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SUNDIN, MATS (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

Sundin Deadline Passes
According to the Vancouver Sun, the August 1 "deadline" has passed without Mats Sundin making any decisions about his playing future.

Said Sundin's agent J.P. Barry: "There is no August 1. He set his own kind of deadline to make a decision in August but he's not there yet. There's not much more you can say. He needs more time." It sounds as if something was lost in translation here; Sundin had said he'd make his decision in August but reporters thought he meant August 1. If Sundin sticks to his word (and we're not guaranteeing in every way that he will), fantasy owners will know if and where Sundin will play by the time fantasy hockey drafts roll around in September.

August 02, 2008 9:38 AM

NEDVED, PETR (C) » RANGERS

Nedved Getting Ranger Tryout
According to the New York Daily News, Petr Nedved has been granted a tryout with the New York Rangers.

Nedved last played in the NHL in 2006-07, when he scored 12 points (2g-10a) in 40 games split between Philadelphia and Edmonton. Nedved has had two stints with the Rangers in his career, with his best season with the team coming in 2000-01 when he scored 78 points (32g-46a). The Rangers already have Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, and Brandon Dubinsky at center, so the best that Nedved will likely be able to muster would likely be a fourth-line role. There's no guarantee that Nedved will even make the team, so don't even bother with Nedved in fantasy leagues.

August 01, 2008 10:13 PM

VERMETTE, ANTOINE (C) » SENATORS

Vermette Re-Signed By Senators
According to tsn.ca, the Ottawa Senators have re-signed Antoine Vermette to a two-year, $5.525 million contract.

Vermette scored a career-high 53 points (24g-29a) last season for the Sens. It seems unlikely that the Sens will trade him now, so he'll be slotted in as the number two center for the Sens this season and a solid late-round pick in fantasy drafts this season.

July 31, 2008 12:42 PM

MODRY, JAROSLAV (D) » FLYERS

Modry Leaving For Czech Republic
According to tsn.ca, Jaroslav Modry has signed a two-year contract with HC Liberec in the Czech Republic.

Modry scored 9 points (1g-8a) in 80 games split between the Kings and Flyers last season. At one time, he held fantasy value as a third or fourth d-man on fantasy rosters, with at least 30 points each season between 2001-02 and 2005-06. Modry is now 37 years of age, so it is unlikely that we'll see him in the NHL again.

July 31, 2008 12:36 PM

SUNDIN, MATS (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

More Sundin Suitors

On an interview on the TEAM 1040 radio in Vancouver, Mats Sundin's agent J.P. Barry said that as many as six teams are interested in signing Mats Sundin.

''The number has gone up, not gone down since July 1st,'' Barry said. ''The other three (teams) would like not to be discussed as much publicly because it just provides more scrutiny.'' Barry also mentioned that Sundin may not be making any decisions on August 1. As if you haven't heard enough about Sundin by now, the plot is thickening some more in a summer drama that is being rivaled only by the Brett Favre soap opera. At this stage, your guess is as good as ours.

July 30, 2008 9:26 PM

BOWMAN, DRAYSON (LW) » HURRICANES

Bowman Signed By Hurricanes
According to tsn.ca, the Carolina Hurricanes have signed Drayson Bowman to a three year, $2.06 million contract.

Bowman scored 82 points (42g-40a) with a +32 in 66 games for the Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs. He will be given a chance to make Carolina's lineup at training camp in 2008-09, so keep him on your watch list should he not use his final year of junior eligibility this season.

July 30, 2008 4:59 PM

O'BYRNE, RYAN (D) » CANADIENS

O'Byrne Charges Dropped
According to tsn.ca, charges against Ryan O'Byrne have been dropped after he apologized to his victim.

O'Byrne had been charged with grand theft after stealing a woman's purse outside of a Tampa nightclub. Teammate Tom Kostopoulos had also been charged with resisting arrest that night. O'Byrne had completed a diversion program and has agreed to do community service in Canada, but he can now travel between Canada and the U.S. since he will not be convicted. O'Byrne, a gargantuan (6'5", 235 lbs.) defenseman, scored just 7 points in 33 games in 2007-08 and has virtually no fantasy value.

July 29, 2008 7:45 PM

SUNDIN, MATS (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

Yet Another Sundin Update
According to the Toronto Star, Mats Sundin's agent J.P. Barry has stated that August 1 will likely be the date where Sundin announces whether he will play or retire in 2008-09.

