Player News for Western »BERTUZZI, TODD (RW) » FLAMES
Bertuzzi Disobeyed Crawford?According to tsn.ca, a published report has stated that Todd Bertuzzi disobeyed Canucks coach Marc Crawford's orders during the night of Bertuzzi's attack of Steve Moore in 2004. Crawford claimed that Bertuzzi had been on the ice too long to kill a penalty and had missed the shift change. Crawford said that as Bertuzzi skated to the bench, he "suddenly and without warning" attacked Moore from behind, breaking Moore's neck and ending his career. A lot has changed since the attack, as Bertuzzi has bounced around several teams and is now with the Canucks' division rival, the Calgary Flames. Crawford was recently let go by the Los Angeles Kings and is currently without a head coaching position. Moore is looking to cash in to the tune of $38 million in a civil suit to Bertuzzi, the Canucks, and Orca Bay (the organization that owns the Canucks).
August 19, 2008 7:50 AM
RADULOV, ALEXANDER (RW) » PREDATORS
NHL Says Nyet To RublesAccording to tsn.ca, the NHL will not accept compensation from the Continental Hockey League in exchange for Alexander Radulov's signing with KHL team Ufa. ''The bottom line from our perspective is that the player has a contract which our rules obligate him to respect,'' said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. One of the issues at hand seems to be when Radulov signed the contract, which the Russian league claims happened several days before the leagues agreed not to "poach" each other's players. It sounds as if this issue will make its way to court, as it does not appear that the NHL and KHL will agree on their own terms.
August 18, 2008 7:02 PM
GABORIK, MARIAN (RW) » WILD
Wild Trying To Re-Sign GabbyAccording to tsn.ca, Wild GM Doug Risebrough and assistant GM Tom Lynn travelled to Slovakia last week to meet with Marian Gaborik about a possible long-term contract. "He's going to make a decision, and we want him to make that decision with all the information that's out there and not base it on any misconceptions or myths," said Lynn. Gaborik was the Wild's leading scorer last season with 83 points (42g-41a), and he has one year left on his contract with Minnesota. A move out of Minny toward a more offensive-minded system could produce even better results for Gaborik, but Wild management seem to be making the extra effort in signing their star player.
August 18, 2008 6:55 PM
JONES, RYAN (RW) » PREDATORS
Predators Could Go With ProspectsAccording to the Nashville Tennessean, Predators GM David Poile has stated that if Alexander Radulov plays in Russia this season, he will lean towards using prospects over attempting to sign free agents Mark Parrish or Glen Murray. The potential void left by Radulov could give a legitimate shot to Patric Hornqvist, Ryan Jones and Antti Pihlstrom. Hornqvist has scored 41 goals and 23 assists in 102 Swedish Elite League games in the past two seasons. Jones, who was acquired on July 1 from the Minnesota Wild for Marek Zidlicky, scored 97 points (60 goals, 37 assists) in 84 games at Miami of Ohio. Pihlstrom is more likely a third-line player, although he scored 27 goals for the Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee last season.
August 17, 2008 8:43 AM
RADULOV, ALEXANDER (RW) » PREDATORS
Bettman Making No ProgressAccording to the Nashville Tennessean, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was unsuccessful in convincing Continental Hockey League president Alexander Medvedev that Alexander Radulov should play in the NHL this season. Bettman has stated that Radulov has breached his contract with the Predators by signing with a KHL team, as he still has one year remaining on his contract with the Predators. The IIHF has not yet completed its ruling on the Radulov contract, but all they can do is suspend Radulov from playing in any international tournaments. It seems that Radulov has his mind made up on playing in the KHL this season, so it would be a bit much to expect him to play at the top of his game if he is forced to play the final year of his NHL contract.
August 16, 2008 3:04 PM
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PERRAULT, JOEL (C) » COYOTES
Coyotes Re-Sign PerraultAccording to Yahoo Sports, the Phoenix Coyotes have re-signed Joel Perrault. Perrault scored 17 points (7g-10a) with a (-11) in 49 games last season for the Coyotes. Perrault will likely have a tough time moving up the Coyotes' depth chart given their riches of young forwards, so Perrault won't hold any fantasy value.
August 14, 2008 5:53 PM
SELANNE, TEEMU (RW) » DUCKS
Selanne Begins Skating ProgramAccording to the Orange County Register, Teemu Selanne's agent Don Baizley has said that Selanne has begun a skating program in Finland. Selanne's indecisiveness about playing next season has been mentioned as an issue, but another very important issue is that the Ducks are currently unable to sign Selanne due to salary cap issues. One possibility has the Ducks trading Mathieu Schneider, who was brought in as a free agent last summer when it was thought that Scott Niedermayer would retire. Fantasy owners should still hesitate to draft the Finnish Flash early in case he decides to hang 'em up or start the season late again, but Selanne is still worth keeping on your radar as a fantasy contributor.
August 13, 2008 12:38 PM
DOUGHTY, DREW (D) » KINGS
Kings Sign DoughtyAccording to tsn.ca, the Los Angeles Kings have signed Drew Doughty to a three-year entry level contract. Doughty was the second overall pick in the 2008 draft. He scored 50 points in 58 games for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. Doughty will have the chance to make the Kings' roster in training camp. However, there is a strong possibility that he could return to junior, where he would no doubt suit up for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.
August 11, 2008 3:13 PM
SAKIC, JOE (C) » AVALANCHE
Sakic Decision Weeks AwayAccording to the Denver Post through sportsnet.ca, Joe Sakic still hasn't decided whether he will return to the NHL in 2008-09, but he hopes to have a decision within weeks. Sakic was on an interview on Denver radio station 104.3 The Fan on Monday morning, and he had this to say to hosts Sandy Clough and Mike Evans: "I needed some extra time this year. It's been a very, very difficult decision to make. I'm hoping to have something here in the next couple of weeks, make my final decision and go forward with it." Here's hoping that Sakic has made up his mind by the time fantasy drafts roll around. But from the sounds of things, he should have a decision by the end of August as he is aware that training camp is around the corner.
August 11, 2008 12:56 PM
HILL, SEAN (D) » WILD
Hill Signs In SwitzerlandAccording 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
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GELINAS, MARTIN (LW) » PREDATORS
Gelinas Won't Likely ReturnAccording 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 SwedenAccording 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 ExhibitionAccording 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-AugustAccording 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 SharksAccording 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
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DETROIT RED WINGS (D) » RED WINGS
Yzerman Speaks About RetirementAccording 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 BlackhawksAccording 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 GMAccording 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 JacketsAccording 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 ArbitrationAccording 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
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FILPPULA, VALTTERI (C) » RED WINGS
Filppula Signs Five Year ExtensionAccording 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
WILSON, COLIN (C) » PREDATORS
Wilson Returning To CollegeAccording to the Nashville Tennessean, Predators' first-round pick Colin Wilson will be returning to Boston University for his sophomore season.
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 WildAccording 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, PeverleyAccording 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
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YORK, MIKE (LW) » BLUE JACKETS
Blue Jackets Sign YorkAccording 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 SvatosAccording 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 RepublicAccording 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 CarcilloAccording 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, HowardAccording 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
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