The Official 2008/2009 NHL Thread

[AxlsMainMan]

God damn, you Detroit fans are bitter.  And have the thinnest skin of any team's fans in any leagu.

Maple Leaf fans take the cake.

[Malcolm]

Ya really...NHL bending the rules so Sid can win the cup? Give me a break...How bout Sid is just the best player in the league, top 3 anyways and so is malkin..and Fleury is a top 5 goalie in the league, Gonchar a great defenceman, Letang, going to be a great defenceman..Guerin had the leadership, just deal with it, they had a team put together very well...Now lets hope Burke can do the same with the Leafs ya? lol...
If Burke only makes 2 signings today my 1st would be Camalleri and then Beachumin...
And wow is Heatley ever being a asshole right now..Demands to be traded, and then crushes a deal to the oilers for Penner,Cogliano and Smid (which wouldve improved both teams instantly

Anyways whos watching Free Agency today?

BOUWMEESTER AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH FLAMES

Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter made the most of his opportunity to negotiate with Jay Bouwmeester.

The defenceman avoided unrestricted free agency by agreeing to a five-year deal worth $6.68 million per year against the salary cap on Tuesday night.

The Flames acquired the rights of the 25-year from the Florida Panthers on Saturday at the NHL Draft  for the rights to blueliner Jordan Leopold and a third round pick (67th overall), which the Panthers used to select right winger Josh Birkholz.

"Jay is one of the most complete defenseman in the game, and we are very pleased to have reached an agreement that will make him an important component of the Calgary Flames success," said Sutter. "We identified Jay as the priority player where we were going to focus our money. We wanted an opportunity a few days in advance of the deadline, and that's why we made the move we did this past weekend."

[Malcolm]

LIGHTNING SIGN OHLUND, WALKER TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACTS

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN ORR TO FOUR-YEAR, $4 MILLION DEAL

HURRICANES KEEP COLE WITH TWO-YEAR DEAL

ISLANDERS SIGN ROLOSON TO TWO-YEAR CONTRACT

CANADIENS SIGN SPACEK TO THREE-YEAR DEAL

NIEDERMAYER STAYS IN ANAHEIM WITH ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

CANUCKS RE-SIGN SEDINS TO FIVE-YEAR CONTRACTS

OILERS GET THEIR NO. 1 GOALIE IN KHABIBULIN

BLACKHAWKS SIGN HOSSA TO MULTI-YEAR CONTRACT

After signing big-money free agents like Nikolai Khabibulin, Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet over the last few summers, the Chicago Blackhawks have kept the momentum going by signing star winger Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract averaging $5.2 million a season.

The contract is front-loaded with about $59.3 million paid out over the first eight years, and $3.5 million total for the final four years.

"To add Marian, an elite and world-class player, and Tomas, a Stanley Cup Champion, to our exciting young core reinforces our commitment to try to win the Stanley Cup," Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon said in a statement.

[AxlsMainMan]

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Marian Hossa

Obviously this means Havlat will sign elsewhere - so here's a quick look at the numbers

Marian Hossa
Detroit Red Wings
Height: 6-1

Weight: 210

Born: Jan 12, 1979

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2008 - Marian Hossa 74 40 31 71 27 63 10 0 8 1 307 13.0


Martin Havlat
#24 / Right Wing / Chicago Blackhawks
Height: 6-2

Weight: 217

Born: Apr 19, 1981

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG GTG SOG PCT
2008 - Martin Havlat 81 29 48 77 29 30 5 0 5 1 249 11.6

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We all loved Havlat last year with the Blackhawks - he still has nothing lower than a B in his season review.  He was a crucial piece of the Blackhawks run to the Western Conference Finals.

But Marian Hossa is a better player.

We'll look more at this later but for now we're all still too busy watching everything else, expect more tonight.

http://www.secondcityhockey.com/2009/7/1/934443/chicago-blackhawks-sign-marian

[AxlsMainMan]

Sens pass on Blackhawks trade

The Chicago Blackhawks were willing to offer up Brian Campbell for Dany Heatley, but the Senators, even owing the ungrateful Heatley $4 million in bonus money, declined.

