NHL Trade Rumors
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The Senators are ready to go to battle with restricted free agents Peter Regin and Chris Campoli. While contract talks are continuing with representatives for the Senators winger and defenceman, respectively, GM Bryan Murray indicated those discussions are going nowhere and he expects both cases will go to arbitration. Regin is scheduled to go before an arbitrator Friday in Toronto at 9 a.m., while Campoli's case is set for next Wednesday. "Not much has happened," said Murray. Murray said he has made a fair offer to the 24-year-old Regin — who made $620,000 last season and will get a big raise after scoring 13 goals and adding 16 assists in 75 games — but that his camp hasn't been willing"
Juli 29
Chicago Sun-Times
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Everyone agrees that Antti Niemi deserves a raise. The 26-year-old goalie played a huge role in the Blackhawks putting an end to their 49-year Stanley Cup drought. But the Hawks simply don't have the cap space, even if Cristobal Huet's $5 million-plus salary is removed from the books as expected. If they did, odds are general manager Stan Bowman and Niemi's camp would have reached common ground. But that's not the case. The Hawks already have gutted their title-winning roster because of their cap problems. So unless a last-minute deal is reached, Niemi's worth will be determined this morning by an arbitrator in Toronto. The arbitrator has 48 hours to decide. After that, the Hawks have 48"
Juli 29
Orange County Register
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The Ducks have signed 2010 top draft pick Cam Fowler to a three-year entry level deal on Wednesday in a sign that they intend to fast forward the 18-year-old's development into an NHL defenseman. It is also a sign that the club intends to give him a shot to win a job on the blue line this fall. Fowler was snapped up with the 12th selection in the first round of last month's draft at Staples Center after many evaluators had the smooth puck-moving defenseman ranked in their top five for most of last season. In his first junior season in the Ontario Hockey League, the Canadian-born and Michigan-raised Fowler put up eight goals and 47 assists with the Windsor Spitfires after spending two years"
Juli 29
The Globe and Mail
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In any other year, free agency would have been pretty good to Denis Grebeshkov. The 26-year-old Russian defenceman is entering his prime, a former first-round pick who has averaged more than 21 minutes a game in his past two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and Nashville Predators. A torn medial collateral ligament limited his effectiveness last season, but Grebeshkov had developed into a solid second-pairing defender the past two seasons, one who hoped to stay in North America and continue to improve. Once the offers for free agents began to come in after July 1, however, it was clear his time in the NHL might be coming to an end. After four weeks as a free agent, Grebeshkov agreed to a"
Juli 29
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Not much of a surprise, only that it was announced so late Wednesday, but as I told you last week was most likely to happen soon the Thrashers did avoid arbitration with Ben Eager. The deal with Eager is for one year and it avoids a hearing that was set for Aug. 3 for the restricted free agent. The forward, obtained in a trade with Chicago in June, agreed to a deal worth $965,000. Eager, 26, was part of the trade with the Stanley Cup champions that also brought Dustin Byfuglien, Brett Sopel and prospect Akim Aliu to the Thrashers. Eager, a 6-foot-3, 227-pound left wing, had 16 points (including seven goals)in 60 games last season and was a plus-9. He led the Blackhawks with 120 penalty"
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Jeff Vanderbeek, the Devils' owner, said Tuesday night that he thought an arbitrator would make a prompt decision regarding wing Ilya Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102 million contract with the team, which the National Hockey League rejected last week. "I see no reason why that won't be done," Vanderbeek said. The N.H.L. Players' Association filed a grievance Monday over the league's rejection of the deal. A person with knowledge of the terms of the contract said the league struck it down because it did not believe that Kovalchuk, 27, would still be playing hockey when he was 44."
