JUST FOR FUN DEPT...THE ZACH PARISE THEME SONG

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d play in your barn

I would play in your barn

And if I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

I’d wear the “C” in your barn

Maybe an “A” but I’d rather wear the “C”

And if I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d buy you a playoff seed

A nice top playoff seed

And if I had a hundred million dollars, I’d buy you a cup

If I had a hundred million dollars

I’d build you a dynasty in your barn

If I had a hundred million dollars you could watch

It will only cost you the farm

If I had a hundred million dollars

Maybe we could put a locker made of gold

In there somewhere

We could just go in the room and hang out

Like talk to the press and stuff

And there’d be lots of cameras pointed at me

Like I’d say all the usual and right things

They would eat me up like candy

I’d flash them my smile and they’d melt

Well, can you blame them?

Yeah

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d buy fur seats for the fans

But not real fur seats, that’s cruel

And if I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d buy us a championship

Yep, like a division or a conference

And if I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d entice other free agents to play here

All them crazy free agents

And if I had a hundred million dollars, I’d buy you a cup

If I had a hundred million dollars

We wouldn’t have to fly first class anymore

If I had a hundred million dollars

We’d take a leer jet ‘cause it costs more

If I had a hundred million dollars

We wouldn’t have to eat hotel food

But we would eat hotel food

Of course we would, we’d just eat more

And buy really expensive wines with it

That’s right, all the fanciest French wines

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well I’d buy us third jerseys

But not real third jerseys, that’s cruel

And if I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d bring you some trophies

A President’s or a Stanley

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

Well, I’d buy you a new Zamboni

Haven’t you always wanted a new Zamboni?

If I had a hundred million dollars, I’d buy you a cup

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

If I had a hundred million dollars

I’d be Zach

GREGSKY'S FREE AGENT FRENZY PREDICTION GAME

   As we approach the start of the free agent period on Sunday, I thought it would be fun to take a look into the crystal ball and use my amazing “Kreskin-like” abilities as a prognosticator to see just where some of the top free agents will be landing.

*DISCLAIMER* - Keep in mind that this exercise is intended for entertainment only. That means it is purely for fun and should not be used as a guide or strategy for any gambling purpose or money making endeavor. Especially since all predictions are made from someone suffering a coffee induced haze and all thoughts within are channeled through the brain of someone so hyped up on caffeine he can feel his hair growing.

Now on to the fun…

Ahh…yes…the picture is becoming clear…I see Alex Semin skating alongside Pavel Datsyuk…yes so it shall be…Semin becomes a Red Wing.

Hmmm…the crystal ball is still seeing red…it seems that the Wings are not done dipping into the pool…WOW!!! …what a splash!!! The Red Wings sign Ryan Suter!!!

Now I see that the Avs want to get in on the act…they snap up Juri Hudler in a quick move

What’s this? It seems that Sami Salo is now a Penguin…the crystal ball has shown this to be so

The Dallas stars so it seems…yes…it is the Stars pulling P.A. Parenteau from the pool

Uh-oh…so many tears…what can this possibly mean? Oh I see it clearly now…Zach stays a Devil

Oh my…say it’s not so…well it must be…the crystal ball wouldn’t steer me wrong…would it? It is telling me that Shane Doan is now in a Dallas Stars sweater!!!

Good news for Leafs Nation…Matt Carle signs with Toronto!!!

Looks like Ray Whitney is putting on a familiar sweater…nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina!!!

My crystal ball is showing me an old goat…what can this mean? Oh…I see it now…Jagr re-ups with Philly

The Avs are getting back into the fray…well…look at that…they sign Dustin Penner

Okay crystal ball…you have shown some interesting UFA signings…but can you show me any trades?

Yes…that’s it…well it’s a little fuzzy…can’t see the returns…but it looks like Rick Nash is wearing a Sens sweater…wait…something else is coming through…Luongo going back to the Panthers…wow…what’s this? …one more? …oh…okay…it looks like Bobby Ryan in a Rangers sweater

Well…the crystal ball has gone dark…I guess that’s as much “frenzy” as it is willing to show. I guess we will just have to wait and see how accurate these predictions come Sunday…here’s hoping your team snags everyone on your wish list.

FRENZY AFTERMATH

As the dust begins to settle after the whirlwind that was yesterday’s Free Agent Frenzy, there are still a few big names that went unsigned. Most notably Mats Sundin, Marion Hossa and Jaromir Jagr still haven’t found a home even though the money rumored to be thrown at these guys is enough to make your head spin. Apparently, the notion of Jagr returning to the Penguins was enough to make even him chuckle. Hossa just seems to be waiting for his choice of a few teams to out bid one another for his services. As for Sundin, well, the money offered from the Canucks had to be enough to make him sit up in his chair, but Mats may just be more concerned with protecting his legacy or the desire to win a Cup before he hangs up the skates. Since the Canucks are nowhere near Cup contention, the $20 million for 2 years may just be a flattering offer in Sundin’s eyes. Hey Mats are you nuts?? $20 million will go a long way in easing the pain of never playing for the Cup and you wouldn’t be the first guy who decided to take the money and run. Think about it.

