Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 30, 2009

The Washington Capitals have traded forward Chris Clark and defenseman Milan Jurcina to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Jason Chimera. Brochu's take: Trading your captain is a bit weird, but I believe the Caps are shedding a bit of salary cap space to make a big run to the Stanley Cup this season. Look for the Caps to make more moves soon.

The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Mathieu Schneider on waivers. Brochu's take: There are rumors he might retire if he clears.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Kyle Calder on waivers.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Dave Scatchard on waivers.

Caps get Semin signed

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Alexander Semin to a one-year, $6 million contract extension. Brochu's take: This should give the Caps some flexibility in signing Nicklas Backstrom to a long-term contract extension, while at the same time assess Semin's real value. He should be a UFA at the end of the contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 23, 2009

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defenseman Anders Eriksson to a contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms with free agent defenseman Jake Muzzin on a three-year entry-level contract. Source

Rumors continue to persist that the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to trade forward Jeff Carter. The latest involves the Vancouver Canucks sending forward Ryan Kesler and defenseman Kevin Bieksa to the Flyers in exchange for Carter and defenseman Ryan Parent. Brochu's take: This could make a very interesting trade, as the Flyers have been interested in Kesler for some time and Carter would give an offensive punch to the Canucks.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 21, 2009

Sorry about the delay, lots of Christmas errands to do!

According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Atlanta Thrashers and Ilya Kovalchuk are having difficulty negotiating a new contract extension. It's believed that Kovalchuk is seeking a $11 million a year deal. Garrioch speculates that the LA Kings, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils are the most interested. Brochu's take: Well, you can forget the Bruins, Capitals, Rangers and Devils for salary reasons. It does however, look likely that Kovalchuk may be shopped. I would say the Kings would the most likely at this moment.

The Philadelphia Flyers are shopping forward Jeff Carter.

The Anaheim Ducks are looking to move forward Joffrey Lupul.

The Edmonton Oilers are shopping forward Shawn Horcoff, defenseman Sheldon Souray and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky. Brochu's take: Horcoff's contract will scare off all teams. Both Souray and Visnovsky could get interesting returns.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 15, 2009

According to the Puck-rakers blog, the Columbus Blue Jackets are interested in Ottawa Senators defenseman Brian Lee. Writer Aaron Portzline that a deal could involve forward Nikita Filatov, who is currently playing in the KHL. Brochu's take: Filatov is one of the top prospects outside the NHL right now, so I would say the Sens would have to give up more than that.

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed defenseman Aaron Ward on waivers and goalie Michael Leighton on re-entry waivers.

The New York Rangers have placed forward Pierre Alexandre Parenteau on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets had placed Derek Mackenzie on waivers and the Tampa Bay Lightning had placed defenseman Lukas Krajicek on waivers. They have both cleared.

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 Dec 9, 2009

The Columbus Blue Jackets have traded forward Pascal Pelletier to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenceman Brendan Bell and centre Tomas Kana.

The Florida Panthers have placed defenseman Ville Koistinen on re-entry waivers.

Both Carolina Hurricanes goalie Michael Leighton and New York Islanders forward Jeremy Reich have cleared waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for the weekend of Dec 5-6, 2009

It's Sunday, so you know it's another round of rumors from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun:

The New York Rangers are interested in acquiring forward Pavol Demitra from the Vancouver Canucks. Demitra is currently injured. Brochu's take: Garrioch obviously uses the whole Demitra-Gaborik friendship angle to justify this rumor. He might have forgotten that the Rangers are pushing the cap as it is.

The Nashville Predators may be trying to move defenseman Dan Hamhuis. Brochu's take: This one I agree with. Hamhuis won't re-sign with the Preds, and there's plenty of young blueliners to replace him in Nashville. Watch him get moved at the deadline.

The San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets could be interested in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Aaron Ward, while some teams have called about Ray Whitney.

"The Vancouver Canucks are expected to trade defenceman Shane O'Brien." Brochu's take: Not likely. The 'Nucks love their defensive depth.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 5, 2009

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially signed Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to identical 5-year, $31.5 million contract extensions. Defenseman Duncan Keith has signed a 13-year, $66.5 million contract extension. Brochu's take: Keith is not a $5.5 milllion a year player. Gross overpayment IMO.

The Philadelphia Flyers have fired coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. Assistant coach Jack McIlhargey was also fired. Replacing him will be Kevin McCarthy, current assistant coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. Brochu's take: This has been rumored for some time, so it's not surprising. Philly needed a shakeup in the worst way, and there have been rumours that the young players on the team had tuned out Stevens.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Jiri Tlusty to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Philippe Paradis.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Chris Bourque on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 3, 2009

The Montreal Canadiens have traded Kyle Chipchura to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Brochu's take: Chipchura's lack of offense in the pros has severely hampered his development. Maybe a change of scenery will help.

The Chicago Blackhawks have called a press conference for Thursday afternoon when it's expected that they will announce contract extensions for Patrik Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith. Kane and Toews deals is believed to be both in the 5 year range, while Keith's deal is in the 13 year range. TSN's Bob McKenzie believes that the Hawks may place defenseman Brent Sopel and his $2.4 million on waivers. Brochu's take: The Hawks are pretty much at the max of their salary cap for next season, and they still might need to free up some "tagging room". Moves may be coming soon.

The New York Rangers have claimed forward Erik Christensen off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers have also placed goalie Steve Valiquette on waivers.

The Atlanta Thrashers have placed defenseman Noah Welch on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Dec 2, 2009

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Marc Savard to a 7-year contract extension, with an annual salary cap hit of $4.2 million. Brochu's take: Not a bad cap hit for a centre that can get you 80-90 points a season. This should help alleviate the Bruins' cap woes, but they need some more firepower in their lineup.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed defenseman Oskars Bartulis to a three-year, $1.8 million contract extension.

The Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Erik Christenson on waivers.

The San Jose Sharks have claimed defenseman Jay Leach off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.

Be back in December!!

First, I want to thank my loyal readers, who have kept up faithfully with this blog for the past several years. Some of you may have noticed that in the past few months, there hasn't been many posts, after all, I was nearly at a post a day. I decided more or less to stop posting so frequently, but I've come to the conclusion that this blog is important to me and my readers, so starting in December, I will be back to normal.

Latendresse for Pouliot

The Montreal Canadiens have forward Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild for forward Benoit Pouliot. Brochu's take: You could say this is a trade of disappointments. Pouliot has not played to his draft position, and Latendresse has never taken that next level. Maybe a change of scenery would help them both.

Niedermayer, Brunnstrom potential tradebait?

