Hockey and NHL Rumors for Jan 5, 2011

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired defenseman Nate Guenin from the Columbus Blue Jackets for center Trevor Smith.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for Oct 4, 2010

The Florida Panthers have placed forward Joe Callahan, Michael Grabner and Andrew Peters on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed forwards Tom Sestito and Ben Guite on waivers.

The Ottawa Senators have placed Ryan Keller, Corey Locke, Cody Bass, Derek Smith and Francis Lessard on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 3, 2009

The Vancouver Canucks have officially signed goalie Roberto Luongo to a 12-year, $64 million contract extension. The contract includes a full no-movement clause. Brochu's take: At a cap-friendly hit of $5.33 million, this is a good deal.

The Canucks have also re-signed defenseman Nathan McIver to a one-year contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Taylor Pyatt to a one-year deal.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Cal O'Reilly to a two-year contract.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jason Smith has retired from hockey.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 4, 2009

The New York Islanders have re-signed forward Blake Comeau to a 2-year contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Cody McCormick to a one-year deal.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed goalie John Curry to a two-year deal. The Pens have also signed forward/defenseman Wade Brookbank and forward Wyatt Smith to contracts.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed defenseman Milan Jurcina to a one-year deal.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Brendan Bell to a contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Both forward Ville Peltonen and defenseman Ossi Vaananen have left the NHL and signed with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 30, 2009

The Tampa Bay Lightning are buying out the rest of forward Vaclav Prospal's contract. He has 3 years at $3.5 million per year left on his deal, which means a 6-year cap hit of $1.167 million if his contract is bought out. Brochu's take: Good to see TB management is back at making stupid hockey decisions. Prospal is a decent point producer for his salary. Having that dead cap space for that long is not a good idea for any team.

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed goalie Josh Harding to a 1-year, $1.1 million contract. Brochu's take: I expect Harding will be traded in 2009-2010.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Josh Gratton and defenseman Michael Vernace to one-year deals.

The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Jack Hillen to a two-year, $1.4 million deal.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forwards Liam Reddox and Ryan Potulny to one-year deals.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed forward Scottie Upshall to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The 'Yotes have also re-signed goalie Josh Tordjman to a one-year deal.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed goalie Dan LaCosta to a one-year dea.

The Ottawa Senators have signed Derek Smith to a one-year contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 23, 2009

The New York Islanders have signed goalie Martin Biron to a 1-year, $1.4 million contract.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed forward Travis Zajac to a 4-year, $15.6 million contract.

The Devils have also signed goalie Rob Davison to a one-year deal.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed forward Andre Deveaux.

The Calgary Flames have signed T.J. Brodie and Greg Nemisz to contracts.

The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Nathan Smith and defenseman Ryan Lannon to contracts.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Brandon Yip to an entry-level contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Martin Gerber has left the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and signed with HK Atlant of the KHL.

Defenseman Dmitri Kalinin has left the Phoenix Coyotes organization and signed with Salavat Yulaev in Russia.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Nov 26, 2008

The Montreal Canadiens have some interest in Russian forward Sergei Zinovjev, who wants out of his KHL team Ak Bars Kazan. Zinovjev is reportedly unhappy with his coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov and has stated he wants to move teams, although Ak Bars could refuse to let their star go. Brochu's take: For more on Zinovjev's situation, read here. Source

According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, barring a complete turnaround, Brian Burke will be announced as the new president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs at a afternoon press conference on Saturday. Sources say that MLSE has yet to make a formal offer, but has given Burke and his lawyer a "term sheet". A six-year deal (including what is left of this season) worth about $3 million (U.S.) per year and with the same level of autonomy that was guaranteed in writing to Toronto Raptors' GM Bryan Colangelo appears to be the offer, along with certain bonuses. Brochu's take: The longest love affair in NHL history is about to be consummated. Burke will have a national audience when he make it formal this weekend. Source

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is reporting that several teams have inquired about young forward Jamie Benn. It's been speculated that the Stars might make some moves in the near future to shake their team out of their dissappointing start. Source

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded center Wyatt Smith to the Phoenix Coyotes for future considerations.

