One day after acquiring the rights to negotiate, the Lightning have reportedly made Ryan Malone a major part of their future plans. Malone agreed to a seven-year, $31.5M deal with the Lightning on Sunday, according to a report from TSN of Canada.

The Flyers and Jeff Carter agreed to a multi-year deal Friday, only days before the center was set to become a restricted free agent, according to an Associated Press report.

The Florida Panthers tendered a qualifying offer to restricted free agent defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, the club announced Wednesday and reported by Yahoo Sports.

The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed center Brian Sutherby to a one-year contract extension. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed. Sutherby, 26 (3/1/82), appeared in 50 NHL contests with Washington and Anaheim last season, earning 1-1=2 points with 64 penalty minutes (PIM). The Edmonton, Alberta native has played in 304 career NHL contests over six seasons, collecting 26-36=62 points with 338 PIM. Sutherby played in a career-high 76 games with the Capitals in 2005-06, while also setting career bests in goals, assists and points (14-16=30). The 6-3, 210-pound center also appeared in five Stanley Cup Playoff contests in Anaheim?s Western Conference Quarterfinal series vs. Dallas in 2008, going scoreless with two PIM. Sutherby was acquired from Washington on Nov. 19, 2007 in exchange for Anaheim?s second-round selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Selected by Washington in the first round (26th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Sutherby appeared in 208 career contests with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He also represented Team Canada at the 2002 World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic, winning the silver medal.

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed goaltender Dan Ellis to a two-year, $3.5 million contract. ?We have the utmost confidence that Dan Ellis is a No. 1 goaltender in the National Hockey League,? Poile said. ?When given the opportunity to display his skill and talent, he rose to the occasion, and was a crucial part of our team making the playoffs in 2008. We believe he, paired with Pekka Rinne, will make for a solid goaltending duo in 2008-09 and beyond.? Ellis, 28 (6/19/80), led the National Hockey League in save percentage (.924) in addition to tying for third in the NHL and establishing a franchise record in shutouts (6) in his first full season with Nashville in 2007-08. The Newmarket, Ont., native, who had played just one NHL game with Dallas prior to 2007-08, also posted a 23-10-3 record and a 2.34 goals-against average in his first full season in the NHL.

Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced today that the club has signed defenseman Shea Weber to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. ?Shea has evolved into one of our core players,? Poile said. ?He is both a player and a person that every team covets. He is big and strong, skates well, and possesses a booming shot. Shea has also been a part of championship teams from the Memorial Cup in 2004 and the World Junior Championship in 2005, to the World Championships in Russia last summer.? Weber, 23 (8/14/85), established a career high in average time on ice (19:29), and tied personal bests in shots (152) and game-winning goals (2) in 2007-08 despite missing 28 games due to injury. The 6-3, 213-pound native of Sicamous, B.C.?s breakout season came in 2006-07, when he finished as one of six NHL defensemen with 17 or more goals, pacing Nashville blueliners in goals (17) while finishing second among the club?s defensemen in points (40). In 161 career NHL games, Weber has amassed 70 points (25g-45a) and 161 penalty minutes.

The Hurricanes on Thursday agreed to terms with defenseman Tim Gleason on a four-year, $11M deal, as reported by Yahoo.com. Gleason will receive $2M in 2008-09 and an extra $500,000 each of the next three seasons, culminating with a $3.5M amount in 2011-12.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Friday that the team has signed free agent center Tim Stapleton. Stapleton, 25, spent the past two seasons playing for Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League. In 2007-08, he recorded a team-high 29 goals, and he was second-best in both assists (33) and points (62) while playing in 55 games for Coach Doug Shedden. This past season he placed fifth in Finnish Elite League scoring and second in goals. Stapleton attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2002 to 2006. In 162 collegiate games he scored 63 goals and added 89 assists for 152 points. As a freshman, he led the team in scoring with 42 points, and he repeated the feat in his final collegiate season by earning 30 points. He led the team in goals in his third and fourth seasons in college.

The Sabres on Tuesday agreed to terms with defenseman Dennis Persson, their first-round pick in 2006, on a three-year deal, as reported by Yahoo.com.

New York Rangers' President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has agreed to terms with forward Tomas Zaborsky. Zaborsky, 20, skated in 68 games with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, registering 31 goals and 39 assists for 70 points, along with 42 penalty minutes. He established career-highs in games played (68), goals (31), assists (39), and points (72). He also ranked third on the team in goals, assists, and points. Zaborsky recorded a career-high, 17 multiple-point games this season, including a career-high, four points (two goals and two assists) on January 12 at Sault Ste. Marie. He also recorded two goals and one assist for three points in four post-season contests for Saginaw this season. In addition, he skated in two games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL), collecting an assist in his professional debut on April 5 at Portland. The 6-1, 180-pound forward has skated in 127 career OHL games with the Saginaw Spirit, recording 50 goals and 63 assists for 113 points, along with 60 penalty minutes. In 2006-07, Zaborsky ranked second on the team among rookies in goals (19), assists (24), and points (43). Additionally, he has appeared in 10 playoff games with Saginaw, registering three goals and three assists for six points, along with six penalty minutes. The native of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia was the Rangers? fifth round choice, 137th overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.