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. 

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!

Five years ago the National Hockey League Players Association was locked in mortal combat with the league over a new collective bargaining agreement, specifically the league's desire to impose "cost certainty" upon player salaries. 

Since giving in to the league by agreeing in July 2005 to accept a salary cap the NHLPA has been in a seemingly constant state of upheaval with its leadership.

Bob Goodenow, the executive director who led the PA to two labor victories over the NHL in the 1990s', lost the support of the players during the season-killing 2004-05 lockout and re-signed in the summer of 2005 

His replacement was his former lieutenant Ted Saskin but he was fired by the association nearly two years later when it was revealed he'd been reading the players' private association e-mails.

Saskin was replaced by former labor lawyer Paul Kelly, famous for his successful prosecution of former PA director Alan Eagleson for corruption and embezzlement, and was considered by many observers as the right man to pick up the pieces within the PA and to negotiate with the league in the next round of collective bargaining slated for either 2011 or 2012.

But this August Kelly was voted out as executive director in what has been described as a power grab by a group led by PA legal counsel Ian Penny, former PA ombudsman Eric Lindros, ombudsman Buzz Hargrove and advisor Ron Pink. 

Penny took over as interim executive director but the manner in which Kelly was replaced angered and upset many players, including former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, who was also responsible with several others in the successful ouster of Saskin.

Chelios along with several others challenged the manner over Kelly's ouster, ultimately resulting in Penny, three members of the PA advisory board and one member of the PA's legal counsel to re-sign, or in Penny's mind, dismissed. 

The PA executive board last week voted to form a review committee to review their operations, with Chelios, Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, Boston Bruins forward Mark Recchi and San Jose Sharks defenseman Rob Blake as part of it. 

So now the question is, where does the PA go from here? 

They'll be facing CBA negotiations with the league in two years time, although most likely the PA will probably vote to extend the agreement to 2012 to provide them more time to get their house in order. 

Some observers suggest the PA should re-hire Kelly but it remains to be seen if that's even possible or if he wants to return to the position. 

Some NHL owners are undoubtedly enjoying the continued implosion of the PA since the 2004-05 lockout and would probably love to exploit the situation but for the PA time remains on their side in getting itself sorted out. 

What remains to be seen is who the review committee ultimately recommends to bring in to run the Association and what impact they could have upon the next round of CBA talks. 

Kelly was considered by some hardliners within the PA as being too cozy with league commissioner Gary Bettman, but given the contentious history of labor negotiations between the league and the PA Kelly's conciliatory approach may have been a better way to go in terms of a partnership with the league. 

It's already been suggested the PA could bring in another hawkish leader like Goodenow, leading to the fear another lockout looms on the horizon. 

I suspect most players don't want that and I would guess most of the NHL team owners hope to avoid that prospect too. 

That however is for another time. Right now the NHLPA is a shadow of itself and long overdue for a suitable overhaul. 

The Los Angeles Kings added veteran depth to the defense corps today, claiming blueliner Randy Jones off re-entry waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Jones' .75 million salary will be split between the Kings and Flyers. It's been suggested the Flyers did this move deliberately in order to get his salary off their books but according to Flyers GM Paul Holmgren that wasn't the case, saying no one had asked him to put Jones on re-entry waivers.

Holmgren had hoped to add Jones to his roster now that forward Simon Gagne has gone on long-term injury reserve, thus freeing up the necessary cap space for Jones' salary. 

Until today Jones' entire NHL career had been spent with the Flyers. His best season was 2007-08, with 5 goals and 31 points in 71 games. He should prove a valuable veteran addition to the Kings defense corps. 

The Anaheim Ducks yesterday added veteran depth to their forward lines on Wednesday, signing former LA Kings winger Kyle Calder to a two-way contract. 

Calder was immediately sent to the Ducks ECHL affiliate in Bakersfield but already there's speculation he might be brought up in a couple of weeks which could result in a current Ducks forward losing his spot.

It remains to be seen how much help Calder can be to a struggling Ducks team. A former two-time 20-goal, 50-point performer with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier in the decade Calder's offensive game has been in decline since the 2005-06 season.

In 2008-09 Calder had only 8 goals and 27 points with the LA Kings and became an unrestricted free agent this past summer.