Thu, Aug 31st - 9:43PM

Stajan and Leafs close on deal

Matt Stajan and John Ferguson Jr. have agreed to the money terms of the deal (just over $1 million per year), but the terms are what's holding them up.  The Leafs want to sign a three year deal with Stajan, but Stajan only wants one or two years.

Wed, Aug 30th - 4:31PM

Canes sign Isbister

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Brad Isbister to a one year, two-way, $600K contract.

Wed, Aug 30th - 4:25PM

Kalinin resigned

Dmitry Kalinin of the Buffalo Sabres has been resigned to a two-year $4 million contract.

Tue, Aug 29th - 10:51AM

Dumont going to Nashville

JP Dumont has signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million with the Nashville Predators.

Mon, Aug 28th - 6:10PM

Marleau wants out!

Shockingly, Marleau has asked Doug Wilson to be traded because he wants to be a #1 center again.  There is likely going to be a blockbuster trade before training camp.

Thu, Aug 24th - 7:45PM

Big deal likely

A source very close the the Canadians reports a blockbuster trade will take place August 28th.  The deal involved Montreal, Philly and Detroit.  To Montreal will be headed Simon Gagne. To Detroit will be headed R.J Umberger, Nikos Dimitrakos and Mike Ribeiro. To Philadelphia will be headed Sheldon Souray and Josh Langfeld as well as Montreal's 2nd round pick in the 2008 entry draft. Mike Ribeiro is going to replace J.P Dumont as the Detroit Red Wings have dropped out of the running for him lately.  Montreal has also dropped out of the Dumont race.

Carter update

Thu, Aug 24th - 10:19AM

Steve Shields a Canuck?

The rumour is that veteran goaltender Steve Shields is going to the Canucks' training camp, and will receive an NHL contract if he makes the team.

Lidstrom the captain

Nicklas Lidstrom is to be named captain of the Red Wings within the next few days.

Sun, Aug 20th - 11:32PM

Allison to Carolina possible

The latest rumour is Allison to Carolina.  This would make perfect sense to me, they need a good scorer to replace Stillman for the first few months.

Rem Murray signs in Europe

Former Oiler Rem Murray has signed with HIFK Helsinki in Finland.

Sat, Aug 19th - 11:29PM

Leafs rumours

JFJ is making no secret that he wants to get a scoring winger before training camp.  Carter is his first choice, but he is also looking at the following:

To Toronto: Ladislav Nagy, Dennis Siedenberg
To Phoenix: Darcy Tucker, Roman Kukumberg, 2nd round draft pick, and Staffan Kronwall

Or...

To Toronto: Zubrus
To Washington: Wozniewski, Antropov, Third round pick

Also, reports have said that Carter is going to go ahead and sign with someone else if the Leafs don't dump some salary and sign him by Monday.  Toronto also has some interest in signing UFA Peter Bondra for $500-$750k if nothing else works out.

Sat, Aug 19th - 8:55PM

Canucks rumours

There has been a rumor floating around that the Vancouver Canucks are in negotiations with forwards Jason Allison and Radek Dvorak. Dvorak and Allison are both believed to be seeking anywhere from $1 to $2 million.

The Canucks have also spoken to Valeri Bure's agents to inquire about his health and if he hopes to play in the NHL this season. Its believed the Canucks have moderate interest in bringing Bure in as he would provide them with some veteran offense up front and he should be a fairly cheap signing on a 1 year deal. Any deal would average around 1 - 1.5 million dollars with the possibility of some incentives.

There is also a possible Canucks blockbuster coming up that would send Markus Naslund to the Flyers in exchange for Simon Gagne.  The rumour is unbelievable, but there is talk that Naslund is 1) Not happy with the direction the Canucks are going and 2) Would like to play with countryman Peter Forsberg.

Marleau rumours

Both Montreal and Calgary have made offers for Patrick Marleau.  The offers are:

Montreal: Ryder, Souray, a prospect (Kostitsyn, Perezhogin or Price) and a first round pick.

Calgary: Robyn Regehr, Matthew Lombardi and a second round pick.

Sat, Aug 19th - 12:52PM

Sorry I missed blogging yesterday, I was away for the day.

