NHL: Player News and Rumors (Thread finished)

Gonchar says Malkin to stay in Russia
TSN.ca Staff
8/9/2006 10:23:27 AM

Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar says Penguins fans shouldn't get too excited about seeing Evgeni Malkin in the NHL this coming season.

"He told me he's staying another year," Gonchar tells the Pittsburgh Tribune Review after speaking with the Russian junior a couple of day ago.

"He said he has a reason to stay over. I don't know the reason, but he's staying now."

That's a change from Gonchar's previous comments in which he said "one way or another" Malkin was coming over to play in the NHL this year. Gonchar had even gone as far as making arrangements for the 20 year old to stay with him and his family in Pittsburgh.

Gonchar wouldn't elaborate on Malkin's change of plans.

"It's hard for me to make any comments," said Gonchar.

The Penguins say they have still not received any official word on Malkin's situation in Russia. Earlier this week, Russian club Metallurg Magnitogorsk announced the youngster would be with the team through 2006-07.

Malkin's new agents, J.P. Barry and Pat Brisson, say the Russian star wants to play in the NHL this season.

If Malkin is unable to play in Pittsburgh, general manager Ray Shero will have to find someone else to pencil in as his number two centre for next season. Among the candidates available on the free-agent market are veteran's Yanic Perreault, Trevor Linden, Jan Hrdina, Jason Allison and Greg Johnson.
 

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From TSN.ca!

Ice Chips for Wednesday, August 9

> Forward Alexei Mikhnov has informed Russian club Yaroslavl that he wants to play in the NHL this season which means the 2000 first round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers could be at training camp in September. The 24 year old is expected to sign a one year deal with the NHL club, likely worth $817,000 with a minor league clause... the Oilers have also begun contract talks with recently acquired forward Joffrey Lupul, who earned $949,000 in Anaheim last year... The Oilers have also expressed interest in free agent forward Petr Sykora, who played with Lupul in Anaheim before finishing the season with the Rangers. - Edmonton Journal

> The Ducks have announced the retirement of right wing Jonathan Hedstrom, who left the team during last season's Stanley Cup playoffs because of family concerns in his native Sweden. Hedstrom collected 13 goals and 27 points in 79 regular-season games for the Ducks in 2005-06. He added one assist in three playoff games. Hedstrom had one year remaining on his contract at a salary-cap figure of $512,500, money that will not count against the Ducks' salary cap this season. - Orange County Register

> The Coyotes and RoadRunners have reached an affiliation agreement for the 2006-07 season. The franchises clashed privately last year after the RoadRunners announced they would be returning to the Phoenix market after nine years, but the hatchet has apparently been buried. Per the affiliation, between four and eight RoadRunners players are guaranteed spots at this year's training camp for the Coyotes' top minor league franchise in San Antonio, and one RoadRunners player will play for the Coyotes entry in next month's rookie tournament in Los Angeles. GM Michael Barnett said a key element to the affiliation is that the Coyotes will be able to position an emergency goalkeeper with the RoadRunners in case one is needed to fill in at a Coyotes practice or possibly a game. The RoadRunners play in the ECHL, a 26-team league widely considered to be two levels below the NHL. Their home arena is US Airways Center, and former Coyotes forward Claude Lemieux is the team's president. - Arizona Republic

> Jaromir Jagr considers his former accountant the Six Million Dollar Man. The former Penguins star sued accountant Gary Schick on Tuesday, demanding he turn over a tax form that was supposed to be filed with the IRS in 2003. The lawsuit claims that if Jagr does not get the form, it will cost him $6 million. Jagr's attorney, James A. Marchewka, insisted that Schick has refused for two years to turn over the paperwork, which concerns the hockey player's stock trading. Jagr has had previous tax problems. According to court records, the Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against Jagr totalling more than $35,000 in 2002, $3.2 million in 2003 and $1.4 million in 2004. All of the liens have been satisfied, court records state. Jagr is appealing his 2003 tax return to the IRS, according to the lawsuit. Schick said he prepared that tax return. - Tribune Review

