Canucks trade Weise for Diaz

The Vancouver Canucks have traded forward Dale Weise to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Raphael Diaz.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for April 3, 2013

The Dallas Stars have traded forward Derek Roy to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Kevin Connauton and a 2nd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Stars have also traded forward Jaromir Jagr to the Boston Bruins for forward Lane MacDermid, forward Cody Payne and a conditional 2nd round pick.

The San Jose Sharks have traded forward Ryane Clowe to the New York Rangers for a 2nd and 3rd in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and also a conditional pick in the 2014 Draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Adam Hall and a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Los Angeles Kings have traded defenseman Davis Drewiske to the Montreal Canadiens for a 5th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Canucks have re-signed forward Chris Higgins to a four-year, $10 million contract extension.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 24, 2013

The Tampa Bay Lightning have fired head coach Guy Boucher.  Brochu's take:  The rumor was the veterans on the Bolts were starting to tune him out.  Lindy Ruff is the rumored favourite to take the position.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Radek Dvorak to a one-year, $675,000 contract.  Dvorak must clear waivers because he has been playing in Europe this season.

The Lightning have re-signed forward Nate Thompson to a four-year, $6.4 million contract extension.

The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Jeff Halpern off waivers from the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have placed defenseman Stu Bickel on waivers.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed four players to three-year, entry-level contracts.  Forwards Garrett Meurs and Andrew Agozzino, and defensemen Markus Lauridsen and Gabriel Beaupre.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Travis Ewanyk to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for March 21, 2013

Look for my European rumor roundup this week, it should be quite interesting.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Zach Boychuk on waivers.  Brochu's take:  Again?  He could possibly be playing for his 4th NHL team in this short season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Mike Komisarek on waivers.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defesneman Francis Bouillon to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free agent goaltender Andrew Hammond to a two-year entry-level contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Slater Koekkoek three-year, entry level contract. Koekkoek was the Bolts' 1st round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take:  Koekkoek is pronounced Coo-Coo.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 19, 2013

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Corey Perry to an 8-year, $69 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  Well, this will make the off-season less interesting.  The Ducks are going to have approximately 26% of their salary cap for next year taken up by 2 players.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenseman Arturs Kulda to a one-year, $550,000 contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Darren Dietz to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Dietz was the Habs' 5th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Chris Tierney to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Tierney was the Sharks 2nd round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

The Sharks have also signed free agent forward Daniil Tarasov to a two-year contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed forward Ben Holmstrom to a one-year contract extension.

The New York Rangers have signed free agent forward Josh Nicholls to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed free agent forward Taylor Peters to a three-year, entry level contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 16, 2013

Look for another post that will cover some of the free agent, college and entry level signings that happened the past few days!

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a six-year, $33 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  This is a bargain.  OEL is capable of being a point-a-game defenseman.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman David Desharnais to a four-year, $14 million contract extension.

The New York Islanders have re-signed defenseman Colin McDonald to a two-year contract extension.

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired a 5th round pick in 2013 NHL Entry Draft from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman TJ Brennan.


The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Steckel to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Ryan Lasch and a seventh-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Nicolas Deschamps from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Kevin Marshall.

The Minnesota Wild have traded defenseman Chay Genoway to the Washington Capitals for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 27, 2013

The Montreal Canadiens have traded forward Erik Cole to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Michael Ryder and a 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take:  Good trade for both sides.  The Stars get a veteran scorer, while the Canadiens get cap relief for next season.

The Los Angeles Kings have traded forward Simon Gagne to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a conditional 4th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Brian McGrattan on waivers.

According to Pierre LeBrun, it's likely that the Anaheim Ducks will look at trading pending unrestricted free agent forward Corey Perry before the trade deadline.  LeBrun also speculates there is continued interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins at acquiring Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla.  Brochu's take:  The Ducks could possibly lose Perry for nothing if they don't trade him.  As for Iginla, the longer the Flames struggle, the more the rumours intensify.  Iginla could net a big haul for the Flames.  Source  

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 15. 2013

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired goalie Dustin Tokarski from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for goalie Cedrick Desjardins.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded forward Eric Tangradi to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a 4th round pick in the 2014 Draft.

Forward Andrew Brunette has retired from the NHL and has joined the Minnesota Wild in their hockey operations department.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Jarmo Kekalainen as their new General Manager.  Kekalainen becomes the first European GM in the NHL.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 12, 2013

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, scouts from 17 NHL teams were at the game between the San Jose Sharks and the Blue Jackets.  There was one scout each for the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets.  There were two scouts each from the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers respectively.  Portzline is also reporting that the BJs are always looking to trade, but nothing is close.  Brochu's take:  Very interesting, especially for the Eastern Conference teams that don't play the Jackets.  

Hockey Rumors for February 6, 2013

The Colorado Avalanche have claimed Montreal Canadiens forward Aaron Palushaj off waivers.

The Phoenix Coyotes have placed forward Alexandre Bolduc on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor update:

Free agent forward Marco Sturm has signed with Kolner Haie in the DEL.

NYR/MINN trade, Palushaj on waivers

The New York Rangers have traded forward Michael Rupp to the Minnesota Wild for forwards Nick Palmieri and Darroll Powe.  Brochu's take: Rupp should add some needed toughness to the Wild.  

The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Aaron Palushaj on waivers.

18 teams scouting Florida-Buffalo game

According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, 18 NHL teams were scouting the Florida Panthers-Buffalo Sabres game yesterday.  They were the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Lightning, Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NHL Lockout Signings: Czech Republic

Here is a list of NHLer that have signed in the Czech Republic (HC Lev Praha plays in the KHL):

Dallas Stars forward Jaromir Jagr, Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec, Carolina Hurricanes forward Jiri Tlusty, New Jersey Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Tomas Kaberle have signed with HC Kladno.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ladislav Smid and Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec have signed with Bili Tygri Liberec.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ales Hemsky has signed with HC Pardubice.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Pavel Kubina has signed with HC Vitkovice.

Calgary Flames forward Roman Cervenka has signed with HC Slavia Praha.

NHL Lockout Signings: Switzerland

Here is a list of NHL players signing in Switzerland in the past few days:

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa has signed with Lugano.

Ottawa Senators forward Jason Spezza has signed with Rapperswil-Jona.

San Jose Sharks forwards Logan Couture and Joe Thornton has signed with Geneve-Servette and HC Davos, respectively.

New York Rangers forward Rick Nash has also signed with Davos.

Montreal Canadiens defensemen Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber has signed with EV Zug and Geneva-Servette.

New York Islanders defenseman Mark Streit has signed with SC Bern.

Detroit Red Wings forward Damien Brunner has signed with EV Zug.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Sept 8, 2010

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.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 11, 2009

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 3, 2009

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

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.

Latendresse for Pouliot

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.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 18, 2009

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!