Blue Jackets Sign Brett Lebda to One-Year Contract

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed defenseman Brett Lebda to a one-year contract. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 26 games this season with Springfield of the AHL, he has one goal and nine assists for 10 points. The 30-year-old defenseman was traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Nashville Predators this past summer and then had the final year of his contract bought out by Nashville, making him an unrestricted free agent. Not a bad depth signing for the Blue Jackets, as Lebda will add some mobility to their defense. With Radek Martinek out for the rest of the season with a concussion, Lebda's veteran presence will be valuable to the struggling team.

Maple Leafs Acquire Lombardi, Franson from Predators

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have acquired center Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Cody Franson from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Brett Lebda and left wing Robert Slaney. A fourth round pick in 2013 was also included in the deal, which one of the teams will receive based on how many games Lombardi plays in for the Maple Leafs. Lombardi missed the majority of the 2010-11 season with a concussion and appeared in only two games with the Predators, scoring no points. Franson appeared in 80 games with Nashville last season, scoring eight goals and 21 assists for 29 points. In 41 games last season with the Maple Leafs, Lebda had one goal and three assists for four points. Slaney played in nine games with Toronto of the AHL in 2010-11, scoring one assist. He also appeared in 61 games with Reading of the ECHL, scoring seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points. Provided Lombardi fully recovers from the concussion, this is an excellent trade for the Maple Leafs. He will bring lots of speed, two-way skill, and scoring depth to the forward lines. In Franson, Toronto gets a young defender with plenty of offensive upside and excellent skills on the power play. He will likely see plenty of ice time with the Maple Leafs next season. As for the Predators, this is a salary dumping move, as they have freed up $2.2 million. The financial flexibility will help in their efforts to re-sign defenseman Shea Weber. Lebda brings some mobility and offensive ability to the blueline, but likely won't see much ice-time next season. Slaney will likely spend all of next season in the minors.

Maple Leafs Sign Defenseman Lebda, Re-Sign Forward Brent

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that they have signed defenseman Brett Lebda to a two-year contract worth $2.9 million. The deal averages out to $1.45 million per season. The Maple Leafs also announced that they have re-signed center Tim Brent to a one-year contract. Financial terms of his deal were not disclosed. The Lebda signing isn't a bad one for Toronto, as he is a very mobile defenseman with some offensive upside. Brent is nothing more than a depth signing and will likely spend most of next season in the minors.

Red Wings Waive Brad May

The Detroit Red Wings announced today that they have placed left wing Brad May on waivers. In 40 games this season with the Red Wings, he has one assist and 66 penalty minutes. He was signed as a free agent by the team on October 7. The Red Wings have waived May in order to free up some salary cap space to make room for Andreas Lilja, who is very close to returning to the team after recovering from a concussion that has kept him out of the line-up all season. If May clears waivers, he will likely be sent to the team's AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The Red Wings are also rumored to be placing a player on long-term injury status to help clear salary cap space for Lilja, but who that player will be has yet to be determined. It was also rumored that the team was trying to trade Brett Lebda to open up a roster spot on defense for Lilja, but Lebda was not dealt before the 3 PM trade deadline for the Olympic roster freeze.