- Dallas Stars new general manager Joe Nieuwendyk has been wasting little time in re-signing his key players to long-term contract extensions.
Days after re-upping defenseman Stephane Robidas to a long-term deal Niewendyk re-signed winger Loui Erikssen to a four-year contract worth $4.25 million per season.
Niewendyk is following the trend of his peers in handing out big bucks for potential. The 24-year-old Eriksson had a breakout performance in 2008-09 with 36 goals and 63 points and was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season for the Stars.
If the young Swede continues on that offensive pace he'll be well worth that new salary, which starts in 2010-11.
- Scratch yet another defenseman off next summer's list of unrestricted free agents, as the Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign Rostislav Klesla to a new long-term deal.
Klesla, 27, is the only remaining player from the Jackets inaugural season and was their first ever first round draft pick, going fourth overall in the 2000 entry draft.
In a career where he's suffered through growing pains and injuries Klesla nevertheless emerged as a reliable second-pairing defenseman and was recently rewarded with a four-year deal at $2.95 million per season starting in 2010-11.
- Unrestricted free agent forward Dominic Moore is finally off the market.
The Florida Panthers announced Monday Moore had agreed to a one-year, $1.1 million contract with them.
Moore, 29, potted career highs in goals (13), assists (32) and points (45) last season split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres.
This deal is considerably less than what the Moore camp hoped to find via this summer's UFA market. It was believed he was traded by the Maple Leafs because he was seeking around $2.5 million per season.
If however Moore can prove with the Panthers this season that last year's numbers weren't a fluke he might find a more lucrative contract next summer either with the Panthers or another team.
The first sentence of my post below should have read "Since when does 13 goals and 45 points as a forward deserve 2.5M?". Not sure how I missed that....
StanMan1.1M is about right for that production, especially if the player isn't a Jere Lehtinen or Kirk Maltby type in the defensive zone. No one has ever confused Dominic Moore for Kirk Maltby.
09:47 AM EST