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The Kings' first free-agent acquisition of the offseason was a big one, more literally than metaphorically. Left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky agreed to a one-year contract Tuesday worth $3 million, plus a reported $200,000 signing bonus. The signing came a week after Ilya Kovalchuk spurned Los Angeles for a now-disputed contract in New Jersey, and hours after ex-King Alexander Frolov signed with the New York Rangers. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, the 30-year-old Ponikarovsky represents an upgrade in size, if not skill, over Frolov. He has 116 goals and 150 assists in 493 career games. He scored a career-best 23 goals in 2008-09 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Ponikarovsky began his NHL career"
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The Caps re-signed Tomas Fleischmann to a one-year, $2.6 million contract tonight. The sides had been prepared to go to salary arbitration tomorrow in Toronto. Fleischmann, a 26-year-old center/left wing, set career highs in goals (23) and points (51) last season, despite missing the first 11 games of the season with a blood clot in his leg that hampered his offseason training. He also struggled down the stretch and recorded one point in the Caps' first round loss to the Habs before being scratched for Game 7."
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Gilbert Brule has his pay, but now where will he play? The Edmonton Oilers forward agreed to a two-year contract for a reported $1.85 million per season Tuesday, bypassing an arbitration hearing Aug. 3 where both sides would have made their case for what he deserved in a new deal after making $800,000 last season. Brule had the stats to back him up — 17 goals, 15 at even-strength, second only to Dustin Penner, and 32 of his 37 points 5-on-5, another indicator of how good he was. He was fourth in team scoring and tied with Patrick 0'Sullivan in game-winning goals (3). The Oilers likely would have countered that he was a minus player (minus 8), that this was the first good year he's had in"
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A battle that could go a long way toward determining the success of the Blackhawks next season likely will be waged Thursday off the ice in a Toronto hotel conference room. With each passing hour and no deal, it's becoming apparent the Hawks and goaltender Antti Niemi will meet at 8 a.m. Thursday for their scheduled salary arbitration hearing Depending on the decision of the arbitrator, the Hawks could be looking for a new netminder when they defend their first Stanley Cup since 1961. The sides exchanged briefings Tuesday and also sent them to the arbitrator who will determine how much of a raise Niemi, 26, will receive after making $800,000 last season. If the Hawks deem the figure"
Juli 28
St. Petersburg Times
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Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said he has reached out to the agent for right wing Steve Downie in order to get contract negotiations started. "Rick Curran and I have had initial talks," Yzerman said of Downie's agent. "We're going to get the ball rolling and get into it in the very near future, and I will make my offer to get Steve under contract." There really isn't much doubt Downie will sign. He is a restricted free agent, and barring another team making an offer (which the Lightning has a right to match), Downie's only other options if he is unhappy with a contract situation is to sit out or go to Europe. And it is only July. Still, Downie is a big piece to the"
Juli 28
Orange County Register
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The sprained left ankle that had 33 million people in Canada holding their collective breath about his participation in the Olympics back in January will apparently be no cause for concern for the thousands of Ducks fans here and abroad. OK, maybe not everyone north of the border was on pins and needles when Ryan Getzlaf's availability for Team Canada was in question after he got tangled up with the Kings' Dustin Brown. But you can bet that there are many within and outside of the organization who wonder if Getzlaf will be at full strength when the Oct. 8 season opener at Detroit arrives. The big center insists the ankle is fine. "It's going really good," Getzlaf told the Register on"
Juli 28
Columbus Dispatch
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The Blue Jackets have agreed to terms with defenseman Anton Stralman on a one-year, $1.95 million contract, The Dispatch has learned, allowing the two parties to avoid arbitration this morning in Toronto. Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson met with Stralman's agent, Marc Levine, this morning at 8 a.m. The two sides reached terms just a few minutes before a hearing was scheduled to begin with arbitrator Margaret Brogan. "Talking to Anton this morning, we both agreed that if we have to go through the process, we have to go through it," Howson said. "I made sure he knew this was part of the business and that whatever was going to be said in that room, we still like him as a player. But the danger"
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According to multiple reports, former Devils goaltender Yann Danis has signed to play with Amur Khabarovsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Danis became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and lost his job in New Jersey when the Devils signed Johan Hedberg to a one-year contract (worth a total of $1.5 million including bonuses) on that day."