I’m not sure what the hell is going on in Tampa. They seem to be fixated on boosting the offensive side of the roster instead of shoring up one of the weakest defenses in the league. I’m sorry, but Kolzig is not the answer to the problem. Sure he is better than what you had, but he isn’t enough to fix what truly ails you. I guess this is the route to go if you want to lose games 9 – 8, or better yet if you just want to pull a smoke and mirrors trick on your fan base to sell tickets aka “Look at the shiny thing”, or even better still if you just want to tank another season and increase your chances of landing Tavares in next years draft. Anyway you look at it you are left scratching your head at the decision making.

The Bruins found out that they just aren’t comfortable parting with big money for big names. They were rumored to be big players in the weeks leading up to July 1st, but the closer it came the more timid they became when they found out just how much money was being tossed around. Still the only task the B’s had to accomplish was to find a scoring winger to play along side Savard and they found it Michael Ryder. I thought this was a smart and affordable move for the Bruins, as Ryder should regain his form in a better situation than what he had in Montreal. Sure he is no Hossa, but he has the speed to keep up with Savard and a much better nose for the net than anyone else they have on their roster. He should easily become their top goal scorer next season. Picking up a blue-chipper in Blake Wheeler will help them in the future, as he should develop into a top tier winger. Many still find the defense to be suspect, but under the guidance of Julian the B’s backend will suffice for now.

Before I get into any detail on the rest of the league I’m going to wait until the rest of the chips fall into place as there are still some 2nd tier players left on the market that can help quite a few teams. I will continue to update the latest transactions that happen on my Free Agent Tracker post so be sure to check it often to see who ends up where. Enjoy!

FREE AGENT TRACKER - *LIVE UPDATES*

The Free Agent Frenzy may have come and gone, but the signings will continue on and we here at ATR have you covered all summer. We will be updating all of the transactions as they happen throughout the summer. Be sure to check back often to see who is staying put, who is on the move and who pissed off whom with an offer sheet. There are still a few big names seeking big money on the list as well as plenty of 2nd and 3rd tier players that can help any team so it is worthy of tracking. Besides, what the hell else is there for a hockey fan to do in the offseason?

*Note* - I will continue to post any Free Agent signings/re-signings/trades with *Live Updates* as they happen here on this post for the entire summer. Make ATR your one stop for every move made this NHL offseason.

*NOTE* - FOLLOW LINK TO VIEW A SPECIAL OFFER FROM GREGSKY http://aroundtherinkwithgregsky.blogspot.com/2008/07/once-in-lifetime-offer-from-gregsky.html

THE LATEST TRANSACTIONS: (UPDATED @ 7:00 am - 9/13/08)

SEPTEMBER 12 TRANSACTIONS:

*TRADE ALERT* - Blackhawks trade forward Robert Lang to Canadiens in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2010

SEPTEMBER 11 TRANSACTIONS:

Carolina Hurricanes sign forward Eric Staal to a 7 year $57.75 million extention

SEPTEMBER 9 TRANSACTIONS:

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Chris Chelios to a 1 year $750k deal

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Keith Ballard to a 6 year $25.2 million deal

SEPTEMBER 4 TRANSACTIONS:

L.A. Kings sign forward Jarret Stoll to a 4 year $14.4 million deal

St. Louis Blues sign defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to a deal

Ottawa Senators forward Brad Isbister to a 1 year two-way deal

Atlanta Thrashers sign defenseman Zach Bogosian to a multi-year deal

SEPTEMBER 3 TRANSACTIONS:

Boston Bruins sign forward Stephane Yelle to a 1 year $750k deal

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Chris Chelios to a 1 year deal

SEPTEMBER 2 TRANSACTIONS:

*TRADE ALERT* - Maple Leafs trade Bryan McCabe to Panthers in exchange for Mike Van Ryn

*TRADE ALERT* - Canucks trade Ryan Shannon to Senators in exchange for Lawrence Nycholat

AUGUST 30 TRANSACTIONS:

Tampa Bay Lightning sign defenseman Andrej Meszaros to a 6 year deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Maksim Mayorov to a 3 year $1.8 million entry-level deal

AUGUST 29 TRANSACTIONS:

*TRADE ALERT* - Ottawa Senators trade defenseman Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard and a 1st round draft pick

AUGUST 28 TRANSACTIONS:

Los Angeles Kings sign defenseman Colten Teubert to a 3 year entry-level deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward Stu Barnes announced his retirement and has signed on with the Stars coaching staff

Chicago Blackhawks sign forward Tim Brent to a 1 year deal

AUGUST 27 TRANSACTIONS:

Los Angeles Kings sign defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov and forward Andrei Loktionov to 3 year entry-level deals

Colorado Avalanche sign forward Joe Sakic to a 1 year $6 million deal
San Jose Sharks sign defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic to a 4 year $12.4 million extension

AUGUST 26 TRANSACTIONS:

Nashville Predators sign forward Nick Spaling to a 3 year entry-level deal

AUGUST 25 TRANSACTIONS:

Chicago Blackhawks sign forward Akim Aliu to a 3 year entry-level deal

AUGUST 23 TRANSACTIONS:

