PULVER SPORTS SIGNS
CAMMALLERI AND HOLIK

Flames acquire Cammalleri, trade Tanguay
Sutter makes a deal for centre and then trades Alex Tanguay

Jun 20, 2008,

The deal for Cammalleri was a three-way deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
FlamesCast: Mike Cammalleri 20.06.08

Calgary sent their first round selection (17th overall) to the Kings who then shippped that pick and the 28th overall selection to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for the Ducks' 12th overall draft pick.
The 26-year old Cammalleri endured an injury plagued season last year that still saw him score 19 goals and pick up 28 assists in 67 games.

In 283 career games all with the Kings, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native has 93 goals and 112 assists.

"I'm really excited. I've always kind of wanted to come back and play in Canada so this is a great opportunity. It's great to be able to compete for the Cup. I love the team that we have," said Cammalleri.
The Flames sent forward Alex Tanguay and their fifth round pick (138th overall) to the Montreal Canadiens for 25th overall pick and a second round pick at next year's draft.

A Ste-Justine, Quebec native, Tanguay is coming off a disappointing season that saw him score only 18 goals and pick up 40 assists in 81 games while hearing his name mentioned almost constantly in trade rumours.
Tanguay was acquired by the Flames on draft day in 2006 from the Colorado Avalanche for defenceman Jordan Leopold in one of the Flames other draft day plays. Last year at the draft the Flames made a swap with Chicago to acquire Adrian Aucoin.

Tanguay enjoyed his first year in Calgary, where he scored 81 points in 81 games. In 609 career games, Tanguay has 177 goals and 362 assists. He helped capture the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in the 2000-01 season.
Tanguay has one year left on his current contract at $5.25 million.Cammalleri has one year left on his contract at an estimated $3.6 million.

The move certainly shores up the Flames centre ice position -- Cammalleri is considered a No. 1 or No. 2 centre. The Flames, who are expected to re-sign Daymond Langkow in the coming days, now have two legitimate top centres who can play in the top six forward group.

But there is also some flexibility as Cammalleri can also play on the wing."I'm comfortable at both positions so it doesn't matter to me," said Cammalleri, in New York working with a trainer in the off-season.

In 2006-07 Cammalleri Set career highs in goals (34), power play goals (16), game-winning goals (5), assists (46), points (80), power play points (37), plus/minus (plus-5), shots (299), games played (81) and time-on-ice average.

That will be the player the Flames are expecting when the 2008-09 season starts -- a player that can provide plenty of offence. While it is early, it is expected that Cammalleri will become Jarome Iginla's centre next season.

"It's a great option to have," said Cammalleri. "He's one of the elite players in the league. It will be nice to pull on the same jersey as him instead of having to play against him."Cammalleri has always had the offensive touch -- he finished second in scoring in the American Hockey League in 2004-05 while leading Manchester with 109 points. Binghamton’s Jason Spezza led the league with 117 points.

"I've always been a guy who likes to produce offensively. I've always enjoyed that responsibility," said Cammalleri.

DEVILS INK HOLIK, ROLSTON

Free agency became a DevilsNew Jersey Devils reunion last night, as GM Lou Lamoriello signed forwards Brian Rolston and Bobby Holik to return.
"I think it's going to be great, for me, the team and the division," the 37-year-old Holik told The Post after signing a one-year, $2.5 million deal.

Rolston, 35, will earn $5 million for each of four years. He went 31-28-59 and minus-1 in 81 games for the Wild last season.

A Devil first-rounder (11th overall) in 1991, Rolston won the Cup with New Jersey in his first NHL season, playing six playoff games. He was traded to Colorado Nov. 3, 1999 with a swap of draft picks for Claude Lemieux.
Lamoriello suggested that Rolston is viewed as a center. He also said, "Brian Rolston was the first call we made at 12:01."

Holik, acquired from Hartford in 1992, won two Cups with the Devils before signing with the RangersNew York Rangers in 2002 following a 2001 arbitration. He was bought out of his massive contract by the Rangers when the salary cap was instituted in 2005, and he signed with Atlanta.
The signings left the Devils less than $2M of salary cap space, room that usually is well-saved against injuries, and deadline pickups.

Before the noon market opened, Lamoriello signed defenseman Bryce Salvador and left wing Jay PandolfoJay Pandolfo away from unrestricted free agency. Salvador, acquired at the Feb. 3 deadline for Cam Janssen, will earn $2.9 million for each of the next four seasons, up from $1.5 million last season, while Pandolfo finally gets his big payday, $2.5 million for each of the next three seasons, after making $836G last season.
Sergei Brylin, the last of the Devils' three-Cup skaters, became unrestricted when neither he nor the Devils picked up an option for this season at $1.53M.

The Devils also signed David Clarkson away from restricted free agency, two years at $800G and $875G, Barry Tallackson from UFA, and 2006 third-round RW Vladimir Zharkov. New Jersey did not sign winger Arron Asham, who became unrestricted.