NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 12, 2013

The Anaheim Ducks have traded forward Dan Sexton to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Kyle Wilson.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Henrik Samuelsson to a three-year, entry level contract.  Samuelsson was the 1st round pick of the Coyotes in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Steven Oleksy to a three-year, two-way contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Arturs Kulda is set to rejoin the team.  Kulda and his KHL team Sibir Novosibirsk have mutually terminated their contract.  He may have to go through waivers.

The Boston Bruins may be close to adding forward Carl Soderberg to their lineup.  Soderberg is in the SEL playoffs with Linkoping.  Soderberg would not have to clear waivers.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 9, 2013

The Los Angeles Kings have acquired defenceman Keaton Ellerby from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Boston Bruins are looking to sign goalie Tuukka Rask to a long-term contract extension.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

According to sources, Sergei Fedorov is considering a return to hockey.  Fedorov is the general manager of CSKA Moskva of the KHL, and his roster has been depleted since the players had returned to the NHL.  Source

Post-Lockout NHL Signings in Europe

Here's a few more NHL signings in Europe, look for my individual European country updates soon!  This post will be concentrated on players that have signed with Swiss, Russian and Czech clubs.

RUSSIA

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has signed with SKA St. Petersburg.

Boston Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin has signed with Atlant Mytishchi.

SWITZERLAND

Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has signed with SC Bern.

Boston Bruins forward Tyler Seguin has signed with EHC Biel.

Buffalo Sabres forward Tyler Ennis and Minnesota Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon have signed with Langnau.

CZECH REPUBLIC

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Radek Martinek and Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference have signed with HC Ceske Budejovice.

Washington Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth has signed with HC Sparta Praha (Prague).

St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka has signed with HC Slavia Praha (Prague).

NHL Lockout Signings: Russia

Here is a list of some of the NHLers that have signed with KHL teams:

Ottawa Senators defenseman Sergei Gonchar, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nikolai Kulemin and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin have signed with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has signed with SKA St. Petersburg.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has signed with Dynamo Moskva (Moscow).

Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk and Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has signed with CSKA Moskva (Moscow).

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artem Anisimov has signed with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

Free agent forward Andrei Kostitsyn has signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk.  Brochu's take:  He signed for the whole year in the KHL, this does not have an out clause in case the NHL ends its' lockout.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 26, 2010

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 15, 2010

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 5, 2010

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 1, 2010

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 28, 2010

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 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 Sept 22, 2009

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 10, 2009

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.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 31, 2009

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 27, 2009

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

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 13, 2009

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 5, 2009

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!

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 July 31, 2009

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 28, 2009

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.