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His new deal is for three years at a total of $11.55 million. He will receive a $125,000 annual raise on his current deal, which runs through next season. His salary-cap hit on the new deal is $3.85 million.

The agreement with Kunitz, 33, came together quickly — as did the deal with Malkin earlier this month. By no coincidence, both players expressed a desire to sign long-term deals and below market value.

Shero was set on guaranteeing Crosby would have at least one of his preferred wingers — Kunitz and Dupuis — under contract for beyond next season, the sources said.

Dupuis projects to command a massive raise on his current $1.5 million annual salary after scoring 45 goals over the last two seasons. The Penguins have presented contract proposals to him and Cooke, but both players are 34 and want deals at lengths greater than two years.

Shero is expected to continue negotiations with both players' representatives through the entry draft. He had not held talks with the agent for Adams, also a pending unrestricted free agent.

Defensive measures

Orpik, 32, emerged as another player with one year remaining on his deal who Shero will try to re-sign.

He will count $3.75 million against the cap next season, and the Penguins believe any potential long-term replacement would prove more costly in free agency or by a trade. In March, Shero surrendered second-round picks in the next two drafts for Douglas Murray, like Orpik a physical defenseman.

Murray is set to hit the open market.

The Penguins have only one defenseman (Paul Martin) from their Eastern Conference finalist squad under contract for beyond next season.

The organization is flooded with top-level defensive prospects, but there is concern about forcing too many into the NHL before they are ready.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.28.2013

682750 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins’ Bylsma to coach Team USA

By Rob Rossi

Dan Bylsma will coach the U.S. men's ice hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics, sources told the Tribune-Review on Thursday.

Bylsma, the Penguins' coach, was not available for comment. He will be introduced at a news conference in New York. Team USA's management and coaches also will be unveiled at the news conference.

Penguins general manager Ray Shero will serve Team USA as associate to general manager David Poile, the sources said.

Shero said Poile, his former boss with Nashville, would be a deserving choice to replace 2010 Team USA general manger Brian Burke if Burke did not want to return.

Burke will serve Team USA in an advisory role.

Bylsma was considered the front-runner for the post by many within USA Hockey.

Besides having presided over a Stanley Cup-winning Penguins team in 2009, he is perceived as an ideal coach to oversee a squad that will be made up of NHL players — if the league and International Olympic Committee reach an agreement.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has said he is optimistic NHL players will participate in the 2014 Games, which will be held in the Russian resort town of Sochi.

Bylsma's candidacy also was boosted by his knowledge of Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who are expected to play for Canada and Russia, respectively, at the Games.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.28.2013

682751 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins sign Kunitz to three-year extension

June 27, 2013 9:22 am

Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Penguins have signed left winger Chris Kunitz to a three-year contract extension.

The deal, which will kick in for the 2014-15 season, carries a salary-cap hit of $3.85 million.

He has one year remaining on a deal with a $3.725 cap hit.

Kunitz was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013-14 season.

Post Gazette LOADED: 06.28.2013

682752 San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks re-sign defenseman Jason Demers

By Curtis Pashelka

Bay Area News Group

Posted: 06/27/2013 08:55:50 AM PDT

Updated: 06/27/2013 02:21:38 PM PDT

SAN JOSE — The Sharks announced Thursday they have signed defenseman Jason Demers and forward Brodie Reid to one-year contracts.

Demers, 25, a restricted free agent, battled injuries this season and had three points in 22 games. He also played one game for the Sharks in the second round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings. In 2011-2012, Demers had 13 points and 22 penalty minutes.

"Jason is a highly competitive puck moving defenseman that creates offense from the back end," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "We're looking forward to seeing him come back healthy and continue his growth with us."

"I just wanted to be back in San Jose ... and I'm just looking for a chance to prove myself," Demers said. "It's great they showed me a vote of confidence like that and get the opportunity for another year. So I'm excited and ready to go."

Reid, 23, played 34 games for Worcester Sharks this season and had 21 points and 19 penalty minutes.