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/view/108457

[Malcolm]

RANGERS SIGN BRASHEAR TO TWO-YEAR DEAL

CHRIS NEIL TAKES LESS MONEY TO STAY IN OTTAWA

GABORIK AGREES TO FIVE-YEAR DEAL WITH RANGERS

CANADIENS SIGN SNIPER CAMMALLERI FOR FIVE YEARS

OILERS WORKING OVERTIME TO SELL HEATLEY ON TRADE

MADDEN SIGNS ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH BLACKHAWKS

CANADIENS INK GIONTA TO FIVE YEAR DEAL

Rangers
Higgins-Drury-Gaborik
Zherdev-Dubinsky-Callahan
Avery-Boyle-Brashear

Canadiens
Cammalleri-Gomez-Gionta
Kostisyn-Plekanec-Kostisyn

Hawks
Kane-Toews-Hossa
Versteeg-Sharp-Byfuglien
Koepecky-Madden-Bolland

Keith-Seabrook
Campbell-Barker

Wow some teams improved greatly today

[AxlsMainMan]

What do you think of the Hossa trade, Malcolm?

It'll be interesting to see how he meshes with Kane and Toews.

[Malcolm]

MAPLE LEAFS DEAL KUBINA TO THRASHERS

Pavel Kubina has been traded to the Atlanta Thrashers. The Leafs will receive defenceman Garnet Exelby and winger Colin Stuart, while Atlanta also gets the rights to forward Tim Stapleton. The trade with Atlanta will save Toronto roughly $2 million in cap space for future moves.

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN ORR TO FOUR-YEAR, $4 MILLION DEAL

The Toronto Maple Leafs have dipped in the free agent market signing forward Colton Orr to a four-year contract worth $4 million.
Orr, 27, played the last four seasons with the New York Rangers and tallied five points and 193 penalty minutes last season.

MAPLE LEAFS SIGN BLUELINER MIKE KOMISAREK

Defenceman Mike Komisarek has gone to the Montreal Canadiens' biggest rival.

The 27-year old defenceman signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.  The deal will count $4.5 million annually against the salary cap.

Sources tell TSN that Komisarek's deal with the Maple Leafs includes a limited no-trade clause. Every September, Komisarek will be asked by Toronto to submit a list of 12 teams he would accept a trade to. This will allow Toronto to control his contract in the event things don't work out the way both sides anticipate they will.

"We are extremely pleased to add a player with Mike's ability and leadership qualities to our lineup," Leafs general manager Brian Burke said in a statement. "He's a respected competitor in this league and we know that he will bring his hard-nosed approach to our team on a consistent basis."

Earlier in the day, the Canadiens had reportedly offered Komisarek a five-year, $20 million offer.

Komisarek had two goals and nine assists and an even rating in 66 games with the Canadiens last season, while leading the Habs in both hits (191) and blocked shots and (207).

Komisarek was taken seventh overall by Montreal in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

Love the Komisarek Signing

[Malcolm]

What do you think of the Hossa trade, Malcolm?

It'll be interesting to see how he meshes with Kane and Toews.

Hossa Signing you mean? Shocker to me...Had no idea they had the salary for that but great for them, Madden will be good to

Leafs
Blake-Stajan-Stempniak
Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Hagman
Hanson-Bozak-Kulemin
Tlusty-Mitchell-Orr

Kaberle-Komisarek
Schenn-White
Finger-Van Ryn

Only time will tell how the leafs stand...I still belive this year is about developiment

[AxlsMainMan]

Hossa Signing you mean?

Haha, true. Although due to salary cap room, it will probably be a trade off between him and Havlat.

Shocker to me...Had no idea they had the salary for that but great for them, Madden will be good to

I'm optimistic, but kinda' worried about Huet in net. I would have never signed him and just kept Khabi' and Corey Crawford.

Leafs
Blake-Stajan-Stempniak
Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Hagman
Hanson-Bozak-Kulemin
Tlusty-Mitchell-Orr

Kaberle-Komisarek
Schenn-White
Finger-Van Ryn

Only time will tell how the leafs stand...I still belive this year is about developiment

Schenn is alot of fun to watch. My neighbor is always going on about how he's the next Great One

[Malcolm]

Hossa Signing you mean?

