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Archives for July 2016

New Jersey Devils Ink Vernon Fiddler

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Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the New Jersey Devils have signed free agent forward Vernon Fiddler to a one-year deal, worth $1.25MM. Fiddler had spent the last five seasons with Dallas, earning the same amount the last two as he will in his first with New Jersey.

After trading for Taylor Hall on Wednesday, Fiddler is another piece to an improving Devils squad. He’ll slot in behind Adam Henrique and Travis Zajac to become the third or fourth line center, depending on what New Jersey does with youngster Pavel Zacha.

Fiddler, never an imposing offensive figure, scored 12 goals and 22 points last season but contributed most on the Stars penalty kill. Always regarded as an above average face-off man, New Jersey will be able to use him in defensive zone situations to shield the young Zacha as he continues to develop.

Jamie McGinn Signs With Coyotes

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Pierre LeBrun reports that the Arizona Coyotes have agreed to a three-year, $10MM deal with power forward Jamie McGinn. The signing provides some veteran toughness up front for a young Coyotes team. McGinn stays in the division, after having been dealt to the Anaheim Ducks at last season’s trade deadline.

McGinn, who was originally a second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks back in 2006, is coming off the best offensive season of his career in which he scored 22 goals and racked up 39 points.  The 27-year old is a presence in the corners, using his large frame to remove defenders from pucks and develop a strong cycle.

For Arizona, McGinn will represent a veteran piece up front as they look to build around their young core of forwards. His $3.3MM cap hit instantly becomes the third highest of the forward group, behind Antoine Vermette and the recently retired Pavel Datsyuk.

Even if McGinn isn’t the offense powerhouse that his numbers may imply, he is a solid contributor that will add some consistency to the young Arizona lineup and comes at a reasonable cap number.

Chris Stewart Signs With Wild

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After another disappointing season from Chris Stewart, he hit the free agency market with something to prove.  According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, he’s signed on to try and make that mark with the Minnesota Wild.  The former 28-goal scorer will earn $2.3MM over the next two years for a cap hit of $1.15MM.

Last year, Stewart suited up in 56 games with the Ducks, collecting eight goals and 12 assists.  His 20 points is quite a bit lower than the 36 points he put up the year before.  He also played in seven postseason games, picking a goal and two assists but averaged just 9:33 per game.

The well-travelled Stewart is just 28 years of age but has already played for St. Louis, Colorado, Buffalo, Anaheim, and Minnesota.  He has a total of 519 NHL games under his belt, scoring 137 goals and 147 assists.  He will likely play in a third line role with the Wild.

Devils Sign Ben Lovejoy

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Stanley Cup champion Ben Lovejoy, reports Sportsnet’s John Shannon. GM Ray Shero, formerly of the Penguins, signs the former Pittsburgh defenseman to a three-year deal with a cap hit of $2.67MM.  Lovejoy will be counted on to log some minutes to help replace the recently-traded Adam Larsson.

Lovejoy played a depth role with Pittsburgh last year, making it a bit surprising that he was able to land a three year deal at more than double the $1.2M salary he earned in 2015-16.  He suited up in 66 games with the Penguins, scoring four goals and six assists while playing 18:52 per game.  He also played in 24 playoff games for the Cup champions, adding two goals and four helpers while averaging 17:46 per night.

In his eight year career (with Anaheim and Pittsburgh), Lovejoy, 32, has played in 334 games, collecting 15 goals and 62 assists.

Blues Sign Allen To Four-Year Extension

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According to the team, the St. Louis Blues have signed starting goaltender Jake Allen to a four-year extension worth a total of $17.4MM.  This comes after the team dealt Brian Elliott to Calgary last week, clearing the way for Allen to become their undisputed number one netminder.  He will join Carter Hutton, who signed with the Blues earlier today, as their goalie tandem.

