers, though, perhaps because everyone was under the impression he already had a job.
In a lot of ways, Nolan might be better off, though. It sounds like he was really micro-managed on Long Island, with management even requesting certain defensive alignments from him.
The usual coaching suspects (Bob Hartley, Paul Maurice and John Tortorella) are expected to be given coaching interviews. I don't see Tortorella fitting in with the Islanders cooperative approach to everything. Hartley would be perfect to take the Islanders various parts and cobble them into cohesive lines, but I have to wonder if he's desperate enough to take a job in this dysfunctional organization. Moving from Colorado to Atlanta to the Isles doesn't exactly scream upward career trajectory.

Witt Touched; Golbez Ecstatic

I was originally going to write something sarcastic about the Islanders giving 33-year-old defenseman Brendan Witt a two-year, $6 million contract extension when he still has another year left on his deal. Committing to a player of that age before you need to seems unnecessarily risky to me. Especially as the NHL puts more and more value on quick, puck-moving defensemen. But then, I read how touched Witt was by the extension and I decided not to write anything.
When I read about Pavol Demitra signing with the Canucks (two years, $8 million), my first instinct was to visit Jes Golbez's site. I think he was touched by this signing even more than Witt was by the extension.
Finally, Kevin Allen had an interesting post about the Russian leagues representing opportunities for NHL goalies given that there are only 30 starting spots in the NHL. I think there are probably more than that, since many teams have more of a 1A/1B goalie deal, but being an NHL goalie is still a tough gig to land. I know the NHL is trying to pretend the Russian leagues don't exist and aren't a threat to the league (which they aren't, until they lure Alexander Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin back home) but why not embrace it? Why not set up some interleague games? And why not make them count in the standings? Wouldn't hockey fans love to see Jaromir Jagr play with his new team? I can't be the only person curious about Russian hockey. And the NHL Network needs programming. They can't show 2007 playoff games forever.

Goalies Get Practice and Get Psyched

Goalie Chris Mason, who was traded to the Blues during the off-season, seems like a pretty cool guy. Mason is back in goaltending school, trying to sharpen his skills.
I know guys work with trainers and coaches during the off-season, but Mason is driving from Red Deer to Calgary twice a week. That's commitment.
Speaking of goalies, former Ottawa goalie Ray Emery signed a one-year deal to play in Russia. Emery's agent said Emery only got three calls from NHL teams. I don't know if all three were from different teams or if one team called twice or if one of the calls was a wrong number. Still, I'm surprised no one took a chance on Emery. He's a relatively solid goaltender and while he obviously has some personality issues, I can't believe it's an unsolvable problem.
Still speaking of goalies, former Caps goalie Olie Kolzig is using his unceremonious dumping out of DC to psych himself up for his new job in Tampa.
And speaking of the Caps, they re-signed Sergei Fedorov to a one-year, $4 million deal. It's a lot of money, which makes me think the Caps are serious about pairing Fedorov with Alexander Ovechkin next season, and maybe playing Michael Nylander on the second line. Or maybe trading Nylander once he establishes he's back from last season's shoulder injury. I find it difficult to believe Washington would give that much money to someone they didn't see as a top six forward.
Finally, hockey players from Texas! What'll they think of next? Actually, the article concludes with a round-up of Texas-born NHLers, a small but important list.

Reusse Not Wild About Wild

Patrick Reusse has a great column blasting Minnesota Wild GM Doug Risebrough for not doing enough to improve the team. Reusse attributes cheapness to a lot of Risebrough's moves, but with a salary floor, there's really not a huge advantage to cheaping out consistently. I'm not going to pretend to understand Risebrough's motives, but I would hope he sees the current NHL marketplace and understands the only way you get elite players is to sign them to huge contracts or lock up signed players before they become unrestricted, or you tell the player you're calling from the Detroit Red Wings.
On the flip side of the GM world, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren received a three-year contract extension for his quick turnaround of the Flyers. Last season's team really overperformed. I'm very curious how the lineup Holmgren constructed this off-season will perform. Up to now, Holmgren has just been patching holes. This season, his signings seemed to indicate a vision for the team, the vision being trading a little size for a little speed. Of course, Holmgren deserves the extension simply for finally getting the Flyers settled in goal. I'm guessing he might have mentioned that a few times during the negotiations.
Also, this is the blog headline of the week, courtesy of The Two-Line Pass.

The Great Wrong Buffalo

As I mentioned yesterday, it can be tough for certain teams to draw free agents. Add Buffalo to the list of teams that players avoid, as Bucky Gleason pointed out yesterday. Buffalo is close to Canada, which should make it relatively enticing for certain players, but the Sabres are notorious for not treating their players very well.
Under a salary cap, where so many salary offers are equal across teams, if you want to grab talent, you need to offer more than just money.
Speaking of treating players well, Dan Boyle's final days in Tampa didn't see him treated very well. He wasn't a big fan of the threats to be placed on waivers to be claimed by Atlanta, nor did he like the big contract followed by the trade demands. If I'm Vinny Lecavalier, I'm a bit nervous about my "lifetime" contract.
Also, I love Todd Bertuzzi signing in Calgary. Put him on a line with Jarome Iginla and they can roll with any line the Red Wings can put over the boards.
I can't believe Owen Nolan is still playing. What is this? His 30th season?
Also, former Islander PR guy Chris Botta has some interesting insights into the relationship between Isles coach Ted Nolan and GM Garth Snow. Things sound a little tense over there.