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The to-do list for Predators General Manager David Poile has grown smaller in recent weeks. He had a successful draft by most experts' accounts, found a new team captain in Shea Weber, and made a nice move to improve the offense by adding Matthew Lombardi, one of the fastest players in the NHL. There are still a few things to check off, including finding a backup goaltender. But one item continues to grow more important: locking up Patric Hornqvist. The 23-year-old Swede, who signed a three-year, entry-level contract worth $1.75 million in 2007, is now a restricted free agent. The Predators want to lock him down to a multiyear deal, but probably don't want to give Hornqvist a long-term,"
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The Blackhawks have agreed to terms on a three-year, $2.7 million contract with defenseman Nick Leddy, who will turn professional and leave the University of Minnesota after playing one season, according to his agent, Neil Sheehy. The Hawks acquired the Eden Prairie, Minn., native in February as part of the trade that sent Cam Barker to the Wild for fellow defenseman Kim Johnsson. Leddy, 19, was the Wild's top pick (16th overall) in the 2009 entry draft and received the maximum terms as a first-round selection."
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The immediate financial future of Bruins winger Blake Wheeler now is in the hands of a third party. After negotiations between the player and team failed to produce a contract extension, the two sides went to an arbitration hearing yesterday in Toronto that last approximately three hours. Though such hearings have produced hard feelings between players and teams in the past, Wheeler's agent Matt Keator said the proceedings went smoothly. "I thought it went really well, from both sides," Keator said. "They pointed out a few of Blake's weaknesses, but Blake's a big boy. He knows where he has to improve. And we pointed Blake's strengths. I think it was handled very professionally." The"
Juli 28
Nashville City Paper
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It was a transaction that generated little interest in most NHL cities, yet it might have been one of the most important developments for the Nashville Predators. Forward Matt Moulson avoided arbitration Tuesday when he agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Islanders. He signed for $2.45 million and likely helped establish the market for Predators' forward Patric Hornqvist, who currently is without a contract. Moulson enjoyed a breakout season in 2009-10 when he played all 82 games for the Islanders. He scored 30 goals and had 18 assists Prior to that, the 26-year-old had 29 games of NHL experience and a total of 10 points (six goals, four assists). It was nearly identical to"
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The New York Rangers have signed unrestricted free agent forward Alexander Frolov. Frolov has surpassed the 20-goal plateau in five of his seven NHL campaigns, including two 30-goal seasons in 2006-07 and 2008-09. Frolov, 28, has skated in 536 career regular season contests with the Los Angeles Kings, registering 168 goals and 213 assists for 381 points, along with 210 penalty minutes. He has recorded 24 multi-goal games in his career, including three career hat-tricks."
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While teams continue to make inquiries about the availability of defenceman Tomas Kaberle, the Toronto Maple Leafs say that all is quiet at the moment. It is believed that the Leafs will once again turn up the heat on dealing their blueliner around August 1st when they will contact the teams who have already tabled offers. At that time the message will be "improve the offers, otherwise Kaberle will be taken off the market.""
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The Rangers are on the verge of signing unrestricted free agent left wing Alexander Frolov — a deal with perhaps the most talented scorer remaining on the market could be finalized today. Multiple reports Monday indicated the Rangers were very interested in signing the 28-year-old Russian, who slumped to 19 goals and 32 assists last season while falling out of favor with the Kings. However, the Kings still were interested in re-signing Frolov, the 20th overall pick in the 2000 draft who has 168 goals and 213 assists in 536 games for Los Angeles. Frolov also was mulling a more lucrative deal to return home and play for SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League."
