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HILL, SEAN (D) » WILD

Hill Signs In Switzerland
According to Yahoo Sports, Sean Hill has signed a one year contract with Biel in the Swiss first division.

Hill scored 9 points (2g-7a) in 35 games with the Minnesota Wild last season. He has played in the NHL since the 1992-93 season, with his best season coming in 1999-00, when he scored 44 points (13g-31a) in 62 games with Carolina.

August 07, 2008 10:29 AM

GELINAS, MARTIN (LW) » PREDATORS

Gelinas Won't Likely Return
According to the Nashville Tennessean, Martin Gelinas is a "long shot" to return to the Predators' lineup this season.

“I wish we had a position for him because he’s good as a fourth-line guy, with penalty-killing and leadership,’’ said Predators GM David Poile. “But right now we have those guys. You never say never, but it’s a long shot.’’ Gelinas scored 20 points (9g-11a) in just 57 games after his season was cut short by a knee injury. Gelinas does not appear to be a viable fantasy option anymore, and at age 38 there's a chance that his NHL career is coming to a close.

August 07, 2008 10:22 AM

HLAVAC, JAN (LW) » PREDATORS

Hlavac Heading To Sweden
According to the Nashville Tennessean, Jan Hlavac's agent has told the Predators that Hlavac will be signing with a team in the Swedish Elite League.

After being acquired by the Predators from Tampa Bay, Hlavac played very well in scoring 13 points (3g-10a) in 18 games. Hlavac looked like he might be a deep sleeper in leagues this season, but you'll now need to remove him from your draft list.

August 06, 2008 12:30 PM

FORSBERG, PETER (C) » AVALANCHE

Forsberg Shines In Exhibition
According to the Denver Post, Peter Forsberg scored a hat trick in an exhibition game in Sweden on Tuesday.

"He moved around without any problem, and he looked pretty fresh," Swedish national coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet. This is obviously good news for Forsberg, whose nagging foot injury was expected to keep him out of action until Christmas. We'd want to see a whole lot more good news like this before we'd recommend drafting Forsberg in fantasy leagues, as he's far too much of an injury risk to be counted on anymore.

August 06, 2008 7:19 AM

RADULOV, ALEXANDER (RW) » PREDATORS

Radulov Decision Mid-August
According to the Nashville Tennessean, the IIHF plans to announce a ruling on Alexander Radulov's Continental Hockey League (KHL) contract by mid-August.

The Nashville Predators and the NHL have claimed that the Russian contract should be voided, as Radulov is still under contract to the Predators and the signing violates the verbal agreement between the NHL and KHL in which players under contract in one league cannot be signed by a team in the other league. Even if the IIHF rules that Salavat Yulaev Ufa acted in bad faith, the KHL may decide to do nothing and allow the contract to pass anyway. A court will likely have to decide where Radulov will play next season, so this whole thing could take awhile.

August 04, 2008 9:48 PM

CLOWE, RYANE (RW) » SHARKS

Clowe Re-Signed By Sharks
According to Yahoo Sports, the San Jose Sharks have re-signed Ryane Clowe to a one-year contract.

Clowe scored 8 points (3g-5a) in 2007-08. He was held to just 15 regular-season games, as he suffered a knee injury in late October. He returned in time to have a successful playoffs with 5 goals and 4 assists in 13 playoff games. Clowe is a possible late-round pick in fantasy drafts who could pay off in a big way.

August 04, 2008 3:48 PM

DETROIT RED WINGS (D) » RED WINGS

Yzerman Speaks About Retirement
According to sportsnet.ca, Steve Yzerman told the Canadian Press on Friday that he feels that NHL players should continue to play, even if they think they might want to retire.

Said Yzerman: "If there's any doubt and guys aren't sure, I think they should be playing. You can be retired for the rest of your life. You'll know when you're done. If you're not 100 per cent certain that you don't want to play anymore, then the decision is that you should be playing." Yzerman was forced to retire in 2006 after a series of knee operations. We couldn't agree more with Stevie Y. So few hockey players get a chance to get paid to play the game that they love for as long as they want to. The increasing number of star players who waffle with retirement decisions, in hockey as well as any other sport, is starting to become irritating to the true fans of their sport.

