Avalanche Sign Stastny to 5-Year Extension

The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they have signed center Paul Stastny to a five-year contract extension worth $33 million. The deal averages out to $6.6 million per season. Stastny was in the final year of his current contract and would have been a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Last season, Stastny played in 66 games with the Avalanche, scoring 24 goals and 47 assists for 71 points. He missed 15 games in January and February with a groin injury and appendicitis. So far this season, Stastny has played in 17 games, scoring three goals and 12 assists for 15 points. This is an excellent signing for the Avalanche as Stastny has proven over the past two seasons that he will be the new franchise player in Colorado. He has excellent offensive and skills and great speed on the ice, which will only improve with time.

Penguins and Stars Swap Defensemen

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars swapped veteran defensemen on Sunday, with the Penguins sending Darryl Sydor to the Stars in exchange for Philippe Boucher. Both players will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and both have relatively equal salaries at $2.5 million each. This marks Sydor's third stint with the Stars. Sydor had become expendable to the Penguins and saw very little ice time with them this season, while Boucher lack of production so far this season led to rumors of him being shopped. So far this season, Sydor has played in eight games, scoring one goal and one assist. Boucher has played in 16 games so far this season, scoring no goals and accumulating only three assists. Sydor will be a decent addition to the Stars' blueline. He will provide plenty of veteran and defensive depth for the team, and could possibly see more ice time, as he has played for the Stars twice already in his career. Boucher gives the Penguins a much needed puck-moving defenseman on their blueline with the injuries to Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney. Boucher will also give the Penguins some much needed offense on defense.

Lightning Fire Head Coach Melrose

I apologize for not posting this sooner. The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Friday that they have fired head coach Barry Melrose. Associate coach Rick Tocchet will replace Melrose as head coach. Under Melrose, the Lightning were 5-7-4. Melrose, who had previously been a hockey analyst with ESPN, was hired by the Lightning as their new head coach on June 24, replacing John Tortorella. The last time Melrose coached in the NHL was during the mid 1990s, during which time he coached the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993. He was fired by the Kings in 1995 after a six-game losing streak. The Lightning's hiring of Melrose was a bit of a surprise, as there were more experienced coaches available when he was hired by the team. It would have been hard to imagine that he would have had a successful season in Tampa Bay for a couple reasons: 1.) he had not coached in any level of hockey over the last 13 years, and 2.) he has no coaching experience under the new, faster paced NHL created by the players' strike in 2004. Right now, it appears that Tocchet will be the new head coach for the foreseeable future, as the team claims they are not searching for a new coach right now. If Tocchet has a successful season, he will more than likely return as Lightning coach next season. If the team cannot pull out of their current slump and struggle the rest of the way through the season, Lightning management will definitely be aggressive in their search for a new head coach next summer.

Veteran Defenseman Keith Carney Retires

According to the Pawtucket Times, veteran defenseman Keith Carney has quietly retired from the NHL. This past September, Carney was invited to a tryout at the Chicago Blackhawks training camp with the hope of extending his NHL career one more season, but was cut by the team at the end of the preseason. Last season, Carney played in 61 games with the Minnesota Wild, scoring one goal and 10 assists for 11 points and 42 penalty minutes. In 16 NHL seasons, Carney played in 1018 games, scoring 45 goals and 183 assists for 228 points and 904 penalty minutes with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, and Minnesota Wild. Carney was a very physical and rugged stay-at-home defenseman throughout his NHL career. He should be very proud of all he accomplished during his 16 seasons in the NHL.

Burke Out as Ducks GM

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Wednesday that Brian Burke has stepped down as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks and senior vice president of hockey operations Bob Murray will take over as the new general manager. According to tsn.ca, Burke will remain with the Ducks in a senior advisory capacity. In his advisory capacity, Burke will now have the ability to negotiate future general manager employment with any NHL team. Over the past several months, rumors began to fly that Burke would leave Anaheim at the end of the season and take over as the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL issued a statement early in the season that they were going to closely monitor any transactions between the Ducks and Maple Leafs given the strong rumors that the Leafs were considering hiring Burke for the 2009-2010 season. According to Burke, he stepped down from the position in Anaheim due to family considerations. While it surprises me that Burke stepped down this early in the season, it still comes as no surprise that he is leaving the general manager position in Anaheim. It would also come as no surprise if he is hired as the new general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the coming months. Burke did a good job building the Ducks into a winner and if he is hired by the Leafs, he should be able to turn the Leafs into winners as well.