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, both Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer and Dallas Stars forward Fabian Brunnstrom are available. Niedermayer doesn't have a no-trade-clause, but would like to stay with Anaheim. Brochu's take: I don't think there's much interest in Brunnstrom, considering his terrible production this season. If the Ducks are out of playoff contention, look for the offers to pour in for Niedermayer around the trade deadline. Source

Capitals waive Nylander

The Washington Capitals have placed forward Michael Nylander on waivers.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 29, 2009

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Randy Jones on re-entry waivers. Brochu's take: I'm thinking GM Paul Holmgren hopes someone will pick him up to get rid of his contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Kyle Calder to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes placed forward Stephane Yelle on waivers. He has cleared.

The St. Louis Blues have placed forward Yan Stastny on re-entry waivers. He has cleared.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 26, 2009

The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Davis Drewiske and goalie Jonathon Quick to three-year contract extensions.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Cody Eakin to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 23, 2009

The Buffalo Sabres have traded forward Daniel Paille to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 3rd and 4th round choice n the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Ryan Ellis to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Matt Carkner to a two-year, $1.4 million contract extension.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have forward Stefan Legein to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Michael Ratchuk.

Kobasew for Weller, Fallstrom, 2nd in 2011

The Boston Bruins have traded forward Chuck Kobasew to the Minnesota Wild for forward Craig Weller, a 2nd round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, and the rights to prospect Alexander Fallstrom. Brochu's take: I would say that the Bruins did this to get some salary cap space. Kobasew should be a solution to the injured forward group of the Wild. Value-wize, I would say the B's got the better end of the deal.

Hawks claim Ebbett off waivers

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed forward Andrew Ebbett off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks.

Update

You might be wondering why I haven't updated lately. Quite frankly, I haven't the motivation. It's been several years since I've had this blog, and I've really enjoyed posting, however, in the past few weeks I haven't felt like updating.

I just want to take the opportunity to thank all my readers, and everyone who visit this blog.

I will continue to update. I promise you that. It's just the past few weeks have been busy for me.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 8, 2009

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Brad May to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded defenseman Aaron Johnson to the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Kyle Greentree.

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Milan Lucic to a 3-year, $12.25 million contract extension. Brochu's take: While Lucic is a good player, I don't think he's worth 4 million a year. My estimation is that he will top out at 20-25 goals.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Dave Scatchard to a one-year, two-way deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Oct 5, 2009

Sorry again for not updating, but here we go!

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Dominic Moore to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Rostislav Klesla to a 4-year, $11.9 million contract. Brochu's take: That's a pretty good deal for an underrated defenseman, and should clear the trade rumors that surround him constantly.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Loui Eriksson to a 6-year, $25.5 million. Brochu's take: Should Eriksson reach 40 goal potential, this deal will be a steal. Even if he keeps his current rate of production, it's a smart deal.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goalie Cam Ward to a 6-year, $37.8 million contract. Brochu's take: That's a lot of money. Ward has won a Cup, but is he really worth +6 million a year?

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Carter Ashton to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 30, 2009

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Robert Lang to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

The 'Yotes have also signed forward Ryan Hollweg to a one-year deal.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Maxim Afinogenov to a one-year contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Martin Skoula to a one-year deal.

The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Anton Stralman to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders have claimed forward Rob Schremp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. Brochu's take: Schremp will get a new start on the Island, and it's possible he could get a top-6 spot there, considering all their recent injuries.

The Chicago Blackhawks have claimed forward Radek Smolenak off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 29, 2009

It's been a busy couple of days in terms of NHL transactions, so I should be caught up by tomorrow.

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Rob Niedermayer to a one-year deal. The Devils have also signed forward Andrew Peters to a two-year deal.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Milan Hejduk to a one-year contract extension.

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Guillaume Lefebvre to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenseman Steve McCarthy to the Atlanta Thrashers for future considerations.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward James Wright to a three-year entry-level contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Darryl Sydor to a one-year contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Ryan Bayda to a one-year, two-way deal.

The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Anton Klementyev to a three-year, entry-level deal.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 24, 2009

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Manny Malhotra to a one-year, $700, 000 contract. Brochu's take: 700K? That's pretty cheap for a veteran forward. I guess he wanted a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Although with the Sharks, it's hardly a forgone conclusion.

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded defenseman Patrick Hersley to the Nashville Predators for future considerations. The Flyers are also expected to sign free agent forward Blair Betts to a contract soon. Source

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Kyle Clifford to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Goalie Olaf Kolzig has officially retired from hockey.

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 20, 2009

The Boston Bruins have traded forward Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a first and second round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, as well as a 1st rounder in the 2011 Draft. The Leafs then subsequently signed the restricted free agent to a 5-year, $27 million contract. Brochu's take: Not sure why Burke didn't just send an offer sheet, which would have cost slightly less. A rather large overpayment IMO, but he didn't trade any roster players either.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Brandon Dubinsky to a two-year, $3.7 million contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forwards Willie Coetzee and Tomas Tatar to three-year, entry-level contracts.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Bjorn Krupp to an entry-level contract. Brochu's take: A chip off the old block, one would hope.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Tristan King and defenseman Hubert Labrie to three-year entry-level contracts.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 18, 2009

Sorry about the lack of updates, Blogger has been acting up lately and I haven't been able to log in.

The Minnesota Wild have signed Petr Sykora to a one-year, $1.6 million contract. Sykora was invited to attend the Wild's training camp.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Antoine Vermette to a 5-year, $18.75 million contract extension.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Phillipe Lefebvre to a contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed goalie Tyler Beskorowany to an entry-level contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Tyler Ennis to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The New Jersey Devils have signed defenseman Alexander Urbom to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have invited forward Maxim Afinogenov to their training camp. Brochu's take: I really don't understand why other NHL teams didn't at least invite him to training camp. It's clear that Afinogenov needed a fresh start, and I think it's possible he can return to his 60-70 point self.

Look for my European rumor update later tomorrow!

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 15, 2009

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

The Minnesota Wild have invited forward Petr Sykora to training camp.

The Vancouver Canucks have invited forward Mark Parrish to training camp.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 14, 2009

The Ottawa Senators traded Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks for forwards Milan Michalek and Jonathon Cheechoo and a 2nd rounder. Brochu's take: Pretty fair trade, but I always believed in the theory that the team getting the best player always "wins". If Cheechoo can return to at least 30 or so goals a year, this would be a fair trade.

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed forward Drew Stafford to a 2-year, $4 million contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Radek Smolenak to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Bolts have also re-signed defenseman Mike Lundin.