The Sharks signed Andrew Desjardins and James Sheppard on Wednesday, leaving TJ Galiardi as their only major remaining restricted free agent yet to be signed for next season.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 06.28.2013

682753 San Jose Sharks

Sharks, Demers agree on one-year extension

Staff Writer

June 27, 2013, 8:45 am

The Sharks have agreed to a one-year contract extension with defenseman Jason Demers, the club announced on Thursday. The deal is worth $1.5 million, according to a source.

Demers was due to become a restricted free agent.

"Jason is a highly competitive, puck-moving defenseman that creates offense from the back end," GM Doug Wilson said in a statement. "We're looking forward to seeing him come back healthy and continuing his growth with us."

Demers had three points in 22 games with the Sharks in 2013 (1g, 2a), but played in just one playoff game due to a high left ankle sprain. He missed the first seven games of the shortened season due to a wrist injury suffered overseas during the NHL lockout, and four games from March 30-April 5 with a possible concussion after a hit to the head from Detroit’s Cory Emmerton.

“He’s a player we really like, he just needs to be healthy,” Wilson said. “He’ll have a great summer of training and come back and play the way he’s capable of, because he brings an element that we certainly like in our game.”

Demers played 30 games in Finland for Karpat during the lockout, scoring five goals and adding 16 assists for 21 points. He was injured in the Spengler Cup, just days before the NHL announced the end of the brutal work stoppage.

“Last year I had a lot of momentum coming in, especially overseas. It’s bad luck, or whatever you want to call it,” Demers said. “It just kind of spiraled from there. I still have some positive things to take from last year, and I’m going to apply those this summer and keep progressing and get better, and get to the player that I know I can be, and they know I can be.”

Demers had his best season as a professional in 2010-11, with 24 points (2g, 22a). Since then he’s had trouble staying healthy, but even when at 100 percent, Demers hasn’t been able to maintain a regular place in the Sharks’ lineup. This past season, he played just nine times in a 20-game stretch from Feb. 2 to March 16.

Demers said: “I just wanted to be back in San Jose. The last two years haven’t been the best. I’m just looking for a chance to prove myself, so it’s great to show me a vote of confidence like that. … I’m excited, and ready to go.”

Wilson was asked what Demers needs to do to stay in the lineup on a more regular basis.

“I think it’s just the consistency,” Wilson said. “I think with [coaches Larry Robinson and Jim Johnson] coming in, they really believe in him. … I think he was really playing well prior to him spraining his ankle.”

“He’s got a little risk-reward to his game, which we don’t mind, it’s just knowing when and where you can take those risks. We expect him to come back and have a really good year for us.”

The 25-year-old has 11 goals and 50 assists for 61 points and 81 penalty minutes in four seasons with the Sharks.

Sharks forward TJ Galiardi is the club’s only pending restricted free agent that ended last season on the NHL roster. On Wednesday, San Jose agreed to a two-year contract with Andrew Desjardins and a one-year deal with James Sheppard.

San Jose also re-signed forward Brodie Reid to a one-year contract. In 34 games with AHL Worcester in 2012-13, Reid, 23, had 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points.

Wilson mentioned there has been no decision yet on the position of Brent Burns. Next week, he plans to sit down with Burns and head coach Todd McLellan to discuss whether they would like the 28-year-old to play forward or defense in 2013-'14.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.28.2013

682754 St Louis Blues

TOP 5 DEFENSEMEN IN NHL DRAFT

Roger Hensley

TOP 5 DEFENSEMEN IN NHL DRAFT

Darnell Nurse

Team • Sault Ste. Marie

League • Ontario Hockey League

Ht, Wt • 6-4, 190

2012-13 stats • 68 games, 12 goals, 29 assists

Rasmus Ristolainen

Team • TPS

League • SM-liiga (Finland)

Ht, Wt • 6-4, 205

2012-13 stats • 52 games, 3 goals, 12 assists

Nikita Zadrov

Team • London

League • Ontario Hockey League

Ht, Wt • 6-5, 230

2012-13 stats • 63 games, 6 goals, 19 assists

Samuel Morin

Team • Rimouski

League • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Ht, Wt • 6-7, 205

2012-13 stats • 46 games, 4 goals, 12 assists

— By Jeremy Rutherford

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.28.2013

682755 St Louis Blues

Blues aren't looking to build defense through the draft

Jeremy Rutherford jrutherford@post-dispatch.com 314-444-7135

Would Blues’ fans mind if general manager Doug Armstrong returned from Sunday’s NHL draft with so many first-round selections it took two hands to count them?