Leetch getting close to signing with Edmonton

According to several sources, Leetch wants to be an Oiler next season, and I Oilers want him.  Contract talks are heating up.

Murray to Philly?

There is talk of Glen Murray going to the Flyers.  This is not likely, as Boston has no intent on trading him.

Thu, Aug 17th - 10:53AM

Kessel going pro

Phil Kessel has decided to play for the Bruins this year.  He has been signed to a three-year deal, and will earn the entry-level max of $850,000, not including significant performance bonuses.

Even more Malkin

The head coach for Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Dave King) said he met with Evgeni Malkin when the youngster re-signed with the team, where he expressed his unhappiness to King over his decision. "After he signed a contract with us, the next morning I met with him in my office, and I said to him, 'I'm a little bit surprised by your decision , Evgeni. What are you thinking?' And he said to me very clearly: 'I really don't want to be here. I want to go to the NHL. But I feel like I owe the organization so much for developing me as a player ... we have a new arena [in the works].' All these obligations are weighing heavily on his mind. He's just a young guy; he just turned 20 years old. I think he kind of let that pressure get to him, and he relented and signed.

"My only advice to him was, 'It's your career. You've got to do the things that you think are right for you.' Little did I know when I said that, four days later he'd be gone. But it's still the best thing for him."

Jason Allison update

Still on the road, but talk with Washington and Atlanta has heated up.  Both teams are interested in Allison coming and running their powerplay.

Wed, Aug 16th - 11:02PM

Allison and Bondra updates

Jason Allison is still out there, and can be very valuable on the powerplay. While Phoenix and Calgary are still looking at him as their backup plan (they'd rather have Gomez), teams such as Washington, LA, Atlanta and Chicago have looked into bringing the point-per-game center to their team. Allison will score somewhere between $1-2 million on a one year deal.

Peter Bondra is still expected back to Washington, but other teams are still in this as well. Atlanta is not likely to bring him back, but still could. Toronto and Detroit could also fall back on him should they lose out on Carter.

Wed, Aug 16th - 5:27PM

Leafs update

The Leafs are still trying to move Antropov, but they may have to throw in one of their top six defensive prospects in order for someone to take him.

Tarnstrom to play in Europe

Free agent Dick Tarnstrom signed a contract with HC Lugano on Wednesday, according to Doubleminor.net forums.

Tarnstrom recorded 14 points in 55 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers.

Wed, Aug 16th - 11:00AM

Owen Nolan officially a Coyote

Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Michael Barnett announced today that the Coyotes have signed right wing Owen Nolan to a one-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Nolan, a five-time NHL All-Star, has registered 349 goals, 386 assists, and 735 points in 915 career NHL games with Quebec, Colorado, San Jose, and Toronto. He has also played in 58 playoff games, collecting 18-17-35. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound right wing has scored 30-or-more goals six times in his career and 40-or-more goals twice (1991-92 and 1999-2000). Most recently, Nolan scored 19 goals in 2003-04 with Toronto and 29 goals in 2002-03 with San Jose and Toronto.

“A healthy Owen Nolan can help our hockey club,” said Barnett. “After considerable due diligence, we’ve found his injuries to be well healed. He’s fit, focused and anxious to get back battling on NHL ice.”

The 34-year-old native of Belfast, Ireland has recorded 60-or-more points six times in his career and registered three 70-plus point seasons (1991-92, 1992-93 and 1999-2000). His best season came in 1999-2000 when he set career highs in goals (44), assists (40) and points (84) in 78 games with San Jose. Nolan is the Sharks’ all-time leader in goals (206), assists (245), and points (451).

“Owen is one of the league’s premier power forwards,” said Coyotes managing partner/head coach Wayne Gretzky. “His size, strength, goal-scoring ability and leadership will be a big asset to our team.”

In his last season with Toronto (2003-04), Nolan ranked tied for second in the NHL in game tying goals. He also finished first on the Leafs in shorthanded goals (2), tied for first in game tying goals, first in multiple goal games (6), tied for second in shorthanded points, second in multiple point games (12), third in penalty minutes (110), third among team forwards in average ice time (17:56), fourth in assists (29), fourth in game winning goals (3), fourth in shots (154), fifth in goals (19) and tied for fifth in points (48).

