The Oilers will need some help in the goal just as suitors for Antti Niemi appear to be decreasing. Edmonton is dealing with Nikolai Khabibulin's legal troubles, and their current tandem is Jeff Deslaurier and Devan Dubnyk. So ESPNBoston.com's James Murphy tweets, "Antti Niemi and Jose Theodore as many have pointed out in replies here are solid chances as well to get interest from Oilers."

The Devils have submitted to the league for approval a new contract with star free agent Ilya Kovalchuk, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed to ESPN. According to Daly, the league has five days to review the contract. No specific details of the deal are known at this time.

Training camp is less than a month away, but there is nothing new to report on talks between the Rangers and Marc Staal. "25 days until training camp, so there's plenty of time, but the Rangers have "nothing new" to report on Marc Staal contract talks," Jesse Spector of the New York Daily News wrote on his Twitter page.

The Devils continued the endless work of re-signing free agent Ilya Kovalchuk on Monday. Devils chairman/managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek, GM Lou Lamoriello and Kovalchuk's agent, Jay Grossman, met with NHL executives at the league's New York office Monday, a league source told ESPN.

Blackhawks goaltender Cristobal Huet may be playing for Swiss team Fribourg-Gotteron next season, although Huet's agent said Monday no deal has been finalized, according to an ESPN.com report. "We've talked, but it's not definitive at this point," said Huet's agent, Stephen Bartlett. "We'll know if it will happen probably in the next couple of days."

The Hurricanes traded Scott Walker for a seventh-round pick at the trade deadline, but Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News reports that they aren't completely against re-signing him. "Could the Canes have some interest in Walker? Don't completely rule it out. Odds are he won't return but you never say never," Alexander wrote on his Twitter page.

Free-agent defenseman Jay Pandolfo has an impressive resume, but teams haven't been banging down his door this summer. "Up in the air right now," said Pandolfo. "Seems like a slow summer for free agents. Just trying to be patient here. Hopefully something will happen before training camp." A number of teams have been limited by the salary cap this offseason.

The Devils are still working to re-sign Ilya Kovalchuk, but the two sides do not have an agreement in place. "Everything is status quo," New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello said. Kovalchuck became an unrestricted agent again on Aug. 9 when arbitrator Richard Bloch upheld the NHL's rejection of the 17-year, $102 million contract he signed with the Devils on July 19.

Free-agent defenseman Willie Mitchell is believed to have offers on the table from four teams -- the Sharks, Kings, Capitals and Canucks. The Ducks are rumored to be interested as well. Mitchell was limited with post-concussion symptoms last season.

Billy Sweatt, a 21-year-old prospect from Colorado College, officially became an unrestricted free agent when he failed to reach a contract agreement with GM Brian Burke and the Maple Leafs. Toronto acquired Sweatt?s rights from Chicago in the offseason trade that sent Kris Versteeg to the Leafs.