James Murphy of ESPN: Deal is for 7 years and $45.5 million. The “Ilya Kovalchuk” rule is in effect for this deal as Chara will turn 41 three months before the deal expires. For the first 6 years will carry a cap hit of $6.917 million, $4 million in the last year.
Update 10:19 am: Jimmy Murphy via twitter: One source telling Murphy (chasing down more to confirm) that Chara’s deal is 7 years at $6.5 million per season.
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe: The Boston Bruins and Zdeno Chara are finalizing a long term contract extension. The contract could be done in this morning/early afternoon. It could be in the 6-7 year range at slightly lower than his $7.5 cap hit. It could be in the $6.5-6.8 million range.
Rebekah L. Sanders: The process to sell the Phoenix Coyotes has been “characterized by missed deadlines, failed negotiations and growing worries as the final cutoff for negotiations loom.” If the Coyotes are not sold by Christmas time to someone who is willing to keep the team in Phoenix, the team will then becomes available for relocation. The city of Glendale as worked for months on 2 deals to see them fall through. Chicago investor Matthew Hulsizer has recently stepped up as the 3rd person/group attempting to get something worked out. Keeping the team in Glendale “remains our sole objective today,” Daly said. “Nothing to this point in time would suggest to us that the objective is unachievable.” The Coyotes have lost as much as $30 million each year since moving from Winnipeg in 1996. A stumbling block on any deal, “Glendale and the NHL want a buyer to reimburse them for keeping the team afloat these excruciating months.“
Mark Everson of the NY Post: The New Jersey Devils are right against the cap with 20 players (played with 20 last night). A league official said they “would be allowed to start play with just 19 players dressed, or 18, or even 17, if they had to.” Without trading or demoting someone, they don’t have the room to call up someone as an injury replacement.
Pierre LeBrun via twitter: Patrice Bergeron’s contract breakdown: $1 million signing bonus each year. $4.9 million in 2011-12, $3.55 million in 2012-13, $3.55 million in 2013-14 season.
Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal: Sheldon Souray is grateful for the opportunity to be playing in Hershey, and added this, “I look at coming here as a positive thing for me to get in this environment, in a winning environment, in a structured and healthy environment, and just start a new kind of chapter in my life.”
Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider: Despite being on the 4th line, rookie Brayden Schenn will get some power play time. Coach Terry Murray “Schenn has been a big part of that power play throughout the training camp. He’s got good vision, he’s composed, he makes good plays. He’s going to start there with Kopitar on that group right now. We sure liked what we saw in the practice today.”
Bob McKenzie via twitter: Yesterday the Carolina Hurricanes put Justin Pogge and Brett Carson on waivers.
