Brochu is Hockey - NHL Rumours, Speculation, Trades

Brochu will be back this season!

2011-09-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't been around. Lots of things have happened to my life, and it's taken precedence over this blog. However, I knew someday I would return. I don't think I will update it as often as I used to, but I will blog from time to time. Thanks for reading!

Kings re-sign Johnson

2011-01-08T22:30:00.001-08:00

The LA Kings have re-signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a 7-year contract extension with a cap hit of 4.36 million per year. Brochu's take: An excellent deal for the Kings. If Johnson hits his peak in the next 2-3 years, he is easily a 5-6 million player.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Jan 5, 2011

2011-01-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired defenseman Nate Guenin from the Columbus Blue Jackets for center Trevor Smith.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Jan 4, 2011

2011-01-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed goalie Michael Leighton on waivers. Brochu's take: Leighton led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago, and now they let him go. So much for loyalty.

The Phoenix Coyotes have placed forward Petr Prucha on re-entry waivers. Brochu's take: The Penguins, Flames and Maple Leafs all have interest the Czech winger.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Deryk Engelland to a three-year, $1.7 million contract extension.

Wild sign Ortmeyer

2011-01-03T00:08:00.001-08:00

The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Jed Ortmeyer to a professional tryout contract.

Roloson traded for Wishart

2011-01-01T19:56:00.000-08:00

The New York Islanders have traded goalie Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa bay Lightning for defenseman Ty Wishart.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Nov 2, 2010

2010-11-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers on waivers.

The New York Islanders have placed forward Jon Sim on waivers.

The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Mike Moore on waivers.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Zack Kassian to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Mark Giordano to a 5-year, $20.1 million contract extension.

There are rumors that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be interested in acquiring Dustin Penner from the Edmonton Oilers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Goalie Vesa Toskala has signed a month-long contract with Swedish club AIK.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 26, 2010

2010-10-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Vancouver Canucks will try to move defenseman Kevin Bieksa as soon as possible.

The Atlanta Thrashers have placed Nigel Dawes on waivers. He has cleared.

The Los Angeles Kings have placed goalie Erik Ersberg on waivers. He has cleared.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Erik Ersberg is expected to sign with KHL team Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

There are rumors that Atlanta Thrashers forward Evgeny Artyukhin will sign with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia.

San Jose Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss has been loaned to Swedish club Brynas.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 21, 2010

2010-10-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

According to TSN, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray is upset with his team's performance this season and is not afraid to make changes. "I've talked to a number of people, as I said," Murray said. "I talked to (Minnesota Wild general manager) Chuck Fletcher for a long time yesterday and said, 'can I help you, you help me' type of thing, so we're talking to management of other teams, trying to find if there is a need and possibility of making a move." Brochu's take: Stay tuned. Murray is looking to shake up the roster and a trade is definitely possible. Source

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Steve Begin to a one-year, two-way contract. He has been subsequently put on waivers.

The Preds also placed forward Jamie Lundmark on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Forward Owen Nolan has signed a month-long contract with Swiss club ZSC Lions. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 19, 2010

2010-10-18T23:28:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted in a few days, here's the latest happenings in the NHL:

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed centre Joe Thornton to a three-year, $7 million contract extension.

The Florida Panthers have placed forward Kenndal McArdle on waivers.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed defenseman Brendan Mikkelson on waivers.

The New York Islanders have placed goalie Nathan Lawson on waivers.

The Dallas Stars placed forward Fabian Brunnstrom on waivers. He has cleared.

The Atlanta Thrashers placed defenseman Boris Valabik on waivers. He has cleared.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 15, 2010

2010-10-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have placed goalie Dany Sabourin on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Los Angeles Kings have loaned defenseman Johan Fransson to SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 13, 2010

2010-10-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Adam Mair to a one-year, $515,000 contract. Brochu's take: You have to wonder why the Devils are signing more players when they can't afford to ice a full roster.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Jeff Finger on waivers. Brochu's take: Fletcher got Fingered?

Forward Kirk Maltby has retired from the NHL.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 12, 2010

2010-10-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Andreas Lilja

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Andreas Lilja to a one-year contract. Brochu's take: They better check his passport to be sure!

The Boston Bruins have placed goalie Nolan Schaefer on waivers.

The New Jersey Devils have placed enforcer Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Defenseman Staffan Kronwall has left the Calgary Flames organization and signed a one year deal with Djurgarden in the Swedish Elite League. Source

Carlsson, Greiss on waivers

2010-10-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have placed goalie Thomas Greiss on waivers.

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed defenseman Jonathan Carlsson on waivers.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for the weekend of Oct 9-11, 2010

2010-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins have re-signed defenseman Zdeno Chara to a 7-year, $45 million contract extension. Brochu's take: Provided he stays injury-free, this is a decent contract. Chara is a fitness demon, so it's possible he can play at the highest level until he's 40.

The Bruins have also re-signed forward Patrice Bergeron to a three-year, $15 million contract extension. They have also signed enforcer Brian McGrattan to a contract.

The Vancouver Canucks have traded defenseman Sean Zimmerman to the Florida Panthers for defenseman Nathan Paetsch.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Mark Parrish to a one-year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defenseman Brandon Gormley to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed goalie Igor Bobkov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Oliver Gabriel to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 7, 2010

2010-10-06T23:12:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have assigned defenseman Sheldon Souray to it's AHL affiliate, who have subsequently loaned him to the Washington Capitals AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Souray remains the property of the Oilers and has no official connection to the Capitals organization. Brochu's take: This is similiar to what the Caps did with Michael Nylander. I think the players and owners will have to address this issue in the new CBA.

The Vancouver Canucks have traded forward Darcy Hordichuk to the Florida Panthers for forward Andrew Peters.

The Canucks will also sign forward Peter Schaefer to a one-year, two-way contract ($600,000) on Thursday.

The Panthers have also placed defenseman Nathan Paetsch on waivers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Matt Lashoff on waivers.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 6, 2010

2010-10-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks have traded defenseman Shane O'Brien and forward Dan Gendur to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Ryan Parent and forward Jonas Anderson. Brochu's take: This is another "salary cap" trade, where the focus is more on money than actual hockey aspects. Parent has subsequently been waived by the Canucks.

It's also believed that GM Mike Gillis is working on trading forward Darcy Hordichuk to clear more space.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Jordan Nolan to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Alexander Burmistrov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders have claimed forward Michael Grabner off waivers from the Florida Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have claimed forward Mattias Ritola off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

There was also many players place on waivers, which you can see here.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 5, 2010

2010-10-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Brendan Morrison to a one-year, $725,000 contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed goalie Jonathan Bernier to a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension. Brochu's take: An absolute bargain. Bernier is considered one of the best young goalies not yet in the NHL.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Ruslan Fedotenko to a one-year, $1 million contract.

