The Detroit Red Wings have re-signed defenseman Andreas Lilja to a two-year contract. Lilja has spent the past three seasons in Detroit, appearing in 218 regular season games and 36 postseason games. Last season, he scored two goals and added 10 assists in 79 games. He appeared in 12 postseason games during the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup championship run, including all six games of the finals against… Read Original Post Here
The Buffalo Sabres rewarded Paul Gaustad for his hard-hitting style, re-signing the blue-collar center to a four-year, $9.2 million contract on Monday. Gaustad, a restricted free agent, had his rights retained by the Sabres last week when they made him a minimum-salary qualifying offer. The Sabres, though, had targeted Gaustad as a core player last spring and had expressed their intention to lock… Read Original Post Here
Now that John-Michael Liles has security and riches from his new contract, he’d love the comfort of knowing Joe Sakic will also be returning to the Colorado Avalanche. So does general manager Francois Giguere. The Avalanche are about to enter free agency not knowing if their captain who made nearly $7 million last season will return for a 20th season in the NHL or hang up his skates and start the…
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At this point, it looks as if Slovakian right wing Marian Hossa will sleepwalk into offers of $8 million a year or more, and according to a variety of sources, he is leaning toward signing with a club that can be considered both a short- and long-term contender. In other words, welcome to Detroit.
But don’t discount the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens trying to convince him they’re in the Cup hunt for keeps, too.
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The Buffalo Sabres have opened contract talks with Ryan Miller in a bid to sign the star goaltender to a lucrative long-term deal this summer, well before he can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. The talks with Miller, revealed by general manager Darcy Regier on Monday, are a clear indication of the team’s commitment to build from within rather than through NHL free agency,… Read Original Post Here
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed left wing Gary Roberts to a one-year contract and forward Vinny Prospal to a multiyear deal on Monday. Roberts was acquired along with Ryan Malone from Pittsburgh on Saturday in exchange for a conditional draft pick in 2009. The team has been negotiating with Malone on a multiyear deal, hoping to get something done before he can become an unrestricted free agent on… Read Original Post Here
The Sharks re-signed forward Jody Shelley to a two-year contract Monday, keeping their top enforcer in San Jose after acquiring him in a trade last season. Shelley, an unrestricted free agent, had seven points and 91 penalty minutes in 31 games after joining the Sharks in a trade with Columbus on Jan. Read Original Post Here
Alexei Zhitnik and Duvie Westcott are free agents. Both players cleared waivers Monday and were bought out by their teams.
The Atlanta Thrashers bought out Zhitnik after he had a disappoitning season. The 15-year veteran was acquired from Philadelphia for defenceman Braydon Coburn on Feb. 24, 2007. Last season, the Kiev, Ukraine native recorded three goals and five assists with a minus- 8 rating. The 35-year-old Zhitnik was a 4th round selection, 81st overall, by Los Angeles in 1991.
Westcott was bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 23 games last season, the Winnipeg native posted one goal and three assists with a minus- 10 rating.
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The Florida Panthers have signed forward Rostislav Olesz to a multi-year contract. Sources says it’s a six-year, $18.75 million deal with an annual salary cap hit of $3.125 million. He was scheduled to be a restricted free agent.
"Rostislav is a very talented young player who we are pleased to have agreed to a long term deal with," Panthers general manager Jacques Martin said in a press release. "He is a strong skater with a tremendous upside who plays well at both ends of the ice and on special teams. Since being drafted in 2004, Rostislav has show consistent improvement, while demonstrating a willingness to become a more complete player. We look forward to his continued contributions to our club."
Olesz, picked 7th overall in the 2004 draft by the Panthers, was on the verge of a breakout season but was hampered by a hand injury most of the year. He ended up with 14 goals, 12 assists and 26 points in 56 games. Olesz had surgery after injuring his hand early in the season and missed 14 games. He missed 12 more games due to the hand later in the season , but returned to score 7 goals in his next 15 games before struggling down the stretch.
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The Colorado Avalanche re-signed Adam Foote to a two-year contract and John-Michael Liles to a four-year deal Monday. Foote appeared in 12 regular-season games and 10 playoff games for the Avalanche last season after he was acquired from Columbus on Feb. 26. Between Columbus and Colorado last season, he had one goal, 15 assists and 107 penalty minutes in 75 games. Read Original Post Here