Toronto Maple Leafs sign defenseman Josef Boumedienne to a 1 year two-way deal

AUGUST 22 TRANSACTIONS:

*NEWS ALERT* - Devils place defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski on waivers

AUGUST 15 TRANSACTIONS:

Montreal Canadiens sign defenseman Yannik Weber to a 3 year deal

AUGUST 14 TRANSACTIONS:

Ottawa Senators sign forward Zach Smith to an entry-level deal

AUGUST 11 TRANSACTIONS:

Nashville Predators sign goaltender Chet Pickard to an entry-level deal

Ottawa Senators sign defenseman Geoff Waugh to a 1 year two-way deal

Los Angeles Kings sign defenseman Drew Doughty to a 3 year entry-level deal

AUGUST 8 TRANSACTIONS:

Buffalo Sabres re-sign defenseman Teppo Numminen to a 1 year $1.1 million deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign forward Pascal Pelletier to a 1 year deal

Buffalo Sabres sign forward Tyler Bouck

Calgary Flames re-sign forward Cam Cunning

AUGUST 7 TRANSACTIONS:

*NEWS ALERT* - Defenseman Sean Hill has signed a 1 year deal with Swiss club Biel


AUGUST 6 TRANSACTIONS:

Washington Capitals sign forward David Steckel to a 1 year extension
Montreal Canadiens sign defenseman Chad Anderson to a 1 year two-way deal


AUGUST 4 TRANSACTIONS:

Buffalo Sabres sign forwards Colton Fretter and Colin Murphy

San Jose Sharks re-sign forward Ryane Clowe to a 1 year $1.6 million deal

AUGUST 3 TRANSACTIONS:

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward Mike Johnson signs with Germany's Cologne Sharks


JULY 31 TRANSACTIONS:

Nashville Predators sign forward Jerred Smithson to a 2 year extension

Ottawa Senators re-sign forward Antoine Vermette to a 2 year $5.525 million deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Czech team HC Liberec reports that Flyers defenseman Jaroslav Modry has left the NHL and signed a 2 year deal with the team.

JULY 30 TRANSACTIONS:

Carolina Hurricanes sign forward Drayson Bowman to a 3 year $2.06 million entry-level deal

Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign goaltender Pascal Leclaire to a 3 year $11.4 million deal

Detroit Red Wings sign forward Valtteri Filppula to a 5 year $15 million deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Minnesota Wild place forward Mark Parrish on waivers, preparing to buy him out. Parrish still has 3 years remaining on his deal.


JULY 29 TRANSACTIONS:

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Steven Stamkos to a 3 year entry-level deal


JULY 28 TRANSACTIONS:

Florida Panthers re-sign defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to a 1 year $4.875 million deal

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Jeff Glass to a 1 year two-way deal


JULY 26 TRANSACTIONS:

New York Rangers re-sign forward Fredrik Sjostrom to a 1 year $840k deal

Washington Capitals defenseman Shaone Morrisonn was awarded a 1 year $1.975 million deal through arbitration

Minnesota Wild sign forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard to a 5 year $20.4 million deal


JULY 25 TRANSACTIONS:

Montreal Canadiens sign forward Yanick Lehoux to a 1 year deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Mike York to a 1 year deal

Nashville Predators sign forward Rich Peverley to a 2 year deal and signed goaltender Pekka Rinne to a 1 year deal

Colorado Avalanche re-sign forward Marek Svatos to a 2 year deal

New York Islanders sign defenseman Bruno Gervais to a 3 year $2.2225 million deal


JULY 24 TRANSACTIONS:

Buffalo Sabres sign forward Mathieu Darche

*TRADE ALERT* - Boston traded forward Pascal Pelletier to Chicago in exchange for forward Martin St. Pierre

Vancouver Canucks sign forwards Ryan Shannon, Rick Rypien and Mike Brown, defensemen Nathan McIver, Zach Fitzgerald and James Sharrow


JULY 22 TRANSACTIONS:

Anaheim Ducks sign forwards Eric Boguniecki and Josh Green to 1 year deals

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Daniel Carcillo to a 2 year deal

Boston Bruins re-sign defenseman Dennis Wideman to a 4 year $15.5 million deal


JULY 21 TRANSACTIONS:

*TRADE ALERT* - Dallas trade forward Richard Clune to Kings for forward Lauri Tukonen

New Jersey Devils sign forward Fedor Fedorov

Los Angeles Kings sign defenseman Peter Harrold to a 3 year deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign goaltender Corey Crawford

Philadelphia Flyers sign forward Joffrey Lupul to 4 year extension

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Jonathan Ericsson to a 3 year deal

Detroit Red Wings sign goaltender Jimmy Howard to a 3 year deal

New York Rangers sign forward Greg Moore

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Jeff Taffe to a 1 year deal


JULY 20 TRANSACTIONS:

Calgary Flames sign forward Andre Roy to a 1 year deal

JULY 19 TRANSACTIONS:

Minnesota Wild re-sign forward Stephane Veilleux to a 1 year $737,500 deal with a signing bonus of $125k

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Garth Murray to a 1 year deal

