Blackhawks Walk Away from Niemi, Blues Re-Sign Johnson, Islanders Buy Out Witt

Here are some of the top stories in the NHL for August 2, 2010:

• The Chicago Blackhawks have walked away from an arbitrator's one-year, $2.75 million contract handed out to goaltender Antti Niemi. He is now an unrestricted free agent who can sign with any team. To replace Niemi, the Blackhawks have signed free agent goaltender Marty Turco to a one-year contract worth $1.3 million.
• The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Erik Johnson to a two-year contract worth $5.2 million. The deal averages out to $2.6 million per season.
• The New York Islanders have bought out the final year of defenseman Brendan Witt's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. He was set to make $3 million next season.
• The Atlanta Thrashers have announced that they have traded forward Todd White to the New York Rangers in exchange for forwards Patrick Rissmiller and Donald Brashear. The Thrashers will reportedly place Brashear on waivers and buy out his contract if he clears.

Moreau, Nilsson, O' Sullivan Among More NHL Players on Waivers

On Tuesday, the following NHL players were placed on waivers with the likely purpose of buying out their contracts. The players will have until noon tomorrow to be claimed by other teams. If they go unclaimed, they will likely have their contracts bought out and become unrestricted free agents.

Donald Brashear, LW - New York Rangers
Todd Fedoruk, LW - Tampa Bay Lightning
Ethan Moreau, LW - Edmonton Oilers
Robert Nilsson, LW - Edmonton Oilers
Patrick O'Sullivan, LW - Edmonton Oilers
Nathan Oystrick, D - Anaheim Ducks
Patrick Rissmiller, LW - New York Rangers
Aaron Voros, LW - New York Rangers

Jonathan Cheechoo, Ales Kotalik, Ville Koistinen, Petteri Nokelainen, and Jim Vandermeer all cleared waivers from yesterday and are now eligible to be bought out by their clubs. It really comes as no surprise that the Oilers have placed Moreau, Nilsson, and O'Sullivan on waivers with the purpose of buying out their contracts, as the Oilers stated their intentions to do so earlier this month. I would be surprised if any of these players were claimed off waivers, as any team interested in them is better off waiting until their contracts are bought out and then signing them to new, more affordable deals.

Rangers Acquire Shelley from Sharks; Waiver Brashear

The New York Rangers announced today that they have acquired left wing Jody Shelley from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. If the Rangers re-sign Shelley this summer, the pick will become a fifth rounder in 2011. In 36 games with the Sharks this season, Shelley has three assists and 78 penalty minutes. He missed 23 games this season due to injury. Not a bad move by the Rangers to add some much needed toughness to their line-up. Shelley won't contribute much offensively, but his tough, gritty play will make the Rangers a more physical team to play against.

In a separate move today, the Rangers also announced that they have waived enforcer Donald Brashear. In 36 games with the Rangers this season, the left wing has one assist and 73 penalty minutes. He was signed as a free agent this past season to a two-year contract. The acquisition of Jody Shelley indicates that Brashear's time as the team enforcer has come to an end. Brashear's playing time this season has been limited and he has not played at the level of ruggedness that was expected of him. He will likely clear waivers and be demoted to the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford, which will clear up $1.4 million worth of salary cap space for the team.

Rangers Sign Veteran Tough-Guy Brashear to Two-Year Contract

The New York Rangers added some grit to their lineup on Wednesday by signing veteran right wing Donald Brashear to a two-year contract worth $2.8 million. The deal averages out to $1.4 million per season. The signing came within hours of the Rangers losing former enforcer Colton Orr to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 63 games last season with the Washington Capitals, Brashear scored one goal and three assists for four points and 121 penalty minutes. He has appeared in 989 NHL games over 15 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals, scoring 85 goals and 119 assists for 204 points and 2561 penalty minutes. This is an okay signing for the Rangers, as Brashear brings lots of grit, toughness, and leadership to the team. He will likely play on their checking line next season as the enforcer, but don’t look for Brashear to provide much offense, as he has slowed down considerably in recent years.