Oilers Claim Boulerice Off Waivers from Avalanche

The Edmonton Oilers announced on Tuesday that they have claimed right wing and enforcer Jesse Boulerice off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche. Boulerice had been playing with the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, since the start of the 2008-09 season. Prior to playing with Lake Erie, Boulerice had been invited to the Chicago Blackhawks training camp this past September on a tryout. The waiver claim comes on the same day the Oilers placed enforcer Steve MacIntyre on injured reserve with an upper body injury. Last season, Boulerice played in five games with the Philadelphia Flyers, going pointless and accumulating 29 penalty minutes. He gained some unwanted notoriety last season after being suspended 25 games for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler in the head on October 10, 2007. In five NHL seasons, Boulerice has scored eight goals and two assists for 10 points and 333 penalty minutes in 170 games with the Philadephia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, and St. Louis Blues. With MacIntyre out indefinitely, Boulerice's physical presence will be a welcome one to the Oilers. Boulerice will share the duties of protecting the Oilers' star players with Zack Stortini until MacIntyre returns. After that, Boulerice will likely be demoted to the minors.

Avalanche Release Forward Parker

According to Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, the Colorado Avalanche have terminated the contract of forward and enforcer Scott Parker for insubordination. The Avalanche demoted Parker on October 17 to their AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, but he was unable to play due to a concussion he sustained during a fight in the preseason. Parker still refused assignment to the Monsters outright. The Avalanche had signed Parker to a one-year, two-way contract over the summer worth $500,000. By terminating his contract, Parker is now an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any team without compensation to the Avalanche. Parker has played in eight NHL seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, racking up 699 penalty minutes in 308 games. Parker's insubordination with the Avalanche likely ended his career in the NHL, as most general managers will not want a player on their team refusing demotion to the minors. If Parker has any hopes of landing with another NHL team, he's going to have to change his attitude about playing in the minors.

Flyers Acquire Carle from Lightning for Eminger and Downie

The Philadelphia Flyers further bolstered their injury ravaged defense by acquiring defenseman Matt Carle from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Steve Eminger and right wing Steve Downie. The Flyers also acquired San Jose's 3rd round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft from the Lightning and sent Tampa Bay's own 4th round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft back to the Lightning. The Flyers had originally acquired the 4th round pick when they traded Vaclav Prospal to the Lightning over the summer. In 12 game played with the Lightning this season, Carle has one goal and one assist. Eminger had two assists in 12 games with the Flyers, while Downie had no points in six games with the Flyers. Carle gives the Flyers more depth on their injury ravaged blueline, as well as plenty of offense and puck-moving skill. Eminger gives the Lightning some decent defensive depth, while Downie gives the team lots of toughness. The Lightning had been rumored looking to cut some salary and did just that by trading Carle, who is making approximately $3 million this season. It's somewhat puzzling that the Lightning gave up on Carle so quickly, as he was the main component of the Dan Boyle trade a few months back. Perhaps the Lightning were growing dissatisfied over Carle's slow start to the season or maybe they just wanted to cut his salary from their payroll. While Carle's stats have dropped a bit since his 42 points in his rookie season, he still has the potential to develop into a solid puck-moving and offensive defenseman. If he can develop into such a defenseman, the Flyers will have another talented, young defenseman on their rebuilding blueline to compliment Braydon Coburn, Ryan Parent, Luca Sbisa, and minor-leaguer Kevin Marshall.

