NHL and hockey rumors for Oct 14, 2008

The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Kyle McLaren on waivers. Brochu's take: He has NOT been placed on re-entry waivers, just regular waivers.

New York Rangers prospect Alexei Cherepanov has died during a game in the KHL. Brochu's take: My thoughts and prayers are with Cherepanov's family and friends. RIP.

Brochu's European rumour roundup:

Forward Kris Beech has signed with Swedish club HV71. Beech had refused an assignment to the AHL by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Forward Brad Isbister has signed with Swiss club EV Zug. Isbister also refused an assignment to the AHL by the Ottawa Senators.

The Los Angeles Kings have re-assigned forward Brady Murray to HC Lugano of the Nationalliga A in Switzerland.

Defenseman Nolan Pratt has signed with KHL team Amur Tigers Khabarovsk in Russia.

There are rumors that Russian team Ak Bars Kazan has approached forward Peter Forsberg's agents about playing with the KHL club. Source

NHL and hockey rumors for Oct 10, 2008

The Phoenix Coyotes have traded forward Mike Zigomanis to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations.

Marian Gaborik has rejected a 10-year, $80 million contract offer from the Minnesota Wild. Brochu's take: It looks like Gaborik really wants to test the open market, or wants to play somewhere with a more offensive system. Expect the trade rumors to ramp up in the following weeks. Source

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Tyson Strachan to a contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking for a veteran defenseman and are rumored to be looking at Nolan Pratt.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Forward Matt Murley has left the Carolina Hurricanes organization and has signed to play with KHL team Amur Tigers Khabarovsk. Murley is in breach of his NHL contract and the matter may be referred to the NHL. Source

Ottawa Senators forward Brad Isbister is rumoured to be close to signing with German club Adler Mannheim.

NHL and hockey rumors for Sept 27, 2008

The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman Mathieu Schneider to the Atlanta Thrashers for defenseman Ken Klee, and forwards Brad Larsen and Chad Painchaud. Brochu's take: This should be enough room for Selanne, but there is probably one or two more moves for GM Brian Burke to make.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Tyler Kennedy to a two-year contract extension.

The New York Rangers have released forward Petr Nedved. Nedved was cut from the roster before the team's trip to the Czech Republic.

The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Guillaume Monast to a three-year contract and defenseman Trevor Ludwig to a two-year contract. They have also released defenseman Nolan Pratt.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forwards Zenon Konopka and Brandon Bochenski on waivers. Source

NHL and hockey rumors for Sept 16, 2008

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed Matt Murley to a one-year contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Brad Richardson to a two-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Free agent defenseman Nolan Pratt is close to signing a deal with a KHL team. Pratt was close to signing a deal in Russia last November, but the Buffalo Sabres came calling. Pratt has not received any offers from NHL teams this summer. Source

Defenseman Mark Popovic has signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. Source

According to a recent interview, Alexei Yashin has received some offers from NHL teams, but deems the offers to be too low. It's believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Atlanta Thrashers were among the teams making offers. Brochu's take: Yashin is probably better off playing in Russia, if he thinks he can get a better offer in North America. Source

Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos is reporting rumors that both free agents Mats Sundin and Teemu Selanne have received lucrative offers from KHL teams, but both want to remain in the NHL, if they decide to continue playing hockey. It's believed that the Anaheim Ducks are still trying to make moves to fit Selanne under their cap.

Ozolinsh signs with San Jose

The San Jose Sharks have signed defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh to a one-year contract worth $625,000. Source

Pierre McGuire of TSN was on the Team 1040 in Vancouver and speculated that the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Thrashers are among the most likely to make a move in the near future. The Canucks are most likely shopping for a defenseman with Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo out indefinitely.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Nolan Pratt to a one-year, $550,000 deal. Source

Poll Results:

Which team has been the most surprising?

Minnesota	31 (33%)
Ottawa	3 (3%)
Atlanta	24 (25%)
Philadelphia	31 (33%)
Other	4 (4%)

Votes so far: 93

Josef Melichar signs in the Czech Republic

Josef Melichar has signed with Ceske Budejovice HC in the Czech Republic. Melichar played for the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, scoring 1 goal and 11 assists in 70 games. Asked if he would prefer playing in the NHL, Melichar responded, "I'm almost 29. There aren't going to be too many opportunities for guys like me." Source

The San Jose Sharks have expressed an interest in Montreal Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak. According to RDS, the Sharks are looking for a backup to Evgeni Nabokov, and may send Joe Pavelski the other way to get Halak. Source

With the injury to Sami Salo, the Vancouver Canucks are shopping for defensive depth. Nolan Pratt has had some discussions with the Canucks during the summer, but talks may intensify with Vancouver's mounting injury troubles on the blueline.

Canucks interested in another D?

According to the Vancouver Province, GM Dave Nonis still has room under the cap to make changes to his team. The Trevor Linden contract has performance bonuses that can be applied to next year's cap if necessary. "I would add another defenceman if I could," Nonis said. "There might be a free agent that comes available at numbers that make sense, but I would say more than likely if we were to add to our forward group it would be through the trade route." It's believed that Nonis would like to add a depth defenseman, as well as another defenseman that can play the PP for the Canucks' AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Sources have indicated that Nonis is interested in Nolan Pratt and Andy Hedlund. Source

Next Monday has been proclaimed "Rob and Scott Niedermayer Day" by Cranbrook BC, the Niedermayers' hometown. The brothers will be showing the cup around their town as well as neighbouring Fernie. Could this be the day that Scott Niedermayer will confirm or refute the retirement rumours? Source

The Columbus Dispatch notes that Mike Peca could earn up to $1.9 million with bonuses next year. Peca will get a $500,000 bonus if the Blue Jackets make the playoffs and he appears in 65 games. He'll get $50,000 if he plays in 40 games and an additional $50,000 if he appears in 70 games. Source