The Washington Capitals have signed goalie Philipp Grubauer to a three-year, entry-level contract.

There were also many players put on waivers, which I'll cover in a later post.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Forward Enver Lisin has left the NHL and signed a two year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.

Forward Kyle Wellwood has signed to play with HK Atlant in Russia.

Forward Dan Fritsche has signed a three-year contract with HC Geneve-Servette in Switzerland.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 4, 2010

2010-10-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers have placed forward Joe Callahan, Michael Grabner and Andrew Peters on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forwards Tom Sestito and Ben Guite on waivers.

The Ottawa Senators have placed Ryan Keller, Corey Locke, Cody Bass, Derek Smith and Francis Lessard on waivers.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 2, 2010

2010-10-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Wild have signed goalie Jose Theodore to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Darcy Hordichuk and defenseman Shane O'Brien on waivers.

Darcy Tucker has retired from the NHL, as well as Mathieu Dandenault.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 1, 2010

2010-09-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

The Edmonton Oilers have placed defenseman Sheldon Souray and goalie Martin Gerber on waivers. Brochu's take: Souray being put on waivers was expected, but Gerber has been playing well in the pre-season. The likelihood of Souray being picked up is low because of his high salary.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Forward Slava Kozlov has left the NHL and signed a one-year deal with KHL team CSKA Moscow.

Free agent forward Miroslav Satan is still looking to sign with an NHL team. Satan recently played two games for Slovakian club HC Slovan Bratislava.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 30, 2010

2010-09-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Washington Capitals have loaned forward Michael Nylander to the Rochester Americans, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. Washington will still pay the $3 million salary, while the Panthers will pay a nominal feel. Nylander cleared waivers earlier last week and is still property of the Caps and is subject to any future re-call waivers. Brochu's take: I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often. Source

According to the Edmonton Journal, the Minnesota Wild may be interested in Edmonton Oilers goalie Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 29, 2010

2010-09-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

With Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding out for the season, there have been rumors swirling as to what the Wild will do with their backup situation. Free agent goalie Jose Theodore's agent Don Meehan has contacted the Wild to see if they are interested in his client. As well, there are rumors that the Wild are looking at San Jose Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss. Brochu's take: It's surprising that Theodore wasn't even given a tryout by any NHL team. His experience could be a good compliment to Nicklas Backstrom. Source

The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Mike Mottau to a two-year, $1.6 million contract.

The Islanders have also invited several players late to their training camp, as forwards Dean McAmmond, Krys Kolanos, Jed Ortmeyer, defenseman Anders Eriksson, and goalie Manny Legace have been given professional tryout contracts.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Luke Walker to an entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 28, 2010

2010-09-28T00:09:00.000-07:00

New York Rangers defenseman Wade Redden has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the AHL team in Hartford. Brochu's take: Redden's agent has been given permission to find a team in Europe for the maligned defenseman. The Ranger's are still on the hook for his salary.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Matt Hendricks to a one-year, two-way contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet has cleared waivers and has been assigned to HC Fribourg-Gotteron SA of the Swiss National League A.

Forward Marek Svatos has left the NHL and signed a one-year deal with KHL team Omsk.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 27, 2010

2010-09-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Bergen Record is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche are interested in acquiring New Jersey Devils forward Jamie Langenbrunner. It's also believed that several teams are interested in forward David Clarkson. Source Brochu's take: Langenbrunner's leadership would work well with the Avs' youthful lineup.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Nino Niederreiter to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Trevor Parkes to a three-year,entry-level contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Andrew Crescenzi to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Rangers have placed defenseman Wade Redden. Brochu's take: Redden won't be picked up, and in all likelihood will never be called on re-entry waivers. His options are limited to the AHL, Europe or retire. Injuries have really affected his play in the last few years.

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed goalie Cristobal Huet on waivers. Brochu's take: GM Stan Bowman has a plan in place to loan Huet to a team in the Swiss League, so this is merely a formality. The Hawks will now be able to shed $5 million from their salary cap.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 26, 2010

2010-09-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Michael Sgarbossa, defenseman Curt Gogol and goalie J.P. Anderson to three-year,entry-level contracts.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Tom Poti to a two-year, $5.75 million contract extension. The Caps have also re-signed goalie Michal Neuvirth to a two-year, $2.3 million deal and goalie Brandon Anderson to an entry-level contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Jeff Skinner to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defensemen Jared Spurgeon, Colton Jobke and Josh Caron to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 21, 2010

2010-09-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goalie Steve Mason to a two-year, $5.8 million contract extension.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have given their GM Ray Shero a five-year extension.

Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province is reporting that as Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider plays more and more, his trade quotient will rise. Brochu's take: Schneider is considered one of the best goalies not yet in the NHL, and he should get increased time in net this season with Luongo's reduced workload. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 20, 2010

2010-09-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of a rumor roundup from the weekend:

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Matt Beleskey to a two-year, $1.5 million contract.

The Columbus Post Dispatch is reporting that the Blue Jackets are considering acquiring Edmonton Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray. Souray remains in limbo after being barred from attending the Oilers' training camp. Brochu's take: Edmonton and Columbus have been frequent trading partners lately, so it's very possible that he could move there. Defenseman Rostislav Klesla has bee mentioned in some trade rumors as well. Source

The Buffalo Sabres have invited Mark Parrish to training camp.

The New Jersey Devils have extended an invitation to training camp to forward Adam Mair.

The Florida Panthers have invited Nick Tarnasky to training camp.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Defenseman Lukas Krajicek has left the NHL and signed with HC Trinec in the Czech Republic.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 17, 2010

2010-09-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Stars have re-signed restricted free agent forward James Neal to a two-year, $5.75 million contract. The Stars have also re-signed defenseman Matt Niskanen to a two-year, $3 million deal. Brochu's take: Given the Stars' ownership situation, it's paramount that these two get signed before the new season.

The Anaheim Ducks have officially signed Paul Mara to a one-year, $750,000 deal.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Patrick O'Sullivan to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Ducks have invited forward Stephane Veilleux to training camp.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Brendan Morrison to a tryout contract.

The San Jose Sharks have invited defenseman Andreas Lilja to training camp. Brochu's take: Or was it Peter Worrell? Just kidding!

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Charles Landry to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 16, 2010

2010-09-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

The New York Rangers have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Marc Staal to a 5 year deal worth $3.975 million a year. Brochu's take: This contract will look like a bargain in 2-3 years time. Staal is an emerging defender in the NHL.