> St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, the former president of Madison Square Garden, was a serious contender as recently as 10 days ago to succeed Paul Tagliabue as NFL commissioner. The New York Daily News has learned that Checketts, the head of a group that bought the Blues in June, still was in contention when the NFL reduced the list to 11 candidates. League sources said Monday they believed Checketts, the Blues chairman, would have made a good commissioner, but after the 11 were interviewed in Detroit the week of July 24, Checketts did not make the cut to the final five announced July 30. - St Louis Post Dispatch
 

Sharks sign Biron, Rissmiller
TSN.ca Staff
8/9/2006 5:25:16 PM

The San Jose Sharks have signed free agent defenceman Mathieu Biron to a one-year contract.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Biron, 26, appeared in 52 games registering 13 points and 50 penalty minutes with the Washington Capitals during the 2005-06 season.

Entering his eighth pro season, he has played 253 career NHL regular season games totaling 44 points and 177 penalty minutes for the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Capitals.

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound native of Lac St. Charles, Quebec was originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round (21st overall) of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.

San Jose also signed Group II restricted free agent left wing Patrick Rissmiller to a two-year deal.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Recalled from Cleveland on Mar. 15, Rissmiller scored six points in 18 regular season games before notching three points in 11 playoff games.

Rissmiller, 27, had 52 points in 68 games with Cleveland before getting promoted last season.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound native of Belmont, Massachusetts was signed by San Jose as a free agent on June 30, 2003.
 

Blues sign Backman to new contract
TSN.ca Staff
8/9/2006 6:44:21 PM

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Blues have signed defenceman Christian Backman to a multi-year deal.

"We feel that signing Christian long term is an improvement for our hockey club considering the quality minutes he logs each game," said team president John Davidson. "He is a key component to our organization now and for the future."

Backman, 26, played in 52 games last season with the Blues, recording 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) along with a career-high 48 penalty minutes.

The Alingsas, Sweden native skated in eight games at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy and helped Team Sweden win the gold medal.

The 6-foot-4, 198-pound defenceman was originally St. Louis' first choice, 24th overall, in the 1998 Entry Draft.
 

Desjardins makes it official!

Flyers' Desjardins retires after 17 seasons
Sports Ticker
8/10/2006 3:28:44 PM

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- After 17 seasons in the NHL, Eric Desjardins has decided to call it a career.

The Philadelphia Flyers' longest tenured player, Desjardins announced his retirement on Thursday.

The 37-year-old Desjardins has been a staple on the Flyers' blue line since being acquired in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens on February 9, 1995.

However, Desjardins has struggled with injuries in recent years, playing more than 65 games just once in the last four seasons. He has skated in a total of 93 games over the last two campaigns, including just 45 in 2005-06, when he missed 29 contests following shoulder surgery.

"It's kind of a tough day, but I think it's pretty much come for me to make this decision," Desjardins said. "It was not easy and that's why I waited the whole summer to think about it. For me, it was really important to retire as a Flyer. I don't feel I could be at the level that I want to be at, so that's why I decided to retire."

In his prime, Desjardins was one of the most well-rounded defensemen in the NHL, scoring 12 or more goals six times and recording six 40-point seasons. He totaled 396 points in 11 seasons with the Flyers, trailing only Mark Howe (480) among blue-liners on the franchise list.

"I think Eric was the perfect athlete," Flyers general manager Bob Clarke said. "His conduct off the ice was always very disciplined and classy. On the ice, he was a gifted player who played the game clean, hard and with dignity. You wish that every player who came through your organization was like Eric Desjardins."

"I would really hope that he'd be remembered as one of the best defensemen that ever came through Philadelphia," said the Pittsburgh Penguins' John LeClair, a former teammate with Desjardins with Montreal and Philadelphia. "People really have a lot of respect for him around the league. They know how good he is. As a teammate, you really appreciate how good he is. He did everything for us."

A second-round pick of the Canadiens in 1987, Desjardins recorded 136 goals and 439 assists in 1,143 games with Montreal and Philadelphia. He helped lead the Canadiens to the 1993 Stanley Cup championship, completing an unforgettable hat trick with an overtime tally in Game Two of the Finals against the Los Angeles Kings.

"I got a chance to play with him in Montreal and win the Stanley Cup with him," LeClair said. "Actually, he basically won me a Stanley Cup ring there. His three goals in Game Two probably turned the whole series around for us. That's something I'll never forget."