It was thought that August 1 would be the date where Sundin would announce where he would play, if he was to at all. However, it sounds as if this situation will drag out as long as it possibly can. Hopefully Sundin can announce his intentions by the time that fantasy drafts roll around, but this is sure an inconvenience for those who like to start planning early. Get comfortable, it looks as if we'll be here awhile.

July 29, 2008 8:02 AM

STAMKOS, STEVEN (C) » LIGHTNING

Lightning To Sign Stamkos
According to the St. Petersburg Times through tsn.ca, the Tampa Bay Lightning will sign first overall pick Steven Stamkos to a three-year contract.

Stamkos will earn $875,000 per season but can earn as much as $8.55 million in performance incentives. Expect Stamkos to be on the Lightning's roster on opening night, which makes him worth drafting in all fantasy leagues for his potential. Stamkos scored 105 points (58g-47a) with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL last season.

July 29, 2008 7:53 AM

BOUWMEESTER, JAY (D) » PANTHERS

Panthers Sign Bouwmeester
According to tsn.ca, the Florida Panthers avoided arbitration with Jay Bouwmeester, signing him to a one-year contract on Monday.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Bouwmeester scored 37 points (15g-22a) in 2007-08 while leading the league in icetime (27:28 per game). Bouwmeester has been the subject of trade rumors recently, so the fact that he signed just a one-year contract could mean that the Panthers will trade him to a contender before the trade deadline in March.

July 28, 2008 12:28 PM

BRYLIN, SERGEI (C) » DEVILS

Brylin Going To Russia
According to the New York Post, Sergei Brylin will sign a three-year contract with St. Petersburg in Russia's Continental Hockey League.

Neither Brylin nor the Devils decided to accept the $1.53 million option on Brylin's contract this season. Brylin, who played 13 seasons for the Devils, was held to just 16 points (6g-10a) in 82 games this season. His best season came in 2000-01, when he scored 52 points (23g-29a) and (+25).

July 26, 2008 3:51 PM

SHANAHAN, BRENDAN (LW) » RANGERS

Shanahan Wants To Return
According to cnnsi.com through tsn.ca, Brendan Shanahan would like to return for at least one more season.

Shanahan also mentioned his team of choice as the New York Rangers, where he has played for the past two seasons. Rangers GM Glen Sather has mentioned that he would like to bring Shanahan back, but nothing has happened as of yet. If the Rangers can't work out anything with Shanahan, possible rumored destinations include Montreal and Vancouver (if they lose out on the Mats Sundin sweepstakes). Shanahan slowed down to 46 points (23g-23a) in 73 games last season for the Rangers, and at age 39 he is not as durable or as effective as he once was.

July 25, 2008 2:11 PM

VERMETTE, ANTOINE (C) » SENATORS

Canucks Interested In Vermette?
According to the Vancouver Province, the Canucks are rumored to be interested in trading for Antoine Vermette.

The deal would likely involve a package involving either Sami Salo or Kevin Bieksa heading the other way. Vermette is currently in salary arbitration, and the Senators may face salary cap issues if he is awarded $2.5 to $3 million. GM Mike Gillis stated to the Vancouver media on Wednesday night that he is currently looking into acquiring players from teams who are experiencing cap issues. Vermette scored a career-high 53 points (24g-29a) last season, so he may help the Canucks address their lack of scoring especially if the Canucks fail to land Mats Sundin.

July 24, 2008 9:29 AM

STAMKOS, STEVEN (C) » LIGHTNING

Stamkos Missing WJHC Camp
According to tsn.ca, Steven Stamkos won't be attending Canada's World Junior development camp next week.

Kings prospect Thomas Hickey and Hurricanes prospect Zach Boychuk also won't be attending the camp. Prospects attending this camp include recent first-round picks Colton Gillies, Luke Schenn, Brandon Sutter, Drew Doughty, and Kyle Turris, as well as projected 2009 first overall pick John Tavares. Stamkos will instead attend a Lightning development camp in Victoria, BC, next week, and it is looking more and more like he'll be on the Lightning's opening night roster.

July 23, 2008 7:46 PM

MURRAY, GLEN (RW) » BRUINS

Bruins Waive Murray
According to tsn.ca, the Boston Bruins have placed Glen Murray on waivers.