The Detroit Red Wings have invited forward Aaron Downey to training camp.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Enver Lisin to a try-out contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

According to Sportsnet, Peter Forsberg has not closed the door on a return to the NHL. Although still recovering from ankle surgery, Forsberg has stated that he hasn't decided "100 percent" that he will retire. Source Brochu's take: So that means we have to endure another year of Forsberg rumors...

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 15, 2010

2010-09-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed restricted free agent forward Bobby Ryan to a 5-year, $25.5 million contract extension. Brochu's take: Good deal for both sides. Ryan has 40 goal potential, and now the Ducks have the core signed for at least the next 3 years.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Eric Belanger to a one-year, $750,000 contract. Brochu's take: An absolute bargain. There were rumors that had signed with the Capitals, but that was unfounded.

The Boston Bruins have invited forward Brian McGrattan to training camp.

There's a rumor that the Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Paul Mara to a one-year deal.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Free agent defenseman Tom Preissing has left the NHL and signed with Karpat in the Finnish league. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 14, 2010

2010-09-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Edmonton Oilers' GM Steve Tambellini issued a statement Monday night letting the media know that defenseman Sheldon Souray was not welcome at training camp. "We've been trying to move the player for some time obviously," Tambellini explained, "I hope to get it done during camp, but it's best for the Oilers for him not to be at camp right now." Souray is still skating in Edmonton for the time being, awaiting his future. Source Brochu's take: This is turning into an ugly situation for both sides. Souray's trade value is very low, and no one took a chance on him when he on waivers earlier this summer. Demotion to the AHL is a possibility, but perhaps a clean break would be best for both the Oilers organization and Souray.

The NHL has punished the New Jersey Devils for deliberately circumventing the salary cap in their first attempt at signing forward Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils will be fined $3 million (which will not affect their cap ) and their third round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. The Devils will also have to forfeit one of their next four first round draft picks at their choosing. Source Brochu's take: The NHL looks really bad on this one, considering they let the other long-term deals pass and chose this one to reject. The final cost of signing and landing Kovalchuk appears to have cost the Devils Patrice Cormier, Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfors, a 1st rounder in 2010, a future first-rounder, and $3 million.

Interestingly enough, the Atlanta Thrashers have signed restricted free agent forward Niclas Bergfors to a one-year, $900, 000.

The Philadelphia Flyers have invited forward Bill Guerin to training camp.

The Vancouver Canucks have invited forward Peter Schaefer to training camp.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 12, 2010

2010-09-12T23:53:00.001-07:00

Forward Ruslan Fedotenko and defenseman Garnet Exelby have been invited to the New York Rangers training camp.

Forward Marcus Nilson has been invited to the New Jersey Devils training camp.

Forward Tyler Arnason will be attending the Florida Panther's camp.

Defenseman Shane Hnidy has been invited to the Phoenix Coyotes training camp.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Free agent defenseman Christoph Schubert may be close to signing with Swedish club Frolunda HC. Source

According to an Austrian source, free agent defenseman Doug Lynch is looking to sign with an NHL team. It's believed the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames are interested.

Lightning sign Hutchings to entry-level contract

2010-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Alex Hutchings to a three-year, entry-level contract. Hutchings was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 11, 2010

2010-09-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed forward Peter Mueller to a two-year, $4 million contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed restricted free agent forward Martin Hanzal to a two-year, $3.6 million contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forward Andrew Cogliano to a one-year, $1 million deal.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their 2010 NHL first rounder Ryan Johansen to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Forward Richard Park has officially left the NHL and signed a three year contract with Geneva-Servette HC of the NLA in Switzerland. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 9, 2010

2010-09-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed free agent forward Nigel Dawes to a one-year, $600,000 contract. It is a two-way contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed free agent forward Ryan Potulny to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Cody Franson to a two-year, $1.6 million contract. Brochu's take: The two-year deal for restricted free agents seems to be the norm. Expect other NHL teams to sign their RFAs to two-year deals as well.

The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed forward Kirk Maltby to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Wings have also placed defenseman Derek Meech on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

There are rumors that free agent forward Richard Park has signed a multi-year deal to play in Switzerland. Sources are saying he has signed for Genève-Servette HC or Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. Source

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 8, 2010

2010-09-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am back! Just in time for the new NHL season. Long story short, I got lazy. But I should be posting on a regular basis from now on.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed free agent forward Jeff Halpern to a one-year, $600,000 contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Kyle Wellwood to a training camp tryout contract.

There are rumors that the Vancouver Canucks may invite free agent goalie Jose Theodore training camp on a try-out contract.

Sort of update

2010-04-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been contemplating what to do exactly with this website. I've been thinking about keeping it a simple blog, or making it into a complete website with lots of content. At the present time, I am too busy to update everyday, so you can expect a weekly update, until the end of the month. If anything, I predict that this blog will be updated more frequently around draft time. Cheers for reading.

Hockey Rumors for Feb 2, 2010

2010-02-01T22:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog Day!

The Calgary Flames have traded forwards Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers in exchange for forwards Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins. Brochu's take: This trade has been rumored for 24 hours, and it was believed that Kotalik's no trade clause was holding it up. The Flames wanted Jokinen in the lineup tonight, for some odd reason.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed defenseman Nick Boynton on waivers.

The New York Islanders have placed forward Trevor Gillies on waivers.

According to the Team 1040 in Vancouver, there is a rumor that the Vancouver Canucks are interested in acquiring Scott Niedermayer from the Anaheim Ducks. There is speculation that he wants to spend his last season in the NHL closer to home. Several Ducks' scouts were spotted at the last Toronto-Vancouver game.

Big trade day!

2010-01-31T10:29:00.000-08:00

Only a massive trade day like today would awaken me from my blogging slumber! So to review:

The Calgary Flames have traded defenceman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom, and prospect defenceman Keith Aulie to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for forwards Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and defenseman Ian White. Brochu's take: My philosophy is that the team that the best player goes to "wins" the trade, and in this case I would have to say Toronto gets the better end of the deal. Phaneuf is capable of much more, and he will get plenty of ice-time in T.O. Hagman/Stajan are good players, and I'm not sure how the Leafs will score from now on. Calgary gets a lot more offensive in this deal.

The Leafs have also acquired goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for goalie Vesa Toskala and forward Jason Blake. Brochu's take: Toskala's contract, along with Blake's, were essentially dead weight. After the signing of Hiller, Giguere's contract was the same on the Ducks. I see this trade more of moving dead money around than actual players.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed goalie Jonas Hiller to a 4-year, $18 million contract extension. Brochu's take: Not a bad deal.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek to a contract. The Tampa Bay Lightning had terminated his contract when he didn't show up to his AHL assignment.

