With the opening of NHL training camps drawing ever nearer business is certainly starting to pick up around the league. 

In recent days we’ve seen several trades (see my most recent posts since August 29th) and now we’re starting to see some movement in the free agent market.

The big news today comes out of Los Angeles, where the Kings announced the signing of forward Jarret Stoll to a four-year, $14 million contract.

Stoll was acquired by the Kings from the Edmonton Oilers earlier this summer in exchange for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky.

His new contract breaks down as $3.5 million per season against the Kings salary cap, a significant raise over the $2.2 million per season he earned over the last two years with the Oilers.

Stoll got that contract thanks to a 22-goal, 68-point performance in 2005-06, but a concussion the following season and the lingering after-effects hampered his performance since then, with 39 points (in 51 games) in 2006-07 and 36 points in 81 games last year.

The Kings may be taking a chance on Stoll regaining that 68-point form as it appears he hasn’t been the same since the concussion, but if he can round back into form he’ll be worth that kind of coin.

At least cap-wise the Kings are now a little closer (now less than $10 million closer) to the NHL’s minimum cap of $40.7 million.

In Detroit meanwhile comes a signing that surprises no one, that of Chris Chelios returning for another season at a very affordable $850K.

The ageless Chelios is obviously not the great defenseman he once was but is still capable of playing 14-16 solid minutes per game and has proven to be a valuable member of Detroit’s defense corps.

However, that move will likely come at the expense of another Red Wings d-man, as GM Ken Holland recently suggested he’ll likely need to pare down between $100K-$300K from his payroll and could look at shipping out a defenseman to do it.

It certainly won’t be the 46-year-old Chelios.

And finally, after some speculation that Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray was perhaps interested in bringing in a veteran free agent winger, comes the announcement the Sens have signed Brad Isbister to a one-year, two-way contract.

For those Senators fans hoping that Murray was looking at Brendan Shanahan, Glen Murray or Mark Parrish, please try to contain your disappointment.

Fact is, Murray doesn’t have a lot of cap space to play with, and with this signing combined with his recent acquisition of winger Ryan Shannon from Vancouver, it’s clear at this point he’s going for affordable depth rather than squandering precious cap signing an aging veteran to a one-way contract.  

San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson recently suggested he wouldn’t get into the UFA market to find a replacement for Brian Campbell, but changed his mind to sign former LA Kings defenseman Rob Blake to a one-year, $5 million contract

Blake had been oft-lined to the Sharks in trade rumors over the past two years but with Campbell gone and the depth in quality blueliners in the UFA market fast shrinking Wilson went with an established veteran on the downside of his career.

The length of the deal is one Sharks fans won’t have a problem with but $5 million is quite steep for a former Norris contending defenseman whose been a shadow of his former greatness in recent years.

Part of that is attributable to playing for a Kings team struggling to rebuild and perhaps on a more stable roster Blake might be capable of a bounce-back season.

It’s a gamble on Wilson’s part but one he had to make in the short term.

The Philadelphia Flyers continue to pare down salaries from their payroll, shipping veteran defenseman Denis Gauthier to the Los Angeles Kings along with a second round pick in 2009 for prospect defenseman Patrik Hersley and left wing Ned Lukacevic.

Due to cap constraints last season the Flyers were forced to demote Gauthier to the minors where he spent the entire 2007-08 season. They had placed him on waivers at the end of June but couldn’t find any takers.

Gauthier had a reputation as a physical defenseman occasionally know for questionable hits. His rugged style has also resulted in a lengthy injury history.

Given the Kings need for defensive depth Gauthier will have plenty of opportunities to earn himself a regular roster spot.

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.

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 Calgary Flames added a winger and subtracted one during the first round of the NHL 2008 Entry Draft, acquiring winger Mike Cammalleri from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the 17th overall pick, and dealing veteran left winger Alex Tanguay to the Montreal Canadiens for the 25th overall pick.

Cammelleri was rumored as a trade candidate during the past week and for good reason given his contentious contract talks last summer with Kings GM Dean Lombardi resulting in a two-year contract through arbitration for less than he sought.

His current contract worth $3.35 million has one year left,  giving the Flames time to determine if they want to re-sign him this summer for more, or see how well he plays for demanding head coach Mike Keenan and make a pitch during next season.

Cammalleri has 80 point potential, having achieved that total in 2006-07 but fell off to only 47 points last season. With the Kings have plenty of depth in young scoring forwards he became expendable, in this case for a 17th overall pick which was then flipped to the Anaheim Ducks along with the 28th overall pick for the 12th overall pick.

