NHL Capsules: Modano still mulling return despite misgivings
DALLAS (AP) — Mike Modano pulled phrases straight out of a standard retirement speech Wednesday, thanking everyone who came to mind for the "amazing time" and "unbelievable experience" of 20 seasons with the same franchise in Minnesota and Dallas.
Only he isn't retiring. At least not yet.
Even though Modano said it "doesn't seem right" to suit up for a team other than the Dallas Stars, the 40-year-old center is tempted to try it anyway.
Modano says he understands why his friend and former teammate, Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk, decided to move on without the NHL's highest-scoring U.S.-born player. But he's not hiding his motivation to prove his old buddy made a mistake.
"I think that it does give me a little fire inside to go out play somewhere and really have a great going-out year," Modano said. "That's obviously now my thought process if I do go forward and play is to get in great shape and get ready for camp and see what type of year I could put together."
The question is whether teams will be interested in someone who was nothing more than a fourth-line center on a team that missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993.
Modano says he doesn't know, and he won't specify his interest in teams beyond saying he would prefer to stay in the Western Conference.
Modano came close to leaving in free agency once in his career, but re-signed when owner Tom Hicks asked him to stay. Modano says he was assured in those days that he alone would decide whether to retire or keep playing, but he isn't getting hung up on broken promises.
"I think you like to believe all those things you hear, but sometimes things do play out differently," Modano said. "You just have to deal with that. There are different people here now than there was then. Opinions change."
The top pick in the 1988 draft by Minnesota, Modano had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history a year later, then helped the North Stars on an improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1991. The next improbable move was the franchise relocation to Texas, but Modano's talent and personality on one of the NHL's elite teams helped make it work.
Asked for his most vivid memory, Modano didn't first mention hoisting the Stanley Cup in Buffalo in 1999 after the franchise's only championship. He instead remembered getting off the plane for the first time in Dallas, "not expecting where I was and what was going to happen here."
Within a decade, the Stars had their first Stanley Cup, another trip to the finals and a booming youth hockey movement fueled by the franchise building ice rinks in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Modano said he was equally surprised at how minor league hockey blossomed around Texas.
"We found new hockey fans here in Dallas," said Modano, who plans to live in the Dallas area even if he plays elsewhere. "We really created a fan base here that frankly I didn't think was ever going to be possible leaving the state of Minnesota, where hockey is like football in Texas."
Hockey eventually returned to Minnesota, and Wild fans gave Modano an affectionate farewell in last season's finale that almost rivaled his send-off in Dallas a few days earlier. Stars fans seemed to offer a simultaneous "thank you" and "please come back," and now they'll await word on whether Modano will return wearing another jersey.
"It's a tough thing for them, too," Modano said. "They've grown up with me and the game and the Dallas Stars. There will always be that recognition between the two of us. Time will tell to see how it pans out. If they're in first (place) after Thanksgiving, no one will be upset."
Stars sign Barch, Wathier to 2-year deals
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars have signed forward Krys Barch to a two-year, $1.675 million contract extension and right wing Francis Wathier to a two-year extension.
The moves Wednesday came a day after the Stars said they would not offer a 2010-11 contract to Mike Modano, the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in National Hockey League history.
Barch gets $825,000 next season and $850,000 in 2011-12. The two-way contract for Wathier means he gets paid less if he's in the minors.
Barch played in 63 games for Dallas last season, with six assists and 130 penalty minutes. All 209 of his NHL games have been with the Stars the past four seasons.
Wathier made his NHL debut in five games for the Stars last season.
LeBron-less NHL set to begin free-agent frenzy
NEW YORK (AP) — The names Ilya Kovalchuk, Dan Hamhuis and Evgeni Nabokov don't roll off the tongues of American sports fans quite like those of LeBron, D-Wade, and Dirk.
Such is life in the world of the NHL, which is also about to embark on a free-agent frenzy of its own, starting Thursday.