The Edmonton Oilers have officially signed forward Mike Comrie to a one-year contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed right wing Derek Dorsett to a two-year contract extension.

The Calgary Flames have invited forward Theoren Fleury to training camp. The 41 year old was recently reinstated by the NHL.

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.

Notable Camp Invitees

A bit slow in the rumor front, so I'll just have an update on some notable camp invitees:

The Anaheim Ducks have invited forward Kyle Calder.

The Atlanta Thrashers have invited goalie Manny Legace and forward Dan Fritsche.

The New York Rangers have invited defenseman Kyle McLaren.

The St. Louis Blues have invited defenseman Darryl Sydor.

The Detroit Red Wings have invited goalie Dan Cloutier. Brochu's take: The irony in this is too great to ignore.

The Florida Panthers have invited defensemen Martin Skoula and Christian Backman.

The Philadelphia Flyers have invited forwards Blair Betts and Mark Bell.

The Minnesota Wild have invited defenseman Andy Hilbert.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Sept 6, 2009

The Chicago Blackhawks have traded their 2nd round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2nd and 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft. TSN is reporting that there are rumors that GM Brian Burke may throw an offer sheet to Boston Bruins restricted free agent forward Phil Kessel. Brochu's take: Burke can give an offer sheet, now that he has that 2nd round pick. But I don't think he will, considering his dislike for offer sheets in general.

The Anaheim Ducks have traded forward Jason Bailey to the Ottawa Senators for forward Shawn Weller.

The Ducks have signed defenseman Steve Eminger to a two-year, $2.25 million contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forward Rob Schremp to a one-year contract. Brochu's take: I think Schremp will be a big trade chip for the Oilers this season, and look for him to be possibly moved at the trade deadline.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Derick Brassard to a 12-year, $12.8 million contract extension.

The BJs have also signed forward Alex Picard to a one-year deal.

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 Sept 1, 2009

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed forward Brad Staubitz to a one-year contract.

According to Vancouver sources, the Canucks are close to signing goalie Roberto Luongo to a 12-year contract extension worth roughly $64 million. The rumor is that the annual salary cap hit should be in the $5 million range. Brochu's take: A source is saying that it could be announced tomorrow, but it's more than likely sometime this week.

The New York Islanders have traded forward Rob Hennigar to the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Bobby Hughes. Source

TSN is reporting that the Los Angeles Kings are not interested in Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley. The San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks remain the most speculated teams in the hunt for the sniper.

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 29, 2009

The San Jose Sharks have traded defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for defenseman Daniel Rahimi and forward Patrick White. Brochu's take: For the Sharks, this is a bit of a salary dump. With Ehrhoff and Lukowich off the books, the Sharks free up around $5.5 million in cap space. For the Canucks, they have significantly improved their defensive depth, while also acquiring assets in preparation for a trade.

The Canucks have also officially signed defenseman Mathieu Schneider to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Brochu's take: A sweetheart deal with GM Mike Gillis' old client.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Alex Tanguay to a one-year, $3.25 million deal. Brochu's take: You have to wonder why it took so long, but regardless, this makes the Bolts a more dynamic offensive team.

The Lightning have also re-signed defenseman Matt Lashoff to a two-year deal.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Tony Romano to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed forward Chris Porter and Justin Fletcher to two and one-year deals, respectively.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed defenseman Mark Fraser and forward Patrick Davis to one-year deals.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed goalie Kevin Regan to a one-year deal.

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 21, 2009

According to the Star Tribune, free agent forward Alex Tanguay is considering an offer from the Minnesota Wild. "Alex has been on the phone with Chuck and I've been on the phone with Chuck," Tanguay's agent Ritch Winter said. "We're working on some other teams, too. We're just doing as much homework as we can to help Alex make an informed decision." Brochu's take: Won't someone please sign Alex Tanguay? It's strange that no one has signed him yet. Source

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Marcel Goc to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Stephane Yelle to a one-year, $550,000 contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Jeff Cowan to a one-year contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Brett Festerling to a two-year, $1 million deal.

The New York Islanders have signed goalie Nathan Lawson to a one-year deal.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Ottawa Senators have signed goalie Andy Chiodo to a one-year deal. Chiodo spent last season with Dynamo Minsk in the KHL.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 19, 2009

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Todd Bertuzzi to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

According to the "Working the Corners" Sharks blog, head coach Todd McLellan has stripped forward Patrick Marleau of his captaincy, and is quoted as saying that "nobody's our captain" at the moment. Joe Thornton has also been relieved of his assistant captain duties. Brochu's take: You have to wonder if Marleau's time is up in San Jose, considering he only has one year left on his contract. The rumor is that Dan Boyle will be the new captain. Source

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

There are rumors that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Christian Backman and forward Jiri Novotny will sign with HC Frolunda and HC Servette, respectively. Source Source2

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 17, 2009

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed forward Matt D'Agostini to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Vaclav Prospal to a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

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 11, 2009

The Buffalo Sabres have signed forward Mike Grier to a one-year contract.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Ryan Jones to a two-year contract.

According to Russian reports, the Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Sergei Shirokov. Source

There are rumors that the San Jose Sharks are interested in signing free agent goalie Manny Fernandez to a contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 10, 2009

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs are close to sending goalie Justin Pogge to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a conditional late round draft pick. Brochu's take: Pogge's name has been in the rumor mill for sometime, so it wasn't a surprise that he would get traded.

The Leafs are also close to signing free agent goalie Joey MacDonald to a deal.

Theoren Fleury is attempting another NHL comeback, according to TSN. Fleury spent last season playing senior hockey in Alberta, and is currently contacting teams to gauge their interest.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goalie Nicola Riopel to a contract. Source

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Gregory Stewart to a one-year contract.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Goalie David LeNeveu has left the Anaheim Ducks organization and signed with Austrian hockey club EC Salzburg. Source

Hockey and NHL rumors for Aug 7, 2009

The Detroit Red Wings have signed forward Jason Williams to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed forward Brendan Shanahan to a one-year deal.

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed forward Jannik Hansen to a one-year, two-way contract.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen has retired from hockey. Brochu's take: One of the few remaining players that actually played for the Winnipeg Jets, he will be missed.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Drew Bannister to a one-year deal. Bannister played for the Kassel Huskies in Germany last season.

Forward Jeff Hamilton has left the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and signed with HC Lugano in Switzerland. Source

Nashville Predators forward Antti Pihlstrom has left the organization and signed with Swedish club Farjestad. 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 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.

Update tonight!

Sorry about the lack of updates, I've been moving the last few days. I can assure you that I won't be going away unannounced (like last year!), as I will be updating quite frequently.

