Oilers land Souray
July 12th, 2007
Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers signed free agent defenseman Sheldon Souray to a five-year deal on Thursday.
Souray, a native of Elk Point, Alberta, had a career year last season for the Montreal Canadiens after scoring 26 goals and picking up 38 assists. Nineteen of his 26 goals came on the power play, setting a new NHL record for power play goals by a defenseman.
"I'm heading home to Alberta and I can't wait to step onto the ice at Rexall Place", said Souray. "It's always been a terrific building to play in. I couldn't be happier with my decision and I can tell you it was an easy one to make. I'm looking forward to playing in Edmonton for a great organization and believe me, I know how good the fans in Edmonton are."
In 506 regular season games with the Habs and New Jersey Devils, the 30-year- old Souray has 66 goals and 120 helpers to go along with 812 penalty minutes. In 34 career postseason games, he has 10 points (three goals, seven assists).
"With the addition of Sheldon, we solidify our defense in a big way and also answer some of the issues regarding scoring and toughness," said Edmonton general manager Kevin Lowe. "Sheldon's game has consistently improved and we're going to rely on him in many different situations."
Souray was originally selected by the New Jersey Devils in the third round of the 1994 Entry Draft.
Stars sign Ribeiro and Lundqvist
July 12th, 2007
Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Stars signed forwards Mike Ribeiro and Joel Lundqvist on Thursday.
Ribeiro inked a one-year deal worth $2.8 million for next season while Lundqvist received a two-year contract worth $1.45 million.
"We are very pleased to have reached agreements on new contracts with Mike Ribeiro and Joel Lundqvist," said Stars general manager Doug Armstrong. "Mike brought a great deal of playmaking and offensive ability in his first year with our club and we look forward to his continued contributions. Joel's rookie season was a positive one and we envision his role increasing as he gains more experience in the NHL."
The 27-year-old Ribeiro led Dallas in scoring last season with 18 goals and 41 assists.
Lundqvist, 25, appeared in 36 games in his rookie season last year for the Stars and registered three goals and three assists.
Thrashers sign Giroux
July 13th, 2007
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The Atlanta Thrashers signed free agent forward Alexandre Giroux to a multi-year contract on Friday.
Giroux appeared in nine games for the Washington Capitals last season, recording two goals and two assists.
The 26-year-old, who appeared in one game for the Rangers in 2005-06, has totaled 165 goals and 139 assists in 430 career AHL games with four different teams.
Bruins trade F Donovan for F Schaefer
July 17, 2007
BOSTON (AP) -The Boston Bruins acquired left wing Peter Schaefer on Tuesday from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for right wing Shean Donovan.
Schaefer spent three seasons with Ottawa, the 2007 Eastern Conference champions. Last season he played in 77 games, scoring 12 goals and adding 34 assists.
Schaefer has played in 493 career games with Ottawa and Vancouver, tallying 89 goals and 144 assists. He has one goal and five assists in 20 playoff games for Ottawa.
``Peter will bring us some added scoring and tenacity along the boards,'' Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said. ``He has playoff experience and he is a proven penalty killer.''
The Bruins signed Donovan as a free agent on July 2, 2006, after he spent two seasons with the Calgary Flames. Last season, he scored six goals and made 11 assists in 76 games for the Bruins.
Cullen returns to Carolina
July 17th, 2007
Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - The Carolina Hurricanes have re-acquired center Matt Cullen in a trade with the Rangers, sending defenseman Andrew Hutchinson, forward Joe Barnes and a third-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft to New York.
Cullen was a major part of Carolina's Stanley Cup championship team in 2006, and then signed a four-year contract with the Rangers as a free agent last July. He played 80 games last season for New York, notching 16 goals and 25 assists for 41 points while establishing a career high in penalty minutes with 52.
"Matt was an important member of our championship team in 2006 and we obviously know he is an excellent fit for our style of play," said Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford. "He is extremely popular in our dressing room and his speed and skill will be important assets going forward."