The NBA has cornered the attention market for weeks — even years — leading up to its high-profile free-agent shopping season because some of the biggest players in the sport are available.
"You have a very special circumstance this free agency with basketball, and I don't think that happens frequently when you have that special of a player," New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. "Wait a second? Did I just tamper with the Cleveland Cavaliers? What if we announce that we signed LeBron James?"
While there are no Gretzkys or Lemieuxs, or even players of the caliber of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, to be had in the hockey landscape, that doesn't mean there is a dearth of talent in this year's group.
"The hard part is trying to figure out who the big guys are this year," New York Rangers general manager Glen Sather said. "You can really look at a lot of guys and say, 'They're the big guy' and somebody else is saying, 'No, he's not the big guy.' It's pretty wide open at this stage."
But probably not as open as last year when the Chicago Blackhawks seemingly came out of nowhere to snag star forward Marian Hossa, with a 12-year, $62.8 million contract on the first day of free agency.
Vancouver re-signed twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin to matching five-year, $30.5-million deals, and the Rangers lured Marian Gaborik away from Minnesota with a five-year, $37.5 million pact.
All of that happened on July 1, 2009, and all three teams could claim that the moves paid off.
After two straight failed finals appearances with Pittsburgh and Detroit, Hossa meshed well with the Blackhawks' core of young players and helped Chicago win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.
Henrik Sedin put up an NHL-best 112 points and 83 assists for the Canucks and skated off with the Hart Trophy as league MVP. And while Gaborik and the Rangers fell one win short of reaching the playoffs, the high-flying forward shook off some injury woes and had 42 goals and 86 points.
"I don't think there is a lot of depth anywhere because the free agents over the last couple of years have been getting signed," New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "There is certainly quality players at all areas: goaltending, defense and forwards.
"If your needs are where there is a player who can help, it's strong. If you don't have the need where there is a player available, you look at it the other way. I think there are some excellent players out there."
Kovalchuk headlines the class of this year's unrestricted free agent forwards. He finished up last season with the Devils, who pried him away from the Atlanta Thrashers once it became clear that the high-flying Russian wouldn't re-sign with the club that drafted him.
Kovalchuk will surely draw lots of attention, but his salary demands could severely limit his options. Only a handful of teams might be able to fit him under the salary cap. Despite prolific regular-season numbers throughout his career, Kovalchuk has won only one postseason game in eight NHL seasons — including two playoff appearances.
The 27-year-old Kovalchuk turned down a 12-year, $101 million contract offer from the Thrashers before he was sent to New Jersey. He finished with 41 goals and 85 points, but the Devils were eliminated in five games by Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.
Lamoriello said no progress had been made in negotiations Wednesday between the Devils and Kovalchuk and leading defenseman Paul Martin, who can also be unrestricted on Thursday. However, he added that New Jersey would still be interested in the pair once they reach the open market.
"I understand the process," Lamoriello said. "We'll have to just wait and see."
Maxim Afinogenov, who posted 24 goals and 61 assists in his first season in Atlanta after nine in Buffalo, will also have suitors among teams looking to spend less than the Kovalchuk market.
Next season's salary cap will be $59.4 million, up from $56.8 million. Teams must maintain a minimum payroll of $43.4 million.
Hamhuis, whose negotiating rights were traded twice in the past 10 days to teams hoping to get him signed before Thursday, is among a solid group of available defensemen.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were the last to have the exclusive negotiating window with Hamhuis, who spent six seasons with the Nashville Predators, but couldn't make a deal with him or with their own veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar before Thursday.
Throw in Martin and Ottawa's stay-at-home defenseman Anton Volchenkov, and teams could bolster their blue lines in a hurry.
"I think there's a shortage of centers and a shortage of wingers," Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said. "I think there are a lot of defensemen. There seem to be a lot of goalies out there."
Nabokov is the biggest name in that group, but he is nearly 35 and likely headed into the downside of his career. After Nabokov failed to get San Jose to the Stanley Cup finals during his 10 seasons there, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson decided it was time to cut the popular netminder loose.
