NHL - Sports Rumors

Marian Gaborik(notes) signed away from the Minnesota Wild by the New York Rangers, brings speed and scoring ability to Madison Square Garden. He also brings questions about his durability, according to the New York Daily News.

"I feel great," Gaborik said on a conference call from his home in Slovakia, a day after signing a five-year contract worth $37.5 million. "I played the last 11 games of the year and I took time off after and tried to get to 100%. Now, I'm in full training, getting ready for the season. I'm very excited. I don't see any problems down the road."

It's the problems in his rearview mirror that have some fans concerned about the signing. Gaborik missed all but 17 games last year with groin, back and hip injuries, the last of which drove him to the operating table in January. He has played more than 65 games only once in the past five seasons. "I'm glad I had the surgery, it worked out perfectly," Gaborik said.

The Daily News reported the Rangers, meanwhile, remain in the market for a center who can distribute the puck to their new prize. Brandon Dubinsky(notes) is in line to get the first audition at the top pivot, though Glen Sather continued combing a thinned market Saturday. Saku Koivu(notes), the Habs captain who was cast away after 13 seasons in Montreal, still had no contract as of Saturday night, though he was in talks to join his brother Mikko in Minnesota. Dallas' Brendan Morrison(notes) also was on the market, though he's 33 and coming off two down years in a row.

Source: New York Daily News

Now a former New Jersey Devil, forward John Madden(notes) could have accepted longer and richer offers to play elsewhere. Instead, he took a one-year, $2.75 million deal from the Chicago Blackhawks for one very big reason.

"For how good the hockey team is and I really believe it has a chance to win the Stanley Cup," Madden, 36, told the Chicago Tribune Thursday. "With the addition of Hossa and the experience last year, it's a group with a lot of skill and talent and hungry kids who want the Cup. They have all the elements of making a run at it for this year and years to come. I had no problem giving up security for a chance to win."

Madden is widely considered one of the best defensive forwards in the league. He won the Selke in 2001 and was a finalist in 2003, 2004 and 2008. The 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pounder had seven goals and 16 assists for the Devils last season.

"Something the team needed was my experience and someone to do the job I've done with the Devils for the last nine years," said Madden, who helped New Jersey win the Stanley Cup in 2000 and 2003. "I'll do anything to help the team win."

Source: Chicago Tribune

The Detroit News noted that the Detroit Red Wings are one of the few teams in the NHL than can lose a player with the stature of Marian Hossa(notes) and remain a contender for a championship.

According to the News, Detroit's depth — including that in the minors — gives it a chance to persevere despite a sour ending to the season and losing Hossa to rival Chicago on Wednesday.

"We like the core of our team," said general manager Ken Holland. "The focus right now is on the guys who've left. But we still have very good players on this team."

But the West got stronger, too.

Chicago added Hossa and former Michigan star John Madden(notes), a past Selke Trophy (best defensive forward) winner, to an already formidable roster.

Acquiring Jay Bouwmeester(notes) gives Calgary three potential Team Canada defensemen (Bouwmeester, Robyn Regehr(notes), Dion Phaneuf(notes)).

Source: Detroit News

According to the Boston Globe, the Boston Bruins had a deal in place Friday to ship right winger Phil Kessel(notes), their high-scoring restricted free agent, to the Toronto Maple Leafs for veteran defenseman Tomas Kaberle(notes), just the kind of skilled, minutes-crunching blue liner who could make Boston a bona fide contender to be an Eastern Conference playoff champion, maybe even a Stanley Cup champion, next spring.

The Globe, quoting to sources on both sides of the deal who had first-hand knowledge of the negotiations, the Bruins arrived at the draft late Friday afternoon believing they were swapping Kessel, 21, for Kaberle, 31. The Bruins initially asked for Toronto's top pick in this past weekend's draft, No. 7 overall, to be included in the swap. But when Toronto general manager Brian Burke turned down that package, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli countered with Kessel and Boston's top pick next June for Kaberle and the No. 7.

A swap of players. A swap of first-round picks. Deal done. Or so the Bruins believed. So much so, said one source, that they planned to select hard-rock winger Zack Kassian with the No. 7 pick.

When the Bruins' front-office brass arrived at the Bell Centre in Montreal around 4:30 p.m., some 2½ hours before the draft, Chiarelli and Burke soon met among the forest of 30 team tables spread out over half the arena's floor. It was at that point, one of the sources said Monday, when Chiarelli first learned that Burke believed the only pick in the deal was the first-rounder the Bruins would hand over in 2010.

The No. 7 pick, Burke believed, remained his, and he stood ready to acquire Kessel and Boston's top pick next June in what amounted to a two-for-one for Kaberle.

