NY Islanders Sign Al Montoya to One-Year Extension

The New York Islanders announced today that they have signed goaltender Al Montoya to a one-year contract extension through the 2011-12 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency this summer. Montoya was acquired by the Islanders on February 9 from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. In 17 games this season with New York, he has an 8-4-4 record, one shutout, a 2.35 GAA, and a .923 save percentage. He has also appeared in 21 games with San Antonio of the AHL, posting an 11-8-0 record, with a 3.19 GAA and a .891 save percentage. This is a good signing for the Islanders, as Montoya has been solid in goal for the team since his acquisition this past February. He has added lots of stability in net while Rick Dipietro has been injured and will likely play just as well next season.

Senators Sign Craig Anderson to Four-Year Contract

The Ottawa Senators announced today that they have signed goaltender Craig Anderson to a four-year contract worth $12.75 million. The deal will average out to $3.18 million per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. He was acquired by the Senators on February 18 from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for goaltender Brian Elliott. In 44 games this season with the Avalanche and Senators, Anderson has a 19-19-3 record, one shutout, a 2.98 GAA, and a .908 save percentage. Not a bad signing for Ottawa, as Anderson has been a fairly steady goaltender for the team since his acquisition. He has solid goaltending skills and adds a lot of depth in goal for the team. Look for Robin Lehner to be Anderson's backup next season, or possibly split the goaltending duties depending on how both goalies fare throughout the course of the season.

Wild Sign Goaltender Dennis Endras to One-Year Contract

The Minnesota Wild announced today that they have signed goaltender Dennis Endras to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2011-12 season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency this summer. In 52 games last season with Augsburger of the German Hockey League, he posted a 28-24 record, with a 3.28 GAA and a .905 save percentage. This is really just a depth signing for the Wild, as Endras will likely spend most of next season in the minors with Houston of the AHL, where he could be the backup to prospect goaltender Matt Hackett.

Ducks Sign Luca Sbisa to Four-Year Extension

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they have signed defenseman Luca Sbisa to a four-year contract extension worth $8.7 million. The deal will pay him $1.2 million in 2011-12, $2 million in 2012-13, $2.6 million in 2013-14, and $2.9 million in 2014-15 for an annual salary cap hit of $2.175 million. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency this summer. In 52 games so far this season, he has two goals and six assists for eight points and 37 penalty minutes. This is a good signing for the Ducks, as Sbisa has really improved his game throughout the course of the season and has the potential to be a decent all-around defenseman at the NHL level. He owns lots of offensive potential and can play with a physical edge and will likely improve these skills over the next four years.

Blue Jackets Acquire Petr Kalus from Wild

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that they have acquired right wing Petr Kalus from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for future considerations and assigned him to Springfield of the AHL. He will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. In 34 games this season with Houston of the AHL, he has six goals and two assists for eight points and 68 penalty minutes. This is really just a depth move for the Blue Jackets, as Kalus will likely spend the rest of the season in the minors, where he will provide plenty of speed and toughness for Springfield.

Sharks Sign Antti Niemi to Four-Year Extension

The San Jose Sharks announced today that they have signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a four-year contract worth $15.2 million. The deal averages out to $3.8 million per season. He would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Sharks signed the 27-year-old netminder to a one-year deal last summer after the Chicago Blackhawks walked away from an arbitrator-decided one-year, $2.75 million contract because of salary cap reasons, which made him an unrestricted free agent free to sign with any team. In 42 games so far this season, he has a 23-15-3 record, five shutouts, a 2.44 GAA, and a .919 save percentage. This is a good signing for the Sharks, as Niemi's play has improved greatly over the past couple of months after struggling early on in the season. He has good size, can cover a lot of the net, and has lots of experience in goal from his days of playing in Europe. He can be a bit inconsistent from time to time, but he is still a solid netminder and a great playoff goalie.