Tampa Bay welcomes back Gratton for the third time
June 13th, 2007
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning reacquired forward Chris Gratton from the Florida Panthers on Wednesday in exchange for a second-round pick in either the 2007 or 2008 draft.
Gratton was the Lightning's first-round choice, third overall, in the 1993 entry draft. He played four seasons in his first stint in Tampa from 1993-97, then parts of two seasons in his second stint from 1998-2000, accumulating 88 goals and 236 points in 404 games. The 6-4, 220-pounder recorded career highs in goals (30), points (62), and penalty minutes (207) in 1996-97.
"We have been pursuing Chris for some time now," said Lightning executive vice president and general manager Jay Feaster. "He has great size and strength, he is very good on face-offs, he has excellent grit and is willing to take care of both himself and defend his teammates. They say in life that 'the third time is the charm,' and we truly believe that his third time in a Lightning uniform is going to be a great one for Chris and our team."
The 31-year-old native of Brantford, Ontario has bounced around the NHL during his 13-year career. He signed as a free agent with Philadelphia in the summer of 1997, then was sent back to Tampa in a December, 1998 trade. Following that tenure, he was acquired by the Buffalo Sabres late in the 1999-2000 season, spending parts of four seasons there until Phoenix acquired him in a deal for Daniel Briere in 2003.
He spent parts of two seasons with the Coyotes before moving onto Colorado at the tail end of the 2003-2004 campaign. Gratton signed with Florida in 2005, scoring 30 goals and 74 points in 157 games over the last two seasons.
Gratton has played in 1,008 games with six teams, scoring 204 goals, collecting 340 assists and amassing 1,549 penalty minutes.
Panthers trade Gratton to Lightning, give Allen 5-year deal
June 13, 2007
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -The Florida Panthers traded center Chris Gratton to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday for a second-round pick in the 2007 or 2008 NHL draft.
That deal was announced a few hours after the Panthers re-signed defenseman Bryan Allen to a five-year contract worth nearly $15 million.
The Panthers have the option of choosing which year they will take the pick acquired in the deal for Gratton, who had 13 goals and 22 assists this season for Florida.
Gratton was Tampa Bay's first-round pick - No. 3 overall - in the 1993 draft and scored 88 goals in parts of six seasons with the Lightning, where he also served as team captain in the 1999-2000 season.
``Chris Gratton is the ideal third-line center for our hockey team,'' Lightning general manager Jay Feaster said. ``He has great size and strength, he is very good on face-offs, he has excellent grit and is willing both to take care of himself and defend his teammates, he is fearless when standing in front of the net on the power play and he has developed over time into a solid penalty killer as well.''
Allen was a restricted free agent this offseason. He played in all 82 games for the Panthers this past season and finished with four goals and a career-high 21 assists.
``The signing of Allen marks another significant step in our plan to bring continued stability and success to the Panthers,'' Florida coach and general manager Jacques Martin said.
Allen came to Florida in the trade that sent goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Vancouver Canucks last year.
Report: Turgeon to retire
TheFourthPeriod.com
Avalanche forward Pierre Turgeon has decided to call it quits, reports the Denver Post.
Turgeon, the NHL's 27th all-time leading scorer, has played his final two seasons with the Avalanche.
Citing sources close to the 37-year-old, the Post claims Turgeon will make an official announcement soon.
Turgeon, who scored 515 goals and 1,327 points in 1,294 career games with six NHL teams, signed a two-year, $3 million contract with Colorado in 2005
Flyers sign goaltender Niittymaki to 2-year contract
June 14, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The Flyers signed restricted free agent goaltender Antero Niittymaki to a two-year contract on Thursday.
The Finn struggled last season, going 9-29-9 with a 3.38 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 52 games with Philadelphia.
Niittymaki, who turns 27 on Monday, is coming off surgery on his left hip in April and was expected to need about 10 weeks to recover. He had a similar operation on his right hip last year.
In three seasons with the Flyers, Niittymaki has a 35-44-15 record and a 3.12 goals-against average in 101 career games.
He will probably back up Martin Biron, who signed a two-year, $7 million contract in March. Acquired from Buffalo for a second-round draft pick in late February, Biron was the Flyers' starter down the stretch.
``We believe that Antero is a very good young goalie,'' Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. ``He is only 26 years old and we feel that he is still on the upswing.
``We realize that last year was a down year for everybody, including Antero. We feel that our goaltending, along with Marty Biron, is strong, and we are excited to have both of them under contract.''