August 01, 2008 9:43 PM

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (D) » BLACKHAWKS

Bowman Hired By Blackhawks
According to tsn.ca, Scotty Bowman has been hired by the Chicago Blackhawks as a senior advisor.

Bowman is the NHL's all-time winningest coach with 1244 wins and nine Stanley Cups. At 75 years of age, Bowman is unlikely to ever coach in the NHL again. However, this is yet another move that the Blackhawks are making towards becoming a strong franchise. In other words, don't expect them to be a league doormat much longer.

July 31, 2008 6:18 PM

EDMONTON OILERS (D) » OILERS

Oilers Hire Tambellini As GM
According to tsn.ca, Steve Tambellini has been hired as the new general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.

Current GM Kevin Lowe will assume the role of president of hockey operations for the Oilers. The hiring of Tambellini is an interesting one, as Tambellini was the assistant GM of the division rival Canucks and at one time worked under Lowe's nemesis Brian Burke. Tambellini has served as the director of player personnel for Canada's Olympic hockey team, and he is long overdue for an opportunity as a GM.

July 31, 2008 12:45 PM

LECLAIRE, PASCAL (G) » BLUE JACKETS

Leclaire Re-Signs With Jackets
According to tsn.ca, the Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed Pascal Leclaire to a three-year contract extension.

Leclaire cemented himself as the Jackets' number one goalie last season, recording a 24-17-6 record with a 2.25 GAA and .919 SV%. His total of 9 shutouts was second in the NHL, which surprised many who did not have Leclaire bookmarked as a top-flight fantasy goalie. Expect Leclaire to post similar ratios this season, as the Jackets play a lockdown defensive system under coach Ken Hitchcock.

July 30, 2008 5:03 PM

KOISTINEN, VILLE (D) » PREDATORS

Koistinen Awarded Arbitration
According to the Nashville Tennessean, an arbitrator has awarded Ville Koistinen $700,000 for the 2008-09 season.

Koistinen scored 17 points (4g-13a) in 48 games for the Predators last season. Koistinen's 11 power-play points and +13 rating were especially impressive, given the lack of games he played last season. Koistinen was a healthy scratch for most of the games he didn't play, and he might have a tough time earning minutes again this season in Nashville's young, talented defense.

July 30, 2008 12:34 PM

FILPPULA, VALTTERI (C) » RED WINGS

Filppula Signs Five Year Extension
According to tsn.ca, the Detroit Red Wings have re-signed Valtteri Filppula to a five-year, $15 million contract.

Filppula scored 36 points (19g-17a) for the Wings in 2007-08, his second full NHL season. He has proven that he can score at times, especially when he scored 9 goals in 15 games during December. Filppula may not receive top-6 minutes with the Wings, but he should be able to make the most of the icetime that he does receive from the Wings this season.

July 30, 2008 10:45 AM

PARRISH, MARK (RW) » WILD

Parrish Waived By Wild
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Mark Parrish has been placed on waivers by the Minnesota Wild.

Parrish, who played two seasons for the team from his home state, had a disappointing 2007-08 with just 30 points (16g-14a) in 66 games. If Parrish clears waivers, his contract will be bought out by the Wild. Other teams may show interest in the 31-year old, who has scored as many as 60 points in a season (2001-02 with the New York Islanders).

July 29, 2008 1:42 PM

WILSON, COLIN (C) » PREDATORS

Wilson Returning To College

According to the Nashville Tennessean, Predators' first-round pick Colin Wilson will be returning to Boston University for his sophomore season.

Wilson was the seventh overall pick in this season's draft. He scored 35 points (12g-23a) in 37 games for Boston University last season. Wilson has a promising future as a physically dominating player, but we'll have to wait at least one more season to see him at an NHL level.

July 29, 2008 7:50 AM

SELANNE, TEEMU (RW) » DUCKS

Where's Teemu?
According to the Orange County Register, Ducks GM Brian Burke and coach Randy Carlyle have not heard from Teemu Selanne.

"I have not heard from Teemu," Burke said. "If anyone spots him, please ask him to call me." If Selanne does not reveal his intentions for next season soon, the Ducks will be forced to file a missing person's report and his face will likely appear on milk cartons. All kidding aside, it's starting to look more like a repeat of last season's indecisiveness is in the works.