New York Islanders sign forward Frans Nielsen to a 4 year $2.1 million deal


JULY 18 TRANSACTIONS:

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Garth Murray to a 1 year deal

Buffalo Sabres re-sign goaltender Ryan Miller to a 5 year $31.25 million extention

Edmonton Oilers sign goaltender Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers to a 2 year deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward curtis Brown has signed a 2 year deal with Kolten Flyers of the Swiss NLA league

Atlanta Thrashers sign forward Angelo Esposito to a multi-year deal


JULY 17 TRANSACTIONS:

Calgary Flames sign defenseman Adam Pardy

*TRADE ALERT* - Pittsburgh Penguins trade the rights to Tim Brent to Chicago for the rights to Danny Richmond

San Jose Sharks sign defensemen Matt Kinch and Brett Westgarth to 1 year deals

Montreal Canadiens sign forward Max Pacioretty to a 3 year entry-level deal

Atlanta Thrashers sign forward Brett Sterling to a multi-year deal

Atlanta Thrashers sign forward Marty Reasoner

St. Louis Blues sign defenseman Andy Wozniewski


JULY 16 TRANSACTIONS:

Calgary Flames sign forward Jamie Lundmark

Edmonton Oilers re-sign forward Shawn Horcoff to a 6 year $33 million extension

Atlanta Thrashers re-sign goaltender Kari Lehtonen

Minnesota Wild sign forward Peter Olvecky and defenseman Clayton Stoner to 1 year deals

Los Angeles Kings re-sign forward Gabe Gauthier to a two year deal and sign goaltender Erik Ersberg, forward Matt Moulson and defenseman Joe Piskula to 1 year deals

Montreal Canadiens sign defenseman Ryan O'Byrne to a 3 year deal, defenseman Sean Belle to a 1 year two-way deal and forward Mike Glumac to a 1 year two-way deal

New York Rangers sign forward Nigel Dawes to a 1 year $587,500 deal

Buffalo Sabres sign forward Daniel Paille to a 2 year $2.25 million deal

New York Islanders sign forward Sean Bergenheim to a 2 year $1.725 million deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Steve Kelly to a 1 year two-way deal

Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign defenseman Marc Methot to a 1 year $522,500 deal

Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign forward Alexandre Picard to a 1 year $787,500 deal

St. Louis Blues sign forward Brad Winchester to a 1 year $600,000 deal

New York Islanders sign forward Jeff Tambellini to a 2 year $1.175 million deal

Nashville Predators sign defenseman Kevin Klein to a 2 year $1.3 million deal


JULY 15 TRANSACTIONS:

*NEWS ALERT* - Defenseman Joe DiPenta has signed with Frolunda of the Sweedish Elite League

Anaheim Ducks sign forward Logan MacMillan to a 3 year entry-level deal

New York Rangers agree to terms with forward Dan Fritsche

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward Dallas Drake announced his retirement after 16 seasons

*TRADE ALERT* - Columbus traded forward Joakim Lindstrom to Ducks for conditional pick

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Bill Thomas to a 1 year deal

Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign forwards Kris Beech and Ryan Stone to 1 year deals

Edmonton Oilers re-sign forward Zach Stortini to a 1 year deal

Edmonton Oilers re-sign forward Carl Corazzini to a 1 year deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign forward Colin Fraser to a 1 year deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign defenseman Aaron Johnson to a 1 year deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign defenseman Doug Janik to a 1 year deal

Colorado Avalanche sign forward Brian Willsie to a 1 year deal

Colorado Avalanche sign forward Cody McCormick to a 1 year deal

St. Louis Blues sign forwards Steve Regier and Cam Paddock


JULY 14 TRANSACTIONS:

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward Patrick Thoresen signs a 1 year deal with Lugano of the Swiss League

Tampa Bay Lightning sign goaltender Mike Smith to a 2 year extension

Colorado Avalanche sign forwards Philippe Dupuis and Nathan Smith, defensemen Darcy Campbell and Aaron MacKenzie and goaltenders Jason Bacashihua and Tyler Weiman

Colorado Avalanche re-sign forward Cody McLeod to a 1 year deal

*TRADE ALERT* - Rangers trade forward Ryan Hollweg to Maple Leafs for a 5th round pick

Carolina Hurricanes sign forwards Patrick Dwyer and Joe Jensen, defenseman Mark Flood to 1 year deals

St. Louis Blues sign forward Matt Foy

St. Louis Blues re-sign forward Jay McClement to a 1 year deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Craig MacDonald to a 1 year deal

Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign forward Derek Mackenzie to a two year deal

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Jason Krog to a 1 year deal


JULY 13 TRANSACTIONS:

Atlanta Thrashers sign forward Jason Williams to a 1 year $2.2 million deal

Tampa Bay Lightning re-sign forward Vincent Lecavalier to an 11 year deal worth $85 million

JULY 11 TRANSACTIONS:

Ottawa Senators sign defenseman Brendan Bell to a 1 year two-way deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Forward Sergei Brylin has signed with SKA St. Petersberg of the KHL

*TRADE ALERT* - Minnesota Wild trade defenseman Shawn Belle to Montreal for forward Corey Locke

Washington Capitals sign forward Boyd Gordon to a 1 year deal

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Chris Gratton to a 1 year deal

*NEWS ALERT* - According to Russian reports, Nashville forward Alexander Radulov has signed a 3 year deal with Russian team Ufa. Radulov is currently under a vaild contract with the Predators.