The Flames however had to make salary room for Cammalleri and that meant moving out Alex Tanguay, who surprisingly agreed to waive his “no-trade” to facilitate a trade to the Montreal Canadiens for the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Surprisingly, because Tanguay last season repeatedly stated he wouldn’t waive his clause to go to Montreal , citing the intense pressure French-Canadien  players feel playing for the Canadiens.

Evidently the pressure of playing for Mike Keenan another season in Calgary was enough to change his mind. By dumping Tanguay to Montreal and taking on Cammalleri’s salary Flames GM Darryl Sutter saves himself nearly $2 million in cap space which could be used to re-sign a key player or perhaps pursue some depth via the UFA market.

Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has repeatedly stated he wants to acquire an impact player and hinted of dealing his first round pick (25th) in this year’s draft to do so.

Tanguay is a skilled offensive winger whose offensive stats have fluctuated throughout his career. He should post up strong offensive numbers with the speedy young talented Canadiens, but he’s not considered an impact player.

It’s a bit of a puzzling move for Gainey, adding another finesse player into a roster already loaded with those kind of forwards, not to mention the huge cap bite his $5.25 million salary for next season will take out of the Habs’ salary cap.

Either Gainey is still shopping for that elusive impact forward (he’s been granted permission by the Toronto Maple Leafs to speak with Mats Sundin’s agent) or Tanguay is the best he could get.

The Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings on Friday placed goaltenders Ray Emery and Dan Cloutier on waivers in the first step toward buying out the remainder of their contracts.

Emery, 25, has two years at $3.167 million per season remaining on his contract while Cloutier, 32, has one year at $3.1 million remaining on his.

Once the two clear waivers the Senators and Kings can then buy them out.

It’s quite the downfall for two netminders who, while not among the elite of the NHL, were once considered very good starting goaltenders.

Emery has re-signed his current contract with the Senators last summer but a combination of injury and other issues saw him lose his starter’s role to Martin Gerber last season.

Cloutier’s decline over the past three years was injury-related, specifically a nagging hip ailment which required surgery two years ago.

It’ll cost the Kings two thirds the remaining value of Cloutier’s contract spread over twice the remaining tenure, meaning it’ll be just over $1 million per season over the next two years.

Emery, because he’s under-26 at the time of the buyout, is only entitled to a one-third buyout of his remaining contract value over twice the remaining tenure, breaking down to over $560K per season for the next four years.

Both will become unrestricted free agents in July. Emery might still find employment in the NHL but Cloutier’s NHL career is probably over.

The Swedish paper Aftonbladet reports veteran NHL defenseman Mattias Norstrom has decided to retire effective immediately.

Norstrom began his NHL career with the NY Rangers in 1993-94 but would play the bulk of his fourteen NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, where he would eventually become team captain and earned a reputation as one of the top defensive blueliners in the game.

He took over the captaincy of the Kings in 2001 after Rob Blake was traded to Colorado, a role he would hold until he was dealt to the Dallas Stars at the February 2007 trade deadline.

The 35-year-old Norstrom’s physical style began to take its toll on him this season, when he appeared in 66 games with the Stars, the first time he played less than 73 games in a season since the 1995-96 season, when he played 36 split between the Rangers and Kings.

His final playoff run however was a memorable one, appearing in all 18 of the Stars games and notching five points, including two goals, accounting for all but two of his career 7 playoff points.

It was thought that his strong performance in this spring’s playoffs might entice him back for another season with the Stars, who’ll now have to find a replacement for Norstrom either within their organization or via trade or free agency.

The San Jose Sharks were believed in the market for an experienced backup for starting goaltender Evgeny Nabokov, and might have found one via an unconventional means.

Instead of making a trade, Sharks GM Doug Wilson signed Philadelphia Phantoms goaltender Brian Boucher to an NHL contract.

If that name sounds familiar, it should, as Boucher has played with the Flyers, Coyotes, Flames and Blackhawks. He’s spent this season toiling in the minors this season and it remains to be seen if he’ll be backing up Nabokov or if he’ll be staying in minors.

The Anaheim Ducks meanwhile added some veteran depth to their goaltending ranks, acquiring J.S. Aubin from the Los Angeles Kings for a seventh round draft pick.

Much-traveled defenseman Brad Stuart is on the move again.

After bouncing since last season from Boston to Calgary to the LA Kings, today the Kings shipped Stuart to the Detroit Red Wings for second and fourth round picks.

Stuart was once considered a promising young defenseman with all the tools to be a star in the NHL during his years with the San Jose Sharks, but he’s never been the same since the Sharks dealt him to the Boston Bruins in the Joe Thornton trade in the 2005-06 season.

Signed by the Kings this summer as a free agent by GM Dean Lombardi, who drafted Stuart when he was GM of the Sharks, he had 21 points in 63 games but was a minus player defensively. He’d struggled in the first half of the season but seemed to show improvement in recent weeks.

