Kings re-sign Johnson

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.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 18, 2009

The Washington Capitals have traded defenseman Keith Seabrook to the Calgary Flames for future considerations.

The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed defenseman Jack Johnson to a 2-year contract extension. Brochu's take: The restricted free agent was the subject of trade rumors this summer, but so much for that. But I believe he will be traded sometime this season.

The Minnesota Wild have signed goalie Wade Dubielewicz to a one-year contract. The Wild have also signed forwards Danny Irmen, Duncan Milroy, Benoit Pouliot, Jon DiSalvatore and defenseman Clayton Stoner to one-year deals.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed defensemen Grant Lewis and Scott Lehman.

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Cory Murphy to a contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed goalie Devan Dubnyk to a 2-year deal. They have also signed forward Colin McDonald to a one-year contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for June 30, 2009

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According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet, there's a rumor that the Calgary Flames will trade defenseman Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Dany Heatley. Brochu's take: I think Phaneuf is staying in Calgary, since his old coach Brent Sutter is there now. Source

Spector is also saying that the Edmonton Oilers are considering sending defenseman Sheldon Souray to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for blueliner Jack Johnson, and a few "other pieces." Brochu's take: Souray's been rumored to want out of Edmonton, but I think he actually enjoys playing there. I don't think GM Steve Tambellini would want someone of Johnson's questionable character traits on his team.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Bill Guerin to a one-year, $2 million contract extension.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed forwards Mike Weaver and Brad Winchester to one-year, $800,000 contracts.

The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed goalie Peter Budaj to a one-year contract.

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year, $3.5 million contract extension. Source

Pronger for Jack Johnson and a 1st?

According to Sportsnet, there's a big rumor that the Anaheim Ducks are about to trade defenseman Chris Pronger to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Jack Johnson and the Kings 5th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pronger, Ducks GM Bob Murray and Kings GM Dean Lombardi have all denied the rumor. Brochu's take: The Score is reporting that the trade is done. According to the NHL's collective agreement, no trades can be completed until after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup playoffs. There's also reports that the draft pick may turn out to be a 2nd rounder. Stay tuned!

NHL and Hockey Rumors for June 2, 2009

The Montreal Canadiens have hired Jacques Martin as the new head coach of the team. The move reunites Martin with assistant general manager Pierre Gauthier and head of amateur scouting Trevor Timmins from their time together with the Ottawa Senators. Brochu's take: It's believed that negotiations have been going on for some time to release Martin from his GM job with the Florida Panthers, which was extended last year to 2011-2012. Rumors are swirling that the Panthers are up for sale and are trying to shed payroll in anyway, so it could be an interesting situation this summer.

According to CKNW radio in Vancouver, there's a rumor that the Vancouver Canucks would send defenseman Sami Salo and forward prospect Jannik Hansen to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Jack Johnson. Brochu's take: Johnson wants out of LA, but I think the fans in Vancouver remember Johnson from the World Juniors.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free agent forward Ryan Keller to a one-year, two-way contract. The 25-year old has spent the past two seasons with the Espoo Blues of the Finnish SM-Liiga.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed forward Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond. No contract details were announced.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for May 19, 2009

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the father of Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jack Johnson has contacted a KHL team about having his son play in Russia next year. Jack Johnson Sr. reportedly contacted SKA St. Petersburg if they had interest in signing the impending restricted free agent to a one-year deal, and they responded that they did. Dreger is also reporting rumors that the Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning are in trade discussions, and it could be centred around Vincent Lecavalier. Brochu's take: Lecavalier's name is going to pop up everywhere as we get closer to the NHL Entry Draft. There's speculation that Johnson has demanded a trade. Dreger also states that the Montreal Canadiens remain in the running for Lecavalier. Source

The NFL, MLB and the NBA have lined up in support of the NHL's court fight to block the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes and move to southern Ontario. The other major sports leagues statements asking the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to "respect the National Hockey League's rules and procedures regarding ownership transfer and relocation." Brochu's take: We'll find out tomorrow, I suppose. I find it odd that Bettman's "friends" in the other sports have joined in the court matters, I would think this is exclusive to the NHL. I mean, I'm sure the NHL was not contacted when the Seattle Supersonics were moved to Oklahoma City. Source

Patrick Roy has denied speculation that the Colorado Avalanche have offered him the head coaching position. Current head coach Tony Granato has not been notified of the proceedings and still has two-years left on his contract.