The Sharks, however, provided the first big free agent moves by re-signing forwards Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski to four-year deals last week.
Where Nabokov eventually lands could begin the rush of goalie signings.
Most of that goalie attention could fall on Philadelphia, which remarkably reached the Stanley Cup finals using a combination of retread veteran goalies Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher as the No. 1 guy.
Leighton agreed to a two-year deal with the Flyers on Wednesday, but there is no guarantee that he will be given the top starting job — especially after he let in a questionable Stanley Cup-winning goal to Patrick Kane in overtime of Game 6.
Philadelphia could also look to add Nabokov, Dan Ellis or Marty Turco if the price is right for any of those veterans.
"A lot of guys have said that there isn't the depth in a lot of areas, but if you look at the goaltenders there is a lot of free agent goaltenders," Sather said.
-- Ira Podell
Brind’Amour retires, moves to ‘Canes front office
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Rod Brind’Amour is retiring after 21 NHL seasons to take an unspecified front-office job with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The team’s former captain said Wednesday that his decision was made simpler after he talked with general manager Jim Rutherford and they decided the aging veteran wouldn’t fit with the Hurricanes’ rebuilding plan.
Trying to find a roster spot on another team “never, ever felt right,” he said, and Rutherford asked him to remain with the organization in some capacity.
“The only question would be how much do I want to play” for another team, Brind’Amour said. “When I knew for sure the direction the team was going and I wasn’t going to be a part of it as a player, and (Rutherford) said, ‘We want you to come on and do whatever — we’ll figure that out. Just be a part of our organization.’
“I said, ‘I’m done. It’s over,”’ he added. “I don’t want to go play anymore, and certainly don’t want to play anywhere else.”
Brind’Amour would have made $3 million in 2010-11, the final year of his contract. The Hurricanes had the option to buy out his contract for $2 million, and Rutherford said they will pay him $1 million this year and $1 million next year, in addition to the salary for his new job.
The GM said Brind’Amour is getting married in a few weeks, and after he returns from his honeymoon, the two will sit down to figure out what his new responsibilities will be.
“This is not just a gift to him at this point in his career,” Rutherford said. “I feel very strongly that Rod’s got a lot to offer the Hurricanes, as he’s already done.”
The decision wasn’t entirely unexpected. The captain of Carolina’s 2006 Stanley Cup championship team, Brind’Amour turns 40 in August. Nearly three months ago, he wrapped up his worst statistical season in which he yielded his captaincy to Eric Staal and slipped to the team’s fourth line.
The Hurricanes’ leading scorer since the franchise moved from Hartford in 1997, Brind’Amour had just nine goals and 10 assists last season.
He finished his career with 452 goals and 732 assists in 1,484 regular-season games over 21 years with St. Louis, Philadelphia and Carolina. Additionally, he had 51 goals and 60 assists in 159 career playoff games, and scored 12 goals during the Hurricanes’ run to their only Cup.
The noted workout warrior came back from a serious knee injury in February 2008 and missed only four games during the two seasons after that.
With the Hurricanes’ youth movement taking root, it seemed a sensible time to call it a career for the popular, two-time Selke Trophy winner and reliable force in the face-off circle who came to Carolina in a trade with Philadelphia in 2000.
Brind’Amour inherited the captain’s “C” on his sweater from Ron Francis in 2005 and wore it until January, when he stepped back to become an alternate captain.
“When we first came (to North Carolina), people used to ask me what we’re doing here,” Rutherford said. “Now, it’s a legitimate major-league sports town and a hockey town. ... Two key guys here, when you talk about the growth of hockey in North Carolina, were the two captains.
“We all saw what he did as a player, but there were so many things he did away from the arena, and part of that was growing the sport.”
Brind’Amour joins Glen Wesley, Tom Barrasso and Francis as former Carolina players who recently have taken management positions in the organization.