Backes for Schneider?

2010-01-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

According to the Team 1040 radio in Vancouver, there are rumors that the Canucks are interested in St. Louis Blues forward David Backes. The speculation is that the Blues have sent scouts to watch goalie Cory Schneider in Winnipeg, and the top brass of the Canucks was scouting the recent Montreal Canadiens-St. Louis Blues game. Brochu's take: GM Mike Gillis did give an offer sheet to Backes a few years back, so they must be still interested.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Jan 10, 2010

2010-01-10T00:09:00.000-08:00

According to the Edmonton Journal, Oilers defenseman Sheldon Souray is open to waiving his no-trade-clause. He is not asking for a trade, but if the team wants to go in a different direction, he is willing to be traded. Brochu's take: If the Oilers do conduct a fire sale, Souray would be amongst the first to go.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Martins Karsums on waivers.

TSN's Darren Dreger, via his Twitter page, has reported that the Atlanta Thrashers are undergoing trade discussions with other teams about Ily a Kovalchuk. Dreger reports that the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks are "contenders". Brochu's take: Why is that all these teams, barring LA, have serious cap issues, and yet are still contenders?

Hockey and NHL rumors for Jan 4, 2010

2010-01-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goalie Jaroslav Janus to a three-year entry level contract. The 20-year-old goaltender was drafted by the Bolts in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in June.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Shawn Lalonde to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Taylor Doherty to a three-year, two-way contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Jan 3, 2010

2010-01-02T23:44:00.000-08:00

The Boston Bruins have signed free agent forward Miroslav Satan to a contract for the rest of the season. The deal has a no movement clause. Brochu's take: My heart is broken that he didn't sign with the Devils. ;-)

The St. Louis Blues have fired head coach Andy Murray and replaced him with interim coach Davis Payne, who had the been the head coach of the Blues' AHL affiliate.

The future of Ilya Kovalchuk could very well be settled in the next couple of days. Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell is hoping to get something done by Monday, otherwise it's very likely he will be traded. The Hotstove panel suggested that the Chicago Blackhawks are very interested. Brcohu's take: The Hawks COULD trade some of their bigger contracts to get him, but Kovie's going to come at a very high price, probably higher than what the Thrashers got for Marian Hossa.

Lukowich and Bochenski on re-entry waivers

2010-01-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Brad Lukowich on re-entry waivers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Brandon Bochenski on re-entry waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 30, 2009

2009-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

The Washington Capitals have traded forward Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Jason Chimera. Brochu's take: Trading your captain is a bit weird, but I believe the Caps are shedding a bit of salary cap space to make a big run to the Stanley Cup this season. Look for the Caps to make more moves soon.

The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Mathieu Schneider on waivers. Brochu's take: There are rumors he might retire if he clears.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Kyle Calder on waivers.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Dave Scatchard on waivers.

Caps get Semin signed

2009-12-27T23:01:00.001-08:00

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Alexander Semin to a one-year, $6 million contract extension. Brochu's take: This should give the Caps some flexibility in signing Nicklas Backstrom to a long-term contract extension, while at the same time assess Semin's real value. He should be a UFA at the end of the contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 23, 2009

2009-12-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defenseman Anders Eriksson to a contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms with free agent defenseman Jake Muzzin on a three-year entry-level contract. Source

Rumors continue to persist that the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to trade forward Jeff Carter. The latest involves the Vancouver Canucks sending forward Ryan Kesler and defenseman Kevin Bieksa to the Flyers in exchange for Carter and defenseman Ryan Parent. Brochu's take: This could make a very interesting trade, as the Flyers have been interested in Kesler for some time and Carter would give an offensive punch to the Canucks.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 21, 2009

2009-12-20T22:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the delay, lots of Christmas errands to do!

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Atlanta Thrashers and Ilya Kovalchuk are having difficulty negotiating a new contract extension. It's believed that Kovalchuk is seeking a $11 million a year deal. Garrioch speculates that the LA Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils are the most interested. Brochu's take: Well, you can forget the Bruins, Capitals, Rangers and Devils for salary reasons. It does however, look likely that Kovalchuk may be shopped. I would say the Kings would the most likely at this moment.

The Philadelphia Flyers are shopping forward Jeff Carter.

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to move forward Joffrey Lupul.

The Edmonton Oilers are shopping forward Shawn Horcoff, defenseman Sheldon Souray and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky. Brochu's take: Horcoff's contract will scare off all teams. Both Souray and Visnovsky could get interesting returns.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 15, 2009

2009-12-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

According to the Puck-rakers blog, the Columbus Blue Jackets are interested in Ottawa Senators defenseman Brian Lee. Writer Aaron Portzline that a deal could involve forward Nikita Filatov, who is currently playing in the KHL. Brochu's take: Filatov is one of the top prospects outside the NHL right now, so I would say the Sens would have to give up more than that.

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Aaron Ward on waivers and goalie Michael Leighton on re-entry waivers.

The New York Rangers have placed forward Pierre Alexandre Parenteau on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets had placed Derek Mackenzie on waivers and the Tampa Bay Lightning had placed defenseman Lukas Krajicek on waivers. They have both cleared.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 11, 2009

2009-12-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

According to La Presse, the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings are among the teams that may be interested in acquiring Montreal Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak's services. Brochu's take: I think the Hab's asking price is a little high for a goalie that hasn't really proven himself as a dependable backup. Rumor is that the Edmonton Oilers are also interested. Source

Washington Capitals forward Michael Nylander has cleared waivers. Brochu's take: It's only a matter of time before he ends up on a KHL team. No chance would the Caps bring him up on re-entry waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 9, 2009

2009-12-08T23:19:00.000-08:00

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded forward Pascal Pelletier to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenceman Brendan Bell and centre Tomas Kana.

The Florida Panthers have placed defenseman Ville Koistinen on re-entry waivers.

Both Carolina Hurricanes goalie Michael Leighton and New York Islanders forward Jeremy Reich have cleared waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for the weekend of Dec 5-6, 2009

2009-12-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, so you know it's another round of rumors from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun:

The New York Rangers are interested in acquiring forward Pavol Demitra from the Vancouver Canucks. Demitra is currently injured. Brochu's take: Garrioch obviously uses the whole Demitra-Gaborik friendship angle to justify this rumor. He might have forgotten that the Rangers are pushing the cap as it is.

The Nashville Predators may be trying to move defenseman Dan Hamhuis. Brochu's take: This one I agree with. Hamhuis won't re-sign with the Preds, and there's plenty of young blueliners to replace him in Nashville. Watch him get moved at the deadline.