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When Leafs GM Brian Burke left on his fishing trip last week, free agent Ilya Kovalchuk had just signed with the New Jersey Devils. In the back of his mind, he was thinking that was the first domino that needed to fall in order for him to best assess Tomas Kaberle's value on the NHL trade market. Burke returned to his office Monday to find the Kovalchuk situation had actually taken a step or two backwards, meaning Burke is no closer to determining Kaberle's future than he was a week ago."
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Russian newspaper SovSports is reporting that unrestricted free agent Alexander Frolov is on the verge of signing with the New York Rangers; however TSN has learned that while the two-sides are in discussion, no deal has been finalized. The report has a quote from Frolov's agent, Sergei Isakov stating that Frolov is about to sign a one-year contract with the Rangers, similar to the deal that Maxim Afinogenov (another one of Isakov's clients) had with the Atlanta Thrashers last season. Afinogenov had a career season in Atlanta after he signed a one-year deal with the Thrashers worth $800,000. He has yet to reap the rewards as he remains unsigned."
Juli 26
Newark Star-Ledger
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The NHL Players' Association likely will file a grievance today on behalf of Ilya Kovalchuk, whose 17-year, $102 million contract was rejected by the league. The union has until 5 p.m. to file the grievance or the Russian left winger will once again become an unrestricted free agent. Kovalchuk, 27, signed the longest contract in NHL history but the league rejected it for "circumventing the salary cap." The length of the deal lowered the cap hit to $6 million but league officials do not believe Kovalchuk will still be playing in the final years when his salary is set to be $550,000 per season. He would be 44 in the final season of the deal. Although the NHL informed the Devils one week ago"
Juli 26
Vancouver Province
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'Sami Salo seriously injured again' is the headline in the Friday July 23 edition of Helsingin Sanomat, over a file photo of Salo on a stormy Stanley Park seawall and the caption: Dark clouds hanging over Salo's hockey career again. But that was pretty well it for news of Salo's ruptured Achilles tendon, suffered playing the Nordic game of floorball, back in his homeland. Salo has won Olympic silver and bronze representing Finland, but apparently lacks the star appeal of, say, a Steve Nash or Justin Morneau, who if they were to suffer a possible career-ending injury kicking a soccer ball around in the offseason back in B.C. it would be news splashed all over the place. But a quick scan of"
Juli 26
Vancouver Province
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Canucks forward Mason Raymond has avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a two-year deal worth $5.1 million. The speedy Cochrane, Alta. native had a breakout season in 2009-10, producing 25 goals and 53 points in 82 games while establishing himself as one of the Canucks' top penalty-killers."
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The Boston Bruins and restricted free agent Blake Wheeler have apparently reached an impasse in contract negotiations and it appears that the matter will have to be solved in the winger's scheduled arbitration hearing Tuesday in Toronto. Wheeler's agent Matt Keator, e-mailing from Toronto on Monday morning, told ESPNBoston.com that Wheeler will be meeting him there later in the day to prepare for a hearing. "I am in Toronto and Blake is flying in today," Keator said. "I am anticipating arbitration tomorrow.""
