The Sabres have re-signed unrestricted free agent forward Matt Ellis to a one-year contract, according to an Associated Press report on Tuesday. Ellis rejoins the team for a third season after setting career-highs with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) and 72 games played last year.

Brian Burke, president and GM of the Maple Leafs, announced Tuesday that the hockey club has signed restricted free agent forward Christian Hanson to a one-year contract. Hanson, a 24-year-old native of Venetia, Pennsylvania, completed his first full season of professional hockey in 2009-10. He appeared in 32 games for the Maple Leafs and recorded two goals and seven assists with 16 penalty minutes. In the season finale, he earned two goals and an assist at Montreal on April 10. With the Marlies this past season, Hanson also had 12 goals and 19 assists in 38 AHL games. He was named to the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star Team and he collected an assist at the 2010 AHL All-Star Classic. At the conclusion of the season, he played in six games for the United States at the World Championships in Germany. Hanson completed a four-year career at the University of Notre Dame in 2009. During his final season, Hanson played in 37 games for the Fighting Irish registering a career-high 31 points on 16 goals and 15 assists, along with 28 penalty minutes and a plus-10 rating. In 140 games with Notre Dame over four seasons from 2005 to 2009, Hanson collected 64 points (36 goals, 28 assists) and 123 penalty minutes.

Predators President of Hockey Operations/GM David Poile announced today that the club has signed free-agent defenseman Aaron Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract worth $550,000 at the NHL level and $105,000 at the AHL level. Johnson, 27, split the 2009-10 season between Calgary (22 games) and Edmonton (19 games), posting a career high in goals (4) while tying a personal best in points (10).

The Blackhawks signed 19-year-old center Brandon Pirri to a three-year contract on Tuesday, according to an ESPN.com report. Pirri, from Toronto, was the Blackhawks' second selection (59th overall) in the 2009 entry draft.

Coyotes GM Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have re-signed right wing Lee Stempniak to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. ?We are very pleased to have signed Lee to a two-year contract,? said Maloney. ?He played a key offensive role with our team down the stretch last season. He is just entering the prime of his career and we look forward to him having continued success with our organization.? Stempniak, 27, split last season between Toronto and Phoenix, recording 28-20-48 and 26 PIM in a total of 80 games. His 28 goals on the season represented a new career-high for the six-year veteran.

Brian Burke, president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Saturday that the club has signed unrestricted free agent forward Clarke MacArthur to a one-year contract. MacArthur, 25, began last season with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded March 3 to Atlanta in exchange for the Thrashers? third and fourth round picks in the 2010 Entry Draft. In 81 games between Buffalo and Atlanta, he registered a career-high 35 points with 16 goals and 19 assists. In 2008-09, he scored a career-best 17 goals while playing in 71 games for the Sabres. The 6-0, 191-pound forward has played in 208 career NHL games with Atlanta and Buffalo collecting 44 goals and 44 assists for 88 points along with 129 minutes in penalties. In the AHL, MacArthur led the Rochester Americans in scoring during the 2006-07 season with 63 points (21 goals, 42 assists) in 51 games and participated in the 2007 AHL All-Star Game.

The Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with unrestricted free agent defenseman Willie Mitchell, Kings President/GM Dean Lombardi announced today. Mitchell, 32, recorded 12 points, 48 penalty minutes and a plus-13 plus/minus rating in 48 regular season games this past season with Vancouver. Known as a stay-at-home defenseman, he had a time-on-ice average of 22:36 per game which ranked third on the Canucks, and his short-handed time-on-ice average of 4:04 per game led the team. Including this past season, Mitchell has logged 22-plus minutes of ice per game over the last four seasons. He?s also logged 20-plus minutes of ice time in each of his last eight seasons.

Predators President of Hockey Operations/GM David Poile announced today that the club has signed forward and 2009 draft pick Taylor Beck to a three-year entry-level contract. Beck, 19, was the winner of the 2010 Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the Ontario Hockey League?s top scoring right wing after tying for fourth in the OHL in points (39g-54a-93pts) with the Guelph Storm in 2009-10. The 6-2, 205-pound forward also ranked ninth in the OHL in goals and 10th in assists last season while tying for sixth among 2009-10 OHL skaters in power-play goals (16). The St. Catharines, Ontario native was named a 2009-10 OHL Second-Team All-Star and was Guelph?s nominee for the 2009-10 Red Tilson Trophy given to the OHL?s Most Outstanding Player. Nashville's fourth choice, 70th overall (third round), in the 2009 Entry Draft, Beck is expected to report to Predators? training camp along with other rookies on September 13.

The Lightning have signed free agent defenseman Randy Jones to a one-year contract today, Vice President and GM Steve Yzerman announced. ?Randy is a skilled defenseman, capable of playing in all situations on both the right and left side,? Yzerman said. ?His addition gives us some needed depth on the blue line." Jones has played in 265 career NHL games with the Flyers and the Kings. He has amassed 18 goals, three power-play goals, three game-winning goals and 90 points. Last season he played in 48 games with the Kings, recording five goals and 21 points. His five goals tied his career high and he ranked third among Los Angeles defenders in goals, assists and points.

The Canucks have signed free agent forward Raffi Torres to a one-year, $1 million contract, a person with knowledge of the deals tells The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement has not been officially announced.