“We could walk out of this draft with eight first-round picks if we want … easy,” Armstrong said. “But I don’t want to do that, our fan base, I don’t believe, wants that and I know our owner doesn’t want that. We’re not going to be in a perpetual rebuilding process. We could walk out of here with pick Nos. 12-20. But where does that put the organization?”

As it sits now, the Blues do not own a first-round pick heading into the NHL draft, which begins at 2 p.m. (St. Louis time). The club isn’t in the mode to trade players for high picks; in fact, it’s the opposite.

The Blues dealt their 2013 first-rounder to Calgary for defenseman Jay Bouwmeester to partner him with Alex Pietrangelo and improve the team’s immediate chances of competing. After an end-of-the-season feeling-out process, Armstrong says that having Bouwmeester in the fold from day one should benefit the group as a whole heading into 2013-14.

“Now we have three very speedy players in ‘Petro,’ ‘Bouw’ and ‘Shatty,’ (Kevin Shattenkirk) that’s very, very important to the team,” Armstrong said. “Then having very good, defined NHL players in Roman (Polak) and (Barret) Jackman in our five and then with (Kris) Russell, (Ian) Cole and potentially (Jordan) Leopold, I think our defense is going to be stable for many years moving forward now.”

Bouwmeester, who will turn 30 on Sept. 27, joined the Blues for the final 14 games of the regular season, notching a goal and six assists, and in his first-career playoff action finished with an assist in six games.

“I think you just try to keep building,” Bouwmeester said. “This was a goofy year for everyone. It was a short year, a compressed year, that sort of thing. Next year, you’ve got a full training camp. For a guy like myself, who’s kind of new, that will be good to get kind of settled. It’s a fine line between success and where we’re standing. It’s just a matter of getting it done.”

Pietrangelo, who had a 51-point season in 2011-12, struggled for much of last season as the Blues rotated his defensive partners. He finished with five goals and 24 points in 47 regular-season games but seemed to grow more comfortable down the stretch.

“I talked to he and Shattenkirk,” Armstrong said. “I thought they could do 100 percent of their job and maybe five percent of somebody else’s job, but in reality they were still at the ability to just do 100 percent of their job. I thought they both did better when we got experienced guys around them. It showed to me that they’re still in that part of their career where they just have to worry about themselves.

“And I also think this is the first time that either player played on a good NHL team, one where you know you’re going to get the other team’s ‘A’ game. So the game got a lot harder for them, but I think they’re both going to be very good at it. It’s something you learn from.”

On Wednesday, the Blues showed their commitment to Shattenkirk, finalizing a four-year, $17 million extension.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” he said Thursday. “I think from the very first meeting with ‘Army,’ he told me that we weren’t going to make (the 2011 trade with Colorado) unless you were involved. From that moment on, I knew how much he valued me and what he thought of me as a player. This is the place I can definitely grow as a player and become the player I think I can be.”

The Blues remain in communication with Pietrangelo’s agent, Don Meehan, on a contract extension.

Armstrong acknowledged Thursday that completing deals for Patrik Berglund and Shattenkirk the last two days would help clear up the picture for Pietrangelo’s situation.

“We’ve got more and more pieces in place,” Armstrong said. “Each contract does define what we’re going to be next year and the economics that we have to spend in different areas.”

Armstrong said the Blues would keep an open door with Bouwmeester, who will enter the final season of the contract he brought from Calgary, paying him $6.6 million in 2013-14.