Bruins axe Lewis
June 15th, 2007
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - After just one season behind the bench, the Boston Bruins fired head coach Dave Lewis on Friday.
The Bruins also relieved associate coach Marc Habscheid of his duties. Both are expected to be reassigned to other positions within the organization.
"Since the season has ended I have completed a thorough review of the team and the coaching staff, and I have determined that Dave Lewis and Marc Habscheid are not the proper fit for the Bruins at this time," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "I have a short list of candidates in mind, and I hope to have a new head coach in place in the near future."
Lewis became Boston's head coach last June and led the club to a 35-41-6 record this past season. The Bruins missed out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Avs sign Guite, McCormick
June 15th, 2007
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Avalanche signed forward Ben Guite to a two-year contract and forward Cody McCormick to a one-year deal on Friday.
Guite, 28, played in 39 games for the Avalanche last season, tallying three goals and eight assists.
"Ben provided some quality minutes during our stretch run," said Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Francois Giguere. "We look for him to continue his role on our team."
The Montreal, Quebec native signed with the Avalanche as a free agent on July 12, 2006 after originally being drafted by Montreal in the 1997 draft.
The 24-year-old McCormick was the Avalanche's fifth selection (144th overall) in the 2001 NHL Draft. He began the 2006-07 season with Colorado, recording no goals and one assist in six games before being reassigned to the club's AHL affiliate
"Cody has almost 100 games of NHL experience," said Giguere. "He brings an element of grit and energy to our organization."
Canadiens ink Higgins, Komisarek for two more years
June 15th, 2007
Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday the signing of forward Chris Higgins and defenseman Mike Komisarek to two-year contracts.
Per club policy, financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed.
"Christopher Higgins and Mike Komisarek are two of the young players we consider to be building blocks for the long term success of our team," said Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey. "Christopher is a complete player with great offensive skills who improved consistently since making his NHL debut. Mike displayed outstanding defensive poise over the past seasons and his physical presence is an undeniable asset to our group of defensemen."
The 24-year-old Higgins, in his second year in the league, recorded 38 points (22 goals, 16 assists) in 61 games in the 2006-07 season.
Higgins has registered 76 points in 143 NHL regular season games.
Komisarek, 25, completed his fourth NHL season in 2006-07, scoring a career- high four goals and tallied 15 assists.
Komisarek has scored 30 career points (six goals, 24 assists).
Blackhawks acquire Samsonov from Habs
June 16th, 2007
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks acquired forward Sergei Samsonov from the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday in exchange for defenseman Jassen Cullimore and forward Tony Salmelainen.
Samsonov played in 63 games last season for Montreal and registered nine goals and 17 assists.
"We believe Sergei can rebound and give us a spark on the power play and offensively as well as improve our overall skill level," said Chicago general manager Dale Tallon in making the announcement. "We feel he has a lot left in the tank and playing under Denis Savard will bring out the offensive creativity that he has shown in the past."
Samsonov, who was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 1997 draft by the Boston Bruins, won the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie in 1997-98.
In nine seasons in the league, Samsonov has appeared in 596 regular-season games with Boston, Edmonton and Montreal, scoring 178 goals and picking up 240 assists for 418 points. He has also played in 59 career playoff games, recording 13 goals and 26 assists for 39 points
Cullimore, 34, played the last two seasons with the Blackhawks, scoring two goals and picking up 12 assists in 118 games. This will be Cullimore's second stint in Montreal as the blueliner spent two years with the Habs starting in 1996.
The 25-year-old Salmelainen netted six goals and added 11 helpers in 57 games last season for Chicago.
Flyers get Timonen and Hartnell from Nashville
June 18, 2007
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell from the Nashville Predators on Monday, improving a team that finished last in the NHL.
The Predators get a first-round pick - the same one they sent to the Flyers to acquire Peter Forsberg - for Timonen and Hartnell, who were to become unrestricted free agents July 1.
Timonen had 13 goals and 42 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-20 last season. The 32-year-old will bolster a blue line that had significant problems last season. The versatile Hartnell had 22 goals and 17 assists. He can play either wing spot.
The Flyers still hold the No. 2 pick in the NHL draft that begins Friday night. They are coming off a woeful season (22-48-12) after years of success. The Flyers missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994 and set team records for most losses and fewest points (56).
In all, Philadelphia used a team-record 49 players last season, including 15 rookies.
One of the league's top defensemen, Timonen has 79 goals and 222 assists in eight seasons with Nashville. He is minus-6 for his career, playing mostly on a team that struggled.