Haha, true. Although due to salary cap room, it will probably be a trade off between him and Havlat.

Shocker to me...Had no idea they had the salary for that but great for them, Madden will be good to

I'm optimistic, but kinda' worried about Huet in net. I would have never signed him and just kept Khabi' and Corey Crawford.

Leafs
Blake-Stajan-Stempniak
Ponikarovsky-Grabovski-Hagman
Hanson-Bozak-Kulemin
Tlusty-Mitchell-Orr

Kaberle-Komisarek
Schenn-White
Finger-Van Ryn

Only time will tell how the leafs stand...I still belive this year is about developiment

Schenn is alot of fun to watch. My neighbor is always going on about how he's the next Great One

Ya I dont think Huet can take them anywhere..They should try to trade for a cheaper goalie...and ya Schenn is my favourite hockey player, as the Leafs have always been my team

HAVLAT SIGNS SIX-YEAR, $30M DEAL WITH WILD

After losing Marian Gaborik earlier in the day, the Minnesota Wild have found a scoring winger to replace him.

The club signed free agent forward Martin Havlat to a six-year, $30 million contract.

''We are excited to add the speed and scoring of Martin Havlat to our lineup,'' Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. ''He is a terrific two-way player.''

In 81 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, Havlat registered 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points - the Blackhawks' leading scorer last season.

[Mal Brossard]

Hossa is a BIG mistake.  He'll have a great regular season but disappear in the playoffs.  He's averaged a point per game or more in the regular season 4 times in his career.  He's done it in the playoffs once.  He just wants to go somewhere to ride the coattails of teammates to the Cup.  He tried it in Pittsburgh, he tried it in Detroit, and now he's going to try it with Kane and Toews.

I like the Blackhawks, but it makes it hard for me to cheer for them with that piece of shit playing for them.

[Loaded NightraiN]

Hossa is a BIG mistake.  He'll have a great regular season but disappear in the playoffs.  He's averaged a point per game or more in the regular season 4 times in his career.  He's done it in the playoffs once.  He just wants to go somewhere to ride the coattails of teammates to the Cup.  He tried it in Pittsburgh, he tried it in Detroit, and now he's going to try it with Kane and Toews.

I like the Blackhawks, but it makes it hard for me to cheer for them with that piece of shit playing for them.

Now, I usually never watch ESPN for my hockey news, but they made a pretty good funny this morning:

"Its official, the Chicago Blackhawks will make the Stanley Cup Finals and lose, because they have signed Marion Hossa" 

[AxlsMainMan]

Ya I dont think Huet can take them anywhere..They should try to trade for a cheaper goalie

Thing is Tallon overpaid for Huet and no one is really gunna' want his 22 million dollar contract. If Tallon had such a boner for him, he should have offered him no more than 12-15 million so he's at least tradeable.

HAVLAT SIGNS SIX-YEAR, $30M DEAL WITH WILD

After losing Marian Gaborik earlier in the day, the Minnesota Wild have found a scoring winger to replace him.

The club signed free agent forward Martin Havlat to a six-year, $30 million contract.

''We are excited to add the speed and scoring of Martin Havlat to our lineup,'' Wild GM Chuck Fletcher said in a statement. ''He is a terrific two-way player.''

In 81 games with the Chicago Blackhawks last season, Havlat registered 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points - the Blackhawks' leading scorer last season.

Havlat is good, but fragile as porcelain. He's definately due for an injury.

As a random sidenote, how many penalty minutes do you guys see the Rangers having this year since they now have Avery AND Brashear?

[Malcolm]

AVALANCHE TRADE RYAN SMYTH TO KINGS

Two years into his time in Denver, Ryan Smyth is once again on the move.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings for puck-moving defenceman Kyle Quincey, blueliner Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick.

Smyth, who posted 26 goals and 33 assists in 77 games last season, said he's excited about heading to L.A.

"They have great young players," he said. "I've always thought the world of (Anze) Kopitar since playing against him at the World Championships in Austria where he dominated. To play with him and Drew Doughty and (Dustin) Brown...these are great young players and I'm excited about that."

"Ryan is the type of player who fits with our team," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said in a statement.  "He fills an important need as he is a competitive, gritty scoring left winger, and he fits with the overall identity we continue to build here."