NHL Announces 2009 All-Star Ballot

All information in this report comes from nhl.com


The NHL announced on Tuesday the 104 players who have been named to the ballot for the 2009 All-Star game scheduled for January 25 in Montreal. Voting for the All-Star game will begin on November 12. The ballot features 23 players under the age of 25, with 10 of those players making their first career appearance on the ballot: Dustin Brown, Los Angeles (23); Brent Burns, Minnesota (23); Mike Green, Washington (23); Alexander Semin, Washington (24); Patrick Kane, Chicago (19); Jonathan Toews, Chicago (20); Zach Parise, New Jersey (24); Carey Price, Montreal (21); Mike Richards, Philadelphia (23); and Shea Weber, Nashville (23). All teams have at least two representatives on the ballot, with Montreal and Detroit both having the most representatives with six apiece. The NHL will provide real-time All-Star balloting results from November 12 to January 2 in a first for major league professional sports. Fans will be able to vote for six players from each conference: one goaltender, two defensemen, and three forwards. Fans will also be able to vote as many times as they wish from November 12 to January 2 and can also select write-in candidates if they wish to vote for a player not on the ballot. The three forwards, two defensemen, and one goaltender who receive the most votes from each conference will comprise the starting line-ups for the All-Star game. Below are the 104 players selected to the ballot. I have made notes next to any player who is currently injured and their likelihood of playing in the All-Star Game.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

Goaltenders

Martin Biron, Philadelphia Flyers
Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils (elbow surgery, out 3-4 months, won't play)
Rick DiPietro, New York Islanders (knee injury, out 4-6 weeks, should be able to play)
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins
Kari Lehtonen, Atlanta Thrashers (illness, day-to-day, should be able to play)
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Ryan Miller, Buffalo Sabres
Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens
Vesa Toskala, Toronto Maple Leafs
Tomas Vokoun, Florida Panthers

Defensemen

Jay Bouwmeester, Florida Panthers
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Sergei Gonchar, Pittsburgh Penguins (shoulder surgery, out until March, won't play)
Mike Green, Washington Capitals
Tomas Kaberle, Toronto Maple Leafs
Mike Komisarek, Montreal Canadiens
Andrei Markov, Montreal Canadiens
Teppo Numminen, Buffalo Sabres
Chris Phillips, Ottawa Senators
Wade Redden, New York Rangers
Kimmo Timonen, Philadelphia Flyers
Ryan Whitney, Pittsburgh Penguins (foot surgery, injured reserve, questionable)

Forwards

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators
Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
Daniel Briere, Philadelphia Flyers (torn stomach muscle, injured reserve, questionable)
Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Chris Drury, New York Rangers
Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils
Simon Gagne, Philadelphia Flyers
Scott Gomez, New York Rangers
Dany Heatley, Ottawa Senators
Trent Hunter, New York Islanders
Saku Koivu, Montreal Canadiens
Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers
Alex Kovalev, Montreal Canadiens
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay Lightning
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins
Markus Naslund, New York Rangers
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils
Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers
Brian Rolston, New Jersey Devils (sprained right ankle, injured reserve, might be able to play)
Derek Roy, Buffalo Sabres
Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning
Marc Savard, Boston Bruins
Alexander Semin, Washington Capitals
Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Alex Tanguay, Montreal Canadiens
Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres
Ray Whitney, Carolina Hurricanes

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Goaltenders

Niklas Backstrom, Minnesota Wild
Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes
J.S. Giguere, Anaheim Ducks
Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
Pascal Leclaire, Columbus Blue Jackets (ankle injury, injured reserve, might be able to play)
Roberto Luongo, Vancouver Canucks
Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose Sharks
Chris Osgood, Detroit Red Wings
Marty Turco, Dallas Stars

Defensemen

Rob Blake, San Jose Sharks
Dan Boyle, San Jose Sharks
Brent Burns, Minnesota Wild (upper body injury, day-to-day, questionable)
Brian Campbell, Chicago Blackhawks
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Scott Niedermayer, Anaheim Ducks
Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
Chris Pronger, Anaheim Ducks
Brian Rafalski, Detroit Red Wings
Robyn Regehr, Calgary Flames (lower body injury, day-to-day, questionable)
Sheldon Souray, Edmonton Oilers
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators

Forwards

Jason Arnott, Nashville Predators
Brad Boyes, St. Louis Blues
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings
Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wings
Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes
Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild (lower body injury, injured reserve, questionable)
Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks
Milan Hejduk, Colorado Avalanche
Ales Hemsky, Edmonton Oilers
Shawn Horcoff, Edmonton Oilers
Marian Hossa, Detroit Red Wings
Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames
Olli Jokinen, Phoenix Coyotes
Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
Paul Kariya, St. Louis Blues
Mikko Koivu, Minnesota Wild
Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
Mike Modano, Dallas Stars
Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars
Rick Nash, Columbus Blue Jackets
Mike Ribeiro, Dallas Stars
Brad Richards, Dallas Stars
Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche
Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
Paul Stastny, Colorado Avalanche
Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks
Keith Tkachuk, St. Louis Blues
Jonathan Toews, Chicago Blackhawks
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings

Devils Lose Brodeur for 3-4 Months After Elbow Surgery

The New Jersey Devils learned on Tuesday that goaltender Martin Brodeur will miss the next 3-4 months after elbow surgery to repair torn bicep tendons. Brodeur sustained the injury over the weekend in what the team was originally calling a bruised elbow. He is expected to return by the end of the regular season. Backup goaltender Kevin Weekes is expected to see the majority of the starts in Brodeur's absence. Scott Clemmensen was recalled by the Devils to backup Weekes. Brodeur was poised to rewrite the NHL record book this season in the all-time wins and shutouts column. He needs seven victories to tie Patrick Roy's record of 551 wins and also needs five shutouts to tie Terry Sawchuk's record of 103. This is a serious blow to the Devils, as Brodeur played the majority of the games in goal for the team. While Weekes is a more than capable goaltender, he has seen little action over the past few seasons. Clemmensen has seen even less NHL action over the same time period. If Weekes and Clemmensen falter in net for the Devils over the coming months, the team may be forced to make a trade to avoid missing the playoffs.

Gelinas Signs with Bern of the Swiss League

According to tsn.ca, veteran NHL forward Martin Gelinas has signed with the Swiss hockey club Bern of the Swiss League. Gelinas had been trying to sign with an NHL team since the summer, but was unable to find any team willing to sign him. Last season, Gelinas played in 57 games with the Nashville Predators, scoring nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points. Gelinas appeared in 1273 games over 19 seasons, scoring 309 goals and 351 assists for 660 points and 820 penalty minutes with the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1st round (7th overall) in 1988, Gelinas became a part of NHL history on August 9, 1988 when he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers with Jimmy Carson, Edmonton's 1st round draft picks in 1989, 1991, and 1993, and cash in exchange for Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley.

Stars Sign Free Agent Forward Parrish

The Dallas Stars announced on Tuesday that they have signed free agent right wing Mark Parrish to a two-way contract worth $500,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level. The length of the contract has not been released, but I suspect that it is probably for one year given the financial terms. Parrish had signed a tryout contract with the New Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, in an attempt to make it back to the NHL. He is expected to be in the Stars' lineup on Friday for their game against the Anaheim Ducks. Parrish was bought out of the final three years of his contract by the Minnesota Wild at the end of the 2007-08 season. Last season, Parrish played in 66 games, scoring 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points in an injury plagued season. Parrish has scored 208 goals and 164 assists for 372 points in 660 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, and Minnesota Wild. This is a good signing for the struggling Stars, who are currently 4-6-2 with 10 points are are in 3rd in the Pacific Division. Parrish's contract is very affordable, even if he is not demoted to the minors. Parrish should provide good offensive depth to the Stars' offense, and if he can repeat his 30-goal performance of a few years ago, the Stars will have another solid goal scorer.

Senators Trade Nikulin to Coyotes

On Sunday, Ottawa Senators prospect center Alexander Nikulin told the team he wanted to be traded by Monday or he would sign a contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. Nikulin got his wish on Monday, as the Senators traded the disgruntled forward to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Drew Fata. Senators General Manager had a difficult time working out a trade due to the fact that the other teams were unsure if Nikulin would remain in North America even after the trade if he could not secure a roster spot. Murray found a trade partner with the Coyotes, who did not have to give up much in return. Nikulin played two games last season with the Senators, going scoreless. Fata was signed as a free agent by the Coyotes over the summer. Last season, Fata played in five games with the New York Islanders, scoring one assist. Neither player has played any NHL games so far this season. If Nikulin decides to remain in North America, the Coyotes have another talented prospect to build their team with. Nikulin could provide decent offensive depth for the Coyotes as long as he doesn't leave for Russia. However, since the Coyotes did not give up much to acquire him, it will not be a huge loss to the team if Nikulin decides to return to Russia. Fata likely won't see much playing time with the Senators this season unless there is a lengthy injury to their blueline in the future.