In 2002, Nolan helped lead Team Canada to a Gold Medal at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nolan finished the tournament with three assists in six games. He has also played in five NHL All-Star Games (1991-92, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1999-2000 and 2001-02).

Nolan was originally drafted by the Quebec Nordiques (1st choice overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft.

Unlikely Pittsburgh/Montreal rumour

I have come across a Pittsburgh/Montreal trade rumour.  Mark my words, this is not going to happen, but it's still fun to ponder:

Souray, Ryder, Ribeiro, Aebischer and a first round pick for Malkin.

I have no idea who came up with this rumour, but it simply can't happen even if Pittsburgh wanted it.  Pittsburgh does not have the $10 million under the cap that would be necessary to take on those four players.  Plus, they have already got their goaltender in Fleury, AND no one in their right mind would want Ribeiro on their team (except Gainey, of course).

Even more Malkin

Malkin has faxed his resignation to his Russian club team management. Under labour laws he must give two weeks notice and he did. So he'll be a Penguin shortly. Malkin has the same agent as Owen Nolan, which is JP Barry. Barry and Malkin were in Toronto yesterday. Barry was working on a settlement with the Leafs so that Nolan could sign with the Coyotes.

Tue, Aug 15th - 10:24PM

Fitzpatrick to join Canucks?

Former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick could sign with the Vancouver Canucks (pending the results of a medical examination) within the next 24 hours.

Moran a Duck

According to TSN, UFA defenseman Ian Moran has signed with the Ducks.  No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Tue, Aug 15th - 3:22PM

Nolan close to signing with Coyotes

Coyotes management is awaiting word from the team doctors on the final results of a battery of tests that have taken place over the past three weeks.

The team has reportedly been impressed by both Nolan's conditioning and his desire to return and feel confident he will be a great addition to their roster, if the medical clearance comes Tuesday.

It's estimated that Nolan worked through as many as eight separate tests in an effort to prove his health and pain-free status.  

If all goes according to plan, an announcement will be made in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Nolan, an unrestricted free agent, last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2003-04. The 34-year-old had surgery on his right knee over a year ago.

Nolan's knee injury led to three grievances with the Maple Leafs: one in December 2004 over an alleged improper suspension of Nolan, one in January 2005 over the Leafs' refusal to pay the $5.6 million US salary for that year, and a third in September 2005 when the club did not honour the option clause in Nolan's 2005-06 contract.

Nolan was the first overall pick by Quebec in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft and has played 14 season with the Nordiques, San Jose Sharks and Maple Leafs.

Nolan has 349 goals and 735 points in 915 career NHL games.

Tue, Aug 15th - 1:08PM

Isles sign Hill

The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with veteran defenceman Sean Hill on a one-year contract.

The 36-year old Hill has played 760 regular season games over a 12-year NHL career, scoring 59 goals and adding 205 assists for 264 points.

"I spoke with Sean a lot over the last two weeks because we felt he would be an excellent addition to our blue line," said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. "We're very happy that Sean is coming to Long Island. He has been a very good defenseman in our league for a long time, a consistent player in all zones, a strong competitor and a leader".

Last year, as a member of the Florida Panthers, Hill had two goals and 18 assists in 78 games.  His best offensive season was with Carolina in 1999-2000, when he had 13 goals and 31 assists for 44 points in just 62 games.

The Islanders' defense now includes veterans Hill, Alexei Zhitnik, Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Tom Poti, Joel Bouchard and Chris Campoli.

Tue, Aug 15th - 10:43AM

Yanic Perreault to Pittsburgh?

There was an article in the Sherbrooke Tribune on Friday that Yannic Perreault may land with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Perreault is reportedly very interested in playing for Mario's Men, and Pittsburgh were reportedly somewhat interested in the 35 year old's services. Perreault is good friends with Sidney Crosby, which is a main motivation for why he wants to be a Penguin.

More on Malkin

There's nothing further to report on the whereabouts of Russian hockey star and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Evgeni Malkin. "Conceivably, he could hunker in seclusion for a two-week wait, the mandatory period in Russian law under which he can inform his employers he is leaving", writes Finder, who also reported on the latest comments from Gennady Velichkin, the Metallurg team boss:

"How am I supposed to look for him? What, am I supposed to ask Interpol to look for him? Is it not clear that Evgeni left for America at the invitation of the people overseas? The Americans' arrogance is beyond any bounds. This is the theft of the century. They don't care that Malkin is Russia's national treasure.