The 33-year-old spent most of the first 12 seasons of his career with the Oilers, but after failing to reach a contract agreement, he was dealt to the New York Islanders at the trade deadline in 2007.

In that off-season he signed a five-year, $31.25 million deal with the Avalanche.

"As a family, we've really enjoyed Colorado," he said. "It's been a great place to play and a great place to live and I really think if our team had been healthy over the last two years we would have been a lot better."

Smyth said he wasn't surprised when his agent Don Meehan called to present the offer and ask if he was willing to waive no-move clause.

"With management and coaching changes, I didn't know, but there was talk of rebuilding and moving salary, so I wasn't surprised."

Smyth, also know as Captain Canada for his long resume of playing internationally, was invited to Canada's Olympic orientation camp set for the end of August.

In 920 career games, the Banff, Alberta native has 310 goals and 350 assists.

[Malcolm]

INVESTIGATION ONGOING IN STRANGE BLACKHAWKS EPISODE

According to both the NHL and the NHLPA, the investigation into how and why the Chicago Blackhawks bungled a number of their qualifying offers is ongoing.

Neither side will comment, however since this story broke Friday evening on TSN.ca, interest into how the league and players association will respond is significant.

If the NHL grants leniency and attempts to sweep this issue away, it's expected the NHLPA will swiftly file a grievance and the matter will go to a hearing.

Sources with hands on knowledge of how qualifying offers have to be filed say as innocent as this mistake may have been, there is no excuse for it, and the league should follow through with the ultimate penalty and declare all players who didn't received proper notification, unrestricted free agents.

Blackhawks stars Kris Versteeg and Cam Barker are among that group.

Neither player has arbitration rights and both should have received qualifying offers of less than $1 million, retaining their playing rights for the 2009-2010 season.

Versteeg, a highly skilled forward was a Calder Trophy nominee, while Barker on the open market would easily command between $3 and $5 million per season.

Dale Tallon told TSN he believed all of the qualifying offers were post marked for June 29th and didn't sound concerned when the matter was discussed on Friday.

Tallon acknowledged there was a mistake made and wondered if the July 1st holiday may have interfered with the players and player agents receiving the qualifying offers via mail, on time.

Multiple sources say it's clearly stated in the collective bargaining agreement, qualifying offers, or QO's, as they're commonly referred to, are not supposed to be mailed, but rather faxed or delivered by courier.

In 2000, the New Jersey Devils forgot to file the paperwork to renew the contracts for Brian Rafalski and John Madden.

Rafalski was scheduled to make $450,000, while Madden would have earned $550,000 had the mistake not been made.

Instead, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was forced to pay market value rather than allow his two stars to go free.

Rafalski agreed to a 4-year, $11 million dollar extension. Madden signed a 4-year, $7 million dollar deal.

While not identical scenarios, the Devils paid the price for a clerical mistake.

However, because of cap issues, the Chicago Blackhawks have no such out...other than to hope the NHL and the NHLPA find a way.

[Malcolm]

KOVALEV SIGNS TWO-YEAR DEAL WITH SENATORS

A day after some fans held a rally to keep Alex Kovalev in Montreal, the forward's tumultuous tenure in La Belle Province has come to an end as the enigmatic sniper has signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Ottawa Senators.

One of the most skilled players in the league, the Togliatti, Russia native is also one of the most unpredictable.  He can look spectacular one night, controlling the play, while completely disappearing for long stretches at a time.

The Kovalev signing comes at a time where the Senators are struggling to move forward Dany Heatley, who requested a trade last week, and twice wouldn't lift his no-movement clause to go to the Edmonton Oilers.

"I think you always want your player to play 100 per cent, and that's difficult over 82 games and if you are judgmental you can find a hole," Murray told reporters. "I think Alex, they claim, has been a little more inconsistent than he should be. I think the opposite. I think when he plays great he can win a game for you.

"In this organization we've got many hard workers and guys that will compete for us every night, but we needed something special to go with that and this guy's a special player."