The Bruins bought out the remaining year of Murray's contract ($4.15 million). Murray scored 30 points (17g-13a) in 63 games last season, and he missed time because of a hip flexor. Murray, who experienced his least productive season in a decade, could be targeted by other teams. Murray scored at least 20 goals in five consecutive seasons prior to 2007-08, but he still remains an injury risk as he has not played in more than 64 games in the last three seasons.

July 23, 2008 12:52 PM

SUNDIN, MATS (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

Sundin Deadline Set
According to the Vancouver Province, Mats Sundin's agent J.P. Barry has stated that Sundin will make a decision about his playing future by August 1.

Said Barry: "He hasn't finally decided if he's going to play or not, but he's set the timetable. He needs to make the decision by then so he can be in training camp in September. He wants to be ready for that." Knowing Sundin, he'll take every last minute of that time to make his decision, but at least Sundin won't leave fantasy owners guessing like Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne did last season. It is believed that Sundin has narrowed his options down to either retirement or playing for one of four teams: Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, or the New York Rangers. At this stage, what he decides is still anyone's guess.

July 23, 2008 9:46 AM

WIDEMAN, DENNIS (D) » BRUINS

Wideman Avoids Arbitration, Signs

According to sportsnet.ca, the Boston Bruins avoided arbitration with Dennis Wideman and signed him to a four-year contract worth $15.75 million.

Wideman scored 36 points (13g-23a) for the Bruins last season, which included 20 power-play points. He could be a reliable d-man to round out your roster, and he should help out with power-play points once again this season.

July 22, 2008 10:07 PM

SUNDIN, MATS (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

The Rumor Mill Continues
According to tsn.ca, Mats Sundin's agent is denying a report in a Swedish newspaper that Sundin has signed with the Vancouver Canucks.

The report came in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet and was written by reporter Dusan Umicevic, both Sundin's agent J.P. Barry and his Swedish representative Claes Elefalk have denied the report. Sundin has yet to decide if and where he will play next season, but the Canucks appear to be the team most interested in his services. Speaking on the TEAM 1040 radio in Vancouver on Thursday, Canucks GM Mike Gillis said that he hoped that the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver would help lure Sundin there. Reports in European newspapers often may appear far-fetched, but premature reports regarding Martin Straka and Jaromir Jagr playing in Europe have ended up coming true.

July 20, 2008 9:09 AM

LUPUL, JOFFREY (RW) » FLYERS

Lupul Signing Extension
According to the TEAM 1260 Radio in Edmonton through tsn.ca, Joffrey Lupul has signed a four-year extension with the Flyers.

Despite injuries, Lupul had a great bounce-back season in his first season with the Flyers, scoring 46 points (20g-26a) in 56 games in 2007-08. Lupul should be a top-6 forward on a strong Flyers offense once again this season.

July 18, 2008 8:53 PM

MILLER, RYAN (G) » SABRES

Miller Signs Contract Extension
According to tsn.ca, the Buffalo Sabres have signed Ryan Miller to a five year, $31.25 million contract extension that will kick in at the end of the 2008-09 season.

Miller recorded a 36-27-10 record with a 2.64 GAA and .906 SV% for the Sabres in 2007-08. The plus side to Miller is that he has won at least 30 games in each of the past 3 seasons. The downside is that Miller has not registered a GAA below 2.60 in any of those 3 seasons. He should make enough starts to be worthwhile in fantasy leagues, although you may want to draft another goalie with lower GAA as well if you are targeting Miller.

July 18, 2008 11:09 AM

ESPOSITO, ANGELO (C) » THRASHERS

Thrashers Sign Esposito
According to tsn.ca, the Atlanta Thrashers have signed Angelo Esposito to a multi-year contract.

Esposito was one of the players acquired by the Thrashers when they traded Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh. He scored 69 points (30g-39a) in 56 games for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL last season, which was down from his 98 points (39g-59a) in his 2005-06 rookie season. He will have a chance to crack a Thrashers forward unit that is low on NHL experience but high on potential.

July 18, 2008 9:39 AM

HALPERN, JEFF (C) » LIGHTNING

Halpern Out Until January?
According to the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Jeff Halpern may not be ready to return to action until January.

