Canucks Add Matt Climie and Alexander Sulzer

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they have signed goaltender Matt Climie and defenseman Alexander Sulzer to one-year contracts worth $525,000 and $700,000, respectively. Climie appeared in one game last season with the Phoenix Coyotes, allowing one goal on 16 shots and posting a 1.88 GAA. He also played in 55 games with San Antonio of the AHL, posting a 26-22-3 record, three shutouts, a 2.64 GAA, and a .913 save percentage. In 40 games last season with the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, Sulzer had one goal and four assists for five points. Climie is really just a depth signing for the Canucks, as he will likely spend next season in the minors. As for Sulzer, he brings some mobility and offensive ability to Vancouver's blueline, but given the depth currently on their defense, he will likely spend a good chunk of next season in the minors. If he sees any time with the Canucks, it will probably be as an injury replacement.

Coyotes Sign Ebbett, Climie, Yonkman, Stafford

The Phoenix Coyotes have announced that they have signed center Andrew Ebbett to a one-year contract and also signed goaltender Matt Climie and defensemen Nolan Yonkman and Garrett Stafford to contracts for the 2010-11 season. The financial terms of Ebbett's deal were not disclosed. The exact length and financial terms of the other contracts were not disclosed. Not a bad depth signing in Ebbett, as he has plenty of speed and could become an okay scorer at the NHL level. The Climie, Yonkman, and Stafford signings are nothing more than depth signings, as all three players will likely spend most of next season in the minors.

Stars Sign Goalies Krahn, Climie to One-Year Deals

The Dallas Stars announced on Tuesday that they have re-signed goaltenders Brent Krahn and Matt Climie to one-year, two-way contracts. Financial terms of their deals were not disclosed. Krahn, who was signed as a free agent by the Stars in September, played in his first ever NHL game last season, allowing three goals in only 20 minutes of play. He played 13 games with the Chicago Wolves of AHL, posting a 6-6-0 record with two shutouts, a GAA of 2.11 and a .917 save percentage. He also played six games with Las Vegas of the ECHL, posting 1-4-1 record with a GAA of 4.04 and a .874 save percentage. Prior to signing with the Stars, Krahn had been in the Calgary Flames minor league system for eight years and being drafted by them in 2000. Climie, in his first NHL season, appeared in three games for the Stars, posting a 2-1-0 record with a GAA of 2.92 and a .894 save percentage. He also played in 42 games for Idaho of the ECHL, posting an impressive 27-12-1 record with four shutouts, a GAA of 2.30 and a .915 save percentage. These signings are likely just for depth for the Stars minor league team next season. However, the team is still undecided on whether they will re-sign backup goaltender Tobias Stephan, who struggled during the season, when he becomes a free agent on July 1. If the Stars cannot obtain a quality backup goalie through free agency or trades this summer, Climie could very well become their new backup, as he played decent in his three games last season.