Chicago Blackhawks forward prospect Petri Kontiola has asked for a trade. In a Finnish interview, he states that he wants to play in the NHL and feels that the AHL is longer a place for him. Source

NHL free agent signings for July 15, 2008

The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed forward Cody McLeod to a one-year contract; agreed to terms with goaltenders Jason Bacashihua and Tyler Weiman, defensemen Darcy Campbell and Aaron MacKenzie and centers Nathan Smith and Philippe Dupuis. The Avs also re-signed right wing Cody McCormick to a one-year contract and signed right wing Brian Willsie to a one-year contract.

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed defenseman John Scott, center Corey Locke and right wing Danny Irmen to one-year contracts; signed center Bryan Lundbohm to a one-year contract and defenseman Brandon Rogers to a multi-year contract.

The St. Louis Blues have forward Cam Paddock.

The Detroit Red Wings have announced the retirement of right wing Dallas Drake.

NHL free agent signings for July 14, 2008

The New York Rangers have traded forward Ryan Hollweg to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 5th round pick in 2009.

The New York Islanders have fired coach Ted Nolan. Nolan had one year left on his contract. GM Garth Snow cited "philosophical differences" as the reason he was let go. Brochu's take: "Philosophical differences" means the two didn't like each other. Nolan is a talented coach, but he seems to get on the wrong side of GMs. Will another team give a chance, perhaps a young team like LA?

The Dallas Stars have signed coach Dave Tippett to a two-year extension.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed goalie Mike Smith to a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension that begins in 2009-2010.

The St. Louis Blues have resigned Jay McClement to a one-year, $950,000 deal.

The San Jose Sharks have signed forwards Tom Cavanagh and Brad Staubitz to one-year contracts.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Derek MacKenzie to a two-year contract.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Joel Ward to a one-year contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed centers Patrick Dwyer and Joe Jensen and defenseman Mark Flood to one-year contracts.

Another offer sheet matched, more signings

The St. Louis Blues signed restricted free agent forward Steve Bernier to a one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet. The Vancouver Canucks have subsequently matched the offer sheet. Brochu's take: This is nothing but pure vindictiveness on the Blues part. They knew the Canucks would match. What is the point of these two offer sheets?

The Blues also signed defenseman Mike Weaver to a contract.

According to a Slovakian publication, the Vancouver Canucks have signed Pavol Demitra to a three-year, $12 million contract. However, in an interview with Team 1040 radio, he revealed nothing is for certain, but Vancouver is his no. 1 choice. Brochu's take: It looks like the most known Canucks rumor is about to come true. Source

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Jason Smith to a two-year, $5.2 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Joe Nieuwendyk has a special assistant to the GM.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed goalie Jaroslav Halak to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Marc-Antoine Pouliot to a two-year contract.

The New York Islanders have signed defenceman Brendan Witt to a two-year, $6 million contract extension.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Brandon Bochenski to a two-year contract.

The Lightning also signed forward Evgeny Artyukhin to a two-year, $1.9 million contract. Artyukhin played for CSKA Moskva (Moscow) in the 2007-2008 season.

The Bolts also signed defenseman Andrew Hutchinson to a two-year contract.

Kyle Wanvig has left the Tampa Bay Lightning organization and signed with Amur Tigers Khabarovsk in Russia.

NHL and hockey rumors for July 5, 2008

According to TBO.com, The Tampa Bay Lightning may have one or two more moves in the near future, and it could happen sometime this weekend. Writer Erik Erlendsson speculates that the Lightning could be signing defenseman Jason Smith, and forwards Jussi Jokinen and Michel Ouellet could be on the block. Brochu's take: Rumors are that the Canucks, Oilers and Leafs are interested in the forwards. Source

The Vancouver Province is reporting that UFA forward Brendan Morrison has rejected the Canucks offer of a one-year, $1.9 million contract and will sign with another team next week. Morrison is currently fielding offers from up to 9 teams. The Minnesota Wild may be the frontrunners to land the centre. Source

The Lightning have also signed forward Zenon Konopka to a two-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Fedor Fedorov to a contract. Fedorov spent last season playing with Dynamo Moskva (Moscow).