The San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets could be interested in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward, while some teams have called about Ray Whitney.

"The Vancouver Canucks are expected to trade defenceman Shane O'Brien." Brochu's take: Not likely. The 'Nucks love their defensive depth.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 5, 2009

2009-12-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to identical 5-year, $31.5 million contract extensions. Defenseman Duncan Keith has signed a 13-year, $66.5 million contract extension. Brochu's take: Keith is not a $5.5 milllion a year player. Gross overpayment IMO.

The Philadelphia Flyers have fired coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. Assistant coach Jack McIlhargey was also fired. Replacing him will be Kevin McCarthy, current assistant coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. Brochu's take: This has been rumored for some time, so it's not surprising. Philly needed a shakeup in the worst way, and there have been rumours that the young players on the team had tuned out Stevens.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Philippe Paradis.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Chris Bourque on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 3, 2009

2009-12-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

The Montreal Canadiens have traded Kyle Chipchura to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Brochu's take: Chipchura's lack of offense in the pros has severely hampered his development. Maybe a change of scenery will help.

The Chicago Blackhawks have called a press conference for Thursday afternoon when it's expected that they will announce contract extensions for Patrik Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. Kane and Toews deals is believed to be both in the 5 year range, while Keith's deal is in the 13 year range. TSN's Bob McKenzie believes that the Hawks may place defenseman Brent Sopel and his $2.4 million on waivers. Brochu's take: The Hawks are pretty much at the max of their salary cap for next season, and they still might need to free up some "tagging room". Moves may be coming soon.

The New York Rangers have claimed forward Erik Christensen off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers have also placed goalie Steve Valiquette on waivers.

The Atlanta Thrashers have placed defenseman Noah Welch on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 2, 2009

2009-12-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Marc Savard to a 7-year contract extension, with an annual salary cap hit of $4.2 million. Brochu's take: Not a bad cap hit for a centre that can get you 80-90 points a season. This should help alleviate the Bruins' cap woes, but they need some more firepower in their lineup.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Oskars Bartulis to a three-year, $1.8 million contract extension.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Erik Christenson on waivers.

The San Jose Sharks have claimed defenseman Jay Leach off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.

Be back in December!!

2009-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

First, I want to thank my loyal readers, who have kept up faithfully with this blog for the past several years. Some of you may have noticed that in the past few months, there hasn't been many posts, after all, I was nearly at a post a day. I decided more or less to stop posting so frequently, but I've come to the conclusion that this blog is important to me and my readers, so starting in December, I will be back to normal.

Latendresse for Pouliot

2009-11-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

The Montreal Canadiens have forward Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild for forward Benoit Pouliot. Brochu's take: You could say this is a trade of disappointments. Pouliot has not played to his draft position, and Latendresse has never taken that next level. Maybe a change of scenery would help them both.

Niedermayer, Brunnstrom potential tradebait?

2009-11-12T22:46:00.001-08:00

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, both Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer and Dallas Stars forward Fabian Brunnstrom are available. Niedermayer doesn't have a no-trade-clause, but would like to stay with Anaheim. Brochu's take: I don't think there's much interest in Brunnstrom, considering his terrible production this season. If the Ducks are out of playoff contention, look for the offers to pour in for Niedermayer around the trade deadline. Source

Capitals waive Nylander

2009-11-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

The Washington Capitals have placed forward Michael Nylander on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 29, 2009

2009-10-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Randy Jones on re-entry waivers. Brochu's take: I'm thinking GM Paul Holmgren hopes someone will pick him up to get rid of his contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Kyle Calder to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Stephane Yelle on waivers. He has cleared.

The St. Louis Blues have placed forward Yan Stastny on re-entry waivers. He has cleared.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 26, 2009

2009-10-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Davis Drewiske and goalie Jonathon Quick to three-year contract extensions.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Cody Eakin to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 23, 2009

2009-10-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Buffalo Sabres have traded forward Daniel Paille to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 3rd and 4th round choice n the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Ryan Ellis to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Matt Carkner to a two-year, $1.4 million contract extension.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have forward Stefan Legein to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Michael Ratchuk.

Kobasew for Weller, Fallstrom, 2nd in 2011

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins have traded forward Chuck Kobasew to the Minnesota Wild for forward Craig Weller, a 2nd round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and the rights to prospect Alexander Fallstrom. Brochu's take: I would say that the Bruins did this to get some salary cap space. Kobasew should be a solution to the injured forward group of the Wild. Value-wize, I would say the B's got the better end of the deal.

Hawks claim Ebbett off waivers

2009-10-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed forward Andrew Ebbett off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.

Update

2009-10-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

You might be wondering why I haven't updated lately. Quite frankly, I haven't the motivation. It's been several years since I've had this blog, and I've really enjoyed posting, however, in the past few weeks I haven't felt like updating.

I just want to take the opportunity to thank all my readers, and everyone who visit this blog.

I will continue to update. I promise you that. It's just the past few weeks have been busy for me.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 8, 2009

2009-10-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Brad May to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Aaron Johnson to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Kyle Greentree.

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Milan Lucic to a 3-year, $12.25 million contract extension. Brochu's take: While Lucic is a good player, I don't think he's worth 4 million a year. My estimation is that he will top out at 20-25 goals.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Dave Scatchard to a one-year, two-way deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 5, 2009

2009-10-04T22:08:00.001-07:00

Sorry again for not updating, but here we go!

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Dominic Moore to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Rostislav Klesla to a 4-year, $11.9 million contract. Brochu's take: That's a pretty good deal for an underrated defenseman, and should clear the trade rumors that surround him constantly.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Loui Eriksson to a 6-year, $25.5 million. Brochu's take: Should Eriksson reach 40 goal potential, this deal will be a steal. Even if he keeps his current rate of production, it's a smart deal.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goalie Cam Ward to a 6-year, $37.8 million contract. Brochu's take: That's a lot of money. Ward has won a Cup, but is he really worth +6 million a year?

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Carter Ashton to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 30, 2009

2009-09-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Robert Lang to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

The 'Yotes have also signed forward Ryan Hollweg to a one-year deal.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Maxim Afinogenov to a one-year contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Martin Skoula to a one-year deal.

The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Anton Stralman to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders have claimed forward Rob Schremp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. Brochu's take: Schremp will get a new start on the Island, and it's possible he could get a top-6 spot there, considering all their recent injuries.

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed forward Radek Smolenak off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 29, 2009

2009-09-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of days in terms of NHL transactions, so I should be caught up by tomorrow.