Free Agents: No 404 For Us

Larry Brooks points out no one wants to play in Atlanta, Edmonton, or Long Island.
I get the Isle burn, because they still have that crazy management reputation, even if it's much calmer out there, but I'm not sure why Atlanta is considered so awful. It's a nice city, from what I've seen of the airport.
I only point this out because I wrote about the phenomenon of free agent signings and desirable locations a few months ago.
I also point this out because it kind of explains why Edmonton often has to overpay for free agents, which obviously causes some friction in the NHL with some people. In Anaheim. Whose initials are B.B.
Down in DC, the Caps are trying to re-sign Sergei Fedorov, which is a great move for both parties. I can't believe Fedorov is 38, though. Obviously, the speed is gone, but he's still very shifty.
Out in Denver, Adrian Dater is watching old Avs games and it's shockingly entertaining to read about.
Also, how much do you want to bet the NHL negotiations to use Wrigley Field for an outdoor game went something like this:

Goodbye, Jags

Jaromir Jagr has left the Rangers and the NHL for Avangard Omsk.
I don't know if it's the spin of Rangers' GM Glen Sather, but while the conventional wisdom held the Rangers weren't trying to get anything done with Jagr, Sather is saying Jagr never responded to Ranger offers to stay in New York.
Now part of that could be Jagr's belief the most respected member of the team should also make the most money. The Rangers didn't have the cap space to give Jagr that kind of respect.
Jagr also figured out he didn't get a big money offer from the Rangers because of his inability to mesh with either of last season's big acquisitions (Scott Gomez and Chris Drury). Not that the elderly Markus Naslund is the answer there either.
In fact, the Rangers still have some big question marks in their line-up. There are still no big bodies to set-up in front of the net. There's still no shut-down defenseman. There's still no real speed on the wings (as far as we know; some of the Ranger players are so young, their games are still relatively undeveloped).
In fact, for all of the talk about how disappointing Jagr's season was last year, I don't know that this season's version of the Rangers, as it stands now, will be appreciably better. Two elite centers, with no one to play with, might not be the best way to win the Cup. Especially in light how what Detroit did playing a five-man offense and defense.
I didn't expect Jagr to return to Pittsburgh, if for no other reason than the fans despise him and I don't think he'd be popular in a return. I thought he might try the Oilers, but apparently no one wants to live in Edmonton. Maybe Chris Pronger spoke to him.

Boyle: 'Even Though I'm Not a Stay-at-Home Defenseman, I Kind of Want to Stay at Home. In Tampa...'

More and more, it sounds like the Lightning really are about to trade Dan Boyle. Erik Eriendsson is the latest to say he thinks the Lightning will try to move Boyle, assuming Boyle waives his no-trade clause. Eriendsson reminds us Boyle is married to a Tampa local, they're expecting a child, and they're building a new house, so it's hardly a given he'll waive it.
I'm not a huge Boyle fan. He'll have long stretches where his offense is much more of a liability than an asset. But I think it was smart of Tampa to wait for Brian Campbell to get signed before unloading Boyle. A lot of teams set aside a lot of money for Campbell, and I'm sure they'd love a second chance to sign a puck-moving offensive defenseman who can run the powerplay.
Also, I love the deals free agents didn't take. Like Marian Hossa, it seems defenseman Brooks Orpik took less money to play where he wanted to play. Unlike Hossa, Orpik opted to stay in Pittsburgh. Shockingly, the Sabres never made an offer for Orpik. That means the Sabres have moved from not making offers to their own free agents to not making offers to other teams' free agents. You have to wonder if the Sabres are just going to stand pat until everyone on the team is retired. In ten years, the Buffalo Sabres could actually just be a single person.
Speaking of Hossa, Marian Gaborik tried to get him to come to the Wild, but obviously that didn't work.

