Sabres Sign Defenseman Mike Weber to One-Year Deal

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have re-signed defenseman Mike Weber to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 80 games last season with Portland of the AHL, he had five goals and 16 assists for 21 points and 153 penalty minutes. Not a bad depth signing for the Sabres, as Weber is a very physical defenseman who plays with lots of grit and toughness. He will likely compete for a roster spot at training camp in the fall.

Penguins Sign Sterling to One-Year Contract

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Saturday that they have signed left wing Brett Sterling to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 55 games last season with Chicago of the AHL, he had 34 goals and 22 assists for 56 points. Not a bad depth signing for the Penguins, as Sterling has decent offensive potential and has a good shot. However, nearly all of his offensive success has come at the minor league level and hasn't had much success at the NHL level. If he can prove himself at training camp in the fall, he could possibly get a roster spot on the fourth line for the 2010-11 season.

Bruins Sign McIver, Re-Sign McKelvie

The Boston Bruins have announced that they have signed defenseman Nathan McIver to a two-year contract and re-signed defenseman Zach McKelvie. The financial terms of McIver's deal were not disclosed, while the exact length and financial terms of McKelvie's contract were not disclosed. These are really just depth signings for the Bruins, as McIver and McKelvie will likely spend most of next season in the minors. McIver is the more likely of the two to play in the NHL next season. If he does, he will provide plenty of defensive depth and toughness on the blueline.

Oilers Sign Forward Giroux to One-Year Contract

The Edmonton Oilers announced on Saturday that they have signed left wing Alexandre Giroux to a one-year contract worth $500,000. In nine games with the Washington Capitals last season, he had one goal and two assists for three points. He also appeared in 69 games with Hershey of the AHL last season, scoring 50 goals and 53 assists for 103 points. Not a bad depth signing for the Oilers, as Giroux is a very talented goal-scorer at the minor league level. If he spends a lot of time with Edmonton's AHL affiliate next season, he will definitely bring the team lots of offensive depth and goal-scoring skill. At the NHL level, Giroux is really just a fourth-line forward, but in an increased role, he could provide some offensive depth on the checking lines for the Oilers.

Red Wings Sign Goaltender MacDonald and Forwards Minard, Johnson

The Detroit Red Wings made a few depth signings Friday night as they have signed goaltender Joey MacDonald, left wing Chris Minard, and center Jamie Johnson to contracts for the 2010-11 season. The exact length and financial terms of all three deals were not disclosed. These are depth signings for the Red Wings at best, as the team appears to be already set in goal and offense for next season. MacDonald isn't a bad signing for the team, as he was part of the Red Wings' organization from 2002 to 2007 and will be very familiar with the style of play of their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, so he should fit in there quite nicely. Minard and Johnson will likely spend most of next season with Grand Rapids, where they should provide adequate offensive depth for the club. If they do see any time with the Red Wings, it will likely be in the event of an injury.

Thrashers Sign Forward Ross and Defenseman Sifers

The Atlanta Thrashers have announced that they have signed center Jared Ross and defenseman Jaime Sifers to contracts for the 2010-11 season. The exact length and financial terms of both deals were not disclosed. As with some the more recent signings, these are just depth moves for the Thrashers for their minor league affiliate in Chicago. If Ross or Sifers play with Atlanta next season, it will likely be in the event of an injury to a regular roster player.

Ducks Sign Forward Trevor Smith

The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have signed left wing Trevor Smith to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is just a depth signing for the Ducks, as Smith will likely spend most of next season in the minors where he will bring plenty of scoring depth and versatility to their AHL affiliate, as he can play both center and on the wing.

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.