A three-time All-Star, Desjardins helped his team reach the postseason in every one of his 17 seasons, collecting 23 goals, 57 assists and 80 points in 168 games.
 

Ducks sign veteran centre Travis Green
TSN.ca Staff
8/10/2006 6:16:33 PM

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Anaheim Ducks have signed free agent center Travis Green to a one-year contract.

No financial terms of the deal were disclosed.

Green, 35, played in 82 games for Boston last season, collecting 22 points with 79 penalty minutes and a 54.4 face-off win percentage. Green was one of only two Bruins to play in all 82 games, marking the second time in his career that he did not miss a single game.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound centre spent part of the 1997-98 season and the entire 1998-99 season with Anaheim, recording 46 points with 97 penalty minutes in 101 games. Green was originally acquired by Anaheim with Doug Houda and Tony Tuzzolino from the New York Islanders for Joe Sacco, J.J. Daigneault and Mark Janssens, Feb. 6, 1998. Anaheim traded Green and their first-round choice in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft (Scott Kelman) to Phoenix for Oleg Tverdovsky, June 26, 1999.

The 14-year NHL veteran has recorded 453 points with 737 PIM in 939 career games with the New York Islanders, Anaheim, Phoenix, Toronto and Boston. Green was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.
 

Injuries help Devils salary cap situation
TSN.ca Staff
8/11/2006 12:04:33 PM

The New Jersey Devils will be without forward Jason Wiemer for at least six months after he underwent knee surgery last week.

"He had an injury during the playoffs and also had previous knee trouble," general manager Lou Lamoriello tells the Newark Star Ledger. "The evaluation was to have the knee reconstructed."

The Devils may also be without defenseman Richard Matvichuk to start the season as well. The 33 year old has not progressed as quickly from surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back, according to the New York Post.

The pair will be placed on the Long-Term Injury List which will clear more than $2.3-million from the Devils' salary cap. The team are reportedly over the $44-million salary cap for the upcoming season but have until October 4 to get under the limit.

However, Lamoriello is still trying to work out a deal with restricted free agent Brian Gionta, who is said to be seeking a deal which will average $3.5-million. Paul Martin and David Hale are also restricted free agents while Erik Rasmussen and backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen are unrestricted.

Lamoriello says all will be invited to training camp and it is his intention to get everyone signed.
 

Sykora signs with Oilers pending physical
TSN.ca Staff
8/11/2006 2:26:59 PM

Petr Sykora has signed a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers pending a physical, TSN has learned.

Sykora is undergoing an MRI on his groin today and if he passes the physical, an announcement is expected later today.

The unrestricted free-agent forward scored 23 goals with 51 points for Anaheim and the New York Rangers last season.

The 29-year-old was traded by the Ducks in January to the Rangers for Maxim Kondratiev and a 4th round pick in 2007.

Sykora was part of the 2000 Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils.

The Czech Republic native joins a top-six forward unit that includes Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff, Ales Hemsky, Jarret Stoll and newly acquired Joffrey Lupul.
 

From Sportsnet.ca!

Hockey Hearsay
August 11, 2006

Oilers begin negotiations with Lupul
Although negotiations on a new deal for Oilers' forward Joffrey Lupul only began yesterday it does not appear as though Lupul will miss any time this season.

"I thought it was a positive discussion with a lot of ideas exchanged," Oilers assistant GM Scott Howson told The Edmonton Sun. "We were both open and frank with what the issues and challenges are to getting a deal here."

Lupul's camp appears to be just as positive about the opening chat.

"We're on good terms and we're talking back and forth," Lupul's agent Peter Semonick told the paper. "We'll continue with that."

Sore wrist bothering Zetterberg
A sore wrist is forcing Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg to cut his summer vacation short.

Zetterberg is on his way to Detroit to have his wrist checked by team doctors but the Wings' second-leading scorer had his travel plans delayed due to travel delays in Europe resulting from the thwarted terrorist plot in London.

The injury is nothing new according to Wings' assistant GM Jim Nill.

"I don't think it's anything serious," Nill told The Detroit News. "He played all year with it and didn't even feel it at the end of the season."
 


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