Thanks for reading!

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 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 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.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 26, 2009

The Boston Bruins have traded defenseman Aaron Ward to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Patrick Eaves and a fourth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Bruins have placed Eaves on waivers, with the intention of buying out his contract. Brochu's take: Eaves' stock has really dropped over the last few years, as he was expected to be a 20-goal scorer.

The B's have also signed defenseman Derek Morris to a 1-year, $3.3 million contract.

The Canes have re-signed forward Tuomo Ruutu to a 3-year, $11.4 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have also re-signed goalie Justin Pogge to a 1-year, $605,000 contract. Brochu's take: There's also rumors that GM Brian Burke is trying to trade him, but his value is quite low at the moment.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defensemen Steve Wagner and Roman Polak.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Nate Thompson to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Lukas Kaspar to a one-year deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Daniel Winnik to a 1-year deal.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Petteri Nokelainen.

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.

Latest NHL Signings XXI

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded forward Radim Vrbata to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Todd Fedoruk and defenseman David Hale. Brochu's take: Vrbata goes back to where he has played his best hockey. But the more interesting question is that now all the other 29 NHL teams are paying for his salary.

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed defenseman Boris Valabik. Terms were not disclosed.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed goalie Brent Johnson to a 1-year, $525,000 contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed forward Tomas Plekanec to a 1-year, $2.75 million. Brochu's take: Don't be surprised if Plekanec gets traded this year, as his name has been in the rumor mill often.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Enver Lisin to a 1-year, $800,000 contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed defenseman Denis Grebeshkov to a 1-year, $3.15 million contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed 2009 NHL Entry Draft 1st round pick John Moore to a 3-year, entry-level contract. The BJs have also signed defenseman Marc Methot to a two-year, $2 million deal and forward Michael Blunden to a one-year, two-way contract.

Hockey and NHL rumors for July 21, 2009

The San Jose Sharks remain interested in Ottawa Senators forward Dany Heatley. Ken Warren of the Canwest News Service speculates that GM Doug Wilson is still looking to make changes, and the acquistion of Heatley would definitely bring some of that change. Warren suggests that it's possible to trade forwards Patrick Marleau and Jonathon Cheechoo in exchange for the disgruntled forward. Brochu's take: Marleau still has a no trade clause. Value-wise, it's not a bad trade, but Cheechoo is a shadow of his 56-goal season. Marleau's play has improved under coach Richards, but who knows what he will be under coach Clouston. Source

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed forwards David Spina and Jeff Hoggan, and defenseman Sean Sullivan to contracts. Terms were not disclosed.

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed defensemen Brett Carson and Bryan Rodney to one-year, two-way contracts.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Los Angeles Kings have signed Slovakian forward Juraj Mikus to a contract. Brochu's take: Mikus could impress. He was once amongst the top scorers in the Slovakian league. Source

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Ben Eaves to a contract. Eaves spent last season with Blues of the Finnish league.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XX

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed 2009 first round pick Evander Kane to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed defenseman Matt Hunwick to a 2-year, $2.9 million contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed goalie Curtis Sanford to a 1-year, $600,000 contract.

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Nigel Dawes to a 2-year, $1.7 million contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Justin Azevedo to a 3-year, entry-level contract. They have also re-signed defenseman Drew Bagnall and forward Ted Purcell to one-year deals.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed right wing Danny Bois to a one-year contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed defensemen Justin Fletcher and Danny Richmond to contracts.

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed defenseman Andrej Sekera and forward Clark MacArthur.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 20, 2009

Atlanta Thrashers forward Joe Motzko has left the organization and signed with HC MVD of the KHL.

Florida Panthers forward Janis Sprukts has left the organization and signed with Latvian/KHL club Dinamo Riga. Brochu's take: Sprukts always brings memories back of that crazy rumor he was going to sign with the Habs. I don't think we'll see him in the NHL again.

Phoenix Coyotes forward Joakim Lindstrom has left the organization and signed with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in Russia.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler has signed a two-year deal with Dynamo Moskva (Moscow) worth approximately $2-3 million a year. Brochu's take: Sorry, I haven't had time to comment before. The matter is now being decided by the IIHF, and it's been reported that the KHL and NHL will comply with their ruling. The issue seems to be that Hudler went to arbitration, thus meaning he "owes" the Wings one year.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Jason Ward to a one-year contract.

Forward Mike Iggulden has left the New York Islanders and signed with Dinamo Riga.

The Panthers have signed forward Evgeni Dadonov to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XIX Swedish edition

Here's the long overdue version of Brochu's European rumor roundup: (with a focus on players coming in/out of Sweden to NHL teams.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Mika Pyorala to a 1-year, $500,000. Brochu's take: Pyorala is one of those European free agents to keep an eye on.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Andreas Engqvist to a three-year deal.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Rickard Wallin to a one-year contract and goalie Jonas Gustavsson to a 1-year, $900,000. Brochu's take: Gustavsson was the most talked about European free agent this summer, and will be given a chance to back up Toskala in T.O.

Montreal Canadiens forward Yanick Lehoux has left the organization and signed with Swedish club Sodertalje.

Anaheim Ducks forward Josh Green and Minnesota Wild defenseman Tomas Mojzis have both signed deals with Modo.

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 July 17, 2009

The Colorado Avalanche have acquired defenseman Brian Fahey from the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Nigel Williams.

The Avs have also signed 2009 NHL first round pick Matt Duchene to a three-year, entry level contract.

The New Jersey Devils have signed forwards Nathan Perkovich and Patrice Cormier to contracts.

The Calgary Flames have claimed forward Nigel Dawes off waivers from the Phoenix Coyotes.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Nicholas Deschamps to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Toni Rajala to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Oil have also signed defenseman Dean Arsene to a one-year contract.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Peter Olvecky to a one-year deal.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Krys Kolanos to a one-year deal.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XVIII

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Mathieu Roy to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Jeff Schultz to a 1-year, $715,000 deal.

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed forward Colby Armstrong to a one-year, $2.4 million contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed defenseman Keith Yandle to a two-year, $2.7 million contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed forwards Lauri Tukonen and Blair Jones to one-year deals.