Avalanche Re-Sign Winnik, Quincey, Grahame, Talbot, Add Liffiton, Mauldin, Van Der Gulik, Bacashihua

The Colorado Avalanche made a slew of signings Friday night by re-signing defenseman Kyle Quincey and center Daniel Winnik to two-year contracts and center Julian Talbot and goaltender John Grahame to one-year deals. The team also signed defenseman David Liffiton, center Greg Mauldin, right wing David Van Der Gulik, and goaltender Jason Bacashihua to one-year contracts. Financial terms of all the deals were not disclosed. The Avalanche acquired Winnik from the Phoenix Coyotes for a fourth round pick in 2012 on June 28 and Talbot from the St. Louis Blues for forward T.J. Hensick on June 17. The Winnik and Quincey signings are good ones for the Avalanche. Winnik is a good penalty killer and will bring some defensive skill to the checking lines, while Quincey brings plenty of offense and toughness to the blueline. The rest of the players are nothing more than depth signings, as nearly all of them are likely to spend most of next season in the minors.

Report: Islanders May Make Large Offer for Kovalchuk

According to NHL Insider Darren Dreger on tsn.ca, there is some talk that the New York Islanders might make a lucrative, long-term contract offer to free agent forward Ilya Kovalchuk. Thew Islanders are currently under the salary cap floor, and such an offer to Kovalchuk would help them get over the cap floor. It will be interesting to see if Kovalchuk could sign with the Islanders, as he has stated before that he wants to play for a Stanley Cup contender, and the Islanders are far from being contenders at this point in time. Only time will tell who he will sign with, but I imagine it could happen any day now.

Penguins Sign Forward Ryan Craig to One-Year Deal

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that they have signed left wing Ryan Craig to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is an okay depth signing for the Penguins, as Craig does possess some offensive skill, but injuries have effected his game. He does have some two-way skill and plays with some toughness, so he could play a role on Pittsburgh's fourth line next season.

Sabres Re-Sign Forward McCormick

The Buffalo Sabres announced today that they have re-signed center Cody McCormick to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. He appeared in 66 games last season with Portland of the AHL, scoring 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points and 168 penalty minutes. He also appeared in three playoff games with the Sabres, scoring two assists and 14 penalty minutes. This is really just a depth signing for Buffalo, as McCormick doesn't really have a lot of offensive upside at the NHL level and is just a physical forward. However, at the minor league level, he has had some success at scoring points, so he will provide some offensive depth for Portland next season.

Blues Re-Sign Brad Winchester

The St. Louis Blues announced today that they have re-signed left wing Brad Winchester to a new contract. The exact length and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In 64 games last season with the St. Louis, he had three goals and five assists for eight points and 108 penalty minutes. This is a decent signing for the Blues, as Winchester has lots of size, plays with plenty of toughness, and can chip in points from time to time.

NY Rangers Re-Sign Brandon Prust

The New York Rangers announced on Friday that they have signed right wing Brandon Prust to a new contract. The exact length and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Not a bad signing for the Rangers, as Prust adds lots of grit and toughness to their lineup. He also has decent defensive skills and is versatile, as he can play both wings.

Maple Leafs Re-Sign Kulemin, Add Richmond

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that they have re-signed left wing Nikolai Kulemin to a two-year contract worth $4.7 million. The deal averages out to $2.35 million per season. The team also announced that they have signed defenseman Danny Richmond to a one-year contract. Financial terms of his deal were not disclosed. The Kulemin signing is a decent one for the Maple Leafs, as he has good two-way skills and has plenty of offensive upside. Richmond is really just a depth signing for the team, but if he does play with the Maple Leafs next season, he will provide plenty of toughness on the blueline.

Predators Sign Forwards Lombardi and Andersson, Re-Sign Laakso

The Nashville Predators added some much needed offensive depth to their lineup on Friday by signing center Matthew Lombardi to a three-year contract worth $10.5 million. The deal averages out to $3.5 million per season. The Predators also signed right wing Jonas Andersson and defenseman Teemu Laakso to one-year contracts. Financial terms of their deals were not disclosed. The Lombardi signing is a good one for Nashville, as he will bring scoring depth, excellent two-way skills, and lots of speed to their forward lines. Andersson and Laakso are really nothing more than depth signings and are likely to spend most of next season in the minors.