The announcement came a day before the start of the NHL’s free agency signing period. The Hurricanes dealt most of their pending free agents before the trading deadline in March, and the only regular who could leave is 38-year-old forward Ray Whitney.
“There’s a time frame of July 1 to get a lot of things done,” Brind’Amour said. “It doesn’t really change my decision. To me, once they were sure how they were going, and I wasn’t going to be a part of it next year, then that made the decision for me.”
-- Joedy McCreary
Blackhawks deal Versteeg to Maple Leafs
TORONTO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired right winger Kris Versteeg from Stanley Cup champion Chicago in a five-player trade Wednesday, the Blackhawks' latest move in a series of salary-cap deals.
The deal follows Chicago moves that sent playoff star Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to Atlanta and Colin Fraser to Edmonton.
The Maple Leafs gave up forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis. Toronto also acquired the rights to 21-year-old left winger Bill Sweatt, a second-round pick in 2007 who played four seasons at Colorado College.
The 24-year-old Versteeg had 20 goals and 24 assists in 79 regular-season games last season and added six goals and eight assists in 22 playoff games. He signed a three-year, $9.25 million deal last summer.
"Obviously, like I said earlier this year, we're not looking to trade anybody but that's the game we're in today," Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said. "You look at the trades that are made, most of them are related around the salary cap, but that's just a reality everybody is facing,"
"Kris is a young player who came into our lineup on a full-time basis a year ago and he kind of blossomed as a guy who a year ago was just trying to make the team. He's a versatile guy, he played some center for us this year when we had some injuries. He's able to play left wing or right wing, got a high skill level, can play across the board in terms of penalty killing and power play."
Next on Bowman's agenda is signing his own restricted free agents such as goalie Antti Niemi and defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
The 24-year-old Stahlberg, from Sweden, had nine goals and five assists in 40 games for Toronto last season, his first in the NHL.
The 19-year-old Paradis was selected by Carolina in the first round of the 2009 draft, then traded to Toronto in December. He had 24 goals in 63 games last season for Shawinigan in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The 21-year-old DiDomenico had seven goals in 12 regular-season games for Drummondville in the QMJHL. He also had seven goals in 14 playoff games.
Sabres 'intrigued' by free-agency scenarios
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Without saying how active the Buffalo Sabres will be once NHL free agency opens, minority owner Larry Quinn suggested there are several scenarios that "intrigue" him.
Quinn wouldn't specify what the Sabres' plans are or which players the team will target once free agency opens at noon Thursday.
"Whether those situations are available or not, we'll see," he said during a phone interview with The Associated Press. "I don't like to prejudge these things. We'll get into it and see what happens."
Quinn provided no update on whether the team is still interested in retaining two key defensemen, Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman, who completed their contracts last season.
Tallinder's agent, Don Meehan, wrote in an e-mail that he anticipated his client to become a free agent. Meehan, however, wouldn't rule out having talks with the Sabres before or after the deadline.
Both Lydman and Tallinder played a top-four role, with Tallinder's veteran experience serving as an ideal complement opposite Tyler Myers, the NHL's rookie of the year. Tallinder finished second on the team — behind Myers — in averaging 20 minutes, 36 seconds in ice time. Lydman was fifth with 18:51.
Both finished with four goals and 16 assists.
Tallinder and Lydman both expressed a desire to re-sign with the Sabres, and the players had talks with the team earlier this month.
The Sabres are attempting to retool after their season came to a disappointing end. Despite winning the Northeast Division title and ending a two-year playoff drought, Buffalo came up flat in the postseason, when it was knocked out in six games by Boston in the first round.
One position of need for Buffalo is finding a top-line center capable of playing alongside leading scorer Thomas Vanek.
One Sabres player expecting to become a free agent is forward Cody McCormick, who played a physical role after being called up from the minors during the playoffs.
McCormick had two assists, but his agent, Todd Reynolds, said the Sabres have shown no interest in his client.
