Lets get you up to date on what’s going down on the NHL front.

-Vancouver just likes to get in the news! Check this out…the Canucks offered David Backes in St. Louis an offer sheet a week ago, and the Blues fire back today offering Canucks forward Steve Bernier a 1 year offer sheet at 2.5 million dollars. And NOW Vancouver has matched the offer, so Bernier will be sticking around in Van.

-Brendan Morrison has signed a 1 year deal worth $2.75 million in Anaheim. According to reports, as many as 9 teams were after the former Canuck. He’s still rehabbing from knee surgery.

-According to a Slovakian TV station, the Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent forward Pavol Demitra to a 3 year contract worth 4 million dollars. That’s not confirmed at this point. We’re also hearing that Vancouver and Mats Sundin are still in talks.

-The Ottawa Senators sign defenceman Jason Smith to a 2 year contract at $5.2 million.

-Forward Mark Recchi is coming back for another year, signing a 1 year contract with Tampa Bay worth $1.25 million with bonuses. The Lightning also bringing winger Evgeny Artyukhin back from Russia, signing him to a 2 year deal worth $1.9 million.

-Blueliner Paul Mara re-signing with the New York Rangers…that’s a 1 year deal worth $1.95 million.

-Flyers forward Patrick Thoreson has rejected a final contract offer from Philly and is temporarily returning to European hockey.

Still digesting the signing of Todd Bertuzzi yesterday. The Flames signed him to a 1 year deal worth $1.95 million. I did a special edition of Overtime last night from 6-8 pm, and I’ve come to my final resting spot thought-wise on the subject. I don’t like the move for a number of reasons, none of them having to do with Bertuzzi’s past or “baggage” issues. That stuff is immaterial to me. I don’t like it because I’d rather see the Flames continue their emphasis on youth and speed…and while this move doesn’t stop that, it certainly makes you scratch your head as to what direction this team is going. Again, as I’ve said, I was hoping we might see Moss in a bigger role this year, so those are the reasons I’m not huge on the deal right now. But I’m also not sitting here saying how much I hate it…I’m fully aware that it could end up being a very good move, in which case I am fully ready to eat my words. So for those reasons, I’m ready to wait and see and find out what happens…I won’t fully judge the deal until we’ve given it lots of time.

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