Islanders Sign Eaton, Jurcina, Konopka, Parenteau, Re-Sign Lawson

The New York Islanders made a slew of free agent signings today by signing defenseman Mark Eaton to a two-year contract, defenseman Milan Jurcina, center Zenon Konopka, and right wing Pierre Parenteau to one-year contracts. The Islanders also re-signed goaltender Nathan Lawson to a one-year, two-way contract. The financial terms of all five deals were not disclosed. These aren't bad signings for the Islanders, as they added depth to every area of their team. Eaton and Jurcina both bring plenty of defensive depth to the team, despite the fact the latter is sometimes a defensive liability as he turns over the puck too often. Konopka will add lots of grit and toughness to the checking lines, while Parenteau will add some offensive depth down the wing on the checking lines. Lawson will likely spend most of next season in the minors, so his signing won't have a lot of impact on the team.

Panthers Sign Free Agent Forwards Higgins, Grant, Thomas

The Florida Panthers added some offensive depth to their lineup on Friday by signing left wings Chris Higgins and Triston Grant and right wing Bill Thomas to one-year contracts. Higgins' contract is worth $1.6 million, while the financial terms of Grant's and Thomas' contracts were not disclosed. The Higgins signing is not a bad one for the Panthers, as he will bring plenty of scoring depth to the wing despite struggling offensively over the past few seasons. Grant and Thomas are really just depth signings for the club, as they are likely to spend most of next season in the minors.

Lightning Sign Defenseman Kubina to Two-Year Deal

The Tampa Bay Lightning added a familiar face to the lineup on Friday by signing defenseman Pavel Kubina to a two-year contract worth $7.7 million. The deal averages out to $3.85 million per season. He was a member of the Lightning from 1997 to 2006 and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2004. This is a good signing for Tampa Bay, as Kubina has great size, lots of offensive skill, a good shot, and plays with plenty of toughness. Plus he brings plenty of veteran depth to the blueline, something the Lightning have been in need of for the past few seasons.

Oilers Add MacIntyre, Petiot, Re-Sign Strudwick

The Edmonton Oilers added some toughness to their lineup on Friday by signing left wing Steve MacIntyre and defensemen Richard Petiot and Jason Strudwick to one-year contracts. Financial terms of all three deals were not disclosed. These aren't bad signings for the Oilers, as all three players will add toughness to the lineup. MacIntyre will bring lots of grit and toughness to the checking lines, while Strudwick will provide toughness and veteran depth to the team's defense. Petiot also brings toughness to the blueline, but will likely spend most of next season in the minors.

Blue Jackets Sign Guenin, Wilson, Re-Sign Frischmon

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced on Friday that they have signed defenseman Nate Guenin and centers Kyle Wilson and Trevor Frischmon to one-year, two-way contracts. The financial terms of all three deals were not disclosed. These are nothing more than depth signings for the Blue Jackets, as all three players will likely spend most, if not all, of next season in the minors.

Devils Re-Sign Forward Pelley

The New Jersey Devils announced today that they have re-signed center Rod Pelley to a new contract. The exact length and financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Not a bad depth signing for the Devils, as Pelley will bring plenty of energy to the third or fourth lines and is very versatile, as he can play both center and on the wing.

Wild Sign Forward Peters, Defenseman Bagnall

The Minnesota Wild announced today that they have signed center Warren Peters to a two-year, two-way contract and defenseman Drew Bagnall to a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms of both deals were not disclosed. These are really nothing more than depth signings for the Wild, as both players will likely spend most of next season in the minors. If they play at all with the Wild in 2010-11, Peters will bring plenty of toughness to the lineup, while Bagnall will bring grit and toughness to the blueline.

Capitals Sign Goaltender Sabourin to One-Year Deal

The Washington Capitals announced today that they have signed goaltender Dany Sabourin to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Not a bad depth signing for the Capitals, but they will likely go with Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth as their goaltending tandem next season. If either Varlamov or Neuvirth should struggle or miss time due to injury, Sabourin will provide solid goaltending skills as a backup.

Blackhawks Sign Defenseman John Scott

The Chicago Blackhawks announced late Thursday night that they have signed defenseman John Scott to a two-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is not a bad signing for Chicago, as Scott will bring lots of size and toughness to the blueline. He's also a versatile player, as he can play both defense and left wing.