Juli 26
St. Petersburg Times
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The Tampa Bay Lightning added organizational depth at forward Sunday, when it signed left wing Chris Durno to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced. Durno, 29, has good size, at 6 feet 4, 205 pounds, and last season played 41 games for the Avalanche with four goals, eight points and 47 penalty minutes. Here is the announcement from the team: The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed left wing Chris Durno to a two-way, one-year contract, Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman announced. Durno, 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, played in 41 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season, recording four goals and eight points with a plus-3 rating. He set NHL career highs for games played,"
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The Devils might have five million reasons to worry about the Players Association's expected filing for arbitration of Ilya Kovalchuk's rejected contract. A league source said the NHL is not threatening, but also not dismissing the possibility that the Devils might be liable for a fine of at least $1 million. The fine could go up to $5 million should an arbitrator finds that their $102 million, 17-year contract is indeed a circumvention of the collective bargaining agreement. In addition, Kovalchuk himself conceivably could be liable to a fine between $250G and $1 million. The Players Association can file a grievance by tomorrow afternoon against the league's rejection Tuesday of the"
Juli 24
Vancouver Province
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The Anaheim Ducks are doing more than kicking the tires on Kevin Bieksa. They're checking the sticker price. If the Ducks are willing to part with a draft pick and a prospect, that could send the Vancouver Canucks defenceman and the $3.75 million US remaining on his salary to a team in need of back-end help. It would also ease salary cap concerns for the Canucks, who added $825,000 to the mix Thursday in Jannik Hansen's arbitration settlement that puts the the club more than $1 million over the $59.4 million ceiling. After trading defenceman Steve Eminger to the New York Rangers — and losing Scott Niedermayer to retirement — the Ducks are down to Lumobir Visnovsky, Sheldon Brookbank, Tony"
Juli 23
St. Petersburg Times
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Take heart those of you from the recent debate on this blog who said the Tampa Bay Lightning needs to add some toughness. The team, apparently, has inquired about free agent Arron Asham. Agent Jarrett Bousquet said he has spoken to Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman, though he added he hasn't spoken to Yzerman in about a week and characterized Tampa Bay's interest only as "mild." The level of the Lightning's interest is difficult to pinpoint. The team, under Yzerman, has adopted a policy of not commenting on potential player acquisitions, and Yzerman has been busy the past week or so with the acquisition of Simon Gagne in trade from the Flyers and the signing of two assistant"
Juli 22
Los Angeles Times
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The Kings would again be interested in signing high-scoring winger Ilya Kovalchuk if the NHL's rejection of his 17-year, $102-million contract with the New Jersey Devils stands and he becomes a free agent, a source familiar with the team's thinking but not authorized to comment publicly said Wednesday. Before the Kings can rekindle their dreams, a series of steps must be followed as a result of the NHL's attempt to discourage teams from front-loading big contracts to minimize the charge against the salary cap and paying players past the point at which they could reasonably expect to be effective. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday that the contract was rejected because it was"
Juli 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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When David Perron broke into the NHL in 2007, he couldn't cash his paychecks from the Blues because he didn't have a Social Security number and therefore couldn't open a bank account. Let's hope he has an account now, because the restricted free agent signed a two-year, $4.3 million extension with the Blues on Wednesday. "Yeah, it's all taken care of," said Perron, who'll make $1.8 million in 2010-11 and $2.5 million in 2011-12. If Perron's savings account grows as much as he has since becoming the 26th player selected in '07, the winger should be in good shape financially. When he first walked into the Blues' locker room at age 19, he was a raw talent and didn't know the first thing about"
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Patrick Kaleta gets a new contract, gets to stay home to play for the Buffalo Sabres and gets to avoid going to arbitration. Now you know why the Angola native was all smiles Wednesday afternoon in HSBC Arena. The 24-year-old winger signed a two-year, $1.815 million deal with the Sabres, thus avoiding his July 29 hearing that was scheduled when the team made him the only NHL player facing club-elected arbitration. "Going in there and pleading cases each way, I'm not really a fan of it," Kaleta said. "I'm happy to get it over and done with and not worry about it for a couple of years. "I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far as a hockey player in Buffalo. Hopefully it's only a small"
Juli 22
Newark Star-Ledger
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Lou Lamoriello was not anxious to discuss the NHL's decision to reject the 17-year, $102 million contract signed by Ilya Kovalchuk. But when contacted Wednesday night, the Devils general manager seemed to suggest the team is not currently reworking the contract but waiting for help from the NHL Players' Association. "We just have to wait for the process right now with the way the CBA reads," Lamoriello said. "Right now it's in the player's hands and the union's hands. We just have to wait." So, is the NHLPA filing a grievance on behalf of Kovalchuk in an effort to keep the current deal? "I have not spoken to them. Not that I will," Lamoriello answered. "Right now we just have to wait and"
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Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray got part of his summer work done on Wednesday when he signed one of his three restricted free agents, Nick Foligno, to a two-year contract. Now Murray has to turn his attention to Peter Regin and Chris Campoli. Those negotiations could be a little tricker because both Campoli and Regin have filed for arbitration. Foligno, who made $785,000 U.S. last season, will make $2.4 million over the next two seasons. "I'm very happy," he said in an interview from his offseason home in Sudbury. "Obviously, this is where I want to be. I love playing here." Foligno, 22, had hoped for big things in his third NHL season, but it was one punctuated by injuries."