“We’ll have a chat with him before the start of next season to see where his head is at,” Armstrong said. “Whether we get something done or not, it’s not one of those ones where I’m concerned that we’ve got to get something for the asset (at the trade deadline if he’s still unsigned). We got him here to win and we want to win.”

The Blues aren’t building their defense through the draft, as they did for several years. They believe the pieces are in place now.

“We have a tremendous blue line,” Shattenkirk said. “I really believe that we have probably one of the best defensive corps in the league. We just have a great collection of players who can do it all. Obviously with Petro, we all know he’s a special player … to add Jay to the defensive group at the end of the year was very important for us. I think going forward, the more experience that we get and the more time we have to play with each other, we know we’re going to get better.”

NHL Draft

When: Sunday, 2 p.m.

Where: Prudential Center (Newark, N.J.)

TV: NBC Sports Network (2-7 p.m.), NHL Network (7-9:30 p.m.)

Blues picks: 2nd round (No. 47), 3rd round (No. 83), 4th round (Nos. 94 and 113), 6th round (No. 173) and 7th round (No. 203).

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 06.28.2013

682756 St Louis Blues

Shattenkirk thrilled to be part of Blues' building young nucleus

Published: June 27, 2013

By NORM SANDERS — Belleville News-Democrat

The St. Louis Blues on Thursday showed just how much value they place on defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, signing the restricted free agent to a four-year, $17 million contract extension.

"Obviously I'm on cloud nine right now, this is a great opportunity for me," Shattenkirk said. "To have the type of commitment that the Blues made and the faith that they have in me to perform and showing it in this way is pretty special.

"It really didn't take too long. We both wanted to get something done and I think there was a deal to be had the whole way through."

The 24-year-old former Boston University standout joined the Blues in a February, 2011 trade from Colorado. He came to St. Louis as what at the time seemed additional defense depth since the deal included high-scoring winger Chris Stewart.

Since then, Shattenkirk has blossomed into one of the league's top young defensemen. On Thursday he recalled his first meeting with Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong.

"From my very first meeting with 'Army,' where he sat me down and said 'We weren't going to make this trade unless you were involved' ... from that moment on I knew how much he valued me and what he thought of me as a player.

"It's just made it easier to play in St. Louis when you know the coaches and management have that confidence and faith in you to be an elite player."

Faced with a large pile of free-agent wood to split, Armstrong continues to make good use of the equipment at his disposal.

The Blues have signed center Patrik Berglund and Shattenkirk, still looking to make deals with restricted free agents Alex Pietrangelo and Chris Stewart.

"What Kevin has done, which made this an easier deal for us, is he's probably been the most consistent player we've had in our organization," Armstrong said, referring to Shattenkirk's first three years with the franchise. "He's been a very consistent offensive producer. His first three years he's been in the top 25 in scoring among defensemen each year, which is a testament to how he came into the league and his consistency.

"We think he's just scratching the surface of how good of a player he can be."

Shattenkirk had five goals and 23 points in 48 games last season and in 201 career games has 23 goals and 109 points.

"Now we have to work together to move his game past an offensive defenseman and round that into someone that can play 23 to 25 minutes over time, kill penalties, play on the power play and play 5-on-5," Armstrong said. "This contract is an indication that we believe that can be achieved. The offense seems to be something that comes natural."

Throughout his career, Shattenkirk has faced questions about his size (5-foot-11, 207 pounds) and ability to play on the defensive side of the puck.

" I know my offensive abilities come a little more naturally and defensively, especially as a smaller sized defenseman, is where I need to keep getting more experience," he said. "I tried to really work on that every year and it comes from a lot of experience, which luckily I'm able to get night-in and night -out."

Shattenkirk isn't content with his current game and wants to keep evolving into a more complete player.

"It comes from challenging yourself every night," he said. "I think I set pretty high goals for myself to be the best defenseman on the team. We have a lot of great defenseman on the team, but the only way you can get better is to strive to be the best defenseman."