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Jed Ortmeyer to a one-year deal. The Sharks have also signed Dwight Helminen, Danny Groulx, Joe Callahan and Ryan Vesce to one-year deals.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forwards Adam Cracknell and Barry Tallackson to one-year, two-way deals. Brochu's take: Great hockey name, CRACKNELL.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XVII

The New York Islanders have signed 2009 NHL Entry Draft no.1 overall pick John Tavares to a 3-year, entry-level contract. Brochu's take: The hockey world will be watching.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Tom Kostopoulos to a 3-year, $2.75 million contract. The Canes also signed defenseman Andrew Alberts to a 2-year, $2.1 million deal.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed forward Guillame Latendresse to a one-year, $803,000 contract. They have also re-signed defenseman Shawn Belle to a one-year deal.

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Scott Nichol to a one-year deal.

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed forward Patrick Kaleta to a one-year contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Lauri Korpikoski to a 2-year contract.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Eric Fehr to a 1 year contract worth around $775, 000. The Caps have also re-signed defensemen Shaone Morrisonn and Chris Bourque to one-year contracts. Forward Steve Pinizzotto, meantime, has signed a two-year, two-way contract. Forward Kyle Wilson has also signed a one-year deal.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 14, 2009

The New Jersey Devils have named Jacques Lemaire as their new head coach. Brochu's take: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Lemaire will maintain the Devils' defensive system.

The Chicago Blackhawks have fired GM Dale Tallon. Stan Bowman has been named interim GM. Brochu's take: From Chicago reports, this firing doesn't have to do with the RFA qualifying offeers fiasco, but more with internal organization re-structuring. You have to imagine that Scotty Bowman is involved in this somehow, along with the president of the Hawks.

The Phoenix Coyotes have traded forward Enver Lisin to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Lauri Korpikoski. Brochu's take: They are both RFAs, and there have been rumors that both would sign with KHL teams or in Europe.

The Nashville Predators have signed forward Ben Guite to a one-year, two-way deal.

The New York Islanders have signed 2009 NHL Entry draft pick Mikko Koskinen to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XVI

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Mark Cullen to a one-year, two-way deal.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defenseman James Wisniewski to a one-year contract.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Brandon Segal to a two-year contract. Brochu's take: Not the brother of Steven, I imagine.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed defenseman Noah Welch to a one-year contract. The Thrashers have also come to terms with forward Anthony Stewart.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Nolan Yonkman.

The Boston Bruins have signed forwards Trent Whitfield and Drew Larman, and defensemen Rob Kwiet and Zach McKelvie to one-year deals.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Boyd Gordon to a one-year contract.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Ryan Callahan. Terms were not disclosed.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XV

The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Joe DiPenta to a one-year deal.

The Calgary Flames have come to terms with forward Brian McGrattan.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Dane Byers.

The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Geoff Kinrade to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Jay Harrison to a one-year, two-way contract. The Canes have also re-signed defenseman Casey Borer, forward Steve Goertzen and goaltender Justin Peters to new one-year, two-way contracts.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Tyler Cuma to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Ian Schultz to a contract.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XIV

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goalie Antero Niittymaki to a 1-year, $600,000 contract.

The New Jersey Devils have signed goalie Yann Danis to a one-year deal.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Paul Mara to a 1-year, $1.675 million contract. The Habs have also signed forward Travis Moen to a 3-year, $4.5 million contract, and have re-signed forward Kyle Chipchura to a 1-year, $500,000 contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Jay McKee to a 1-year, $800,000 contract.

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Brendan Morrison to a 1-year, $1.5 million deal.

The Minnesota Wild have come to terms with defensemen Jamie Fraser and Jaime Sifers.

The Ottawa Senators have traded goalie Alex Auld to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Tim Sestito to the New Jersey Devils for a conditional pick.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XIII

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed forward Jim Slater to a one-year contract. They have also re-signed forward Joey Crabb and defenseman Nathan Oystrick.

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed forward Matt Ellis.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Brian Boyle to a 2-year, $1.5 million contract.

The Calgary Flames have re-signed forwards Jamie Lundmark, Carsen Germyn and Ryley Grantham to contracts.

The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed forward Scott Parse to a one-year contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Mark Fistric to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Richard Petiot, forward Peter MacArthur and forward Bryan Bickell to one-year contracts.

Latest NHL Signings! Part XII

Colorado Avalanche forward Joe Sakic has officially retired from hockey. Brochu's take: He was always one of my favourite players. See you in the Hall of Fame!

The Philadephia Flyers have re-signed defenseman Chris Pronger to a 7-year, $34.9 million contract extension. Brochu's take: The contract is not even heavily front loaded, so in the last 3 years of this contract, he will still have a cap hit of around $5 million. I'm not sure how Philly will be able to afford this down the line, but it's clear that GM Paul Holmgren wants to win NOW.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Ales Kotalik to a 3-year, $9 million contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Kurtis Foster to a 1-year, $500 000 contract. They also signed forward Stephane Veilleux to a 1-year, $750k contract.

The Bolts have also signed 2009 NHL first round pick Victor Hedman to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Nick Boynton to a 1-year, $1.5 million contract.

The Avs have signed defenseman Brett Skinner and forward Phillipe Dupuis to contracts.

San Jose Sharks forward Claude Lemieux has retired. Again.

Florida Panthers forward Chad Kilger has officially announced his retirement from hockey.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 9, 2009

I should be caught up by tomorrow, I still have to post my analysis of the Pronger extension, and the Sakic retirement. There's a few more signings I have to catch up to as well.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Saku Koivu to a 1-year, $3.25 million contract. Brochu's take: And not with a bang but a whimper, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens for the past decade or so leaves the Habs. It's a bit sad that the organization decided for a new direction, but I think Koivu will have a bit of a career revival playing with his buddy Selanne in Orange County.

The Ducks also signed forward Todd Marchant to a 2-year, $2.25 million million contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Kris Versteeg to a 3-year, $9.2 million contract. Brochu's take: So the last major RFA on Chicago's roster has signed, which pretty much negates that whole "misfiling" issue. The investigation into that matter is still ongoing.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Brent Regner to a 3-year, entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders have signed forward Matt Moulson to one-year, two-way contract. They have also signed forwards Greg Moore and Greg Mauldin, and defenseman Mark Flood to one-year, two-way contracts.

The Boston Bruins have signed defenseman Drew Fata to a contract. They have also signed goalie Dany Sabourin to a one-year contract.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Michael Funk to a contract.

The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Doug Janik to a contract. They have also signed defenseman Travis Erhardt to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Latest NHL signings! Part XI

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Cam Barker to a 3-year, $9.25 million contract extension. Brochu's take: So much for him possibly becoming a UFA.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forwards David Jones, Chris Durno, Darren Haydar, Matt Hendricks and Brian Willsie, along with goaltender Tyler Weiman.

The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed forward Ville Leino to a two-year, $1.6 million contract extension. The Wings also signed forwards Jeremy Williams and Kris Newbury.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed forward B.J. Crombeen to a two-year, $1.745 million contract extension.