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Rob Niedermayer to a one-year deal. The Devils have also signed forward Andrew Peters to a two-year deal.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Milan Hejduk to a one-year contract extension.

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Guillaume Lefebvre to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman Steve McCarthy to the Atlanta Thrashers for future considerations.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward James Wright to a three-year entry-level contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Darryl Sydor to a one-year contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Ryan Bayda to a one-year, two-way deal.

The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Anton Klementyev to a three-year, entry-level deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 24, 2009

2009-09-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Manny Malhotra to a one-year, $700, 000 contract. Brochu's take: 700K? That's pretty cheap for a veteran forward. I guess he wanted a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Although with the Sharks, it's hardly a forgone conclusion.

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded defenseman Patrick Hersley to the Nashville Predators for future considerations. The Flyers are also expected to sign free agent forward Blair Betts to a contract soon. Source

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Kyle Clifford to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Goalie Olaf Kolzig has officially retired from hockey.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 22, 2009

2009-09-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Francis Bouillon to a one-year, $750,000 contract.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Ryan O’Reilly to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Tyler Hostetter to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Brochu's European rumour roundup:

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anton Babchuk has signed a deal with Avangard Omsk of the KHL. Source

New York Rangers forward Nikolai Zherdev has signed with Russian team HK Atlant.

According to TSN and other Russian sources, KHL team CSKA Moskva (Moscow) has had discussions with free agent forward Rob Niedermayer. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 20, 2009

2009-09-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins have traded forward Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a first and second round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, as well as a 1st rounder in the 2011 Draft. The Leafs then subsequently signed the restricted free agent to a 5-year, $27 million contract. Brochu's take: Not sure why Burke didn't just send an offer sheet, which would have cost slightly less. A rather large overpayment IMO, but he didn't trade any roster players either.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Brandon Dubinsky to a two-year, $3.7 million contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forwards Willie Coetzee and Tomas Tatar to three-year, entry-level contracts.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Bjorn Krupp to an entry-level contract. Brochu's take: A chip off the old block, one would hope.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Tristan King and defenseman Hubert Labrie to three-year entry-level contracts.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 18, 2009

2009-09-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of updates, Blogger has been acting up lately and I haven't been able to log in.

The Minnesota Wild have signed Petr Sykora to a one-year, $1.6 million contract. Sykora was invited to attend the Wild's training camp.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Antoine Vermette to a 5-year, $18.75 million contract extension.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Phillipe Lefebvre to a contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed goalie Tyler Beskorowany to an entry-level contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Tyler Ennis to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Alexander Urbom to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have invited forward Maxim Afinogenov to their training camp. Brochu's take: I really don't understand why other NHL teams didn't at least invite him to training camp. It's clear that Afinogenov needed a fresh start, and I think it's possible he can return to his 60-70 point self.

Look for my European rumor update later tomorrow!

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 15, 2009

2009-09-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

The Minnesota Wild have invited forward Petr Sykora to training camp.

The Vancouver Canucks have invited forward Mark Parrish to training camp.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 14, 2009

2009-09-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Ottawa Senators traded Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks for forwards Milan Michalek and Jonathon Cheechoo and a 2nd rounder. Brochu's take: Pretty fair trade, but I always believed in the theory that the team getting the best player always "wins". If Cheechoo can return to at least 30 or so goals a year, this would be a fair trade.

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed forward Drew Stafford to a 2-year, $4 million contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Radek Smolenak to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Bolts have also re-signed defenseman Mike Lundin.

The Edmonton Oilers have officially signed forward Mike Comrie to a one-year contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed right wing Derek Dorsett to a two-year contract extension.

The Calgary Flames have invited forward Theoren Fleury to training camp. The 41 year old was recently reinstated by the NHL.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 10, 2009

2009-09-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Derek Armstrong to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Andy Wozniewski.

The Ottawa Sun is reporting a rumor of a 3-way trade between the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings. The deal would send Dany Heatley to the Sharks, Jarret Stoll and Alexander Frolov to Ottawa and Patrick Marleau to the Kings. Brochu's take: You know it's almost hockey season when Bruce Garrioch comes up with his ridiculous rumors. Marleau has a NTC, and probably doesn't want to waive it for a team that's not likely to make the playoffs. Frolov has been a particular favourite of Garrioch rumours. Source

According to an Oilers blog, it's very likely that the Edmonton Oilers will sign forward Mike Comrie to a deal on Friday. There's also some interest from the Atlanta Thrashers. Brochu's take: I wonder if the Oilers fans out there have forgiven him? Source

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Perrin has signed with KHL team Avangard Omsk.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jiri Novotny has signed with Russian team HK Atlant.

Notable Camp Invitees

2009-09-08T21:58:00.001-07:00

A bit slow in the rumor front, so I'll just have an update on some notable camp invitees:

The Anaheim Ducks have invited forward Kyle Calder.

The Atlanta Thrashers have invited goalie Manny Legace and forward Dan Fritsche.

The New York Rangers have invited defenseman Kyle McLaren.

The St. Louis Blues have invited defenseman Darryl Sydor.

The Detroit Red Wings have invited goalie Dan Cloutier. Brochu's take: The irony in this is too great to ignore.

The Florida Panthers have invited defensemen Martin Skoula and Christian Backman.

The Philadelphia Flyers have invited forwards Blair Betts and Mark Bell.

The Minnesota Wild have invited defenseman Andy Hilbert.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 6, 2009

2009-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded their 2nd round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft. TSN is reporting that there are rumors that GM Brian Burke may throw an offer sheet to Boston Bruins restricted free agent forward Phil Kessel. Brochu's take: Burke can give an offer sheet, now that he has that 2nd round pick. But I don't think he will, considering his dislike for offer sheets in general.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded forward Jason Bailey to the Ottawa Senators for forward Shawn Weller.

The Ducks have signed defenseman Steve Eminger to a two-year, $2.25 million contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forward Rob Schremp to a one-year contract. Brochu's take: I think Schremp will be a big trade chip for the Oilers this season, and look for him to be possibly moved at the trade deadline.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Derick Brassard to a 12-year, $12.8 million contract extension.

The BJs have also signed forward Alex Picard to a one-year deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 3, 2009

2009-09-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks have officially signed goalie Roberto Luongo to a 12-year, $64 million contract extension. The contract includes a full no-movement clause. Brochu's take: At a cap-friendly hit of $5.33 million, this is a good deal.

The Canucks have also re-signed defenseman Nathan McIver to a one-year contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Taylor Pyatt to a one-year deal.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Cal O'Reilly to a two-year contract.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jason Smith has retired from hockey.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 1, 2009

2009-08-31T22:12:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed forward Brad Staubitz to a one-year contract.

