Free Agent Day 2008

Welcome to the most important hockey day in July.  It doesn’t sound so important when you write it out like that, but make no mistake, today brings us into the 2008-09 season.  Rosters will start to fill up, and within a few days we’ll start seeing standings predictions.

Happy Canada Day, too.

At noon Eastern, the first free agent signings will become official.  Jamie Fitzgerald and I will be working on keeping up with rumors and official signings.

Tracker - follow along and comment

July 3

10:13am - The Caps have signed Keith Aucoin.
12:13pm - The Habs have traded Mikhail Grabovski for Greg Pateryn and the Leafs’ second round pick in 2010.
12:33pm - The Canadiens have signed Alex Henry for one year, and Cédrick Desjardins for two years.
12:59pm - The Stars have signed Francis Wathier, Maxime Fortunus and Garrett Stafford each to two-year, two-way contracts through the 2009-10 season. They also signed Landon Wilson to a one-year, two-way contract for 2008-09.
1:48pm - The Hurricanes signed Dwight Helminen to a one-year, two-way contract for $475k in the NHL level and $100k in the minors.
1:59pm - The Pens have signed Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan, each for one year.
2:08pm - The Coyotes have signed David Hale for two years.
2:11pm - The Oilers have signed Taylor Chorney to a three-year entry level contract.
2:24pm - Wyatt Smith has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Bolts.
2:50pm - Georges Laraque has gone home to Montreal, signing a three-year deal with the Habs.
3:53pm - Avalanche sign Daniel Tjarnqvist and Chris Durno.
4:16pm - The Islanders have gone on a signing spree, giving contracts to Kurtis McLean, Chris Lee, Mitch Fritz, Peter Mannino, Mike Iggulden and Brett Skinner.
4:18pm - The Wild have signed Antti Miettinen.
4:39pm - The Rangers signed Markus Naslund to a two-year, $8 million contract and Dmitri Kalinin to a one-year contract.
4:49pm - The Florida Panthers signed Rory Fitzpatrick, Steve MacIntyre, Chris Beckford-Tseu and James DeLory. Panthers, or Amerks fans, will definitely be happy with MacIntyre.
5:11pm - The Leafs signed Dominic Moore, John Mitchell and Greg Scott.
5:32pm - In a shocker, the Canadiens have signed another Montreal native. Marc Denis signed a one-year, two-way deal.
5:39pm - The Sharks have signed Rob Blake.
5:52pm - The Blues re-sign Yan Stastny to a two-year deal.
6:43pm - The Coyotes re-sign Matt Jones.
7:20pm - The Coyotes have also signed another heavyweight, this time Francis Lessard.  Both Phoenix and San Antonio will be fun to watch.
10:41pm - Brian McGrattan, recently traded to the Coyotes for a draft pick, signed a one-year deal with the team.

July 1 and 2 after the jump

hockeyfights.com links

News
General Off-Season Rumors
2008 Qualifying Offer Deadline Thread
Player Movement & Rumors Forum

July 2

10:25am - Lightning re-sign Janne Niskala and Ryan Craig.
11:28am - The Hurricanes have signed Josef Melichar.
11:45am - The FAN 960 is reporting the Flames signed Jim and Pete Vandermeer.  Phoenix may look tough, but the Flames will not be out-Vandermeered this season.
12:03pm - The Hurricanes have signed Joni Pitkanen to a 3-year, $12 mil contract.
12:05pm - The Canucks have signed Ryan Johnson.
12:35pm - The Marian Hossa sweepstakes have ended.  Detroit locks him up for just one year at $7.4 mil.
12:45pm - The Canucks sign Curtis Sanford.
1:00pm - The Flames have announced signing Curtis Glencross.
1:05pm - Philadelphia re-signs Randy Jones for two years and and Riley Cote for three, to the delight of Philly fans.
1:09pm - Sean Avery is reportedly signing with Dallas, home of subtle fashion trends.  Mike Heika, get ready for some great quotes.  Mini-update, Sportsnet says it’s $16 mil, 4-year deal.
1:56pm - The Bruins re-up Petteri Nokelainen.
2:45pm - The Senators have signed Shean Donovan to a two-year contract.
3:05pm - The Senators have also signed Jarkko Ruutu. He received a three-year, $3.9 mil deal.
3:43pm - The Thrashers have signed Ron Hainsey to a five-year deal.
4:51pm - The Wild re-sign Kurtis Foster for one year.
5:03pm - The Penguins have signed Brooks Orpik to a six-year, $22.5 mil deal.
5:07pm - Colorado re-signs Wojtek Wolski for two years.
5:13pm - The Stars have signed BJ Crombeen to a one-year $550k contract.
6:47pm - Long rumored, the Islanders have locked up Doug Weight for one year at $1.75 mil, covering LI taxes for the season.
9:44pm - Kristian Huselius has signed a four-year deal with Columbus.

