News: The Predators picked up Lewis in a deal that saw Ian McKenzie head to Atlanta.
Analysis: Lewis is a former second-round draft pick and has the size that could one day make him a steady shutdown defender. While the potential is there, Lewis holds no value in terms of fantasy hockey this year but may be worth keeping an eye on in years to follow.
News: The NHL has dropped its investigation of Savard's contract, WEEI.com reports.
Analysis: With that out of the way, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli signaled that the team's plan is to keep Savard -- the subject of offseason trade rumors -- this coming season. "There has been a number of inquires on a lot of the players, some become public and some don't for obvious reasons, but as we told Marc, that's part of the business and he understood that. I made sure he knows what we think of him: He is a Boston Bruin and an elite offensive player we're happy to have on this team." Of course, that doesn't rule out a trade down the road, but given Savard's cap hit, it seems unlikely that another team will make the Bruins an offer they can't refuse for the talented playmaker.
News: The NHL will not void Luongo's 12-year, $64-million contract, the Vancouver Province reports.
Analysis: The NHL and its players association reached an agreement on Friday to regulate long-term deals, allowing Ilya Kovalchuk to sign with the Devils for 15 years and approving Luongo's deal from last offseason. After a few weeks of uncertainty, Luongo's status with the Canucks remains exactly the same as it did when he inked the long-term deal last year.
News: Kovalchuk's revised contract with the Devils will be approved by the NHL, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.
Analysis: His revised 15-year, $100 million deal meets the NHL's contract standards within the framework of the league's collective bargaining agreement, which was reportedly just amended to address the issue of (very) long-term contracts and how they relate to the salary cap.
News: Kronwall (knee) started walking without crutches on Thursday and remains optimistic about joining his teammates on the ice when training camp begins in two weeks, MLive.com reports.
Analysis: "I had done quite a number of MRIs the past year," Kronwall said. "I knew the LCL, the PCL and the ACL, everything was kind of intact. It was just the lateral meniscus that they had talked about before and they found some cartilage behind the kneecap. That's going to take care of the problem and hopefully I'll be good to go." We'll keep a close eye on Kronwall's progress, as the Wings don't need to push him all that hard in the early days of camp since he's firmly entrenched as part of their four core blueliners entering the season.
News: The Penguins signed Comrie to a one-year, $500,000 salary on Friday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Comrie instantly goes from being an unrestricted free agent with no job to potentially lining up with Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin as a top-six forward. The shine has worn off of the soon-to-be 30 year old -- as he totaled 21 points in 43 games for the Oilers last year -- but the Penguins need wingers who can provide offense in the worst way. In addition to playing on a skilled line, Comrie could also see time on the power play -- where nearly half (10) of his points came last season.
News: Fritsche, who spent all of last season in the AHL, will be in camp with the Blue Jackets on a tryout agreement, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Analysis: If he doesn't make the NHL roster (and he likely won't) Fritsche seems inclined to continue his career in Europe rather than back in the minors.
News: Franson was on the ice on Wednesday, participating in drills with teammates, according to the Tennessean.
Analysis: Contract negotiations between Franson and the Preds are still ongoing, which could be seen as worrisome with training camp just around the corner. However, at the very least, the fact that Franson was seen practicing is probably a good sign that he's not in a holdout situation. At the moment, there are no indications that he won't be signed by the start of the regular season, but stay tuned.
News: Kadri has added "16 or 17 pounds" to his slim frame this summer in preparation for the rigors of the NHL, reports the Toronto Star.
Analysis: He says he now weighs about 187 pounds and hopes to play at 190. He is 5-foot-11. He spent the summer working with the Leafs' strength and conditioning coach and should be much better prepared for the pounding of the NHL. "I had to get stronger to compete in the NHL with the big boys," he said.
News: Peckham should have a legitimate chance to make the team out of training camp, according to the Edmonton Sun.
Analysis: The Oilers only have three spots on the blue line locked up (Ryan Whitney, Ladislav Smid, and Tom Gilbert), that leaves three other spots up for grabs, and Peckham could grab one of those spots with a strong camp.
News: The Avalanche have re-signed Stewart to a two-year, $5.75 million contract, according to the Denver Post.
Analysis: Stewart took a major step forward last season, leading the Avs with 28 goals in 77 games and finishing second in scoring with 64 points. He also led the team in game-winning goals with five, and shots on goal with 221. The 22-year-old Stewart is expected to start the season on the Avs' top line alongside Paul Stastny and TJ Galiardi. From a fantasy perspective, there is always the risk of a sophomore slump with a player like Stewart, but given his skill set and strong supporting cast, we see more upside than downside. He looks like the real deal to us - draft with confidence.
News: Staal, who has been dealing with an infection following surgery on his right foot, will miss the start of training camp, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: The good news is that overall, the issue is not considered serious and the Penguins expect him to be ready for the team's regular season opener, on Oct. 7
News: Lecavalier (knee) hopes that he will be able to skate on Thursday, only a week after undergoing an arthoroscopic procedure on his left knee, the St. Petersburg Times reports.
Analysis: He was adamant that he would be ready for training camp, which opens September 17th. Lecavalier said "(Wednesday) I had a good leg workout. It wasn't heavy, obviously, but I'm slowly starting to get there. Once I start skating (Thursday), I'm going hard to get back where I should be."
News: Niemi has signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Sharks, Brodie Brazil of CSN Bay Area reports.
Analysis: Antero Niittymaki is far from a lock to hold down the No. 1 job all season, so the Sharks' goaltending situation just became a bit more interesting. Backup Thomas Greiss will almost certainly begin the year in the AHL while Niemi pushes Niittymaki for starts on a talented San Jose club.