July 26, 2008 9:14 AM

BOUCHARD, PIERRE-MARC (C) » WILD

Bouchard Re-Signs With Wild
According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, tsn.ca, the Minnesota Wild have avoided arbitration with Pierre-Marc Bouchard, signing him to a five-year deal worth $20.4 million.

The report mentions that GM Doug Risebrough has confirmed that Bouchard will not be traded for at least two years. Bouchard scored 63 points (13g-50a) last season, but he is more of an assist man as he has not scored more than 20 goals in a season in his five-year career. Bouchard should be drafted in all fantasy formats, and he may have eligibility at more than one forward position.

July 26, 2008 9:06 AM

RINNE, PEKKA (G) » PREDATORS

Preds Re-Sign Rinne, Peverley
According to tsn.ca, the Nashville Predators have re-signed Pekka Rinne and Rich Peverley.

Rinne has appeared in just 3 NHL games in his career, but he is expected to be Dan Ellis' backup in Nashville this season. Rinne played in 65 games for the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL last season and earned 36 wins with a 2.47 GAA and .908 SV%. Peverley scored 10 points (5g-5a) in 33 games for the Predators last season after scoring 54 points (14g-40a) in 45 games in Milwaukee.

July 25, 2008 12:27 PM

YORK, MIKE (LW) » BLUE JACKETS

Blue Jackets Sign York
According to Yahoo Sports, the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Mike York to a one-year contract.

York scored 14 points (6g-8a) in 63 games for the Phoenix Coyotes last season. York has been a productive player in the past with 52 points (13g-39a) with the Islanders in 2005-06, but his numbers have fallen off the map in the last two seasons. He's likely nothing more than a depth add for the Jackets, so stay away from him in fantasy leagues.

July 25, 2008 11:26 AM

SVATOS, MAREK (RW) » AVALANCHE

Avalanche Re-Sign Svatos
According to tsn.ca, the Colorado Avalanche have avoided arbitration with Marek Svatos and have signed him to a two-year contract.

Svatos scored 26 goals in just 62 games in 2007-08. He tore his ACL and missed the last 15 games of the regular season as well as the playoffs. Svatos could see an increase in icetime this season for the Avalanche, which could mean that he is poised for a big year.

July 25, 2008 11:16 AM

RUCINSKY, MARTIN (LW) » BLUES

Rucinsky Signs In Czech Republic
According to tsn.ca, Martin Rucinsky has signed a contract with Sparta Prague in the Czech league.

Rucinsky was held to 40 games last season due to various injuries. He scored 16 points (5g-11a) with a (-9) for the Blues in 2007-08. The 37-year-old Rucinsky would have been a marginal fantasy option at best had he decided to play in the NHL. The well-travelled veteran scored 55 points (16g-39a) in just 52 games with the Rangers back in 2005-06.

July 23, 2008 9:40 AM

CARCILLO, DANIEL (LW) » COYOTES

Coyotes Re-Sign Carcillo
According to tsn.ca, the Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed Daniel Carcillo to a two-year contract.

Carcillo scored 24 points (13g-11a) in 57 games this past season. However, he was a penalty minute machine, leading the league with 324 PIM. If you haven't addressed your penalty minutes situation late in your draft, you may want to lean toward Carcillo.

July 22, 2008 6:22 PM

ERICSSON, JONATHAN (D) » RED WINGS

Wings Sign Ericsson, Howard
According to tsn.ca, the Detroit Red Wings have re-signed Jonathan Ericsson and Jimmy Howard.

Ericsson, who spent most of 2007-08 in the AHL, scored 1 goal in 8 games for the Wings last season. The tall (6'4") defenseman could be a sleeper in fantasy leagues for points, penalty minutes, and plus/minus if he can see significant minutes for the Wings this season. Howard also spent most of 2007-08 in the AHL, but he recorded a 2.18 GAA in 4 games for the Wings last season. He will likely start the season in Grand Rapids of the AHL, since the Red Wings signed Ty Conklin this offseason to backup Chris Osgood.

July 21, 2008 12:43 PM

ROY, ANDRE (LW) » FLAMES

Flames Sign Roy
According to tsn.ca, the Calgary Flames have signed Andre Roy.