JULY 10 TRANSACTIONS:

St. Louis Blues sign defenseman Mike Weaver to a 1 year $700k deal

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Steve Montador to a 1 year $800k deal

San Jose Sharks re-sign forward Marcel Goc to a 1 year $775k deal

Washington Capitals re-sign forward Eric Fehr to a 1 year deal

Edmonton Oilers sign forward Jason Strudwick to a 1 year $650k deal

New Jersey Devils sign goaltender Scott Clemmensen to a 1 year deal

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Pavol Demitra to a 2 year $8 million deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Martin Straka signs a 1 year deal with HC Lasselsberger Plzen of the Czech league

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Nikita Filatov to a 3 year entry-level deal


JULY 9 TRANSACTIONS:

Atlanta Thrashers sign forwards Junior Lassard, Grant Stevenson and Mike Hoffman

Montreal Canadiens re-sign defenseman Josh Gorges to a 3 year $3.3 million deal

Edmonton Oilers sign forwards Marc Pouliot and Jean-Francois Jacques to 2 year deals

Carolina Hurricanes re-sign forward Chad LaRose to a 1 year $875k deal

Nashville Predators sign forward Josh Gratton to a 1 year two-way deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Goaltender Ray Emery has signed a 1 year $2 million deal plus bonuses with Atlant Mytishchi of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League

Washington Capitals re-sign forward Brooks Laich to a 3 year deal

Washington Capitals re-sign forward Sergei Fedorov to a 1 year $4 million deal


JULY 8 TRANSACTIONS:

San Jose Sharks re-sign defenseman Christian Ehrhoff to a 3 year $9.3 million deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Micheal Peca to a 1 year $1.315 million deal

*OFFER SHEET UPDATE* - Vancouver Canucks match St. Louis Blues offer sheet for forward Steve Bernier and sign him to a 1 year $2.5 million deal

Atlanta Thrashers sign forward Eric Boulton to a 2 year deal

Edmonton Oilers sign forward Marc-Antoine Pouliot to a 2 year deal

New York Islanders sign defenseman Brendan Witt to a 2 year extension worth $6 million

*OFFER SHEET ALERT* - St. Louis Blues sign forward Steve Bernier to a 1 year $2.5 million offer sheet - Canucks have 7 days to match

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Brandon Bochenski to a 2 year deal

Ottawa Senators sign defenseman Jason Smith to a 2 year deal

Montreal Canadiens sign goaltender Jarolslav Halak to a 2 year $1.55 million deal

New York Rangers sign defenseman Paul Mara to a 1 year $1.95 million deal

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Evgeny Artyukhin to a 2 year, $1.9 million deal

Anaheim Ducks sign forward Brendan Morrison to a 1 year $2.75 million deal

JULY 7 TRANSACTIONS:

Tampa Bay Lightning sign defenseman Andrew Hutchinson

Ottawa Senators sign forward Greg Mauldin to a 1 year two-way deal

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Mark Recchi to a 1 year $1.25 million deal

Anaheim Ducks sign goaltender David LeNeveu to a 1 year deal

Montreal Canadiens sign forward Ryan Flinn to a 1 year two-way deal
Minnesota Wild sign defenseman Tomas Mojzis to a multi-year deal

Philadelphia Flyers sign forward Arron Asham to a multi-year deal

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Ben Lovejoy to a 1 year entry-level deal

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Janne Pesonen to a 1 year deal

Chicago Blackhawks sign defenseman Matt Walker to a one-year deal
Calgary Flames sign forward Todd Bertuzzi to a 1 year $1.95 million deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward R.J. Umberger to a 4 year $15 million deal

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Matt Stajan to a 2 year $3.5 million deal

Carolina Hurricanes re-sign defenseman Dennis Seidenberg to a 1 year deal worth $1.2 million


JULY 6 TRANSACTIONS:

Minnesota Wild sign forward Owen Nolan to a 2 year deal worth $2.75 million per season

Minnesota Wild sign forward Jesse Schultz to a 1 year deal


JULY 5 TRANSACTIONS:

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Matt Cooke to a 2 year deal


JULY 4 TRANSACTIONS:

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Mark Cullen

New York Rangers re-sign defenseman Paul Mara to a 1 year deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Jaromir Jagr has signed a 2 year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Russian CHL

*TRADE ALERT* - San Jose Sharks trade defenseman Craig Rivet and a 7th round pick in 2010 to Buffalo in exchange for 2nd round picks in 2009 and 2010

*TRADE ALERT* - Tampa Bay Lightning trade defensemen Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to the Sharks in exchange for defenseman Matt Carle and Ty Wishart, a 1st round pick in 2009 and a 4th round pick in 2010

*TRADE ALERT* - Buffalo Sabres trade forward Steve Bernier to Cunucks in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick in 2010 and a 3rd round in 2009