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Janne Pesonen to a contract. Pesonen played for Karpat in 2007-2008. Source

The Atlanta Thrashers are rumored to be close to signing defenseman Ilya Nikulin from Ak Bars Kazan.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially signed defenseman Jonas Frogren to a contract.

More July 3rd NHL signings

There will be a rumor report later tonight/early tomorrow with a heavy European focus. Stay tuned!

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Keith Aucoin to a two-year contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defencemen David Hale to a two-year, $1.4 million contract. The Yotes also re-signed defenseman Matt Jones to a two-year deal.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed center Yan Stastny to a two-year deal.

The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Antti Miettinen to a three-year, $7 million contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed right wing Landon Wilson to a one-year contract; signed defensemen Maxime Fortunus and Garrett Stafford and left wing Francis Wathier to two-year contracts.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Wyatt Smith to a one-year deal. They have also signed defenseman Scott Jackson to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defensemen Alex Henry to a one year contract. They also signed goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to a two year contract.

NHL and hockey rumors for July 3, 2008

TSN is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have asked Dan Boyle to waive his no trade clause. It's believed the Lightning have been talking to several teams about dealing Boyle, and one of them are the Ottawa Senators.

Sportsnet is also reporting that the Lightning are shopping goalie Mike Smith.

The Ottawa Sun is reporting that several teams, including the Senators and Oilers, are interested in acquiring free agent Miroslav Satan.

There are rumors that the Minnesota Wild have made an offer to Markus Naslund.

There's speculation that the Nashville Predators are interested in signing Georges Laraque.

Mats Sundin gave a statement on Wednesday indicating that he is flattered with all the interest, but doesn't know if he wants to play next season. Brochu's take: If this isn't a rejection of the Canucks 2-year, $20 million offer, I don't know what is.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed goaltender Al Montoya and left wing David Spina, signed defenseman Drew Fata and right wing Derek Nesbitt to contracts. The Yotes have also signed 2008 NHL Entry draft picks Mikkel Boedker and Viktor Tikhonov to three-year, entry-level contracts.

NHL and hockey rumors for May 20, 2008

According to The Hockey News' Brian Costello, CBC's Hockey Night in Canada analyst Craig Simpson will be leaving the network and returning to the Edmonton Oilers in some capacity, possibly as an assistant head coach. Source

Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren has made it clear that Jeff Carter will be staying with the Flyers organization, one way or another. The Flyers could lose Carter to a Group II offer sheet of $5 million or more. "We'll sign or match," Holmgren said yesterday. "We're not going to lose Jeff." Brochu's take: It will take around $5 to $5.5 million to get Carter under contract. The Flyers are going to be pushing the cap next season, so look for them to unload some players this summer. Source

The Philadelphia Daily News is reporting that the Flyers are unlikely to be signing defensemen Jason Smith and Jaroslav Modry, who are both due to become unrestricted free agents. Source

Brochu's European rumour roundup:

According to Aftonbladet, there are rumors that Florida Panthers defenseman Magnus Johansson could sign with Russian club Lokomotiv Yaroslav. Source

There are rumors that German club ERC Ingolstadt are pursuing two players; Edmonton Oilers defenseman Allan Rourke and Atlanta Thrashers forward Jesse Schultz. Source

Jason Smith to sign with Devils?

The Edmonton Journal is reporting a rumor that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jason Smith will sign with the New Jersey Devils. Smith is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Source

Rumours are flying that the Philadelphia Flyers will announce the signing of goaltending prospect Michael-Lee Teslak to a contract. Teslak will forgo his senior season at Michigan Tech. Source

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Jeff LoVecchio to an entry-level (ATO) contract. He will be expected to improve his game with the AHL Providence Bruins. Source

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward James T. Wyman to a two-year contract. Source

Jackets eyeing Marleau, Briere, Elias, Gomez?

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting that there is "rampant speculation" that the Columbus Blue Jackets will make a draft day run for San Jose Sharks centre Patrick Marleau. The Jackets could also be looking at the availability of Philadelphia Flyers centre Daniel Briere, New Jersey Devils forward Patrick Elias and New York Rangers centre Scott Gomez. The Blue Jackets need a no. 1 centre, as well as a no. 2 centre, and are willing to spend $15 to $20 million this off-season. Source

The same paper is speculating that Calgary Flames centre Matthew Lombardi could be traded to the Blue Jackets in the offseason.