Last season, Allen played in 47 games with St. Louis, compiling a 26-15-3 record with a 2.35 GAA, .920 SV%, and six shutouts.  Those 47 games are a career high, something that will likely change this year as he should see much more of the workload with Elliott gone.  He also got into four postseason contests (Elliott was the starter for most of their playoff run), going 2-1-1 with a 2.49 GAA and a .897 SV%.

In his NHL career – all spent with the Blues – the soon-to-be 26 year old has a 57-26-7 record in 99 games with a 2.34 GAA and a .915 SV%.

Flames Sign Chad Johnson

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The Calgary Flames have their new goalie duo, as they have signed Chad Johnson to be a reliable backup for the newly acquired Brian Elliott.  Sportsnet’s John Shannon reports that it is a one-year deal.

Johnson had one of the best years of his career with the Sabres in 2015-16.  He suited up in a career high 45 games (thanks to an injury to Robin Lehner), posting a 22-16-4 record with a 2.36 GAA and a .920 SV%, both impressive numbers for a non-playoff team.

Johnson is becoming a bit of a hockey nomad as this will be his fifth different team in as many seasons.

He has played in parts of six NHL seasons (101 games) with the Rangers, Coyotes, Bruins, Islanders, and Sabres, collecting a 50-30-11 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .917 SV%.

New York Islanders Sign Jason Chimera

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According to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, free agent winger Jason Chimera has signed on with the New York Islanders for two seasons at an annual salary of $2.25MM.

Chimera had a bounce back season with Washington in 2015-16.  In 82 games, the speedy winger had 20 goals and 20 assists.  He was a bit quieter in the playoffs, tallying just a goal and an assist in 12 postseason contests.

The fact that Chimera got a multi-year deal is interesting as he’s subject to the 35+ rule that means that if Chimera were to retire following 2016-17, the Islanders would still be responsible for his full cap hit.

In his 15 years, Chimera has played in a total of 951 games with Edmonton, Columbus, and Washington.  He has 163 goals and 206 assists for his career.

Blues Sign Carter Hutton

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Elliotte Friedman reports that the St. Louis Blues have signed former Nashville Predators backup Carter Hutton to a two-year deal with a cap hit of $1.125MM.  He will replace the recently-traded Brian Elliott in their goalie tandem, joining Jake Allen, who signed an extension earlier today.

Hutton suited up as the backup for the Preds last season behind incumbent Pekka Rinne.  He posted a 7-5-4 record with a 2.33 GAA and a .918 SV%, both career bests.  He also picked up two shutouts.  Hutton also got into three postseason contests in relief, posting a 3.00 GAA and a .667 SV%.

In his four year NHL career split between Chicago and Nashville, he has played in 76 games, collecting a 33-24-12 record with a 2.56 GAA and a .910 SV% with four shutouts.

Kings Ink Tom Gilbert For One Year

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Los Angeles Kings have signed free agent defenseman Tom Gilbert to a one-year deal worth $1.4MM.  The deal represents a 50% pay cut from the $2.8MM he earned last year.

Gilbert spent last season with Montreal where he scored just two points in 45 games while averaging 16:52 per game, down nearly three minutes from 2014-15.  He was a healthy scratch at times before suffering a season-ending knee injury just prior to the trade deadline.

In his career, Gilbert has played in 637 games between Edmonton, Minnesota, Florida, and Montreal, collecting 44 goals and 174 assists.  He’ll serve as a third pairing blueliner for the Kings.

Bruins Re-Sign Liles

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The Boston Bruins will bring back trade deadline acquisition John-Michael Liles on a one year, $2MM deal, reports Elliotte Friedman.  A spot on their back end moving forward was opened up yesterday with the buyout of Dennis Seidenberg.

The right-shot defenseman had six points in 17 games with the Bruins after coming over from the Carolina Hurricanes last season.  He also added 15 points (6-9-15) in 64 games with the ’Canes prior to the deal.

The 35 year old has played in 12 NHL campaigns with Colorado, Carolina, Toronto, and Boston.  He has 800 games under his belt, scoring 87 goals and 278 assists.

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