Capitals Sign Joel Ward, Roman Hamrlik, Ryan Potulny

The Washington Capitals announced on the first day of free agency that they have signed right wing Joel Ward to a four-year contract worth $12 million, defenseman Roman Hamrlik to a two-year contract worth $7 million, and center Ryan Potulny to a one-year contract. Ward's contract will pay him $3 million per season and Hamrlik will make $3.5 million per year, while the financial terms of Potulny's deal were not disclosed. In 80 games last season with the Nashville Predators, Ward had 10 goals and 19 assists for 29 points, while Hamrlik had five goals and 29 assists for 34 points in 79 games with the Montreal Canadiens. Potulny appeared in 10 games last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and Ottawa Senators, scoring no points. He also played in 71 games with Rockford and Binghamton of the AHL, scoring 21 goals and 28 assists for 49 points. These aren't bad signings for the Capitals. Ward has plenty of speed, works hard on the ice, has some two-way skill, and is good on the power play and penalty kill. He should be a good fit for the Capitals. Hamrlik brings plenty of offensive skill to the blueline, as well as lots of grit and physical play. He is also excellent on the power play and penalty kill, so he should be an excellent top-four defenseman for the team. Potulny is really just a depth signing for the Capitals, as he will likely spend much of next season in the minors. If he does see any time in the NHL, it will likely be on the fourth line.

Blackhawks Acquire Chris Campoli from Senators for Ryan Potulny

The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that they have acquired defenseman Chris Campoli and a conditional seventh round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for center Ryan Potulny and a conditional second round pick in the 2011 Entry Draft. Both players will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. The conditional second round pick going to Ottawa will be Chicago's choice of three second picks they own in 2011. The seventh round pick going to Chicago is conditional on Potulny re-signing with Ottawa this summer. In 58 games this season with Ottawa, Campoli has three goals and 11 assists for 14 points. Potulny has appeared in three games this season with Chicago, scoring no points. He has also played in 58 games with Rockford of the AHL, scoring 18 goals and 23 assists for 41 points. Not a bad move for the Blackhawks, as Campoli will bring some puckmoving skill to the team's defense, which will help with the loss of Jordan Hendry to a lower body injury. However, it remains to be seen if Chicago will be able to retain Campoli beyond this season given their salary cap constraints. Potulny will bring the Senators a bottom-six forward and some offensive depth to a team that has seen a mass exodus of players over the past several weeks. The biggest part of this trade for Ottawa is the conditional second round pick, which can help them restock their team with youth.

Blackhawks Sign Free Agent Center Ryan Potulny

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Wednesday night that they have signed center Ryan Potulny to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay him $500,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. In 64 games last season with the Edmonton Oilers, he had 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points. He also appeared in 14 games with Springfield of the AHL, scoring three goals and five assists for eight points. Not a bad signing for the Blackhawks, as Potulny made some strides in his development last season. He has some goal-scoring skill at lower levels and was able to bring some of that talent to the NHL with 15 goals as a checking line forward. He could be used on third or fourth line by the Blackhawks this coming season as a depth forward if he makes the team at training camp.