Roy scored 7 points (4g-3a) with 108 penalty minutes in 63 games for Tampa Bay last season. He will bring experience and toughness to the Flames, but don't expect him to make any impact on a fantasy level.

July 20, 2008 8:39 PM

SULLIVAN, STEVE (LW) » PREDATORS

Sullivan Still Injured
According to the Toronto Sun, Steve Sullivan's back injury has still not made much progress.

Sullivan is hosting a charity golf tournament in his hometown of Timmins, Ontario, and he cannot even raise a club to make a full swing. Sullivan missed the entire 2007-08 season with the back injury, and he had scored 60 points in 57 games in 2006-07 before having his season cut short with the injury. It's a shame to see a player of Sullivan's talent out for this long, but if you're hoping that he'll be a late-round pick who will fall through the cracks this season, it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

July 19, 2008 9:19 AM

TOEWS, JONATHAN (C) » BLACKHAWKS

Toews Named Hawks' Captain

According to tsn.ca, Jonathan Toews has been named captain of the Chicago Blackhawks.

At age 20, Toews will be the third-youngest player to ever be named a captain in NHL history, and he will be the Hawks' captain in just his second NHL season. Only Vincent Lecavalier and Sidney Crosby have been named captain at a younger age. With 54 points (24g-30a) in just 64 games, Toews has already shown that he has the makings of being a franchise player for the Hawks.

July 18, 2008 5:50 PM

RADULOV, ALEXANDER (RW) » PREDATORS

Radulov Suspended By IIHF
According to tsn.ca, the International Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Alexander Radulov and five other players while it investigates their transfer agreements.

The IIHF is looking into the transfers of Radulov, Nikita Filatov, Thomas Mojzis, Jason Krog, Fedor Fedorov, and Viktor Tikhonov. Radulov is being investigated because he signed a contract with Russian team Ufa while he still had one year left on his contract. His agent has claimed that the signing came two days before the new agreement by the NHL and IIHF, and Radulov claims he has told the Predators that he would rather play in Russia. Stay tuned.

July 18, 2008 7:47 AM

HORCOFF, SHAWN (C) » OILERS

Oilers Re-Sign Horcoff
According to sportsnet.ca, the Edmonton Oilers have re-signed Shawn Horcoff to a six year, $33 million extension.

Horcoff was on his way to a career year in 2007-08 when he was forced to have season-ending shoulder surgery. His 50 points (21g-29a) in 53 games led the Oilers in scoring at the time of his injury. Keep in mind the point-per-game totals in fantasy drafts, as Horcoff will probably fall farther than he should.

July 16, 2008 4:44 PM

KHABIBULIN, NIKOLAI (G) » BLACKHAWKS

Three-Way Deal In Works?
According to the Ottawa Sun, the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Los Angeles Kings are rumored to be on the verge of a blockbuster trade.

In the deal, Ottawa would send Martin Gerber and Andrei Meszaros to Los Angeles, who would then send Anze Kopitar to Chicago, who would then send Nikolai Khabibulin and either Brent Seabrook or Cam Barker to Ottawa. The Blackhawks have been looking at trading Khabibulin and his gigantic salary ever since they acquired Cristobal Huet as a free agent. This trade would have major fantasy implications for all the players involved and their teams, so stay tuned.

July 16, 2008 9:42 AM

LOS ANGELES KINGS (D) » KINGS

Murray To Be Named Kings' Coach
According to tsn.ca, the Los Angeles Kings are expected to name Terry Murray as their new head coach.

If Murray's name sounds familiar, it is because he has coached in Washington, Philadelphia, and Florida. Murray would replace Marc Crawford, who was recently fired after the Kings were tied for last in the NHL in 2007-08 with 71 points.

July 16, 2008 9:36 AM

HANZAL, MARTIN (C) » COYOTES

Hanzal To Have Back Surgery
According to Yahoo Sports, Martin Hanzal will have back surgery on Thursday.

Hanzal injured his back during the World Championships in May. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready in time for training camp in September. Hanzal, the Coyotes' first-round pick in 2005, scored 35 points (8g-27a) in his rookie year last season. He will have to battle Olli Jokinen, Peter Mueller, and Steven Reinprecht for minutes at the center position in Phoenix this season.

July 15, 2008 10:57 PM