The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes are close to signing draft pick Brandon Sutter to an entry-level contract. Source

The Nashville Predators have signed goaltending prospect Jeremy Smith to an entry-level contract. Source

NHL trade deadline round-up: Part 1

I'm going to post this in spurts, so there's enough labels to go around. Feel free to post your comments if you wish.

The Atlanta Thrashers traded forwards Marian Hossa and Pascal Dupuis to the Pittsburgh Penguins for prospect Angelo Esposito, forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen and a 1st round pick in 2008. Source

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Brad Richards and goaltender Johan Holmqvist to the Dallas Stars for goaltender Mike Smith, forwards Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern and a 4th round pick in 2009. Source

The Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Brian Campbell and a 7th round pick in 2008 to the San Jose Sharks for forward Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick in 2008. Source

NHL trade rumor update Feb 26 3:00 AM EST

According to Bob McKenzie's blog on TSN.ca, the Chicago Blackhawks sent an email Monday night to the 29 other NHL teams indicating that 8 players were available. These 8 are Nikolai Khabibulin, Martin Havlat, Robert Lang, Tuomo Ruutu, Martin Lapointe, Yanic Perreault, Andrei Zyuzin, and Rene Bourque.

The NHL Experts Blog on Yahoo! is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning will send Brad Richards to the Dallas Stars for Mike Smith, forward Jeff Halpern and defenseman Mark Fistric. The same article quotes a "league executive" as the source. The article also makes the note that the Montreal Canadiens are about to land Atlanta Thrashers forward Marian Hossa, with Michael Ryder going to Atlanta. Rumors are flying that the Habs included young prospect Mikhail Grabovski in the deal. Source

Lightning ask Richards about possible trades?

TSN is reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have reached out to Brad Richards about their interest in trading him. Sources are saying the Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets are the frontrunners. A decision is expected Sunday night or Monday, at which point GM Jay Feaster will take the options to ownership for the final decision. Source

Possible scenarios could include:

Luc Bourdon, Michael Grabner, a 1st rounder in 2008.

Mike Smith, Mark Fistric, and a 1st rounder.

Jakub Voracek, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen and a 1st rounder.

The Dallas Morning News is reporting that there have been Lightning scouts watching the last several Stars games. The Stars could be the leading candidates to land Richards.

Mats Sundin has confirmed that he has been approached by Toronto Maple Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher to waive his no trade clause. He has been asked to provide a list of 3 teams he would like to be traded, but the rumor is that Sundin won't waive his clause at all. Source

The Detroit Red Wings have offered Darren McCarty a one-year deal for the league minimum $475,000 (pro-rated). Source

Marian Hossa will definitely be shopped at the trade deadline, as a last attempt to sign him has failed. It's believed that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell is mulling over the offers.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Nick Schultz to a 6-year, $21 million contract extension. Source

Rangers after Boyle, Rucinsky and Sundin?

The New York Rangers dominate this rumor report, as several sources indicate that they could make a big splash at the trade deadline.

The New York Post is reporting that the Rangers are making a push for Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle. If Boyle is not signed by the deadline, and if there are no takers for forward Brad Richards, Boyle could be moved.

The New York Post reported the New York Rangers are believed interested in bringing back St. Louis Blues winger Martin Rucinsky for a fourth tour of duty on Broadway. St. Louis president John Davidson likes defenseman Marek Malik, but the Rangers would require a defenseman in return. Source

Marty York of Metro News believes that Toronto Maple Leafs captain Mats Sundin is "no. 1" on the Rangers shopping list. Source

New Jersey Devils GM Lou Lamoriello is in the market for a "rental" player, and is not interested in signed players. Source

Team 1040 radio in Vancouver is reporting a rumour that the Dallas Stars would send defenseman Phillipe Boucher and goalie Mike Smith to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Brad Richards.

The Boston Bruins have placed forward Stanislav Chistov on waivers. Chistov left his Russian Super League team Salavat Yulaev Ufa late last week. Source

The Los Angeles Kings claimed Matt Ellis off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

The Edmonton Oilers put Patrick Thoresen on waivers Thursday.