Kovalev spent five up-and-down seasons in Montreal after being acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers for Josef Balej and a second round draft pick.  He enjoyed his best season with the Habs in 2007-08 when he scored 35 goals, added 49 assists, was named a Second team NHL All-Star and helped lead the team to their first division title since the 1992-93 season.

Kovalev, like many of his Canadiens teammates, struggled under the weight of expectations during the Canadiens 100th anniversary campaign this past year.  The low point for Kovalev came in March following the All-Star break when General Manager Bob Gainey told him to take some time away from the team in order to ?clear his head.?  Many speculated that Kovalev had played his last game for Montreal.  He did return after missing two games and finished the season with 26 goals and 39 assists.

The 36-year old broke into the league with the New York Rangers after a stellar international career that saw him collect gold for the Soviet Union at the 1992 IIHF World Junior Hockey championship as well as gold for the Commonwealth of Independent States at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

Kovalev continued his winning ways upon entering the NHL as he helped the New York Rangers capture the Stanley Cup in his second year in the league.

In 1151 career games, Kovalev has 394 and 547 asssists and twice played in the NHL All-Star game, being named the game's MVP this past year in Montreal.

[Malcolm]

NHLPA FILES GRIEVANCE FOR MISHANDLED QUALIFYING OFFERS

Sources tell TSN the National Hockey League Players Association has filed a grievance over the Chicago Blackhawks mishandling of a number of its qualifying offers and intends to argue the players affected by the mishap, who remain unsigned, should be ruled unrestricted free agents.

The NHL will be notified and can agree with the NHLPA's filing, or the league can disagree and the case will move on to an expidited hearing.

"In response to various media inquiries, the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) confirms today that it has filed a grievance regarding the failure of the Chicago Blackhawks to submit Qualifying Offers to its 2009 Restricted Free Agents prior to the deadline stipulated in the CBA.  The NHLPA will make no further comment on the matter, which is now pending before the Impartial Arbitrator," said Jonathan Weatherdon, NHLPA Spokesperson.

At this moment, it's the Players' Association's contention, these players are unrestricted free agents and free to negotiate with any team.

The NHL is sure to fight back.

If the PA is accurate and the players involved are deemed unrestricted free agents,  the Blackhawks could lose both forward Kris Versteeg and defenceman Cam Barker to the open market.

The interest in these two players league wide as UFA's would be significant. In Barker's case, one league source cites his value at $3 million on the low end, and as much as $5 million on the high end.

The Chicago Blackhawks have cap issues and may not be able to afford to compete in the feeding frenzy without making drastic moves to free up money.

This issue is far from resolved, but early indications suggest it may not end well for the Chicago Blackhawks.

[Malcolm]

MAPLE LEAFS AGREE TO TERMS WITH FIVE PLAYERS

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Monday that the hockey club has re-signed forwards Ben Ondrus and Ryan Hamilton to one-year contracts. The Maple Leafs also signed a trio of free agent forwards including Jay Rosehill to a two-year contract, Tim Brent to a one-year contract, and Richard Greenop to a three-year entry level contract.

?Ondrus is a consummate professional,? said Burke. ?He is a very good example of leadership and commitment for our young prospects and adds great depth to our organization.?

LEAFS INK FIRST ROUNDER KADRI TO ENTRY LEVEL DEAL

The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted no time in signing Nazem Kadri. The club announced on Monday that they signed the 18-year old to a three-year Entry Level contract.  The Leafs selected Kadri with the seventh overall pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft. The London, Ontario native placed ninth in the Ontario Hockey League with 53 assists and 15th with 78 points in 2008-09.

BEAUCHEMIN AGREES TO THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH MAPLE LEAFS

After four years in Anaheim, it appears Francois Beauchemin is on the move again as the Sorel, Quebec native has agreed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth an average of $3.8 million per season.

Beauchemin suffered through an injury plagued season that saw him miss all but 20 games after suffering a torn ACL in November, causing him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

The 29-year old blueliner did return in time for the playoffs and skated in 13 games, picking up one goal.

"Francois will be a welcome addition to our blueline," Leafs President and general manager Brian Burke said in a statement.  "He's a rock solid, steady defender that will add character to our team."

