The Florida Panthers are hoping to add a scoring forward this offseason, but it appears they've already lost out on one of the best free agents available.
The team is reportedly out of the running to sign the soon-to-be-former New York Islanders winger, sources told George Richards of the Miami Herald. When asked if the team would make a big splash in free agency, Richards said the team had "two forwards in the works."
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Buffalo Sabres have re-signed defenceman Jake McCabe to a three-year contract extension.
McCabe was a restricted free agent and signed on Thursday, three days after Buffalo retained his rights by tendering a qualifying off...
Jared Cowen is reportedly still a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he appears to be involved in an arbitration dispute.
The defenseman wasn't bought out before the end of the first window Thursday, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.
Cowen's medical status is believed to be in question, according to McKenzie, who added that both the team's and Cowen's representatives refused to comment.
The players' union is reportedly taking action.
It's believed NHLPA is now involved. This may well be subject of grievance arbitration but details scarce as both sides refuse to comment.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL and NHLPA did in fact begin an arbitration case Wednesday to determine whether the Leafs can buy Cowen out.
A decision isn't expected in the immediate future, according to Friedman, but the reported dispute apparently concerns whether Cowen was healthy when he was shut down after Toronto acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in February.
3) but, word is Cowen had surgery after he left TOR on a doctor's recommendation. Prior to that, he had been cleared to play in AHL...
The 25-year-old was traded to the Leafs in the deal that sent former captain Dion Phaneuf to the Senators. Cowen didn't play a game for Toronto due to hip problems.
Weber spent 11 seasons with the Predators after being selected in the second round of the 2003 draft.
He's the franchise leader in power-play goals and shots on goal, and he ranks second in games played, second in goals, third in assists, and third in points all time among Predators skaters.
Weber served as Nashville's captain for the last six seasons.
The Buffalo Sabres locked up one of their restricted free agents Thursday, signing defenseman Jake McCabe to a three-year contract extension, the team announced.
The 22-year-old recently completed his first full NHL season, recording four goals and ten assists in 77 games while leading the Sabres with a plus-6 rating.
McCabe spent most of last season playing alongside Zach Bogosian, and is expected to be a top-four blue-liner for years to come. He was a second-round draft pick of the Sabres in 2012.
That's pretty significant, considering the Canadiens have been in the NHL since 1917.
Over that near-century, more than a handful of deals have reshaped the franchise and altered the direction of the club for years afterward.
Here are the five biggest trades in the history of the Canadiens.
Patrick Roy to the Avalanche
If there's one deal that stirred as much controversy as Wednesday's one-for-one swap, it was Patrick Roy's exit in 1995.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner won two Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens before his infamous falling-out with head coach Mario Tremblay during an embarrassing 11-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Four days later, the star goaltender was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche along with captain Mike Keane for forwards Andrei Kovalenko and Martin Rucinsky, as well as netminder Jocelyn Thibault.
Roy won the Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 and cemented his Hall of Fame legacy. The Canadiens haven't returned to the final since he was dealt.
Subban for Weber
There's no way to sugarcoat it: The Canadiens got significantly worse by dealing away a 27-year-old franchise defenseman in the prime of his career for a declining 31-year-old with an atrocious contract.
What made it most confounding is that Canadiens management gave no specific reason for making the deal, and it's a trade the club and its fan base won't soon forget.
Sealing California's fate
Guy Lafleur could have been a California Golden Seal if not for a major trade.
The Canadiens acquired the first overall pick in the 1971 draft from California along with Francois Lacombe for 1970 first-rounder Chris Oddleifson and veteran forward Ernie Hicke.
Montreal selected Lafleur with the top pick in '71, and it was a brilliant choice.
He won the Cup five times with Montreal, finishing his Hall of Fame career as the franchise's all-time assists and points leader. He ranks second in Canadiens history in goals (518) behind Maurice "Rocket" Richard (544).
Five years after the trade, the Golden Seals relocated to Cleveland and became the Barons before merging with the Minnesota North Stars in 1978.
Toe Blake goes across town
After playing eight games for the Montreal Maroons and winning the Stanley Cup in 1935, left winger Hector "Toe" Blake was traded to the Canadiens for goaltender Lorne Chabot in 1936.
That turned out to be a steal for the Habs. Blake won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1939, authored six 20-goal seasons, and won two more championships with the Canadiens in 1944 and 1946.
Blake's biggest contributions with the Canadiens came behind the bench. After eight years coaching the club's affiliates, he was named head coach of the NHL club in 1955.
He won the Stanley Cup in each of his first five seasons in the role, and guided the team to eight championships between 1956 and 1968.
Canadiens land 'The Big M'
Frank Mahovlich was a 16-year NHL veteran at the time of his trade from the Detroit Red Wings, but he turned out to be a major addition for the Canadiens.
Mahovlich was traded along with defenseman Bart Crashley for center Garry Monahan and minor-league blue-liner Doug Piper. Mahovlich played his final four NHL seasons with the Canadiens, notching a 43-goal season and three campaigns with at least 30. He won two championships with Montreal, giving him six in his career.
Monahan, Montreal's first overall pick in 1963, was the only other player to suit up for an NHL team after the deal. He collected seven points in 51 games with the Red Wings before moving on to the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to bolster their blue line when free agency begins July 1.
The team is looking to add a top-four defenseman, TSN's Darren Dreger reported during Thursday's "Insider Trading," adding that the team has "shown interest" in pending unrestricted free agent Kris Russell.
The 29-year-old started last season with the Calgary Flames, and was traded to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline. It appears unlikely Russell will re-sign in Texas, and Dreger notes a long list of teams are interested in his services.
With Stamkos sticking with the Tampa Bay Lightning instead of hitting the free-agent market Friday at noon ET, Lucic is the big-ticket unrestricted free-agent forward. And the power forward is about to become unimaginably wealthy.
Lucic has narrowed his choices to two teams, according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun. It seems a decision will be made Friday, when the market opens.
LeBrun reported earlier Thursday that demand for Lucic's services is "sky high," adding there's "no shortage of interest" and identifying the Montreal Canadiens as one of the teams looking at the 28-year-old.