According to Vancouver sources, the Canucks are close to signing goalie Roberto Luongo to a 12-year contract extension worth roughly $64 million. The rumor is that the annual salary cap hit should be in the $5 million range. Brochu's take: A source is saying that it could be announced tomorrow, but it's more than likely sometime this week.

The New York Islanders have traded forward Rob Hennigar to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Bobby Hughes. Source

TSN is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings are not interested in Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley. The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks remain the most speculated teams in the hunt for the sniper.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 31, 2009

2009-08-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

This is the larger version of Brochu's European Rumor Roundup:

Peter Forsberg has made his latest comeback to hockey by playing a pre-season game with Swedish club Modo. Forsberg played on the first line against Geneva in Switzerland. Forsberg has also been provisionally named on Sweden's 2010 Olympic roster. Brochu's take: So I guess we can expect Forsberg rumours to continue all season? Keeps me busy, I suppose. ;-)

Ottawa Senators goalie Jeff Glass has signed a one-year deal with KHL team Barys Astana. Source

Defenseman Frantisek Kaberle has signed with HC Kladno of the Czech Extraliga. Kaberle was bought out by the Carolina Hurricanes earlier this summer. Source

According to Hokey.cz, free agent forward Petr Sykora is weighing offers from several KHL teams. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 29, 2009

2009-08-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

The San Jose Sharks have traded defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Daniel Rahimi and forward Patrick White. Brochu's take: For the Sharks, this is a bit of a salary dump. With Ehrhoff and Lukowich off the books, the Sharks free up around $5.5 million in cap space. For the Canucks, they have significantly improved their defensive depth, while also acquiring assets in preparation for a trade.

The Canucks have also officially signed defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Brochu's take: A sweetheart deal with GM Mike Gillis' old client.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Alex Tanguay to a one-year, $3.25 million deal. Brochu's take: You have to wonder why it took so long, but regardless, this makes the Bolts a more dynamic offensive team.

The Lightning have also re-signed defenseman Matt Lashoff to a two-year deal.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Tony Romano to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed forward Chris Porter and Justin Fletcher to two and one-year deals, respectively.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed defenseman Mark Fraser and forward Patrick Davis to one-year deals.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed goalie Kevin Regan to a one-year deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 27, 2009

2009-08-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forward Martins Karsums to a one-year contract.

Forward Mike Sillinger has annnounced his retirement. Brochu's take: I'm pretty sure Sillinger has played for at least half of all the NHL teams. It will be sad to see him leave.

According to the Detroit News, free agent forward Darren McCarty is in Moscow looking to sign with a KHL team. There have also been rumors that he is considering retiring again. Source

There's a rumor that the Montreal Canadiens are interested in Boston Bruins forward Phil Kessel. Kessel remains an unsigned restricted free agent, with only 6 weeks to the start of the NHL season. There are also several offers from KHL teams. Brochu's take: I think that he will re-sign with the Bruins, but they're going to have to trade someone to free up salary cap space.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Ottawa Senators goalie Jeff Glass is rumored to be signing with KHL team Barys Astana in Kazakhstan. Source

According to theKHL.net, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Nikita Filatov has had several offers to play in Russia, but he remains focused on reaching the NHL. Filatov admitted he would consider the KHL if he were playing the AHL or on the "bench". Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 25, 2009

2009-08-24T22:42:00.000-07:00

According to Sportsnet, the Vancouver Canucks are close to signing free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a one-year contract. Brochu's take: Schneider could be the answer for the Canucks' lack of a powerplay quarterback. I would guess a deal in the $2-3 million range. Source

Free agent defenseman Dennis Seidenberg is close to a deal with the New York Rangers or Florida Panthers. It's believed that he wants a 3-year deal, but the teams want a shorter contract. Source

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Ben Ferriero to a two-year, $1.275 million contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Defenseman Eric Reitz has left the New York Rangers organization and signed with Sibir Novosibirsk of the KHL. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 21, 2009

2009-08-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

According to the Star Tribune, free agent forward Alex Tanguay is considering an offer from the Minnesota Wild. "Alex has been on the phone with Chuck and I've been on the phone with Chuck," Tanguay's agent Ritch Winter said. "We're working on some other teams, too. We're just doing as much homework as we can to help Alex make an informed decision." Brochu's take: Won't someone please sign Alex Tanguay? It's strange that no one has signed him yet. Source

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Marcel Goc to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Stephane Yelle to a one-year, $550,000 contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Jeff Cowan to a one-year contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Brett Festerling to a two-year, $1 million deal.

The New York Islanders have signed goalie Nathan Lawson to a one-year deal.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Ottawa Senators have signed goalie Andy Chiodo to a one-year deal. Chiodo spent last season with Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 19, 2009

2009-08-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

According to the "Working the Corners" Sharks blog, head coach Todd McLellan has stripped forward Patrick Marleau of his captaincy, and is quoted as saying that "nobody's our captain" at the moment. Joe Thornton has also been relieved of his assistant captain duties. Brochu's take: You have to wonder if Marleau's time is up in San Jose, considering he only has one year left on his contract. The rumor is that Dan Boyle will be the new captain. Source

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

There are rumors that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Christian Backman and forward Jiri Novotny will sign with HC Frolunda and HC Servette, respectively. Source Source2

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 17, 2009

2009-08-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed forward Matt D'Agostini to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Vaclav Prospal to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 13, 2009

2009-08-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning have sent forward Evgeny Artyukin to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Drew Milller and a third round draft pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed defenseman Ladislav Smid to a two-year deal, and have signed forwards Gilbert Brule and Ryan Stone to one-year, two-way deals.

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed goalie Thomas Greiss to a two-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Nikolai Zherdev is expected to sign a deal with KHL team Salavat Yulaev. Zherdev became a free agent when the New York Rangers refused to accept his arbitration salary.

The San Jose Sharks have signed Swedish goalie Henrik Karlsson to a contract. Karlsson was a free agent that played with Farjestad last season. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 11, 2009

2009-08-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Mike Grier to a one-year contract.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Ryan Jones to a two-year contract.

According to Russian reports, the Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Sergei Shirokov. Source

There are rumors that the San Jose Sharks are interested in signing free agent goalie Manny Fernandez to a contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 10, 2009

2009-08-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs are close to sending goalie Justin Pogge to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional late round draft pick. Brochu's take: Pogge's name has been in the rumor mill for sometime, so it wasn't a surprise that he would get traded.

The Leafs are also close to signing free agent goalie Joey MacDonald to a deal.