The Dallas Stars have signed forward Warren Peters to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Stars also signed defenseman Jeff Woywitka to a two-year, $1.3 million.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defenseman Brian Salcido to a one-year contract.

Latest NHL signings! Part X

The Ottawa Senators have signed forward Alex Kovalev to a 2-year, $10 million contract. Brochu's take: At $5 million, that's a bit pricey. And this certainly spells the end of Dany Heatley in Ottawa. GM Bryan Murray has a bit of work this summer to get under the cap.

The New York Rangers have re-signed forward Chris Higgins to a 1-year, $2.25 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Francois Beauchemin to a 3-year, $11.4 million contract.

The Leafs also signed 2009 first round pick Nazem Kadri to a 3-year, entry-level contract. They have also re-signed forwards Ben Ondrus and Ryan Hamilton to a one-year contract. The Maple Leafs also signed free agent forwards including Jay Rosehill to a two-year contract and Richard Greenop to a three-year entry level contract.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed goalie Andrew Raycroft. Terms were not disclosed.

The 'Nucks also signed defenseman Shane O'Brien to a one-year, $1.6 million contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed 5 free agents, including right wing Troy Brouwer to a two-year contract, goaltender Corey Crawford to a two-year contract, left wing Ben Eager to a one-year contract, center Colin Fraser to a one-year contact and defenseman Aaron Johnson to a one-year contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 6, 2009

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Clay Wilson to a two-year contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Trevor Frischmon to a one-year deal.

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

The Toronto Maple Leafs are rumored to be signing Swedish forward Rickard Wallin. Wallin is the captain of Swedish club Farjestad. Source

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Ilkka Pikkarainen. Pikkarainen returns to the organization after spending three seasons with Finnish club HIFK. Source

The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Matt Nickerson. Nickerson spent last season with Ilves of the SM-Liiga. Source

The St. Louis Blues have signed goalie Hannu Toivonen. Toivonen returns to the NHL after spending 2008-2009 with Ilves.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Steve McCarthy. McCarthy spent last season with KHL club Salavat Yulaev.

Latest NHL signings! Part IX

The Florida Panthers have signed forward Jeff Taffe to a contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Chris Conner to a one-year deal. The Pens have also come to terms with defenseman Chris Lee.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Chris Minard to a deal.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Tanner Glass to a contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Tim Brent to a contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed goalies Drew MacIntyre and Peter Mannino to a contract.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Pascal Pelletier to a contract.

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Jason Jaffray to a contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for July 4, 2009

Happy July 4th to my American readers! I'm going to wrap up some of the trades that have gone down, I haven't had time to include them here.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded forward Ryan Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing and a 5th round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Brochu's take: With Gomez, Kubina and now Smyth, this is the official "Summer of the Salary Dump". Smyth will be a good veteran addition to the young Kings lineup, but earns $6 million per for 3 more years. Quincey is a good young blueliner, but the rest is filler.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenseman Pavel Kubina and the rights to forward Tim Stapleton to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman Garnet Exelby and forward Colin Stuart. Brochu's take: Another salary dump, but Burke didn't even get draft picks back.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed forward Rick Nash to a 8-year, $62.4 million contract extension. Brochu's take: At a yearly salary cap hit of $7.8 million, Nash is slightly overpaid, but he is the Jackets one franchise star. It will also solidify Columbus as a solid hockey city.

Latest NHL signings! Part VIII

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Mikael Samuelsson to a 3-year, $7.5 million contract.

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed forward Ryane Clowe to a 4-year, $14 million contract.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Shane Hnidy to a 1-year contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Ruslan Fedotenko to a 1-year, $1.8 million contract.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Tyler Arnason to a two-way deal. The Rangers also signed forwards Corey Locke and P.A. Parenteau to contracts.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defenseman Shaun Heshka to a one-year deal.

The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Staffan Kronwall. Terms were not disclosed.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Nate Guenin to a one-year deal.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Jason Krog.

Latest NHL signings! Part VII

The Calgary Flames have signed forwards Garth Murray and Riley Armstrong. Terms of the the contracts were not disclosed.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed Mike Glumac and defenseman Alex Henry to one-year, two-way contracts.

The New York Rangers have signed forward Chris Chappell.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed defensemen Nolan Baumgartner and Lawrence Nycholat.

The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed forward Jacob Dowell and goaltender Antti Niemi.

The Ottawa Senators have signed forward Martin St. Pierre to a one-year contract; signed right wing Erik Condra to an entry-level contract; signed goaltender Mike Brodeur to a one-year contract.

Latest NHL signings! Part VI

I will be wrapping up the latest signings and trades, hopefully I will be caught up by tomorrow.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed defenseman Adrian Aucoin to a 1-year, $2.5 million contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Karlis Skrastins to a two-year, $2.75 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed forward Mikhail Grabovski to a 3-year, $8.7 million deal.

The Los Angeles Kings have signed defenseman Rob Scuderi to a 4-year, $13.6 million contract.

The Florida Panthers have signed defenseman Jordan Leopold to a 1-year, $1.75 million contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed forward Chad LaRose to a 2-year, $3.4 million deal.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed forward Stefan Meyer to a one-year deal.

The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed forward Kevin Westgarth to a three-year contract.

The New York Islanders have signed goaltender Scott Munroe, forward Jeremy Reich and defenseman Brett Westgarth to one-year, two-way contracts.

Latest NHL signings! Part V

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Mathieu Darche to a contract.

The Habs also signed forward Brian Gionta to a 5-year, $25 million contract. Brochu's take: Gainey continues to make wholesale changes to his team. But at the same time, are they getting smaller?

The New York Rangers have signed forward Marian Gaborik to a 5-year, $37.5 million contract. Brochu's take: Sather really hates cap space. He despises cap space.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed goalie Jason LaBarbera to a 2-year deal.

The Calgary Flames have signed forward Fredrik Sjostrom to a 2-year, $1.5 million contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward John Madden to a 1-year, $2.75 million deal.

The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Martin Havlat to a 6-year, $30 million contract. Brochu's take: New GM Chuck Fletcher is doing a pretty good job signing free agents, at $5 million per year, Havlat is a bargain.

The Ottawa Senators have re-signed forward Chris Neil to a 4-year, $8 million contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed forward Chris Thorburn.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed forward Mark Recchi to a 1-year, $1 million contract.

The Atlanta Thrashers have signed forward Nik Antropov to a 4-year, $16 million contract.