Hurricanes Sign Michael Ryan to One-Year Contract

The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Friday that they have signed left wing Michael Ryan to a one-year, two-way contract worth $475,000. After signing Ryan to the contract, the Hurricanes assigned him to the AHL affiliate in Albany. Ryan had attended the Nashville Predators' training camp in September on a tryout basis. Last season, Ryan scored four goals and four assists for eight points in 46 games with the Buffalo Sabres. Ryan was likely signed by the Hurricanes to give them depth on offense given their current injury woes. Provided he is recalled at some point during the season, Ryan will give the Hurricanes a speedy, two-way winger for their checking lines.

Canadiens Lose Prospect Valentenko to the KHL

According to the Moscow Dynamo website, Montreal Canadiens defensive prospect Pavel Valentenko has signed a three-year contract with the KHL team. The Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, had just granted Valentenko a leave of absence to deal with family matters in Russia when the signing was announced. Valentenko is the second prospect the Canadiens have seen return to Russia in the past few years. Forward Alexander Perezhogin left the Canadiens two years ago to sign with Ufa Salavat after disputes over ice time and contract terms. While it is always hard for a team to lose a top prospect, the Canadiens still have plenty of quality prospect defensemen, including Ryan McDonagh, Yannick Weber, P.K. Subban, David Fisher, Mathieu Carle, and Alexei Yemelin. The loss of Valentenko won't hurt the Canadiens in the long run.

Blues Sign Goaltender Holt

The St. Louis Blues announced on Thursday that they have signed goaltender Chris Holt. Terms or length of the deal were not disclosed. Holt has played in two games so far this season with the Blues' AHL affiliate in Peoria. He has a record of 2-0-0 thus far with a .915 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average. Holt had spent the past three seasons in the New York Rangers minor league system, playing with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and Charlotte Checkers of ECHL. The signing was likely done given Holt's strong play thus far and the Blues' current injury woes to their goaltending. Holt likely won't see any playing time in the NHL, but if the Blues continue to lose goaltenders to injury, there's a chance he could get called up.

Predators Swing Two Minor Trades

The Nashville Predators on Thursday swung two minor trades. In the first, they acquired defenseman Tim Ramholt from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for left wing Josh Gratton. In the second, the Predators acquired right wing Hugh Jessiman from the New York Rangers in exchange for future considerations. Both Jessiman and Ramholt were assigned to the Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee. Gratton had originally signed as a free agent with the Predators over the summer to a one year contract in an enforcer role, but was demoted to the minors during the preseason after taking too many errant penalties and unnecessary fighting majors. The two trades are likely just depth moves for their AHL affiliate, but both players could possibly see time with the team this season if injuries should start to mount.

Senators Sign Alfredsson to Four-Year Extension

The Ottawa Senators announced on Thursday that they have signed team captain Daniel Alfredsson to a four-year contract extension worth $21.6 million that also has a no-movement clause. The deal averages out to $5.4 million per season. The contract will likely keep Alfredsson a Senator for the rest of his career. Alfredsson was eligible for unrestricted free agency in July, but had option years on his current contract. According to tsn.ca, the first year of the contract will pay him $4 million, plus a $3 million signing bonus and a $2.1 million bonus for the removal of the option years from his old contract, which total $9.1 million. The second year of the contract will pay $4 million with a $3 million signing bonus for $7 million, the third year will pay $2 million with a $2.5 million bonus for $4.5 million, and the fourth year will pay $1 million. So far this season, his 13th with the Senators, Alfredsson has three goals and six assists for nine points in eight games played. He missed one game this season with a knee injury. This is an excellent signing for the Senators, as Alfredsson has demonstrated throughout his career that his offensive talent and leadership are extremely valuable to the team. He shows no signs of slowing down offensively and will continue to play on the Senators' top offensive line for the duration of the contract.

Panthers Sign Cullimore to One-Year Contract

The Florida Panthers announced on Tuesday that they have signed defenseman Jassen Cullimore to a one-year contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cullimore attended the Panthers' training camp this year on a tryout basis. Last season, Cullimore scored three goals and added 10 assists for 13 points and 38 penalty minutes in 65 games with the Florida Panthers. Cullimore was also an impressive +21 last season, a career best for him. He has played in 708 NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Chicago Blackhawks, while winning a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004. Cullimore will provide plenty of veteran depth and toughness on the Panthers' blueline. With injuries to Bryan McCabe, Bryan Allen, and Cory Murphy leaving the Panther's defense a bit thin, the addition of Cullimore will help the Panthers remain a competitive team in the Southeast Division.

