NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

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Ice Chips for Friday, July 7
TSN.ca

> The Maple Leafs are reportedly talking to Michael Peca, who is willing to take a pay cut on his $4 million salary to go to Toronto. - Toronto Star

> Before signing Denis Arkhipov on Thursday, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon said he spoke with representatives for both Yanic Perreault and Mike Peca. As it stands now, the Hawks have Mark Bell, Arkhipov and Patrick Sharp as their top three centres. Tuomo Ruutu could also be a centre, and Bell is, according to the Daily Herald, believed to be one veteran they are trying to trade. - Chicago Daily Herald

> According to a knowledgeable source, the possibility of free agent winger Brendan Shanahan signing with the Bruins is now dead. Reportedly, St. Louis and Detroit are in the running for the 37-year-old's services. - Boston Herald

> The Red Wings got the results of free-agent goalie Ed Belfour's physical Thursday. And they liked what they saw. General manager Ken Holland said the tests showed Belfour's rehabilitation from back surgery in April has been successful. Belfour could be signed in the next couple of days - Detroit News

> Mark Recchi's agent Rick Curran said Thursday that he had spoken with general manager Ray Shero about a possible return to Pittsburgh - Tribune Review
 

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Assuming my French isn't too rusty, RDS is reporting that Boston offered Shanny $9.8 mil for 2 years and Montreal have offered $8 mil for 2 years. If it's true he turned his hometown Boston down for almost a mil more per year, I can't see him signing with Montreal where the taxes are higher (but then Shanny doesn't like Dave Lewis, apparently). Detroit and LA are also after him.
 


Class Act!

Staios to Oilers fans: Team will be fine
Canadian Press
7/7/2006 1:41:17 PM

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Steve Staios took a break from a family vacation in B.C. and played the part of Dr. Phil.

Yes, his team has lost some key players over the last week, but his message to Oilers fans?

"I would just tell them to keep the faith," Staios said. "There's no reason to believe that the Oilers organization won't field a competitive team and bring in the players that we need to be successful. Even when you lose players like we have, I've come to have faith in this organization in all the years I've been here.

"And that's the feeling most of us players have. Keep the faith."

Oilers GM Kevin Lowe has begun the repair job, signing Olympic gold medallist Daniel Tjarnqvist on Thursday to a $1.625-million US, one-year deal. He's an underrated player and a nice pickup.

"He's a good puck mover," agreed Staios.

But the losses still sting. Superstar defenceman Chris Pronger forced his way to Anaheim with a trade request. Top-four defenceman Jaroslav Spacek signed with Buffalo even though he could have got the same $10-million, three-year deal with the Oilers. Free-agent centre Michael Peca won't return. Even tough guy Georges Laraque bolted to Phoenix.

"We're obviously going to have a totally different look next year," said Staios, a Hamilton native who turns 33 at the end of the month. "But you just have to have confidence in the organization that they're going to bring in the right players and help us contend again."

Oilers fans have railed against Pronger, especially.

"I'll never comment on someone's personal life," said Staios, choosing his words carefully. "When someone puts their family ahead of the game, that's something I'm never going to criticize because that's their decision.

"It's personal and private. But at the same time, as a teammate, the disappointing thing to deal with is that you figure if we keep the core around with Prongs at the back, we could do what we did last season year in and year out.

"You can't replace him. I think he's the best player in the world."

Then Staios catches himself.

"But again, and I want to stress this, I can't say anything negative about someone who's making decisions with their family in mind."

The biggest return in the Pronger deal was 22-year-old winger Joffrey Lupul, a 28-goal scorer in his second NHL season, not to mention scoring another nine goals in 16 playoff games.

Staios faced him in the Western Conference final and came away impressed.

"I know that he's a guy that we had to pay special attention to in the playoffs," said Staios. "And already to be that kind of guy at his age, you know he's going to be a pretty special player. When a young guy can raise his level in the playoffs, that's a pretty good sign as well.

"I think he's going to be great. Being a local guy, with all the attention, I think it's going to make him even a better player."

In Spacek, meanwhile, Staios lost his defence partner, and he didn't see that coming.

"No, I didn't," said Staios. "I had a nice talk with him during the playoffs, we had a couple of discussions about what he would do. He asked me about my deal (Staios has one year left at $1.615 million). We were a good pair in the playoffs and seemed to raise our level as the games got more important and I think he was feeling good about that, and maybe the prospect of us playing together again next season.

"But I haven't talked to him since he signed in Buffalo. It's a little disappointing because I thought we were good together."

Staios isn't worried, meanwhile, the all the losses will hurt the team's character.

