TEAM

PLAYER

POSITION

TERM

TOTAL

ANNUAL

NOTES

Anaheim

Toni Lydman

Defenseman

3 years

$9M

$3M

Another longtime Sabre exits Nickel City for sunnier climes.  Expect a total makeover of Anaheim’s defense.  Lydman has longevity, playoff experience, under his belt and will bring veteran smarts.
 

Anaheim

Saku Koivu

Center

2 years

$5M

$2.5M

Solid finish to season leads to late-career deal.  Could this smooth the way for one more season with Selanne?  Winger Joffrey Lupul, returning from back surgery, could be main beneficiary of Koivu’s presence.
 

Atlanta

Chris Mason

Goaltender

2 years

$3.7

$1.85M

Mason exits as Halak takes over.  Joins Thrasher team undergoing major makeover as Coach Craig Ramsay installs new system, thinking with GM Rick Dudley, his former teammate in the 70s. Mason put up some good numbers in 09-10:
61GP: 30-22-8 2.53GAA/.913SV% 2 shutouts.
 

Calgary

Olli Jokinen

Center

2 years

$6M

$3M

Déjà vu: Jokinen re-joins Flames club with whom he started the 2009-10 campaign.  Last season’s 50 points were lowest since a dismal 29 recorded in 2001-02.  Why the hell does this guy make so much money?  Point totals, last four years…all in decline:  91, 71, 57, 50.  Dude, go to the KHL.  Jokinen joins Calgary club in bad need of an identity, a club that doesn’t know who it is or what it wants to be.
 

Calgary

Raitis Ivanans

Left Wing

2 years

$1.2M

$600K

Tough guy exits LA. 
 

Calgary

Tim Jackman

Right Wing

2 years

$1.1M

$550K

Another tough guy for Flames, this one spent last three seasons with Islanders.
 

Dallas

Adam Burish

Right Wing

2 years

$2.3M

$1.15M

Role player latest salary dump in Windy City.  Follows Versteeg and Byfuglien out the door.
 

Edmonton

Kurtis Foster

Defenseman

2 years

$3.6M

$1.8M

Masterton winner tries to re-start career with Oilers after Tampa experiment lasts only one season.  Huge upside as recovery continues.
 

Minnesota

Matt Cullen

Center

3 years

$10.5M

$3.5M

Cullen will likely become the Wild’s second line center behind Mikko Koivu.  This is Cullen’s sixth club.  The 33-year-old Minnesota native won the Cup with Carolina in 2006.
 

Montreal

Curtis Sanford

Goaltender

1 year

N/A

N/A

Sanford to back up Carey Price as Halak exits for Sanford’s former Blues
 

Montreal

Alex Auld

Goaltender

1 year

$1M

$1M

Auld has played for a whopping 8 teams since the lockout: Vancouver (his original club), also Florida, Boston, Phoenix, Ottawa, Dallas, NY Rangers and now, Montreal. 29-year-old won 9 games with Dallas last season.  Will compete with Curtis Sanford for backup role to number one guy Carey Price.
 

New Jersey

Henrik Tallinder

Defenseman

4 years

$13.5M

$3.275M

Longtime Sabre exits after stellar year paired with Calder winner Tyler Myers.  (See also: Lydman to Anaheim)
 

New Jersey

Anton Volchenkov

Defenseman

6 years

N/A

N/A

3-way musical chairs: Senator D-man got the big deal he was seeking as Penguin Gonchar takes his place in Ottawa, Martin exits Devils to replace Gonchar in Pittsburgh.
 

New Jersey

Johan Hedberg

Goaltender

1 year

$1.5M

$1.5M

Hedberg, unhappy with Atlanta’s offer, leaves town in favor of Chris Mason.  Hedberg won 21 games for a struggling Thrashers club last season, and his save percentage was a decent .915.  Good backup for Martin Brodeur.
 

NY Rangers

Derek Boogaard

Forward

4 years

N/A

N/A

Sasquatch-on-skates routine should play VERY well in Manhattan and especially in outer boroughs.  Many more years of punching power left for behemoth…upgrade in fisiticuffs dept. over Shelley.
 

NY Rangers

Vaclav Prospal

Forward

1 year

$1M

$1M

Nice price for Prospal, who’s able to score enough goals to carry weight, even though he doesn’t throw his weight around.
 

Philadelphia

Jody Shelley

Forward

3 years

N/A

N/A

6’3, 225lbs., 34 years of age.  Shelley split time between San Jose and the New York Rangers last season.  Weren’t the Flyers tough enough already?  Never too much in City of Brotherly Love and “Rocky.”
 

