Team News, New Contracts & Other News

Pittsburgh - New Jersey Devils forward Patrik Elias is expected to skate Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins despite a groin injury, while Penguins forward James Neal is a game-time decision with an upper-body injury. The Devils cleared a roster spot to activate Elias by placing defenseman Alexander Urbom on waivers Wednesday; he was claimed Thursday by the Washington Capitals. Neal skated briefly at practice Wednesday, but left the ice when he decided he wasn't well enough to continue. While Neal is questionable, Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta will make his NHL debut. The 2012 first-round pick (No. 22) had impressed Penguins coaches and management with his performance during training camp, and Kris Letang's injury opened a spot for his debut. Corey Schneider will start in goal for the Devils, with Martin Brodeur serving as the backup. It will be the first time since the start of the 1993-94 season that Brodeur wasn't the Devils' opening-game starter in net. Coach Peter DeBoer said Brodeur will start the team's home opener Friday against the New York Islanders.

Minnesota - Wild forward Jason Pominville has said all summer he preferred to get a contract extension done before the start of the season. Pominville and the Wild accomplished that goal with about 10 hours to spare. After trading offers for several weeks, the team and Pominville agreed to a five-year extension Thursday worth a reported $28 million, or an average annual cap value of $5.6 million. Pominville's cap number for this season, the final year of a five-year, $26.5 million contract he signed with the Buffalo Sabres in 2009, is $5.3 million. Re-signing Pominville became a priority of the Wild from almost the moment the team traded a pair of prospects and a pair of draft picks last season to Buffalo at the 2013 NHL Trade Deadline. Wild coach Mike Yeo was thrilled with the news Thursday, announcing the deal to the team as it came onto the ice for its morning skate in preparation for Minnesota's season-opening game with the Los Angeles Kings. In 10 games with Minnesota last season, Pominville scored four goals and added five assists. He will start this season playing on the team's first line on the right side of Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu. Along with the signings of Parise and Ryan Suter two summers ago, the Wild have now locked up a large part of its core well into the future. Parise and Suter each have 12 years remaining on their deals, Koivu has five years left on his and the organization has a number of young players still playing on entry-level deals for the next couple of seasons. In addition to the financial security provided to Pominville with his new deal, he said it will be nice to finally be able to settle down with his wife Kim and their two young children. Pominville said earlier this week he and his family had moved seven times in the last 11 months.


Boston - It's finally time for the Boston Bruins to unleash their much-hyped offseason acquisitions Thursday, as the Bruins will host the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden in the season opener for both clubs. Loui Eriksson and Jarome Iginla are scheduled to make their debuts with Boston and play on the lines they were projected to skate with in the summer, and played with all through training camp. Eriksson will line up with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, while Iginla will skate with David Krejci and Milan Lucic. Bruins coach Claude Julien said Krejci, who recently missed time with back spasms, will be in against the Lightning. It'll be important for the Bruins' new top two lines to forge early chemistry. Tuukka Rask will start in net for Boston, with Anders Lindback in net for the Lightning. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said it was a difficult decision between Lindback and Ben Bishop, but for opening night decided to go with the Swede.