The Hurricanes missed the 2007 playoffs after capturing their first Stanley Cup title the year before.
Cullen scored a career-high 25 goals during the 2005-06 season with Carolina and played a big role in the Stanley Cup run, posting four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in 25 playoff games. He had a pair of assists in the clinching seventh game of the Cup Finals against Edmonton.
In 671 career regular-season games with Anaheim, Florida, Carolina and the Rangers, the Minnesota native has registered 118 goals and 203 assists for 321 points. He was Anaheim's second-round pick in the 1996 draft.
Hutchinson appeared in 41 games for the Hurricanes last season, scoring three goals with 11 assists for 14 points. Barnes, a third-round pick by Carolina in the 2005 draft, had two goals and one assist in 15 games for Albany of the AHL last season.
Canucks sign C Shannon
July 18th, 2007
Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - The Vancouver Canucks signed center Ryan Shannon on Wednesday.
Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The 24-year-old Shannon appeared in 53 games for the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks last season, registering two goals, nine assists and 10 penalty minutes. Shannon also appeared in 11 playoff games for Anaheim but did not register a point.
Vancouver acquired Shannon June 23 in exchange for left wing Jason King and a conditional third-round draft choice in the 2009 draft.
The Canucks also re-signed goaltender Drew MacIntyre on Wednesday.
MacIntyre, also 24, went 24-12-2 with a 2.17 goals-against-average in 41 games last season for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
Penguins sign G Conklin
July 19th, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Ty Conklin on Thursday.
Conklin, 31, split last season between Columbus and Buffalo for a 3.34 goals- against average and a .897 save percentage over 16 games.
In 76 career NHL games with Edmonton, Columbus and Buffalo, Conklin has a 30-24-7 record with a 2.65 GAA and a .900 save percentage.
Conklin was originally signed by Edmonton as an undrafted free agent on April 18, 2001 after a three-year career at New Hampshire.
Coyotes sign G Aebischer
July 19th, 2007
Glendale, AZ (Sports Network) - The Phoenix Coyotes signed goaltender David Aebischer to a one-year contract on the Thursday.
Aebischer, 29, posted a 13-12-3 record with a 3.17 goals against average in 32 games with Montreal last season after being acquired from Colorado for Jose Theodore in March, 2006.
"With the signing of David Aebischer we have taken the next step in creating depth at the goaltending position," said general manager Don Maloney.
In six NHL seasons, Aebischer has collected a record of 106-73-12, a 2.51 goals against average and a .912 save percentage in 213 career games with Colorado and Montreal.
Predators sign free-agent forward Gelinas
July 26th, 2007
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators announced Thursday that they have signed free-agent left wing Martin Gelinas to a one-year contract. The deal will earn the veteran forward $1.25 million in 2007-08.
The 37-year old winger spent the last two seasons with the Florida Panthers, and notched his 600th career point last October 21 with an assist against Atlanta. For the season, Gelinas totaled 44 points on 14 goals and 30 assists.
The Shawnigan, Quebec, native has played in more than 1,200 games in his 18 NHL seasons, making stops in Edmonton, Quebec, Vancouver, Carolina, and Calgary before signing with Florida prior to the 2005-06 season. Gelinas has reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times, with Vancouver (1994), Carolina (2002), and Calgary (2004), but has never won a championship. His best offensive season came in 1996-97, when he notched 35 goals and 33 assists for Vancouver.
Sharks sign Semenov
July 27th, 2007
San Jose, CA (Sports Network) - The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Alexei Semenov to a one-year contract on Friday. Per team policy, no financial terms of the deal were released.
Semenov began last season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev in Russia, but came to Florida later in the season and played 23 games with the Panthers, totaling five assists and 28 penalty minutes.
Over four seasons in the NHL, he has played in 142 games, all but 39 with Edmonton, and has five goals and 16 assists.