The 25-year-old Hartnell was the sixth overall pick by Nashville in 2000. He has 93 goals, 118 assists in six seasons with the Predators.
Predators ink Smithson
June 19th, 2007
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators made a move to replace a pair of players traded on Monday by signing center Jerred Smithson to a two-year contract. The deal will pay him $475,000 for next season and $525,000 in 2008-09.
The 28-year-old Smithson appeared in 64 games with Nashville this past season, matching a career-high with five goals.
On Monday, the Predators dealt right wing Scott Hartnell and defenseman Kimmo Timonen to Philadelphia. In exchange, Nashville re-acquired its 2007 first-round draft pick originally sent to the Flyers as part of the Peter Forsberg trade.
Hurricanes agree to terms with Walker
June 20th, 2007
Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with veteran right wing Scott Walker on a three-year contract.
The deal will take Walker through the 2009-10 season and will pay him $2.5 million per year.
Walker notched 21 goals and 30 assists for 51 points in 81 games last season, his first in Carolina. The Hurricanes acquired him from Nashville last July in a deal that sent Josef Vasicek to the Predators.
"Keeping Scott in Carolina was one of our top priorities this offseason," said Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford. "He brings skill and grit to our forward lines and he has become one of our team's leaders on and off the ice."
The 33-year-old Walker has played 688 regular-season games in 12 NHL seasons. He was Nashville's all-time leading scorer at the time of last year's trade and has posted 127 goals with 215 assists for 342 points with the Hurricanes, Predators and Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver selected the Cambridge, Ontario native in the fifth round of the 1993 draft and he made his debut with the Canucks during the 1994-95 season.
Sabres extend offers to Vanek, four others
June 20th, 2007
Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres have extended qualifying offers to five restricted free agents, including leading goal scorer Thomas Vanek.
Vanek notched 43 goals last season and added 41 assists to finish with 84 points, second on the team behind Daniel Briere. His goal total tied for the fifth-most in the league last season.
By making the qualifying offer, the Sabres have the right to match any offer Vanek might receive from another team. If they refuse, draft picks would be awarded as compensation.
Center Derek Roy, who was fifth on the team with 63 points, was also tendered a qualifying offer. The others were forwards Andrew Peters and Daniel Paille, and defenseman Nathan Paetsch.
The Sabres also have a number of unrestricted free agents ready to the hit the open market, including Briere and third-leading scorer Chris Drury. Briere had 32 goals and a team-best 95 points, while Drury notched 37 goals and 69 points for the Presidents' Trophy winners last season.
Bruins expected to name Julien head coach Thursday
June 20th, 2007
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins have called a news conference for 10:30 a.m. (et) Thursday, at which time they are expected to name former Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils coach Claude Julien as their new head coach.
Julien would become the Bruins' fifth head coach since the start of the 2002-2003 season, following Dave Lewis, Mike Sullivan, Mike O'Connell and Robbie Ftorek, and the 28th different man to helm the B's in their 83-year history.
Julien's first year behind the bench in New Jersey this past season was terminated with less than a week remaining in the schedule despite leading his team to a 47-24-8 record.
The 47-year-old Ontario native began his NHL coaching career with Montreal in 2003 as a mid-season replacement for Michel Therrien, and was fired late in the 2005-2006 season. He has compiled a 120-94-17 mark over parts of four campaigns with the Habs and Devils.
Flames re-sign F Moss
June 20th, 2007
Calgary, Alberta (Sports Network) - The Calgary Flames re-signed forward David Moss on Wednesday. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Moss made his NHL debut last season for the Flames, registering 10 goals and eight assists in 41 games. Moss also appeared in all six playoff games against the Detroit Red Wings, recording one assist.
The Livonia, Michigan native was taken in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL Draft.
Lightning re-sign D O'Brien
June 21st, 2007
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed defenseman Shane O'Brien to a two-year contract on Thursday. Per team policy, financial terms were not disclosed.
"Shane O'Brien has already demonstrated to us, in a very short period of time, that he is going to be a perfect fit in our system," said Lightning general manager Jay Feaster. "He skates incredibly well, gets the puck to our forwards in transition, and he has great grit. He is everything we want in a hockey player and we are extremely pleased to have him signed for the next two years. We expect great things from Shane."
The 23-year-old defenseman was originally acquired by the Lightning from the Anaheim Ducks in February.
O'Brien tallied two goals and 14 assists in 80 games last season, his first in the NHL.