The Wings have been racked by injuries in recent weeks and mired in a lengthy slump. Stuart had been one of the players they were believed interested in heading into the deadline.

It remains to be seen how Stuart will adjust but playing on a deeper club like the Wings despite their recent struggles could take some pressure off his shoulders and help him regain some confidence. If so he could become a good depth addition for the Wings down the stretch and into the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Kings today claimed forward Matt Ellis off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

Ellis played 35 games with the Wings this season as a checking line forward, with 2 goals, 6 points and a plus-minus of +1.

Reports out of Detroit indicate Ellis had played in only four of the Wings last 19 games, so it’s possible with the struggling Kings he might see more playing time on their checking lines for the rest of this season.

He’s signed through next season for the league minimum of $475,000.

The Los Angeles Kings were expected to be sellers leading up to the trade deadline, and on Tuesday they made the first of what might be several trades, shipping defenceman Jaroslav Modry to the Philadelphia Flyers for a third round pick.

Modry wasn’t the only Kings blueliner believed available. Brad Stuart’s name has been frequently mentioned, as has veteran Rob Blake’s, although his recent comments about wishing to remain with the Kings and not being approached by management to waive his “no-trade” clause suggests he won’t be available.

The Flyers have been struggling recently, mired in a seven-game losing skid that saw them tumble from first in the Atlantic division and challenging for the lead in the Eastern Conference to fourth in the division and seventh overall in the East.

It was believed the Flyers were seeking what one Philadelphia newspaper called “a free-skating defenseman” and they were thought to be interested in Tampa Bay’s Dan Boyle but there’s conflicting reports as to his availability.

Modry doesn’t seem to fit what the Flyers were believed pursuing, with only 6 points in 61 games, numbers down considerably from the 30-40 point seasons he posted up earlier in the decade.

Still, to land what the Flyers truly needed likely would’ve been far more expensive than what GM Paul Holmgren was willing to pay.

Modry will provide veteran depth and experience to the Flyers defense corps, but his presence won’t be enough to prevent rumormongers from suggesting Holmgren might be after something more.

It’s that time of year again, folks, when the rumor mill goes into overdrive churning out all sorts of speculation as the NHL trade deadline nears.

And as always, a lot of what’s being spewed out is downright wacky.

Montreal trading Michael Ryder to Calgary for Alex Tanguay or to Atlanta for Marian Hossa?

Sure, if one overlooks the fact Tanguay has no desire to waive his “no-trade” clause to play in Montreal and that Thrashers GM Don Waddell isn’t an ####.

The Los Angeles Kings trading Rob Blake to the Anaheim Ducks?

As if Ducks GM Brian Burke’s blueline isn’t deep enough! Besides, Burke’s interest is in bolstering his offence, not adding another big-name defenseman to an already loaded defense corps.

Tampa Bay trading Brad Richards to Chicago for Nikolai Khabibulin?

Look, I know the Bolts desperately need a quality starting goaltender, but Khabibulin isn’t one anymore, and his salary ($6.75 million) is almost as pricey as Richards’ ($7.8 million), and oh yeah, Richards has a “no-trade” clause and no intention of waiving it.

Dallas trading Marty Turco to Tampa Bay for Martin St. Louis?

Which part of “no-trade clause” did you not understand?

The Carolina Hurricanes trading Eric Staal to the Edmonton Oilers?

I didn’t realize Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford wanted to get out of his contract to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs that badly.

Maybe these trades happen if you’re in a fantasy league or playing NHL 2K8. They don’t happen in today’s NHL.

Expect more wild and wacky rumors between now and the trade deadline on February 26th, which is now mercifully close meaning we won’t have to hear these nonsensical speculations for much longer!

The Columbus Blue Jackets finally swung a trade but it wasn’t what most expected, sending popular long-time enforcer Jody Shelley to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth round pick in 2009.

Shelley is a six-year NHL veteran and until January 29th played his entire NHL career with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he became a fan favorite for his pugilistic ways.

But Shelley struggled to adjust to the Blue Jackets new up-tempo style and was frequently a healthy scratch this season.

Sharks GM Doug Wilson acquired Shelley to provide some added toughness after winger Ryan Clowe was recently injured. Wilson also admitted he attempted to acquire Shelley earlier this season but he only became available recently.

Meanwhile, two other enforcers recently re-signed with their current teams.

Over the weekend the Washington Capitals announced the re-signing of forward Donald Brashear to a one-year, $1.2 million extension, and on Tuesday the Los Angeles Kings re-signed Raitis Ivanans to a two-year extension.

The role of enforcers has been downplayed in recent years since the “new” NHL debuted after the 2005 lockout but these recent moves suggest those like Shelley, Brashear and Ivanans still have value to NHL teams.