"We've always had strong leadership in that room ever since I've been there," Staios said. "Jason Smith is our captain and he does an exceptional job of leadership on our team. So before Prongs and Peca came in we already had great leadership on our team, guys that can step up in that regard.

"So I don't think that will be a problem moving forward. I'm not concerned."
 

Free agent Legace waiting for suitors
Canadian Press
7/7/2006 3:11:12 PM

The question to Manny Legace seemed innocent enough. Where will he sign?

"Good question, I have no idea," Legace said Friday. "No calls, nothing at this point."

The unrestricted free-agent goaltender hasn't got a sniff since the free-agent market opened last Saturday. And he's stunned.

"It's just mind-boggling," he said from Detroit. "I thought for sure there'd be interest from somebody after the year I had. But nothing. I don't know what to think. And I don't know what teams are thinking."

Legace's agent, Ed Ratushny, has picked up the phone from his end to get things going.

"We have started preliminary discussions with two teams," he said from Ottawa. "But what I find surprising was the bidding for Martin Gerber as compared to Manny."

Gerber signed an $11.1-million US, three-year deal with the Ottawa Senators, who outbid Legace's old team the Red Wings for the Swiss goalie's services.

As Ratushny points out, Gerber's 2.78 goals-against average and .906 save percentage with Carolina last season trailed Legace's 2.19 GAA (third in the NHL) and .915 save percentage.

It appears Legace is paying the price for a so-so performance in the first round of the playoffs when the top-seeded Red Wings where bounced out by Edmonton in six game.

Still, this is a guy who was fifth among NHL goalies last season with 37 wins and placed fifth in voting for the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder _ an award voted on by NHL GMs.

"I thought I had a great year to be honest with you," said the 33-year-old Legace, who earned $1.16 million last season. "I thought I'd get some interest but nothing, no one has called.

"To be honest, I don't know what's going to happen."

He knows all the starters' jobs are gone so he's realistic about his next assignment.

"I'm willing to do anything on any team," he said. "Ideally I'd like to go to a team where at least I'd have a chance to compete for the No. 1 job. That's all I'm probably looking for now, a chance to compete."

The most obvious teams that could use his services are Florida, where young Alex Auld might need a push, and St. Louis, where the same scenario presents itself with sophomore Curtis Sanford.

"I'd be nice to go to St. Louis, it would be very nice," said Legace. "They're making some great moves, there's new ownership. And I know (president) John Davidson very well. He's always spoken well of me. I'd love to go play for him."

Legace still lives in Detroit, where he met his wife, and wishes he'd come back for a seventh season with the Red Wings. But GM Ken Holland phoned him in early June and told him the Wings were going to look for a different starter.

"It was a shocking phone call," recalls Legace. "I thought we could work something out. It was just disappointing. That was tough because I loved playing in Detroit, it was awesome. That was the best owner I've ever played for, a great organization.

"But they were very classy about it, they didn't throw me out like an old newspaper. We talked and they made me understand they wanted to go in another direction."

He's looked on with interest as the Wings continue to look for his replacement.

"I think they were really going after Gerber," Legace said. "(Wings coach) Mike Babcock wanted one of his old goalies there and that's understandable, coaches want their own guys. It's unfortunate they didn't get him.

"I think now they're looking at probably (Ed) Belfour or bring back Dom (Hasek). That's what I foresee for them."

Legace is 114-43-18 in 197 career regular-season games with a 2.21 GAA and .917 save percentage.

He's 4-6-0 with a 2.54 GAA and .888 save percentage in 11 career NHL playoff games.
 

Sabres in for an expensive offseason
Associated Press
7/7/2006 3:57:16 PM

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Darcy Regier wasn't kidding when he predicted the Buffalo Sabres' payroll would rise this off-season.

One week into free agency, the Sabres general manager has already spent a little over $5.8 million US from next season's budget to re-sign Teppo Numminen and add Jaroslav Spacek.

The total committed to both defencemen for next year - Numminen will make $2.6 million and Spacek $3.225 million as part of a $10-million, three-year deal - is $2 million short of what the team paid its top six blue-liners last season. And it also represents almost a fifth of Buffalo's $29-million payroll in 2005-06.

That overall payroll is almost certain to rise because the Sabres have a busy summer ahead, with only five regulars currently under contract and 12 players who opted this week for salary arbitration.

The good news is that the players choosing arbitration will have their contracts settled for next season, eliminating the chance of contract disputes. On the downside, it's uncertain how much of a raise each will receive.

And that's why Regier, on several occasions in the past few weeks, said he was budgeting for an increase to keep intact the core of a team that is coming off a strong season.

Buffalo won a franchise record 52 games and had its playoff run end with a Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference final to eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina.

