NHL and Hockey Rumors for Dec 31, 2013

Happy New Year to all my readers!

The Calgary Flames acquired right winger Kevin Westgarth from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Greg Nemisz.

TSN's Darren Dreger also speculates that there may be more moves by the Hurricanes in the near future.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie on waivers.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed forward Nic Petan to a three-year, entry level contract.  Petan was the Jets' 2nd round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for Dec 29, 2013

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Mitchell Moroz to a three-year, entry level contract.  Moroz was the Oilers' 2nd round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Toronto Maple Leafs are close to re-signing defenseman Dion Phaneuf to a 7 year, $49 million contract extension.

Canucks sign Fox

The Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent forward Dane Fox to a contract.  The 20-year old is the OHL leading goal scorer for the Erie Otters.

Blue Jackets sign Bjorkstrand

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Oliver Bjorkstrand to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Bjorkstrand was the Blue Jacket's 89th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Jets sign Comrie

The Winnipeg Jets have signed goalie Eric Comrie to a three-year, entry level contract.  Comrie was taken in the 2nd round in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Bouchard on waivers

The New York Islanders have placed forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard on waivers.

Canucks interested in Erat?

According to TSN, Washington Capitals forward Martin Erat has asked for a trade.  There are rumors that the Vancouver Canucks are interested.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for April 3, 2013

The Dallas Stars have traded forward Derek Roy to the Vancouver Canucks for defenseman Kevin Connauton and a 2nd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Stars have also traded forward Jaromir Jagr to the Boston Bruins for forward Lane MacDermid, forward Cody Payne and a conditional 2nd round pick.

The San Jose Sharks have traded forward Ryane Clowe to the New York Rangers for a 2nd and 3rd in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and also a conditional pick in the 2014 Draft.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Adam Hall and a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Los Angeles Kings have traded defenseman Davis Drewiske to the Montreal Canadiens for a 5th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Canucks have re-signed forward Chris Higgins to a four-year, $10 million contract extension.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for April 2, 2013

The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Mark Cundari, goalie Reto Berra and a conditional 1st round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take:  GM Jay Feaster has got to be awarded the Mike Milbury award for worst GM.  He has now traded two top players for very little return.

The Buffalo Sabres have traded defenseman Robyn Regehr to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2014 and 2015 2nd round picks.

The San Jose Sharks have traded forward Michal Handzus to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward Harry Zolnierczyk to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman/forward Jay Rosehill.

The Sabres have traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for 2nd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional 5th.

The Detroit Red Wings have traded defenseman Kent Huskins to the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional 7th round pick in the 2014 Entry Draft.

Jarome Iginla Trade Breakdown

I figured the Jarome Iginla trade was such a big deal, it deserved it's own post.

So the original deal with Boston would have been for forward Matt Bartkowski, Alexander Khokhlachev and a conditional 1st round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft (provided Iginla signs with the Bruins).

But the actual deal that Iginla chose was to the Pittsburgh Penguins for forwards Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski and a 1st round pick in the 2013 Draft.

Brochu's take:  Value wise, the Flames should have got a lot more for Iginla.  The Boston deal is slightly better, but it's a moot point if Iggy chose the Penguins anyways.  There are rumors of a third deal on the plate, and it's believed it was from the Los Angeles Kings.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 28, 2013

Update:  The Iginla to Bruins is almost confirmed, awaiting formal confirmation.  Look on the other sites to find more info, I will probably post my opinion tomorrow.

The Dallas Stars have traded forward Brendan Morrow and a 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Joe Morrow and a 5th round pick.  Brochu's take:  It may be a lot for an aging Morrow, but the Pens leveraged a deep prospect pool to get a player that will help in the playoffs.

The Penguins also acquired defenseman Douglas Murray from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft and a conditional 2nd in the 2014 Draft.

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed forward Alexander Semin to a 5-year, $35 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  Semin has the skills of $7 million player, but the head of an AHLer.  And the NHL wonders why there are teams with cap trouble.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free agent forward Buddy Robinson to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have placed forwards Tim Wallace and Jussi Jokinen on waivers.

The Boston Bruins have claimed forward Kaspars Daugavins off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.  Brochu's take:  Now he can do his shootout move to someone other than Tuukka Rask.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 24, 2013

The Tampa Bay Lightning have fired head coach Guy Boucher.  Brochu's take:  The rumor was the veterans on the Bolts were starting to tune him out.  Lindy Ruff is the rumored favourite to take the position.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Radek Dvorak to a one-year, $675,000 contract.  Dvorak must clear waivers because he has been playing in Europe this season.

