NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

[Knightfall]

Report: Waddell expects Bondra to retire
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 10:43:30 AM

(tsn.ca) -- The Atlanta Thrashers, who shaved over $1 million in salary on Friday by trading Patrik Stefan and Jaroslav Modry to Dallas, are expecting to lose another veteran very soon.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Peter Bondra will not be offered a contract as he debates retirement. The Thrashers will also not tender offers to Ronald Petrovicky, J.P. Vigier and Serge Aubin.

While Bondra has not made his decision, Thrashers' general manager Don Waddell is not expecting the 38-year-old to attempt a comeback.

"I haven't heard any word from him or his agent as to whether he's going to play again," Waddell told the Journal-Constitution.

When asked if Bondra was going to retire, Waddell was frank.

"I think he is," Waddell said.

Bondra, 38, is just two goals shy of 500 for his career. But last season was a tough one for the Slovakian veteran. Bondra suffered through a sports hernia injury and missed 22 games. Although he scored a very respectable 21 goals, only six came after the Olympic break.

Even if Bondra decides to play again, it likely won't be with the Thrashers, who are trying to get younger and faster.

"We want to create some spots for younger players," Waddell told the Journal-Constitution. "We need that. He had a serious injury. ... I'm not going to 100 percent write anything off, but right now it doesn't look like it."

Bondra made $505,000 last season.

 

[Knightfall]

Jovanovski in Florida waiting for offers
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 10:57:15 AM

Ed Jovanovski is in Florida, waiting to see how many free agent offers come pouring in when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on Saturday.

According to the Palm Beach Post, the all-star defenceman would love to stay in the Sunshine State. The signs are certainly good for the Florida Panthers, who are expected to bid on his services.

Jovanovski was drafted first overall by the Florida Panthers in 1994 and played three-and-a-half years in Miami before being traded to Vancouver. His wife is from Boca Raton, Florida, and the Jovanovskis have spent every NHL off-season in Florida.

In addition, Jovanovski's good friend Todd Bertuzzi was just traded to the Panthers by Vancouver.

"I've talked to Bertuzzi every day since the trade," Jovanovski told the Palm Beach Post. "He's a good friend of mine, and we've had some good years together. At the end of the day, if there's an opportunity to come back and play (for Florida), great.

"It's what suits my family the best. I just want to be treated fairly."

Being treated fairly probably means the Panthers will have to pony up $5 to $6 million a season on a long-term contract.

They will not, however, be the only team chasing Jovo-Cop. The Palm Beach Post says Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston and Phoenix are expected to make serious offers, and suggests Ottawa might jump in if the Senators lose Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden in free agency.

 

[Knightfall]

NHL raises salary cap to $44 million
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 1:37:58 PM

There's more good news for the National Hockey League.

Following a strong return season after the lockout, the NHL and NHLPA jointly announced on Tuesday that the team salary cap is increasing.

The salary cap floor which was $21.5 million in 2005-06 will move up to $28 million. The ceiling moves from $39 million to $44 million.

The cap is up because league-wide revenues exceeded pre-season projections of $1.8 billion and totalled more than $2.1 billion this season.

 

[Knightfall]

Yzerman hopes to make decision soon
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 12:11:08 PM

Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman hopes to make a decision on his playing career in the near future.

The Detriot Free Press reports that Yzerman has taken a lot longer to make up his mind about whether or not to retire, but has set a self-imposed deadline of July 1.

"July 1, free agency starts," Yzerman told the Free Press in Tuesday's edition. "And I thought one way or the other, I thought it may be the appropriate time to let (the Wings) know what I want to do.

"Sometime in the near future, I'll figure out what I'm going to do."

The 23-year NHL veteran scored 14 goals and 20 assists in 61 regular season games last season. He tallied four assists in Detroit's four playoff contests.

"I said at the end of the season, I think I can make a good argument for playing or for retiring," Yzerman told the newspaper. "I debated back and forth. And again, I'll probably speak with Mike Babcock once more and Kenny (Holland) at some point in the next few days and go from there."

With files from the Detroit Free Press.

 

[Knightfall]

From Sportsnet.ca

Hockey Hearsay
June 27, 2006

Havlat making things difficult for Sens
Ottawa is looking to trade Martin Havlat to the Sharks for goalie Vesa Toskala.

San Jose is interested in Havlat, but not if there’s a good chance he will walk away from the team after he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

That means the Senators must sign him to a long-term contract extension before they can deal him, and sources say Havlat has no intention of doing that, writes Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun.

"I had a meeting with Muckler before the draft, after which I spoke with (Havlat), and I very clearly communicated to John Muckler that Marty was only interested in a one-year deal," said Havlat’s agent Allan Walsh.

Trade talks remain ongoing between the teams.


Arbitration for Antropov?
The Toronto Maple Leafs made Nik Antropov a qualifying offer Monday night, a two-way deal that would make the player over $1 million US if he plays in the NHL next season.

However, if he plays for the Toronto's AHL-affiliate, the Marlies, he will make only $95,000 Canadian. The large difference in salary almost guarantees the Kazakh player may seek arbitration this summer, according to Ken Campbell of the Toronto Star, to have the minor-league proviso removed.