July 1

8:45am - We’re still hours away from the opening bell, but Washington has made the first move of the day locking up RFA Mike Green to a 4-year deal.
9:26am - Sorry Tampa, TSN has learned Brian Rolston will test out the market.
10:28am - Bryce Salvador re-signs with New Jersey for 4 years at $11.6 million.
11:14am - Will this be the first UFA signing of the day?  Toronto radio is reporting that Cujo will make his return to the Leafs.
11:23am - TSN with a breaking trade.  The Oilers send Raffi Torres to Columbus for Gilbert Brule.  Time to console the girlfriend (Raffi’s her man)
11:33am - Tom Gulitti, who covers the Devils for The Record is reporting that they’ve re-signed David Clarkson, Jay Pandolfo and Barry Tallackson
11:45am - Pierre LeBrun from Sportsnet says Cristobal Huet will test the free agent market.
12:00pm - It’s officially UFA season.
12:03pm - Brad Stuart has re-signed with Detroit for 4 years at $3.75 million per.
12:08pm - TSN reports Edmonton has traded Joni Pitkanen to Carolina for Erik Cole.
12:10pm - Chicago has shipped Rene Bourque to Calgary for a 2nd round pick.
12:10pm - Anaheim officially signed Corey Perry to a 5-year deal worth $26.625 million.
12:39pm - Boston makes the Blake Wheeler signing official
12:50pm - Sportsnet is reporting the Lightning have signed Radim Vrbata
1:10pm - Sportsnet also reports that Curtis Joseph to Toronto is official.
1:22pm - Carolina has re-signed Wade Brookbank and Tim Conboy
1:33pm - The Wild make their first moves signing Andrew Brunette and acquiring Marek Zidlicky
1:35pm - Kyle Wellwood accepts one-year deal from Canucks.
1:49pm - RDS reports the Kings have traded for Denis Gauthier.
2:11pm - Pittsburgh has re-signed Mark Eaton to a 2-year deal.
2:27pm - Sportsnet is reporting that Vancouver has offered Mats Sundin a 2-year, $20 million contract.  What?
2:52pm - FAN 590 reports Olaf Kolzig has signed with Tampa Bay.
2:56pm - A couple of signings.  Jose Theodore to Washington and Kurt Sauer to Phoenix
3:04pm - Another goalie… Andrew Raycroft signs with the Avs for one year
3:10pm - Two more signings! Ty Conklin is off to Detroit and Montreal re-signs RFA Andrei Kostitsyn
3:14pm - First HW to switch teams.  Phoenix, the new bad boys of the NHL, signed Todd Fedoruk to a 3-year deal.  Congrats Fridge!
3:25pm - Leafs sign Jeff Finger to a 4-year deal worth $3.5 mil per.
3:45pm - After a bit of a lull, he have some tough guy signings.  Eric Godard is off to Pittsburgh and Aaron Voros signed with the Rangers.  Also we have Huet going to Chicago and Cory Stillman to Florida
3:58pm - The Canucks have reportedly signed David Backes to an offer sheet for three years at $2.5 million per year. The Blues must match the offer within seven days, or Backes goes to Vancouver and St Louis receives a second-round pick.
4:04pm - Darcy Tucker has signed with Colorado.
4:29pm - A couple of more goalies gone.  Alex Auld is going to Ottawa, Patrick Lalime has signed with Buffalo.
5:39pm - The first really big UFA is gone. Brian Campbell has signed with Chicago for 8 years.
6:30pm - Another big name signed, Brian Rolston is off to New Jersey.  Columbus adds Mike Commodore, the Flyers sign Ossi Vaananen, the Rangers get Patrick Rissmiller and the Canucks have a new tough guy - Darcy Hordichuk.
6:45pm - The Rangers Re-Sign Michal Rozsival and the Flyers add Glen Metropolit.
6:53pm - Bobby Holik is a Devil once again.  The Leafs sign Niklas Hagman to a 4-year deal.
7:13pm - Craig Weller has a new home in Minnesota.
7:34pm - The Rangers have landed a big name in Wade Redden.  Big money too, $39 million over 6 years.
7:45pm - Barry Melrose has a new enforcer.  Tampa has signed David Koci.
8:08pm - The Islanders have signed Mark Streit to a five-year deal worth $20.5 million.
9:59pm - The Rangers re-sign Steve Valiquette.
10:08pm - The Bruins have signed Michael Ryder to a three-year contract worth $4 million per season.

Recap of the last few days

Buffalo Re-Signs Gaustad to Four-Year Deal
Sharks Re-Sign Jody Shelley
Lightning Acquire Janne Niskala
Panthers Sign Olesz to Multi-Year Deal
Flyers Acquire Tim Ramholt From Calgary
Rangers Sign Matt Zaba to Contract Extension
Oilers Acquire Lubomir Visnovsky
Lightning Acquire Rights to Brian Rolston
Colorado Re-Signs Liles and Foote
Lightning Sign Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts
Flyers Sign Eminger to One-Year Deal