Latest NHL signings! Part IV

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Mike Cammalleri to a 5-year, $60 million contract.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Mike Komisarek to a 5-year, $22.5 million contract.

The Boston Bruins have re-signed forward Byron Bitz.

The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Greg Zanon to a 3-year, $5.8 million contract.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Vernon Fiddler to a 2-year, $2.2 million contract. Brochu's take: Why are the Coyotes still signing players?

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Steve Begin to a 1-year, $850,000 contract.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Steve Sullivan to a 2-year, $7.5 million deal.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Samuel Pahlsson to a 3-year, $7.95 million contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed forward/defenseman Jason Strudwick to a 1-year, $700,000 contract.

The BJs also signed goalie Mathieu Garon to a 2-year, $2.4 million deal.

Latest NHL signings! Part III

Update as of 2:30 PM PST

The Edmonton Oilers have signed goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to a 4-year, $15 million contract. Brochu's take: Very nice deal for the Oilers, who now have a solid no. 1 goalie.

The Calgary Flames have re-signed defenseman Adam Pardy.

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed forward Erik Cole to a two-year, $5.8 million contract.

The Florida Panthers have signed goalie Scott Clemmensen to a three-year, $3.6 million contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Ian Laperriere to a three-year, $3.5 million contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Michael Rupp to a 2-year, $1.65 million contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Hal Gill to a 2-year, $4.5 million contract.

The San Jose Sharks have re-signed defenseman Kent Huskins to a 2-year, $3.4 million contract.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward David Koci to a 1-year, $575,000 contract.

Latest NHL signings! Part II

Update as of 1:00 PM PST

The Washington Capitals have signed forward Mike Knuble to a 2-year, $5.6 million contract.

The New York Rangers have signed enforcer Donald Brashear to a 2-year, $2.8 million contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed defenseman Scott Niedermayer to a 1-year, $6 million contract, with bonuses.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed defenseman Aaron Rome to a 1-year, $550,000 contract.

The Nashville Predators have re-signed forward Joel Ward to a 2-year, $3 million contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed defenseman Lukas Krajicek to a one-year deal.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goalie Brian Boucher to a 2-year, $1.85 million contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Jaroslav Spacek to a 3-year, $11.5 million contract. Brochu's take: I think we can safely say that GM Bob Gainey has lost his marbles.

Latest NHL signings!

Updated as of 11:50 AM PST

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Marian Hossa to a 12-year, $62.4 million contract. Brochu's take: What is GM Dale Tallon doing? He already has great players in Toews and Kane, whose contracts are up next year and both could command $6 million+. Not to mention he still has several RFAs to sign. Do the Hawks really need Hossa's offense?

The Florida Panthers have re-signed RFA forward David Booth to a 6-year, $25.5 million contract.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed defenseman Andy Greene. Terms were not disclosed.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed goalie Craig Anderson to a 2-year, $3.6 million contract.

The St. Louis Blues have signed goalie Ty Conklin to a 2-year, $2.6 million contract. Brochu's take: No Winter Classic for Conklin, who has managed to play for 3 of those games already.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Matt Walker to a 4-year, $6.8 million contract.

The New York Islanders have signed goalie Dwayne Roloson to a 2-year, $5 million contract.

The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Tomas Kopecky to a 2-year, $2.4 million contract.

The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Steve Montador to a 2-year, $3.1 million contract.

Heatley deal not dead, latest signings

The NHL rumor world was on fire yesterday as news filtered out that the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers have a deal in place for Dany Heatley, but it was revealed that Heatley did not waive his no trade clause to go to Edmonton. The deal would have sent Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid to the Sens in exchange for Heatley. The much-talked $4 million bonus will only be paid after 11:59 PM July 1st (today), so there's still time for the Senators to work out the deal. Brochu's take: TSN is reporting that Heatley has not flat out refused the trade, he has just not done anything. This deal could still be on.

Latest signings: (BTW, I have moved my Twitter gadget up, for easier viewing)

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Colton Orr to a four-year, $4 million contract.

The Florida Panthers have re-signed forward Radek Dvorak to a 2-year, $3.4 million contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forwar Erik Christensen to a one-year contract.

The Dallas Stars have re-signed forward Jere Lehtinen to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed defenseman Johnny Oduya to a three-year, $10.5 million contract.

Sedins re-signed, Bolts sign Ohlund

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Daniel and Henrik Sedin to 5-year, $30.5 million contracts. Brochu's take: Not a bad deal at all. For comparable scorers, it's quite a bargain.

Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Mattias Ohlund to a seven-year contract worth $24.5 million. Brochu's take: It's front loaded, so he will earn significantly less in the later years.

Just to wrap up what happend yesterday...

The Montreal Canadiens acquired centre Scott Gomez, winger Tom Pyatt and defenceman Mike Busto from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Chris Higgins and defencemen Doug Janik, Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko.

The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a 5-year contract worth $6.68 million per year. Brochu's take: So the Flames essentially got Bouwmeester for a third rounder. Great move by GM Darryl Sutter, who managed to sign the blueliner at slightly less than market value.

The New York Islanders have traded forward Ben Walter and future considerations to the New Jersey Devils for the rights to forward Tony Romano.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for June 30, 2009

** Hell of a time for Blogger to crap out on me! Look for my updates on the Twitter gadget on your right or find me on Twitter @Brochuishockey ***

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

Signings and Waiver update for Jun 29, 2009

I will be constantly updating the blog in the next few days until Free Agency Day! So thanks for reading.

The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed forward David Bolland to a five-year, $16.875 million contract extension. Brochu's take: This was rumored at the draft, so now it's official. Big overpayment if you ask me.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Jussi Jokinen to a two-year, $3.4-million contract extension.

The following NHL players have been placed on unconditional waivers, for the purposes of buying out their contracts. St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay McKee ($4 million), Boston Bruins forward Peter Schaefer ($2.1 million) and Florida Panthers forward Brett McLean ($1.7 million). The salary in brackets is their expected salary in 2009-2010.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed forward Craig Adams to a two-year, $1.1 million contract extension.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for June 29, 2009

According to Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell, both Kari Lehtonen and Ondrej Pavelec will be shopped this summer, with one of them most likely to be traded. Brochu's take: Lehtonen hasn't quite lived up to his potential, but I'm pretty sure some NHL teams will give him a chance. Pavelec may need several more years to establish himself. Source

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, several teams have contacted the Detroit Red Wings about trading the rights to forward Marian Hossa. GM Ken Holland doesn't want to trade the rights yet, but admits if a deal cannot be concluded in the next 48 hours, he will consider offers. Brochu's take: It's my guess that Hossa will be shooting for the moon in terms of his contract, so whoever wants his rights should be wary. I'm hearing the Carolina Hurricanes and Islanders are very interested.