Philadelphia

Braydon Coburn

Defenseman

2 years*

$6.4M

$3.2M

*RE-SIGNING: Good money, but Paul Holmgren should be applauded for a decent price on his salary-cap strapped Eastern Conference Champion team.
 

Philadelphia

Sean O’Donnell

Defenseman

1 year

$1M

$1M

No longer expected to play regular minutes, the two-time King leaves Hollywood to rejoin Chris Pronger, with whom he won the 2007 Stanley Cup.
 

Phoenix

Derek Morris

Defenseman

4 years

N/A

N/A

Morris buys in to Maloney’s plan for resurgent franchise on-ice despite off-ice financial struggles. 
 

Phoenix

Ray Whitney

Left Wing

2 years 

$6M

$3M

Mark Recchi-esque move by GM of year Don Maloney.  18-year pro. 38-year-old Whitney scored 20 goals last season and since the lockout has put up excellent numbers: 105 goals and 334 points in 372 games.  Veteran smarts could propel young lineup back to playoffs, will fit nicely with captain Shane Doan.
 

Pittsburgh

Paul Martin

Defenseman

5 years

$25M

$5M

Martin’s loss stings Lou Lamoriello, but Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder ease the pain.  Martin steps into big shoes in Pittsburgh as Gonchar goes to Ottawa; Pens are surely looking for more puck-movers, since Martin is a stay-at-home type…but, development of Brooks Orpik and Alex Goligoski dictates that in-house solution will likely accompany new guy Martin.  Tidy deal for Pens, pricey but 29-year-old’s best years are to come.  Saw action in only 22 games due to injury last season.
 

Pittsburgh

Zbynek Michalek

Defenseman

5 years

$20M

$4M

The smart get richer: Possibly the best signing of the day:  Michalek has been rock-solid, missing only 17 games in 5 seasons since breaking in with Coyotes, who are surely sad to see him go.  Totally underrated, and at 6’1”, 210lbs., he is physical enough.  This is the kind of player who can make a difference with responsible play, and at 27 years of age, the Penguins can depend on him during his upcoming prime years.  Kudos to the Penguins, signing Martin and Michalek on same day.
 

San Jose

Cam McIntyre

2 years

N/A

N/A

San Jose

Antero Niittymaki

Goaltender

2 years

$4M

$2M

Back to the Finns: After nurturing Vesa Toskala and Mikka Kiprusoff, the Sharks sign another Finnish netminder in Niittymaki, who spent last season in Tampa.  Evgeni Nabokov, cast aside by the Sharks after backstopping the club to the Western Conference Final, looks for a new home.  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, GM Doug Wilson seems to be saying after Finnish netminder Antti Niemi of the Blackhawks bested his Sharks in the playoffs.
 

St. Louis

Vladimir Sobotka

Center

1 year

$750K

$750K

22-year-old center spent last three seasons shuttling between NHL Boston and AHL Providence.
 

Tampa Bay

Dan Ellis

Goaltender

2 years

$3M

$1.5M

15 wins in 31 games with Nashville last season.  30-year-old has played 110 NHL games with Preds over last 3 seasons after supplanting Tomas Vokoun.  Pekka Rinne’s emergence signaled Ellis’ exit.
 

Toronto

Colby Armstrong

Right Wing

3 years

$9M

$3M

Armstrong is rounding into a tenacious second- or third-line player who brings tons of energy with a 6’ 2”, 200lb. frame.  Just the kind of guy GM Brian Burke likes.  Will add a few goals here and there: 15 in 79 games last season, 22 in 80 the year prior.  After being part of the cast of the Hossa-to-Pittsburgh trade at the 2008 deadline, Armstrong’s role is becoming clearly defined, and as long as a club doesn’t expect 40 goals out of him—which Burke doesn’t—he should work out perfectly.
 

Vancouver

Dan Hamhuis

Defenseman

6 years

$25.5

$4.25

What a bargain!  I’ll bet David Poile would have re-signed Hammer for a lot more, even in Nashville.  Canucks’ quality resurgence and playoff run made Vancouver a prime destination…will Hamhuis push Canucks over the top, into a conference final?
 

Vancouver

Joel Perrault

Center

1 year

$510K

$510K

27-year-old center was drafted in 5th round, 2001 by Anaheim.  Has played mostly in the AHL between stints in St. Louis and Phoenix.
 

Vancouver

Manny Malhotra

Center

3 years

$7.5M

$2.5

“There’s an opportunity to win right now,” Malhotra said of his new team.  Not much of an endorsement of his former Sharks, eh? Malhotra had a quality year in San Jose, joined their march to the conference final as a solid third-line center.  Has become a good two-way player and shutdown specialist.  No-trade clause added to what is a substantial contract after Malhotra recorded 33 points (including 14 goals) in 09-10.