Juli 22
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Ondrej Pavelec has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Thrashers. Pavelec was quoted on a Website in the Czech Republic about the deal and his agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed the agreement this morning via Twitter. No deal has been signed yet, but the terms have been agreed to. According to the report the total deal is worth $2.3 million."
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With the Calgary Flames re-signing forward J.D. Watt, there is only one restricted free agent left — Ian White. The defenceman has a July 30 arbitration date. Last season, White pulled down a salary of $950,000. Watt, meanwhile, got a two-way, one-year deal from the Flames."
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The Philadelphia Flyers took care of some housekeeping on Wednesday as they signed restricted free agent Darroll Powe to a one-year contract worth $725,000. The 25-year old Powe had a career high nine goals and six assists in 63 games with the Flyers last season. He also skated in 23 playoff games, picking up one assist."
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The New York Islanders have shot down a rumour that goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered a broken shoulder and pelvis in a car accident, stating that the report was a complete fabrication. The alleged car crash was initially reported by an anonymous caller on 1050 ESPN radio in New York and quickly gathered steam via Twitter, with some reports stating that DiPietro had passed away."
Juli 21
Newark Star-Ledger
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The National Hockey League has rejected the 17-year, $102 million contract that Ilya Kovalchuk signed with the Devils on the grounds it circumvents the league's salary cap. The news was first reported on TSN's website. That means the blockbuster deal likely must be reworked. According to a person with knowledge of the contract who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak for the league on the matter, the Devils can attempt to reform and refile the contract. Alternately, the NHL Players' Association can file a grievance within five days from Wednesday. The deal is void until an arbitrator rules on the contract and that ruling must come within 48 hours of the grievance being"
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Jason Spezza wants to remain a Senator. Speaking publicly for the first time since his season-end meeting with general manager Bryan Murray, the team's No. 1 centre and highest-paid player made it clear his preference has always been to stay in Ottawa. There's been plenty of debate on the issue of Spezza's mindset since Murray told the media Spezza informed him he wouldn't "object" to being dealt. "At no point did I ever demand a trade," Spezza said Tuesday at his annual charity golf tournament, being played at Greyhawk. "I've seen a lot of what's been written and talked about ... at the end of the year I was pretty emotional and upset ... I was upset at us losing, and I was upset at a bit"
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Just a week before Bruins forward Blake Wheeler's July 27 arbitration hearing, there was no progress to report on contract talks between the restricted free agent and the club. Late Tuesday afternoon, Wheeler's agent Matt Keator said the two sides would talk again this weekend but gave no indication that those talks would settle the matter. "We'll talk to them again this weekend and see how that goes," Keator said. "But there's nothing new to report right now and if we can't reach an agreement this weekend, then we go to arbitration. That's fine and that's why they have the arbitration process.""
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If the NHL wants a battle, it is likely to get one with the Players Association over the league's rejection of the Devils' $102 million, 17-year contract with Ilya Kovalchuk. For the first time under the current collective bargaining agreement, the NHL and the Players Association are expected to square off before an arbitrator over a rejected contract. First, however, they'll have to settle on a "system arbitrator," never having needed one before. The league last night rejected the longest-ever player contract, which took 20 days to be signed, claiming that it circumvents the CBA. The league apparently does not believe Kovalchuk is going to play until age 44, when the contract would"
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The Montreal Canadiens make a pair of depth moves on Tuesday, signing forward Ryan Russell and goaltender Cedrick Desjardins each to one-year, two-way contracts. The 23-year old Russell played in 74 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2009-10. He finished sixth on the team with 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists), and led the team with three shorthanded goals. He added 12 points (7-5-12) in 19 playoff games, while posting a plus-5 differential."
