Sorry for the absence, folks, I took a day off on Friday and my wife and I are spending some time with my son before he heads out for basic training with the Naval Reserve on Sunday.

Lots of activity leading up to July 1st as teams scramble to lock up their RFA players and cut loose some cap space via waivers and buyouts. Here’s the most significant as of today (June 28):

The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired the rights of forwards Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth round pick in 2009. Should the Bolts re-sign Malone prior to July 1st the pick is upgraded to a third rounder.  

It’s a bold move by the new Lightning ownership to gain an inside track on signing one or both, but if it doesn’t work out all it costs them is a mid-round pick next season, one that could be easily replaced by trade between now and next year’s draft if required.

If it does pan out and they manage to sign one or both it’s a small price to pay.

The Philadelphia Flyers as expected re-signed forward Jeff Carter to a three-year, $15 million contract extension, and no, this isn’t a “sign and trade” on their part.

This signing pushes the Flyers payroll to over $51 million next season so if they’re still looking at landing a quality puckmoving blueliner via free agency they’ll still have to find a way to free up more cap space.

The Anaheim Ducks bought out the remaining season of Todd Bertuzzi’s contract in a move designed to free up cap space to re-sign key free agents like Corey Perry but they might still need to move another player, possibly Mathieu Schneider, now that Scott Niedermayer has decided to return with the Ducks to play out the final season of his contract.

As expected the Calgary Flames announced the re-signing of impending UFA center Daymond Langkow to a four-year, $20 million contract, but also re-upped Craig Conroy to a two-year, $2.1 million contract and retained forward Eric Nystrom and goaltender Curtis McElhinney to one-way contracts, suggesting the latter two have locked up roster spots for next season.

A solid playoff performance by Loui Eriksson likely cemented a new two-year contract extension worth $3.2 million ($1.5 million for next season and $1.7 million for 2009-10), who also had 31 points in 69 NHL  games last season.

A Campbell was re-signed but it wasn’t the Sharks’ Brian, but rather Gregory Campbell of the Florida Panthers to a two-year contract believed worth more than the $525K per season he earned in his previous contract.

The Panthers also bought out the final season of forward Jozef Stumpel’s contract while the NY Islanders have bought out the remaining season of Shawn Bates’ contract and the Columbus Blue Jackets did the same with Duvie Westcott.

Nothing like a $6 million jump in the salary cap to spur some teams into using the buyout option. Last season only one player of note, the Islanders Alexei Yashin, was bought out; this season, nearly a dozen, although two, David Tanabe and Dan Cloutier, intend to fight the buyout by insisting they’re not medically cleared yet to play next season.  

- After the frenzy of player trades during the opening round of the NHL 2008 Entry Draft only one of significance took place in the subsequent rounds, as the Colorado Avalanche dealt forward Brad Richardson to the Los Angeles Kings for the 61st overall pick in the draft.

Richardson, a 23-year-old checking forward, spent the past three seasons bouncing between the Avalanche and the AHL. He has 40 points in 136 NHL games.

- Speaking of the Kings, they might not be able to buy out goaltender Dan Cloutier if it is determined he’s not medically fit to play. Cloutier has been plagued by injuries in recent years and if he fails to pass a medical screening the Kings won’t be allowed to buy him out. They could however place him on long-term injury status next season if he’s still not fit to play.

- Kings defenseman Jon Klemm’s 15-year NHL career has apparently come to an end, as the 38-year-old has signed a one-year contract to play in Germany’s DEL league next season.

Klemm played for four NHL teams, most of those with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche as a “stay-at-home” blueliner, and was an integral part of the Avs two Stanley Cup championship teams.

-The Carolina Hurricanes have placed forward Jeff Hamilton and defenseman David Tanabe on waivers, and the Washington Capitals have done the same with defenseman Ben Clymer.

If these three should clear waivers by noon on June 24th they’ll be bought out of the final year of their respective contracts. Clymer and Hamilton each have one year and $1.1 million remaining on their respective deals, while Tanabe has $900K remaining on the final year of his contract.

Their buyouts will count as two thirds the remaining value spread over twice the remaining tenure of their contracts against the salary caps of the Hurricanes and Capitals.

The New York Islanders are still trying to sort out some details before signing defenseman Bryan Berard but in the meantime general manager Garth Snow re-signed two of his players who were eligible next summer for unrestricted free agency.

On October 5th the Isles re-signed defenseman Radek Martinek to a three-year contract extension that’ll commence next season. Two days later, the club re-signed checker Richard Park to a two-year extension.

Newsday reports Park’s new deal is worth $1.5 million or $750K per season. Martinek’s is worth $4.5 million or $1.5 million per season.

Martinek has been injury-prone throughout his NHL career (he’s yet to play a full season) but he’s proven himself to be a poised blueliner with decent offensive skills.

Park isn’t a big forward but he’s an energetic checker and the Isles appreciate his experience and character.

As for Berard, it’s believed he’ll sign with the Islanders as early as October 8th once defenseman Freddy Meyer has cleared waivers and reports to their minor league affiliate, and could be in the lineup for the Isles matchup against arch-rival NY Rangers on Wednesday.  

After being cut loose by the Carolina Hurricanes this summer and failing to stick with the St. Louis Blues as a training camp invitee, David Tanabe is returning to the Hurricanes.

On October 6th Tanabe agreed to a two-year, two-way contact with the Hurricanes, paying him $600K this season at the NHL level and $100K if he’s demoted to the minors. The deal also pays him $900K at the NHL level in 2008-09.

Tanabe was once one of the Hurricanes most prized prospects, but he’s failed to match the numbers of his sophomore season in 2000-01 (7 goals, 29 points in 74 games, 2 goals in six playoff games). He was dealt to the Phoenix Coyotes in the summer of 2003 and to the Boston Bruins in November 2005.

The Hurricanes signed him in August 2006 as an unrestricted free agent but was unable to reach an agreement with the club after the 2006-07 season and wound up again as an unrestricted free agent.

It’s not surprising that he’s back with the Hurricanes for another go-around, as there is legitimate concern over the club’s blueline depth, particularly with the aging Glen Wesley and battered veterans Bret Hedican and Frantisek Kaberle.  

Tanabe should see plenty of ice time with the ‘Canes this season.

The Carolina Hurricanes welcomed back veteran defenseman Frantisek Kaberle back from off-season shoulder surgery.

To make space for Kaberle, the Hurricanes demoted blueliner Anton Babchuk, who played in 51 games this season for the club.

Reports out of Carolina had GM Jim Rutherford shopping either Andrew Hutchinson or David Tanabe to make room for Kaberle, and at one point he was reportedly in talks with two teams but ultimately the deals fell through, leading to Babchuk's demotion.

Should Rutherford move Hutchinson and/or Tanabe by the deadline, it could result in Babchuk rejoining the Hurricanes.

**UPDATE** The Hurricanes suspended Babchuk the following day for refusing to report to their minor league affiliate. As one reader pointed out, it looks like Babchuk just punched his ticket out of Carolina.