The response from a near-speechless Chiarelli: No deal, according to the Globe.

Source: Boston.com

The New York Post reports the New Jersey Devils are believed to be on the verge of re-signing unrestricted free agent defenseman Johnny Oduya(notes), while allowing their only Selke Trophy winner, John Madden(notes), and team-record single-season goal-scorer Brian Gionta(notes) to walk as unrestricted free agents Wednesday.

The Post first reported on June 18 the initiation of contract talks between the Devils and Oduya. Although the contract was not believed to be complete Monday, the sides were said to be putting the final touches on what may be a four-year deal in the $3-4 million annual salary range — a major raise from the $600,000 Oduya made last season.

On the other hand, agent Steve Bartlett figures to start fielding calls tomorrow when Gionta, who scored 48 goals in 2005-06, goes on the open market. Bartlett said Gionta will not object to re-signing with New Jersey after becoming an unrestricted free agent, according to the Post.

Agent Bill Zito repeatedly refused comment on Madden's situation, but it is believed that there have been no substantive negotiations with the Devils, and that New Jersey's available cap space, which would shrink to $12-13 million when Oduya is signed, is a hindrance.

Other Devils headed toward unrestricted free agency tomorrow include backup goalies Scott Clemmensen(notes) and Kevin Weekes(notes), and forwards Mike Rupp, Brendan Shanahan(notes) and Barry Tallackson(notes), according to the Post.

Source: New York Post

Roberto Luongo(notes) is one year away from becoming a free agent, but a TSN.ca report indicated the Vancouver Canucks' goalie and the team are negotiating a long-term deal.

CKNW Radio in Vancouver is speculating that Luongo and his agent, Gilles Lupien, are asking for a long-term deal that would be at least five years in length, and worth a minimum of $8 million per season. Luongo is scheduled to earn $7.5 million next season, with the Canucks taking a cap hit of $6.75 million in the final year of his current deal, according to TSN.ca.

The report says that Luongo wishes to be among the highest paid goalies in the league, but he also does not want to handicap Vancouver's payroll and might be willing to take less money to make the team more competitive, according to the report.

"The way Roberto wants to go, he doesn't want to hit the jackpot, he wants to have a good team," Lupien told CKNW. "And by doing that, you have to work with the team. We're looking for a bit more money, but nothing that would strangle the team. I think we're going forward to have a deal done in the future."

Source: TSN.ca

The Detroit Red Wings want a new deal to play at Joe Louis Arena, according to a TSN.ca report.

According to the report, the team says it will not exercise an option to renew its lease at the arena, but wants to continue talks with the city on a new deal. Ilitch Holdings Inc. president and CEO Christopher Ilitch said Friday that the current lease is 30 years old and not competitive to other arena leases in the NHL or professional sports.

He says the team is looking for a new lease that is "fair and equitable for all parties."

The team had until next Tuesday to notify the city of its intentions before a 20-year option automatically kicked in.

Ilitch said the team will continue evaluating all options for a new arena.

Source: TSN.ca

Defenseman Scott Niedermayer(notes) told the Ducks that he intends to play again next season, a move that immediately spurred General Manager Bob Murray to trade Chris Pronger(notes) to the Philadelphia Flyers to clear salary cap space for Niedermayer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Niedermayer must still agree to a new contract, and if he hasn't come to terms with the Ducks by July 1 he could test the free-agent market. However, it's likely he will remain in Anaheim because he said he enjoyed the team's second-half revival last season and believes the Ducks have a chance to remain among the league's elite teams. They lost a seven-game, second-round series to Detroit in May.

He has also said he wants to play for Canada in the Olympics, which will be contested in February in Vancouver. Being an active player would increase his chances of being selected, according to the Times.

Source: Los Angeles Times

The New York Rangers have the No.19 pick in Friday night's NHL Draft, but the New York Daily News reported the team is trying to move up in the selection process.

The Daily News also reported the Rangers remain in the mix to acquire unhappy sniper Dany Heatley(notes), who wants out of Ottawa.

While a Sens executive said Thursday that there has yet to be "a serious offer" for Heatley and that the team won't be rushed into trading him, it would seem that the more time passes, the better the Blueshirts' chances become to swoop in. The two-time 50-goal scorer is owed a $4 million payment on Wednesday, something the Senators would cringe to pay, according to the Daily News.

"I think there is a lot of tire-kicking going on," Sens assistant GM Tim Murray told NHL.com Thursday. "It doesn't sound serious and then a team calls and makes a serious offer, which could happen at any time. ...We're certainly not going to make a deal just because the draft is approaching or July 1 is approaching."

Source: New York Daily News