The terms of the new CBA made it possible for the Leafs to be able to make such an offer to their player. But Antropov will be looking to come to a different agreement.

In other Leaf news, it appears Tie Domi's time with Toronto is coming to an end. The veteran winger is expected to be bought out of his contract by Friday. In the meantime, the Leafs are looking to move his $1.25 million salary.

 

[Teflon Billy]

NHL raises salary cap to $44 million
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 1:37:58 PM

There's more good news for the National Hockey League.

Following a strong return season after the lockout, the NHL and NHLPA jointly announced on Tuesday that the team salary cap is increasing.

The salary cap floor which was $21.5 million in 2005-06 will move up to $28 million. The ceiling moves from $39 million to $44 million.

The cap is up because league-wide revenues exceeded pre-season projections of $1.8 billion and totalled more than $2.1 billion this season.

Sweet! That's an extra 5 million (or whatever) that we can really use

 

[devilbat]

What is his schtick?

Hard ass disciplinarian.

I thought Auld was allright (and was miles away from Sucking), but choosing between him and Luongo is not exactly difficult.

We've agreed to disagree about Auld a couple of times. My dislike for him stems from lackluster play on the farm, and a bad attitude. He filled in admirably given the situation in Vancouver last season, but he's far from an everyday NHL goalie.

Yeah, I love the guy when he's got his head in the game. But over the past two years he has managed that less and less.

I knew he was leaving, I just never dreamed we were going to get someone as good as Luongo for him.

Thank you Mike Keenan!

 

[devilbat]

I think it's going to be tough for anyone to pry Marty out of Florida, especially now the Panthers have Big Bert and Auld. And if Pronger goes there, look out, the Panthers could be the sleepers in that division in 2006-07.

I just wonder how Bertuzzi et all are going to deal with the universally detested Mike Keenan as the man in charge upstairs.

Keenan ran both Hull and Gretzky out of St. Louis. It should be interesting, if nothing else.

 

[Knightfall]

I just wonder how Bertuzzi et all are going to deal with the universally detested Mike Keenan as the man in charge upstairs.

Keenan ran both Hull and Gretzky out of St. Louis. It should be interesting, if nothing else.

Keenan is the man who brought Bertuzzi to Vancouver. I don't think they hate each other. Iron Mike might just be the man to snap Bert back to the reality of hockey.

Here's the latest re-signing...

'Canes lock up Kaberle for four years
Associated Press
6/27/2006 5:34:47 PM

RALEIGH, N.C. (CP) - The Carolina Hurricanes retained another piece from their Stanley Cup champion roster Tuesday, re-signing defenceman Frantisek Kaberle to an $8.8-million US, four-year deal.

The 32-year-old Czech native would have become an unrestricted free agent Saturday.

"Frank had an outstanding season and quietly led our defence in scoring," Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement. "He is a good-skating and experienced defenceman in the prime of his career, and he will play a big role in the team's future."

Kaberle, brother of Toronto star defenceman Tomas Kaberle, led all Hurricanes defencemen with 44 points (6-38) in 77 games last season when he earned $1.29 million. He added four goals and nine assists in the playoffs, including the Cup-winner in Game 7 against Edmonton.

Carolina re-signed head coach Peter Laviolette to a five-year deal Sunday. The Hurricanes still have eight other potential unrestricted free agents: forwards Matt Cullen, Doug Weight, Mark Recchi, Craig Adams, goalie Martin Gerber and defencemen Aaron Ward, Niclas Wallin and Glen Wesley.

 

[Knightfall]

Other News...

Oilers awarded 2007-08 WHL team
TSN.ca Staff
6/27/2006 3:24:01 PM

CALGARY, AB – The Commissioner of the Western Hockey League Ron Robison announced today the owners of the Edmonton Oilers have been officially awarded a WHL franchise commencing the 2007-08 WHL season.

Key conditions for the granting of the WHL franchise to Edmonton included securing a long term lease with Northlands for the WHL franchise to play all of it's home games at Rexall Place, a long term business plan for the WHL franchise, including a proposed operating structure and a commitment to operate a WHL franchise in the City of Edmonton for a minimum of ten years.

The Edmonton franchise becomes the 22nd member club in the WHL in 2007-08, and will begin the process of adding players to a protected list in October 2006 prior to the WHL Bantam Draft in May 2007 and the WHL Expansion Draft and the CHL Import Draft in June 2007.

Edmonton is a city rich in hockey tradition dating back to the Edmonton Oil Kings, who won the Memorial Cup twice in 1963 and 1966 and also went on to capture back to back WHL Championships in 1971 and 1972 led by Bill Hunter, a key contributor to the birth of the Western Hockey League.

The WHL makes its return to the Alberta Capital after the Edmonton Ice relocated to Cranbrook, BC to become the Kootenay Ice for the 1998-99 WHL season.

Edmonton Oilers President and CEO Patrick Laforge will serve as Governor of the Edmonton WHL franchise.