The Lightning have re-signed forward Nate Thompson to a four-year, $6.4 million contract extension.

The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Jeff Halpern off waivers from the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have placed defenseman Stu Bickel on waivers.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed four players to three-year, entry-level contracts.  Forwards Garrett Meurs and Andrew Agozzino, and defensemen Markus Lauridsen and Gabriel Beaupre.

The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Travis Ewanyk to a three-year, entry-level contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 23, 2013

The St. Louis Blues have traded forward Matt D'Agostini to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a conditional 4th or 5th round pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

The Carolina Hurricanes have claimed forward Zach Boychuk off waivers from the Nashville Predators.  He has been placed on waivers by the Canes.  Brochu's take:  Boychuk is sure getting his frequent flyer miles.

The Washington Capitals have placed forward Joey Crabb on waivers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed defenseman Brian Lee on waivers.

The New York Rangers have placed forward Jeff Halpern on waivers.

The Lightning have signed defenseman Andrej Sustr to a two-year, entry level contract.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Patrick Maroon to a two-year contract extension.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free-agent goaltender Andrew Hammond to a two-year entry-level contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed free agent forward Kyle Flanagan to a one-year entry-level contract.

Hockey and NHL Rumors for March 21, 2013

Look for my European rumor roundup this week, it should be quite interesting.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Zach Boychuk on waivers.  Brochu's take:  Again?  He could possibly be playing for his 4th NHL team in this short season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Mike Komisarek on waivers.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defesneman Francis Bouillon to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free agent goaltender Andrew Hammond to a two-year entry-level contract.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Slater Koekkoek three-year, entry level contract. Koekkoek was the Bolts' 1st round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take:  Koekkoek is pronounced Coo-Coo.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 20, 2013

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla may have provided a list of teams that he would accept a trade to.  These teams are possibly the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, and Detroit Red Wings.  Brochu's take:  This could get interesting.  This is the first whisper that Iginla is considering moving to a contender.

Pierre LeBrun also adds that Flames defenseman Jay Bouwmeester could also be traded.  It's believed that the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings have interest.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed goalie Garret Sparks to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Sparks was the Leafs' 7th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Leafs have also signed defenseman Tom Nilsson to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Nilsson was the Leafs' 4th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 19, 2013

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Corey Perry to an 8-year, $69 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  Well, this will make the off-season less interesting.  The Ducks are going to have approximately 26% of their salary cap for next year taken up by 2 players.

The Winnipeg Jets have signed defenseman Arturs Kulda to a one-year, $550,000 contract.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed defenseman Darren Dietz to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Dietz was the Habs' 5th round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The San Jose Sharks have signed forward Chris Tierney to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Tierney was the Sharks 2nd round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

The Sharks have also signed free agent forward Daniil Tarasov to a two-year contract.

The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed forward Ben Holmstrom to a one-year contract extension.

The New York Rangers have signed free agent forward Josh Nicholls to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Dallas Stars have signed free agent forward Taylor Peters to a three-year, entry level contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 18, 2013

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Ryan Tesink to an entry-level contract. Tesink was the Blues' sixth-round selection at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Ottawa Senators have signed free agent defenceman Troy Rutkowski to a three-year entry-level contract.


The Sens have also signed defenceman Michael Sdao to a one-year, entry-level contract.

The Boston Bruins have signed forward Anthony Camara to an entry-level contract.  Camara was Boston's third round choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Bruins have also signed forward Alexander Fallstrom to an entry-level contract.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Ludwig Blomstrand to an entry-level contract.  Blomstrand was the Canucks' fourth round choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Canucks have also signed free agent forward Kellan Lain to an entry-level contract.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Keegan Lowe to an entry-level contract.  Lowe was the Hurricanes 3rd round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Canes have also signed defenseman Danny Biega to an entry-level contract.

The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Reid Boucher to an entry level contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 16, 2013

Look for another post that will cover some of the free agent, college and entry level signings that happened the past few days!

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a six-year, $33 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  This is a bargain.  OEL is capable of being a point-a-game defenseman.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman David Desharnais to a four-year, $14 million contract extension.

The New York Islanders have re-signed defenseman Colin McDonald to a two-year contract extension.

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired a 5th round pick in 2013 NHL Entry Draft from the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman TJ Brennan.


The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Steckel to the Anaheim Ducks for forward Ryan Lasch and a seventh-round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Washington Capitals have acquired forward Nicolas Deschamps from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for defenseman Kevin Marshall.

The Minnesota Wild have traded defenseman Chay Genoway to the Washington Capitals for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 14, 2013

The Minnesota Wild have signed free agent defenseman Brett Clark to a one-year, $900,000 contract.

