New Jersey Devils Sign Anton Volchenkov to a 6-year, $25.5M Contract and Henrik Tallinder to a 4-year, $13.5M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

It looks like the Devils were more worried about a defensive game than an Ilya Kovalchuk game.

 New Jersey got one of the best shot-blockers in the league.  But don't think that the team is the only winner here; Volchenkov has to be happy that he won't have to block those Brian Rolston bombs anymore.  The Russian defenseman was yet another piece that the Devils knew they needed.  He really brings more of a competitive edge to New Jersey as the league's best shot-blocker.

Henrik Tallinder is a former Buffalo defenseman that can put fear into opposing offenses.  His 6'3” stature doesn't even speak for how well he keeps forwards out of the play.  He also is a smooth skater that possesses soft hands to make some long stretch passes out of his zone.  New Jersey knew what they wanted when they went after this guy.

A cap-hit of $4.25 million may be a little too high for Volchenkov, as he really does not possess much of an offensive game.  His former salary of $3.5 million with Ottawa was just about right for what a defensive defenseman should command.  But if Volchenkov and Tallinder can combine to stop all opposing offenses with the help of their defensive teammates, it may prove to be two great pickups at season's end.Continue reading "New Jersey Devils Sign Anton Volchenkov ..."

Atlanta Signs Chris Mason to a 2-year, $3.7M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

After gobbling up Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Andrew Ladd from the Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks, the Thrashers have signed Chris Mason, formerly of the St. Louis Blues.

Mason had a good season in 2009-10, posting a 30-22-8 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.53 GAA.  He is best at stopping shooters on side-to-side movement, and can also make that spectacular save when needed.  The only knock on Mason may be his rebound control; many goals allowed last season were on second or third shots.

The Thrashers may have gotten a steal on Mason though.  The Canadian goaltender commanded $3.50 last season, and even turned down an extension from St. Louis before the Blues acquired Jaroslav Halak from Montreal, reportedly worth around $3.70 million.  Now signing at a cap-hit of $1.85 million, Mason joins Ondrej Pavelec as the goaltending tandem for the Thrashers. 

Was this signing to make Mason the starter?  I would guess not.  The Thrashers made a good move in getting Mason, but this just may be what Pavelec needs to really challenge for a number one job in Atlanta.  Great move no matter how you look at it by the Thrashers.Continue reading "Atlanta Signs Chris Mason to a 2-year, $3.7M Deal"

Phoenix Signs Ray Whitney to a 2-year, $6M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

Shane Doan and Ed Jovanovski may have help on the veteran end of things in Phoenix.

Ray Whitney, the long-time member of the Carolina Hurricanes, has decided to sign a 2-year deal that will place him in a young locker room full of impressionable faces. 

The 38-year old right-winger proved last season that he can still be a big-game player; scoring 21 goals and five game-winners at his age is quite impressive. 

The Coyotes will be without forward Matthew Lombardi, who hit the free-agent market today, so bringing in another forward who knows how to get the job done could be vital to this franchise.  The Coyotes had their biggest season in 2009-10 and they look like they were not finished there.Continue reading "Phoenix Signs Ray Whitney to a 2-year, $6M Deal"

New York Rangers Sign Derek Boogaard to a 4-year, $6.5M Contract posted by Jeff Ponder

The boys in blue found a way to get even meaner on Thursday.

On a team that already sends out Sean Avery, Brandon Prust and Aaron Voros every night, the Rangers went after one of the toughest guys in the league.  Boogaard, after being involved in many rumors of him heading to the Detroit Red Wings, gladly accepted a big contract for a big man (6'8” 257 lbs.). 

After scoring four assists and 107 penalty minutes in 57 games played last season for the Minnesota Wild, Boogaard will be happy to earn his money when playing sparingly.  The slow-footed Saskatoon native will probably see a lot of time riding the bench since the Rangers' roster is stacked with players who are tough but can still skate with a lot of talent in the league. 

This deal definitely is a victory for Boogaard and his agent; the Rangers did not need him on their team.  What the Rangers should have been worrying about to start the free-agent period was goal-scoring.  They ranked 16th in the league in goals per game (2.67) last season, which is not too shabby unless you want to consider they were just one goal away from making the NHL playoffs.  Boogaard's 2 career goals will do nothing to improve those totals.Continue reading "New York Rangers Sign Derek Boogaard ..."

San Jose Signs Antero Niittymaki to a 2 year, $4M Contract posted by Jeff Ponder

San Jose got their starting netminder... sorta.

Antero Niitymaki, the former Flyer and Lightning goalie, has reached an agreement with the West Coast team.  But what does this mean for the Sharks?

