He continued doing that Friday working on a contract the Penguins hope to finalize today with free-agent winger Janne Pesonen, the 2007-08 scoring champion in Finland's top league. But it was the moves Shero made Wednesday that captured the essence of his philosophy. He completed a seven-year, $35 million agreement with goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, then struck a pair of one-year deals with free-agent wingers Miroslav Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko.

Fleury joined Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney and Brooks Orpik on the list of young players who are under contract for extended periods and make up the nucleus around which the team is assembled. Conversely, Satan and Fedotenko joined a revolving cast of complementary players who were brought in on short-term deals and are far from certain to be retained after those contracts expire.

Pesonen, 26, had 34 goals and 44 assists in 56 games with Karpat in Finland's SM-Liga and is in line for just a one-year deal. That's mandated by the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, which. requires players his age to get a one-year, two-way deal. In addition to being the league's current scoring champion, Pesonen was the SM-Liga Rookie of the Year in 2003-04, has been a member of four league-championship squads and was the playoff MVP in 2007. His size is a bit suspect — he's listed as 5 foot 11, 179 pounds — but his speed, skill and instincts make him an intriguing prospect if he can adapt to the smaller rinks and more physical play of North America.

Acquired at the trade deadline from Vancouver, Cooke, 29, was an integral part of the Capitals' late season push, amassing three goals and four assists in 17 games. But the unrestricted free agent became expendable when grinder Matt Bradley signed a three-year, $3 million contract extension in May.

"You can't keep everybody," McPhee said.

McPhee does, however, anticipate keeping Fedorov, though a deal might not materialize immediately, he said. The 38-year-old unrestricted free agent notched two goals and 11 assists in 18 games with the Capitals.

"We've talked to Sergei," McPhee said. "He wants to come here and is willing to wait until some of the dust settles. We'll continue to talk to him, but we're pretty confident that we'll get something done here."

"I have said 'hate,' and I imagine if we wouldn't have signed him, I would have said I still hate him," Morrow said Thursday. "But he's a teammate now, and I'll admit that I don't really know him other than what I see on the ice. So now we need to get to know each other and work together as teammates."

Morrow said it is now his job - and the job of his teammates - to let Avery know what's acceptable.

"There are things here that we will talk about," Morrow said. "We feel we have something special going on here, and we feel we are a good team. And I have no problem with what he does as a player or how he works hard or gets people upset. But some of the stuff that makes the individual more important than the team, that's not something we want to see here."

"Steve Bernier is a highly regarded young player who's enjoyed success early in his career," said Canucks GM Mike Gillis in a statement. "With his right-handed shot he will be a great addition to our top six forward group and an asset to our power play."

The Sabres acquired the 6-foot-2, 225 pounder at the trade deadline as part of the Brian Campbell trade. Campbell has since signed with the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season, Bernier, 23, scored 32 points in 76 games, split between Buffalo and San Jose

"Where do I begin?," started Lowe. "He's a moron, first of all. Secondly, he really believes that any news for the NHL is good news. Thirdly, he loves the limelight and I don't think anyone in hockey will dispute that. Lastly, he's in a pathetic hockey market where they can't get on any page of the newspaper let alone the front page of the sports, so any of this stuff carries on."

Burke and Lowe have been at odds since the Oilers put forth a five-year, $21.25 million offer sheet to Group II restricted free agent Dustin Penner last summer — a contract that the Ducks did not match and sent Penner to Edmonton. At the time, Burke explained he had no problem with a team putting an offer sheet forward, but the money involved was the issue. Lowe responded in kind on Friday, saying the standard for such contracts was set long before the Penner signing.

"I mean, if he wants to debate what our offer sheet did to them or to the salaries, anytime," he explained to Team 1260. "The reality is, Rick Nash's contract a number of years ago, (Patrice) Bergeron's and (Ilya) Kovalchuk's; that sets the standard - that's been going on for decades. I'm sick and tired of it. I know everybody in hockey is. I know our peers are like, 'Well, that's Burkie.' This guy is an absolute media junkie and I guess he's achieving what he wants because he gets his name in the headlines. But the reality is, I hate the fact that my name is linked to his. He's an underachieving wanna-be in terms of success in the NHL. He won a Stanley Cup? Great. I've won six Stanley Cups, you want to count rings? Who cares, it's just a little pathetic that he carries on."

In return for the 31-year old veteran defenseman, it is believed Tampa will receive a package that will include 23-year old defenseman Matt Carle, a first round draft pick, a prospect and a 4th round pick. Sources say defenseman Brad Lukowich is also part of the deal going to San Jose.

The Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers were the other two teams who made in to Boyle's final three trade options.

The 24-year-old defenseman injured his right knee while training and is expected to return sometime during the upcoming season, according to team physician Michael Terry.

