NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 17, 2008

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning are not finished with personnel moves, and is willing to move anyone not named "Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steven Stamkos, Paul Ranger and Andrej Meszaros." Brochu's take: Is the equipment manager available?

The New Jersey Devils might be interested in Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Olaf Kolzig, who is available. Brochu's take: GM Lou Lamoriello will hold on for a few Weekes, (pardon the pun) but if the goaltending does not get better he will make a move.

"League sources" are saying that Florida Panthers have told GM Jacques Martin to cut $3 million in payroll, re-sign impending UFA Jay Bouwmeester and make the playoffs. Brochu's take: Good luck with that. Bouwmeester wants out of Florida and it will happen sometime this season, and most definitely in the off-season.

The Edmonton Journal is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche are willing to move forward Tyler Arnason. Brochu's take: Not much interest in an underachieving forward.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had placed forward Paul Bissonnette on waivers Friday and has subsequently cleared.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Free agent defenseman Bryan Berard has officially signed a one-year contract with KHL team Vityaz Podolsk/Chekhov.

New York Rangers defenseman Andreas Jamtin has officially signed with Swedish club Linkoping. Source

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NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 7, 2008

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, negotiations between defenseman Mattias Ohlund and the Vancouver Canucks aren't going anywhere and GM Mike Gillis is fielding offers for the defenseman. It's believed Gillis has talked to other teams about trading Ohlund, but he still has a no trade clause. Brochu's take: I really don't see Ohlund being traded yet, as it is November. If the Canucks are out of the playoff race by the trade deadline, than there's a possibility.

Dreger also quotes sources that say the Canucks have had discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning about the availability of defenseman Matt Carle, who would fill a void in the event Vancouver is able to find the right fit for Ohlund. Brochu's take: Carle's stock has dropped significantly in the last two years. Source

Lightning GM Brian Lawton is "fielding interest" in goalie Olaf Kolzig and forward Radim Vrbata. Brochu's take: Kolzig would make a good fit in New Jersey, with Brodeur out for 4 months. No one is interested in Vrbata, who has no goals in 5 games at $3 million a year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forward Alexandre Picard on waivers.

Bruce Garrioch speculates that December 1 will be the likely date for Mats Sundin to come back and sign with an NHL team. Brochu's take: I'm not going to name any teams here, as all 30 NHL teams would like to have him. No one team has a clear advantage over another at this point.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

New York Rangers forward Andreas Jamtin as cleared waivers and is rumored to be signing with HV71 in Sweden. Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 6, 2008

Free agent forward Glen Murray is expected to undergo another ankle surgery next week. Murray and his agent Anton Thun believe the injury occurred before the buyout. Murray is expected to file a grievance with the National Hockey League Players Association and according to Thun it is possible an arbitrator could challenge the buyout and award the former Bruin full payment rather than the two-thirds he will receive over a two year period. Brochu's take: Regardless of the buyout situation, Murray does not seem likely to play in the NHL this season. Source

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward David Desharnais to a two-year, two-way contract.

The New York Rangers have placed forward Andreas Jamtin on waivers.

The Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Scott Parker on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Janne Niskala has been re-assigned to Finland after clearing waivers on Wednesday. Niskala will join the Finnish National Team, and will later sign with a club in the Finnish SM-Liiga. Source

Free agent defenseman David Liffiton has signed with Danish club Esbjerg fB Ishockey. Liffiton was not re-signed by the New York Rangers this summer.

NHL and hockey rumors for June 17, 2008

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that the Senators could be big players in the trade market around the NHL Entry draft, which is held in Ottawa this year. There's already speculation that the St. Louis Blues could be interested in troubled goalie Ray Emery, and rumors are flying that the Sens could be interested in two of the most talked about players this offseason; San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau and Florida Panthers forward Olli Jokinen. It's also possible that the Senators would part with their draft pick. Brochu's take: Something could go down in the next week or so. Source

The Calgary Herald is bringing up the old Alex Tanguay for Olli Jokinen rumor again, and speculate that it could involve draft picks. Brochu's take: This rumor has been in the mill for the last year or so. However, Panthers' ownership has warmed up to the idea of trading Jokinen, so anything can happen. Source

Blake Wheeler has signed a two-year deal with the Boston Bruins, but it cannot be made official until July 1, in keeping with NHL bylaws that govern the movement and signing of unrestricted free agents. Source

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed goalie Johan Hedberg to a multi-year contract extension.

The New York Rangers have signed Swedish free agent forward Andreas Jamtin to a contract.

The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Ryan Suter to a four-year, $14 million contract extension.