Halpern underwent major knee surgery after an injury during the World Hockey Championships in the spring. Original estimates had Halpern missing at least the first month of the season, but it appears he won't be back until at least three months into the season. Halpern has been impressive during his short time with the Lightning, as he scored 18 points (10g-8a) in 19 games since being acquired from Dallas in the Brad Richards trade. With this news, you'll want to leave Halpern off your draft cheatsheets for sure.

July 18, 2008 8:17 AM

REASONER, MARTY (C) » THRASHERS

Thrashers Sign Reasoner
According to tsn.ca, the Atlanta Thrashers have signed Marty Reasoner to a contract.

Reasoner scored 25 points (11g-14a) with a (-17) last season for the Edmonton Oilers. He will add depth to the Thrashers at the forward position, but there's no "reason" to give him a look in fantasy leagues.

July 17, 2008 4:19 PM

LEHTONEN, KARI (G) » THRASHERS

Thrashers Re-Sign Lehtonen
According to Yahoo Sports, the Atlanta Thrashers have re-signed Kari Lehtonen. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Lehtonen recorded a 17-22-5 record for an awful Thrashers team. His 2.90 GAA likely didn't help many fantasy teams, but his .916 SV% set a Thrashers team record. The Thrashers allowed more shots on goal than any other team in the NHL last season, and there's a high probability that Lehtonen will also face a lot of rubber this season, not to mention the usual injury woes.

July 16, 2008 4:47 PM

PAILLE, DANIEL (LW) » SABRES

Sabres Sign Paille
According to tsn.ca, the Buffalo Sabres have re-signed Daniel Paille to a two-year contract worth $2.25 million.

Paille scored 35 points (19g-16a) in 77 games last season for the Sabres. The Sabres' 2002 first-round pick would benefit from an increase in icetime to top-6 minutes, but he could be considered a sleeper in deep leagues.

July 16, 2008 3:53 PM

FEDOROV, SERGEI (C) » CAPITALS

Fedorov Sued For $2 Million
According to sportsnet.ca, a Michigan bank is suing Sergei Fedorov for over $2 million in unpaid loans.

Fedorov took the loans out in 2004 and 2005 from Citizens State Bank, and a default notice was sent out in May after payments stopped. Collateral on the loans included a Miami condo, an 11-year-old horse, and an insurance policy. This move shouldn't have any impact on Fedorov's playing status with the Capitals, but this makes you wonder what Fedorov needed to borrow money for in the first place.

July 15, 2008 6:34 PM

FRITSCHE, DAN (C) » RANGERS

Rangers Sign Fritsche
According to Yahoo Sports, the New York Rangers have signed Dan Fritsche to a contract.

The Rangers acquired Fritsche along with Nikolai Zherdev from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman on July 2. Fritsche scored 22 points (10g-22a) in 69 games last season, so he will likely be a fourth-line center for the Rangers behind Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky.

July 15, 2008 1:23 PM

HOLLWEG, RYAN (C) » MAPLE LEAFS

Maple Leafs Acquire Hollweg
According to tsn.ca, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Ryan Hollweg from the New York Rangers in exchange for a fifth-round pick.

The fifth-round pick was originally acquired by the Leafs in the Hal Gill deadline day deal. Hollweg scored 4 points and added 96 penalty minutes in 70 games for the Rangers last season. Unless you're in a penalty minutes-only format, Hollweg doesn't hold any fantasy value.

July 14, 2008 6:32 PM

WILLIAMS, JASON (C) » THRASHERS

Thrashers Sign Jason Williams
According to Yahoo Sports, the Atlanta Thrashers have signed free agent forward Jason Williams.

Despite missing half the season because of a sports hernia injury, Williams had a productive year with 36 points (13g-23a) in 43 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. With the lack of proven scoring options in A-Town, Williams should easily slide into a top-6 forward slot, which could prove beneficial to his fantasy value.

July 14, 2008 1:09 PM

THORESEN, PATRICK (C) » FLYERS

Thoresen Heading To Swiss League
According to tsn.ca, Patrick Thoresen has signed a one-year contract with Lugano of the Swiss League.

Thoresen scored 8 points (2g-6a) in 38 games for the Edmonton Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers last season. Even if he was to play in the NHL this season, it seemed unlikely that he would hold much fantasy value anyway.

July 14, 2008 12:54 PM