"It's unfortunate," Hawks general manager Dale Tallon said. "He's a good player and a big part of our team, but we have to deal with it. We have some kids in [ Niklas] Hjalmarsson and [ Jordan] Hendry who can do the job."

Wisniewski sprained the MCL in the same knee last season during a fight with Nashville's Jordin Tootoo on Dec. 26 and missed 10 games. He had seven goals and 19 assists in 68 games last season. His 2006-07 season was cut short after undergoing surgery for a torn ACL on March 8, 2007. Injuries of this type typically take about six months to heal, but Tallon expects Wisniewski's recovery to go faster.

"It will be less," Tallon said. "He's going to work his rear end off."

Avangard announced the signing on its website today but did not disclose the terms of the contract.

Jagr had long been reported to be considering lucrative offers from Russia. Rangers general manager Glen Sather said Thursday the club could not wait any longer for Jagr to decide where he wanted to play.

Jagr played for Avangard during the NHL's lockout season in 2004-05.

The belief is Boyle will consent to trade at some point Friday and will select the team of his choice, however until he officially waives his no-trade, there is always a chance the Lightning's efforts to move him may be scuttled. The New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators were also heavily involved in trade discussions with Tampa management, however sources say financially, Boyle's 6-ear, $40-million contract extension was too much for the Senators to take on.

The asking price for Boyle is said to include a young NHL roster player, a prospect and a 1st round draft pick.

The Wings general manager was kidding, but only partly so. His hockey club, which boasts the most stable ownership/ management team in hockey as well as the most talented roster, has become the destination of choice for the best players in the sport. That, it seems, is the only way to understand the decision of Marian Hossa to accept a 25 per cent discount on his services for one year to go and live in Detroit and play out of crumbling, smelly Joe Louis Arena.

Dreams and happiness, indeed. Hossa clearly valued a chance to play with great players and win a Stanley Cup over maxing out his income, and he identified the Wings as the ideal team to try to reach those goals.He could've received $9 million or $10 million a season over six or more years to skate for a variety of teams. Instead, for a one-year, $7.45 million contract, a number designed not to exceed Nicklas Lidstrom's reported team-high $7.6 million paycheque, Hossa moves from skating alongside Sidney Crosby to joining Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and the rest of the remarkably talented Stanley Cup champions.

Imagine that.

Holland gets to underpay Hossa at the same time the Maple Leafs are overpaying Jeff Finger, the Blackhawks are overpaying Cristobal Huet, the Islanders are overpaying Mark Streit, Boston is overpaying Michael Ryder and the Stars are overpaying Sean Avery. The rationale in cities like Toronto for getting into questionable contracts is that the free market sets the price and they're powerless to do anything but pay.

During the past two seasons, Gainey and head coach Guy Carbonneau have dismissed the need for a tough guy in the lineup. And Laraque, a 6-foot-3, 243-pounder, has said on more than one occasion that he had no desire to play in his hometown because of the intense pressure from the media and fans.

At 31, Laraque doesn't fight as often as he did in his younger days and that's partly because few players have a desire to challenge someone who has won most of the 120 fights he has had in his NHL career. Last season, he had 13 fights while riding shotgun for the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh. According to www.hockeyfights.com, he won 11 of them and had draws against Donald Brashear and Zdeno Chara.

The Kiev, Ukraine native has played in 523 games over seven seasons with the Flyers, Lightning and Islanders, totaling 123 goals and 116 assists. The 6-2, 195-pound wing had a career high 41 points (25 G, 16 A) with the Lightning in 2005-06.

In 2003-04, Fedotenko was a key piece in Tampa Bay's run to the Stanley Cup, tying for the team lead with 12 goals during the playoffs.

"A 10-year veteran, Georges is the kind of player who made his mark in the NHL," Habs GM Bob Gainey said in a statement. "With his physical play and determination, we are convinced that he will add valuable energy to our group of players."

Laraque spent last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he tallied 13 points and 141 penalty minutes in 71 games. Orginally an Edmonton Oilers draft pick in 1995, Laraque has spent time with the Penguins and the Phoenix Coyotes.

Montreal also announced the signing of goaltender Marc Denis to a one-year, two-way contract. Denis was recently bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning after playing just 10 games in 2007-08.

Jagr's agent Pat Brisson is talking with a number of teams, including Russian teams eager to sign the NHL superstar. The Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins are considered the frontrunners with all three NHL teams expressing interest in signing Jagr.

Interest in Jagr is primarily based on a one year deal that could exceed 7 million dollars, however the belief is these teams could be convinced to accept a two year deal if pushed. The problem with the second year is Jagr's age. If the 36-year old was to retire, return to Europe, or not fulfill his contract, the NHL team he signs with would take the full cap hit for the remainder of the agreement. So far, Brisson has been unable to get Jagr to commit and says he has no way of knowing whether a decision is coming tomorrow, next week, or next month.

