Panthers Sign Bill Thomas to One-Year Contract

The Florida Panthers have announced that they have signed right wing Bill Thomas to a one-year, two-way contract. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He appeared in 24 games with the Panthers last season, scoring four goals and three assists for seven points. In 25 games this season with San Antonio of the AHL, he has nine goals and eight assists for 17 points. This is really just a depth signing for the Panthers, as Thomas will likely play on the fourth line if he sees any NHL action this season.

Panthers Acquire Krys Barch from Stars for Jake Hauswirth

The Florida Panthers announced on Wednesday that they have acquired right wing Krys Barch and a sixth round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft from the Dallas Stars in exchange for left wing Jake Hauswirth and a fifth round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft. In 10 games with the Stars this season, Barch has no points and 23 penalty minutes. Hauswirth has six goals and six assists for 12 points in 17 games with Rio Grande of the CHL. Not a bad depth move for the Panthers, as the team was in need of an enforcer and Barch will help fill that role. He plays with lots of grit and toughness, but don't expect him to score very many points, as he doesn't have a lot of offensive skill. He wasn't being used very much in Dallas so he should see more ice time in Florida. As for the Stars, they get a marginal prospect in Hauswirth who has some bottom-six forward skill, but is probably still a few seasons away from seeing any NHL action.

Jets Claim Ben Maxwell Off Waivers from Ducks

The Winnipeg Jets have announced that they have claimed center Ben Maxwell off waivers from the Anaheim Ducks and assigned him to their AHL affiliate in St. John's. The Ducks had previously claimed him off waivers from the Jets on November 10. In 10 games so far this season with Winnipeg and Anaheim, he has one assist. Not a bad depth move for the Jets, as Maxwell will bring some two-way ability to the team. For now he will stay in the minors and could be called up by Winnipeg if injuries should begin to mount on the forward lines.

NHL Approves Four-Conference Format for 2012-13 Season

The NHL's Board of Governors announced on Monday night that they have come to a decision on a plan for league realignment. The league approved a new four-conference format that will go into effect for the 2012-13 season. Realignment became necessary when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and became the Jets this past summer. The new conferences are arranged to accommodate both geographic proximity and established rivalries. Conferences A and B will be comprised of eight teams a piece, while Conferences C and D will be made up of seven teams each. Here is what the newly realigned NHL will look like:

CONFERENCE A
Anaheim Ducks
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotes
San Jose Sharks
Vancouver Canucks

CONFERENCE B
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues
Winnipeg Jets

CONFERENCE C
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Florida Panthers
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs

CONFERENCE D
Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals

The realignment will even out the travel schedules for all teams so each team will play teams outside of their conference twice per year, once on the road and once at home. In the seven team conferences, those teams will play each other six times, three games at home and three games on the road. The eight team conferences will have a slightly different format. Those teams will play each other five or six times per year on a rotating basis. Three teams would play each other six times, while four teams would play each other five times. This process will then reverse each season. For the playoffs, the top four teams of each conference would qualify for the playoffs. In the first round, the first place team would play the fourth place team, while the second and third place teams would square off against each other. The second round would see the top seeded team play against the lower seeded team. For the third round, the four conference champions would face off against each other. The two remaining teams would then play each other for the Stanley Cup. The NHL general managers will determine the playoff structure after round two under the new realignment.

Lightning Acquire Oberg, Kostka from Panthers for Wright, Vernace

The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they have acquired defensemen Evan Oberg and Michael Kostka from the Florida Panthers in exchange for center James Wright and defenseman Michael Vernace. In 12 games with San Antonio of the AHL, Oberg has two assists, while Kostka has two goals and four assists for six points in 18 games with San Antonio. In 22 games with Norfolk of the AHL, Wright has one goal and four assists for five points, while Vernace has two goals and 10 assists for 12 points in 22 games with Norfolk. This is really just a depth move for both teams, as all four players will likely spend the majority of the season in the minors.

Senators Acquire Rob Klinkhammer from Blackhawks

The Ottawa Senators announced today that they have acquired left wing Rob Klinkhammer from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a conditional seventh round pick in the 2013 Entry Draft. He will join Ottawa's AHL affiliate in Binghamton. In 18 games this season with Rockford of the AHL, he has two goals and four assists for six points. He has appeared in only one NHL game with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2010-11 season. This is nothing more than a depth move for the Senators, as Klinkhammer will likely spend the entire 2011-12 season in the minors.

Bruins Sign David Krejci to Three-Year Contract

The Boston Bruins announced today that they have re-signed center David Krejci to a three-year contract worth $15.75 million. The deal will average out to $5.25 million per season. He would have been eligible for restricted free agency next summer. In 20 games so far this season, he has four goals and nine assists for 13 points. This is a good signing for the Bruins, as Krejci brings plenty of offensive skill to the team. He is a good playmaker with excellent passing skills and two-way ability. Despite his offensive struggles so far in 2011-12, he will more than likely turn his game around as the season progresses.