"At this point, I assume he'll be an unrestricted free agent," Reynolds said.
Other Sabres notables eligible to become free agents are veteran forwards Adam Mair and Raffi Torres, and backup goalie Patrick Lalime. Torres is not expected to re-sign following a disappointing stint with Buffalo, after the team acquired him in a trade with Columbus in early March.
-- John Wawrow
Devils re-sign David Clarkson to multiyear deal
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Right wing David Clarkson signed a three-year, $8 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday, just two days after the team gave the feisty forward a qualifying offer that prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The 26-year-old Clarkson had 11 goals and 13 assists in only 46 games last season. He missed a large portion of the season because of a broken right leg.
"David has become one of our core players, and we are delighted to have him under a multiyear contract," Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said.
New Jersey also placed veteran Jay Pandolfo, one of their last remaining Stanley Cup winners, and fellow forward Andrew Peters on waivers.
If Pandolfo is not claimed, the team can buy out the last year of his $2.5 million contract for roughly $1.67 million.
The 35-year-old Pandolfo was with the Devils for part of the 1996-97 and 97-98 seasons before joining them full-time the following season. He played on Stanley Cup-winning teams in 2000 and 2003.
Peters is in the final year of a two-year contract that would pay him $500,000 next season. His deal can be bought out for $333,333.
The Devils still haven't signed defenseman Paul Martin or star forward Ilya Kovalchuk, who can become unrestricted free agents on Thursday. Both players are expected to draw major interest and lucrative contract offers.
Lamoriello said the Devils will continue to pursue Martin and Kovalchuk if they become free agents.
Defensemen Mike Mottau and Martin Skoula, backup goalie Yann Danis, and forwards Rob Niedermayer and Dean McAmmond are also eligible for free agency.
Flyers sign G Leighton to 2-year deal
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Flyers have signed goalie Michael Leighton to a two-year deal, keeping the playoff hero away from NHL free agency.
Leighton stepped up during the postseason and helped the Flyers make a surprise run to the Stanley Cup finals. He went 8-3 with a 2.56 goals-against average in 14 playoffs games and set a team playoff record with three shutouts as Philadelphia won its first Eastern Conference championship since 1997.
Leighton could have become a free agent on Thursday, and might have to compete for the No. 1 starting job with the Flyers next season. In 27 appearances in the regular season, Leighton was 16-5-2 with a 2.48 GAA.
The Flyers acquired him on waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes in December. Leighton missed the final 13 games of the regular season and the first nine games of the playoffs because of an ankle injury.
Ducks make trade with Calgary, re-sign Levasseur
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have acquired forward Jason Jaffray from the Calgary Flames in exchange for left wing Logan MacMillan.
Also on Wednesday, the Ducks re-signed minor-league goalie Jean-Philippe Levasseur to a one-year contract extension.
Jaffray went scoreless in three games with the Flames last season after playing 33 games over the previous two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He played 72 games for Abbotsford of the AHL last season, leading the Heat with 54 points and a plus-24 rating.
MacMillan was a first-round pick by Anaheim in 2007, but spent most of last season with Bakersfield of the ECHL.
Levasseur went 8-16-1 for Springfield of the AHL last season, also playing in the ECHL and the CHL.
Ducks buy out D Oystrick
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have bought out the contract of defenseman Nathan Oystrick after he appeared in just three games for the team.
The Ducks made the move Wednesday after Oystrick cleared waivers. Oystrick will get about $366,000 from Anaheim.
Anaheim acquired Oystrick from Atlanta on March 1, but he went scoreless in three appearances. He spent most of last season playing for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
Oystrick had four goals and eight assists while playing 53 games for the Thrashers in 2008-09, his only full NHL season.
Wild re-sign prospects Kassian and Prosser
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have re-signed prospects Matt Kassian and Nate Prosser.
The deals were announced Wednesday. Kassian, a left wing, got a two-year contract and Prosser, a defenseman, got a one-year deal.