Following that farewell morning phone call, Sather finalized a two-year, $8 million contract with winger Markus Naslund that made it official: The Jaromir Jagr Era has ended its run on Broadway.

"I'm not going to say anything bad about the Rangers or about Glen," Jagr told the Daily News last night. "They were always good to me. And you have to admit, I did a good job for the money they paid me."

During the conference call Thursday that introduced Naslund and defenseman Dmitri Kalinin, whom the Rangers signed to a one-year contract, Sather said, "I waited for a call for the last couple of days from Jaromir's agent. So we decided we were going to move on. ''

In doing so, Blake, 38, leaves a team where he has spent 14 of his 18 NHL seasons, but one that is far from being a Cup contender and is expected to infuse the lineup with even more youngsters. The decision was made only after it became apparent that he and the Kings could not reach an agreement. San Jose, which won the division last season but was eliminated in the second round, gives Blake another shot at the Cup.

"They're on the verge every year," Blake said. "It's exciting to be just moving up the road a little and playing for a championship again."

The Kings were looking at bringing the one-time Norris Trophy winner back for another season. General Manager Dean Lombardi said he had spoken with Blake and asked if he would be on board with the team's youth movement. Lombardi said he wasn't surprised as Blake informed him of his decision to leave Wednesday night.

The Penguins would have been more comfortable had Hossa just gone to the Edmonton Oilers and accepted their multi-year deal for $60 million or more because that would have represented a financial decision.

All along, Hossa was telling Penguins management that he would like to sign with Pittsburgh, but he asked for the chance to test the free agent market and see what was available on July 1 and ended up signing with Detroit.

Pittsburgh would have matched this had they been given the opportunity.

The 36-year-old McCarty played 11 seasons in Detroit before leaving for Calgary as a free agent prior to the 2005-06 season. After two seasons with the Flames, the Red Wings gave him a chance to get his career back on track this season. And after playing three regular-season games, the gritty forward played in 17 playoff games.

"We've made an offer to Darren," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said Wednesday. "We like the (physical) ingredient Darren brings."

McCarty has a combined 919 regular season and playoff games under his belt and Holland admits he'd likely come back on a one-way deal and not a two-way that could put him in the minors.

Huselius, 29, is coming off a productive couple of season in Calgary in which he scored 59 goals in 162 games with the Flames. He was also a +31 over the last two seasons, displaying a commitment to the defensive zone.

Huselius was a second round pick by the Florida Panthers back in 1997. In 473 NHL games, he has scored 132 goals and 177 assists for 309 points.

Amid swirling speculation Boyle is a trade target, the Lightning reached out on Tuesday following a very active day of free agent signings around the NHL and told Boyle they had no intention of trading him. Less than 24 hours later, things have changed and Dan Boyle's future in Tampa is very much in play. Sources say the Lighting are close to a deal with three teams, however as many as five teams may be in the mix.

Boyle only played 37 games this season after his wrist was cut by a skate in a freak accident, but he put up 25 points on four goals and 21 assists. He signed a six-year, $40 million extension in February just before the trade deadline. Boyle, who was part of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup championship team in 2004, had a career year in 2006-2007 when he scored 20 goals with 43 assists for 63 points.

"You go right now from entry-level to what used to be the third contract, thanks to two offer sheets from Kevin Lowe," Burke said to the Times. "Most [general] managers don't like starting fights with any other managers. . Thanks to the Edmonton Oilers, the second contract has disappeared. They're all being re-signed at inflated prices. Everything I said a year ago has come true. Every single word."

Burke and Lowe have been at odds since the Oilers put forth a five-year ($21.25 million) offer sheet to Group II restricted free agent Dustin Penner. The Ducks did not match and Penner became an Oiler.

"If I had run my team into the sewer like that I wouldn't throw a grenade at the other 29 teams and my own indirectly," said Burke.

For now at least, they plan to use a goaltending tandem of Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin, who's in the final year of a contract that will pay him $6.75 million next season. If the Hawks can move Khabibulin, they would have cap room to bring back forwards Jason Williams, who would help the power play, and Kevyn Adams, a gritty fourth-liner with leadership qualities.

''We'll keep talking,'' Tallon said. ''A lot depends on if we can make a trade or two to free up some [cap] space. We think [Williams] and Campbell would be awesome at the points on the power play.''

If the Hawks can't make a trade, there will be opportunities for others in the system.

''We'll give our young guys a chance to play up front,'' Tallon said, mentioning 2008 first-round draft choice Kyle Beach, 2005 first-rounder Jack Skille and Troy Brouwer as the leading candidates for roster spots.