Juli 21
Raleigh News & Observer
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The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with defenseman Brett Carson on a one-year, two-way contract that will pay him $500,000 on the NHL level and $105,000 on the American Hockey League level in 2010-11. "Brett got his first shot at being a regular on the NHL level last season and proved that he could provide a consistent, solid presence on our back end," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said. "We're happy that we were able to get this deal done and bring him back, as this really strengthens the depth of our defense." Carson, 24, established NHL career highs in games played (54), goals (two), assists (10) and points (12) in 2009-10. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native ranked"
Juli 21
Vancouver Province
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Jannik Hansen had his arbitration case heard Tuesday in Toronto and will learn his contractual fate within 48 hours. It's a safe bet that the Vancouver Canucks would accept a reasonable one-year, one-way award by an independent arbiter. Hansen, 24, elected salary arbitration and Mark Stowe, the agent for the restricted free agent, presented his case to prove that there's greater value than the two-way deal the versatile Dane had last season that paid $550,000 at the NHL level. Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman argued on behalf of management and could cite just 15 points in 47 games from the winger as reason for fiscal restraint — although Hansen did miss the first 19 games"
Juli 21
Detroit Free Press
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It bears emphasizing that while the Red Wings very much want to add Mike Modano to the lineup, Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm remain important parts of the team. Abdelkader and Helm, both 23, are restricted free agents, and general manager Ken Holland said contracts likely won't get done until after Modano announces his decision. Modano told the Free Press on Monday he doesn't anticipate doing that until after he starts skating Aug. 5. Modano's presence especially would affect Abdelkader, who right now is slotted to center the third line between wingers Jiri Hudler and Dan Cleary. That's got the potential to be a nice point-getting spot, as Hudler and Cleary are 20-goal scorers. If"
Juli 21
Newark Star-Ledger
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After the Devils resolve the current contract situation with Ilya Kovalchuk, they can turn their attention toward locking up their other young superstar: Zach Parise. Parise, who recorded 38 goals and 82 points last season, is entering the final year of a four-year, $12.5 million pact he signed in 2007. The Devils' first-round draft pick in 2003, Parise is set to become a restricted free agent at season's end and will be one of the most sought-after players on the market, likely commanding a similar sum to that of Kovalchuk. Parise, who will turn 26 on July 28, sat in the first row with teammates Martin Brodeur, Patrik Elias, Jamie Langenbrunner and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond during"
Juli 21
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Thrashers forward Clarke MacArthur will likely become an unrestricted free agent in the next day or two. MacArthur filed for arbitration and his hearing is set for tomorrow. However, don't be surprised if the Thrashers walk away from what will be an award of more than $2 million a season. I'm hearing they will most likely walk, making MacArthur an UFA. With that being the case, the arbitrator could rule as early as today – before there is a hearing. The Thrashers made a qualifying offer to MacArthur, who was a restricted free agent, in June. Since then, the Thrashers made several moves, including the trade for Andrew Ladd."
Juli 21
Vancouver Province
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Another day, another Kevin Bieksa rumour. The latest twist in Twitter-land is that the Montreal Canadiens covet the Vancouver Canucks defenceman in exchange for 2010 first-round draft choice Jarred Tinordi. The rumour has some legs because the Canucks had interest in the 6-foot-5 blueliner, who's the son of former NHL defenceman Mark Tinordi. He had nine points and 68 penalty minutes with the U.S. National Team Development Program last season and a was a member of the U.S. team that won the 2010 under-18 world title. Tinordi is projected as a tough, top-four defenceman and that's why the Canadiens traded up to take him 22nd overall last month."