Happy Canada Day!

 

The Rangers signed Wade Redden to a six-year deal, $6.5 million per season. Analysis to come… 

 

Bobby Holik signed with New Jersey for one year, $2.5 million. That guy has made more money in the last six or seven years than anyone in the league it seems…

 

The Blues have matched the Vancouver offer sheet, signing David Backes for three years, $7.5 million. 

 

Here's a funny one. If you read below I warned off GM's on Niklas Hagman, indicating that his production is somewhat sugarcoated. So the team that signs him is, of course, the most bumbling team in the league (the Leafs). I have wanted to get back to being a Leaf fan this year and I forgave them their Schenn over Filatov pick… but this is Jason Blake all over again. a 40-point guy (tops) making $3 million per year and he's signed for four years. My prediction? He'll be bought out either June of 2009 or June of 2010. I'll also bet they gave him a no-trade clause haha.

 

Brian Rolston has signed with New Jersey. Analysis is up…

 

Mike Commodore has signed with Columbus for five years. A ludicrous deal. The team could have coughed up an extra couple of million and just kept Hainsey. Instead. they overpay a 35-point defenseman who is weak defensively.

 

Blackhawks did indeed sign Campbell to an eight-year deal worth $56.8 million. Analysis is up…

 

The Rangers signed Patrick Rissmiller. He'll replace Jaromir Jagr. I kid.

 

Vancouver has signed Darcy Hordichuk

 

TSN is reporting that Brian Campbell is close to finalizing a $60 million deal with Chicago, eight years. 

 

The Pens signed Eric Godard to replace Georges Laraque. He will play half the games, if that.

 

Patrick Lalime has signed with the Sabres to be their backup. 

 

The Sens have signed Alex Auld to be their backup. So there go my four goalie dark horses – Bishop (Mason), Howard (Conklin), Crawford (Huet) and now Elliot (Auld). Are there any teams willing to give a kid a chance between the pipes?

 

The NHL has released the official free agent list. CLICK HERE to have a look, or I just posted it on the front page. 

 

Tampa Bay has signed Olaf Kolzig. He will be a 1B goalie this season, with Mike Smith getting 50 starts to his 30. The deal makes sense for TB, but not for Kolzig who was after more playing time.

 

Colorado has signed Darcy Tucker to a two-year, $4.5 million deal. His 50-point days are behind him though.

 

Wow – the Canucks have given David Backes an offer sheet. The Blues have a week to match three years and $7.5 million. 

 

Florida signed Cory Stillman for three years. Analysis is up…

 

The Rangers have signed Aaron Voros. This probably means Avery is gone for sure.

 

Tampa Bay has signed Adam Hall. 

 

Chicago has signed Cristobal Huet – the writing is on the wall for Nikolai Khabibulin. Analysis to come… 

 

The Leafs have signed Jeff Finger, a good defenseman but the team needs forwards. I guess McCabe really will be gone. Kaberle, Kubina, White, Finger, Stralman, Kronwall, Colaiacovo.

 

The Leafs have also brought back one of my two all-time favorite goalies – Cujo. 

 

Habs have signed Andrei Kostitsyn for three years at $9.75 million, thus keeping him from the KHL

 

Rumor: Jagr to the Penguins.

 

Rumor: Sundin to the Canucks for $20 million dollars (two years) 

 

Detroit has signed Ty Conklin. Analysis is up…

 

Phoenix signs Todd Fedoruk for three years. Three years. His medical report must have got lost on its way to Maloney's office. 

 

Andrew Raycroft has signed with Colorado for one year. This is not a typo. 

 

The Caps have signed Jose Theodore for two years. Analysis is up…

 

The Coyotes have filled a hole on defense by signing Kurt Sauer to a four-year deal worth $7 million.

 

The Andrew Brunette signing is now confirmed. Analysis is up… 

 

The Hurricanes have signed Tim Conboy to two years and Ryan Bayda and Wade Brookbank to one year. All three are fringe NHL players, although Conboy had a shot at a Top 4 spot had the team not just brought in Pitkanen.

 

The Penguins have signed Mark Eaton. 

 

Los Angeles picks up D Denis Gauthier and 2010 draft pick for defensemen Patrick Hersley and Ned Lukacevic

 

The Wild have signed Andrew Brunette. NOT OFFICIAL YET… 

 

Rumor – Kristian Huselius …ready fo this? Pittsburgh. Huselius owners can hardly contain themselves.

 

The Preds have traded Marek Zidlicky to the Wild. Analysis is up… 

 

The Canucks have signed Kyle Wellwood, who accepted his qualifying offer. 

 

Anaheim has announced the Corey Perry deal for five years. 

 

Tampa Bay has signed Radim Vrbata. Analysis up… 

 

The Hurricanes have signed Anton Babchuk. With the acquisition of Pitkanen, Babchuk will not see a lot off PP time, if any. 

 

The Devils also signed Barry Tallackson and David Clarkson. 

 

The Devils signed promising prospect Vladimir Zharkov. Details have not been announced, but DobberHockey once had him in the Top 50 in the Prospect Rankings. 

 

The Bruins did not take long to announce that they have officially signed Blake Wheeler. Analysis is up… 

 

The Devils signed Jay Pandolfo, and declined their option on Sergei Brylin – making Brylin a UFA.

 

The Penguins have re-signed Pascal Dupuis. Analysis is up…

 

The Oilers have traded Joni Pitkanen to Carolina for Erik Cole. Analysis is up…

 

The Flames have acquired Rene Bourque for a draft pick. 

 

The Red Wings have re-signed Brad Stuart for four more years at $3.75 million per. On this team, his role will not be an offensive one.

 

Oilers send Torres to Columbus for Brule. Analysis up… 

 

According to Darren Dreger, the Pens are expected to announce a contract extension with Malkin for five more years.

 

The Devils have signed Bryce Salvador to four more years at $2.9 million per season.

 

Brian Rolston turned down the Lightning and will become a UFA 

 

The Caps signed Mike Green for four years, $21 million. 

 

Like every summer – the July rankings will go up on the 3rd or 4th, so I can capture most of the signings. 

 

Niklas Hagman's 27 goals and 41 points were impressive, but I sure hope teams pay attention to the fact that he had just 37 points the last 94 games (including playoffs), and this was all done in a contract year.

 

The Lightning made newly acquired forward Brian Rolston a substantial contract offer (of course), but Rolston will make them wait until this morning for his decision.

 

The Sabres signed Paul Gaustad to a four-year, $9.2 million contract.

 

The Red Wings signed Andreas Lilja for two more years.

 

The Sharks signed Jodey Shelley to two years

 

TSN reports that the Ducks are on the verge of signing Corey Perry to an extension similar to Ryan Getzlaf's.

 

The Bruins have signed defensive pivot Petteri Nokelainen to a two-year deal.

 

Kyle Calder is a UFA today. I mention it because I had him as a member of the Kings still in my notes.

 

The Thrashers bought out Alexei Zhitnik yesterday.

 

Just days after acquiring him, the Flyers traded Janne Niskala to the Lightning for a sixth-round pick. Niskala will have a huge opportunity in TB to play on the second unit. This will hurt either Paul Ranger's or Filip Kuba's numbers. Depends on who becomes Melrose's favorite.

 

Full UFA coverage today – with immediate fantasy impact – only on the best damn fantasy hockey site out there.