Meantime, Holland & Co. dropped a bombshell on the rest of the league Wednesday, announcing they'd reloaded by signing Marian Hossa, merely the biggest free-agent prize on the market.  And what's more, almost flaunting their Cup cachet, they didn't need to back up the Brinks truck to pull off this heist. They signed Hossa to a one-year deal for $7.45 million, conveniently matching the team's salary scale set by Nick Lidstrom's hometown discount deal and neatly filling next season's built-in wiggle room under the salary cap.

No one figured was that a 29-year-old, world-class forward in the prime of his career would decide to pass up exorbitant, long-term free-agent offers for what amounts to a 12-month lease in the NHL's penthouse apartment. But, hey, you know what they say: Location, location, location.

"I was at the Mobil station and then I was going in to get gas, and the phone rang and it was Ritch (Winter, Hossa's agent), and he had Marian on the other end of the line," Holland said. "And he asked what did I think, could we make this thing happen on a one-year deal? I mean, you hear the rumors out there of what's being offered to Marian, and certainly I was caught way off-guard. Shocked, obviously, is my initial reaction."

Snow gave Weight a one-year contract with a base salary of $1.75 million plus performance bonuses that could push the total value as high as $4.3 million. In a sense, Weight's incentives could be tied to how many times he assists on goals by Guerin. The captain's team-high 23 goals last season represented a significant drop from the 36 he scored the previous season with St. Louis and San Jose.

Asked if Weight's relationship with Guerin was a factor in his signing, Snow said, "Absolutely. They've always been good when you team them. Guerin scored the majority of his 36 goals a year ago [28 with the Blues] when he was playing with Weight."

Weight is coming off a down season in which he was traded by St. Louis to Anaheim. He totaled only 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points while playing 67 games. But he had a line of 16-43-59 the previous season while playing all 82 games for the Blues. Snow said Weight is in top condition and should have some gas left.

The makeover of the Rangers continued with the acquisition of gifted but enigmatic young forward Nikolai Zherdev from Columbus and the official goodbye to abrasive catalyst and fan favorite Avery, who signed a four-year, $15.5 million deal with Dallas. Plus, Marian Hossa turned down more lucrative offers from the Rangers and other teams to sign a one-year, $7.4 million deal with Detroit, and center Mats Sundin announced that he will require a lot more time to decide whether he wants to play anymore. It all left Sather shy one top-flight forward and two NHL-caliber defensemen, because the price for Zherdev and scrappy forward Dan Fritsche was defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman. And because bruising defenseman Brooks Orpik turned down the Rangers' offer of more money per year for five years to re-sign with Pittsburgh for six years and $22.5 million.

Asked if that meant the Rangers had decided to move on without Jagr, who turned 36 last February, Sather replied: "I'm not saying that. It may be a reality. I still think it's necessary to have experienced, talented players in your lineup to help these guys develop. And Jaromir has certainly been a great player for this organization and I'm not ready to say goodbye to him. But he may be ready to say goodbye to us. I can't say that for sure."

The deal was announced one day after the Bruins signed winger Michael Ryder in hopes of strengthening their mediocre offence.

Nokelainen had career highs last season with 57 games played, seven goals, three assists and 10 points. The 22-year-old native of Finland had two assists in seven post-season games

The Rangers sent Fedor Tyutin and Christian Backman to Columbus in exchange for Nikolai Zherdev and Dan Fritsche.

Zherdev, often an enigma in Columbus, will be the key to the deal for New York. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2003 draft and is coming off his best season in terms of points. He scored 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points in 82 games with Columbus. Fritsche was a second round pick, 46th overall, the same year Zherdev was drafted. A developing two-way player, Fritsche scored 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points last season in Columbus, and was a +2 on a bad team.

Tyutin was a second round pick by the Rangers in 2001, 40th overall. Although he has not shown the offensive flair he showed as a junior, Tyutin has emerged as a solid blueliner in the NHL and signed a four-year extension in February. Backman was a first round pick of the St. Louis Blues, 24th overall, in 1998. Backman has also not shown much offensive upside, his best season is 18 points in 52 games with St. Louis in 2005-2006, and durability has been somewhat of an issue. Backman has, however, developed into a steady NHL defenseman.

Orpik picked up one goal and 11 assists in 78 games for the Eastern Conference playoff champions a year ago. He led the league in hits (102) and blocked shots (61) during the postseason.

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound native of San Francisco, California has played his entire career with the Penguins, after being drafted by the club in the 1st round, 18th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. The 28-year-old has recorded 36 points and 392 PIM in 297 career games.

Feisty forward Jarkko Ruutu has agreed to a 3-year, $3.9 million dollar deal with the Senators.

Ruutu scored six goals and 10 assists in 71 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins this past year. The native of Vantaa, Finland has played eight seasons in the NHL, six with Vancouver and the last two with Pittsburgh. Ruutu has 83 points and 716 penalty minutes in 419 career NHL games.

