NHL Hockey Player News

The Kings acquired Gaborik for a very reasonable price at the trade deadline and what they got in return was 16 points (5G / 11A) in 19 regular season games and then he went on to lead the playoff in goals with 14, while adding eight assists en route to a Stanley Cup win. The longterm deal has him signed until he is 39, which is alarming, but the annual cap-hit of just $4.9 million is reasonable for a player of Gaborik's caliber.

The Oilers acquired Nikitin's rights from the Blue Jackets in exchange for a fifth-round pick. The 28-year-old Nikitin has had a very difficult time staying healthy. He missed 16 games this season with a combination of upper and lower-body injuries. He has missed a total of 54 games over the last three seasons (25.5% of games). However, when he is in the lineup he has shown flashes of top-4 defenseman. He had 32 points in his first year with the Blue Jackets but saw his production fall to two goals and 13 assists (15 points) last year.

Callahan was acquired with a pair of draft picks for Martin St. Louis at the trade deadline. In 20 games with the Lightning he had six goals and five assists (11 points) to go along with a plus-4 rating. Callahan did not see a ton of playing time with Steven Stamkos next season, but that is something that may change heading into 2014-15. He is typically good for 20-plus goals and 20-plus assists, but regular ice-time with Stamkos and we could see those numbers inflate.

Markov, 35, had seven goals and 36 assists (43 points) in 81 games. After a couple of tough years battling injury, Markov has only missed one game over the last two seasons. He is getting up there in age, but 2013-14 was one of the best offensive years of his career. He heads into 2014-15 as a top-20 fantasy blueliner.

McGinn tallied 19 goals and 19 assists (38 points) in 79 games with the Avalanche in 2013-14. 38 points is a career-high for McGinn, who beat his previous best of 37 from 2011-12.

Halak was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The Islanders acquired his rights from the Washington Capitals on May 1 in a trade for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. Halak won 29 games this season. He was fourth in the NHL with five shutouts and eighth with a 2.25 goals-against average.

Brown totaled two goals and three assists with 94 penalty minutes in 56 games between the Oilers and Sharks. The Sharks acquired Brown from Edmonton in late October in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

In his first season as a full-time NHLer, Stalock proved to be a more than capable backup to Antti Niemi. Stalock pushed Niemi for the starting job all season, finishing up the year 12-5-2 with a 1.87 GAA and .932 SV%. He also saw some playing time in the postseason, where he turned aside 52 of 56 shots (.929 SV%).

During his seven seasons with the Flyers, Timonen has won five Barry Ashbee trophies as the team’s best defenseman, including the last three in a row. Timonen finished the 2013-14 season with six goals and 29 assists (35 points) in 77 games. In seven years with Philly he has averaged 38.6 points per season, that is including 29 points in 45 games in the lockout shortened season. Despite getting up there in age, Timonen has only missed a total of 21 regular season games in his tenure with the Flyers. He should be a reliable blueliner yet again in 2014-15.

Starter Pekka Rinne is signed for the next seven years. The Predators signed Hutton last offseason under the recommendation of goaltending coach Mitch Korn. The latter helped turn Hutton into a viable NHL backup with a 2.62 goals against average and .910 save percentage and a 20-11-4 record. Before last season, Hutton had played just one NHL game.

Elliott was set to become a unrestricted free agent in the summer, but this signing means that Ryan Miller will not be back in 2014-15, while Elliott is signed through the 2016-17 season. Elliott was 18-6-2 with a 1.96 GAA and .922 SV% with the Blues this season.

Gustafsson played in only 31 regular-season games and played the final two playoff games after fellow countryman Nicklas Grossmann went down injured. He and Hal Gill were often healthy scratches for the Flyers, who carried eight defensemen for most of the season. Gustafsson was set to become a UFA in the summer.

The Devils did not release terms of the contract. Jagr said it was a one-year deal. The contract is believed to be worth $6 million US with incentives. Jagr was the Devils' leading scorer this, finishing with 24 goals and 43 assists for 67 points.

MacDonald was acquired by the Flyers around this year's trade deadline on March 4 from the NY Islanders, and since joining the team, has four assists in 19 games and recorded over 20 minutes of ice-time in 14 of those games, including a Flyers-high of 28:49 at Pittsburgh on April 12. The 6-1, 190-pound defenseman led all NHL players in blocked shots this season with 242 and was one of three players in the NHL with over 200 blocks. He finished the season with four goals and 24 assists for 28 points in 82 games between the Islanders and Flyers.

Tokarki, 24 was 2-0-0 with a 1.84 GAA and .946 SV% in his brief time with Montreal this season. While with Hamilton he has gone 20-15-3 with a 2.36 GAA and .920 SV%. Tokarski will likely spend another season in the AHL before moving up to be Cary Price's backup when Peter Budaj's contract is up at the end of next season.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Glendening has six assists, but is still searching for his first NHL goal. He has played 51 games this season and has played very well in a shut down, fourth-line role.

Folin was viewed as the best undrafted college play on the market. He's set to join the Wild on Tuesday night in Chicago, though he's not eligible for the playoffs this season since he was added after the March 5 trade deadline. Folin is a big boy at 6-foot-3, 210 lbs. that can play in both ends of the rink. Folin has a powerful right handed shot that would help bolster any powerplay unit. Folin is someone to potentially keep an eye on late in 2014-15 fantasy drafts.

Faulk, 22, has three goals and 21 assists (24 points) in 65 games this season. He was a U.S Olympian this season which speaks to his talent in the early stages of his NHL career. In 169 career NHL games, Faulk has 16 goals and 45 assists (61 points). The deal will carry an annual cap-hit of $4.9 million.

Boulton, 36, appeared in 23 games with the Islanders this season, recording four points (two goals, two assists) and 88 penalty minutes. The Halifax, NS, native’s second season with the Islanders was cut short by a wrist injury suffered March 4 in Winnipeg.

Raffl played more than he usually does after Steve Downie got hurt in the first period this afternoon. He has nine goals and 12 assists (21 points) in 56 games this season. Raffl has good speed and can also play a strong defensive-minded game. He's played on all four of the Flyers' lines this season and has excelled on the penalty kill. The $1.1 million AAV is a very friendly cap hit for the Flyers, but the contract has firmly cemented Raffl in the club's plans at the NHL level next season.