Theoren Fleury is attempting another NHL comeback, according to TSN. Fleury spent last season playing senior hockey in Alberta, and is currently contacting teams to gauge their interest.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goalie Nicola Riopel to a contract. Source

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Gregory Stewart to a one-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Goalie David LeNeveu has left the Anaheim Ducks organization and signed with Austrian hockey club EC Salzburg. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 7, 2009

2009-08-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Jason Williams to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed forward Brendan Shanahan to a one-year deal.

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed forward Jannik Hansen to a one-year, two-way contract.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen has retired from hockey. Brochu's take: One of the few remaining players that actually played for the Winnipeg Jets, he will be missed.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Drew Bannister to a one-year deal. Bannister played for the Kassel Huskies in Germany last season.

Forward Jeff Hamilton has left the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and signed with HC Lugano in Switzerland. Source

Nashville Predators forward Antti Pihlstrom has left the organization and signed with Swedish club Farjestad. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 5, 2009

2009-08-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

According to TSN, the Montreal Canadiens may facilitate a three-way traded involving the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators, with Dany Heatley being the main player. According to a report in the Ottawa Sun, the Sharks have tabled a package that includes winger Jonathan Cheechoo, along with defenceman Christian Ehrhoff and a first-round selection. Brochu's take: Cheechoo is a shadow of his 56-goal season, so his value is quite low. GM Doug Murray is going to have to up the package if he's going to get Heatley, and not to mention he has to get rid of some salary.

The San Jose Sharks have announced that there will be a press conference on Thursday to confirm the retirement of Jeremy Roenick. Brochu's take: I'm going to miss him. His "wake up, NHL" quote is amongst the best rants in hockey history. That, and throwing the water bottle at the ref.

The Ottawa Senators have signed goalie Brian Elliot to a 2-year contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Patrick Eaves to a one-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Janne Pesonen has left the organization and signed with KHL team Ak Bars Kazan. Source

Minnesota Wild goalie Nolan Schaefer has left the organization and signed a deal with Russian team CSKA Moskva (Moscow). Source

Rangers walk away from Zherdev!

2009-08-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

The New York Rangers have decided to exercise its right to walk away from the arbitrator’s award to forward Nikolai Zherdev, thereby allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Zherdev was awarded a $3.9 million salary by way of arbitration. Brochu's take: I would guess that he would sign in the KHL, as most NHL teams have set their rosters for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. The Edmonton Oilers have already dismissed any interest in the Russian forward. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 4, 2009

2009-08-03T23:32:00.000-07:00

The New York Islanders have re-signed forward Blake Comeau to a 2-year contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Cody McCormick to a one-year deal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed goalie John Curry to a two-year deal. The Pens have also signed forward/defenseman Wade Brookbank and forward Wyatt Smith to contracts.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Milan Jurcina to a one-year deal.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Brendan Bell to a contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Both forward Ville Peltonen and defenseman Ossi Vaananen have left the NHL and signed with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.

Update tonight!

2009-08-03T10:27:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the lack of updates, I've been moving the last few days. I can assure you that I won't be going away unannounced (like last year!), as I will be updating quite frequently.

Thanks for reading!

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 31, 2009

2009-07-30T22:42:00.001-07:00

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Dustin Boyd to a one-year, $650,000 contract. They also signed forward Kris Chucko to a contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed goalie Jean-Phillipe Lamoureux to a one-year deal.

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed forward Kyle Wellwood to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen to a one-year, $600,000 deal.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Defenseman Sergei Zubov has left the Dallas Stars (and the NHL) and has signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Brochu's take: His salary demands must have been too high for NHL teams, because I think he can still contribute at his age.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Andy Delmore to a one-year deal. Delmore spent the 2008-2009 season with Hamburg Freezers of the DEL.

Goalie J.S. Aubin has left the Philadelphia Flyers organization and signed with DEG Metro Stars in Germany.

Forward Craig MacDonald has left the Columbus Blue Jackets organization and signed with DEG Metro Stars.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 30, 2009

2009-07-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Tampa Bay Lightning are buying out the rest of forward Vaclav Prospal's contract. He has 3 years at $3.5 million per year left on his deal, which means a 6-year cap hit of $1.167 million if his contract is bought out. Brochu's take: Good to see TB management is back at making stupid hockey decisions. Prospal is a decent point producer for his salary. Having that dead cap space for that long is not a good idea for any team.

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed goalie Josh Harding to a 1-year, $1.1 million contract. Brochu's take: I expect Harding will be traded in 2009-2010.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Josh Gratton and defenseman Michael Vernace to one-year deals.

The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Jack Hillen to a two-year, $1.4 million deal.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forwards Liam Reddox and Ryan Potulny to one-year deals.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed forward Scottie Upshall to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 'Yotes have also re-signed goalie Josh Tordjman to a one-year deal.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed goalie Dan LaCosta to a one-year dea.

The Ottawa Senators have signed Derek Smith to a one-year contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 28, 2009

2009-07-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

According to the News & Observer (Hurricanes blog), Carolina will not sign defensemen Dennis Seidenberg or Anton Babchuk. GM Jim Rutherford expects Babchuk to sign in Russia. Rutherford also confirmed that he will be buying out Frantisek Kaberle's contract. Source

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Michael Forney to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Rangers have signed defenseman Sam Klassen to a contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenseman Anton Stralman, forward Colin Stuart and a 7th round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft to the Calgary Flames for forward Wayne Primeau and a 2nd round pick in the 2011 draft. Brochu's take: I would have thought Stralman would have fit in, but I guess Burke has other ideas. This gives the Flames a little salary cap relief, but there are rumors they aren't done.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Matt Smaby to a 2-year, $1 million deal.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Kellan Tochkin to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Bryce Lampman to 1-year contract. Lampman played with Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL last season.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 26, 2009

2009-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Boston Bruins have traded defenseman Aaron Ward to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and a fourth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Bruins have placed Eaves on waivers, with the intention of buying out his contract. Brochu's take: Eaves' stock has really dropped over the last few years, as he was expected to be a 20-goal scorer.

The B's have also signed defenseman Derek Morris to a 1-year, $3.3 million contract.

The Canes have re-signed forward Tuomo Ruutu to a 3-year, $11.4 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have also re-signed goalie Justin Pogge to a 1-year, $605,000 contract. Brochu's take: There's also rumors that GM Brian Burke is trying to trade him, but his value is quite low at the moment.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defensemen Steve Wagner and Roman Polak.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Nate Thompson to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Lukas Kaspar to a one-year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Daniel Winnik to a 1-year deal.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Petteri Nokelainen.