The extension mirrors the one signed by Penguins captain Sidney Crosby in July of 2007, a five-year deal averaging $8.7 million.

Malkin, 21, emerged as an NHL superstar in his second season, finishing second in the league with 106 points before adding 22 points in 20 playoff games and has one season remaining on his current contract, so the extension would take effect in the 2009-2010 season.

That means that the duo of Crosby and Malkin are both going to be under contract with the Penguins through 2013.

The deal will pay Pitkanen $3.5 million in 2008-09, $4 million in 2009-10 and $4.5 million in 2010-11.

Pitkanen, scored eight goals and earned 18 assists (26 points) in 63 games in 2007-08 to rank second among Edmonton defensemen in scoring.

Avery, 28, was a key player with the New York Rangers since joining them midway through the 2006-07 season in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings. The Rangers are 50-20-16 over the last two seasons (10-8 in the playoffs) with him in the lineup, and 9-13-3 without him.

In 86 games with the Rangers, Avery scored 23 goals and tallied 53 points with 212 penalty minutes and a plus-17.

"Josef is a big, strong and experienced defensive defenseman who will be a shut-down player for us," said Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford.

Melichar was a third-round draft choice of the Pens in 1997. In 310 games with the franchise from 2000-07, he has registered seven goals, 40 points and 263 penalty minutes. The move comes a day after the club dealt popular forward Erik Cole to the Edmonton Oilers for oft-maligned defenseman Joni Pitkanen.

The $7.4 million that Hossa will earn next season, is the most Detroit would pay anyone — even an unrestricted free agent. The Red Wings were insistent that no one earn more money than six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom. The 6-foot-1 winger scored 29 goals and 66 points in 72 games split between the Atlanta Thrahsers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Hossa, 29, was acquired from the Thrashers at the trade deadline and helped Pittsburgh in its march to the Stanley Cups Finals. With 12 goals and 14 assists in 20 games, the 2008 playoffs went a long way to helping Hossa shed his reputation as a player that shone in the regular season, but struggled when it really mattered.

Originally a first-round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators in 1997, Hossa has been named to five NHL all-star teams and has recorded 299 goals and 648 points in 701 career games. Hossa was shipped to Atlanta as part of the Dany Heatley trade in 2005.

And indications were late Tuesday night that the Wild wasn't done. The Wild was trying to nab one winger and one center, and General Manager Doug Risebrough specifically talked to two unidentified players who have not yet signed.

The Wild is hot after Calgary's Kristian Huselius, agent Don Meehan confirmed, saying, "We will speak again [Wednesday]." Huselius, 29, is a five-time 20-goal scorer and had 59 goals and 143 points the past two seasons.

"These players want to know what they're getting themselves in for and they want to know what the plan is. They're high-end players. They deserve that," said Risebrough, referring to the players he talked to. "So we're having ongoing discussions."

Risebrough said something else "big" could happen, but if it doesn't, "I wouldn't describe [Tuesday] as not being big.

Craig missed 72 games last season with back and knee injuries. He notched one goal and one assist in seven games. Craig, who was selected by the Lightning in the eighth round of the 2002 draft, has collected 30 goals and 57 points in 127 NHL games. The 26-year old is tied for the second-most goals by a rookie in franchise history with 15 in 2005-06.

Niskala was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday in exchange for a sixth-round draft choice in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Niskala, 26, was acquired by Philadelphia last week from Nashville for forward Triston Grant and a seventh-round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot, 200-pound native of Vasteras, Sweden recorded 19 goals, 44 points and 81 penalty minutes in 80 regular season games for the Predators' American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, this past season.

"He's a player we coveted," Chiarelli said. "We feel he'll make our team better. We're happy to have him. He's up on my board now."

The 28-year-old Ryder, a native of Bonavista, Newfoundland, had back-to-back 30-goal seasons, putting up a 30-25 -55 line in 2005-06 and recording 30-28 -58 totals in 2006-07. Ryder has a history with Bruins coach Claude Julien, who was his bench boss with Hull of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Hamilton of the AHL, and the Canadiens. Julien, along with Chiarelli and vice president Cam Neely, were involved in recruiting Ryder.

"Claude played a big factor based on his relationship with him," Chiarelli said. "They have a real good relationship and trust. Cam spoke about the city and the growing emergence of the Bruins, how we're trying to turn things around. He's seen that firsthand. He liked what he saw."

According to Chiarelli, Montreal granted exclusive negotiating rights to Ryder to an undisclosed team prior to free agency. Chiarelli said there were at least two other teams chasing Ryder. Ryder is a shoot-first right wing whose offensive philosophy is similar to Glen Murray's scoring style. The 6-foot, 186-pound Ryder has 99 goals in 314 career NHL games.