JULY 3 TRANSACTIONS:

Carolina Hurricanes sign forward Dwight Helminen to a 1 year deal

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Brian McGrattan to a 1 year deal

Phoenix Coyotes sign defenseman Matt Jones to a 2 year deal

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Derek Nesbitt and defenseman Drew Fata

Minnesota Wild sign forward Antti Miettinen to a 3 year deal

Florida Panthers sign defenseman James DeLory to a 3 year entry-level deal

Florida panthers sign defenseman Rory Fitzpatrick, goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu and forward Steve MacIntyre to 2 year deals

St. Louis Blues re-sign forward Yan Stastny to a 2 year deal

New York Islanders sign forwards Mike Iggulden, Kurtis McLean, Mitch Fritz, defensemen Brett Skinner, Chris Lee and goaltender Peter Mannino to 1 year deals

Montreal Canadiens sign goaltender Marc Denis to a 1 year two-way deal

Montreal Canadiens sign goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to a 2 year deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Rangers GM Glen Sather says the pick up of Naslund means Jaromir Jagr won't be back with the club next season

San Jose Sharks sign defenseman Rob Blake to a 1 year $5 million deal

*NEWS ALERT* - Tampa Bay Lightning have asked defenseman Dan Boyle to waive his No Trade Clause - no destionation reported - STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS

New York Rangers sign defenseman Dmitri Kalinin to a 1 year deal

New York Rangers sign forward Markus Naslund 2 year $8 million deal

Colorado Avalanche sign forward Chris Durno

Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Daniel Tjarnqvist to a 1 year deal

Montreal Canadiens sign forward Georges Laraque to a 3 year $4.5 million deal

Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign Marc-Andre Fleury to a 7 year $35 million extension

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Wyatt Smith to a 1 year two-way deal

Tampa Bay Lightning sign defenseman Scott Jackson to a 3 year deal

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Ruslan Fedotenko to a 1 year $2.5 million deal

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Miroslav Satan to a 1 year $3.5 million deal

Phoenix Coyotes signed defenseman David Hale to a two-year deal

Dallas Stars sign forward Francis Wathier, defenseman Maxime Fortunus and defenseman Garrett Stafford each to two-year, two-way deals through 2009-10

Dallas Stars sign forward Landon Wilson to a one-year, two-way deal for 2008-09

Montreal Canadiens sign defenseman Alex Henry

Toronto Maple Leafs sign Dominic Moore to a 1 year deal, John Mitchell to a 1 year deal and Greg Scott to a 3 year entry-level deal

*TRADE ALERT* - Maple Leafs acquired forward Mikhail Grabovski from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the rights to defenseman Greg Pateryn and a second-round draft pick in 2010

Washington Capitals sign forward Keith Aucoin to a two-year deal

JULY 2nd TRANSACTIONS:

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Stu Bickel to a 3 year entry-level deal

Columbus Blue Jackets sign forward Kristian Huselius to a 4 year $4.75 million deal

Vancouver Canucks sign defenseman Nolan Baumgartner to a 1 year two-way deal and forward Alexandre Bolduc

*TRADE ALERT* - The Rangers trade defenseman Fedor Tyutin and defenseman Christian Backman to Columbus in exchange for forwards Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche

Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign Evgeni Malkin to a 5 year extention that mirrors Crosby's $8.7 million deal

New York Islanders sign forward Doug Weight to a 1 year deal worth $1.75 million

Philadelphia Flyers re-sign defenseman Randy Jones to a 2 year deal and forward Riley Cote to a 3 year deal

Dallas Stars sign forward B.J. Crombeen to a 1 year deal

Colorado Avalanche re-sign forward Wojtek Wolski to a 2 year deal

Pittsburgh Penguins sign defenseman Brooks Orpik to a 6 year $22.5 million deal

Minnesota Wild re-sign defenseman Kurtis Foster

Atlanta Thrashers sign defenseman Ron Hainsey to a 5 year $22.5 million deal

Ottawa Senators sign forward Jarkko Ruutu to a 3 year $3.9 million deal

Ottawa Senators sign forward Shean Donovan to a two-year deal

Washington Capitals sign forward Graham Mink and defenseman Tyler Sloan

Boston Bruins sign forward Petteri Nokelainen

Dallas Stars sign forward Sean Avery to a 4 year $15.5 million deal

Calgary Flames sign defenseman Jim Vandermeer and forward Curtis Glencross

Vancouver Canucks sign UFA goaltender Curtis Sanford to a 1 year deal worth $650,000

Detroit Red Wings sign forward Marian Hossa to a 1 year deal worth $7.4 million

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Ryan Johnson to a 2 year $2.3 million deal

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Joni Pitkanen to a three-year contract worth $12 million

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Josef Melichar to a one-year contract worth $1 million

Tampa Bay Lightning re-sign defenseman Janne Niskala, to a one-year deal

Tampa Bay Lightning re-sign forward Ryan Craig to a two-year deal

JULY 1st TRANSACTIONS:

Calgary Flames sign defenseman Mark Giordano

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Ryan Johnson to a 2 year $2.4 million deal