"I have a sense that it's going to move up a few million dollars," Regier said recently, referring to his budget. "Whether it's four or five or six, I don't have an exact number."

The group of Sabres players heading for arbitration - the hearings are scheduled to run from July 20 to Aug. 4 - includes co-captain Daniel Briere and Maxim Afinogenov, who's coming off a career year after leading the team with 73 points (22 goals, 51 assists) last season.

The group also includes Brian Campbell, who is also coming off a career year in which he led Buffalo's defencemen with 44 points (12 goals, 32 assists), and Henrik Tallinder, who emerged as a top-four blue-liner.

Although it's difficult to judge what raises the players will receive, it's evident that Afinogenov, who made a little over $1 million last year, Campbell ($459,900) and Tallinder ($591,800) are in for significant increases based on their contributions last season.

Buffalo can continue negotiating with players prior to their arbitration hearings, although, any new deals struck would include pay raises.

Arbitration awards in the recent past have ranged from modest to significant. Former Washington defenceman Brendan Witt was awarded a $500,000 raise in August 2004 while forward Milan Hejduk had his salary jump from $3.2 million to $5.7 million.

Buffalo had two arbitration cases in 2004, with Briere receiving a $950,000 raise and goaltender Martin Biron's salary boosted by $600,000. Those increases were negated by an across-the-board 24 per cent pay-cut following the lockout that wiped the 2004-05 season.

But salaries are back on the rise, especially with the NHL's cap increasing to $44 million from $39 million last season.

This off-season, the Sabres have saved themselves nearly $3 million with the loss of two free agents, defenceman Jay McKee, who signed with St. Louis, and forward Mike Grier, now with San Jose.

Buffalo could add to those savings by seeking to trade Biron, whose qualifying offer is $2.128 million, a number deemed too expensive for a backup after he lost the starter's job to Ryan Miller. But not all of Biron's salary would be saved because the Sabres would still have to secure Biron's replacement through a trade or free agency.

The Sabres are also negotiating a long-term contract with Miller, who will command a significant raise after making a mere $501,600. Miller had a stellar year in which he went 30-14-3 in the regular season and 11-7 in the playoffs.
 

Maple Leafs sign Ondrus to two-year deal
TSN.ca Staff
7/7/2006 4:16:16 PM

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the club has signed restricted free agent forward Ben Ondrus to a two-year contract.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Ondrus, 24, made his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs in the 2005-06 season by playing in 22 games.

The native of Sherwood Park, Alberta played 53 games for the Marlies, collecting 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) with 104 penalty minutes.

He played in two preseason games in 2005 for the Maple Leafs scoring one goal and adding four penalty minutes.

Ondrus signed with the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent May 27, 2004.
 

Sportsnet.ca's Free Agent Tracker lists that the LA Kings have re-signed RFA defenceman Mike Weaver to a one-year contract. - KF72
 

Quiet day, today, so here is some other NHL news...

Flyers' Forsberg begins rehab on ankles
Associated Press
7/7/2006 6:41:08 PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Peter Forsberg has begun rehabbing his surgically repaired right ankle, seven weeks after the first of two planned ankle operations.

The Philadelphia Flyers centre started his rehabilitation on Thursday. In mid-May, Forsberg had torn ligaments repaired and several bones realigned in his right ankle during a three-hour operation.

He will have the same procedure on his left ankle when the right one heals, and is expected to be sidelined until about January.

"Everything feels good," Forsberg said. "Everything is going as planned and it's good to be back working out.

"Everything has been positive, but it's hard to say if it's going any quicker than we thought. It is just the beginning of rehab. But everything went well with the surgery."

Flyers head trainer Jim McCrossin said Forsberg experienced some muscle soreness after his first workouts, but that was to be expected. He said Forsberg has some swelling in his right ankle and that they are working on his range of motion.

"Well, the discomfort comes with the territory," Forsberg said. "There's a lot of things that were done to the foot and it is going to take a while to heal up."

Forsberg is scheduled to see Dr. Robert Anderson, who operated on the ankle, in Charlotte, N.C., on Tuesday.

"He looked at the X-rays and everything looks good, nothing negative," Forsberg said. "I think we are at the stage where we are supposed to be, so we will see how it goes."

Forsberg has had ankle problems for about seven years. The Flyers have said that the surgery should make him less prone to groin and abdominal strains. Most of the 22 games he missed last season were from groin-related injuries.

McCrossin said Forsberg will continue his workouts until he's back in the lineup, and that he won't be returning to his native Sweden.
 

So that's why Buffalo over-achieved last season: everyone was playing for a new contract. Huh, I wouldn't have picked them for 14th in the East if I had known that. :p

(I should be quiet, the Habs are going to have a Sabres-like team next season...)
 

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