Ryder regressed in 2007-08 under Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau, lowering his value on the open market. During the regular season, Ryder appeared in 70 games and scored only 14 goals and had 17 assists. He dressed for only four of the seven playoff games against the Bruins, and didn't record a point.

"We've created a buzz here in this market," Hawks general manager Dale Tallon said. "We're starting to sell more and more tickets and more and more sponsorships, and we decided we'd try to make an impact to continue that. We had to make a statement and we felt we made a statement. Everyone on this staff-on ice and off ice-has grown new wings. We're flying. We want to continue the buzz."

The signings should send a buzz throughout the NHL that the Hawks are serious about a return to the postseason after sitting out the last five. The 29-year-old Campbell was the top defenseman available and the prize of the free agent market, while Huet is a talented goaltender who helped the Washington Capitals reach the playoffs.

"It was a great day for the organization," Tallon said. "We upgraded our goaltending and our defense and we're excited about the future."

Sundin is said to be flattered by the offer, however he continues to absorb interest from a number of teams and hasn't yet decided as to whether he will play or not next season.

"I was a bit surpised at them, but not at the attention to Mats," Sundin's agent J.P. Barry told TSN. "That was a very strong offer from Vancouver."

The New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are the other three teams with standing offers for Sundin.

Sundin scored 32 goals and 46 assists for 78 points in 74 games with Toronto last season. It was his best offensive season since 2001-2002 when he notched 80 points. Sundin, who has 1,321 points in 1,305 career NHL games, has been with the Maple Leafs since 1994.

Once again general managers have discovered the enemy, and it is themselves.

"It appears it's already started," Ottawa GM Bryan Murray said Tuesday, about the free-agency period. "It's to the point now that you better have lots of money available. I mean, it's incredible what we're doing in our business, but that's the way it is."

"Mats has made no decision on whether he will play next year," agent J.P. Barry said last night. "He needs more time to decide if he will play or not.  "As a result, he has informed Montreal and Toronto that he cannot make any decisions or commitments at this time."

Sundin could walk away from the Maple Leafs as the team's all-time leading scorer and the team would have nothing to show for him.

"That (free agency) always was one of his options and he's chosen to pursue it, so we'll just have to deal with it," said Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher. "He's exercising his right and we'll see where it goes from here."

Fletcher had given the Canadiens the exclusive rights to talk with Sundin . It's believed the Habs would have sent the Leafs some form of compensation — a draft pick and/or roster players — had Sundin signed.

Joseph, 41, twice led the Maple Leafs to the Eastern Conference Finals during his first stint in Toronto, from 1998 to 2002. The veteran goalie compiled a 133-88-27 mark in 249 games with the club.

"Curtis will provide outstanding support to Vesa Toskala this season," said Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher. "He had tremendous success playing in Toronto in years past and we expect him to be a stabilizing influence for our team, both on and off the ice. We are really excited to have him back in our team's colors."

Popularly known as "Cujo", Joseph played in nine games for the Calgary Flames last season, where he went 3-2-0 with a goals against average of 2.55. He played in two playoff games against the San Jose Sharks in the conference quarterfinals and registered one win.

The 19-year veteran has a record of 449-343-90-2 with the Flames, Coyotes, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Oilers, and Blues. His 449 wins trail only Patrick Roy (551), Martin Brodeur (538), and Ed Belfour (484) on the NHL's all-time wins list.

About an hour after finally agreeing to the terms Michal Rozsival (four years, $20 million), the Rangers stunningly signed Wade Redden to a six-year, $39 million contract.

Neither appreciably changes the personality of the Rangers defense because Redden is neither a game-breaker offensively nor a bone-breaker in front of his own net.

The Redden and Rozsival contracts also mean that the Rangers will be paying a total of $32.78 million per year to one quarter of their active roster in each of the next four seasons - Scott Gomez ($7.357 million), Chris Drury ($7.05 million) and Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875 million) are the other three players due whopping salaries at least through 2011-12.

"Rene is a young player with size who will play in our top nine forwards," said Flames general manager Darryl Sutter. "He will be an important part of the remaking of our left side along with other young players already under contract."

Bourque appeared in 62 games with Chicago last season, collecting 24 points. In his three seasons with the Blackhawks, he had 75 points in 183 games. He was originally signed by the Blackhawks as a free agent out of the University of Wisconsin on July 29, 2004.

The deal also included a no-trade clause in the first two season and a limited no-trade clause in the last two years of the contract. Stuart has moved around a fair bit in recent seasons, getting traded from San Jose to Boston in 2005 (as part of the Joe Thornton trade), from Boston to Calgary in 2007 before signing in Los Angeles as a free agent last summer.

In 63 games with the Kings, Stuart had 21 points and was minus-16 but, given a stronger supporting cast in Detroit, he finished with two points and a plus-6 in nine regular season games before an impressive postseason in which he tallied seven points and a plus-15 rating, while playing 21:40 per game in 21 games.