The Edmonton Oilers have placed forward Ben Eager on waivers.  Brochu's take:  I would guess someone will pick him up.

The Phoenix Coyotes have placed forward Nick Johnson on waivers.

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed forward Rostislav Olesz on waivers.

According to sources, there is a rumor that the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking at Minnesota Wild defenseman Marco Scandella.  There has been talk that Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner is unhappy playing in the AHL.  Brochu's take:  Perhaps a Scandella and Gardiner swap would make sense for both teams.  

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 13, 2013

The Ottawa Senators have acquired forward Matt Kassian from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers have traded forward Matthew Ford to the Columbus Blue Jackets for future considerations.

According to sources around the NHL, several team scouts were at the recent Calgary Flames-Los Angeles Kings game.  It's believed that teams are closely looking at players on the Flames' team should they decide to be sellers at the trade deadline.  Brochu's take:  Look for Jarome Iginla, Jay Bouwmeester and Miikka Kiprusoff to be in trade rumors for the next several weeks.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 12, 2013

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

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

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

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

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

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

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 11, 2013

The Winnipeg Jets have traded forward Spencer Machacek to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for forward Tomas Kubalik.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed defenseman Brendan Mikkelson on waivers.

The Chicago Blackhawks have placed defenseman Steve Montador on waivers.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 9, 2013

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed forward Ryan Getzlaf to an 8-year, $66 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  So much for a hometown discount.  The Ducks overpaid but they really had no choice.  And just when you think NHL owners have learned something from the lockout, this contract clearly shows they have learned nothing.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed forward Darian Dziurzynski to a two-year, entry level contract.  Dziurzynski was the Yotes' 5th round pick, 141st overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 8, 2013

The Boston Bruins have placed forward Chris Bourque on waivers.

The New York Rangers have claimed defenseman Roman Hamrlik off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

The New Jersey Devils have claimed forward Tom Kostopoulos off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed forward Josh Leivo to a three-year, entry level contract.  Leivo was Toronto’s third choice, 86th overall, in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Joel Edmundson to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Edmundson was the Blues' 2nd pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.

The Phoenix Coyotes have signed junior free-agent defenceman Mathieu Brisebois to a three-year,. entry-level contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 6, 2013

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed defenseman Korbinian Holzer to a two-year contract extension.

The Nashville Predators have claimed forward Zach Boychuk off waivers from the the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins have placed forward Tom Kostopoulos on waivers.

The Washington Capitals have placed defenseman Roman Hamrlik on waivers.

The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Yannick Veilleux to a three-year, entry level contract.  Veilleux was the Blues' 4th round pick, 102nd overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed free agent defenseman Kevin Gagne to a contract.

According to sources, the Chicago Blackhawks are interested in Edmonton Oilers forward Eric Belanger.  It's believed the 'Hawks have asked NHL teams about acquiring a veteran forward for their bottom 6 forward group.  Brochu's take:  The Blackhawks are the NHL's current best team, and Belanger could be the last piece of the puzzle.  He could be had for a mid round pick.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 4, 2013

The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Mike Brown to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a 4th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed forward Zach Boychuk on waivers.

The New Jersey Devils have placed forward Bobby Butler on waivers.  The Nashville Predators have subsequently claimed him.

The Florida Panthers have signed goalie coach Robert Tallas to a one day contract.  Tallas was the emergency backup for the Panthers because Jacob Markstrom had not arrived on time.  Brochu's take:  Love stories like these.

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Joseph Cramarossa to a three-year, entry level contract.  Cramarossa was selected by Anaheim in the third round (65th overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

The Ducks have also signed free agent forward Charlie Sarault to a contract.

The Philadephia Flyers have signed goalie Anthony Stolarz to a three-year, entry level contract.  Stolarz was selected by Philly in the 2nd round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

The Flyers have also signed free agent forward Brandon Alderson to a contract.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for March 2, 2013

The Calgary Flames have signed restricted free agent forward Ryan O'Reilly to a two-year, $5 million offer sheet.  The Flames would have to send the Colorado Avalanche their 1st and 3rd round draft picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.  The Avs have subsequently matched the offer sheet.  Brochu's take:  A very interesting 24 hours in this "ROR" saga.  It's also believed if that had the Avs NOT matched, ROR would have to go through waivers.

The Philadelphia Flyers have placed goalie Michael Leighton and forward Tom Sestito on waivers.  Sestito has been claimed by the Vancouver Canucks.

The Dallas Stars have placed forward Tom Wandell on waivers.

