NHL 2011-2012 offseason and on!

[MalReynolds]

The "free agent frenzy" begins this friday

Here is a list of the free agents.


Heading the "thin pack" of free agents is Brad Richards.

Start the craziness which is the off season!

[biosc1]

Bieksa resigned for 5-years $23 million. For a guy we were about to trade at the beginning of the year, he really turned it around. Hopefully, he stays consistent.

Vancouver also kept Lapierre who I think will be a solid 4th centre.

Now, it's just Ehroff and Salo remaining...we'll probably lose Ehroff and do we really want to keep Salo?

[MalReynolds]

more signing

Forward Brooks Laich has signed a six-year, $27 million contract to stay with the Washington Capitals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have reportedly agreed with forward Pascal Dupuis to a two-year contract worth $3 million.

The Vancouver Canucks have signed restricted free agent Maxim Lapierre to a two-year deal worth $2-million.

According to RDS, Marc-Andre Bergeron has signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the club.

The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed defenceman Joni Pitkanen to a 3-year, $13.5 million contract.

[MalReynolds]

While the Vancouver Canucks locked up an important piece of their blueline in Kevin Bieksa on Monday, it looks like another one of their key defencemen will be testing the market.

TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie reports that negotiations between Christian Ehrhoff and the Canucks have not resulted in a deal getting done to this point, so it's looking more like he will go to unrestricted free agency on Friday.

Sources say Ehrhoff was offered the same deal Bieksa received and accepted this week. Bieksa signed a new five-year, $23 million contract that includes a no-trade clause.

According to sources, the Canucks are now apparently soliciting interest in his pre-July 1 negotiating rights, though the door isn't closed entirely on a return to Vancouver.

The 28-year-old was acquired by the Canucks from San Jose prior to the 2009-10 season. In two years with Vancouver, he posted back-to-back 14-goal seasons, the two best totals of his seven-year career.

He finished with a career-high 50 points last season and has has 53 goals and 173 assists in 500 career NHL games.

sucks for Vancouver

[Uatu]

Brooks Laich's signing was a huge surprise. Pretty much everyone had scratched him off the roster once Troy Brouwer was signed during the Draft.

He was considered the number 2 or 3 pick for Friday and was estimated to make more money leaving DC, but he stated that he couldn't leave the team. I was surprised how much DC ended up offering him, since right now cap space is what we need. I am expecting some of the dead weight to get cut soon enough. Two predictions for me would be DJ King and Matt Bradley. Not commenting anything on their ability, but they are definitely currently filling roles the Capitals don't need. I also don't think we will see much of our new acquirements from later last season. Sucks, but oh well.

Think I may pick up a Laich jersey before the season starts; dude is a great player and has integrity, and it is awesome we will have both him and Brouwer tearing things up down the center.

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by MalReynolds

sucks for Vancouver

Yah, it was not expected to have Erhoff re-signed.

If we're really lucky and Gillis is crazy, we may get Shea Weber

[MalReynolds]

Originally Posted by biosc1

Yah, it was not expected to have Erhoff re-signed.

If we're really lucky and Gillis is crazy, we may get Shea Weber

have fun with that


also i wasnt expecting Dupuis to be back but he is i suppose

[MalReynolds]

Originally Posted by Uatu

Brooks Laich's signing was a huge surprise. Pretty much everyone had scratched him off the roster once Troy Brouwer was signed during the Draft.

He was considered the number 2 or 3 pick for Friday and was estimated to make more money leaving DC, but he stated that he couldn't leave the team. I was surprised how much DC ended up offering him, since right now cap space is what we need. I am expecting some of the dead weight to get cut soon enough. Two predictions for me would be DJ King and Matt Bradley. Not commenting anything on their ability, but they are definitely currently filling roles the Capitals don't need. I also don't think we will see much of our new acquirements from later last season. Sucks, but oh well.

Think I may pick up a Laich jersey before the season starts; dude is a great player and has integrity, and it is awesome we will have both him and Brouwer tearing things up down the center.

i think 4.5 million is a little to much for Laich but hes a good play non the less

[Jackel]

Ehrhoff had his rights sent to the islanders for a 4th round pick. Better than nothing.

Brought to you by that storm on my Thunderbolt.

[Hyperglide]

Max Talbot to the Leafs perhaps? I like it. Rumours are Burkie is trying to obtain is rights before July 1st. He'd be a great 4th line center with Brown and Rupp (FA signing) or Orr but I really like Brent

[MalReynolds]

The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed forward Nathan Gerbe to a three-year, $4.3 million deal with an average cap hit of $1.43 million per season

The Carolina Hurricanes and Chad Larose have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $3.4 million

Two more deals

The Florida Panthers announced they have signed Tomas Kopecky to a four-year deal

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed centre Adam Hall to a one-year, $600,000 contract

The New York Rangers are reportedly preparing to buy out the contract of forward Chris Drury in a move that will make the veteran an unrestricted free agent.