The 23-year-old Kassian led Houston in penalty minutes with 149 last season. The team’s second-round draft pick in 2005, Kassian had six points in 59 games for the Aeros in the AHL.
The 24-year-old Prosser was signed in March as a free agent out of Colorado College. The native of Elk River appeared in the last three games of the regular season for the Wild.
Jackets claim Ethan Moreau off waivers
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed former Edmonton Oilers left wing Ethan Moreau off waivers.
The 34-year-old Moreau, who has a year left on a contract that pays him $1.75 million, had nine goals and nine assists last season. The Oilers could have bought out his contract had Moreau cleared waivers on Wednesday, but now the Blue Jackets will assume his contract.
Moreau had a career-best 20 goals during the 2003-04 season. He has 145 goals and 132 assists in 14 NHL seasons.
Maple Leafs’ Van Ryn to sit out season
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto defenseman Mike Van Ryn has decided to sit out another season while recovering from a knee injury.
The Maple Leafs made the announcement on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old sat out all of last season to rehabilitate his left knee after undergoing realignment surgery in October.
Van Ryn last appeared in a game for the Maple Leafs on March 7, 2009.
In 353 career games for St. Louis, Florida and Toronto, Van Ryn has 30 goals and 129 points.
Van Ryn becomes an unrestricted free agent on Thursday.
Oilers trade O’Sullivan to Coyotes for Vandermeer
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Patrick O’Sullivan to the Phoenix Coyotes for defenseman Jim Vandermeer.
The deal announced Wednesday comes one day after the Oilers placed O’Sullivan on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract.
O’Sullivan had 11 goals and 34 points in 73 games for Edmonton last season. He also finished with a minus-35 rating.
Vandermeer is joining his fifth NHL team. In 374 career NHL games, he has 22 goals and 87 points.
Panthers buy out Koistinen's contract
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers bought out the final year on defenseman Ville Koistinen's contract Wednesday, the latest move in new general manager Dale Tallon's reshaping of the roster.
Koistinen appeared in 17 games with the Panthers last season. He had one goal, three assists and eight penalty minutes.
Elsewhere
Red Wings, city of Detroit extend lease talks
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings and Mayor Dave Bing have agreed to extend discussions on a new lease deal that will keep the hockey club at Joe Louis Arena.
Olympia Entertainment spokesman Tom Pyden said Wednesday that the Red Wings continue to have "active, ongoing discussions" with Bing and his team, and that the talks are "progressing."
Joe Louis Arena opened in 1979. The Red Wings' building lease at the downtown venue expires Wednesday.
Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch said in May that the team probably would play at Joe Louis Arena again next season.
The team has been contemplating whether to build a new arena or move at least temporarily to The Palace of Auburn Hills, the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.
Willie Huber, ex-Red Wings defenseman, dies at 52
DETROIT (AP) — Willie Huber, a former Detroit Red Wings defenseman who played for a decade in the NHL in the 1970s and 1980s, has died. He was 52.
Family friend Mark Lawrence says Huber died Monday of an apparent heart attack at his home in Hamilton, Ontario.
Huber was born in Strasskirchen, Germany, and selected by Detroit in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1978 NHL amateur draft. He played for the Wings from 1978-83, and later for the Rangers, Canucks and Flyers.
In 655 NHL games, the 6-foot-5 Huber scored 104 goals and had 217 assists, with his best season coming in 1981 when he had 49 points (15 goals, 34 assists). He finished his career with 950 penalty minutes.
Moss out as Phoenix Coyotes president
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Phoenix Coyotes president Doug Moss has left the team and Mike Nealy has been named as the organization’s chief operating officer.
Moss, who joined the Coyotes in 2002, left to pursue business opportunities outside the organization, according to a release by the team.
Nealy had been Phoenix’s executive vice president and chief financial officer after moving from the Minnesota Wild in 2006.
The Coyotes are currently being operated by the NHL while the organization negotiates to find a new ownership group.