The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Aaron Volpatti on waivers.  Volpatti has been claimed by the Washington Capitals.

The Nashville Predators have traded forward Brian McGrattan to the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Joe Piskula.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 27, 2013

The Montreal Canadiens have traded forward Erik Cole to the Dallas Stars in exchange for forward Michael Ryder and a 3rd round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take:  Good trade for both sides.  The Stars get a veteran scorer, while the Canadiens get cap relief for next season.

The Los Angeles Kings have traded forward Simon Gagne to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a conditional 4th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The Nashville Predators have placed forward Brian McGrattan on waivers.

According to Pierre LeBrun, it's likely that the Anaheim Ducks will look at trading pending unrestricted free agent forward Corey Perry before the trade deadline.  LeBrun also speculates there is continued interest from the Pittsburgh Penguins at acquiring Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla.  Brochu's take:  The Ducks could possibly lose Perry for nothing if they don't trade him.  As for Iginla, the longer the Flames struggle, the more the rumours intensify.  Iginla could net a big haul for the Flames.  Source  

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 26, 2013

The Calgary Flames have traded forward Mitch Wahl to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for forward Mike Testwuide.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed free agent defenseman Mark Eaton to a one-year, $725,000 contract.

The Washington Capitals have re-signed goalie Braden Holtby to a two-year, $3.6 million contract extension.  Brochu's take:  A very cap friendly contract.  Holtby should continue to improve as a goaltender in the next few years.

The Caps have also re-signed defenseman John Erskine to a two-year, $3.9 million contract extension.

The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed defenseman Brian Lashoff to a three-year contract extension at $725,000 per year.

The Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed defenseman David Schlemko to a two-year contract extension at $1.188 million per year.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 23, 2013

The New York Islanders have placed goalie Rick DiPietro on waivers.  Brochu's take:  There are rumors that he may be bought out.  The Islanders now have $9.5 million in cap space for goalies that don't play on their NHL team.

Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Jan Mursak on waivers.

Goalie Dwayne Roloson has retired from the NHL.  Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 21, 2013

The Buffalo Sabres have fired head coach Lindy Ruff and have named Ron Rolston as interim head coach.  Brochu's take:  Ruff shouldn't have a problem of getting another NHL head coaching job, but he may have to wait till next year.

The Sabres have placed forward Cody McCormick on waivers.

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed goalie Viktor Fasth to a two-year, $5.8 million contract extension.

According to CBC's Elliotte Friedman, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ray Shero was watching the Colorado Avalanche/Minnesota Wild game.  Friedman speculates that he could be looking at forward Matt Cullen.  Brochu's take:  Cullen would probably only cost a draft pick.  Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 20, 2013

The St. Louis Blues have traded defenseman Scott Ford to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Jani Lajunen.  Brochu's take:  An AHL depth move.

Forward Mathieu Darche has retired from the NHL.

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, the Boston Bruins may have interest in acquiring Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson.  Brochu's take:  If, and only if Alfredsson wants to leave, than that happens.  But I think it's Alfie's last season anyways, and I believe he wants to retire as a Senator.

The same article suggests that two teams that are struggling, the San Jose Sharks and Florida Panthers, could be close to pulling the trigger on trades.  LeBrun speculates that a lot of teams would be interested in impending UFA Stephen Weiss.  Brochu's take:  A lot of NHL teams are interested in Weiss.  There are rumors that he will head West, perhaps to the Edmonton Oilers or Calgary Flames.  Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 19, 2013

The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Andrew Ebbett on waivers.

The New York Rangers have re-signed goalie Cameron Talbot to a two-year contract extension.

The New Jersey Devils have re-signed defenseman Harry Young to a one-year contract extension.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 17, 2013

According to Elliot Friedman on the CBC Hotstove, there have been serious discussions between the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Rangers about forward Ryan O'Reilly.  It's believed the Avs asked for defenseman Michael Del Zotto, and it appears the asking price for O'Reilly remains unrealistically high:  Brochu's take:  Avs management are notoriously known as extremely stingy.  However, rumors continue to indicate that O'Reilly will be dealt soon.

The Calgary Flames have placed forward Blair Jones on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor round-up:

Free agent defenseman Pavel Kubina has signed with Swiss team Geneve-Servette.  Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 15. 2013

The Montreal Canadiens have acquired goalie Dustin Tokarski from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for goalie Cedrick Desjardins.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded forward Eric Tangradi to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 7th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and a 4th round pick in the 2014 Draft.

