"Less than three weeks from the NHL trade deadline, the Blue Jackets pulled one of their unrestricted free agents off the market, signing veteran winger Vinny Prospal to a one-year contract extension today.

The deal is worth $2.5 million and includes a no-trade clause. It also includes a gentleman's agreement that when Prospal's playing days are over, he'll stay with the organization in some capacity.

"This is just a great feeling, that I have a job for next year," Prospal said today after practice. "The trade deadline is coming up and there are always rumors. But I am very happy for myself and for my family. We don't have to move anywhere.

"I didn't make that decision in five minutes or anything like that. But especially the part for after my playing days are over, that's what really took me away. When you get that kind of respect and the you get a feeling of what the organization thinks of you, it really made my decision a lot easier. "