NHL: Free Agency, Trade, Injury, and Rookie News!

Leafs gaining more experience... or just getting older?

Leafs keen on leadership

09/08/05

The Leafs are also rumoured to be kicking the tires of veteran forward Steve Thomas.

Sportsnet.ca -- If nothing else, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be experienced.

Sportsnet has learned Maple Leafs GM John Ferguson has extended an invitation to NHL veteran forward Mike Keane to attend next week's camp.

The 38-year-old is well noted for his defensive abilities and leadership qualities which proved invaluable to Montreal, Colorado and Dallas; all teams which have won Stanley Cup Championships with Keane in their lineup.

Sources tell Sportsnet Toronto has yet to make a contract offer, however Lewis Gross, Keane's agent confirms the two sides have been talking.

Like Steve Thomas, it is believed the Maple Leafs would rather Keane show up as a walk-on and battle for a spot on the roster before a contract is offered, but for a player with Keane's resume, who's already been through that experience in 2003 with Vancouver, he's unlikely to report under those conditions.

John Ferguson and Mike Keane have a history as the pair grew up and played minor hockey together in Winnipeg, where Keane currently resides with his family.
 

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John Ferguson and Mike Keane have a history as the pair grew up and played minor hockey together in Winnipeg, where Keane currently resides with his family.
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It would be great to see Mike Keane get another season on his already amazing resume. He really busted his butt in Vancouver a couple of years ago.

I got the chance to play with him in summer hockey last year. His brother Bill, is a regular with us, and he brought his little brother out a couple of times. It's amazing how good pro players really are. You don't realize it until you skate with them. The things they can do with a stick and puck are truly amazing.
 

Hatcher, injured? Wow, didn't see that coming. :p

Leafs, old? The more things change...

At least the Leafs know how to keep under the cap (how good the team actually is is another story, of course). I'm having a good chuckle over the Bruins' predicament.

'Kay, getting tired of seeing who the Habs have signed to play in Hamilton. The only guys down there I care much about are the ones they drafted... (not a slight towards you, KF72, more at NHL.com).

Devilbat, the season is far away?!? It's only a month away. Now at this time last year I would have agreed with you. ;)
 
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Devilbat, the season is far away?!? It's only a month away. Now at this time last year I would have agreed with you.
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Yeah, I know, but I've been checking this thread every day for the last month, and I'm growing antsy.
 

Knightfall1972 said:
Derian Hatcher's debut with the Philadelphia Flyers may be delayed. The monstrous defenceman injured his knee during action at Team USA's Olympic orientation camp in Colorado Springs and has returned to Philadelphia for further evaluation.
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If Hatcher is out for any period of time, that means Therien gets on the ice. Not good for us Flyers fans.
 

Agamon said:
'Kay, getting tired of seeing who the Habs have signed to play in Hamilton. The only guys down there I care much about are the ones they drafted... (not a slight towards you, KF72, more at NHL.com).
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NHL.com has a tendency to report every NHL-related transaction, which is understandable. I simply re-post the reports that I find that are free agent/trade/rookie signing related. And don't worry about "slighting" me, I'm pretty good at understanding a fellow EN Worlder's "true" meaning. :p

Here's the latest in the "Crosby" story...


Contractual obligation

Copied from www.sportsnet.ca

09/08/05

Although just a formality, Pittsburgh will roll out the red carpet Friday as top-pick Sidney Crosby puts pen to paper on his first professional contract.

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't want Sidney Crosby to miss even a minute of their first training camp in two years. The NHL's labour agreement made it all but certain he wouldn't.

The Penguins are expected to announce Friday that the No. 1 draft pick has signed his first NHL contract, a formality since the new labour deal limits his first-year compensation to $850,000 in salary and $850,000 in bonuses.

Crosby's agent, Pat Brisson, flew to Pittsburgh on Thursday night for a Friday morning meeting with Penguins general manager Craig Patrick to finalize the agreement. To maximize local TV coverage before the Steelers start dominating it during the weekend, the two sides are expected to announce the deal Friday afternoon.