Boston Bruins sign Michael Ryder to a 3 year deal worth $4 million per season

New York Rangers re-signed goaltender Steve Valiquette

*OFFER SHEET UPDATE* St. Louis match offer sheet by Canucks for David Backes

New York Islanders sign defenseman Mark Streit to a five-year contract worth $20.5 million

Minnesota Wild sign forward Craig Weller to a two-year contract worth $600,000 a season

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward David Koci to a one-year, two-way deal worth $525,000 in the NHL, $100,000 in the minors

New York Rangers sign defenseman Wade Redden to a six-year contract worth $39 million

New Jersey Devils sign forward Bobby Holik to a one-year contract worth $2.5 million

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Niklas Hagman to a four-year contract worth $12 million

New York Rangers re-sign defenseman Michael Rozsival to a four-year deal worth $20 million

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Darcy Hordichuk to a two-year deal
Philadelphia Flyers sign forward Nate Raduns to a one-year deal

Philadelphia Flyers sign forward Glen Metropolit to a two-year deal

New Jersey Devils sign forward Brian Rolston to a four year deal worth $20.25-million

New York Rangers sign forward Patrick Rissmiller to an undisclosed deal

Philadelphia Flyers sign defenseman Ossi Vaananen to a one year deal worth $1-million

Columbus Blue Jackets sign defenseman Mike Commodore to a 5 year deal worth $18.75-million

Chicago Blackhawks sign defenceman Brian Campbell to an 8 year deal worth $56.8-million

Buffalo Sabres sign goaltender Patrick Lalime to a 2 year deal worth $2 million

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Alex Auld to a 2 year deal worth $1-million

Colorado Avalanche sign forward Darcy Tucker to a 2 year deal worth $4.5-million

*OFFER SHEET ALERT* - Canucks sign center David Backes to a three-year $7.5 million offer sheet. The Blues have 7 days to match.

Chicago Blackhawks sign goaltender Cristobal Huet to a 4 year $5.6 million deal

Florida Panthers sign forward Cory Stillman to a 3 year deal worth $10.6-million

New York Rangers sign forward Aaron Voros

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Eric Godard

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Adam Hall to a 3 year deal worth $1.8-million

Toronto Maple Leafs sign defenseman Jeff Finger to a 4 year deal worth $3.5-million per season

Phoenix Coyotes sign forward Todd Fedoruk to a 3 year deal

Detroit Red Wings sign goaltender Ty Conklin to a 1 year deal worth $750,000

Montreal Canadiens re-sign forward Andrei Kostitsyn to a 3 year deal worth $3.25-million per season

Colorado Avalanche sign goaltender Andrew Raycroft to a 1 year deal
Washington Capitals sign goaltender Jose Theodore to a two-year contract

Phoenix Coyotes sign defenseman Kurt Sauer to a 4 year deal

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Tim Conboy to a 2 year $1.95 million deal and re-signed Ryan Bayda and Wade Brookbank to 1 year deals worth $475k

*TRADE ALERT* - Flyers send defenseman Denis Gauthier and a 2nd round pick to the Kings for prospects, defenceman Patrik Hersley and left wing Ned Lukacevic

Pittsburgh Penguins re-sign defenseman Mark Eaton to a 2 year deal worth $2-million

Vancouver Canucks sign forward Kyle Wellwood to a 1 year deal worth $997,500

Minnesota Wild sign forward Andrew Brunette to a 3 year $7 million deal

*TRADE ALERT* - Wild trade prospect Ryan Jones and draft pick to Nasville for defenseman Marek Zidlicky

Tampa Bay Lightning sign goaltender Olaf Kolzig to a bonus laiden 1 year deal worth $1.5-million

Toronto Maple Leafs sign goaltender Curtis Joseph to a 1 year $700k deal

Boston Bruins sign forward Blake Wheeler to an entry level contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Radim Vrbata to a 3 year $9 million deal

Minnesota Wild sign goaltender Barry Brust to a two-year, two-way deal worth $1.1 million total

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Anton Babchuk to a 1 year $1 million deal

Nashville Predators sign goaltender Drew MacIntyre to a 1 year two-way deal

*TRADE ALERT* - Blackhawks trade forward Rene Bourque to Flames for future draft pick

*TRADE ALERT* - Oilers defenseman Joni Pitkanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Erik Cole

Pittsburgh Penguins sign forward Pascal Dupuis to a three-year deal which will average $1.4-million per year

Anaheim Ducks re-sign forward Corey Perry to a five-year deal worth $26.625-million which will average $5.325-million a year

Detroit Red Wings re-sign defenseman Brad Stuart to a 4 year $3.75 million deal

New Jersey Devils re-sign forward David Calrkson

New Jersey Devils re-sign forwards Jay Pandolfo and Barry Tallackson - Declines option on forward Sergei Brylin

*TRADE ALERT* - Oilers trade Raffi Torres to Blue Jackets for Gilbert Brule

New Jersey Devils re-sign defenseman Bryce Salvador to a four-year deal worth $11.6 million

Washington Capitals re-sign defenseman Mike Green to a four-year deal worth $5.25-million a season