"We must sue not only Pittsburgh but the entire National Hockey League and its whole arrogance. The NHL must receive a total condemnation from the entire sporting world. Let's get back to the question of the compensation. ... Money is not most important for us. The most important [aspect] for us is to get a precedent and win the case."  The Penguins have no comment on the situation, while NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly claims the league did nothing to assist Malkin's mysterious disappearance nor are assisting him in any way.

Update: Sources are saying that Malkin is safe in the Toronto area.

Varada no longer an NHLer

EUROHOCKEY.NET reports former Ottawa Senators forward Vaclav Varada has signed with HC Davos of the Swiss Elite League.

Dumont may stay with Sabres

There is speculation this morning that Dumont and the Sabres are working hard on possibly re-sigining Dumont to a long-term deal. There has been alot of confusion about whether or not a team can negotiate a deal with a player that they walk away from and the answer is that the team can. And three sources have said in the last 24 hours that they feel the Miller and Kalinin signings are being held up by attempts to sign Dumont.

Mon, Aug 14th - 8:28PM

More Malkin drama

Malkin's parents parents said they hadn't talked to their son and did not know where he was.  "My son simply snapped, his nerves did not hold on," Vladimir Malkin said. "In the last moment, they persuaded him to stay in Magnitka, though his mind was already in the NHL. I understand him, but I don't support him. It was a childish act. Before I give my final assessment, I need to talk to him personally."

Evgeni's mother, Natalia Malkin, told Pravda she and her husband tried to call their son but his phone was turned off.

Mon, Aug 14th - 6:42PM

Malkin Update

TSN.ca reports Evgeni Malkin's whereabouts is unknown at this time, but his agent Pat Brisson assured the hockey world the young Russian star is safe. It's believed he's no longer in Russia. Malkin's parents apparently have no idea where their son is and his mother said "the management of Mettalurg played on his patriotic feelings. He was not able to refuse. Though, afterward, he told me, `Mom, they (the Penguins) have already been waiting for me and I promised.' He left for camp in Finland very disgruntled.'' There's also speculation the Pittsburgh Penguins may have already secretly signed Malkin.

Komisarek to NY Islanders?

According to Hockeybuzz.com, the Habs would trade Komisarek to NY Islanders to free up some cap space to sign Dumont.  This is not likely to happen.

Mon, Aug 14th - 1:45PM

Antropov done in Toronto?

The Sunday edition of the Toronto Sun reported that John Ferguson Junior is actively trying to ship Antropov's one million dollar contract to make room to sign UFA Anson Carter. There is also a slight chance that JFJ might leave Carter be and use that one million for call-ups and/or trade deadline moves. That would leave one more roster spot open, which would most likely be filled by either John Pohl or Jeremy Williams.

Bonk and Ryder out of Montreal?

There is talk of the Habs trading Bonk to the Washington Capitals to free up cap space for JP Dumont. Ryder also may be traded to prevent Dumont from having to play on the third line. This would be a bad move by Gainey, as Ryder is a better player than Dumont and has more potential, but apparently Gainey and Ryder don't see eye-to-eye, so this is likely to happen.

What is Leetch going to do?

Training camp starts less than a month from today, and veteran defenseman Brian Leetch still doesn't have a home. At this point in time, he only has two choices: 1) Retire. 2) Go back to the team that he was drafted by and played for so long, the New York Rangers, for 750k-1 million.

The Flyers may be trapped

 The Flyers have $40,114,640 comitted to this season's salary cap, which is $44 million. That means they may have to trade Simon Gagne, who is seeking a long-term contract of approximately $5.4 million.

Mon, Aug 14th - 12:08PM

JP Dumont to the Habs?

When Dumont became a UFA (unrestricted free agent), he showed a lot of interest to play for Montreal.  According to Radio-Canada, the Habs made an offer to JP's agent yesterday.  There are eight other teams who have interest in Dumont, but only three of them have a serious chance of signing him.  They will have to offer the big-bucks to keep Dumont from Montreal.