The Oilers have now made three trades in the last few days. On Sunday they acquired defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from Los Angeles for forward Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene.

Torres, 26, is a stocky winger who relishes the physical side of the game, but missed the last 49 games of the 2007-2008 season with a knee injury. He had just 11 points in 32 games, the third straight season in which his point totals dipped after he hit a career-high 46 points in 67 games with the Oilers in 2004-2005. Brule has managed 32 points in 146 career games with Columbus, getting a trip to the AHL this season (where he scored 10 points in 16 regular season games and five points in 13 playoff games) in an effort to regain the confidence that he had displayed in junior. He was drafted sixth overall by the Blue Jackets in 2005. Torres has two years and $5.15-million remaining on his current contract, while Brule will earn $765,000 next season before he's a restricted free agent.

Pitkanen is a restricted free agent. He had 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 63 games last season. Pitkanen was the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft, but has now been traded twice in his short NHL career. Cole, 29, will essentially replace Torres on the wing for Edmonton. He scored 22 goals and 29 assists last season with Carolina. He has 81 goals in the last three seasons, including 30 in just 60 games in 2005-2006. Cole has one year left on his current deal at $4 million.

Malkin, 21, emerged as an NHL superstar in his second season, finishing second in the league with 106 points before adding 22 points in 20 playoff games and has one season remaining on his current contract, so the extension would take effect in the 2009-2010 season.

The Penguins also agreed to a three-year deal with forward Pascal Dupuis.

Dupuis, who would have been an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a three-year deal this morning, worth $1.4 million per season.

Dupuis was acquired from Atlanta on February 26 in the Marian Hossa deal. He scored 12 points in 16 regular season games with the Penguins, and added 7 points in 20 playoff games.

On the eve of the league-wide spending spree that dawns with free agency, Giguere made it clear that pursuing Marian Hossa or Brian Rolston is too rich for Colorado's tastes, and if the Avs sign any high-priced veteran this month, it will be the old, familiar face of Sakic.

A big pile of dead presidents is waiting for you, Mr. Sakic.

And what happens should Sakic decide he's done playing hockey?

"We'll have a competitive, very competitive team whether he decides to come back or not," Giguere said Monday.

Those are brave words, but if Giguere truly believes what he's saying, he's making a big mistake.

There's no way the Avs are prepared to replace Sakic's Hall of Fame production on the ice or steady leadership in the room should he retire.

"It took a long time, but this puts him in a position where he's competitive with many of his peers who are signing similar deals," said Don Meehan, one of Green's representatives. "He's in the same class as Jeff Carter, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, he's in a class like those people. There was some discussion of a longer term deal, but we didn't get to numbers that we felt would be relevant for him," Meehan added. "I think by doing a four year deal, it's in the best interest of both sides. In four years, we'll all have a better perspective of what we should be doing on a longer term deal."

Green's 18 goals included eight power-play goals (tied for third on the team), four game-winning goals (tied for second on the team) and three overtime goals (tied for the NHL lead and the Capitals' single-season record for OT goals). Left wing Alex Ovechkin and Green, who were both chosen in the first round of the 2004 NHL Draft, became the first teammates to lead the NHL in goals and goals by a defenseman, respectively, since Mario Lemieux and Paul Coffey in 1988-89.

Call it a lesson learned. It was a year ago when he struck out on the first-tier free agents and wound up with Brad Stuart, Ladislav Nagy, Michal Handzus, Kyle Calder and Tom Preissing. The Kings still wound up as the worst team in the Western Conference.

No Plan B this time. It's now Plan R — as in rebuild.

"This plan has never deviated," Lombardi said Monday. "We've never traded a draft pick. We've never traded a young player since I've been here. We're going to continue on that path."

The Bruins, who Monday agreed to terms on a new deal for forward Petteri Nokelainen (two years, average $850,000), won't shop in Hossa's 'hood. Their cap already stands right around $50 million, leaving them with slightly less than $7 million in potential shopping dollars. A tight budget and a squeezed market for top free agent talent most likely will have the Bruins cautious from the start.

General manager Peter Chiarelli, reached by phone late yesterday afternoon, sounded as if he is prepared to ignore the early wave of emotional bidding, then look to move in for a value purchase (the $2 million to $4 million-a-year range) once the market begins to cool.

"A lot of guys feel there are going to be more trades made after [today]," said Chiarelli, noting his talks in recent days with other team managers. "I think a lot of them want to wait, see how high the overpayments go."

And the talks are a clear sign of the proactive approach the Sabres are taking this off-season after being faulted for waiting too long to lock up co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere. Buffalo lost both players in free agency a year ago, and their departures were blamed for the team missing the playoffs this past season after the Sabres had reached the Eastern Conference finals in each of their previous two years.