Hurricanes re-sign G Leighton to one-year deal
July 27th, 2007
Raleigh, NC (Sports Network) - The Carolina Hurricanes re-signed goaltender Michael Leighton to a one-year contract on Friday.
Carolina acquired Leighton during the NHL draft on June 23 in exchange for a seventh-round draft choice. The new contract will pay Leighton $550,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 a the minor-league level.
"Michael is a big goalie who uses his size well and has gained significant experience at the NHL level in recent years," said Hurricanes vice president and assistant general manager Jason Karmanos. "His addition strengthens our organization's depth in goal."
Leighton, 26, bounced around the NHL last season, spending time with the Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens.
He played in five games, four with Philadelphia and one with Nashville, and posted a 2-2 record with a 3.93 goals-against average.
He has appeared in 47 games, all but five with Chicago, since coming into the league during the 2001-02 season and has a 10-23-10 record with a 3.04 GAA. The Blackhawks selected Leighton in the sixth round, 165th overall, in the 1999 draft.
Oilers sign Penner to five-year deal
August 2nd, 2007
Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - The Edmonton Oilers inked restricted free agent forward Dustin Penner to a five-year contract on Thursday.
Penner, a Manitoba native, scored 29 goals and added 16 assists in 82 games last season for the Stanley Cup-winning Ducks. He added three goals and eight points in 21 postseason contests. In 101 career regular-season games for Anaheim, Penner has 33 goals and 19 helpers.
Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe initially tendered an offer sheet to Penner which was reportedly worth five years and $21.25 million, a move which drew the ire of Anaheim GM Brian Burke as being too high for a player of his caliber. TSN.ca reports that this offer is the terms to which Penner was signed.
Earlier this offseason, Edmonton signed Buffalo forward Thomas Vanek to an offer sheet, but the Sabres matched the seven-year, $50 million deal. The Oilers responded by bringing in free-agent defenseman Sheldon Souray from Montreal.
Devils sign Asham
August 7th, 2007
East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - The New Jersey Devils signed free agent forward Arron Asham to a contract on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not released.
Asham netted 11 goals and added 12 assists in a career-high 80 games last season with the New York Islanders, his fourth year with the club.
"Arron Asham is a veteran forward who brings a level of toughness, intensity, and feistiness to our lineup," said Devils' CEO/president/general manager Lou Lamoriello.
The 29-year-old Asham has totaled 58 goals and 67 assists in 421 career games with the Montreal Canadiens and Islanders.
Canadiens bring back Brisebois
August 3rd, 2007
Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - The Montreal Canadiens signed free agent Patrice Brisebois to a one-year contract on Friday, returning the 36-year-old defenseman to where he spent the first 14 years of his career.
Brisebois, a member of the Canadiens' 1993 Stanley Cup squad, donned a Habs jersey for 791 games and notched 79 goals and 263 assists with the team. In 78 playoff games as a Canadien, Brisebois tallied eight goals and 17 helpers. The blueliner, Montreal's second-round pick in the 1989 draft, ranks fourth on the team's all-time list for goals by a backliner.
"Patrice is a seasoned veteran who brings a vast experience at the NHL level," said Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey. "His presence adds depth to our group of defensemen."
Montreal declined its option on Brisebois after the 2003-04 season, and the defenseman signed with the Colorado Avalanche. After notching 10 goals and 28 assists in his first season in Denver, Brisebois' 2006-07 campaign was cut short after just 33 games due to a herniated disc.
For his 16-year career, Brisebois has tallied 90 goals and 301 helpers in 904 games with the Montreal Canadiens and Avalanche.
Pens sign D Weaver
August 8th, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - The Pittsburgh Penguins signed defenseman Mike Weaver to a one-year, two-way contract Wednesday.
Weaver, 29, spent the 2006-07 season with the Los Angeles Kings scoring nine points (three goals, six assists) in 39 games. Weaver also spent the 2005-06 season with Los Angeles recording nine points (nine assists) in 53 games.
Previously, he played parts of three seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers registering a total of six points in 57 games.