The bonuses are expected to be tied to relatively easily obtainable standards for a player of Crosby's ability, such as scoring 20 goals, getting 35 assists, making the all-rookie team and being among the top three rookie forwards in plus-minus.

Until he gets several more years of experience, the 18-year-old Crosby is all but certain to make more money via endorsements and promotions than he does in salary.

Crosby first visited Pittsburgh last month for the team's rookie orientation camp.

Crosby is due back for the start of training camp Tuesday and a week's worth of pre-season practice before the Penguins shift their camp to their Wilkes-Barre, Pa., minor-league affiliate's arena.

Crosby is looking forward to the camp, mostly to get acquainted with players such as Lemieux, Mark Recchi, John LeClair, Sergei Gonchar and Jocelyn Thibault that, until now, he's seen play only in person.

"I'm excited to play with any guys in the NHL, but when you see some of the names they're bringing in, I mean it's going to be a great experience," he said. "No. 1 draft picks go to a place that's rebuilding and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to play with a team that's going to compete every night."

Crosby will make his NHL debut Oct. 5 at New Jersey.
 

First signing of the day... another RFA gone!

Predators sign Adam Hall

Copied from www.nashvillepredators.com

Nashville, Tenn. (September 8, 2005) – Nashville Predators Executive Vice President/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed restricted free-agent forward Adam Hall. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hall, 25 (8/14/80), captured the Mestis title (Finland-2) with KalPa Kuopio in 2004-05 and tied for second in goals (23), tied for fourth in scoring (23g-17a-40pts) and ranked 11th in plus/minus rating (+22) in the league. The 6-3, 208-pound native of Kalamazoo, Michigan also skated in seven games and notched one goal with Team USA at the 2005 World Championships.

Hall registered NHL career-highs in assists (14) and penalty minutes (37) and tied a career-high in games played (79) with the Predators in 2003-04. He also posted a career-high in average ice time (16:14), which was over two minutes more per game than his previous career-best (14:09 in 2002-03). Hall scored Nashville’s first-ever playoff goal on April 7, 2004 at Detroit and tied for the team lead in goals (2) and points (3) in the Predators’ Western Conference Quarterfinals series vs. the Red Wings.

Hall has 56 points (29g-27a) in 159 career NHL games with the Predators. He was originally Nashville’s third choice, 52nd overall (second round), in the 1999 Entry Draft.
 


A minor trade...

Pittsburgh Penguins trade centre Kris Beech to Nashville Predators

Sportsnet.ca

09/09/05 15:46 EST

PITTSBURGH (CP) - The Pittsburgh Penguins have traded centre Kris Beech to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a conditional draft choice.

The 24-year-old, who was drafted seventh overall by the Washington Capitals in 1999, has played 99 career NHL games for the Penguins and the Capitals with 10 goals, 17 assists and 59 penalty minutes.

The six-foot-two, 208-pound forward from Salmon Arm, B.C., had 14 goals, 48 assists and 146 penalty minutes for the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in 2004-05.

The Penguins acquired Beech in a package deal with Ross Lupaschuk and Michal Sivek in exchange for Jaromir Jagr and Frantisek Kucera on July 11, 2001.
 

A minor signing...

Sabres sign McKee to one-year deal

TSN.ca Staff

9/9/2005 1:46:38 PM

TSN has learned that the Buffalo Sabres and restricted free agent defenceman Jay McKee have agreed to a one-year, $1.6-million contract for the upcoming season.

McKee, 28, was a first-round pick of the Sabres in 1995 and has been with the organization ever since. He has 82 points and a plus-45 rating in 507 career games.

At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds McKee plays a physical defensive game, a style that has contributed to his missing 39 games in 2003-2004 with knee injuries. He ended that season with five points and 41 penalty minutes with a plus-six rating in 43 games.

He did not play during the 2004-2005 season.
 

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