Miller is scheduled to make $3.5 million in the final year of his contract this season. Under NHL rules, the Sabres are allowed to speak to the player, but prevented from signing him to a new deal until Tuesday.

''We were very pleased to be able to announce last week that we had reached terms with Vinny Prospal to bring him back to Tampa,'' owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie said. ''With Vinny's new contract signed and in hand we are now able to formalize the announcement Monday. We expect great things from Vinny in 2008-09 and beyond. He fits uniquely alongside Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier on our MVP line and the new ownership group is thrilled these three forwards will lead us into battle next season.''

The Lightning acquired the rights to Prospal on June 18, 2008 in exchange for Nashville's seventh-round pick (previously acquired), 196th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and Tampa Bay's fourth-round pick in 2009.

Prospal, 33, played in 62 games with the Lightning last season and recorded 29 goals with 57 points. He was traded to Philadelphia on February 25, 2008 in exchange for Alexandre Picard. Through February 23, 2008 Prospal, Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis were the NHL's second-highest scoring trio, as they accounted for 80 goals and 202 points. Prospal netted a career-high 33 goals and also had 38 assists in 80 games with Tampa Bay and the Flyers in 2007-08.

The deal cannot be officially concluded until after noon eastern tomorrow. The Hockey News is reporting that Perry made it clear to the team that even if the deal is not completed by noon, he would not entertain any offer sheets from other teams when he officially becomes a restricted free-agent.

Perry led the Ducks with 29 goals last season and finished second to Getzlaf in team scoring with 54 points while picking up 108 minutes in penalties. He missed the last 12 games of the season and the first three of the playoffs recovering from a lacerated calf.

The Lightning acquired Rolston's rights from the Minnesota Wild on Sunday in exchange for a conditional draft pick in either the 2009 or 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The Wild will get a selection in either the 2009 or 2010 draft. The pick will depend on whether Tampa Bay re-signs Rolston before they know what pick Minnesota will get in the deal.

The 25-year-old Flint, Michigan native has 12 NHL seasons under his belt with stints in New Jersey, Colorado, Boston and Minnesota.

Lightning management had hoped to add Rolston to their new look squad after adding both Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Steve Stamkos in the NHL draft.

Jagr's exit, of course, would leave the most gaping hole. Jagr's contract talks with the Rangers have stalled with his insistence that he remain the club's highest-paid player and that he sign a two-year deal. Replacing Jagr will be difficult. Marian Hossa is the only high-scoring winger on the market and therefore he'll probably command more than $7.5 million per year for a five- or six-year deal.

The Rangers have more options when it comes to replacing Rozsival, who turned down a couple of contract offers from the team last season that approached $4 million per. They could take a major risk and sign Brian Campbell, an offensive force, to the $7 million per he's likely to be offered elsewhere.

Avery, of course, is unique. But GM Glen Sather has decided he can live without the abrasive winger if he must pay $4 million per for several seasons to bring him back.

However, the Rangers did make qualifying offers to retain the matching rights to restricted free agent forwards Nigel Dawes, Fredrik Sjostrom and Hugh Jessiman

Shelley, an unrestricted free agent, had seven points and 91 penalty minutes in 31 games after joining the Sharks in a trade with Columbus on Jan. 29. He had spent his entire NHL career with the Blue Jackets, becoming the franchise's career leader in penalty minutes and one of the league's most feared fighters.

Shelley also appeared in six playoff games for the Sharks, who had been without an enforcer since trading Scott Parker to Colorado in February 2007.

But don't discount the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens trying to convince him they're in the Cup hunt for keeps, too.

The Atlanta Thrashers bought out Zhitnik after he had a disappoitning season. The 15-year veteran was acquired from Philadelphia for defenceman Braydon Coburn on Feb. 24, 2007. Last season, the Kiev, Ukraine native recorded three goals and five assists with a minus- 8 rating. The 35-year-old Zhitnik was a 4th round selection, 81st overall, by Los Angeles in 1991.

Westcott was bought out by the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 23 games last season, the Winnipeg native posted one goal and three assists with a minus- 10 rating.

"Rostislav is a very talented young player who we are pleased to have agreed to a long term deal with," Panthers general manager Jacques Martin said in a press release. "He is a strong skater with a tremendous upside who plays well at both ends of the ice and on special teams. Since being drafted in 2004, Rostislav has show consistent improvement, while demonstrating a willingness to become a more complete player. We look forward to his continued contributions to our club."

Olesz, picked 7th overall in the 2004 draft by the Panthers, was on the verge of a breakout season but was hampered by a hand injury most of the year. He ended up with 14 goals, 12 assists and 26 points in 56 games. Olesz had surgery after injuring his hand early in the season and missed 14 games. He missed 12 more games due to the hand later in the season , but returned to score 7 goals in his next 15 games before struggling down the stretch.