Beauchemin was originally acquired by the Ducks along with Tyler Wright in a deal that sent Sergei Fedorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was on the West coast where he flourished, enjoying his best seasons statistically with the Ducks and helping lead the team to their first ever Stanley Cup title in 2007.

In 246 career games split between Montreal, Columbus and Anaheim, Beauchemin has 21 goals and 69 assists.

Beauchemin was originally selected in the third round, 75th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Entry draft.

[Malcolm]

REPORT: NHL TO INVESTIGATE MAPLE LEAFS FOR TAMPERING

Remarks by Maple Leafs' head coach Ron Wilson on a Toronto radio station could prove to be very costly.

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Maple Leafs are under investigation by the NHL due to Wilson's comments on the club's interest in Daniel and Henrik Sedin prior to July 1st, the first day that unrestricted free-agents could test the market.

On Tuesday, June 30, Wilson told Toronto radio station The Fan 590 that:

"You're hearing right now, and this sounds very contradictory but, there's a real possibility, I would think, that we would be going after the Sedins. Let's just speculate there."

Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke confirmed that the league was investigating the remarks.

"The league has indicated that they are looking into it, so we will have no public commentary at this time," Burke told the Globe and Mail Monday night.

While NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly did not confirm that the league was investigating tampering allegations against the Maple Leafs, he did say that the Vancouver Canucks have not filed a complaint with the league.

"We wouldn't normally comment on whether or not we were investigating a club for a potential tampering violation," Daly told the Globe and Mail.

"No, the Canucks have not filed tampering charges."

The Sedin brothers ended up resigning with the Canucks with identical five year contracts worth $6.1 million per season.


GUSTAVSSON MAKES DECISION, SIGNS WITH MAPLE LEAFS

Swedish free agent goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has decided to call Toronto home.

Gustavsson, who is nicknamed "The Monster," has signed a one-year deal with the Leafs worth $810,000, including a signing bonus of $90,000, to back up current starter Vesa Toskala.

"Jonas is considered by many to be the best goaltender not playing in the NHL today," said Maple Leafs' general manager Brian Burke. "He has a unique combination of size and agility and we're excited to add a player with his potential to our roster."

The 24-year-old Gustavsson visited several NHL clubs before choosing the Maple Leafs; Colorado, San Jose and Dallas being the others interested in signing him.

"I want to thank Brian Burke and his staff for giving me the opportunity to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs," said Gustavsson. "It is truly an honor and privilege and I feel very fortunate to wear the Blue and White sweater. Toronto is a great city, with tremendous fan support, and I am very excited about the future."

Labeled the best goaltender outside of the NHL last season, the 6'3", 181 lb backstop was the top goalie in the Swedish Elite League last season while playing for Farjestad. He posted a 1.96 goals against average and a save percentage of .932 in the regular season, and led the team to the league championship this spring.


BLACKHAWKS SIGN BARKER TO 3-YEAR, $9.25 MILLION EXTENSION

The Chicago Blackhawks have responded very quickly to a grievance filed by the NHL Player's Association of mishandling their qualifying offers to restricted free-agents by signing defenceman Cam Barker to a three-year, $9.25 million contract extension.

Barker was one of five players whose qualifying offers from the Hawks reportedly were mailed but didn't arrive on time.  Had Barker not agreed to a deal, and the grievance had gone through, he could have potentially become an unrestricted free-agent.

Forward Kris Versteeg however remains unsigned.  The Calder trophy finalist had 22 goals and 31 assists for the Hawks last season.  Should Versteeg sign the grievance would become moot.

PRONGER SIGNS SEVEN-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH FLYERS

It looks as though Chris Pronger may finish his career as a Philadelphia Flyer.

Pronger's agent Pat Morris said on Tuesday that his client has signed a seven-year contract extension with the team worth $35 million. The contract also includes a no-movement clause, meaning Pronger, 34, is likely to wrap up his time in the NHL as a member of the Flyers.

"I am very excited to be able to retire a Philadelphia Flyer and I am looking forward to many years with the Flyers logo on my chest," Pronger said in a statement.

"We are pleased to have one of the NHL's premier defencemen in our organization and under contract long term," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "When we made the trade for Chris, it was our intention to get him signed to an extension and we are glad we could come to this agreement."