The Blues still need to sign Pietrangelo, in line to receive an even larger deal than Shattenkirk's. The pair join Barret Jackman, Jay Bouwmeester and Roman Polak to give the Blues one of the deepest defense units in the NHL.

"Alex has gained a lot of attention, but Kevin really doesn't need to take a back seat to anyone as far as what he accomplished," Armstrong said.

The Blues also re-signed former No. 1 draft pick Ian Cole and are negotiating with free agents Kris Russell and Jordan Leopold.

"We have a tremendous blue line," Shattenkirk said. "I really believe that we have probably one of the best defensive corps in the league. We just have a great collection of players who can do it all."

Shattenkirk felt the Blues took an important step this season despite the first-round playoff loss to the Kings after winning the first two games of the series.

"Hats off to the Kings because they showed their experience and how winning Stanley Cups can give you that confidence that it's never over," Shattenkirk said. "It was another growing step for us. We were better in the playoffs this year than we were two years ago and for us, that's what we have to hold onto."

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 06.28.2013

682757 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning buy out remainder of Lecavalier's contract

By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff

Published: June 27, 2013

For 15 years, Vinny Lecavalier served as the face of the Tampa Bay Lightning, an all-star on the ice and a pillar in the community with his charity work.

That made Thursday all the more difficult.

Fifteen years to the day after drafting Lecavalier with the first overall pick in the 1998 NHL draft, the Lightning opted to part ways with the longest tenured player in franchise history. Taking advantage of a limited opportunity to buy out the remainder of his contract without penalty, Tampa Bay will pay Lecavalier two-thirds of the value remaining on the 11-year, $85 million contract extension he signed in 2008 and thought would keep him in a Lightning uniform for his entire career.

With $45 million and seven years left on the deal, Tampa Bay will pay Lecavalier $32 million over the next 14 years, roughly $2.33 million a year.

Lecavalier was at home in Tampa, at the breakfast table with his wife, Caroline, and their three children, when the call came from Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman.

"Although I knew the reality of the situation, it still hit me and my family hard this morning," Lecavalier said. "When I signed my long-term deal with the Lightning, it was because I wanted to spend my entire career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's where I started at 18 years of age, the city where I've spent the longest amount of time in my life, ... where I wanted to end my career."

Instead, Lecavalier, 33, becomes an unrestricted free agent when the market opens at noon on July 5, free to sign with any team in the league - except the Lightning.

"It's tough to imagine," Lecavalier said. "The last few weeks, we've had a few conversations with the organization. Obviously, you don't know until it happens. . When you get the phone call and you're told you can't play for the Lightning, it was pretty rough on everybody, my family, myself. I've been here 14 years. It was definitely, still is, really hard."

It was not a decision made lightly. Yzerman and his staff held numerous internal discussions weighing the pros and cons before ultimately deciding to part ways with Lecavalier.

"There was a lot of consideration, and it's not something I enjoy or we enjoy doing. It's an inevitable part of the business," Yzerman said. "But we recognize and were concerned that we have a player that was an original draft pick and a very popular player. So, that makes it more difficult."

The move frees up roughly $7.7 million annually in salary cap space, nearly $54 million total over the next seven years. The savings is critical considering the salary cap for next season shrinks by $6 million, down from $70 million last season to $64.3 million.

With that in mind, the collective bargaining deal signed in January gave teams two amnesty buyouts to use this summer or next without incurring the salary cap penalty that normally comes with a contract buyout.

"We have two compliance buyouts if we choose to use them," Yzerman said. "Do we use one now or next year? We felt that in regards to Vinny, in particular, that if we were going to go down that road, it was better to do it this year instead of waiting until next year."

Lecavalier holds 15 franchise records, including career games (1.037), goals (383), power-play goals (112) and game-winning goals (60).

Yet, Lecavalier takes with him more than just the on-ice moments with Tampa Bay - the 2004 Stanley Cup Championship, the 2007 Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer. He leaves behind a legacy of philanthropic work that endeared him deeply to people around town.