The Finnish goaltender had a so-so season in 2009-10, finishing with a .909 save percentage and a 2.87 GAA in 49 games for the Lightning.  This is about what he has posted for the past couple of seasons.  He never seems to be a game-stealer, nor does he really ever cause your team to lose.  This may not be what the Sharks need.

After trading former starter Evgeni Nabokov's rights to Philadelphia and watching captain and star defenseman Rob Blake retire a few days ago, San Jose GM Doug Wilson had to make a move to improve defensively.  I doubt this is what most people have in mind when thinking about an improvement over Nabokov.  Niittymaki will play well enough for the Sharks to get victories, but he is far from being a top-goalie in the league.  All that the Sharks did now is give backup netminder Thomas Greiss hope of being a NHL starter next season. 

This looks like a reenactment of the Sharks' tandem of Nabokov and Vesa Toskala from a few years back.  The only difference is that its a tandem of backups instead of a tandem of game-savers.Continue reading "San Jose Signs Antero Niittymaki ..."

Pittsburgh Loads up on Defense and Signs Zbynek Michalek to a 5-year, $20M Contract and Paul Martin to a 5-year, $25M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

So... Gonchar, who?

The Penguins may have improved even more this off-season, making a big splash in the free-agent market.  Zbynek Michalek was a very steady-defenseman for the Phoenix Coyotes last season, while Paul Martin was skating the puck down his opponents' throats in New Jersey all season.

Michalek, 27, had just 17 points for the Coyotes last season, but really knows how to play in his end of the rink.  His big 6'2” frame saw opposing top-line forwards all season, and his plus/minus rating of five shows how good he was, when factoring in that he was on a low-scoring Phoenix squad. 

Paul Martin was one of the most-sought after free-agents that no one knew about... if that makes sense.  He had an injury-riddled season in 2009-10, but the season prior he amassed 33 points on a very defensive New Jersey roster.  His plus-55 career-rating is something to marvel in the 29-year old defenseman.

Losing Gonchar meant that the Penguins had to step up and get somebody on the open market.  Not only did they find a steady defenseman in Michalek, they got someone who can move the puck almost as well as Gonchar.  If these two are paired together in Pittsburgh, it could spell an end to other teams thinking that all they have to do is outscore the Penguins.Continue reading "Pittsburgh Loads up on Defense and ..."

Calgary Goes Old-School; Sign Alex Tanguay to a 1-year, $1.7M Deal and Olli Jokinen to a 2-year, $6 million Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

The Flames are taking the stance that if they can't win, they have to stick to what they know.

Both Tanguay and Jokinen are former Flames, though both were at different times.  Is this a questionable move; you bet'cha.

Tanguay is coming off of a dreadful season in Tampa Bay, scoring just ten goals and 37 points.  This isn't the first sign of the 30-year old dropping off though; his goal totals have slowly diminished every season since 2005-06.  But his speed and quick hands can come in handy when he hits the face-off dots.

Jokinen was traded by GM Darryl Sutter and the Calgary Flames in February of last season with Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.  His lack of effort and poor point totals (15g-35a—50p) were a huge disappointment last season, especially when considering that he was ranked 14th in points in the entire NHL just four seasons before (39g-52a—91p).  Since leaving the Florida Panthers and joining the Western Conference in 2008, Jokinen has proven to be a purely Eastern Conference forward.

While the Tanguay signing will bring a lot of flack with it, it is understandable that Sutter may want to give the winger a chance.  After all, even when he is not scoring, Tanguay is still a presence on the ice that works well behind the net.  But the Jokinen signing is near-laughable.  Just a few months ago, Sutter could not wait to unload Jokinen to somebody else.  Now, its as if Sutter completely forgot how bad Jokinen was as a Flame in his last season.  If you're lucky Darryl, Jokinen will put up another 11 goals for your club.

Senators Sign Sergei Gonchar to a 3-year, $16.5M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

When you lose to a team in the playoffs, what is the best way to beat them the next season?  By stealing their players, of course.

Sergei Gonchar, an eight-time 50-point scoring defenseman, has called it quits in Pittsburgh and moved on to Ottawa.  Averaging $5.5 million a season, this could prove to be a good signing for Ottawa.  Even at a steep-price for a defenseman, Gonchar has proven time and again that he can still move the puck with the best of them, even at the age of 36.  His 39 assists last season gave him his ninth time of scoring 30 assists or more in a season. 

Gonchar also brings experience to the table.  He has been a part of a strong franchise in Pittsburgh for quite some time now, and was a member of the Penguins' 2009 championship season.