Forward Andrew Brunette has retired from the NHL and has joined the Minnesota Wild in their hockey operations department.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Jarmo Kekalainen as their new General Manager.  Kekalainen becomes the first European GM in the NHL.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 13. 2013

The Columbus Blue Jackets have fired GM Scott Howson.  Brochu's take:  The rumor is that Jokerit GM Jarmo Kekalainen is the front-runner for the job.

The Boston Bruins have placed forward Jay Pandolfo on waivers.  The Bruins had signed Pandolfo to a one-year contract earlier.

The Calgary Flames have placed goalie Danny Taylor on waivers.

The Minnesota Wild have placed forward Matt Kassian on waivers.

According to TSN's Insider Trading, the Colorado Avalanche and restricted free agent forward Ryan O'Reilly are far apart in negotiations and a trade appears likely.  Several Eastern Conference teams have already inquired about his services.  The Avs are reportedly looking for a young roster player and prospect.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ryan Whitney has been a healthy scratch for several games, and there are rumors that he is on the outs in Edmonton.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 12, 2013

According to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, scouts from 17 NHL teams were at the game between the San Jose Sharks and the Blue Jackets.  There was one scout each for the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets.  There were two scouts each from the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers respectively.  Portzline is also reporting that the BJs are always looking to trade, but nothing is close.  Brochu's take:  Very interesting, especially for the Eastern Conference teams that don't play the Jackets.  

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 11, 2013

The Detroit Red Wings have placed goalie Joey MacDonald on waivers.  He has been subsequently been claimed by the Calgary Flames.

The Buffalo Sabres have placed forward Matt Ellis on waivers.

The Edmonton Oilers have placed forward Darcy Hordichuk on waivers.

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 10, 2013

Happy Lunar New Year!

The San Jose Sharks have placed defenseman Nick Petrecki on waivers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Dana Tyrell on waivers.

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Vancouver Canucks are interested in college free agent forward Antoine Laganiere.  Laganiere plays for Yale University, and there has also been interest from the Edmonton Oilers.  Source

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 9, 2013

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

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

Brochu's European rumor roundup:

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

NHL and Hockey Rumors for February 8, 2013

The Boston Bruins have traded goalie Tim Thomas to the New York Islanders in exchange for a conditional second round pick in the 2014 or 2015 NHL Entry Draft.  The pick is conditional on Thomas reporting for the Islanders or any other team if they trade his rights.  Thomas is currently on his year long sabbatical from hockey.  Brochu's take:  This was a pure salary cap move to help the Islanders reach the cap floor.  Value-wise, you have to notice how low his stock has dropped, considering he has won two Vezina trophies in the past 4 years.

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Kimmo Timonen to a one year, $6 million contract extension.

Brochu's European rumor round-up:

Free agent defenseman Chris Campoli has signed with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA.  Source  

NHL Hockey rumors for February 7, 2013

The Los Angeles Kings have traded forward Andrei Loktionov to the New Jersey Devils for a 5th round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.  Brochu's take: Loktionov will get a chance to play in New Jersey, as he was a victim of a numbers game in LA.

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired defenseman Ben Lovejoy from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 5th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

The Winnipeg Jets have placed forward Aaron Gagnon on waivers.

The Calgary Flames have signed goalie Danny Taylor to a one year, two-way contract for $525,000/$80,000.

According to TSN insider Darren Dreger, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis is listening to offers for forward Phil Kessel.  Nonis is reportedly looking for a forward, defenseman or a high draft pick in exchange.    Brochu's take:  Kessel has struggled to score this season, so his value at the moment is lower than it should be.  Nonis would be prudent to wait until the NHL trade deadline to maximize his returns.

Hockey Rumors for February 6, 2013

The Colorado Avalanche have claimed Montreal Canadiens forward Aaron Palushaj off waivers.

The Phoenix Coyotes have placed forward Alexandre Bolduc on waivers.

Brochu's European rumor update:

Free agent forward Marco Sturm has signed with Kolner Haie in the DEL.

NYR/MINN trade, Palushaj on waivers

The New York Rangers have traded forward Michael Rupp to the Minnesota Wild for forwards Nick Palmieri and Darroll Powe.  Brochu's take: Rupp should add some needed toughness to the Wild.  

The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Aaron Palushaj on waivers.

18 teams scouting Florida-Buffalo game

According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, 18 NHL teams were scouting the Florida Panthers-Buffalo Sabres game yesterday.  They were the Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Lightning, Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gillis spotted at Washington-Pittsburgh game?

According to TSN, Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis was spotted at the Washington Capitals - Pittsburgh Penguins game.  There are rumors that the Caps are the mystery team that Gillis was talking about a week ago in regards to a Roberto Luongo trade.  The Canucks are reported to be looking at forward Marcus Johansson and defenseman Tomas Kundratek.