The value of the buyout will be $3.7 million, with $1.66 million due next year.

The New York Post is reporting that the 34-year-old Rangers captain, who played four seasons in New York, will be bought out on Wednesday.

Drury was due to earn $5 million during the upcoming final season of a five-year, $35.25 million deal that he signed after coming over from the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent in the summer of 2007.

Drury was limited to 24 games last season because of two broken fingers and knee surgery. The Post reports that he is eligible to sign a one-year contract with bonuses because he was on the injured reserve list for more than 100 days last season.

In an e-mail to the Post, Drury acknowledged that his time in New York was coming to an end.

"It was a great honor and privilege to be a New York Ranger for the past four years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that childhood dream," said Drury to the Post. "The Rangers are a first-class organization with great people in the hockey, public relations, team services and community relations departments.

"I wish all the fans and the entire Ranger organization the best of luck in the future."

Drury won the Calder Trophy in 1998-99 and captured the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001. He is a three-time Olympian who has won two silver medals for the U.S.

In 892 NHL contests Drury has 255 goals and 615 points while playing for Colorado, Calgary, Buffalo, and the Rangers.

The Penguins have made an offer to Jaromir Jagr to return to Pittsburgh and according to general manager Ray Shero, an answer is expected to come Wednesday.

The Penguins offered the winger a one-year contract on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"We'll find out tomorrow," Shero told the newspaper. "We made our offer. It's an offer that really isn't going to change. We only have so much to spend."

The five-time scoring champion was a pivotal player in helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992 and has not played for any NHL club since the 2007-08 season when he was a member of the New York Rangers.

The seven-time All-Star also played for the Washington Capitals before joining the Rangers in a trade during the 2003-04 season.

"He was an icon in Pittsburgh," Shero told the Gazette. "We'd like to see him finish his career here."

Jagr had 50 points in 49 games with Avangard Omsk of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League last season.

Earlier in the day, the Penguins re-signed forward Pascal Dupuis to a two-year contract worth $3 million. The deal will count $1.5 million against Pittsburgh's salary cap over the next two seasons.

Paul Kariya has decided to retire after 15 seasons in the NHL.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed goalie Dwayne Roloson to a one-year deal worth $3 million.

The Montreal Canadiens have traded the rights to defenceman James Wisniewski to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2012.

The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed defenseman Yannick Weber to a two-year contract.

Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - The Anaheim Ducks announced the retirement of forward Todd Marchant on Wednesday.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired the negotiating rights to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Maxime Talbot, according to an RDS report.

The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed defenceman Andrew Alberts to a two-year contract extension.

[Troggles]

Glad to see the Sabres keep Gerbe. It's fun watching him and Myers on the ice at the same time. The height difference between the two is enough to create another man.

[MalReynolds]

Originally Posted by Troggles

Glad to see the Sabres keep Gerbe. It's fun watching him and Myers on the ice at the same time. The height difference between the two is enough to create another man.

but its a sad day in Pittsburgh

[Troggles]

I really like the young core of players we have going in Buffalo. The last three rookies of the year for the AHL have all come from our team.

[Troggles]

The Sabres have acquired the rights to negotiate with defenseman Christian Ehrhoff from the NY Islanders for a 4th rd. draft pick in 2012

Nice try Islanders, but let a real team do some negotiating now.

[MalReynolds]

Originally Posted by Troggles

Nice try Islanders, but let a real team do some negotiating now.

because no one wants to be in NYI

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired the negotiating rights to defenceman Steve Montador from the Buffalo Sabres for a seventh-round pick in either the 2012 or 2013 draft.

The Pittsburgh Penguins agreed to terms with forward Arron Asham on a one-year, $775,000 contract on Wednesday

[Dark Prince]

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello doesn’t expect to be nearly as involved in the UFA market this summer.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

Not a bad idea actually; need to take a break, we already had many signings last year. We just need ton concentrate on resigning some guys. I could see maybe them going after a puck-moving defenseman which is what we really need right now. Although Larsson is a great addition, it'll take time before he is developed to be NHL ready, if he doesn't make the roster right out camp.

[MalReynolds]

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed defenceman Ladislav Smid to a two-year contract extension.

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed restricted free agent forward T.J. Oshie to a one-year, $2.35-million contract.

more signings

[biosc1]

Originally Posted by Troggles

Nice try Islanders, but let a real team do some negotiating now.

Man, 4th round draft picks are just flying around.

Originally Posted by Dark Prince

Not a bad idea actually; need to take a break, we already had many signings last year. We just need ton concentrate on resigning some guys. I could see maybe them going after a puck-moving defenseman which is what we really need right now. Although Larsson is a great addition, it'll take time before he is developed to be NHL ready, if he doesn't make the roster right out camp.

The UFA market isn't that deep this year. It's the RFA market that will bring some surprises.

Especially if Philly does the rumoured $10m/yr x 10 year offer to Stamkos.

[Kielaran]

Jagr is back in Pittsburgh!