NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Sharks sign veteran defenceman Traverse
TSN.ca Staff
7/10/2006 2:38:52 PM

The San Jose Sharks announced Monday the signing of free agent defenceman Patrick Traverse and free agent forward Matthieu Darche to a standard player contract.

Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Traverse spent the majority of the 2005-06 season with the Iowa Stars of the American Hockey League where he totaled 24 points (3-21+24) in 40 games.

He also appeared in one game with the Dallas Stars without recording a point or penalty minute.

Traverse has recorded 65 points points and 113 penalty minutes in 279 career NHL regular season games with Ottawa, Anaheim, Boston, Montreal and Dallas.

Darche spent the 2005-06 season with Duisburg of the German Elite League totaling 25 points (12-13=25) in 52 regular season games. His 12 goals were tied for the second most overall on the team and his 88 PIM's were the second most among forwards.
 

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What the hell is going on in NJ?

Devils sign White to six-year, $18M deal
Canadian Press
7/10/2006 2:22:21 PM

The New Jersey Devils re-signed veteran defenceman Colin White to an $18-million, six-year deal and signed unrestricted free-agent winger Mike Rupp to a $450,000, one-year deal.

The 28-year-old White, who has spent all six of his NHL seasons with the Devils, had three goals, 14 assists and 91 penalty minutes in 73 games last season.

Rupp, who spent last season with Phoenix, played for the Devils for parts of the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons, scoring the Cup-winning goal in '03 against Anaheim, before he was traded to Phoenix in March 2004.
 


Signing frenzy heating up, today...

Chistov returns to Ducks with two-year deal
TSN.ca Staff with CP files
7/10/2006 2:59:50 PM

The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed winger Stanislav Chistov to a two-year contract.

The deal will reportedly pay Chistov approximately $800,000 each of the next two seasons.

The 23-year-old played with Anaheim in 2002-03 but spent last season in Russia, 11 goals and 21 assists in 47 games with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.

Chistov produced 12 goals and 30 points in 79 games in 2002-03, then added four goals and two assists in 21 playoff games. He struggled the following season, managing only two goals and 18 points in 56 games before winding up with Cincinnati of the AHL.
 

Blackhawks re-sign Sharp to two-year deal
Sports Ticker
7/10/2006 3:05:24 PM

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Blackhawks on Monday re-signed center Patrick Sharp to a two-year contract.

Sharp, 24, was acquired by Chicago in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on December 5. He scored 14 goals and 31 points in 72 games between the two clubs last season.

A third-round pick in 2001, Sharp has 19 goals and 19 assists in 116 career games with the Flyers and Blackhawks.

Chicago continued to build towards its future, signing right wing Tony Salmelainen to a two-year contract and re-signing defenseman Lasse Kukkonen to a one-year deal. Both players spent the 2005-06 campaign in the Finnish Elite League.

The three signings are part of a major roster overhaul by Chicago general manager Dale Tallon, who acquired star right wing Martin Havlat and veteran center Bryan Smolinski on Monday in a three-team trade with Ottawa and San Jose.
 

Capitals re-sign defenceman Morrisonn
Sports Ticker
7/10/2006 3:07:28 PM

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - The Washington Capitals on Monday re-signed defenseman Shaone Morrisonn to a two-year contract.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 23-year-old played in 80 games last season for the Capitals, recording one goal and 13 assists while leading the team with 131 blocked shots.

"Shaone is a mobile defenseman who defends very well," Washington general manager George McPhee said. "He is a key part of our future and we look forward to his continued growth."

Originally selected by Boston in th first round of the 2001 draft, Morrisonn was acquired by the Capitals on March 3, 2004. In 124 games he has two goals, 20 assists and 109 penalty minutes.
 

Other NHL News: Bruins get their new GM!

Senators release Chiarelli to join Bruins
Associated Press
7/10/2006 3:12:21 PM

BOSTON (AP) - The Ottawa Senators released assistant general manager Peter Chiarelli from his obligations on Monday, allowing him to begin his new job as the Boston Bruins GM immediately.

The Bruins hired Chiarelli to replace interim GM Jeff Gorton last month, but the NHL ruled that he couldn't start until July 15.

That left Gorton running Boston's draft and signing high-profile free agents such as Zdeno Chara without being able to consult with the new boss.
 

Sportsnet.ca's Free Agent Tracker lists that Kevin Dallman has signed a 2-year deal with the LA Kings. Dallman was with Boston and St. Louis last year, and was a UFA.

Interestingly enough, the tracker also lists the previously mentioned Patrick Traverse as signing with LA instead of the Sharks. Since the tracker lists the player twice, I'm assuming it's an error on Sportsnet's part.

Cheers!

KF72
 

GM Muckler likes his re-vamped Senators
Canadian Press
7/10/2006 3:23:43 PM

Having watched star defenceman Zdeno Chara sign with Boston on July 1 and get nothing in return, Ottawa Senators GM John Muckler wasn't going to let that happen again a year from now with scoring winger Martin Havlat.

With Havlat and his agent telling the Senators they wanted to test unrestricted free agency in July 2008, Muckler put Havlat on the block more than a month ago.

"We watched Chara walk away and didn't get anything for him," Muckler said. "I made up my mind that we had to make an early decision with Havlat. It's a tough decision, you don't get the compensation that you deserve compared to the old system, but this is a new system."

The Senators dealt Havlat and Bryan Smolinski to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenceman Tom Preissing, prospects Josh Hennessy and Michal Barinka and a 2008 second-round draft pick. The Hawks first traded Mark Bell to the San Jose Sharks for Preissing and Hennessy to get the three-team trade going Sunday. The moves were officially announced Monday.

Havlat, 25, also had filed for salary arbitration this summer. That didn't scare Muckler.

"I didn't think he would win in arbitration," said the Sens GM. "I couldn't see how he would win when he basically hasn't played in two years."

While happy to get his hands on the 27-year-old Preissing, an offensive defenceman who had 11 goals and 32 assists with the Sharks last season, Muckler sounded clearly frustrated by having to lose another key asset like Havlat because he couldn't afford to keep him.

"Chara signed for $7.5 million a year, Havlat for $18 million over three years (in Chicago), we just can't keep people like that," Muckler said Monday on a conference call. "It's hard to take when as an organization you're successful and you draft well. But then you're penalized by cap system and you have to make choices."

The Senators chose to re-sign star defenceman Wade Redden to a $13-million, two-year deal but sacrificed Chara and Havlat. There's only so much money to go around under the $44-million salary cap, especially with Jason Spezza and Martin Gerber also signing big contracts.

"This cap is designed to distribute the good players throughout the league and that's exactly what's happening," said Muckler. "And that's what causes parity. If you're not successful I guess it becomes a lot easier because you become a buyer. If you're successful you become a seller.

"It's a whole new ball game, everything has changed. You better get used to losing players, because if can't get used to it, you're going to get yourself caught."

Still, considering the circumstances, Muckler should be happy with what he's done since July 1. He got a No. 1 goalie in Gerber and added a pair of underrated and offensively talented defencemen in Preissing and Joe Corvo.

"Oh definitely. I like our team," Muckler said of his revamped lineup.

"We have four pretty good lines, our defence is pretty mobile and our goalkeeping with Gerber and (Ray) Emery I think will do a pretty job for us. They should be one of the better tandems in the NHL."

Corvo and Preissing join Redden, Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Andrei Meszaros and Christoph Schubert on a blue-line that remains one of the best in the NHL.

The offence still has Spezza, Dany Heatley, Daniel Aldredsson, Mike Fisher, Antoine Vermette and Peter Schaefer.
 


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