Ottawa needed to bring in a strong-skating defenseman.  Gonchar will prove useful down in the stretch late in the season.Continue reading "Senators Sign Sergei Gonchar to a ..."

Blues Re-Sign Alex Steen to a 4-year, $13.450M Deal posted by Jeff Ponder

The Blues got their leading scorer back.

Steen had a semi-breakout year in 2009-10, sharing the Blues lead with a career-high 24 goals, and ranking first on the team with seven power-play goals.  His shot from the point was the driving force behind the man-advantage this season, as he truly developed into a quarterback for his team.

“Alex had a career year last season and was a key part on our power play unit,” said Blues GM Doug Armstrong, who officially started his new job this morning. “We’re happy to have him in the fold for the next four seasons.”

The deal breaks down into a back-loaded contract.  He will receive $2.75 million in 2010-11, and $3.56 million in the next three seasons.  His cap-hit will be $3.36 million each season.

This is a very smart move for the St. Louis Blues.  Steen, who came to St. Louis as part of the trade that sent Lee Stempniak to Toronto back in November of 2008, averaged just 16:16 per game, which ranked him 16th on the team in time-played.  Scoring 24 goals in a season in that short of time is truly impressive.  The Blues may have stolen this deal. Continue reading "Blues Re-Sign Alex Steen to a 4-year, ..."

Free Agency Spoilers posted by Jeff Ponder

Time to jump on the bandwagon – I have compiled a list of what I think will happen in early July during the free-agent frenzy in the NHL.  Some are just thoughts to consider, but I have a few strong beliefs compiled in here as well.  But you really have to ponder over how often us hockey bloggers are actually correct.

-Ilya Kovalchuk is easily the biggest name available in this year's free-agency period.  Considering his rejection of a huge contract extension in Atlanta and his inability to move the Devils past the first round of the playoffs, Kovalchuk will most likely be playing in yet another new city.  This player thrives on open rink and finding holes, so expect him to stay in the high-flying East.  He will be getting a raise from his current $6.39 million/year salary, especially considering the Sharks just gave Patrick Marleau, a less-talented scoring forward, a contract worth $27.6 million spanning over four seasons. Teams will be reaching deep into their pocket books for this guy.  But don't take Kovalchuk's rejection to Atlanta personal; the guy wants to win.  Teams with cap room to spare and a will to capture hockey's holy grail will be the front-runner's for Kovalchuk's services.

Possible destinations:  Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning

-Evgeni Nabokov saw his contract traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, ending his long-stint with the San Jose Sharks as their top netminder.  But will he sign with Philly?  As of Monday, Don Meehan, Nabokov's agent, said that the Flyers have made no progress in signing the goaltender.  His services would be an extraordinary help to the Flyers, despite Michael Leighton's superb job as the starter in the playoffs.  The Flyers did well with Leighton, but having a sure-fire number one goaltender will only bolster the high-powered roster.  I expect the Flyers to shed salary or work out a deal with Nabby now to put him in a Flyers uniform.  Maybe not today, maybe not even tomorrow, but Nabokov will be a Flyer to start the 2010-11 season.
Continue reading "Free Agency Spoilers"

Sharks sign Stanley Cup-winning G Niemi (AP)

The San Jose Sharks have signed the goalie who helped knock them out of the playoffs, agreeing to a one-year, $2 million deal with Antti Niemi. The team announced the deal Thursday. Niemi stopped 129 of 136 shots in the Western Conference final to help Chicago sweep the Sharks. The Blackhawks went on to win the Stanley Cup behind Niemi but cut ties with the goalie because of salary cap concerns. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Ex-coach Demers facing third operation (AP)

Jacques Demers, the former NHL coach turned Canadian senator, said he will have a third operation after nearly dying during a botched hernia procedure. The 66-year-old Demers made his first public appearance since the initial operation when he joined Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday at an outdoor rally. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Report: Sharks to sign Cup-winning goalie

Goaltender Antti Niemi agreed to a one-year, $2 million contractwith the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NHL

Deadline for Kovalchuk decision extended to Friday

The deadline for the NHL to decide if the latest deal between IlyaKovalchuk and the New Jersey Devils is acceptable has been extendedto Friday. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for NHL

Sharks CEO Jamison stepping down (AP)

San Jose Sharks CEO Greg Jamison is stepping down from his job running the day-to-day operations of the club. The team announced Wednesday that Jamison's last day as CEO will be Oct. 1. A search for a replacement will begin soon. Jamison will remain part of the ownership and will be the team's representative on the NHL's Board of Governors. [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports