Former New Jersey Devil Brian Rolston’s career appears about to come full circle.

TSN reports Rolston is close to signing a four-year, $20 million contract with the Devils, the club that drafted him 11th overall in the 1991 entry draft and for whom he played his first six seasons, winning a Stanley Cup in 1995.

Rolston has been one of the more attractive UFAs available in this summer’s market, even spurning offers from the Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning.

It was expected he’d be signed for $5 million per season so the Devils are right on track in terms of where Rolston’s value was on the open market.

A terrific two-way forward with one of the hardest slapshots in the league, Rolston will provide a much-needed boost to the Devils offensive game and will of course fit in well with their defensive system.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are at it again.

Scarcely two days after signing Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts the Lightning have added another forward to their lineup, signing right winger Radim Vrbata to a three-year, $9 million contract.

Vrbata had a breakout performance in 2007-08 with career bests in goals (27), assists (29) and points (56) with the Phoenix Coyotes, who had hoped to re-sign him and may now have to look elsewhere for a scoring right winger.

This move likely means the Bolts have given up on their attempts to sign Brian Rolston, whose rights they acquired over the weekend from the Minnesota Wild.

Are the Lightning done?  Probably not, as they have to address their depth in goal and on the blueline, and persistent speculation has them shopping defenseman Dan Boyle to free up some cap space, although that’ll require Boyle’s approval as his has a no-trade clause in his contract.  

The Los Angeles Kings last night dealt defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for center Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene.

As per the LA Times this move clears over $10 million in cap space for the Kings although it’s uncertain if they’ll be making any significant moves in the UFA market. It’s been rumored they might re-sign Brad Stuart, whom they deal to the Detroit Red Wings at the February trade deadline.

For the Oilers it’s a more intriguing move, setting up the possibility that Joni Pitkanen may have played his final season in Edmonton and could either be dealt or signed away via offer sheet. Visnovsky is a puck-moving defenseman but the Oilers were also believed in the market for a scoring forward, which Pitkanen might land them in a deal.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have gotten a jump on the UFA market in a big way over the weekend, acquiring the rights of forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins and forward Brian Rolston from the Minnesota Wild.

Malone re-signed a seven year, $31.5 million contract with the Lightning on Sunday, which breaks down as $4.5 million per season against their cap but is front-loaded to pay him between $7-$8 million per season in the first two seasons, while Roberts is believed close to signing  has signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract with the Bolts paying him a base of $1.25 million that could rise to $2.07 million if he achieves his bonuses.

It remains to be seen if they’ll get Rolston signed as it could cost them around $5 million per season but evidently the Lightning’s new ownership aren’t concerned about it otherwise they wouldn’t have wasted their time.

If the Bolts should get all three under contract it’ll have only cost them a third round pick in 2009 to the Penguins and a conditional pick in 2009 or 2010 to the Wild.

While these moves should excite the Lightning fanbase it is troubling to see them loading up at forward whilst doing nothing so far to address their weaknesses in goal and on the blueline.

This summer’s UFA market is now short two defensemen as the Colorado Avalanche announced Sunday the re-signing of Adam Foote and John-Michael Liles.

Foote’s contract is for two-years, $6 million, which will count as $3 million per season against the Avalanche’s cap, while Liles’ new deal is reportedly four years at over $4 million per season.

It wasn’t unexpected to hear of Foote’s re-signing but Liles was long rumored to be on his way out of Colorado, and he might’ve received over $5 million on the UFA market. His agent however last week expressed a hope that his client would be retained. Retaining both should provide stability to the Avs defense corps.