LeBrun also adds a rumor that the Montreal Canadiens may sign impending UFA Martin Havlat. Havlat spends his offseason in Montreal. Source

There continues to be speculation that Saku Koivu will sign with the Minnesota Wild so that he can play with his brother Mikko.

It appears the Philadelphia Flyers are willing to let impending UFA goalie Martin Biron go, since they already signed Ray Emery to a contract. It's been rumored that the Colorado Avalanche are interested in signing the netminder.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun postulates that the Habs will go after Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Briere as "Plan B", as efforts to pry Vincent Lecavalier from the Tampa Bay Lightning have been futile. Garrioch adds that the Flyers are shopping forward Simon Gagne. Brochu's take: Briere's contract is essentially untradeable, and he has a no trade clause and made it pretty clear he doesn't want to play in Montreal, despite Garrioch's assertions. As for Gagne, his contract is pretty cheap, and I would imagine many teams will be lining up to get him. Source

Draft Day 2 Trades and Rumors Review

The Phoenix Coyotes traded their 7th round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for the rights to defenseman Shaun Heshka.

The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Kyle Brodziak and a sixth-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Minnesota Wild for a fourth and a fifth-round pick.

The Atlanta Thrashers traded a fourth-round pick (No. 95) to the Los Angeles Kings for two fourth-round picks (Nos. 117 and 120) and a seventh-round pick (No. 203). Atlanta also traded a sixth-round pick (No. 177) in the 2009 Draft to the Chicago Blackhawks for a fifth-round pick in 2010.

The Edmonton Oilers also traded a seventh-round pick (No. 191) in the 2009 Draft to the Ottawa Senators for a sixth-round pick in 2010.

The Los Angeles Kings also sent a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft (No. 74) to the Calgary Flames for third-round (No. 84) and fourth-round (No. 107) picks. Los Angeles also traded fourth-round (No. 107) and fifth-round (No. 138) picks to the Florida Panthers for Florida's third-round pick in 2010.

The Nashville Predators traded a fifth-round pick (No. 148) in the 2009 Entry Draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a fifth-round pick in 2010. Nashville also traded a seventh-round pick (No. 202) in the 2009 Draft to the St. Louis Blues for a seventh-round pick in 2010.

The New York Islanders traded a second-round pick (No. 56) in the 2009 Draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a third-round pick (No. 62) and a fourth-round pick (No. 92). The Islanders also traded a third-round pick in the 2009 Draft to the Phoenix Coyotes for a third-round pick in the 2010 Draft.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded a seventh-round pick (No. 211) in 2009 to the Montreal Canadiens for a sixth-round pick in 2010.

The Dallas Stars traded a sixth-round pick (No. 189) in the 2009 Draft to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick in the 2010 Draft.

Prust for Vandermeer, Lepisto to Phoenix

The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Jim Vandermeer to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forward Brandon Prust.

The Washington Capitals have traded defenseman Sami Lepisto to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 5th rounder in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded goalie Chad Johnson to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 5th round pick.

The Los Angeles Kings have traded forward Brian Boyle to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 3rd round pick in 2010.

Bouwmeester for Leopold and a 3rd

The Florida Panthers have traded the rights to defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Jordan Leopold and a third round pick (67th overall).

Draft trade review

The New York Islanders traded their 16th and 77th pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for their 12th pick.

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded the 26th and 37th picks to the Anaheim Ducks in a deal that gave the Blue Jackets the 21st selection.

The New Jersey Devils traded their 23rd pick and their 3rd rounder to the Calgary Flames for the 20th overall pick.

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded the 32nd pick and a third-rounder (No. 75) to the Detroit Red Wings for the No. 29 pick.

Columbus and Islanders switch picks

Columbus Blue Jackets trade their 16th and 77th overall picks to the New York Islanders for the 26th, 37th, 62nd and 92 overall picks.

Pronger for Lupul,Sbisa and 2 1st rounders

The Anaheim Ducks have traded Chris Pronger and forward Ryan Dingle to the Philadelphia Flyers for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, their 1st rounder in the 2009 and 2010 Entry Draft AND a conditional third round pick in the 2010 or 2011 draft. (as per TSN) Edit.

Pre-draft rumor update!

It's only 30 minutes to the NHL Entry Draft, here's a quick review of today's rumors. Don't forget, I'll be live-blogging for the next few hours! I will be posting the big trades here, but rumors and breaking stuff will be on my Twitter account. http://twitter.com/Brochuishockey (it's also in the column on your right)

TSN is reporting that defenseman Scott Niedermayer has decided to return for one more season of hockey, and it will be with the Anaheim Ducks. This almost certainly means that Chris Pronger will be traded, most likely during the draft.

The Boston Bruins have offered restricted free agent forward Phil Kessel and a draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Tomas Kaberle. Brochu's take: This is probably that "significant" offer they got yesterday.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that the St. Louis Blues are definitely interested in restricted free agent goalie Josh Harding, along with 4 other NHL teams. It's likely that Harding will be traded sometime this summer. Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for June 26, 2009

I will be live-blogging during the NHL Entry Draft, beginning around 7 PM EST/ 4 PM PST!

Pierre McGuire of TSN is reporting that Florida Panthers assistant (acting) GM Randy Sexton has set a price of a 3rd or 4th round pick for the negotiation rights to impending UFA defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. The Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers are the most rumored teams to be involved. Brochu's take: Various sources have indicated that his rights could be traded as early as Friday.

Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke has targeted several players on different teams as trade possibilities. It's believed that Burke is interested in acquiring defenseman Wade Redden from the New York Rangers and forward Peter Schaefer from the Boston Bruins. It's also believed he has interest in Anaheim Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Giguere has a no trade clause, but Toronto is one of several NHL teams on a list he has provided to Ducks management that he will accept a move to. Source

The no.4 overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, owned by the Atlanta Thrashers, is definitely in play. Thrashers GM Don Waddell has admitted that he is shopping the pick, and he's had some discussions with the Leafs. Brochu's take: In a later interview, Waddell admitted there wasn't much progress in the trade talks, but we shall see on draft day.

Pierre LeBrun of ESPN is reporting that the San Jose Sharks are shopping restricted free agent forward Ryane Clowe. Source

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

Washington Capitals forward Sergei Fedorov has officially signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. Source

Defenseman Lasse Kukkonen has left the Philadelphia Flyers organization and signed with Russian club Avangard Omsk. Source