JUNE 30 TRANSACTIONS:

Detroit Red Wings re-sign defenseman Andreas Lilja to a two-year contract

Buffalo Sabres re-sign forward Paul Gaustad to a four-year, $9.2 million contract

San Jose Sharks re-sign forward Jody Shelley to a two-year contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Vaclav Prospal to a multi-year contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Gary Roberts to a one-year contract

Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman John-Michael Liles to four-year, $16 million contract

Colorado Avalanche sign defenseman Adam Foote to an undisclosed contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign forward Ryan Malone to seven-year, $31.5 million contract

Calgary Flames re-sign forward Daymond Langkow to an undisclosed contract

Calgary Flames re-sign forward Craig Conroy to an undisclosed contract

Calgary Flames re-sign forward Eric Nystrom to an undisclosed contract

Calgary Flames re-sign goaltender Curtis McElhinney to an undisclosed contract

San Jose Sharks re-sign forward Jeremy Roenick to an undisclosed contract

San Jose Sharks re-sign goaltender Brian Boucher to an undisclosed contract

Ottawa Senators re-sign forward Chris Kelly to a four-year, $8.5 million contract.

Nashville Predators re-sign goaltender Dan Ellis to a two-year, $3.5 million contract

ISLANDERS GET HELP BY ADDING SUTTON

It may have taken a while, but the New York Islanders finally answered some of the questions regarding their blue line by signing free agent defenseman Andy Sutton. Finally, Islanders fans have something to be happy about as Sutton’s presence in the lineup instantly gives them a big, shot blocking defenseman with some grit, who can chew up a ton of ice time and is just the type of hard working player coach Ted Nolan loves to surround himself with. At 6’- 6” 245 Sutton brings good size and a decent shot to the Islanders back end. Sutton also brings much needed veteran stability to what will be a young group of D-men that include Bruno Gervais, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Chris Campoli. Sutton has bounced around the league a bit having played for San Jose, Minnesota and Atlanta totaling 432 NHL games. Last season he was tied for the 19th spot in the league for blocked shots with 162 even though he missed 27 games. He was 4th in the league in 2005-06 with 195 blocked shots. It was surprising to most that it took so long for a team to pick up Sutton, as he was high on the list of free agent blue-liners heading into July. The reason may have to do with original salary demands that may have since changed or the Islanders realizing their glaring need, paid a price that had most teams shying away. Regardless, the Islanders now have a replacement for departed defenseman Sean Hill who was signed by the Wild earlier this summer. This signing is truly a step in the right direction for the Isles. It still may not be enough for the fans to take off the paper bags next season, but you might catch a couple of them sneaking a peek.

COULD THE RANGERS HAVE MADE A MISTAKE?

I woke up this morning and somewhere between my second and third cup of coffee it hit me. What if the New York Rangers made a mistake with their big Free Agent signings and recent moves? Wait let me explain. On paper, the Rangers roster looks to be much improved with the additions of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, but what did they really get for the amount of money spent on these two players? I guess what I’m trying to say is, what has Gomez done to warrant such a big payday? His best season came in 2005 – 2006 (a contract year mind you) where he posted 33 goals and 51 assists for 84 points. After that he reverted back to his normal output of less than 15 goals and under 70 points. In fact, the ’05 – ’06 season was the only one in his NHL career that he passed the 20-goal mark. Is it just me or does a $7.357 million cap hit each season for the next 7 years seem like a hefty price for a player that may not reach higher than 60 points a year? Granted, the Rangers are more offensive minded than the Devils and that should play in Gomez’s favor as does playing on a line with more talent. The Rangers are banking on those two points in the hopes that he returns to the form of his ’05 – ’06 campaign. It is a big risk to take, because if he fails they are stuck with him, as his contract would be hard to move. What about Drury you ask? Well, he brings a steady 60 – 70 point output each year along with leadership qualities that you just can’t put a price on. Although, the Rangers price will be $7.05 million per season for the next 5 years for a player who is starting to pass his prime years of playing. Drury will be 31 years old before the puck drops for the 2007 – 2008 season and one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank for the next 5 years. The Rangers could very well be stuck with a player who is in the decline (in terms of production) more so than one on the upswing. I guess it boils down to weather or not you would rather have Drury or Michael Nylander on your roster. Factor in that Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Brendan Shanahan are a year older as well and I think you can start to see my concerns. Another factor in this is weather or not there will be any chemistry between the players mentioned. Once again, on paper they look imposing, but how it translates to the on ice product remains to be seen. The recent trade of Matt Cullen to the Hurricanes and the impending demotion of Darius Kasparaitis to the minors, frees up much needed cap space to re-sign Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa, but leaves a hole at center on the third line. Another head-scratching move was the re-signing of #1 goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to only a 1-year deal. Granted, they had to let him file for arbitration to avoid any offer sheets and were smart to work out a deal before the hearing, but to only sign him for a year is questionable. Only time will tell if the moves pan out in the Rangers favor in the form of a winning season or if it ends up just an expensive bust at best. The Rangers have a history of overpaying for declining talent, here’s hoping (for the fans sake) this won’t become just another chapter.