Coyotes Claim Klee Off Waivers from Ducks

The Phoenix Coyotes announced on Tuesday that they have claimed defenseman Ken Klee off re-entry waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. The Coyotes and Ducks will split Klee's $1.25 million salary for the rest of the season. The Ducks had placed Klee on waivers last week with no takers. Klee had been traded to the Ducks by the Atlanta Thrashers on September 26 with Brad Larsen and Chad Painchaud in exchange for Mathieu Schneider. Last season with the Thrashers, Klee scored one goal and added nine assists for 10 points and 60 penalty minutes in 72 games. So far this season, Klee has played in three games, scoring zero points and attaining four penalty minutes. Klee brings lots of veteran depth and toughness to the Coyotes' blueline. He also brings plenty of experience to a young Coyotes team, which could benefit from his mentoring.

Capitals Sign Erskine to Two-Year Contract Extension

The Washington Capitals announced on Thursday that they have signed defenseman John Erskine to a two-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Erskine would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2008-09 season. So far this season, Erskine has one assist and 11 penalty minutes in five games. This is a good move by the Capitals, as Erksine is a very tough and rugged player. He will bring lots of physicality to the Capitals' blueline over the next few seasons and will also likely protect the team's star players.

Ducks Sign Hedican to One-Year Contract

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Thursday that they have signed veteran defenseman Bret Hedican to a one-year contract worth $870,000. Last season, Hedican scored two goals and 15 assists for 17 points and 70 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Carolina Hurricanes, whom he had played with since 2002. In 988 NHL games, Hedican has 54 goals and 234 assists for 288 points and 857 penalty minutes with the St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Hedican will provide lots of depth and toughness for the Ducks' already deep defense and will likely take the place of Sean O'Donnell, who was traded to Los Angeles prior to the start of the season.

Lightning Claim Pettinger Off Waivers, Lose Koci

The Tampa Bay Lightning announced on Tuesday that they have claimed left wing Matt Pettinger off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. The Lightning will only be responsible for half his salary for the rest of the season. In 2007-08, Pettinger split the season with the Washington Capitals and Vancouver Canucks, scoring six goals and adding seven assists for 13 points in 76 games. Pettinger has yet to appear in an NHL game this season. Pettinger will provide plenty of offensive depth on the checking lines for the struggling Tampa Bay Lightning.

The St. Louis Blues announced that they have claimed left wing David Koci off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Last season, Koci played in 18 games, going pointless and attaining 68 penalty minutes with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was signed as a free agent by the Lightning this past summer. So far, he has played in only one game this season and has no points. Koci attained some unwanted attention last season after he re-broke his nose in a fight with Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. Koci had first broken his nose in a fight approximately a week before the game against Boston. The fight with Chara left Koci covered in his own blood. The acquisition of Koci gives the Blues another proven enforcer to compliment Cam Janssen. Koci will bring a lot of physical play and grittiness to the Blues' checking lines.

Kings Sign Defenseman Greene to 5-Year Extension

The Los Angeles Kings have announced that they have signed defenseman Matt Greene to a five-year contract extension. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Greene would have been a restricted free agent in 2009. The Kings acquired Greene along with center Jarret Stoll in a trade with Edmonton during the summer for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky. Last season, Greene played in 46 games with the Oilers, earning one assist and racking up 53 penalty minutes. In four games so far this season, GReen has no points and seven penalty minutes. The Kings' resigning of Greene shows their intent to rebuild the club through young talent. The team has also resigned young forwards Anze Kopitar, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Dustin Brown to long-term deals over the past few months. Greene brings lots of physical play to the Kings' blueline and will continue to do so for the next five years.

Radulov Wants to Remain in Russia

According to the Canadian Press, Nashville Predators forward Alexander Radulov says he wants to remain in Russia and help his country grow the sport. Radulov has also claimed that he will not hold any negotiations with the NHL of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Radulov left the Predators over the summer to sign a contract with the Kontinental Hockey League. He was still under contract for one more year with the Predators. Radulov was suspended indefinitely by the Predators in September. The Predators still own his rights for one more NHL season if he returns to the league. Radulov's words clearly state his intention to remain in the KHL. It is likely at this point that he will never return to the NHL, and if he ever did, he would likely not be greeted warmly by the Predators' management and players.