No Agent is Truly Free

OK. So I'm so overwhelmed with free-agent signings and trades that I really can't even process anything. I just don't know where to begin, so I'm going to start with the signings that seems downright crazy to me.
Let's start in Detroit. Marian Hossa for one year in Detroit at just $7.45 million? OK. Granted, that's a lot of money. I'm sure you can live off of that. But wasn't Boston going to give him a 12-year, $100 million deal? Didn't Edmonton offer nine years for $81 million? And if Hossa has an off season in Detroit, which seems pretty likely to me, he's pretty much lost all of his value. And where exactly does he fit in Detroit. The Detroit that just won the Cup with a top-six of forwards who are also defensive geniuses. And the same Detroit that still has all six of those forwards. Is Hossa going to play on the third line? Can Detroit really break up combinations that just convincingly won the Stanley Cup by beating Hossa? It's just a weird move by Detroit. Why sign a player you don't need? Were they scared he would go to Colorado or something?
By the way, Markus Naslund is in the mix for Hossa's spot in Pittsburgh.
I also don't get what Sean Avery's role will be in Dallas. The team is almost all third-line players. It's not like there's a lot of offense there. In a lot of ways, the Stars are a team of Averys, only with discipline and good hockey sense. I'm very disappointed in the Stars. I expect smarter moves out of them.
I also don't get Chicago signing goalie Cristobal Huet when they already have Nikolai Khabibulin under contract for one more year. This goalie tandem will cost almost $12.5 million next season. And let's be honest. Everyone knows they'll go down with injuries within two weeks of each other. If I'm Chicago, I'm going to make a play for a third goalie.
I'm not the only one complaining about signings. Adrian Dater, who saw a lot of Jeff Finger in Colorado, does not get why Toronto spent so much on him. I would answer, if I may, that Toronto loves to overpay defensemen.
And just so we don't end on a sour note, I like Doug Weight to the Islanders because they need more centers, and they have a lot of young players who'll benefit from his experience. I think it's funny that everyone on the Islanders is super old or super young. There's no middle ground there.
I also love Ollie Kolzig to Tampa. Between him and incumbent number one Mike Smith, they're really going to have solid goaltending. Either one could start, so as long as they're both OK with a 1 and 1A type goalie hierarchy, I think the Lightning are going to be great defensively. I'm still not sold on a second line of a rookie (Steven Stamkos), an overpaid winger (Ryan Malone) and Radim Vrbata (no opinion).

Capitals sign Morrisonn
Defenceman signs one-year contract to stay in Washington, D.C.

Bouchard inks five-year deal with Wild
Right-winger is coming off a career-high 63 points with Minnesota last term

Bruins buy out Murray
Forward's second stint in Boston comes to a close

Svatos agrees to new deal with Avalanche
Winger scored 26 goals last season for Colorado

Islanders agree to deal with Gervais
New York signs blueliner to a three-year, $2.25-million (U.S.) contract

In the name of the Father, Son and Stanley Cup
In Sweden, hockey's holy grail is used as baptismal font for baby's christening

Bruins, Hawks swap role players
Martin St. Pierre heads east to Boston in exchange for Pascal Pelletier

Sabres sign journeyman Darche
Former McGill Redman inks one-year pact with Buffalo

Bruins re-sign Wideman to extension
Defenceman inks multiyear deal to stay in Boston

Carlyle receives two-year extension
Ducks add two years to deal to lock up Stanley Cup winning coach through 2010-11

Wild sign Bouchard to 5-year extension
Pierre-Marc Bouchard has inked a five-year, $20.4 million US extension with the Minnesota Wild.

Capitals sign Morrisonn to 1-year contract
The Washington Capitals signed defenceman Shaone Morrisonn to a 1-year contract on Saturday.

Boston buys out Murray's contract
The Boston Bruins bought out the final year of Glen Murray's contract Saturday after placing the forward on waivers this week.

Avalanche, Svatos agree to 2-year deal
The Colorado Avalanche and forward Marek Svatos avoided a salary arbitration hearing Friday by agreeing to a two-year contract extension.

Tortorella to interview with Islanders: report
John Tortorella will meet with general manager of the New York Islanders on Sunday to discuss the team's head coach vacancy, according to a Newsday report on Friday.

Stanley Cup's trip to Sweden starts with christening
Tomas Holmstrom of the Detroit Red Wings had his day with the Stanley Cup on Friday and decided to let his cousin use it as a baptismal font for a christening.

Blue Jackets add forward Mike York
The Columbus Blue Jackets continued their offseason makeover with the signing of forward Mike York to a one-year deal on Friday.

Islanders lock up blue-liner Bruno Gervais
The New York Islanders re-signed defenceman Bruno Gervais to a three-year, $2.2225-million US contract on Friday.

Mathieu Darche bolts Lightning for Sabres
Journeyman forward Mathieu Darche signed a one-year, $575,000 US contract with the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

Burke still undecided on future
Brian Burke seems no closer to a decision on his future in the National Hockey League.

Bruins re-sign Wideman, waive Glen Murray
The Boston Bruins avoided arbitration with Dennis Wideman, announcing on Wednesday a multi-year deal with the defenceman.

Ducks reward Carlyle with 2-year extension
The Anaheim Ducks announced Wednesday that head coach Randy Carlyle has received a two-year extension.

Rucinsky to leave NHL for Sparta Prague
Martin Rucinsky will leave the NHL and return to his native Czech Republic to play for Sparta Prague.

Sundin will go back to Toronto: Swedish poll
Mats Sundin may be unsure of where, or if, he wants to play this coming season, but readers of a Stockholm daily newspaper seem to know: Toronto.

Coyotes re-sign Daniel Carcillo for 2 years
Rugged forward Daniel Carcillo was re-signed Tuesday to a two-year contract by the Phoenix Coyotes.

 

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