Much-traveled forward Dean McAmmond joined his tenth NHL team on November 6, signing a one-year, two-way contract (believed worth the league minimum of $500k at the NHL level) with the New Jersey Devils. 

McAmmond, 36, had been playing for the Devils AHL affiliate on a minor league tryout contract. He's being added as a short-term replacement for checking line center Rob Niedermayer, who is currently on injured reserve with an "upper body injury". 

In his previous stops over his 16 year NHL career McAmmond played for the Chicago Blackhawks (twice), Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames (twice), Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators and NY Islanders. 

His best season came in 2001-02 with the Flames, scoring 21 goals and 51 points in 71 games with Calgary. Devils fans shouldn't expect those kind of numbers from him this season as he's solely a checking line forward these days. 

With a blueline corp ravaged by injury the Montreal Canadiens bolstered their depth today, plucking defenseman Jay Leach off re-entry waivers from the New Jersey Devils. 

The Devils placed Leach, 30, on recall waivers hoping to shore up their own defense corps, which has lost regulars Paul Martin (broken arm) and Johnny Oduya (lower body injury). They'll likely have to call up someone else with Leach now gone. 

Leach played 24 games with the Devils last season, notching one assist and 21 PIMs. At 6-4 and 220 lbs he'll provided some valuable size to a Canadiens blueline which has lost Andrei Markov, Hal Gill and Ryan O'Byrne to injury in recent weeks and has another regular in Jaroslav Spacek hobbled by an undisclosed injury.

As he was claimed off re-entry waivers his NHL salary (likely the league minimum of $500K) will be split between the two teams. Once the Canadiens start getting some of their injured d-men back Leach will likely be demoted, where he'll have to pass through waivers, giving the Devils a chance at getting him back. 

Fans of former NHL star Peter Forsberg are aware the former Hart and Art Ross trophy winner is currently playing for Sweden in the Karjala Cup, an annual international tournament - involving Sweden, Russia, Finland and the Czech Republic - held in Finland. 

It's believed Forsberg, whose playing career has been waylaid due to pain in his surgically repaired right foot in recent years, may be using the tournament as a possible springboard for a return to the NHL. 

As a result it was believed those NHL teams potentially interested in signing Forsberg ran the risk of losing him to waivers, however, Paul Kukla and friends over at Kukla's Korner have determined this isn't the case, courtesy of an e-mail to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. 

I and others believed he had to clear waivers first  because he'd played three games for MoDo of the Swedish Elite League but it's been determined he played those games prior to the start of the NHL season and hasn't played any more since. 

The CBA states that a player who participates in an professional league game other than in the NHL during an NHL season would have to clear waivers. That doesn't apply to Forsberg in this case. 

Furthermore, international tournaments like the Karjala Cup aren't considered playing a professional league game. 

In a nutshell, Forsberg doesn't have to clear waivers if he signs with an NHL team for this season. 

A month into the NHL’s 2009-10 campaign here’s a look at how last summer’s top unrestricted free agents are faring with their new teams:

Marian Gaborik, NY Rangers, $7.5 million per season: 14 GP, 11 G, 8 A, 19 Pts, +6

Mike Cammalleri, Montreal Canadiens, $6 million per season:  7 G, 7 A, 14 Pts, +6

Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks, $5.233 million per season: has not played owing to off-season surgery.

Brian Gionta, Montreal Canadiens, $5 million per season: 15 GP, 6 G, 4 A, 10 Pts, +2

Martin Havlat, Minnesota Wild, $5 million per season: 12 GP, 1 G, 6A, 7 Pts, -9

Alex Kovalev, Ottawa Senators, $5 million per season: 12 GP, 4 G, 1 A, 5 Pts, -5

Mike Komisarek, Toronto Maple Leafs, $4.5 million per season: 13 GP, 0 Pts, -10, 31 PIMs

Nik Antropov, Atlanta Thrashers, $4.062 million per season: 11 GP, 0 G, 12 A, 12 Pts, +4

Jaroslav Spacek, Montreal Canadiens, $3.833 million per season: 15 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts, +6

Francois Beauchemin, Toronto Maple Leafs, $3.8 million per season: 13 GP, 1 G, 3 A, 4 Pts, -7

Nikolai Khabibulin, Edmonton Oilers, $3.75 million per season: 13 GP, 6-6-1, 3.12 GAA, .910 SP.

Mattias Ohlund, Tampa Bay Lightning, $3.607 million per season: 13 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 Pts, +2

Rob Scuderi, Los Angeles Kings, $3.4 million per season: 15 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt, -2

Saku Koivu, Anaheim Ducks, $3.25 million: 13 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 Pts, -2

At the end of the first month of the NHL's 2009-10 campaign a quick perusal of the scoring leaders turns up the usual suspects (Ovechkin, Thornton, Nash, Heatley, Backstrom) and a few surprises (Anze Kopitar - whom I've previously written about- as well as Patrick Marleau and Vaclav Prospal).

The biggest surprise is seeing Edmonton Oilers winger Dustin Penner sitting in a three-way tie for fifth overall in total points (19), tied for fourth in total goals (9) and among the league leaders in total assists (10). Penner also leads the Oilers in total goals and points. 

This is the same Dustin Penner whose signing of a lucrative multi-year offer sheet - five years, .25 million per season - with the Edmonton Oilers whilst a restricted free agent in the summer of 2007 and the Anaheim Ducks unwillingness to match effectively ended a long time friendship between then-Oilers GM Kevin Lowe and then-Ducks GM Brian Burke.

The same Dustin Penner who in the first two seasons as an Oiler was such a disappointment (47 points in 2007-08, 37 points last season) many observers - including myself - criticized Lowe for what appeared a gross waste of salary cap space on what appeared a marginal second line winger.

The same Penner who late last season was serenaded by disgruntled Oilers fans with chants of "overpaid!"

The same Penner who would be toiling with the Ottawa Senators had Dany Heatley agreed to accept a trade to the Oilers this past summer. 

So what's the reason for Penner's improved performance this season? 

Quite simply, the change in the Oilers coaching staff in the off-season. 

Penner was constantly in the doghouse of former Oilers bench boss Craig MacTavish, who last season took to publicly running down the big winger and appeared at times to make Penner his whipping boy. 

This season, as Penner recently noted in an interview with NHL.com's Dan Rosen, new Oilers coaches Pat Quinn and Tom Renney aren't being overly critical, giving him a clean slate and letting him play his game. 

It's a long season and it remains to be seen if Penner can maintain his hot scoring touch from now until April - and perhaps into the playoffs - but there's no denying he looks a lot more relaxed, confident and stronger on the puck than he did over the past two seasons. 

And if this is only a sign of more to come, Penner's contract won't be considered Lowe's folly for much longer. 

For now, Oilers fans - and management - are probably thankful Heatley declined that trade!