Transfer Market hots up

Pittsburgh - The Pittsburgh Penguins' busy off-season continues as they traded forward Tyler Kennedy to the San Jose Sharks for a second-round pick in Sunday's NHL draft. The Penguins got the 50th overall pick for the rights to Kennedy, who is a restricted free agent. Kennedy, 26, had six goals and five assists in 46 regular-season games and two goals and three assists in nine playoff games. "Tyler is a highly-competitive forward who plays with speed and has a history of scoring big goals," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a statement. "He has played in a lot of playoff games over the last past five seasons, won a Stanley Cup and we think he fits in perfectly with our group and how we want to play the game."

The Penguins are reportedly close to an agreement with defenseman Kris Letang on an eight-year contract extension worth $58 million, according to multiple media reports. Letang has one year left on his current contract that pays him $3.5 million annually. His new deal will reportedly have a limited no-trade clause. Letang, who was the Penguins' third-round draft pick in 2006 (No. 62), had 38 points in 35 games in 2012-13 and was a Norris Trophy finalist. He has 209 points in 385 career regular-season games since making his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2006. Letang won the Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009. He has 47 points in 80 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Columbus - Not long after it was reported the Columbus Blue Jackets could be investigating a potential trade involving Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, the Columbus Dispatch is reporting the sides have agreed on a two-year contract. Bobrovsky will become a restricted free agent if he is not signed by July 5. TSN is reporting the Blue Jackets were looking into trading Bobrovsky because his asking price was high, reportedly $6 million per season in a new contract. Bobrovsky, in his first season with the Blue Jackets, was second in the League with a .932 save percentage and fifth with a 2.00 goals-against average. He went 21-11-6 and became the first Russian-born goaltender to win the Vezina earlier this month.


Tampa Bay - Former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier spent the past two days meeting with several teams interested in signing him when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 5. The teams Lecavalier reportedly met with are the Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames. Dallas general manager Jim Nill confirmed his team's meeting with Lecavalier prior to the start of the 2013 NHL Draft on Sunday and said he likes the Stars' chances.

"I think we've got a great opportunity," Nill said, who has the impression that Lecavalier will be making his decision within the next few days. "I think he wants to get it over with soon, I know he's going to do his homework, so we'll see."

Tampa Bay announced on Thursday that it was using one of its two available compliance buyouts on Lecavalier, who will be paid more than of $30 million over the next 14 years by the Lightning, who are saving $7.7 million on the cap over the next seven seasons.

 

Minnesota - The Minnesota Wild have traded the rights to defenseman Justin Falk to the New York Rangers in exchange for the rights to forward Benn Ferriero and a sixth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the teams announced Sunday. The sixth-round pick was previously acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 36 games this season with Minnesota, Falk finished with no goals, three assists, 40 penalty minutes and a minus-9 rating. He had a minus-3 rating and no points during the Wild's five-game first-round Stanley Cup Playoff loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. In parts of four seasons with Minnesota, Falk has one goal and 14 assists with a minus-28 rating in 108 games. Ferriero appeared in four games with the Rangers this season, with one assist and a plus-1 rating. He scored 14 goals and added eight assists with a plus-22 rating in 92 games across three seasons with the San Jose Sharks.